Report on a hiking trip in Montenegro

Report on the experimental hike along the route “Prokletie Durmitor” August 18-29, 2011.

When I was just getting ready to go to Montenegro, I must admit, I didn’t feel much enthusiasm - the new country promised new difficulties, and it turned out to be a little expensive. But as soon as I “got into a fight” and came to the country, everything immediately got better. Montenegro turned out to be very nice and hospitable, and the Prokletiye and Durmitor mountain ranges captivated me from the very first second I met them. You won't find such magnificent mountains anywhere. I took 400 photographs a day and realized that I was not able to capture even a small fraction of this miracle of nature. And is it necessary to do this? After all, I will definitely return to Montenegro...

Preparing for the hike

There are quite a lot of reports on hiking in Montenegro on the Internet. But for some reason they are all about cycling trips. And although this is a type of tourism close to us, due to the specifics of the area, those reports were of little use. Although cyclists had been to the same areas, they took only asphalt passes and did not climb on loose powder. Ultimately, the main source of information became the foreign language Internet and a guidebook purchased there (online).

Montenegro and Montenegrins.

As in all other countries I have visited before, the local population in Montenegro is friendly and warm to tourists. Many understand Russian, the rest speak English. In extreme cases, the Montenegrin language (similar to Serbian) can also be understood. The only suspicious persons we met during our entire stay in the country were several gypsies hanging around the Budva embankment. Returning to Ukraine, I became convinced that ours is much “scarier” (and the Kyiv railway station is just a shithole).

Mountains and nature of Montenegro.

It is completely unclear why they decided to name the country after some Black Mountains. The mountains here are usually white - limestone. The same breed as in the Crimea or the Carpathians. Yes, during the hike I buzzed the ears of my fellow travelers with constant comparisons with the Crimea and the Carpathians. And not only because they are relatives to me, but also because the similarity is truly enormous. Dense spruce forest, glacial lakes and cirques, an abundance of blueberries, raspberries and wild strawberries, afternoon thunderstorms, impenetrable dwarf dwarf trees (zherep), shepherd's kolybas, sheep and cheese - all this is found in abundance in the Carpathians.

And karst caves and sinkholes, snow-white rocks above the warm sea, spotted beech trees of bizarre shape, wild heat and associated forest fires on the southern slopes, thorny jungle on abandoned paths are very characteristic of Crimea. Thank God we didn’t find any ticks (the main horror story of the Crimean campaigns).

Local residents and guidebooks threatened us with snakes, but we were never lucky enough to see them (except for a small legless lizard). This really didn’t stop a real hiking legend from being born (namely about snakes), which I will definitely write down and publish in my blog.

Routes and mountain trails.

Although the mountains in Montenegro are relatively low (maximum 2500m), they cannot be called simple. This trek seemed to me even more difficult than the “To the Heart of Annapurna” trek in the Himalayas. On average, over the course of a whole day (8-10 hours), we walked 10 kilometers horizontally, which included at least a kilometer of ascent. Even radials without backpacks (to Karanfily in Prokletiye and to Bobotov Kuk in Durmitor) were not at all easy. There were many sections where you had to go down the loose dirt, wade through the mud, and jump over the rocks. More than once we had to crawl, i.e. throw out your trekking poles and move around holding onto the rock with all four limbs. In other words, this route is absolutely not suitable for first-time beginners. But if difficulties attract you, you are welcome to Montenegro.

A little adventure.

Overall, the hike went so smoothly and well that you involuntarily begin to forget about the enchanting failure with which it all began. It all happened in the first half hour of our stay in Montenegro, still at the airport. Did you guess it? No, we didn't lose our passports. The airline lost one of the backpacks. And just the one where the tent and most of the food lay. We took this incident with humor, but in fact the campaign was in danger of, if not complete disruption, then serious reduction. Luckily, two days later the backpack was found (in Turkey, in Antalya) and returned to the owner, and we managed to make up for lost time. Although, in fact, we did not waste any time - these two days were devoted to beaches and a cultural program.

Sea and beaches.

I really liked the Adriatic Sea. In Montenegro, as in Turkey, the water is very clean and attractive. We are talking about the magical shades of azure with which the waves of the Mediterranean Sea shimmer when viewed from any slight elevation. The sea is clear, the water is warm and very salty. And the high salinity results in the remarkable fact that swimming here is very easy. The water itself holds you, you don’t need to row your legs at all. Speaking of legs. On the beaches of Budva, Becici and Perast, where we visited, the bottom is flat, without sharp stones and sea urchins. The beaches themselves are covered with very small pebbles (almost sand). Most beaches in Budva are equipped with free showers and changing rooms (which are not enough for my taste), as well as paid cafes and sun loungers.

Cultural program and attractions.

The role of attractions in our journey through Montenegro was played by the so-called “old cities” of Budva, Kotor, Perast. Usually the old city is a dozen narrow medieval streets surrounded by a fortress wall. There are five temples and four squares for ten streets. The city is, of course, a port - so there is a sea nearby. And a long-standing Mediterranean tradition obliges to cover houses with tiles and decorate windows with shutters. In short, the towns are extremely picturesque, unusual to our eyes, and fulfill the role of a cultural program with a bang.

Weather.

Zhara became a permanent member of our team on a trip to Montenegro. While exploring the sights on the coast, we were sweating (which was quite predictable) and dreaming of how we would climb high into the mountains and finally enjoy the coolness. However, even in the mountains the heat subsided only in the evening. At one of the high-altitude overnight stays in Prokletiye it was even +7 - this gave me a reason to wear a fleece and a hat (hurray! I didn’t drag it in vain). But as soon as the sun rose, streams of sweat again rushed down our backs. Only the last two days in Durmitor were softened by afternoon summer thunderstorms, so similar to those that occur in the Carpathians. Immediately after the rain stopped, it became warm, but not hot, for which many thanks to the heavenly office.

However, you should not think that it is always warm and sunny in the Montenegro mountains. The reports I have read say that you need to be prepared for cold, terrible winds and downpours no less than for heat.

Transport.

Since the group was small, we traveled on regular minibuses. We didn’t buy tickets in advance, there were no difficulties, the flight schedule was quite busy. We speeded up the process a couple of times by hiring a taxi, but even without this we could easily move around. In Zabljak we met some guys who tried to hitchhike. In their opinion, this is not the best way to travel in Montenegro. Most of the roads are mountainous and narrow (even on the coast) - there is simply nowhere for drivers to slow down. In addition, a significant part of the traffic consists of foreign tourists, who are not particularly eager to pick up strangers with backpacks.

Prices.

Let me remind you that Montenegro, although not a member of the European Union, uses the euro as its currency. Accommodation costs on average 10 Euros per person per day. Dinner in a simple restaurant on the embankment will cost 12 Euros, and a piece of pizza and a hamburger chewed on the go will cost about 3 Euros. Bus fares vary greatly, but as a guide, you can take a price of 6 euros per hour. In total, for the entire 12-day trek, we spent about 300 euros per person.

Results.

In order not to end the report on a “cash note”, I repeat - Montenegro is a superb place to travel. There are mountains here from which no one will leave deprived. I don’t know who you have to be to say that Durmitor or Prokletiye are not beautiful or complex enough or anything else. This is complete satisfaction, after which it’s not a sin to lie on the sea.