Tuši's blog: 16816

Saturday, May 31, 2025

16816

Bosnia and Herzegovina: MTB trip with AO Tržič - Bjelašnica, Malo Polje and Lukomir

Our local Mountaineering Society AO Tržič has been organizing a mountain biking trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2015. For our 2025 adventure, we decided to return to Umoljani, the very same destination where our journey began ten years ago in 2015.

Back on May 29, 2015, we climbed Bjelašnica by bike for the first time. Ten years later, it was time to do it again. We mounted our bikes and tackled the long series of switchbacks leading all the way to the summit.

From the top, we descended to Babin Do via the ski slope, which also served as the downhill course during the 1984 Winter Olympics. After a short break, we continued towards the Igman Ski Jumps, the venue of the Olympic ski jumping competitions in 1984. Following a quick photo stop, we returned to Babin Do for refreshments before beginning another climb towards the saddle below Javorak.

There, the group split up. Some of us decided to extend the planned route with an extra ride to Lukomir, while the rest continued as originally planned. At the end of the day, we all reunited back at our base in Umoljani (Garmin Connect), where a well-earned beer and dinner was waiting for us.

Previous day of this years trip: Day 1 - 16814, Day 2 - 16815.

Previous MTB Trips with AO Tržič: 1. 2015 (13161, 13162, 13163), 2. 2016 (13518), 3. 2017 (13889, 13890, 13891), 4. 2018 (14253, 14254, 14255), 6. 2020 (14997), 7. 2021 (15353, 15354), 8. 2022 (15715, 15716, 15717), 9. 2023 (16079, 16080, 16081, 16082), 10. 2024 (16443, 16444, 16445, 16446).

Warming our legs after the breakfast.

Great placec for mountain biking.

Spectators.

Where next?

Janez and switchbacks leading to the top of Bjelašnica.

Beautiful day.

Gravel roads leading to nowhere.

Start of the 1984 Olympic downhill event.

Remains of the Bosnian war.

Our group: Primož, Nada, Marija, Janez, Mateja, Janez, Cena, Baki, Brane and in first row Tuši and Aleš.

It's easier to ski here.

The conditions normalised.

Downhill with Black Mamba.

Built for the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Hotel Igman once welcomed athletes, officials, and visitors to the Olympic venues on Mount Igman. During the Bosnian War, the hotel was heavily damaged and burned, and it has remained abandoned ever since. Today, its concrete ruins are a striking reminder of both the Olympic legacy and the region's turbulent recent history.

We found something interesting on the map.

The Igman Ski Jumps hosted Olympic ski jumping during the 1984 Winter Olympics and remain one of Sarajevo's most recognizable Olympic landmarks. The two events were dominated by Jens Weißflog of East Germany, who won gold on the normal hill, and Matti Nykänen of Finland, who took gold on the large hill. The two young stars swapped gold and silver, while Jari Puikkonen and Pavel Ploc took the bronze medals.