Bike and hike

After acclimatizing enough and having a rather lazy day yesterday, it's time for my last island project. It has been right in front of me for a long time, today I'm going up to the highest peak on the island, Ozbova, a proud 569 meters high.

So I start shortly before noon with the bike in Krk and ride on the main road past the beautiful bay 'Puntarska Draga'. There the road starts to climb noticeably. About 9% gradient over four kilometers, that's tough on the legs. And often the road goes straight ahead for a long time, so that you only see uphill until the horizon :-) The feeling is similar to standing on the Konkordiaplatz and looking up to the Lötschenlücke...

So I go up to about 340 meters, to a pass that marks the transition to the valley of Baska. I now turn south and follow the small, mostly paved road. Then I discreetly hide my bike, change into hiking shoes and continue on foot. The Ozbova is the third 'peak' in a row, the first is the Veli Vrh at 542 meters above sea level, the second is the Brestovica at 559 meters above sea level and the third is the Ozbova. All three are inconspicuous elevations, formed from sharp-edged limestone, which reminds me of the Schrattenflu. There are loose rocks lying around here, while the Schrattenfluh is rather solid. But it has sharp edges in both places, so I take my steps carefully. A fall or a broken shoe sole would be very unpleasant here.

The paths are well marked here too, although it takes some attention and it is advisable to navigate from marker to marker. In this sea of stones, it is difficult to see the small dots when you are 20 to 30 meters off the route.

But the area is breathtaking and very lonely at this time of year. In three hours, I just crossed a couple who are doing the hike in reverse direction.

Back with my bike, I'm looking forward to the descent. Four kilometers with a 9% gradient, a tough test for the brake discs? No problem, the route is unproblematic and I'm going for it :-) The reward for the morning's efforts.

I enjoy the last evening comfortably with an Aperol Spritz and a Pizza Piccante from the campsite restaurant. It tastes excellent and saves me from doing the dishes.