Paklenica

Campsites:
Auto camp NP Paklenica, tel: 023 369-202 , np-paklenica@zd.t-com.hr
Auto camp Marko, tel: 023 369-283 , info@ac-marko.com
Camp Anića kuk, tel: 023 369 275 , encian@zd.t-com.hr

Rooms:
Hotel Rajna , tel 023 369-130
Restaurant Paklenica , tel: 023 369-289
Ana Marsović , tel: 023 369-049, www.apartmani-nina.com
Pansion Anđelko , tel: 023 369-307, andjelko.katic@zd.t-com.hr

More information about accomodation : www.rivijera-paklenica.hr

The best time of year is from April to late October. In winter strong winds are quite a problem (except sektor Crljenica which is ideal, and the newly equipped sektor Tarajlija). In spring rain showers can be a problem, but due to the karst terrain the rocks dry very quickly. Summer can be hot, but you can always find a face in shade, and there is also the possibility of combining this kind of vacation with swimming in the sea.

SHORT HISTORY
The first climbers came to Paklenica in the late 1930's, and the first route put up in the gorge is the Brahm route in 1940. Between 1957 and 1969 it was predominantly Croatian climbers who established new climbs and many of these are nowadays considered true classics such as Mosoraški (1957), Velebitaški (1961) and Klin (1966), to name just three. This period was followed by a series of visiting Slovenians who were very active at establishing new routes. One of them was legendary Franc Knez: he immediately changed the concept of climbing and discarded the word impossible. He put up circa forty routes and even today many of these are still considered some of the hardest at Paklenica.

The spirit of free climbing came to Paklenica thanks to I. Tomazin and his free ascent of Brid za mali čekić (6c+) in 1978. The early 1980's was the period marked by a sudden rise in difficulty levels, and the turning point was in 1982 when Klin (6c+) was finally free climbed, followed by other important free ascents such as Funkcija (6c+) and Jenjavi (7a+).

The first short sport climbs were put up at Klanci, the narrowest section of the canyon, by Italy's Mauro Corona who set the ball rolling with his Stimula, 7a. Shortly afterwards his famous compatriot Manolo made the first ascent of what is still the most difficult route in Paklenica: Il Maratoneta (8b+).

In 1986 Srečo Rehberger and Tadej Slabe solved what was considered the biggest free climbing challenge in Paklenica, namely the famous Brid klina (7c) up the the edge of prominent formation in the middle of the main wall. The first ascent of this legendary multi-pitch aid route took 30 days, of which 8 were spent in a row on the face and this route became a symbol of the "iron age" of climbing.

In 1990 Paklenica was visited by the Remy brothers. They climbed two beautiful, difficult routes: Rajna (7a) and Wellcome (7b+). Both routes were climbed in modern style: free, with bolts placed on lead. During this period the most difficult aid route were also established, namely Jogananda (A4).

Due to the war the park was closed for a couple of years and all activities came to standstill. When the park finally reopened in 1995, the new era was immediately marked by a great new route, Waterworld (7b+), climbed by Austrians Ingo Schalk and Gerhard Grabner.

The most active climbers of the current, most recent period are the Croatians Boris Čujić and Ivica Matković who take credit for a whole range of new routes such as Zlatne godine (7c) or Vila Velebita (7b+). The duo also rebolted and reequiped numerous old routes, substituting innumerable bad bolts. They also climbed some kind of crown of anića kuk: the longest route which is Zenit (7b).

Further credit for beautiful, difficult routes must go to Italians Aldo Michelini and his wife Laura Ortolani who established routes such as Alan fjord (7c), Bubamara (7c/c+) and Mjesečina (7c/7c+). Other Italians, such as Paolo Pezzolato and his partner Sara Gojak can be considered another real "asset" to Paklenica and it a whole range of beautiful, well-equipped routes on almost all rock faces of Paklenica are theirs.

Another difficult sport climb worth mentioning is Spider (8a), first climbed by Marko Lukič and while the possibilities of logical new routes at Paklenica's biggest face, Anica kuk, is rapidly diminishing, one of the most recent ones to be freed was Himalaya sport (7c+) by Croatian climber Igor Čorko together with his local climbing partner Marko Marasović. Igor has climbed almost all of the hard routes in Paklenica.

While the chance of discovering something new on the gorge's big walls is pretty small, there is still some potential for some hard sports climbs at Sektors such as Rupe, as well as further away, outside the gorge.

CLIMBING SHOP
Iglu šport (close to the petrol station at Starigrad Paklenica) , www.iglusport.hr

Further information concerning visiting National Park Paklenica: www.paklenica.hr

Paklenica 2013
Climbing guide, Kletterführer, Guida d' arrampicata di Boris Čujić, Astroida