In the last week of July 2023, we had no idea where to escape from the cauldron called Podgorica. Usually we would wander into a forest, but we have visited each one so many times that I studied the list of potential tours and said: "How about Zagradac?" Zagradac is the second highest peak of Kapa Moračka. The highest is Lastva, but everyone we asked for a recommendation voted for Zagradac. Sanja was especially enchanted by him. The education lasted a short time. I read about him before, waiting for a good moment to make a move. It was only necessary to determine the material by browsing the Peaks of Montenegro and their story about this peak. The old folk saying: "All evil for some good", proved to be true again. Asphalt to the Captain's Lake helped us get closer to our goal. We read that with an all-terrain vehicle we can get about 2 km further from the lake, so we didn't stop at the end of the asphalt. We regretted it because the dirt road was in extremely bad condition. Still, 4 km less walking in the July heat is no small help. We left the car and, following Mr. Popović's recommendations, trudged forward. The surrounding scenes were incredible. When I started to write the blog, looking at the photos, I thought that it might be superfluous to say anything. The photo is much more impressive than any explanations. However…
Very soon we also saw Zagradac. At first glance, it didn't seem too difficult to reach its summit. Such impressions, it often turns out, turn out to be wrong. It was neither far nor high, but very sudden.
At second glance, I couldn't figure out where we were going to end up. I knew that the striking rock at the very top was an "exposed" moment, but how to get to it? I didn't say the worst: no markings. We followed the gravel road for about a kilometer, and then a well-trodden path, but it branched off, disappeared and reappeared. All in all, in the search for the best path, we progressed with the "two steps forward, one back" method. It didn't bother me at all because the rocky and grassy environment was the subject of my hyper-enthusiasm all the time.
Eventually we came to a place where the only way was straight up. What would they say "what has to be done is not difficult". This is one of the folk wisdoms with which I have never agreed, but what must be done. Halfway up this last climb we took a break. What to rest, what to enjoy the view. I often repeated: "Is it possible that we didn't come here earlier?" This is one of the tours that was far more than what I expected, which is a rare case because when it comes to climbs I always have high expectations. Zagradac outnumbered them by several spears.
Resting our gaze fixed on the numerous peaks we were trying to identify, more or less successfully, we observed the katun below us. In fact, on one side you could see living katun, and on the other, the remains of a long-abandoned one. The latter, wherever I move, I see much more often. Unfortunately for all of us.
We continued on and very quickly reached the bottom of the rock itself, which somewhat resembles a cap, so some believe that this part of the Moračka Mountains massif got its name from Moračka Kapa. We passed Podski vrh on the right. I shuddered at the thought that some of them managed to climb it. All credit to them, but to me he's excellent even from a distance like this. We easily passed under the rock, completely satisfied with ourselves, thinking that we had passed the worst. But then the worst came. From the rock to the summit ridge, one had to cross a short, but very, very steep section. When we reached the beginning of the ridge, Sinjajevina appeared to us on the right.
The ridge was easy and not too far. However, I got tired, and the heat contributed to the fact that I was relieved when I reached the goal. Then I sat down and just enjoyed it. Indescribable scenes. A different color on each side. At that moment I thought: "This is the most beautiful view I've ever seen", and then I remembered that I've said this before... who knows how many times. However, when I think about it, I can include it at least in the 10 most beautiful, which is no small thing in a strong competition. Apart from Sinjajevina, which challenged us and whose peaks Gradište and Umovi, which we only observed from here, have been waiting for their turn for a long time, there was also an unusual peak like a headless torso with a V-neck T-shirt. I later found out that it was called Tejova Glava. Numerous peaks of the Morački mountains were around us. We assumed that the one sticking out was Lastva.
It was clear, but more importantly, the air was extremely clear, which is increasingly rare. That's how we cast our eyes to Durmitor. We could see a village below us, so after deliberation we concluded that it was the village of Ljevište, which we passed through when we were going to the source of Morača. Torna, Tali, Vojnovac, Stožac were also seen. Well, there's nothing wrong. I suspect that not everyone leaves this place with such a positive impression. The most important thing is good visibility, and we were really lucky that day.
Everything beautiful has an end, so we had to go back from Zagradac as well. The descent was easier than the ascent, but we actually walked "under the hand", which is what we would say "professionally". Duško was much faster, and I, looking at him from a bird's eye view, couldn't help but wonder how we had overcome such a steep climb.
As we walked towards the car, I occasionally looked back, satisfied with the fact that I managed to get up there. I was also glad that we set a precedent and went on a tour in the middle of summer, during which there is not even a bit of shelter from the trees. Sometimes the horses, sometimes the cows looked at us in amazement. We were the lone climbers that day at this location. We didn't pass each other.
We passed by the Captain's Lake as if by the plague. A bunch of new buildings thrown in without order or sense on the very shore, garbage, the lake somehow sick. I was just overcome with sadness. It's amazing how we look at nature and how wrongly we try to use it. The concept of "sustainable development" has not reached our harsh conditions, and we don't know when it will. The rage that took over me because of the Captain's Lake managed to suppress my gaze on the Žurim to some extent. The whole of Lukavica, and Mali and Veliki Žurim in particular, are real gems. At the same time, they are extremely photogenic. Borovnik also joined the team. Mowing was in full swing. We couldn't have ended this unexpectedly well-spent summer day any better.
Bonus video:
