Rockaroundtheworld is back on the road, on another Balkan Odyssey (our third?) This one could be sub-titled “to Bosnia and Beyond!” but that’s a fair schlep, so here’s the first 1,000 miles.

We set out without a fixed itinerary, as usual, but with a vague intention to spend time in the Dollies or maybe Arco to break the journey on the way down. The weather had different plans, with rain settled over much of the Alps and northern Italy, so it was foot-to-the-floor to a first overnight near Regensburg (brewery with free van parking – what’s not to like?) Next stop was the first bit of dry, roadside-ish rock, which happened to be the Inntalklettergarten near the German-Austrian border, just south of Passau.

Actually, VERY near the border, which at this point is formed by the River Inn. The granite crags might be a little polished and a bit stumpy (though some routes run to almost 20m) but you can’t fault the convenience…

… nor the ambiance.

The crag shot is of Helen on a route on the Anfängerfels sector, and I did a route on the Drei Zinnen (not quite as imposing as its namesake, but the nearest we’ll get to the Dollies on this trip!)

Onwards into Austria, and another very handy drive-by crag: Weinzodl, near Graz. Not hugely impressive from the parking, though the fact that there is dedicated parking is to be celebrated (shared with the adjacent baseball field).

To be honest, it wasn’t that inspiring at closer quarters either – somewhat shattered-looking rock, short routes and a suspicion of polish had us wondering if this should be a drive-on-by rather than drive-by crag. However, we decided to at least give it the benefit of a YECTOYD and we’re actually pleasantly surprised. Although the routes are well-used, it’s a grainy, sandy-textured limestone, and the holds are surprisingly grippy.

Here’s Helen on Saarplatter, V.

We nipped across the narrowest part of Slovenia and found ourselves in Croatia, just north of Zagreb and barely 60hrs into the trip.

We made a pretty comprehensive tour of the climbing in Croatia in 2022…

https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/category/eastern-europe/croatia/

… but confined ourselves mainly to the coast, skirting the northern hinterland (due to weather again) which actually comprises around half of the country. There isn’t so much climbing in the north, but we were keen to at least get a taste of what was on offer, so headed to Kalnik, by far the most extensive of the half dozen crags around the city of Varazdin.

(Quoting UKC…) This mountain, located on the three-border point between Zagorje, Prigorje and Podravina, played an important role in Croatian history, holding back the Avar, Tatar and Turk invasions. The ruins of the Veliki Kalnik castle, situated on the rocky ridge is testament to those times. The fortress even served as a royal palace for a while. The climbing site here at Kalnik is situated at the foot of and within the ruins of this castle.

It’s certainly a popular spot, with a “mountain hut” catering for walkers and tourists, as well as the climbers, doing a roaring trade when we arrived on a busy Sunday lunch time. There were probably a dozen local teams on the main Stari Grad sector, accessed via ancient stone staircases winding up through the ruins. We soon got a reminder of the stiff grades on offer in this part of the world, backing off one 6a (John Deere) before just about scraping my way up another (Styr).

Some locals (one of them sporting a Life, The Universe and Everything T-shirt – Douglas Adams would have been chuffed) took pity on us and pointed us at Blizanac II, the classic of the crag – a 25m line up the tallest part of the crag, starting up a fine corner crack before topping out up a steep rib.

It would get 3 stars in The Peak (E1ish) and was almost reasonable at the grade (unlike the adjacent Zetor, 6a+, which was an altogether stiffer proposition). Anyway, a sunny day visiting a ruined royal castle is just the way you’d expect a normal couple to celebrate their Ruby (40th) Wedding Anniversary 😍

The hut / restaurant had quietened down by evening and we celebrated in style with huge platefulls of hearty fare, washed down by the local beer (for just over twenty quid between us).

They’ve even got their own brew!

… and as a bonus you can park up overnight in the parking area. Not a bad view for breakfast the next morning.

Monday was a complete contrast, as we had the place entirely to ourselves. The ridge features a number of “teeth” of which the castle is built on the largest. Prvi Zub, the fourth tooth, is tucked away in the trees, but is actually quite sizeable. We did the excellent Bijeli Ocnjak 5a up the right arete…

… which has the bonus of a great view of the castle and its imposing position overlooking the surrounding countryside.

Tomb Raider, 5c (plus plus plus!) was also really good…

… and Warcraft, 6a+, was a tussle!

With the forecast set to bomb out, we were back on the road and heading south to the coast. Next stop, the highlight discovery of our 2022 trip – Čikola.