Paklenica Climbing

Velika Paklenica is the larger of the two canyons that cut into the Velebit mountain from the sea at Starigrad, and its limestone walls have made it one of the established rock-climbing destinations of Europe. The most famous of the walls, Anića Kuk, rises some 400 metres in a single sweep of solid grey limestone, and it draws climbers from across the continent from spring to autumn.

The canyon is part of Paklenica National Park, and the climbing infrastructure here is mature, with hundreds of bolted sport routes across a wide range of grades, from short single-pitches in the lower canyon to the long multi-pitch traditional lines on Anića Kuk and the surrounding faces. The climbing season runs from the spring through the autumn, with high summer too hot for the lower walls.

For non-climbers, the canyon is a hiking gateway into the Velebit, with a stream, a shaded trail and the Paklenica mountain huts higher up. The walk up to the Anića Kuk wall is a popular half-day outing and gives a close view of the scale of the climbing.

For photographers, the big walls and the climbers on them are the subject, and a telephoto from the canyon floor picks out the detail. If you climb, check conditions and the bolt report; if you do not, the canyon walk is a genuine alternative to the coast.

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