Stari Ljubelj: Winter Conditions Make Košutica Unreachable

What was meant to be a bold early-spring ascent of Košutica (Loibler Baba) turned into something entirely different; a lesson in how quickly the mountains can change their mind. Starting just below Stari Ljubelj, one of the oldest alpine passes connecting Slovenia and Austria, the landscape seemed almost inviting: dry slopes, and barely any snow on the first ridges. With warm southerly winds blowing, it looked as if spring had cleared a window for a risky but doable winter climb. But the deeper I went toward Planšarija Korošica, the more the scenery changed. Snowfields suddenly appeared where the previous ridge showed none. The wind strengthened into a relentless foe. By the time I reached the pasture hut, Košutica was completely swallowed by clouds, with gale-force gusts sweeping icy crust off the peak’s flanks. One glance was enough — the summit was unreachable and unsafe. From there, this trip became an improvisation. Instead of returning the same way, I turned west below Košutica and followed a narrow, brittle ridge that clings to the Slovenia–Austria border. Even here, the wind was fierce, forcing careful steps and fast decisions. The path danced between countries, terrain and weather shifting with every meter. The descent brought me to the historic Ljubelj pass hut, where a hot meal revived the body and the mood. From there, I rolled down the old Ljubelj road, a quiet route with a heavy past. Just by the southern entrance of today’s Ljubelj tunnel stands a memorial to the Ljubelj concentration camp, a forced-labor subcamp of the Mauthausen system. During WWII, prisoners — mostly political detainees — were forced to dig the tunnel under brutal conditions. Many never survived. Passing by this monument after a day of battling wind and snow is a sobering reminder that the mountains hold not only nature’s dangers, but also human history carved into the rock. This was not a successful summit day. But it became something else: a story of shifting weather, shifting plans, and a walk through a landscape where beauty and history meet. If you enjoy honest mountain stories, atmospheric alpine terrain, changing conditions, and off-the-main-path journeys, you’re in the right place. Liked this video? There's a whole playlist here:    • Slovenia playlist   03-03-2024 Vranček (905m) - Korošica (1556m) - Grunt (1614m) - Koča na Ljubelju (1369m) - Taborišče Ljubelj (934m) - Vranček (905m) (watch in 4K) AllTrails: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/rec... Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/vXOnnX2AG5O 0:00 vremenska napoved 0:28 Vranček 2:09 Planšarija Korošica 3:08 sedlo Veliki Grunt 3:32 vrh Mali grunt 5:10 Stari Ljubelj 6:15 tunel 6:46 Relive outro ____________________________________________________ Music: 'Last and First Light' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au ____________________________________________________