Friday 26th July 2013 – Babino Polje to Kućište
Total Distance: 18.40km / Total Ascent: 1529m / Total
Descent: 1536m
The Eco Village is in a beautiful
setting: quiet and surrounded by trees, and even more glorious this morning in
the clear, storm-washed air.
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| Dimitrije indicating the size of breakfast |
Today was the start of our 4-day
trek into Kosovo. We took breakfast on the decking, checked our gear and set
off up the road. The first 15 minutes were relatively easy. Then we left the
track, crossed the valley and the hard work began with a ferociously steep
climb towards the ridge.
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| Climbing steeply out of the valley |
Already, the benefit of the extra
guide was clear. Although waymarked the trails in this neck of the woods are
pretty rarely walked (understandable, I imagine, given the low profile of the
area for tourism). At this time of year, with plenty of new, lush vegetation
growth underfoot, there are places where almost no evidence of the route exists
on the ground. Local knowledge, in such circumstances, is invaluable.
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| Looking back to the peaks above Hridsko Lake |
At a slow but steady pace, and with
several stops on the way, we finally reached the Zavoj Pass (2167m) by about
noon. This spot marks the border between Montenegro and Kosovo, so
congratulations were shared and photographs taken to mark the occasion.
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| Signpost at the Zavoj Pass |
Judging by the way Kosovo has been
portrayed in the news in the last decade, I’m reasonably sure this would not be
most people’s picture of the Kosovan border: no guards, no guns, no fence, no
bunkers, no passport control, no duty free – no sign, in fact, that you are on the cusp of a different country at
all.
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| Three Brits on the border |
The situation and status of Kosovo
is a complex and delicate matter, and the historical, political, religious and
ethnic mélange is so fearsomely labyrinthine that I don’t intend to elaborate
on it here. Others have attempted it, and their volumes are notoriously
lengthy. Suffice it to say, there was a definite frisson of excitement to be
standing on the brink of one of the world’s newest and most misunderstood
countries.
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| Cross-border co-operation - Kushtrim and Dimitrije |
A four-hour trek south from here
would bring us to the summit of Tromeda, the meeting point of three countries –
Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania. But our route lay the other way, northwards
along the ridge.
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| Looking into Kosovo |
Having said earlier that we had
reached the border, I now have to contradict myself. In fact we had reached
what is considered the border by Montenegro along with much of the world. The precise line here is currently
under debate between Kosovo and Montenegro, so our route passed through a sort
of both-man’s-land of still-to-be-decided territory. See, I told you nothing
was straightforward!
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| Mountain path |
We followed a contour path along
the mountainside, threading a route between minor summits with views
alternating between the peaks and valleys of two countries. The wild flowers
were prolific, and a short while later we took our lunch on a grassy col
surrounded by thousands of blooms. A quick overview of these can be found here:
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| Heading for the pass |
After lunch, we continued along the
ridge, making for an obvious saddle in the ridge ahead, the Jelenak Pass. A
rising traverse beneath the cliffs to our right took the sting out of the
ascent, but we were all a bit breathless as we reached the top at 2274m.
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| Looking back towards Montenegro |
An
hour and a half from here stood the summit of Guri I Kuq, at 2522m one of the
highest in the vicinity. Sadly, we didn’t have enough time to bag it today – a
9.00pm finish would be a finish in the dark – but we were sorely tempted.
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| Beginning our descent |
We began our descent on a steep,
rocky path. The combination of loose scree, small boulders and uneven, grassy
ground meant carefully picking our way step by step. Then, having reached the
more level stretches, the path became indistinct and treacherous with hidden
rocks. Concentration was required for every step: with over 800m of descent to
negotiate, we were keen to avoid the possibility of a fall or a twisted ankle.
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| Ex-Yu waymarking |
Part way down, we passed the first
of two lakes: a dark blue-green, plectrum-shaped pond in a shadowy basin.
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| Liqeni i Drelajve |
We re-filled water at a nearby
spring, then carried on. A short sharp uphill stretch took us rather by
surprise, as did the appearance of the second lake. Liqeni i Kuçishtёs has a
much sunnier aspect than Liqeni i Drelajve, pale cliffs reflected in the still
waters.
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| Still waters at Liqeni i Kuçishtёs |
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| A reflective moment |
The final descent remained steep as
we dropped through a swathe of fire damaged trees into mature woods. As if from
nowhere, the sound of voices and the smell of woodsmoke drifted up to meet us.
We found goats quietly grazing in a glade, and all of a sudden we were back in
civilization.
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| First signs of civilisation |
Our overnight stay was at the Guri
i Kuq complex, a surprisingly nice restaurant with guest cabins in the grounds.
The food was delicious but prodigious (again!), with plenty of local
specialities and a more-than-passable local beer. I had two bowls of soup: one
on the inside and one on the outside. The poor waiter was mortified, but there
was no damage done, and soon the conversation got round to the speed of my
reflexes rather than the faint whiff of chicken noodle clinging to my
shirt-tails. The only slight drawback about the whole evening was a lack of hot
water: unfortunately the previous night’s storm had knocked out the power. But
we were made of stern stuff, and cold showers could do nothing to dampen the
spirits of this hardy group!
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| Missy G, CJ, Musa, Dimitrije, Kushtrim, Jules tackling another mammoth meal |
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