Hiking Bosna. Sky is the limit. Part 1 of 2.

Summer in Banjaluka.

What can I say.

My home town does not offer much over the summer.

Except lots of hot, sunny summer days.

A few festivals, concert here or there.

But if you are into bar hopping - then this is a place for you.

I am not into bar hopping.

And over the summer we like to escape either to Croatian coast (which is near), country side or down by the river.

If you are very enthusiastic - you can go camping by the river.

I am not.

Yet.

Over the weekend or summer afternoons we usually go to Pastir's, rafting club and place with home sweet home atmosphere.

Plus - the food is OMG food.

Lick your fingers kind of food.

And it is traditional cousine.

You can eat, sleep, dive, swim, ride SUP, go kayaking or rafting.

Or you can do nothing.

I usually eat and do nothing here.

Opposite of brainstorming.

Yoga people call this - Savasanah.

Colorful crowd here. Age 1 to 101.

And Mr. Pastir, the owner, is a very kind man, good host.

He made this small peace of land into an oasis for many.

Slovenians like to come over.

We had people from Italy, Holland, Czech Republic...

For them - this is THE PLACE.

Great fun.

Plus cheap. 

Very nice, isn't it?

Just about of enough fun for everyone.

My friends like to come over here by bikes.

It is not far, maybe 15km from the city.

Well, I still have to buy a bike.

After the last one got stolen...

Lately I have this 'wandering feet' feeling.

And city is just not enough for me for the weekend.

So I decided to start hiking.

Properly.

Not as a tourist any more.

Both my brother and sister are into nature.

He hikes often and she hikes plus she is speleologist.

And couple of my friends are into this too.

So getting the good gear in just a few hours is never a problem.

Only I FORGOT TO TAKE THE RAINCOAT.

Idiot I am.

Me and my faithful, beautiful friend V. joined this little group we named 'LAGANINI' (easy going) last weekend.

Just six of us.

Good car, loads of food and great company.

V. was the only one I knew actually.

And she knew only one woman in this group.

But people of the nature are very simple.

And in the mountain - you can only be yourself.

We got along really, really well.

Two days, three mountains.

Gained four new friends.

It is actually the hiking society 'Klekovaca' that organized hiking the three mountains - Šator, Mala Klekovača and Velika Klekovača for its members.

Only one person in our group is a member of this society.

And yet we decided to move along with them and they actually did not mind.

They have two guides, kind a large group of 15 people.

And they went with a silly old mini wan. 

We were lucky to enjoy the commodity of Nissan Pathfinder.

Yes, lucky bastards we are.

Plus we were moving easily so we afforded a few stops that the society could not.

Like having coffe at Kova's.
Place with only coffee, and maybe tea.
Couple of meals on the menue.
And prepare the coins 'cause she will not take paper.
'I mean, the first shop or bank is 50km away!'

Next to Kova's is Tito's train.

Famous P R O L E T E R K A train.

I have learnt of it a long time ago.

Now I have stepped into it.

You can even sleep in it if you want to.

Anyone can approach it from the road.

At any time.

Our next stop was Gavrilo Princip's house.

Someone thinks he is a hero.

Others take him as a terrorist.

He killed prince Franc Ferdinand and this act led to the World War I.

You judge Gavrilo for yourself.

He was born in this house.

In the house next to this an old lady lives.

She is Gavrilo's cousin.

Dressed all in black, with black scarf.

Never got married, has no children.

And this village is very very small.

She said that 'only djuturums live here'.

...

That day I have learned a new word - 'DJUTURUM'.

Djuturum stands for - not needed by anyone, one that can not add a value.

Such strong meaning of one simple word.

Djuturum.

...

This house is fully reconstructed.

And no - this is not its original furniture.

But should present the original setting of a Serbian house at the end of the 19th century.

  

Imagine cooking here.

Carbon monoxide setting.

:)

After an hour we reached our first destination.

Šator mountain.

If you take a close look - you can actually see the path we took up.

Grand auto.

10+ I give it, should get one like this.

A car for me.

  

We are climbing the peak here, the one on the left.

Grand Šator.

  

Sun was burning the skin that day.

But it was windy.

That is good.

The downside is the gravel path up.

You have to be careful where you step.

I still have a bruise to prove that the mountain does not tolerate recklessness.

Look.

EDELWEISS! (Leontopodium alpinum).

Very, very rare flower found at high altitude.

There are many here to be seen.

Every hiker can take one, as long as you go to police and sign in you took one.

I did not.

It is so beautiful.

Showing of over the lake.

Magnificent view.

And then - all the way to the top.

We reached Grand Šator.

Highest peak.

  

Yeeey you guys!

I made it.

Unfortunately one girl got really hurt.

She is a professional judo girl.

Knees just could not hold well on this gravel.

They took her home.

The way these people take care of eachother is just amazing.

Respect.

She is Ok now.

Old injury.

...

This one here is my absolute favorite photo of that day.

Look.

After this - sky is the limit.

But then again - I did gliders, small airplane.

Paragliding day - that is next on my list.

Combining flying and hiking.

( ... and if it could be done by the sea...that would be just great...)

From here, you can see the lake and its small natural beaches.

We met couple of guys from Israel.

They came here by MTBs.

Even though this is the mountain - the water is amazingly warm.

And all these fishes!

OMG.

Nibbling you.

We had a few laughs here.

Nature.

You just have to respect it.

Here you can find couple of water wells.

Spring water.

Cold and refreshing.

My sister goes camping here every year.

Now I realize why.

It is magical.

Beautiful mountain.

Warm lake you can swim in.

Drinking water everywhere.

For campers and nature lovers - that is a 5 star hotel.

You just have to love this.

And here you can see the peak.

I climbed all the way up.

And I am feeling proud.

And do not worry.

The mountain feels you.

If you are not up for the mountain - she will not take you in. 

She will just spit you out.

Trust me.

With the mountain - you only have 'yes' or 'no'.

There are no 'maybes'.

I have learned it myself the day after.

...