There were seven of us...

Montenegro. Mysterious and unknown. 4 years ago, this country was not a particularly popular holiday destination for our tourists and attracted discoveries that we could not make in person.

Everyone chooses for themselves the type of recreation that is closest to them. Some people are interested in a lazy stay on the beach, some people can’t imagine any other holiday other than the mountains, some are interested in excursions... the beauty of this hike is that it combines everything, plus there is still room for impromptu.

As for satellites, the choice was definitely in favor of “OutdoorUkraine”. A fascinating colorful route, competent organization, trusted guys - instructors... This year the stars aligned as they should, and the dream came true!

Day one. Cool peppers.

The fairy tale began on the plane: from the height there was an incredibly beautiful view of the coast. And now, I’m in Tivat! With a backpack, under a palm tree, I wait for the rest of the group, which is currently basking on the beach.

As a result, the reunion of all group members was a little delayed - we were waiting for a guy from Moscow, but we took a tour of Tivat.

I was struck by the warmth and kindness of the locals: our driver agreed not only to wait another 3 hours, but also took us to the embankment for a walk. And then he calmly delivered us to Gusinye, by 11 pm!

The beauty of the road we followed captured almost everyone: the sleepy people turned their heads, looked at and admired the surrounding landscape. Particularly striking is the steep serpentine path in the rocks, with tunnels cut into the mountain and a steep cliff, behind which is the sea. The road in Crimea is also picturesque, but I constantly caught myself thinking that Crimea is a pale imitation of Montenegro. Everything here is taller, bigger, bluer, steeper...

Except for the doll towns, which were a bit crowded. In this, the Crimean spacious steppes are inimitable. But as a result of a small feat, we spent the first night in Prokletiye.

And in the morning we were slightly taken aback by the landscape that opened up to us!

Day two. We're going there, I don't know where.

Majestic, harsh, but so beautiful mountains with sharp peaks slowly emerged in the morning light and beckoned to them! And, of course, we answered the call!

To be honest, I find it difficult to remember where we climbed there on the first day: was it Popadya or not? The air was simply filled with the spirit of adventure, and it didn’t matter where you went. Everything was great! Hiking through a comfortable green forest, light, without backpacks, in a pleasant small company of fellow wanderlusts - what could be better?

The guys gradually got to know each other better. The group was small: only 6 people (3 boys and 3 girls), and, of course, our instructor Kirill. But there was enough excitement and desire!

The views are simply stunning! It is for the sake of such beauty that you climb to heights!

And also for blueberries and raspberries, which are found in abundance in these places! And which we attacked more and more willingly the further we went!

And only Kirill’s words “300 meters left to the top. Horizontally!” made us look away from such attractive berry bushes and remember that we are conquerors of peaks!

So, slowly, climbing towards the local sheep grazing peacefully on the top, we reached the ridge on the border with Albania.

I was especially impressed by the panorama of mountains that opened before my eyes. With sharp peaks stretching into the sky, practically without greenery, they forced themselves to be respected even from a distance... Karanfily... Even the name of the ridge is somehow mystical! And Kirill said in a completely casual tone that we would go there tomorrow. That's it! Everyone, of course, was very inspired. Think about going up (climbing) up Karanfily?!.. It’s straight nonsense!

The descent was pleasant, everyone was running to dinner. And we completely forgot that we still have to cook it, whether we are tired there or not.

No one (or almost no one) dared to violate discipline. For every day, two people on duty were appointed, who were raised neither by light nor dawn, and who were responsible for our food during the campaign. Then we even competed to see who could feed the people and set the table better and more varied! What did you think!..

And on this day there was pasta with meat. There is probably no other food on a hike that consistently evokes such delight!

We also met our hospitable shepherd hosts, who supplied us with their delicious homemade cheese! Oh-b-e-de-no!!!

A fire, a pleasant warm evening with a cup of tea (the supplies of which have not yet run out!), tired but satisfied tourists - this is how I remember the first day in the mountains!

And the Karanfils were waiting for us!!!

Day three. Stone gate.

After breakfast, fresh and cheerful (for now), we went to meet the Karanfils. True, not all anymore. One of the participants in the hike remained in the camp, deciding that the wild, pristine beauty of the massif could wait.

The road to the mountains starts in the Grbaj valley, where we actually stopped for the night. And the Prokletiy mountains surround it like fortress walls, harsh, shrouded in secrets, rising into the sky with inaccessible peaks... Early in the morning, walking along a narrow road surrounded by sharp gray rocks on both sides, you inevitably begin to feel like a pioneer. These mountains, unlike Durmitor, have been little studied and are only becoming accustomed to persistent climbers striving to uncover their secrets.

The massif is formed by 40 mountain ranges, 70 km long, the main part is located in Albania. It was probably not easy for people to be in the vicinity of Prokletiye, but they lived here since ancient times. By the way, the massif fully justifies its name: waterless karst labyrinths, sparse greenery, difficult-to-pass areas, snowfields, rockfalls, steep paths, and even climbers who found their last refuge in the mountains... An eerie place. But incredibly beautiful! Climbing these mountains without a knowledgeable guide is pure madness! And it’s impossible to forget these mountains! As well as being confused with any others.

I got carried away a little, but it’s worth visiting Montenegro even just for Prokletije alone. A place unconquered by man, little visited by tourists, will give exactly those feelings of isolation from the world, unity with nature, special harmony for which they go to the mountains.

And the three-headed Karanfils were our goal today.

Not everyone was able to get to the very top: they lacked experience and skill. Or recklessness? But even the panorama that opened up to us from the place we reached aroused admiration! It’s impossible to describe - you have to see it with your own eyes!

And on the way back we went THROUGH the mountains! An indescribable feeling when you can walk not only up and down, but also through the mountains! True, when I saw exactly WHERE we would have to go, I was quite worried. The very feeling when you are already going down, and then you have to GO UP again, and even sharply uphill in order to get around it, doesn’t fit in your head at first. But everything turned out to be not so scary, and with the help of our boys-pioneers it turned into an exciting journey! At the same time, we acquired our first rock climbing skills.

And lunch with such a landscape will be better than in the most famous restaurant in the world!

And in the evening there was tea again by the fire and an exchange of impressions.

And then a mandatory, strictly controlled by an unforgiving instructor, 8-hour sleep.

By the way, what’s interesting is that I’m 100% a night owl and getting me up in the morning is a big problem, but here I woke up without the slightest stress. To be honest, when I read the route of the hike, the point of getting up early was a little annoying, but everything turned out to be not scary at all.

And ahead was a transition to another valley, to new unexplored mountains!

Day four. Savino Eye.

In the morning, not at all early (pity sometimes awoke in our stern guide), we gathered camp to move to another valley. Moreover, like all real tourists, they called a taxi, loaded themselves and their backpacks into them, and went off to conquer new heights, exploring Gusinye a little along the way.

This day was remembered for a leisurely trek through incomparably beautiful places. The Ropoyan Valley, where we were heading, amazed us with the abundance of greenery, cultural trails and a touch of civilization. I especially remember the natural spring Savino Oko - the main attraction of these places. A powerful stream of water bursts right out of the ground and forms an incredibly blue, clean and very (brrr!) cold lake. And then just as abruptly it disappears from the surface and flows underground. Divers tried to measure the depth of this lake; they managed to dive to 64 m, but they never reached the bottom, so it is believed that Savino Oko does not have it. Anyone who wants can check it out in person!

And our kids even risked a swim, although, as Kirill aptly put it, when you crawl ashore after a swim, you forget that you can breathe, walk and even talk! We checked. True, I personally didn’t take the risk, but the rest of the group happily confirmed the instructor’s opinion.

The ice-water swimming attraction delighted the group of foreigners who came after us so much that they even shared their lunch!

This parking lot was in a wonderful place, our neighbors were high mountains, bright stars and... As it turned out the next day, absolutely ill-mannered cows, who not only came to visit without an invitation, drank all our water, although there was their own nearby (truly, water tastes better in someone else's house!), and also chewed one of our tents!!! Such impudence! And, most importantly, we managed to escape before we could tell them everything we thought about their Montenegrin hospitality!

In the meantime, we simply enjoyed a wonderful evening by the fire, listened to stories about the wonderful places we managed to visit, went to admire the amazingly bright stars that hung right above our heads and did not know what the coming day had in store for us!

And the coming day has prepared this!!!

Day five. Maya-Ezertse.

The climb to this peak can be described in just one word, brief and understandable to everyone, but it is unlikely that the censor will miss it)))

The very early morning began delightfully: after breakfast we lazily basked in the sun, drinking tea and coffee... And we couldn’t understand why Kirill was so nervous and urging us on? Well, the mountain. One more. Just think! If only they knew!... They wouldn’t have left the camp at all!

The path began with a cozy green forest, along which we walked with pleasure, pinching berries along the way. For some reason, we were given frequent rest stops, although we weren’t the least bit tired. Then we were able to appreciate our guide’s ability to not only deliver tourists to their destination, but also to be relatively alive, smiling a little and able to at least take photographs! But all the local beauties, including the most beautiful lakes, were viewed from above and while running.

The walk was very pleasant, the area around was very beautiful, the rocks were quite friendly. This time we had lunch in a green meadow with a stunning view.

And then one of our participants (the most skillful and experienced after the instructor, by the way) announced that he would go back to the camp and even cook dinner for us. This is where we would have thought and run after Andrei, or even overtaking him, but we arrogantly moved on. Although Kirill warned that there would be no opportunity to evade further.

What a mountain it was!

Having first lured gullible comrades like us with green wooded slopes, the path unexpectedly led us into the kingdom of bare rocks. Cool. With massive stones that tried to slip out from under your feet and fall on the head of the person walking.

Climbing higher and higher, pressing closer and closer to the ground, on knees, all fours, clinging to the surrounding rocks with hands, feet, trekking poles and teeth, we approached an almost vertical rise, which opened the passage to the mountain. I don't think anyone in our group will forget this place! It’s a pity that there was no opportunity to take a photo; even Kirill didn’t dare to do so.

You experience strange feelings in this situation: as you rise up, you only think about where it is better to place your next foot, what to grab onto with your hand, how not to knock down the person following you with an unsuccessfully touched stone... There is no fear. Bye. You don’t think about the fact that there is still a descent ahead, but this is your measure of value!

Two of our guys never dared to climb to the very top; they were left to wait on a small narrow platform, with a wonderful view into the abyss.

This, I think, is a feat! It was scary to stand in this place, and to sit there for more than 2 hours, waiting for the others...

The four daredevils rise to the top. And now, the goal is already visible.

I look up and see her. I see something else.

The eyes of Masha, who had risen earlier, were full of horror. Victor's perplexed eyes, and Kirill's confused ones. 3 couples are looking straight at me. And onto a stone flying straight in my direction. Big stone.

Interesting feeling. You don't even have time to get scared. I stood straight up to my full height and waited. It would hardly have been possible to calculate the flight path of the wayward stone; moreover, one could only wait to dodge it. Judging by the eyes of my companions, if he had hit me, and even at speed...

The mountain spirits were merciful: the stone flew past.

And now we are at the top! Victory!!!

Maya Jezertse is the highest mountain of the Prokletija, located in Albania, with a height of 2694 m. Its conquest is a kind of calling card of the climbers’ skills. It is clear that we climbed not in winter, but in summer, it is not entirely correct to compare the difficulties, but we were quite deservedly imbued with the spirit of extreme climbers. And they left entries in the journal too. Know ours!

The descent was by no means easy. Having collected our frozen companions, we moved down. It was a long time. It was scary. It was already getting dark, then I had to walk for 2 hours through the dark forest, but it was worth it!!!!

Upon arrival at the camp, I only had enough strength for coffee, dinner (and not for everyone) and crawling to the tent.

The day of greatest triumph has come to an end!

Day six. We are not afraid of the gray wolf.

On this day we had a calm radial climb to the very intelligent Maya Rosit mountain, 2522 m high.

I personally liked this slide the most, because it was the one I had never been on. I couldn’t climb))).

While other tourists were exploring the expanses of Prokletiye from the Albanian side, I was chilling in the sun in the mountains, sitting on a comfortable pebble and singing songs. And so on for 5 hours straight while I was waiting for them.

True, my comrades did not let me get bored; they kept me informed of their achievements via radio, although I could already hear them. And why shout like that?!

I wasn’t even jealous - the guys really did great - they conquered one of the highest mountains of the Prokletiye!

And having reunited, satisfied with the mountains and with each other, they stomped off to the camp.

Not a day, but a fairy tale.

Days seven and eight. Komovi.

Having collected the camp, we moved towards new mountains. Durmitor was waiting for us.

Walking along the already familiar path at a leisurely pace (despite continuous radial forays, the weight of the backpacks was no longer felt), we came to our gazebo, where at 10 o’clock the cars were supposed to be waiting for us.

We were there. Where is our instructor?

While we were making various guesses about Kirill’s whereabouts, he himself appeared, in person, with a very businesslike look and a sly expression on his face. Clearly he's up to something!

This “something” was called Komovi. And that’s where we’re headed now! “Komovi is one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in Montenegro. It is located on the road to Zabljak, from which hikes in the Durmitor mountains start. And in Durmitor, there is absolutely nothing to do for 5 whole days. Boring! And we’ll convince the drivers, they’ll be happy to take us to a completely different place!” This is roughly what the proposal for an unscheduled excursion a la Kirill looked like.

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And so, our complete agreement with these plans and desire to go there!

Having explained to our drivers the principles of democracy (and having paid a considerable amount), we set off to explore the new area.

The road was beautiful! Up and up again, higher and higher, closer to the mountains.

Komovi was beautiful - green, in bright sunlight, where there were practically no other tourists. Heaven on earth!

Immediately rejecting the idea of ​​spending the night at the local campsite, the only one in the entire area, we set out to set up camp in a valley, not far from the mountains. You only need to admire such beauty up close! After a quick snack, we threw our backpacks and ran into the mountains.

It seems that on this day we mastered Kom Vasoevichki, 2,460 m, but I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the name.

I fell in love with this array at first sight. Coniferous forest, a lot of my favorite stones, three sharp peaks towering in the distance, comfortable trails - everything was created for trekkers! And blueberries, blueberries!..Why these mountains are considered a challenge for tourists is not clear. As for me, everything is very civilized, kind.

We started late, at 16.00. And we took off to the top by 18.00. The pre-sunset sun gave a special flavor to the mountains, painting them in the most unimaginable colors! As usual, we checked in the log, took plenty of photographs and slowly began our descent.

It was a little windy in our clearing, but we somehow didn’t attach any importance to it. But in vain! Dinner was completely homely: we sat, talked, savored local wine and didn’t know what awaited us in the next few hours. They also went to bed in a calm, idyllic mood.

But how did you wake up!!!???

At night, the wind changed mercy to anger and began to blow with merciless force. It blew away everything: tents, backpacks, careless tourists; some things that were drying also flew away in an unknown direction. It was a fun night!

In the morning we took a roll call: the losses were insignificant, the tourists remained alive and well, only slightly crushed. We changed our location, but the same fresh wind was still blowing on the other side of the ridge.

On this day, our group split up: some went to seek solace (and a normal hot lunch!) in civilization, and Tolik, Kirill, and I climbed into the mountains, deciding that Kuchki was exactly what the doctor ordered.

We never reached the top. It was so windy at the pass that it was simply impossible to walk. And it was starting to rain. Our instructor did not dare to drag us to the top in such situations. And we began our descent towards the hut that Anatoly had spotted earlier and convinced us to visit. We quickly agreed to this adventure and ran there together.

Wow, the weather immediately improved, suddenly even the sun began to peek through. And the hut turned out to be a hospitable shelter for tired travelers, where we spent a very romantic time with candles and wine!

And along the way, as Tolik said, they freaked out and casually conquered (descending!) some kind of peak! Yes, we are!

The forest through which we walked pleased with calmness and an abundance of all sorts of delicious things, which thoroughly delayed our path. Even Kirill didn’t grumble here, but leaned into the berries just as much as we did.

Wonderful weather, beautiful satellites nearby, forest around, mountains on the horizon - this is what paradise should be like! So kind and relaxed we came to the camp.

They were waiting for us there:

1. The wind, which ran rampant so shamelessly that it was impossible to light a fire without consequences.
2. Destroyed tent. This time the cows had nothing to do with it; it was destroyed by a cobblestone that was accurately thrown from the hill, intended for a fire pit.
3. Lack of dinner, since the rest visited a local restaurant and had absolutely no intention of cooking.

Seeing such disgrace, Kirill quickly took everything into his own hands. Tea and coffee were immediately prepared, dinner was bubbling in the cauldron, and homeless tourists were quickly assigned to a campsite.

And five brave souls still risked spending the night in the valley! The stormy wind, thunder and lightning unobtrusively relaxed, and the rain lulled me to sleep. I can’t speak for others, but I slept great that night!

It's a pity, but we had to say goodbye to this place soon!

Day nine. Finally, Durmitor.

The road to the long-awaited Durmitor exhausted everyone. The historical antiquity on which we were traveling simply miraculously took us to our destination.

We cheered up a little when we stopped on the way to the Tara River canyon, which is considered the deepest in Europe, 1300 m. The place is incredibly beautiful!

I really enjoyed the walk along the Djurdzhevich Bridge, which is as much as 365m long. Its height is 172 m, from which a dizzying view of Tara opens. The history of the bridge's construction is interesting. It was created by the Yugoslav engineer Lazar Jaukovic, shortly before the start of World War II. Ironically, he also had to destroy his creation to impede the advance of Italian troops. Moreover, he was unlucky twice. Not only did the enraged military manage to capture and execute Lazarus, but the bridge was also named after a nearby farmer. Irony of fate! But the bridge was restored, and visitors have the opportunity to admire the incredible construction of human hands.

And we got to Durmitor! The weather began to deteriorate noticeably, it was noticeably colder, and it was decided to stop at a campsite and make radial trips to the mountains. Having set up camp, everyone went to the legendary Black Lake. Only on this day did I manage to swim in it.

In fact, there are several lakes in the park, about 18, but the largest and most beautiful is Black. Locals call it “the black eyes of the mountains”, since the large lake smoothly flows into the small one, and from above this is exactly the impression that is created. Why these eyes are black, only Montenegrins know, as for me, they are the bluest thing there is!

You can walk around the park all your life - it is so beautiful. We would have been walking, only our instructor said the magic word “restaurant”. Probably, Zabljak has not seen such fast-running and happy tourists for a long time! What's in it for us? We were in a hurry to taste local cuisine.

In Montenegro, food traditions are slightly different; they mainly eat meat and dairy dishes. There are no porridges as such. You definitely won’t find buckwheat in stores! What about local tea? Who called him this proud name?! The coffee is also very average. And the chocolate is bad. But the locals don’t eat fish.

In general, you will understand why our flock rushed to dinner like that! Now the word “Pleskavica” (meat dish with side dish) brings back very pleasant memories.

Day ten and eleven. Contrast shower.

A walk in the park and a visit to the restaurant relaxed us quite a bit.

And here is the climb to Savin-Kuk. The hill is low, 2312 m and very cultivated. In winter, there are trails for skiers, about 5 km long, and in summer it is an excellent place for hiking enthusiasts.

The day turned out to be foggy, the higher we climbed, the worse the visibility became. Nevertheless, we managed to admire the beautiful panorama of the mountains, which was briefly revealed to our photographic lenses.

And our next push was to the Meded massif. The morning turned out to be clear and sunny, although cool. Without wasting time, we set out on the path leading to the first peak, Little Bear, 2223 m, which we admired from the campsite. Oh, what a walk it was!

The ascent did not seem very difficult, but the wet ground and slippery stones made it quite difficult.

Sometimes it was not at all clear where to walk (crawl?) and whether it was even possible in principle?! Only the marked trail and the tourists confidently climbing ahead of us showed that anything was possible.

We climbed to the top, dirty, wet, but very happy! The view of the lakes that opened from this mountain made all the difficulties of the journey worth it many times over!

And several more peaks loomed ahead, already the Big Bear. To be honest, I was ready to go anywhere, just not back.

The massif is quite large, and in some places difficult to pass. There are areas where you have to hold onto steel cables for safety. But he is great, simply great! And so unlike others! In general, see for yourself.

Day twelve. Ice cave and Bobotov-Kuk.

The ice cave was a little disappointing: it was just ordinary, we’ve seen better ones in Crimea. Therefore, those who did not have enough impressions, and there were four of them, climbed Bobotov Kuk. The rest of the comrades preferred walks along the Black Lake to the mountains.

Oh, yes, we also had a dog from the camping with us, who accompanied us all the way. And he also decided to climb the mountain with us.

The ascent to the highest mountain of Montenegro, 2523 m, took place along bare waterless rocks, under the supervision of our four-legged friend.

And from the pass there was a stunning view of the very top of the mountain, quite impressive and formidable!

It was here that we met a middle-aged tourist who had just descended from the top. His name was Andrey, he turned out to be a climber from Poland who had conquered many peaks in his lifetime. His story about how just a few days ago he was hit in the head by a cobblestone while conquering some peak in Slovenia and still found the strength to complete the climb, made him thoroughly rethink his “exploits.” A man of 60-something years old, after injuries, has already managed to climb Bobotov Kuk, and we are sitting here and complaining about the cold, lack of water, fatigue, etc. Young and full of strength!

The climb took a little time and was not at all scary. The main thing that really interested us was whether our dog would climb up with us, and how exactly. At some point, the dog disappeared, and we began to joke that he was much smarter than us for leaving the race. But we met him at the top! How did he get there? A mystery! It seems that he was much more familiar with the local trails than we were. We also met an Australian guy there, William, who was climbing alone.

The weather was rapidly deteriorating, clouds were rolling in, so it was not possible to admire the incredible mountain landscapes for a long time. Moreover, it was getting dark, and the way back was a long one.

Taking both the dog and our new Australian comrade, we rushed down the descent and home. On the way we caught up with Andrey, who kindly gave us a lift to Zabljak. Of course, they took the dog with them too. Don’t leave your faithful friend to the mercy of fate!

At the campsite we were greeted like heroes and were eagerly awaiting the story of our adventures! And we had something to tell! Despite the dog cold, the group did not leave for a long time, it was the last day in the mountains, after all!

The mountain fairy tale has come to an end. The next morning we left for Budva, to the long-awaited sea coast.

Day thirteen, fourteen. Budva and Kotor.

Finally, the sun! And the sea! And the beach!

Hurray, hurray, hurray!!!

Budva is one of the most ancient settlements in Europe, dating back 2500 years, it seems. The local center of civilization, something like the Crimean Yalta. Deja vu is complete: souvenir shops on the embankment, various cafes and continuous Russian speech! Everything is like home! The only thing missing was hot boiled corn on the beach! Montenegrins love it fried. I didn't even dare try this dish:)

We settled in the old town and had the opportunity to admire the local exoticism. Very narrow streets, solid stone, almost no greenery, a very long embankment, clean water and incredibly beautiful sunsets - this is how I remember this city. Complete relaxation after the mountains!

The next point on our program was Kotor. It is impossible to be in Montenegro and not visit Kotor!

Someone already wrote that after the campaign with Kirill there is nothing to do in the country. This, of course, is not entirely true, but very close to the truth! Where have we been! What have you not seen! You get tired of reading this entire opus, but believe me, we didn’t have enough! I really didn’t want to part with Montenegro and each other!

I would like to say a huge thank you to my comrades, thanks to whom the hike turned into an incredibly exciting fairytale journey. Guys, with you, at least to the moon!

Separately, I would like to mention the “OutdoorUkraine” tourist club, and especially its leader, for the excellent organization, incredible route, ability not only to create a team of such dissimilar people, but also to ensure that throughout the entire trip it acts as a single organism and breathes in unison! Kirill, you are a genius!

Our journey was coming to an end. Early in the morning we left for Tivat, to the airport.

Montenegro, goodbye! We will definitely meet again!!!