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Montenegro may not have been on your travel bucket list, but it very well should be. If you have an adventurous spirit and are a lover of the outdoors you will find boundless opportunities to explore and adventure. It is among one of the most beautiful and quaint countries I have ever had a chance to visit.

What’s even more attractive about the country is the amount of protected forests; at least there seemed to be conscious effort to protect and not develop the entire country with resorts and concrete buildings. The result? Beautiful roadsides and clearly marked trails for miles and miles.

If you ask anyone in Montenegro where the best hikes are, they will probably point you to Durmitor National Park. When we spent 5 days in Durmitor this past September, we stayed in the home of Aljoso where he runs a B&B out with his mother Lilijana.

Elevation: 8,278 ft

Mountain Range: Dinaric Alps

Duration: 7-9 Hours

He seemly knew every single trail in the area and was able to hand draw us maps for every trail he recommended. Of the best trails he recommended to us we were able to complete about three of them while we were there. All were enjoyable and had stunning scenery.

Before arriving in Durmitor, we had read about the alpine terrain of Bobotov Kuk, one of the tallest peaks in Montenegro and decided that we would hike it. The name reminded me of a monstrous character I must have seen in a movie so I was nervous about the hike, especially after reading some of the reviews.

This hike is definitely not for beginners or anyone expecting a leisure walk, but is worthwhile especially once you make it to the peak. In fact just as we headed up the trail from our car a group of hikers were heading back because of an exposed section of trail only 1/4 from the trail head that they weren’t prepared for. The map Aljoso drew us of what to expect once we hit the trail leading to Bobotov Kuk was more or less spot on, but we didn’t expect the trail to be this nerve-wracking from the start.

The hike to the base of the peak took us about 4 hours to reach through green pastures and rocky alpine terrains. The trails were well marked and well maintained so it would be difficult to get steered off trail. We stopped for a break at a water hole filled by rain and realized it was a great spot for echoing!

After our short break, we continued our hike up to a rocky area that we had to cross to climb up to the summit. Crossing over the rocks wasn’t difficult, but because of their relatively small sizes and not stable, I had to be a little more careful. If they were boulders, it would have been much easier and quicker to get passed.

We didn’t have any special gear to climb once we passed the rocky summit, but none was necessary. As long you have good coordination with your footing, you’ll be fine. However, I do recommend a windbreaker jacket and gloves because it was cold and windy even in September because of the high elevation.

Once I made it past the scrambling up back onto a sloped switch back trail, I was officially on my way to the peak of Bobotuv Kuk. When I made it to the half way point from there to the peak, I saw a sign pointing to another trail to Zabljak. If we had started our hike from Zabljak we would have hiked up from the other side of the mountain and possibly hike by several lakes.

The hike from the half way point up to the peak involved a bit more scrambling, but nothing too difficult. After about 10 minutes of hiking up the narrow trail, we made it to the peak! There we found some more breathtaking views of the landscape and mountains off the in the distance. Below us was a beautiful lake called Zeleni Vir which was surrounded by hills.

As long and exhausting the hike to Bobotov Kuk peak is, this is probably one of the most beautiful trails in Montenegro and is extremely rewarding once you make it to the peak.

Tips and Advice for Hiking Bobotov Kuk

I recommend beginning the hike early in the morning, no later than 10 am and packing a few snacks and a lunch as well as water. There is nowhere to fill up unless you have a filter and make it to the water hole and that of course depends on the year’s rainfall. Wear sturdy and comfortable shoes, a windbreaker, hat or beanie and a long sleeve. The mountain range is prone to lightening and thunderstorms so be prepared for any type of weather. I don’t recommend the hike in rainy conditions because it can be very slippery so check the weather report the night before and the morning of and there is virtually nowhere to take cover.

If you are in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are buses from Sarajevo to Zabljak so if you wanted to come directly from there, you can plan to stay in Zabljak for one night and hike out to Bobotov Kuk the next day.

Elevation: 8,278 ft

Mountain Range: Dinaric Alps

Duration: 7-9 Hours

Have you ever hiked or plan to hike Bobotov Kuk?

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