PCan you climb Triglav in one day?

Yes. You shouldn't.

We did it car to car in 15 hours because we had a dog and no babysitter, so a hut night wasn't an option. It worked, we all got up and down safely, and I would not do it that way again by choice.

What one day actually costs you: no acclimatisation before the altitude, no margin if the weather turns, and a descent done on legs that are already finished. The descent is where it goes wrong, and I'll come back to that.

The normal and much better plan is two days, sleeping at Dom Planika (2,401 m) or Triglavski dom na Kredarici (2,515 m) and summiting fresh in the morning. Book the hut in advance in summer.

Every route involves via ferrata

There is no walk-up route to the summit of Triglav. The final stretch, roughly an hour to ninety minutes from the highest huts, is a protected climbing route with steel cables and fixed pegs across exposed ground.

A helmet is essential. A full via ferrata kit (harness and lanyard) is strongly recommended and is what I'd want on that section, particularly on a busy day with people above you. If you've never done via ferrata, hire a certified guide rather than learning on Slovenia's highest mountain.

The main routes:

• Krma valley. The longest but least technical approach, and the usual choice if you want to avoid ferrata until the top.

• Vrata valley from Aljažev dom (1,015 m). Two ferrata options, Tominškova pot (easier) and Pot čez Prag (harder). The most popular way, and doable up and down in a day by fit, experienced parties.

• Pokljuka / Rudno Polje (1,347 m) via Vodnikov dom and Dom Planika. Easy for most of its length, and the gentlest overall profile.

• Stara Fužina / Bohinj. Long, technical, and some sections aren't clearly marked. Needs navigation.

Our route started around 950 m in the valley, which is why the ascent came to roughly 2,000 m. [CONFIRM WHICH VALLEY]

Going down is the hard part

This is the thing nobody puts in a guide and it's the most useful thing on this page.

The climb was fine. The altitude was manageable with sensible pacing. What broke us was 2,000 m of descent on steep, uneven limestone at the end of a fifteen-hour day. One knee injury, one wrecked foot, and a genuine wall hit on the way out.

If you're nervous about descending, and plenty of experienced hikers are, that's not a weakness to push through. It's slow, steady, deliberate foot placement, and it takes as long as it takes. Nobody up there is timing you.

If you have any history of knee trouble, take poles and take two days.

Altitude, if you've come from sea level

If your climbing partner has never been high before, watch them. Ten steps and feeling winded at 2,700 m is normal. Slowing down is the correct response, not a failure.

Check in with each other out loud and often. The person who says "I need to slow down" is the person doing it right.

Yes, there are bears in Slovenia

I'd read there were no bears in the area and said so on camera about ten seconds before we spotted something brown moving through the scrub below us.

Slovenia has one of the densest brown bear populations in Europe, on the order of a thousand animals. They're concentrated in the Dinaric forests in the south rather than the high Julian Alps, and encounters on the Triglav routes are rare, but "there are no bears here" is simply wrong and I shouldn't have said it. Make noise on wooded approaches, don't leave food out, and don't be surprised.

Camping, campervans and dogs

These three rules caught us out and they're the ones worth knowing before you arrive.

You cannot camp in Triglav National Park. No tents, anywhere. Overnight in the mountains means a hut, and that's it.

Campervans: we were told that vans at the trailheads have to have their windows open, the interior visible, and nobody sleeping inside, with a fine in the region of 200 euros. Driving, stopping or parking in the park's natural environment outside designated areas is prohibited. We stayed at the nearest campground and drove in before 6am, and I left a note on the windscreen for the rangers explaining we were on the mountain. Confirm current rules with the park before you rely on this.

Dogs are not allowed in the mountain huts, and dogs are not allowed to be off-lead anywhere in the park. Which rules out any two or three day hut trip with a dog.

Dogs cannot do the summit route. The via ferrata sections are unsafe for them, full stop.

The hut staff kindly let us leave Bella in the shade with food and water while we did the final section. That was a kindness, not a policy, and I wouldn't turn up assuming it. If you're climbing Triglav with a dog in the picture, arrange a sitter in one of the valley towns.

What to take

• Helmet, and ideally a via ferrata harness and lanyard

• Proper boots, and poles for the descent

• Layers. We started in four layers and shed almost all of them within an hour, then wanted them back at the top

• Head torch, whether or not you plan to be out in the dark

• Far more food than feels reasonable. We took pasta, sandwiches, fruit, dried fruit and protein bars, and ate all of it

• Water for a very long day, plus knowledge of where the huts are for refills

Is it worth it?

It's a genuinely brilliant mountain and the ferrata section is the most fun I'd had on the project. Slovenia is a small country absolutely full of mountains and Triglav is on the flag for a reason.

Go for two days. The one-day version is a good story and a bad plan.

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest mountain in Slovenia?

Triglav, at 2,864 m, in the Julian Alps within Triglav National Park.

Do you need a permit to climb Triglav?

No. There's no permit and no entrance fee for the national park.

Can you climb Triglav in one day?

Yes, if you're fit and experienced. We did it in 15 hours covering 25 to 26 km with about 2,000 m of ascent. Two days is the sensible option, staying at Dom Planika or Kredarica.

Do you need via ferrata equipment for Triglav?

Every route to the summit includes secured sections with cables and pegs. A helmet is essential. A harness and lanyard are strongly recommended, especially if you're not experienced on ferrata.

Can a beginner climb Triglav?

Not unguided. It's a long, high, exposed mountain with mandatory ferrata. A fit beginner can do it with a certified guide who provides the kit.

What's the easiest route up Triglav?

Pokljuka / Rudno Polje is the gentlest overall, and the Krma valley is the least technical approach. Neither avoids the ferrata at the top, because nothing does.

Can you camp in Triglav National Park?

No. Wild camping and tents are not permitted anywhere in the park. Overnight stays are in mountain huts.

Can you take a dog up Triglav?

Not to the summit. The ferrata sections are unsafe for dogs, dogs are not allowed in most high mountain huts, and dogs must be on a lead throughout the park. Arrange a sitter in a valley town.

Are there bears in Slovenia?

Yes. Slovenia has one of Europe's largest brown bear populations, mainly in the southern Dinaric forests. Sightings in the high Julian Alps are uncommon but not impossible.

When is the best time to climb Triglav?

Roughly June to September. Outside that the route holds snow and ice and becomes a mountaineering objective rather than a hike.

How long does it take to climb Triglav?

Most one-way ascents are quoted at 5 to 8 hours depending on route, with 4 to 6 hours back down. Over two days it's comfortable. In one day, budget for a very long one.

Peak 6 of The Peak Project: climbing the highest point in every country in Europe.