Bača gorge at Klavže (Podmelec)
At Klavže, below Podmelec in the Baška grapa valley, the Bača has cut a picturesque rock gorge that is invisible from the main road running right beside it. The river was dammed here when the Bohinj railway was built; a 1906 timber mill building still stands on the left bank and a small hydropower plant from 1930 runs on the right. The dive goes from the wide pool in front of the plant into the gorge under the road bridge, with depths up to about 4.5 m and big fish waiting for food washed over the weir.
Facts
- Region: Slovenia – Lakes, Rivers & Caves
- Area: Soča Valley (Bovec – Kobarid – Solkan)
- Depth: 0–4.5 m
- Level: intermediate
- Current: moderate
- Type: drift, channel
- Coordinates: 46.16022, 13.80944
- Highlights: rock gorge of the Bača, weir and small hydropower plant (1930), big fish waiting below the falls, former 1906 water-powered timber mill
- Tips: Legal status: the dive starts by the grounds of a small hydropower plant, and the operator's rules on entering the water near the plant/weir are not published; we found no ban, but access across the plant area may need the owner's agreement. Check locally. Small parking for 3–4 cars in Klavže by the bridge over the Sopota; reach the water past the lower side of the plant. Start and finish in front of the powerhouse. Danger: when the plant stops (without warning, any time) the Bača suddenly pours over the weir as high falls and the current in the gorge rises – stay on the bottom and be ready to retreat. Dive only at low water, plan for double air use, take extra weight and a torch. No night dives. The sheet dates from 2012.