Bikepacking the Slovenia West Loop – the Soča Variation
Bike Touring Collection by tristanbogaard
10
Tours
30:51 h
239 mi
21,950 ft
Belén and I had been looking forward to the Slovenia West Loop for a long time. Now that we've finally ridden it, we hope you'll choose Slovenia for your next cycling adventure, too.
The West Loop was created by Joe Cruz and takes in the peaks of Triglav National Park, the banks of the Soča River (one of the last free-flowing rivers in Europe) and the vineyards and forest areas of south-west Slovenia.
In my opinion, this more than 385 kilometre (240 mi) route passes through the most beautiful regions of Slovenia. With plenty of water taps, supermarkets and restaurants along the way and, of course, the most beautiful viewpoints and major tourist attractions, the route makes perfect sense. Add to that the countless fairytale landscapes that can almost only be admired on a bicycle, the Slovenia West Loop is an absolute must!
First of all, a small note: the original route takes a big hurdle at the Soča Valley, where instead of following the river on technical (single) tracks, you climb two high mountain ridges with a total of about 2,000 metres (6,562 ft) elevation gain. From various reactions on the internet about this route, it appeared that there was a demand for an easier alternative. So we decided to map and ride the ‘Soča variant’, so named due to the slight diversion.
You will also notice, when you study the routes, that there are some short back and forth sections occasionally. Belén and I sometimes drive back for a recording. Don't let this put you off, if you follow our route exactly. In our Tours, you will also find our wild camping spots and images of difficult sections, as well as a taste of the views and water points you will encounter along the way.
As we carry a lot of extra recording material, it took 10 days to cycle. If you don't carry as much weight, you can cycle the Slovenia West Loop in six to eight days. Check out our Tours for tips in this Collection and download the Soča variant of the Slovenia West Loop from the following link: komoot.nl/tour/436707287. The original route by Joe Cruz from bikepacking.com can be viewed here: komoot.nl/tour/528750857.
Finally, I made three video episodes of the West Loop. To give you an even better idea of the adventure, you can watch the first one below. Enjoy!
On The Map
Do it yourself
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Last updated: April 26, 2022
Tours & Highlights
- 01:187.80 mi6.0 mph1,500 ft475 ft
Day one! After making our way to Ljubljana by train from Milano, with the Interrail passes we're using to stitch routes together by train, we had a huge lunch at Loving Hut (comes highly recommended) and made our way to the Tivoli park to start riding the West Loop.
Joe has chosen to take you through…
- 01:099.35 mi8.1 mph625 ft1,550 ft
Day two! Waking up in the Slovenian hills, climbing up to the first church of the route and having breakfast with 360 degree views was a huge pleasure! The climb up to the church is a little steep and you'll have to get off your bike to push the last part but it's worth the extra effort. It's also a…
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- 02:5615.7 mi5.4 mph3,125 ft1,525 ft
Day 3! A rough yet rewarding day out on the West Loop route. We started comfortably in Škofja Loka after waiting out the rain from the previous day, pretty much immediately climbing up to the castle in town. It's an unnecessary climb and descend, but scenic and recommended. There's a nice cafe by the…
- 03:1024.9 mi7.9 mph1,700 ft1,975 ft
Day 4! Today we woke up at Jamnik, probably the most scenic church in Slovenia. We had breakfast out at the wooden tables before hitting the asphalt road down to Kropa in the valley–the orginal bikepacking route would put you on some serious singeltrack that we really weren't in the mood for, and you…
- 03:1819.0 mi5.7 mph3,250 ft700 ft
Day 5! Starting with a rather steep push out of the Radovna valley, we made our way down to Mojstrana quickly and had breakfast by the river with a nice view on the bridge. This is where a great bike lane started for us, allowing one to cycle all the way to Kranjska Gora with beautiful views alongside…
- 03:2331.7 mi9.4 mph1,425 ft5,450 ft
Day 6! Waking up in a cloud was never so scenic. Our morning ride up the rest of the excellent alternative to main road up to Vršič pass was quiet, peaceful and full of foggy views. There's something really special about foggy forest scenery and we couldn't stop taking pictures.
Having cycled over the…
- 02:3021.5 mi8.6 mph1,200 ft1,600 ft
Day 7! After a comfy night camping out at Kamp Trnovo (€14 per person) we hit the road to get back on our Soča variant to the West Loop. A nice start of a very sunny and lovely day, seeing the river and famous Kobarid bridge, discovering rural towns and making it a sport to stay away from main road and…
- 04:0234.5 mi8.6 mph2,650 ft2,875 ft
Day 8! Starting it by descending down a nice narrow road on the eastside of the Soča valley and rolling into Avce for breakfast at a communal space outside of town was a lovely start to this long day. Fueled up by porridge and coffee, we hit the last stretch of the Soča variant @belletoscan designed…
- 05:3041.3 mi7.5 mph4,425 ft2,850 ft
Day 9! After having a sweet porridge and coffee breakfast at the cemetary by the church, we set out to cover the 600m climb that was awaiting us near Adjovščina, which is a mix of asphalt and gravel. This climb is a really steady one, but was a challenge for me since I was struggling with dizziness on…
- 03:3533.4 mi9.3 mph2,050 ft2,850 ft
Day 10! The final day of our West Loop adventure. We woke up in the grasslands near Cerknica and rode into town early that day, did some groceries and rode the last climb of the West Loop. There's something incredibly gratifying about a last climb, and it was on asphalt too! Where Joe Cruz, the designer…
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Collection Stats
- Tours10
- Distance239 mi
- Duration30:51 h
- Elevation21,950 ft
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