Alančić – Velebit for beginners
Location: Sjeverni VelebitLength: 1,93 kmElevation gain: 259 mDifficulty: EasyDifficulty rating: K1, T1, VR1
On a number of occasions we have met people who would like to experience the Velebit, but who find it daunting and beyond their physical abilities. When they learn that this ultimate hiking destination of ours is covered by a network of trails that make it accessible even to the occasional curious visitor with no serious hiking leanings or ambitions, their faces light up.
Alančić, a grassy peak 1,611 m high, is just the thing for “beginner” hikers. You can drive close to the start of the ascent trail, and there is a spacious car park not far from the well-known Alan mountain hut, an unavoidable stop for every hiker. You can eat, drink and rest there before carrying on.
On the way in from inland you pass through everything that might make up a stereotypical picture postcard of the Velebit – dense forests, beautiful plateaus, valleys framed by rock formations (kukovi), and in the end incredible views of the sea and the islands open up before you.
On the way to Alančić you can experience every variation of the Velebit – dense forests, beautiful plateaus, valleys framed by rock formations (kukovi) and incredible views of the sea and the islands
Those who would rather stay in visual contact with their four-wheeled pet can, instead of Alančić, choose to climb Buljma, the peak on this side of the road, which offers equally fine views in every direction. If, however, you want to get away a little, walk through a beautiful beech forest and still not tire yourself out too much, Alančić is the right choice.
Alančić is part of Sjeverni Velebit National Park, so there is an entrance fee. The price is nominal, and it is collected by park staff who turn up here and there in their vehicles.
Bilenski Padež
Bilenski Padež is part of the valley that separates the central and the northern Velebit. It often catches the eye in photographs of the Velebit, and unless you have driven the road towards Alan you are unlikely to find out its name or where it is. One colleague at work even doubted that it was in Croatia at all, because it reminded him of Alpine scenery. The view of this beautiful valley opens up straight from the road at this location: 44.712943887580806, 15.012111690627863
Before Bilenski Padež, on the way towards Alan, you pass another Velebit “icon”, the Mrkvište mountain hut. Mrkvište is a former forester’s lodge at which you turn off for Alan and on towards the sea; it stands on the main mountain road that comes from Krasno and leads on south past Štirovača.
Premužićeva staza
Premužićeva staza (the Premužić Trail) is the most beautiful trail on the Velebit. For some who have not been to the Velebit before it is a must-see, but that is a mistaken view of the trail. It is largely not an end in itself, nor a destination of any kind. This exceptional trail, 57 km long and built in the first half of the last century, runs through the most beautiful parts of the Velebit and makes it easy to reach its countless peaks. It also has the merit of having no steep gradients and of being undemanding for hikers. Three quarters of the way from the Alan mountain hut to Alančić runs along the Premužićeva staza.
Before the climb itself we carried on along the Premužićeva staza for another kilometre and a half or so in order to have our picnic on a ridge with a beautiful view of the surrounding peaks.
The climb
As already mentioned, you set off for Alančić along the Premužićeva staza from the Alan mountain hut. First you pass through beech forest, and then come out onto a slope from which a view of the sea opened up, with Alančić straight ahead. You then continue through grass-covered terrain, and once you have approached Alančić from the eastern side you reach a signpost marking the turning, which is where the climb itself begins.
The climb is easy, and the summit itself is quite rounded and broad. As we climbed higher, the weather also began to change rapidly. A strong wind got up, clouds rose off the sea, and before long we were trapped in thick fog.
If in a situation like that you make a small mistake at the top in choosing the angle of your descent, you can end up somewhere other than where you started, so even a “small grassy hill” like this should not be underestimated; be careful and follow the waymarks, and if there are none, then by all means use a map with GPS.
In any case, a perfect autumn outing!
Special
Although our focus is on Croatia, due to great interest in reviewing some international locations from our travels, we decided to launch the Special section. In it, we will not cover locations in the same detailed way we do with Croatian ones, but will instead provide a brief overview of multiple locations grouped into meaningful categories. The only criterion we still strictly follow is that they must be natural attractions.
