Bohinj Group
Panorama view from the summit
Bogatin page editing history
Page also available as
www.bogatin.gajba.net, you may bookmark it for your convinience
Hunter's nightmare
Veliki & Mali Bogatin
Once upon a time, bare limestone part of the Julian Alps was carpeted with red flowers. This flower garden was kept in order by Rojenice, three nice looking high mountain chicks, dressed all white. Everytime a new kid was born down in the valley, a new star will appear on the night sky above Mount Triglav and Rojenice will descend down to the valley with lighting candles in their hands, and tell the future to the newborn. Their prophecy will always turn to be true, hence Rojenice loved people, their visit always ment justice, happyness and long life for the newborrn child. Apart of looking after the valley people, Rojenice were also owners of Zlatorog, the Goldenhorn chamois. And Goldenhorn himself was in possession of the the mt. Bogatin key. Everyone knows that if the Goldenhorn would unlock the stone gates of Bogatin, an entrance would open, leading into the secret hole hiding so much treasure, that 700 wagons would not be enough to load all of the treasure. People loved and respected both Rojenice and the Goldenhorn. They never thought of challenging Goldenhorn, which was thought to be immortal - if someone shoots him, Goldenhorn's blood once touching the ground, would turn into red roses which Goldenhorn would bite in and recover from the wounds, his force becoming even bigger and mightier then it was before.
However, on one occassion, a young hunter from the Isonzo (Soca river) valley tried the impossible. He felt inlove with the local innkeeper's daughter and in orther to satisfy girl's mother, he had to bring the Bogatin treasure, or at least, a bunch of red roses from Triglav. His encounter on the mountain with Goldenhorn did not turn out well. He actually did shot the animal, but Goldenhorn recovered, the sun reflection from his horns blinded the hunter, so that young dude lost his footing and falled into abyss. The Goldenhorn turned berserk by the fact that the mortal human dared to challenge him, picked up his herd of goats that he was leader of an gored his way out of the Triglav Realm, leaving the landscape much as it looks today.
Both Rojenice and Goldenhorn have never been seen again since, but, if the story is true, 700 years later in the middle of Triglav's sea of stone a fir-tree will grow, one who spots it should use the tree's wood and make a craddle for a male newborn. A first boychild to use it will be the first person to find the entrance into Mt. Bogatin treasure hole...
Overview
Actually, there are 2 Bogatin peaks, Bogatin (1977m high) and Veliki Bogatin aka Mahavscek (2008m high) next to each other and connected with short narrow ridge. They are located at the very nordwest end of the South Bohinj ridge (also known as Spodnje Bohinjske gore or Tolminske gore) in the lower Southeast Alps. Both peaks are hike-ups, either as the beginning or an end of the South Bohinj ridge traverse and usually taken one after other. If taken at the end of traverse, "smaller" Bogatin is sometimes omitted, it can be circumvented by contouring its western slope, thus saving some time and phisycal effort to the already tired hikers legs. Main reasons for visiting Bogatin;
- mythical mountain from the Goldenhorn saga (see first chapter)
- excellent view point for its hight, because of the vertical drop very nice views toward higher Eastern Alps direction NW
- traversing the South Bohinj ridge
- popular winter tour ski route
- Bohinj lake-Krn lake traversing, Bogatin is an easy pickup at the halfway of this traverse, from the Vratca pass
- it s located next to the World War I military trail. Actually, some
of the most fierce encounters between the Austrian imperial army and the
Italian army took place in and around the Bogatin area. Today's hiking routes
mostly follow the war routes, and huts and other facilities have been
erected during Yugoslav era where once military barracks stood
Popular routes:
- Bogatin hut at lower Komna plateau-Vratca pass-Bogatin(2 hours)-Veliki Bogatin 2 &1/2 hours. Most common route. Bit gravelly at the end.
- Komna hut-planina Govnjac-Veliki Bogatin (Mahavscek) 3 hours. A shortcut from the eastern edge of the Komna plateau. Planina Govnjac (Govnjac pasture) may be interesting for meteo buffs, it is place with largest measured temperature difference in Slovenia (extremes something like +30 degrees C in summer and bellow -20 C in winter)
- Krn lake or Krn lake hut-Vratca pass-Bogatin 2 &1/2 hours
- Planina Razor hut-Skrbina-Tolminski kuk-Vrh Planje-Vrh Skrli-V.Bogatin(Mahavscek)-Bogatin-Vratca pass. This is a long day panoramic traverse of the Tolminske gore (S. Bohinj ridge) with joyful view from the Bogatin's at the end and finishing at ruins of Austrian military stronghold at Vratca pass, ruins are surrounded with very fine alpine flora, which is always a bonus