Tuši's blog: 15686

Montenegro: Hike & Fly - Vrh Šljemena, Lakes and Attractions in Durmitor

For our first longer 2022 vacation, Nada, Bronco and me decided to have a road trip to the Balkans with our target countries being Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.

We spend our fourth day in Durmitor National Park. In the morning I took my flying gear and started hiking towards the peak called Vrh Šljemena, 2455 m. There was still a lot of snow on the path, so I simply decided to follow my intuition and in 2 hours and a half I reached the top of the mountain. The view was simply gorgeous, but soon I started preparing my wing for a take off. The wind wasn't so good, so I had to repeat my launch 2 times, but when I was in the air, everything was smooth. After a few minutes I approached our village Virak and soon I spotted Bronco and Nada, who were waiting for me. I made a few more circles and landed next to them. In the afternoon we decided to visit famous Crno jezero (Black lake) and we made a nice hike around it. Since we still had plenty of time before dinner, we visited a few more lakes and other attractions in the vicinity, but that will be explained under the photos.

Previous days of our vacation: Day 3 - 15685, Day 2 - 15684, Day 1 - 15683.

Good morning everyone. It is time for a new hike & fly adventure.

There was still a lot of snow on the official path, so I had to improvise.

Our village Virak and surroundings with many lakes.

Durmitor is a massif located in northwestern Montenegro. It is part of the Dinaric Alps and has 48 peaks above 2000 meters.

Nearby ski resort Savin Kuk was already closed. The peak is also suitable for take offs.

There is still winter in the mountains.

When I reached the top of Vrh Šljemena, the third highest in the Durmitor, I made a few selfies and set up my wing.

Third take off was successful and we are flying.

Looking back to my take of site on Vrh Šljemena and to Savin kuk.

Approaching the Virak village.

I spotted Bronco and Nada and they spotted me.

I landed just a few meters away from our house - Garmin Connect.

After a while we visited Crno jezero (Black Lake) with a great view to Savin Kuk, 2313 m, and Međed, 2287 m.

Bronco loved the shore of the lake.

Black Lake lies at the foot of Međed Peak and has an area of 0.515 square km. The lake consists of two smaller lakes: Big Lake (Veliko jezero) and Little Lake (Malo jezero). The lakes are connected by a narrow strait that dries up during the summer, creating two separate bodies of water.

A 3.5 km walking path circles around entire lake.

The Black Lake is fed by rain, surface flows and underground sources of water. The biggest amount of water, the lake gets from Mlinski potok (brook), which length is 2.3 km. Significant part of water comes from periodical source Čeline, which is active during the snow melting period. Its activity is followed by "cracking", which starts due to pushing of air pillows from underground canals, under the big water pressure. During the year, when the water inflow from Čelina is bigger, water from Small Lake flows into the Big Lake, but during the rest of the year, water from Big Lake flows into the Small Lake. This is causing the natural phenomena called bifurcation, the outflows of water into two different directions, into two rivers, Piva and Tara.

Bronco didn't want to cooperate.

Break at the shore.

Half way around the lake.

Nada, Bronco and Tuši.

Closing the circle around the lake.

Tito's Cave - Tito's Cave is located next to the Small Lake. This cave does not have an imposing interior, it looks more like a deep cut in the rock. However, this cave has historical significance. In 1943, together with the partisans, Josip Broz Tito stayed in Tito's cave. It is believed that the plan for the famous battle on Sutjeska was created in this very place.

Back on the narrow straight between Small an Big Lake.

Let's sit down for a moment and enjoy.

Spring Crocus flowers announced, that the spring is here too.

Last meters along the coast and our loop hike will be finished.

After the refreshment in nearby restaurant we continued through the forest back to our starting point - Garmin Connect.

Our next sightseeing point should be saddle Prevoj Sedlo, the highest paved road in Montenegro, but the road was still closed.

Accommodation capabilites.

On the way back we found two Russian students with rented car stuck in the snow. We helped them.

Back in our Angie, Toyota Auris.

A man called Elton sings: I'm still standing after all this time...

Near the Pošćensko jezero lake we had a great view to Vrh Šljemena, from where I flew in the morning.

Getting ready for a jump over the creek.

Pošćensko jezero lake is one of many glacier lakes in Durmitor and they are also called the mountain eyes - gorske oči.

Another break on the Sun.

Bronco is a great model. No wonder everyone likes his photos.

Bronco, The Catahoula Leopard Dog.

Flowers, lakes and mountains.

The height of the Pošćensko jezero lake is 1487 m, and is maximum 3.6 meters deep.

This intense blue-green lake called Vražje jezero or Devil's Lake is situated at an altitude of 1411 m. It is 10.6 m deep. And where does the name come from? There is a beautiful legend about that. A long time ago, the area around the lake was covered by pine forests. One day, a thunderstorm caused a forest fire and all the beasts living in the forest had to escape to the mountains. Only the devil and his wife fled to the bottom of the lake, where they built a wonderful castle, full of ice crystals. Even though Vražje Jezero is warmer than the other glacial lakes in the area, the coldness of the ice castle can still be felt in the middle of the lake. And take care: the devil has no peace! When he would see a young girl swimming in the lake, he might rise from his castle, grab her and drag her to the bottom.

Our next stop, graveyard near Riblje jezero - Fish Lake.

The necropolis is located 200 meters northwest of the road, so Bronco and me did a little bit of running.

Waiting for Nada.

The necropolis was set on gentle grassy hill, shaped as an elongated ellipsis which extends in the north-south direction.

There are 49 registered stećci oriented east-west, including: 10 slabs, 27 chests and 12 gabled roof tombstones. Decorations have been observed on 22 tombstones.

The most common decorative motifs are arcades, twisted bands, friezes, frames or edgings with parallel slanting tiny lines, twining vines with spirals or trefoils or only with garlands, palmettes.

Nada and Tuši.

Judging by the natural setting where the necropolis was erected, the design and ornaments of stećci, the number of graves, it can be assumed that members of the feudal nobility from the area and their families were buried at the necropolis near Riblje Jezero (Fish Lake) in the 14th and first half of the 15th century.