The year 2023 is also coming to an end. We all draw the line and make personal statistics. For me, this year, as far as traveling is concerned, was excellent. I walked a lot, but I didn't manage to follow it up with writing, so I enter the new year with a dozen stories "in the stack". In order to reduce that number by at least one, I found myself in a dilemma: What should I choose for the topic of the last blog of the year with such a rich offer? In the end, regardless of what Miloš said, the choice fell on Durmitor. To whom else? It is almost becoming a tradition.
This year I managed to go to Durmitor only twice, but both times they were memorable tours. In the middle of May, Čeline broke. The Black Lake was, as it were, "from hill to hill", never bigger. Part of the way to Čelin I ran over barefoot. Since Čelines are formed from melting snow, my feet were frozen, but I was happy to finally be able to see this phenomenon in person, ignoring the cold and the potential danger of slipping and ending up in the lake. Fortunately, everything went well.
In the middle of July, I was given the task of choosing a tour on Durmitor for a family walk. Bandierna has been on the list of potential tours for a long time, so the choice fell on it. Naturally, I immediately found a text about that climb on the Peaks of Montenegro page. It didn't seem difficult to me. However, the main reason that we did not reach the top of Bandijerna was still hanging over us: the path is not marked.
The day was quite cloudy, which has both good and bad sides. The good part is that the sun doesn't burn you, and the bad part is that you worry about the rain. When we arrived at the Sedlo pass, even though it was quite early, we could hardly find a place to park. It's been a long time since I've seen so many people in one place who, although they speak different languages, belong to the same family: lovers of nature and mountains. While I was preparing for the tour, I consulted Sanja and her experience during this climb. She said: "Have your camera ready because there are a lot of chamois". I was looking forward to it. However, at the very start of the hike, at the Sedlo pass, we saw three and not one more later.
We slowly set off along the well-known path that leads from Sedlo to Bobot's Kuk. At the very beginning, considerable caution was necessary when passing Uvita Greda, regardless of the existence of the cable. The stones have been polished from heavy traffic, and those who don't have good shoes should pay extra attention. We remembered the first ascent to Bobotov Kuk when we went straight up through the notch, not knowing about this detour. When we got out alive then, everything that came later seemed easier. When we passed this first and biggest obstacle on this tour, we devoted ourselves to enjoying the view. We walked through a valley surrounded by numerous peaks. I was enchanted by the Teeth, I couldn't take my eyes off them. I passed by here twice, but it's been a long time since then, and I admired everything as if I was seeing it for the first time. Walking like that, captivated by the beauty of the surrounding scenery, we almost completely forgot about the fact that we should turn off this path. We had to turn back because we passed the turn.
Two girls from Žabljak went with us who, following the same instructions as us, got lost in the same way, so it was a little easier for us that we were not alone. When we passed the source, there was no longer any doubt that we were on the right path. We went straight towards the Trojna Prevojo. Another group of mountaineers joined us from the side, so we headed towards the top as a group. The teeth still dominated the space, although now we were looking at them from the other side. When we approached the pass, we saw Bobot's Kuk and Mina's Bogaz.
We stopped for a while at the Trojna Prevojo, and then we started freestyle for the final climb. Since there are no markings, everyone climbs at their own discretion. I was trying to follow the path that seemed the most trodden to me. Basically, I climbed easier and faster than it seemed at first glance. There were ten of us at the top. We collectively admired the view and checked our knowledge of the Durmitor peaks. We were all good so we complemented each other. Bandierna, with its 2409 meters above sea level, is the sixth highest peak of the Durmitor massif. Its location is perfect because, it seems to me, you can see the whole massif from it. We simply didn't know what looked better to us: Bobot's Kuk dominated, but there were also Savin Kuk, Šljeme, Milosev Tok, Ranisava, Sedlena Greda, Uvita greda, Prutaš, Sareni pasovi... Well, everything was like in the palm of your hand. Crvena Greda, Obla Glava, Međed were also there. I was most surprised by the position of Terza Bogaz. Once upon a time, I almost missed reaching its top, but now I barely recognized it. All in all, I made at least three full laps, photographing and commenting on the surrounding peaks. Immediately, Crvena Greda and Sedlena Greda, which I once declared to be the best place for observing the rest of Durmitor, fell to second and third place. The flagpole is unsurpassed and it is a real shame that it is not marked. Not only the peaks of Durmitor can be seen from here. The peaks of the Piva mountain are also perfectly visible: Lojanik and Ružica, Vojnik, Buručkovac, as well as Bioč and Volujak, Ljubišnja and the Tara canyon.
While we were at the top, the clouds started to part. We stayed there for quite some time, as is rare on any peak because there is always something to chase us: wind, sun, clouds, flying ants, flies... There was not a single disruptive factor here. You could stay as long as you wanted. However, at one point, we had to go back, albeit with a heavy heart. The descent was even easier than the ascent. At the pass we took a break again. It was necessary to raise the drone, go towards the edge of the pass in order to get as close as possible to Bobot's Kuk, and as far away from Bandierna as possible in order to capture it better in one shot. The teeth on this side are simply incredible. Only, we stayed here quite a bit, but we didn't rush anywhere.
Descending from the Trojno pass and returning to the starting point, the Sedlo pass, we looked back. We wanted to determine the place where the path to Bobotov Kuk should turn towards Bandijerna. Once you know, it's easy. But, if there is no marking already, one arrow, any sign would be enough. I'm really surprised it's not there. The worst thing is that you get carried away by the beauty of the surroundings and forget that you should also concentrate on the road. Passing by Uvita Greda, we remembered my cousins who climbed up to the Ledena Pećina the other day and from there to Mina Bogaz. From there, they went down the unmarked path to Trojno prevoj and climbed to Bandierna. When they passed by the twisted beam, they were eager to climb it as well. The road leader, dad and uncle, had to cut it off: "That's enough for today". From my perspective, that story seemed unreal, even though it is completely true. We only took a look at Uvita greda, carefully walked around it, and the adventure called "Climb to Bandierna" could be positioned high on the list of the best "trips" this year.
Bonus video:
