| North-Southern route Route |
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| North-Southern route   | 
| Page Type: Route Location: Slovenia, Europe Lat/Lon: 46.34527°N / 14.61525°E Route Type: Trad Climbing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall Time Required: Half a day Rock Difficulty: 5.7 (YDS) Difficulty: UIAA V, 100m Number of Pitches: 3 Grade: II
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| Page By: Schputnik Created/Edited: Jun 17, 2009 / Oct 4, 2009 Object ID: 522213 Hits: 317 Loading... Page Score: 87.34% - 5 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Overview
 Pitch 2, Kovacnica(photo haubi)
Stanicev vrh (Stanic's peak) was named after the famous mountaineer Valentin Stanic (1774-1847).
A part from being a beautiful and healthy Peak, Stanicev vrh is a school. It is a caracteristic miniature, and any alpine discipline (except true glacier crossing of course) may easily be performed on the mountain, including admiring.
Stanicev Vrh is usually the first peak of the famous Crossing of the Zeleniske Spice (UIAA II/II+, crest scramble).
An interesting feature is Kovacnica, a natural and very spacy tunnel leading through the mountain from the foot of the S wall to the middle of the N wall.
The South face received many bolted rock climbs, but the North wall (NNW) had not been climbed until 2002, except for the gullies to the right and left of the face.
In June 2004, after his (and the) first repeat of Right Crack, Tine Mihelic (1941-2004) mentioned the idea of coming up to the entrance of the Kovacnica tunnel from the N side, to walk through Kovacnica to the S wall and then resume to the summit.
Marko Brdnik and Borut Kantuser opened the North-southern route, the second route on the Stanicev vrh N wall, on Sep 24, 2007.
Let's mention Vanja Matijevec's 1978 FA, from the edge of the Kovacnica tunnel and, looking out, towards the left (that's where belay 1 of the North-southern is), climbing the upper part of the N wall.
One commonly, but maybe just unknowingly assumed that the rock quality of the N wall is not so good, which is wrong. It's just that in the first pitch of the North-southern, the rock quality is poorer than you'd think.
Getting There
Leave the Kamniska Bistrica Trailhead along the Kamniska Bistrica to Kamnisko sedlo route. At "V Klinu" take the Repov Kot route.As soon as the path leaves the thick forest we may appreciate the view of the Zeleniske Spice on the opposite bank. Stanicev vrh is the closest of the peaks in the serie of those peaks with no bushy interruption in the notches (the upper part of Zeleniske Spice).
Above the Tolmuni (the famous waterholes above the Rep waterfall in the upper Sedelscek gully/Repov Kot), we cross the streak of water smoothly. The gully in front of us and which goes directly to the ridge is the via normale on Stanic (the yellow line on the image).We face left. There usually is no snow, and a boulder like traverse to the left (III, often damp) is necessary in order to enter the gully. We let this gully guide us (II), avoiding difficulties to the left, allthough a dihedralish line invites us more to the right. When in full sight of our wall, we let a right hand scree-rib lead us up to the grassy foot of the N wall (a deep cave is to the left of the evident Right Crack).
The green line on the access image is our approach route: Grapa (gully) v Stanicevem vrhu, II-III.
Route DescriptionPlace protection at belay 0 (the slope below our climb is steep).
To the right of the Right Crack, we notice two holes in the wall. The one to the right is the Kovacnica tunnel opening, which is our goal.
Pitch 1 starts on the slab to the left of an unfriendly shallow crack (IV, poor rock, difficult pro/peg placement). The line then approaches the right-hand crack (one peg in place), but still takes advantage of the slab (UIAA V, crux).
Above the cautious move, the situation looses of its steepness, running out (poor rock) to the edge of the Kovacnica opening. Most comfortable belay 1 (no pro in place).
Pitch 2 is a walk through the Kovacnica tunnel, leading to its S entrance, at the base of the S face.
Pitch 3 (and 4): pitch 3 starts right hand (looking out), up a beautiful wide (short) crack on excellent rock and disappears behind the edge. Belay (no pro in place).
It is now difficult to avoid the existing bolted lines which lead straight up, and we traverse to the left (III/III+) before heading up (a middle size cam comes in handy). Aim for the bushes (sling pro, IV-), and finally circle right (II) until reaching the SW ridge.
Descent:
Follow the well tread SW ridge (I-II scramble), until the saddle. Discover (right hand) the slit through the pine-bushes and follow it to the edge of the sand and screefull gully (yellow line on the access image). Carefully follow this gully, avoiding problems right hand, and rejoin the streak of water from which we started.
Essential GearUsual, let's say 5 pegs (2 ordinary long, 2 ordinary short, and one profile (or an universal), and 3 cams (medium to medium small).
External LinksNovo nad Repovim Kotom, a reference (in Slovene) to the FA.
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