The area of Dubrovnik, island Mljet and Pelješac peninsula

Categories Blue Trail, Updates

It’s all about the mindset, but how to set your mind when you’re hiking the last leg of a trail which is still 900 kilometers? It’s not like I’m almost done, while at the same time it’s the last part. Also, the word mindset implies that I’m in control of my mind. I whish. Or maybe not? In reality my mind is influenced by how I feel just as much as the other way around. My solution: try not to think too much, just hike. And so I did.

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Gut feeling, being lucky and the sea

Categories Blue Trail, Musings

When I camp in front of a church I usually feel comfortable. It can go two ways. The positive scenario is that being around people, near a village for example, gives me the idea to be protected. The other scenario is that people with bad intentions know where to find me. You never know for sure in which scenario you’ll end up in, but I kind of learned to trust my gut feeling. And that got me pretty far.

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Staring at the Sea

Categories Blue Trail, Updates

From Vrbanj I went down to the sea. To Herceg Novi. With pain in my heart I skipped Subra’s amphitheatre. Too much wind. A warm wind, but still too windy to go for an exposed klettersteig-hike-climb. At mountainhut Vratlo I was in doubt, maybe I could try to go from there. But no, that wouldn’t be the same. I mean, I could hike to the peak of Subra, but I would still miss the spectacular climb and that’s what this stage is all about. This will be another place I sooner or later come back to.

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EAT SLEEP HIKE REPEAT

Categories Blue Trail, Hiking Tales
Primorska Planinarska Transverzala Montenegro

I’m not much of a mile-maker, but last few weeks I’ve been walking in circles, exploring, climbing, bouldering, jeep touring and most of all: I’ve been chilling so much that I’m up for some real long distance hiking again. I want to get back to my hiking rhythm. EAT SLEEP HIKE REPEAT. Also, if I want to finish all Via Dinarica trails this year, I’d better get on moving, because days are rapidly getting shorter.

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Looking back on July: Serbia & Kosovo

Categories Looking Back, My Via Dinarica Journey

At the end of the month I’d like to look back on where I’ve been, what I did and how I felt. Despite the fact that I’m really taking my time, I can’t escape the feeling that I can’t keep up with my own pace. I’m a slow traveller, still I need more time to sit and stare. Every day is an adventure, that’s how I like it. Not knowing what the day will bring. Live every minute, absorb every impression. To avoid an adventure overdose, I write. 

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TRAILNOTES: Via Dinarica Green Trail in Serbia

Categories Green Trail, Trailnotes

The Via Dinarica Green Trail in Serbia goes through the lower mountains north of the White Trail. Those lower mountains often look like hills, peaks aren’t as prominent as in Durmitor for example (or Prokletije!), but on the other hand the route often stays around the 1000 meter above sea level. In those “hills” there are many farms, villages and weekend houses, vikendica. Therefore the Green Trail in a way is much more alive.

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Connecting the dots… Hiking from Višegrad to and through Tara National Park, TRAILNOTES

Categories Green Trail, Trailnotes

Trailnotes & thoughts of a route that is connecting Višegrad with Tara National Park, the Serbian Via Dinarica Green Trail trailhead. Note that you have to go to the official border crossing point since there’s no agreement for hikers or whatsoever. So this actually is not a route, but more an attempt to “connecting the dots”.

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Looking back on June: from Dutch summer into Green Wilderness

Categories Looking Back
A walk in the clouds

At the end of the month I like to look back on what I did, where I was and how I felt. Usually I use my Instagram feed to do so, but the first half of this month I took a bit of a break, because I went back to The Netherlands. There I hugged my friends, witnessed (at) a wedding, spend time with my family and enjoyed the Dutch goods; patatje speciaal, biertje speciaal, 100% pindakaas, dropjes en kaas. Didn’t share this online, but here a short version will follow.

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Hiking the Jahorina Trailrun Track from Sarajevo to Višegrad, TRAILNOTES Via Dinarica Green Trail

Categories Green Trail, Trailnotes
Sun before the Storm,  Rogatica

Jep, I’m hiking again. From Sarajevo I’m heading East on the Jahorina Trailrun Track to Višegrad. Those of you who  follow me on Facebook might have read these notes before, yes I’m a bit lazy. Nevertheless I hope this post is either helpful or inspiring for whoever’s thinking of hitting the trail.

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Gone hiking. Dinara, here I come! (+ my first podcast)

Categories Exploring the Dinarides, Podcast
BLOG Gone hiking, Dinara here I come

It’s 00.27 my backpack is packed, GPS is up to date, launched my podcast and after this blog post I’m ready too. Ready for a little hike. Tomorrow I take the bus to Knin from where I hit the trail to Dinara. Gone hiking. Although I hiked across the entire Dinaric Alps, I haven’t been on Dinara yet. Or well, I was on the mountain, but not on the peak. A peak, the peak. Something to do with bad weather. I Thought it would be a nice way to open this years hiking season. Hiking Dinara. And when already I’m there, I might as well continue on the trail to Troglav and Kamešnica.

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Looking back on November: Sightseeing Sarajevo & a Bikeride to the Croatian Coast

Categories Looking Back

At the end of the month I like to look back on what I’ve done and where I’ve been. On how I felt and what was on my mind. It turned out that my Instagram pictures actually give a pretty good impression. So, I decided to put them together in a blog post. Here’s November where I stayed two weeks in Sarajevo before I took my bike for a ride to the Croatian coast. An exciting month full of social stuff, warm showers, blue skies and new opportunities. Scroll down to find out more!

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Hiking Via Dinarica, crossing the Balkans on foot

Categories ON FOOT, Via Dinarica Inspiration, White Trail
BiH_MNE_Maglić_Prijevor_bordercrossing

Last summer I walked a new long distance trail through the Balkans, the Via Dinarica White Trail. A route that finds its way along countless different mountain ranges, ridges, cliffs, canyons, valleys, rivers, lakes and prominent peaks in the Dinaric Alps, Europe’s largest karst field. Hiking Via Dinarica. A great hike, a beautiful journey and an unforgettable adventure.

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Into the White

Categories Exploring the Dinarides, Micro Adventures, Sarajevo & Surroundings
winter_wonder_walk_vukov_konak_bosnia_herzegovina

What to do with Christmas and New Year Eve… Same question every year.. Well, since I’m not home or walking home for Christmas, I thought it would be best to escape the city and plan a little trip to the mountains. Apparently I’m not the only one who liked the idea of getting away, my oldest friend from Amsterdam, Caroline, flew to Sarajevo and accompanied me on this beautiful, but freezing cold winter holiday in the Bosnian mountains. The great thing about Sarajevo is that within thirty minutes you’re in a complete different world. Vukov Konak, a traditional Bosnian Mountain Inn, was the destination.

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Slovenia’s Secrets: Green Karst

Categories Adventures, Via Dinarica Inspiration, White Trail
GREEN KARST sLOVEnia's secrets | Hiking Via Dinarica White Trail

After I hiked more than 1200K through 4 different countries and added another 300K in Slovenia. The original Via Dinarica White Trail follows the Javorniki mountain range from Snežnik to Postojna. Although the forest up there is one of a kind, I decided to spend a bit more time in Slovenia, made a detour and set out an more ˝scenic route˝ through the beautiful Green Karst landscape. The last part of my Via Dinarica journey started in Ilirska Bistrica from where I headed back into the mountains, to Mašun, Sviščakih and Snežnik. I was blessed with fantastic weather. Cold, sunny and colorful. Autumn at its best.

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Incredible Croatian Karst

Categories Adventures, Via Dinarica Inspiration, White Trail
hiking_via_dinarica_croatia_balkans_white_trail

The Via Dinarica is a trail that is still in progress, only in Bosnia and Herzegovina the White Trail is officially open. In the other four countries the route is a combination of old existing trails that all together form a corridor through the Dinarides. With a distance of almost 600 kilometers, the Croatian section covers the largest part of the Via Dinarica. An absolutely beautiful stretch through the incredible Croatian karst mountains.

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