Kristen
It’s all a bit of a mess this morning, the main reason being that we’re not actually in Gusinje, but still in Plav. Instead of getting up early (ish) and setting off into the mountains as per usual, we wake a little later and set off on a shorter, but equally challenging mission – to the Border Police Station in Plav, to pick up our border crossing permits (attempt two).
Callum
Four days to go!
We’re almost at the end of the Via Dinarica, but, as if to give us one final challenge, this last section of trail goes from valley to valley, climbing up and down the ridges that separate them. If you imagine that you’ve dragged a garden rake through some sand, and then an ant walks perpendicular to the furrows, you might get some sense of what this section is like. We are the ant.
So it’s pretty much a mountain a day around here.
Callum
Yesterday, Kris radically changed the face of bushnuts by having four photos in a row.
Naturally, I now have be to one-up her, so today’s blog post will be presented through the medium of a slide show.
Sorry if it takes a while to load.
Callum
Do you ever get that feeling like you’ve slipped into limbo? When you’re washing the dishes and the pile refuses to get any smaller, or when you’re writing an essay and the word count just doesn’t seem to budge?
Today is a bit like that. We’re walking through the early morning mists of Biogradska Gora, with visibility limited to just a few dozen metres on any direction, and I can’t help but wonder if I’ve ever done anything else. Is this little patch of tussocky grass all there is? Will we ever leave this ridge?
Kristen
Some days, the blog posts feel like they write themselves. Today was one of those days.
Callum
The Via Dinarica is advertised as a cultural experience, but usually we’re just in it for the mountains.
Not so today.
Kristen
Zminičko jezero was a pretty nice place to camp, but a little weedy and buzzing with insects. It was nice to reach after the hectic visit to Žabljak, but I certainly didn’t feel any burning desire to strip off and go for a swim in the shallow water. It’s quite lovely this morning though, now the insects are gone and the sun is shining.
Callum
Around 4 am the wind starts to ruffle our little green tent. He’s a strong tent, but it comes in long, heavy gusts that push the frame in one direction, hold it for a moment, and release.
Push, hold, release.
Kristen
We’ve had two fairly full on days – 32 km up Maglić, plus our 32 km slog in the rain yesterday, both with significant climbs. Today, although slightly shorter, continues the trend. It’s going to be long and challenging, with a big ascent up to Bobotov kuk, which, at 2523 m is (or was) “arguably the highest mountain in Montenegro.”
bushnuts 