The winter tourist season officially opened this year without skiing at the Kolašin 1600 Ski Resort, because the sky did not send snow, and the state did not fulfill its promise - to provide artificial snow.
The Minister's tourism department has not responded to questions about who is responsible for this and what they expect from the season, which kicked off two days ago with children's entertainers and a DJ party. Simonides Kordić and Ski Resorts of Montenegro.
However, the already traditional lack of snow is not the only problem facing the state ski resort, in which tens of millions of euros have been invested. Even if snow does fall, half of the slopes of the state ski resort on Bjelasica will not be in operation because it is almost certain that the K7 cable car will not operate during the January peak season, after the “Skijališta Crne Gore” canceled a tender worth more than 145 thousand euros for the repair of the cable car. The tender was canceled after none of the contractors submitted a correct offer.
"Vijesti" warned of such an epilogue about twenty days ago, after a tender was announced on November 19th for the urgent rehabilitation and stabilization of the soil near the cable car tower.
The cable car, in which the state invested nine million euros, was damaged in the spring of 2024 during construction work on private plots of land owned by the Ski Resort Kolašin 1450 company. Zoran Ćoć Bećirović, which "Vijesti" has written about on several occasions...
The K7 cable car connects the state and private ski resorts.
Cannons travel to Savin Kuk
A little further north, in Žabljak, the situation seems to be somewhat better, although there is also a lack of snow at the Durmitor ski resort of Savin Kuk. Two artificial snow cannons should soon arrive at the ski resort at the foot of the peak of the same name, which is managed by the Durmitor Tourist Center (TC).
Executive Director of TC “Durmitor” Marinko Purić He told "Vijesti" that they are fully prepared for the upcoming season, that they expect it to be better than last year's and with plenty of skiing days...
The cannons, as Purić previously told "Vijesti", are planned to snow a 600-meter-long trail and part of the plateau with a children's ski park.
"There is currently about 30 centimeters of snow on Durmitor. There is none on the lower part of the slopes, but two slopes on the ski resort are covered with snow. The plan in the next 20 days is to officially open the winter season on the slopes that are covered with snow and, depending on the weather conditions, to try to make snow on the blue slope. The snow cannons are on their way to the ski resort, they were rented for this winter season. Simply put, since the tender for the purchase of the cannons has stalled, after appeals that are still being decided, we had to have an alternative solution. Renting two portable 'TehnoAlpin tr10' cannons costs about 8.000 euros for the season and we expect them to arrive any day," Purić pointed out.
The ski season, depending on the snow, begins in mid-December, and the peak season is from New Year's to the end of January.
The season before last, there was no skiing at the state ski centers Kolašin 1600 and Savin Kuk due to an unprecedented lack of snow, and last year there were only less than twenty skiing days...
Asked whether there is any responsibility and whose responsibility it is that Montenegro is welcoming the opening of the winter season without snow, Purić added that there is no responsibility because artificial snow systems are complex and expensive, cost millions of euros and cannot be installed in one year.
He added that, with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, they have begun to implement artificial snowmaking in stages and that he hopes that the Government will focus on the problems of ski resorts in the winter period in the coming period.
Silence, hopes and promises
"Vijesti" is also awaiting answers from the "Ski Resorts of Montenegro" and the Ministry of Tourism about the readiness of domestic ski resorts for this year's winter season.
Executive Director of “Ski Resort” Bojan MedenicaVijesti" told in September that the company would depend on the state until they received an artificial snowmaking system.
"The state must recognize this and support it as long as we do not have a system for producing artificial snow. If this problem were solved in time and 'Ski Center Kolašin 1600' had a safe winter season, financial support from the state would not be necessary," he stressed.
The state has repeatedly assisted the Kolašin 1600 Ski Resort and promised an artificial snowmaking system.
On June 6th of this year, Minister of Tourism Simonida Kordić announced investments on which the fate of the Kolašin ski resort depends, after a winter season with only about twenty skiing days due to a lack of snow.
Minister of Economic Development Nick Djelosaj Back in March last year, after the collapse of the winter season at the "Kolašin 1600" ski resort - without a single skiing day, he announced that the state ski center would welcome the winter season with an artificial snowmaking system.
However, the water needed for the artificial snowmaking system has not yet been provided.
The Ministry of Public Works (formerly Capital Investments) signed a contract worth 9,1 million euros at the end of 2022 for the construction of water supply for the ski centers "Kolašin 1600" and "Kolašin 1450", while the works also plan to provide water for artificial snowmaking. The plan is to pipe water from the Ljevaja River, which flows through the village of Muševića Rijeka, to the ski resort.
However, this did not happen, because the contractor, the company "Sigillum CO", unilaterally terminated the contract and announced a lawsuit against the state. They were paid 3,97 million euros in this deal, and "Vijesti" was previously told that the Ministry did not honor the signed contract.
From the department he manages Majda Adzovic, They nevertheless announced that the contractor terminated the contract due to disruptions caused by blockades by locals and unresolved property and legal relations, but that they were not satisfied with the pace of the work and the company's approach...
“A rich three-day program”
Minister Kordić said seven days ago that preparations for the winter tourist season are "well underway," and that a "rich three-day program" has been prepared for the opening this weekend.
“From bazaars and performances by local artists, to evening concerts by regional stars, as well as free cable car rides and tastings of local specialties.”
She said that climate change "has made any precise forecasts difficult in recent years," but that is precisely why they have "dedicated great attention to developing a more diverse offer, so that our centers can function and generate income even on days when there is no heavy snowfall."
"When we talk about the Kolašin 1600 Ski Resort, the cable cars and lifts have been repaired, the slopes are ready, and the access road has been repaired. We have also provided 150 thousand euros for the urgent repair of pillar number 4 of the K7 cable car, so that this winter Kolašin 1600 and Kolašin 1450 can once again function smoothly as a single unit."
No snow for at least another seven days
Meteorologist Dušan Pavićević told "Vijesti" that there will be no snow in the next seven to ten days, while after December 20, a few snowflakes could fall in the mountains. He pointed out that the chances of snow cover will increase in the mountains, but that it will probably not be enough for mountain resorts.
"The very end of the year will bring slightly lower temperatures and more chances. The beginning of January, according to long-term forecast material, promises temperatures slightly lower than average, with precipitation within normal and perhaps above normal. Which gives hope that conditions could be created for the creation of a more serious snow cover that could bring joy to winter sports fans," emphasized Pavićević.
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