Osp / Mišja peč

Osp and Mišja peč are in the top lead climbing destinations in Europe, located on the Slovenian-Italian border, a 30 minutes drive from Trieste and Koper. The two crags are always handled together, as the distance is just a few hundred meters between the rock faces, the new car parking is the same. In a nutshell, Mišja peč is more about long, overhanging and demanding sport climbing routes, Osp has more vertical walls, multi-pitch routes and the unique giant cave.
Both crags have high-quality limestone, where climbers can find a huge variety of sport climbing routes in each grade. The crags are well-equipped with bolts and anchors, climbing is safe in both crags. In the hard routes there are usually fix quickdraws around the crux.

Season

The season depends on your goals: if you want to climb on your personal limit, the best period to climb here is during the early spring, late autumn or the sunny winter days. Despite of the Mediterranean climate, the area does not have an off-season, except the hottest summer days. Although the walls on the sun can be extremely hot during summer, it is possible to climb in the shady sectors.

In Mišja peč, if you stand in front of the crag, the sectors on the right side are in shade in the morning hours, and in the left part in the afternoon. In Osp, the cave and the most of the surrounding walls in „sector C” are climbable even in summer, if you keep an eye on the shade. The temperature inside the cave is not going higher than 27-28 degrees even on the hottest summer days, when climbing is not possible on other walls. However, the last part of these 40-50 meter long tufa routes are on the sun during daytime, so make sure you have a big rest at the last no-hand rest.
Osp and Mišja peč are ideal crags for winter climbing. If the weather is sunny and without wind, you can climb on the sunny walls in a T-shirt even if the temperature is around 5-10 degrees. In the overhanging central part of Mišja peč and the cave in Osp, climbing is possible even at rain. The rock dries quickly after rain in the other sectors.

Climbing in Mišja peč

As we mentioned before, Mišja peč is mostly about overhanging, long and demanding routes with a lot of tufa climbing. In the central part the routes are mostly 30-40 meters long, so don’t forget your minimum 60m rope and 14-16 quickdraws at home. For the longest routes, 80m rope is necessary, otherwise you have to descend in two parts, most of the routes have an anchor around 30m. Be prepared that some of the classic routes are very polished. In the left and right side sectors are a lot of easier routes for those climbers who are looking for routes from 4a to 6c. These walls have more cover from the sun as well.

Climbing in Osp

Osp also has some nice overhanging walls in every sector, but here you find more vertical and technical routes, especially in sector A and B. Sector A is mostly harder overhanging routes with small handholds. Sector B (or Babna) is the most popular in Osp, mostly vertical and slightly overhanging routes.Sector C is a real unique climbing possibility in the huge cave, with 50-60 meter long, super-demanding tufa routes. If you like to have some multi-pitch climbing, this sector is also for you as well: big variety of 3-6 pitch routes from 5c until 7c, and some really hard ones harder than 8a.
Note, that the cave can make a surprise for climbers in the winter and early spring: depending on the level of rain, a lake can appear there. In this case you need a kayak to reach the start of the routes

Getting there

The crags are easy to access, just a 30 minutes drive from Trieste (ITA) or Koper (SLO), the parking is just 2 km from the highway exit Crni Kal. If you go by gps, write in „Osp, Slovenia”. As you are driving down on the steep road between the highway and Osp, you will see the parking lot on the right, just before entering the village. Note, that locals are very strict on parking, so please use only the designated parking area at Mišja peč. Parking is not allowed anywhere else in the village. From the parking lot follow the upgoing path that takes you to the wall in 5 minutes to Mišja peč. To reach Osp, walk into the village on the main road. The path to Sector C starts right before the old stone bridge, 10 minutes walk up to the cave. For Sector A and B, turn right uphill in the central intersection, just after the stone bridge. Follow your TopoGuru Osp climbing guide and the GPS-compass tool will lead you to the crag. This is a 10-15 minutes walk from the parking area.

Where to stay

The closest accomodation is the camping ground in the village, and it’s open all year round. They have a restaurant as well, if you need some fuel after a long climbing day. Our favourite place to stay is Hostel Xaxid, a lovely hostel run by the kindest host you can imagine. The hostel is located within a 15 minutes drive from the crag parking in a small and calm village called Zazid. They have private rooms as well. Hostel Ocizla is also a popular place to stay for climbers, 15 minutes drive from the crag. Hisa Robida offers cozy rooms and a nice restaurant, 10 minutes drive from the crag.

Rest day

Osp and Mišja peč are ideal climbing destinations in every season, as you can find a lot of other programs as well in the area. As we mentioned before, Trieste and Koper are really close and both cities worth a visit. The closest beach is in Koper or Muggia on the italian side. If you go to Muggia, don’t miss literally the best ice-cream place on planet Earth: Gelateria Jimmy on the main square of the old town. The slovenian Karst area also ideal for MTB tours. You can hire a bike in several places, including Hostel Xaxid