Walking across the island of Rab: 23 kilometers through a barren rocky landscape

What do you need to cross the island of Rab on foot?

• A resilient team (ours consisted of three adults: me, my mom, dad, and children, ages 5 and almost 7).
• Suitable equipment (large backpack with tent, sleeping bag, mat, plenty of fluids and enough food).
• Two days of nice weather (not too hot).
• Endurance, courage, joy of walking, perseverance and similar qualities that are the key to success!

We had all of the above when we set off on a walk across the island of Rab in mid-April. The island of Rab is one of the smaller islands in Croatia. It is said to be approximately 22 kilometers long. There is a marked hiking trail 403 on it, which leads from the ferry port of Mišnjak to the other side of the island, to Lopar.

We started the journey on Saturday morning. We left home around six and arrived on the island of Rab around eight in the morning. We parked at the Mišnjak ferry port. It was hot and before we started walking we filled our bags with water to be as hydrated as possible (as if we knew that this was where we would have the most trouble). All well-loaded with equipment and food and drinks in our backpacks. With all the necessary equipment for a two-day hike.

It is a 10-hour walk from Mišnjak to Lopar. We divided this route into two days. The first day we walked along the marked mountain trail number 403, the second day we followed trail number 402. Our goal for the first day was the highest point of the island - Kamenjak peak. It should take us 6 hours to get there.

We started walking at 8:45. The day was extremely hot. The first part of the path we walked along the sea, past beautiful secluded coves. We didn't meet anyone along the way, only the occasional wild sheep. The path was marked, but rather poorly groomed. We walked over sharp stones, every now and then we came to an oasis where some grass was growing. There were also very few trees. We made our first stop at ten. Then we continued our journey until twelve and took a half-hour break behind a small rocky rock. All five of us could barely find shade. So we continued walking.

The trail took us up and down, and up and down again. I'll write it down again. It was hot. We had 9 liters of fluid with us, but the supply quickly ran out. At two in the afternoon we found three trees and settled in the shade. Behind us was 7 kilometers of walking in the scorching sun. We had enough. We hid in the shade under the century-old junipers for a good two hours. The children fell asleep. Our plan? To continue walking when the worst of the heat had passed. By this point we had already gained 318 altitudes , but we were still quite low.

At 4:15 PM we decided it was time to continue walking. We knew we had a steep climb to Srednjak. Thank God the steepest part, which reminded us of our Julian Alps, was in the shade.

When we reached Srednjak, we saw the antennas and our destination, Kamenjak peak. We would spend the night there. We continued our journey a little more motivated, because we had our destination in sight. But in the meantime, we were wondering how we would get additional fluids. The drink was running out, even though we were saving money. The path was very well marked the whole time, but not at all well-trodden. The path was not visible at all in some places, and in between we also went our own way. We were really worried about how we would get water... Someone would have to go to the first village to get water. The main thought all the way to Kamenjak was thirst.

Finally we reached Kamenjak. We left our backpacks at the antennas. The children looked after them while the adults went to look for water. My dad and I went to the first shepherd's house just below the peak. There happened to be a man there who first wanted to pour us each a glass of water. Then we showed him the 5 jugs we were holding in our hands. He looked at us intently. He gave us a liter of water, but he didn't have any more. When we were returning to the children, we stole some more standing water from one of the closed bottles with the thought: we'll boil it . At that time, my mom went in the other direction to hunt for water. In a building that was still under construction, she found a hose and a five-liter canister. Then my dad climbed into this construction site (over the fence) and we took as much water as we could carry.

We were relieved. We went down a little to the first grassy cove and started setting up our tent there in the dark, around 8 pm. The younger part of the crew slept in the tent, the older two slept under the open sky (we knew that the tent would be too small for everyone, and it was also too hot at night). Before going to bed, we boiled all that water of suspicious origin. We drank and ate our fill of soup. Then we made some tea and boiled the remaining liquid to be ready for the next day. We were really lucky that we were able to quench our thirst and find ourselves just as we were...

On the first day, we covered a total of 13.2 kilometers and gained 752 altitudes, even though the peak of Rab is only 408 m high. We fell asleep quickly to the bleating of sheep and the bright moon. The night was quiet and by 6 am we were sleepy and rested. Ready to set off again as soon as possible, because we knew that another very hot and sunny day awaited us.

In the morning we had a nice meal , packed up all our things ( which takes a while ) and set off a little after seven. The first part of the trail was already heated at 8am. Mountain trail 402 leads from the top of Kamenjak to Lopar. The sign said 4 hours of walking. The trail was marked as very demanding.

The first part we walked again on very ugly rocky karst terrain, along the walls of pastures. On the right, a steep slope and the sea. In front of us, Goli otok and the overgrown Sveti Grgur. Along the way, we saw quite a few dead and also live sheep. There were no insects, mosquitoes, ticks, snakes or other nuisances . We even saw one person in the distance. Otherwise, we did not meet a living soul on the entire way. The path that was supposed to lead us back down (to 0 m) also climbed and descended here, and then climbed and descended again. It was more trodden than the previous day. This descent and ascent soon began to take its toll on us. We were tired, it was getting hotter by the minute, and we could hardly wait for the turnoff to an easier mountain path, which later joined the greener and shadier Premužič trail.

When we finally arrived at the grassier and better-maintained Premužičeva staza, we first sat down and had a snack in the shade of old oak trees. It was quite cold. Refreshing. After we had refreshed ourselves, we hurried down to avoid the heat as much as possible. We happily arrived in Lopar before noon. We had been looking at it for a long time, this Lopar, and finally saw it. The path ends (or begins if you go from the opposite direction) at the San Marino campsite. The view from Premužičeva staza was magnificent of the long Rajska plaža. Rajska plaža is known for its sand and shallow water and is a paradise for families, it is about a kilometer and a half long.

On the second day of our crossing of the island of Rab, we covered 10.5 kilometers and gained 100 meters in altitude.

When we arrived in town, we first went for a well-deserved beer, radler and apple juice. To each his own. Of course, we arrived on the other side of the island. The car was waiting for us in Mišnjak. We had to find a way to get to the car. Of course, I hitchhiked. I got two young Poles who drove me right to Mišnjak (we chatted about the Dolomites, travel and van life ). In the meantime, the rest of the crew looked after their backpacks and enjoyed the beach in Lopar. You couldn't imagine a better reward for a mullet than warm water in the shallows and endless sand. After playing, resting and soaking our feet, we went to the town of Rab for some calamari and in the evening back home to our greener Karst.

The experience was truly something special. A desolate, bare and rocky landscape. 1001 stone shapes, and sheep that are perfectly camouflaged in the landscape and you hardly notice them. Calm sea and a view of the islands and Velebit. And how lucky that there was no wind at the top of Kamenjak! How else would we boil water... And in the evening, a well-deserved sleep in a košotku (translation: you are in a košotku when you are wrapped under a heavy and warm blanket), as Klara says. I am writing this really proud of the Tamaldva for being able to walk so much. The result of the tour in numbers was 23.7 kilometers and 852 elevation gains.

NEPO FOR BN O.