It's true what they say of this country: it's a land of rocks and more rocks. This is a canyon we passed through driving out of the capital, Podgorica, on the way to the hinterland.
The area around Kolasin bills itself as a "world of cheese and traditional family life." We mostly encountered high grasslands, some small herds of horses and sheep, and their herders.
Some enterprising small farmers see opportunity in the passing hikers. We each drank a "domestic blueberry" juice, a thick sweet concoction that reinvigorated us on a hot day. We didn't avail ourselves of the tiny "house to sleep," but it didn't look terrible.
Next we set off to Durmitor National Park to hike around Mount Meded, a 7500 foot peak.
This walk is not high, but the terrain can be demanding.
Fortunately we had perfect weather. This is not a place for stumbling around in a storm.
Our last hiking day was in Lovcen National Park overlooking the Dalmatian Coast of the Adriatic. This area is lower, but just as dramatic and just as rocky.
All told in a week our little group of ten (3 Aussies, 2 Canadians, 4 Yanks, 1 Swede-Yank) walked about 41 mountain miles. It remains amazing to realize that such wide open country remains in "old Europe" -- though having been there, it is easy to see why it has escaped the ravages of too much development.
Austere is the word I'd use to describe that place. It looks pretty empty all right.
ReplyDeleteOh my, a wild and, as you say, empty place. Beautiful in its way. I liked the little "house to sleep" idea and the list of food and drink.
ReplyDeleteYou do get around to some of the more exotic places in the world.