Mišja peč, Slovenia, Coastal region
People will say Mišja peč is just a playground for the elite climbers. Well this certainly was the case some 15 years ago. Overhanging, yet very technical; endurance based, yet with high strength requirements; crimps, tufas and slopers one after another in the same route… The routes were somewhat scary, but extremely satisfying, offering some of the best climbing in the world.
The crag has always attracted the best of the best, just like Ceuse in France or Oliana in Catalunya. Adam Ondra used to come here twice a year and he even did his first 9a here. Other climbers who left their mark include Lynn Hill, Yuji Hirayama, Sachi Amma, Tomas Mrazek, Daniel Jung, Kilian Fischhuber and many others. Today, the hardest route is Vicious circle by Ondra, graded 9a+/b, which is the cream of the collection of 16 8c or harder routes here.
But we suppose you didn’t come to Mišja to climb those… So, what can you do, apart from watching the elites in their daily projects? Luckily in the last 10 years many more routes were bolted, on the sides as well as in the center, so today we’ve got about 20 routes graded 6a+ or less. It still won’t be a walk in the park for a complete beginner, but at least you can have a “normal” climbing day even here!
Of course, the climbers battling in 6b’s and harder will find much more options here. And though some of the popular ones are getting a bit polished it’s because they are close to perfect: continuous climbing on solid rock with many features. If you’re advanced climber, maybe you can join many many people who crossed their milestones here – be it their first 7a, 7b, 7c or 8a… well, you get the picture.
Another great quality of Mišja peč is, that its constantly overhanging wall provides nice shelter in case it’s raining. Most of the first pitches are completely dry even in the worst storms. But the weather here is usually sunny anyway. This is surely a wall you have to visit at least one in your life if only for its beauty, atmosphere and historic value.