Multipitch Atlas

Alive

Anića kuk – north face (Sjeverna stijena), left of Ljubljanski · Paklenica · Croatia

Bail not documentedBolting confidence: high

Seven sustained pitches of 6a to 6c on the shady north face of Anića kuk, then an easy scramble out. A poor first pitch gives way to a steep ramp, a slightly overhanging 6c wall, an off-width and a fine finishing slab. The rock improves with every pitch.

The north face of Anića kuk, Paklenica, where Alive climbsPhoto: Sphoo · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo

The north face of Anića kuk, Paklenica, where Alive climbsPhoto: Sphoo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hardest pitch
6c
Pitches
8
Length
220 m
Approach
60 min
Aspect
N
North-facing
Rope
2×60 m

The route

Overview

Alive is one of the newest long routes on Anića kuk, climbed by Boris Čujić and Tin Cvitković in May 2022. It starts about 50 m left of the classic Ljubljanski. The first pitch is on unusually poor rock for Paklenica, with hollow flakes, and the source is explicit that you should not let it put you off: from the second pitch the rock improves and from the third it is first class. The grade is consistent, with five of the seven climbing pitches between 6b and 6c and a 6a off-width for variety. 6b is obligatory.

The climbing

Pitch by pitch

PitchGradeLengthNotes
P15c35 mTrending slightly right all the way, over partly hollow flakes. The worst rock on the route.
P26b35 mSteeply straight up. At the third bolt there are two bolts side by side, two metres apart: go left (straight up is 7b). Then diagonally right to a small overhang with a crack, straight up it and left into the obvious corner to the belay.
P36b20 mThe obvious ramp, steep and pushing you out, up to the left; a short horizontal traverse left and straight up to a belay on easier-angled rock.
P46c20 mImpressively steep and slightly overhanging out to the left, then straight up.
P56b+30 mVery steep again at first, then easier angled.
P66a20 mAn awkward off-width, then up left to a belay on an obvious ramp.
P76b+30 mBriefly up the ramp to the right, then vertically over a small overhang with a long move left, and a lovely slab to the belay.
P8240 mEasy scrambling to the top of the face.

Getting there

Approach

To the parking

Base yourself in Starigrad-Paklenica on the coast road between Rijeka and Zadar (from Zagreb about 235 km by the A1 to the Maslenica exit, then 15 km along the coast). A signed road leaves the eastern end of the village for the national park. Buy a ticket at the entrance (climbers can buy 3-day and 5-day tickets), then drive about 2 km to the last car park at the end of the road.

On foot · about 60 min

From the last car park follow the main path up the gorge. After about 15 min, before the path levels out, a signed path branches right for Anića kuk. Follow it for about 100 m to a fork: right goes to the Stup sector, left to the Trapez, Klin, north-west and north faces. Go left and follow the path up under the faces almost to the plateau. At the sign 'Ljubljanski' go right, under the north face. The start is about 50 m left of Ljubljanski, at a new silver-coloured peg. About 1 hour; the start is at about 360 m.

Finding the route · 3 photos

Approach photo

Map of the walk-in

  • Crag
  • Parking

Loading map

The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.

Coordinates · crag

44.30768, 15.48228

Parking

44.30372, 15.47109

Last car park in the Velika Paklenica gorge (bergsteigen.com map)

Point from bergsteigen.com touren/klettern/alive-anica-kuk-paklenica (marker labelled approximate)

For your phone or watch

Download GPX

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.

Getting down

Descent

On foot. From the top go south-east over easy blocky ground (occasional small cairns, no paint marks) down into the wood to the marked path. Follow it almost level northwards to a marked saddle with a path junction, then take the path left (west) down under the north face until you are back at the start, and continue down the approach path. About 1 hour.

Retreat

Bailing off the route

Bail not documented

Retreat is not documented. The only source describes a descent on foot and says nothing about abseiling the route. It does ask for two 60 m ropes, which suggests abseiling is possible, and the pitches are short (20 to 35 m), but the belay hardware is not described.

Retreat from
Not known.
Point of no return
Not documented. Pitches 4 and 5 are steep and slightly overhanging, and pitches 2, 3 and 7 wander, which would complicate abseils.
Carry
Two 60 m ropes, plus maillons and cord in case the belays are not rigged for abseiling.
Basis
Inferred from the route factsbergsteigen.com lists two 60 m ropes in the gear but gives only a walk-off descent.

Partly inferred from the route facts

Safety

Hazards

  • Hollow flakes and poor rock on pitch 1.
  • On pitch 2, taking the right-hand of the two adjacent bolts leads into 7b climbing.
  • Bolt spacing is wider than on plaisir routes; 6b is obligatory.
  • The walk-off starts over unmarked blocky karst.

Sun and weather

Conditions

North facing, from about 360 m, so it is in the shade and suits warm weather; the first ascent was in mid-May and the source information dates from early June. The months given here are inferred from the aspect. Drying times are not documented.

Usual season · May to Sep

Sun on the wall · N-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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Mean daily high °C781216212528282318138
Mean daily low °C003712161818141062
Rain days 1 mm or more11101112118669111312
Sunshine hours a day6.17.69.310.612.113.013.412.710.58.56.45.6

● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 262 m. Area climate from Open-Meteo reanalysis (about 10 km grid): the wall and valley can differ. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.

What to carry

Gear

10 quickdraws, two or three long slings and two 60 m ropes (bergsteigen.com). No nuts or cams are needed. Helmet.

Checklist

Quickdraws
10
Rope
2×60 m
Helmet
One each
Maillons or spare karabiners
To leave behind if you retreat
Cord
Mentioned for retreat

Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo

From climbers

Reader reports

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 Alive.

Worth knowing

Tips

  • bergsteigen.com allows 3 hours for the climb and 5 hours car to car.
  • Michelini 4 (7a, four pitches), higher on the same face, is a natural second route for a strong team.
  • The off-width on pitch 6 is graded only 6a but is described as a graceless struggle.

Open questions

Where sources disagree

  • Overall grade: the bergsteigen.com header gives UIAA 7+/8-, its text gives 6c, S2, 6b obligatory. 6c is the hardest pitch.
  • Length: the header says 220 m; the individual pitch lengths, including the 40 m of grade 2, add up to 230 m.
  • Only one detailed source was found. The route is too new to appear on camptocamp or in plezanje.net's Paklenica list.

Provenance

Sources

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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.