Sacred mountain VELEBIT (in Croatia), where Gods and angels still live

http://adriaticcoast-mountains.blogspot.com 

I start to write this post, while my friend is tenderly playing guitar. Perfect for my inspiration!

I like to hike, since my younger age. I am not a member of any hiking group, nor I am perfectly physically trained, but whenever I set up some top or mountain area as my goal, some force just drag me there. Short time later, I just find myself sweating on some hill or path, where I wanted to be, completely content and my every atom feels fulfilled and blissful.

Our hiking adventure to south Velebit was on 17.th of May 2008.

VELEBIT is the most beautiful mountain in Croatia. Wild, rocky, big, enchanting, mythical. It stretches above the sea, so hiking is special experience, because you can look at the crystal Adriatic sea, charming islands (which use to be part of this mountain) and deep blue sky everywhere around. (Velebit is 145 km long, 15-30km width). Here is very peaceful, Velebit kept its wilderness and innocence.

There is a road (not many roads on this mountain!) from the little town Starigrad (middle Adriatic coast) up to top Veliki Vaganac, 650m. Our hiking tour starts from that point. Our goal was- to reach the biggest valley on Velebit called Rujno.

There are many empty villages on Velebit, before few decades hundreds of people use to live there, but life deep in the wild mountain was very difficult. So, they left their villages, and moved down to the coast,where was easier to live.

As soon as we start to walk, and look around, our consciousness begins to change. Primordial, breathtaking beauty of the nature, magnificent forces of creation are pouring out from every rock and stone , from every rocky sculpture. Imagination and creativity of nature is just endlessness.

After more then one hour lasy walking on the reasonable comfortable mountain path , our adventure can really begin: goat path which leads to the biggest valley on Velebit ( Rujno) is just beginning...Immediately we feel adrenalin in our bodies which pushes us up, our feet (used to concrete and soft mountain paths) start to enjoy non-flat edges of rocky path...Wisely decide to let forward some more experienced hikers and go slowly but safely.

We take breaks every now and one to take photos (what is good excuse, for taking rest. The path is very asloap). We need a lot of rest for our legs and lungs...that is ok, what can be better then just sit and take a look at the blue shining see in the distance... The air is full of fragrances. Here you can hear only birds and bees.

Everything is in blossom, colours, in perfect harmony. Wild, passionate, primordial, untamed, freely. When you enter in this beautiful world of nature, with your hearth open, you feel like in the most beautiful dreams, like in a fairy tale...

You can hear fairies whispering and touching you tenderly. Devas and angels of nature are everywhere, carrying beautiful fragrances and pure light of love. There is nothing here but unconditional love and creative force and enchanting beauty, far beyond of anything what we humans can create in our civilisation.

Spirit of nature is so intensive and innocent here, that every our step and sight becomes sacred act of happiness, life and love. Here is so easy to feel free and joyful...

After a while, we pass near the little chapel of holy Mary, which is built on the goat path. Here we are silently praying in deep gratitude for this experience and all love and abundance in our lives.

Little drops of warm rain make us walk more quickly. We take a short rest in the front of locked shelter, where we eat, and now is just a little bit, and there is Veliko Rujno (Big Rujno), beautiful big valley right bellow the crook. Big and Small Rujno are the largest and most gorgeous valleys on the whole Velebit. 7 km long and between 1 -2,5km large (900m height) they are situated on the seaboard terrace of Velebit, and completely protected from all sides with surrounding mountains and hills...

40 years ago in Rujno use to live hundreds of people, growing cattle, but they started to lieve it, because of difficult conditions of life up here and new employment possibilities in tourism. Now there are some people staying in houses which are still there, but for weekend leisure only.

In the middle of Veliko Rujno valley is church dedicated to holly Mary, there is holy communion on Saturdays at 11. Next to the church is also a well, you can take water there.

Altough people who are in Rujno are very nice and polite, we are passing through Big Rujno very quickly - we just want to be completely alone with the nature in our Velebit`s fairy tale.

We are running around like children, enjoying soft grassy paths. Wind is whispering songs playing with leaves and flowers, air is full of sweet fragrances... There is no words to to describe this paradise, this miraculous world where we walk. It is so easy and natural to fall in love in Velebit, and stay in love with this mountain forever. That is light of our souls which created this sparkly, dreamy world, in its pure innocence.

Every effort we made, every drop of sweat, tiredness... everything negative just disappears in waves of pure happiness. I feel that these rocks and sky are transforming us and shaping us again.... Mother of nature is hugging us and taking back in her lap. She is giving us gift of strength and precious feeling of freedom..

In this peace and innocence, energy is so strong that I just know that ancient gods of Velebit are still alive...

On the end of Small Rujno, paths are leading to the beautiful valley Stap on the right side, and to the shelter on Zavrata. We are not ready to return to Starigrad yet, so we decide to see what is this shelter like. After 50 min, walking down through beautiful woods, lovely madows, and rocky paths, we are on Zavrata, 720m. We decide not to return to Starigrad, because it is to hot for hiking up. Decide to go down, thinking that is easier way. On the map it does not look so far to go to the coast. After short brake on Zavrata, we go down over ruggdness goat path, towards Tribanj Šibuljina, placed 10km NW from Starigrad. This is much more difficult choice, because our "quicker" way back takes 4 hours of walking. We are a bit in a hurry, couse we want to come down before the darkness, so we take rest only when tired feet start to miss next rock. It is necessary to keep focus all the time, and stay fully concentrated. We joke every now and on, and laughing gives us such a relief.

It is hot, we are already too tired, I would just like to lay down on first flat rock and fall asleep till the morning.

Last 100 m of height (cca 2-3km,) becomes the heaviest part: sheep´s paths, full of little sharp stones, are very painful for walking down, more difficult then any goat path we walked. It seems that there is no end to this sheep path, and we just start to feel like sheeps, beee-beee....

After 8.p.m we finally reach Tribanj Šibuljina, completely exhausted, but feeling a litlle bit like heroes, and very happy.

In my mind there is notingh but big gratitude to the divine spirit and all divine beeings who guided us on our pilgrimage to the heart of Mother of nature, on wild, sacred mountain Velebit.

My travel blog: http://adriaticcoast-mountains.blogspot.com

My education blog: http://dreams-materialization.blogspot.com,