Nad Šitom glava – SE face · Vršič Pass (Julian Alps) · Slovenia
Read the cautionsEasy to bailBolting confidence: high
A short bolted line on the wall right above the Vršič Pass, one of several the Česens added in 2020 and 2021. The first and third pitches give long, good slab and wall climbing at about 6a; the second and fourth are easy linking pitches around 4b with only two or three bolts. Repeat parties single out the third pitch.
Stated as fully bolted and abseiled on fixed belays, but the easy pitches carry only two or three bolts and the top ledge is loose.
The route
Violinca is a four-pitch bolted route of about 120 m on the south-east face of Nad Šitom glava (about 2080 m), the rock dome that rises straight above the road at the Vršič Pass. It was climbed by Tomo and Dragica B. Česen on 29 June and 7 July 2020. The difficulty sits in pitches 1 and 3, which the first ascensionists and early repeaters put between 5c and 6a, perhaps 6a+; the other two pitches are about 4b. It runs left of Steber ob Kamenkovem kaminu and Vidova smer on the first ascensionist's photo-topo. With a short approach and an abseil descent it works as a half-day or changeable-weather route.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Bolts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 6a | 40 m | 8 bolts | A long pitch of 40 m with 8 bolts. Opinions on the grade run from 5c to 6a, possibly 6a+. A 2020 repeater names it, with pitch 3, as the best climbing. |
| P2 | 4b | – | 2 bolts | An easier pitch of about 4b to 4b+ with two bolts. The length is not published. |
| P3 | 6a | 30 m | 7 bolts | Just under 30 m with 7 bolts, again 5c to 6a (6a+?). A 2021 repeater calls this second-last pitch exceptionally good. |
| P4 | 4b | – | 3 bolts | About 4b to 4b+ with three bolts. There is a lot of loose stone on this pitch and on the last ledge below the top, including some larger blocks. The length is not published. |
Getting there
The face stands directly above the Vršič Pass road (1611 m) in the Julian Alps, between Kranjska Gora and Trenta; Kranjska Gora is the nearest town. Park at the pass. None of the sources read gives bus or parking-fee details.
From the car park at the Vršič Pass walk up the scree that leads directly to the foot of the wall (plezanje.net). The neighbouring Vidova smer page gives 20 min from the pass to the foot of this part of the face; a general guide to the area gives 30 to 45 min for the Vršič walls. On the first ascensionists' photo-topo Violinca is the left-most of the four marked lines: it starts a few metres left of Steber ob Kamenkovem kaminu and the two lines meet at the first and second belays. No source mentions a painted name.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Parking
Vršič Pass (OpenStreetMap point for the pass; the car parks are at the pass)
Point from plezanje.net crag "Nad Šitom glava, jugovzhodna stena"
Contains the route point and parking. Opens in most mapping apps and GPS watches.
Points are compiled from published sources, with the precision stated above. They were not surveyed on the ground: check them against a current topo.
Coordinates: 46.43890, 13.73931 (crag) · Parking: 46.43478, 13.74371
Getting down
Abseil the route. Take care on the first abseil from the top not to dislodge the stones lying on the last ledge below the summit, above all if a party is following you or is in Kamenkov kamin. The last abseil, straight down from the anchor, is exactly 30 m, so a 60 m rope is the minimum.
Retreat
Easy to bail
Abseiling the route is the normal descent, on a single 60 m rope, so you can turn back from any belay. Watch for loose stones when pulling ropes from the upper belays.
Safety
Sun and weather
South-east facing, with the wall between about 1850 m and 2000 m on plezanje.net. One guide to the Vršič walls notes that this face is in shade after about 14:00, so summer afternoons are possible and spring or autumn mornings give more sun. The first ascensionist describes the bolted routes on the face as suited to an afternoon or to unsettled weather. Drying times are not documented.
Sun on the wall · SE-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
Estimated from the wall's aspect only. Ignores surrounding terrain, gullies and the wall's exact shape. Clock times are local to the wall (Central European time), for the 15th of each month.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun (usual season) | Jul (usual season) | Aug (usual season) | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | −5 | −4 | −0 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 1 | −4 |
| Mean daily low °C | −11 | −11 | −8 | −4 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 3 | −1 | −5 | −10 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 8 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 9 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 2035 m. Area climate from Open-Meteo reanalysis. Temperatures are adjusted to the height of the crag; rain comes from a grid cell of about 10 to 25 km, and summer highs on sea cliffs can read a few degrees low. The wall and valley can differ. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
What to carry
Single 60 m rope and 8 quickdraws. Helmet.
Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo
From climbers
Reader reports are not being collected yet. Until they are, check a current topo and the local club or guidebook publisher for recent changes to Violinca.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Slovenia · Vršič Pass (Julian Alps)
Sustained slab climbing up a striking black streak, clearly visible from the pass, on surprisingly good rock for this face. The crux is a move from slab into a corner on P2.
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Read the cautions
Slovenia · Vršič Pass (Julian Alps)
A compact modern sport multipitch by Tomo and Dragica Česen, front-loaded with its longest and hardest pitch. It is close to the road and good for a half-day.
6b4 pitches90 m
Slovenia · Vršič Pass (Julian Alps)
A memorial route (to Nejc Sedej) of slabs, a little pillar and a final corner-to-pillar pitch that is the crux. 6a is obligatory.
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Slovenia · Vršič Pass (Julian Alps)
Beautiful plates and mini dolomite-style runnels, then a final corner. It makes a neat companion to its neighbours on the same face.
6a+4 pitches110 m
Around 6a · about 4 pitches
Spain · Montserrat
An exposed, airy line with unusually good holes and jugs for Montserrat, shaded in the afternoon. The 6a pitch is a sustained vertical 20 m. Going straight up instead of following the line is closer to 6b+.
6a4 pitches140 m
Spain · Vega Baja (Orihuela & Callosa)
A popular modern four-pitch classic on Pared Negra's compact grey limestone, around UIAA 6/6+ (about French 6a). Best on cool, sunny winter days.
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France · Baou de Saint-Jeannet
The most accessible bolted multipitch on the Baou: four homogeneous pitches of French 5+ with one move of 6a, up a crack, corners and sculpted stratified walls, with an airy traverse on pitch 3. Short enough for half a day. Local grades are stiff, the first pitch is polished and the easy sections are run-out.
6a4 pitches120 m
Read the cautions
Italy · Sardinia
A short but superb sea-cliff route on beautifully sculpted limestone in an incredible setting near Pan di Zucchero. Corners and an airy pillar lead to a steep, rounded 6a wall. Camptocamp rates it 'great'.
6a4 pitches120 m
Compiled from published sources and last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change. Climbing is dangerous and you are responsible for your own decisions: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.
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