My Fear of Encountering Bears
Big day today. One of my favorite routes. Last summer I didn’t get a chance to do it, so it’s been almost 2 years now since last time. When I’m here during the winter I try to avoid going to far up the mountains unless it’s 20+ down by the coast. Going up is fine, but the windchill going downhill, all sweaty and hot, is not a fun time.
Woke up at 4.45. Had my beans for breakfast. Espresso. And then headed out just after 5.30. Perfect conditions, not cold, not hot. Or almost perfect, there was a light breeze in the air which meant that the water wasn’t as still as it usually is at this time of day.
The ride starts off going south along coast past Senj. From there it’s a 16 km HC climb, going from sea level to about 1000m. I don’t believe this climb is actually a part of the Sjeverni Velebit National Park, the entrance to the park is a bit further south. The NP is still unexplored territory for me. I’ve been meaning to explore it for years now but it just hasn’t happened yet. I’m just a bit to complacent, seeing as I have all that I need around the house.
Anyways, the first part of the climb is pretty easy, around 4-5% gradients. Middle part gets a bit harder with averages from 6-8%. Final part gets really hard with averages around 10% and sections closer to 15%, and with next to no easier parts to rest – It’s pretty hard for me to keep my heart rate in z1 (or z2) during the final part.
The descent takes you in to the beautiful Krasno Valley. From there it’s another, shorter but pretty steep climb, before going down to about 500m above sea level. Next follows a 15km extremely flat section surrounded by various growing fields.
After the flat section comes another climb to take you back to the coast,. It goes from about 500m to 850m above sea level before going down to the coast again. This is usually the hardest part of the ride for me. By the time you get to this climb you are about 4h in to the ride, and at 500m this means that it’s usually pretty hot by now. It’s not so bad when you get to around 700m, since by then you are deep in to the forest so there’s plenty of shade. But the first part of the climb you are very exposed to the sun. Important to have fueled up properly before getting to this point.
Second thing I’m always worried about when doing this climb, or whenever I’m riding in the thick forests for that matter, is bears! It’s probably a very irrational fear I have, but it’s real to me damn it. I’m much, much, much more afraid of getting mauled by a bear while going up a mountain at 10-12 kph, or while on a bathroom brake, than I am of getting hit by a car or overshooting a corner on a descent.
Look, I know nothing about bears. I don’t know when or how they hunt. What they hunt. Do they chill during the day and hunt at night? Do they eat road cyclists? Or just mountain bikers? I do know that they live in these high forests and I DO NOT want to encounter one.
(For someone who has been involved with organizing hunting trips I know shockingly little about wildlife 😄).
After clearing the forests and getting away from the bears, it’s pretty much all a scenic down hill ride back to the house (about a 20 km descent).
