Day 4 - Bobotov Kuk (22nd June)

Bobotov Kuk 2523m is the highest mountain in the Durmitor and the highest mountain entirely within Montenegro.

I left the Skrka Hut just after 7am, and was soon hiking up snow in a wild mountain landscape.  The snow patch below was quite tricky to cross, with bad fall potential if you got it wrong.

Tricky snow crossing

View from col looking back to Škrčko Jezero lake

Durmitor - wild landscape 

Impressive folded rock

Approaching the summit of Bobotov Kuk

Looking back down on Škrčko Jezero - the Skrka Hut a tiny red speck on the left of the lake

The landscape was all pretty wild and impressive, and I saw nobody around until I popped over onto the summit of Bobotov Kuk and met 2 Germans: Jurgen and Steffi.  Two good sporting names.

It was nice to stop for a chat given that I'd not met anyone else on the trail for the first 4 days.

Funnily enough, I would bump into them again a week later in Albania.

Jurgen and Steffi at the summit of Bobotov Kuk.  I would meet them again a week later in Albania.

Summit of Bobotov Kuk

Steep way down

A few snow patches on the descent to Žabljak

Looking back at Bobotov Kuk from the descent

Wild flowers on the descent from Bobotov Kuk

Crna Jezero (Black Lake)

Looking back to Durmitor from road to Žabljak 

Given this was quite a short stage, I spent a good hour or so hanging around at the idyllic Crna Jezero (Black Lake), before hiking out the short distance to Žabljak.

I checked in to the Hikers Den Hostel, or at least to the house immediately next door, and had the strange experience of being surrounded by English-speaking Westerners, and a nice shiny clean supermarket just across the road.

The hostel owners Alex and Gina were both friendly and helpful, and once they heard about my plan they both warned against trying to cross the Prokletije Mountains into Albania.

Alex told me in a slow deep Montenegrin drawl: "You will die. You will die for sure".

"Nobody crosses those mountains", he continued.

And even if I did reach Albania: "They will shoot you as a spy, or a drugs smuggler".

I nodded ruefully to demonstrate that only a fool would ignore their advice.

They also told me that "nobody crosses the Sinjajevina", which is where I was planning on hiking the following day.  Apparently I would get hopelessly lost, and probably die from dehydration.

For sure it was about 70km from Žabljak to Mojkovac with no facilities, and almost certainly no running water, and probably no very obvious trail, but I was confident that the pre-loaded tracks and maps on my Garmin eTrex 20 would take the stress and worry out of the navigation.

Sinjajevina - 70km of wilderness from Zabljak to Mojkovac

So, I went out in the evening for a good meal with a sociable crowd of backpackers from the hostel knowing that tomorrow I would be leaving these comforts behind.