On foot from Slovenia to Albania. One woman. One puppy. 1,340 kilometers. 55,000 meters of elevation gain. 84 days. In between, an encounter with a bear, running away from a blue heron, avoiding mouse fever, finding the right path, fighting the weather, meeting new people, illness, and bravely moving forward step by step.

“I still can't believe I made it. When I look back at the photos, I can't believe everything I experienced. It was hard, full of trials and overcoming fear, but extremely beautiful, full of moments of immense happiness and joy. Thank you all for the encouraging words, because they have often encouraged me to keep going. Oh, I can't believe I'm returning to civilization. After five tiring days of hitchhiking, riding the bus, train, transfers, taxis, buying a muzzle for Piki, sleeping on the floor at the station and in more or less nice rooms, being disappointed when I realized that the train that should have been there wasn't even there, begging bus drivers to let us go up with the dog, and I could go on and on, we finally managed to get home. The backpack will no longer be my best friend and I will be able to rest. Of course, there are already new plans for the rest of the summer for the hardworking students. Maybe a travelogue will come in the fall, and I'm also thinking about continuing the posts about the snapshots from the trip, which I finished shortly after arriving in Croatia." - wrote Maruša after completing the via Dinarica trail.

We also asked Maruša Orel some topical questions from her extraordinary solo trip from Slovenia to Albania:

How did you come up with the idea for such a venture?
For one of my courses, we had to create e-materials, and I decided to create an online book about long hiking trails that at least partially run through Slovenia. I found quite a few hiking trails, which I briefly described. I finished most of my obligations for this academic year in March, so I was thinking about what I would do until the end of July, when my boyfriend and I had agreed to go on a road trip in a van. And so I flipped through the e-book I had created and quickly decided to go hiking the Via Dinarica.

How did you prepare yourself physically and mentally?
I didn't prepare physically 😀 So I started walking more slowly and then increased the number of kilometers I walked per day. I am often physically active (sometimes less, sometimes more, depending on the season and my obligations), so I had a certain "base" of fitness. I made the decision to walk this route very quickly, so I didn't have much time to prepare. I spent most of my time in front of the computer with the aim of gathering as much information as possible about the route and the equipment I needed for the route and getting everything I needed (I ordered most of the equipment online). The mental preparation was to read as much as possible about this route and topics related to walking long hiking trails and try to prepare myself as much as possible for all possible scenarios that I could experience on the route.

What were you most afraid of on the journey?
Ugh, so many things 😀 I had a lot of fears that I had to overcome – I was afraid of meeting migrants and locals who wanted to harm me, sleeping alone in a tent in the middle of nowhere, meeting animals (snakes, bears, wolves)…

The best thing that happened to you?
It would be hard to mention just one, because I experienced so many beautiful things along the way. But now, when I was thinking about the answer to this question, I remembered an encounter with an elderly couple and a shepherd I met in a remote village in Bosnia. I asked them if I could pitch a tent at their house. They were very friendly, they welcomed me right away, and we talked a lot in the evening. We agreed to meet for coffee in the morning, and when I arrived at their modest house the next day, it was already waiting for me on the table. They also showed me how they make traditional Herzegovinian cheese, which was an incredible experience.

The worst thing that has ever happened to you?
Hmm, it would probably be when I got sick and had no one to help me. I took refuge in a nearby monastery and I am really grateful to the priest who helped me and made me tea, baked bread, took me to the emergency room, found a room where I could rest with Piki by my side... I don't know how I would have managed without him.

How did you navigate your way?
I used the Outdooractive mobile app, which had maps of all parts of the route downloaded. However, where there was no signal, I used the Mapy.cz app (the first app only works for free when there is a signal).

How many kilometers did you walk on average per day?
On average, I walked 21km per day.

What previous experience do you have, besides the SPP?
I don't have as much experience as you might think. I sometimes go hiking in the mountains when I have time, and I climb. I also did some mountaineering for a while, but that's kind of on the back burner right now because of other things I've decided to do.

What does your average workout look like?
Ufff, I don't have an average workout 😀 I do sports sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the period and the time I have available. For example, when I went to Spain for a couple of months, I cycled a lot there, in some periods I went to the gym a lot, in others I ran more or climbed. It really depends on how I feel. I like to spend my free time actively in different ways.

Since you're limited by weight and volume, what were those essentials you always had on hand?
I spent quite a bit of time shopping for equipment, as I wanted to take only the most essential things with me. So inside the backpack were a sleeping bag, a mat, a tent, clothes, cooking utensils, and food, while in the outer compartments I had my upper layers of clothing, water bottles and a water filter, documents, first aid, personal hygiene items, bear spray and two regular ones, sunglasses, a camera, a knife, and a satellite and regular phone.

What about clothes, what kind of clothes are most useful on such a journey?
The clothes must of course be of good quality, as you only have a few pieces with you and they must serve their purpose as they should, and of course be light, compressible and quick-drying. I was very happy with the lightly padded socks with a large proportion of wool, as they kept me warm even when my feet were wet. Underwear and short t-shirts proved to be just as effective, woolen as those made of synthetic materials. I was also very happy with the “down jacket” made of synthetic material, which kept me warm even if it got a little wet. A good quality windbreaker and wind pants are also important, which protect you from wind and rain.

We are glad that you used the UTVV t-shirt, have you already participated in the run, are you planning to participate in the next event?
I didn't participate in the race, but I got a t-shirt when I helped out at one of the points on the race route. I'm not planning on participating for now, as I'm more interested in other sports at the moment.

What was it like when you had to take care of your dog in addition to yourself?
Taking my dog ​​Piki with me brought a lot of joy, but also a lot of worries. I had to carry water for him, and he carried his own food in his backpack. Buying food for him was sometimes a problem, so I also fed him various salamis and cans of goulash. A big problem, however, were the dogs in the villages, who immediately started after them and I had to stand in the way and somehow drive them away. Some lodgings even gave me nasty looks for having a dog with me and once even reproached me that I shouldn't have taken a dog with me, because that's not allowed. But the dog is definitely good company and I enjoyed spending time with him and would make the same decision again.

Since we are in Covid times, has this limited you in any way?
I have to say that for most of the way I didn't even feel that the virus existed, especially in Bosnia. Apart from wearing a mask in some shops, it didn't feel like it. It is true that many huts along the way were closed. The reason for this could also be Covid and the resulting decrease in tourists, which some have also mentioned, but I'm not sure that this is the real reason for the closure of almost all the huts I passed.

What are your plans for future ventures?
Currently, I'm planning to enjoy a road trip with a van until the end of September, as my studies start in October. But then I don't know, I still have a lot of wishes and ideas in my head, but I don't want to make too many plans, because you never know how it's going to turn out (especially in these times). I also like to make decisions at the last minute and do what I feel is best for me and what I want the most.

Thoughts, insights, ideas you gained along the way?
I realized that people in the countryside in Bosnia and Montenegro are more open than we are and they are really happy to help and welcome you into their house, even if they don't have much themselves. This really surprised me. They often seemed much happier to me than we were, even though they (at least outwardly) seemed poor. I thought a lot about the luxury we live in, but we don't even realize it. It's nice to realize how important water, food are and how nice it is to sleep warm and dry. It was wonderful to spend time in nature and live with it, in my opinion we lack that.