Sjeverno Rebro (4b+ - UIAA V-) on Veliki Cuk

Sjeverno Rebro

This name means Northern Ridge because the route goes on the northern ridge of Veliki Cuk.
It is one of the famous routes in Paklenica National Park. It is recommended for beginners because the route is quite easy, well equipped and beautiful.
Required time is usually less than two hours but it is a popular route so sometimes happened if you have to wait for another party. Position of the route is very lucky because you can see if there is sombody in the route from Klanci-valley and you can decide if you want to go.

Altough this route is graded a little bit more difficult than Nosorog (4b) I think it is easier and less overcrowded.

Approach

Go through on Klanci-valley from the upper parking-place of the National Park. You find a rocky path that goes up. You go across a stream on a small stone bridge and you serpentine up. On a left corner you find a "Centralni Kamin" table you should turn right to that direction that shown by the table and go up 30m. You find to the right a narrow path and it goes to the wall. Here you can find a via ferrata.

Follow the wire that ends at the "Crocodile heads" (see the picture to the right). Climb up on the rocks to the left and you can see there the start of Sjeverno Rebro. It is marked with a metal plate on the wall.

Route Description

This nice route has five real pitches and it is about 180m long.

First pitch (4a, UIAA IV) starts in a crack. You should follow the anchors and you find the first standing on the top of this rock.



The difficulty of 2nd pitch is 4a as well and you can use only fixed anchors for belaying. This pitch really goes on the narrow ridge.
To find the next standing is quite easy. It is on a massive rock.



3rd pitch doesn't have fixed anchors. You should climb up on the right side of the rock above the standing. You can use here #1-#4 friends, nuts and slings on rocks. Difficult here is only 3a so it is not a big deal.
On the next rock block you can find a little tree. It is worth to use it for a standing because next standing is a little bit further from here.

From this tree you can easily walk to the next standing. You can finish your climbing here and you can descend to the morain between Veliki Cuk and Anita Cuk but the funny part of this route is just coming ! :-)



4th pitch is 4b (UIAA IV+). You should climb up in a chimney. There is a fixed anchor on the top of this. You reach here a terrace and the pitch continues on a nice wall. You can see 2 anchors but you can find "sandhours" as well. So if you are not sure in yourself you can use them. After a 10m climbing you find the next standing on an oblique slope.

5th pitch starts in an oblique crack. You can find enough fixed anchors but you can use friends here if you feel them too few. The second part of this pitch is the most difficult part of the whole route. You find an old ring in the wall and after that you must climb in a "corner". You can use chimney-technic and you can find big grasps everywhere. There are fixed anchors as well.
At last you must climb between two big rocks and you can find the top-standing with four anchors.

Descending

Last standing is on a terrace. You can go off only one way at the opposite side where you arrived here. You can find some stonemen... follow them ! First go a little bit upper and after that stonemen will show the way properly.
It will drives you to the morain between Anica Kuk and Veliki Cuk. After a while you will find a short via ferrata. It is not the same where you went up to the start of the Sjeverno Rebro route.

Pay attention for rock-fall !

It is worth to wear a pair of via ferrata gloves.

Gear

Mostly you can use only expresses and some longer slings. On the 3rd pitch you can use one-two #1 - #4 friends or some middle sized nuts.
In other pitches 8 expresses are enough.

Wear helmet !

For easy communication you can use PMR walkie-talkies.

Red tape

For climbing in Paklenica you have to buy a ticket at the entrance of the valley. It permits you to climb.
Prices were in 2006:
1 day ticket 30HRK
3 days ticket 60HRK
5 days ticket 90HRK

You can find the actual news, prices about Paklenica on http://www.paklenica.hr

Images

View Sjeverno Rebro (4b+ - UIAA V-) on Veliki Cuk Image Gallery - 15 Images