Back to the roots Vol. 01

Back
to the roots
R o c k c l i m b i n g i n B o s n
i a a n d H e r z e g ov i n a
Vol. 01

2
First edition, January 2021
Front cover © Illustration: Aleksandar Saša Škorić
PUBLISHER
Balkan Colours
Talijanskog bataljona Mateoti 6
78000 Banja Luka
Bosnia and Herzegovina
www.balkancolours.com
Copyright
Texts: Authors as noted, Balkan Colours
Photographs: As noted in the caption, if unspecified Balkan Colours
Graphic Design: Aleksandar Saša Škorić
Illustrations: Aleksandar Saša Škorić
Translations & edited by: David Lemmerer and Igor Vukić
SAFETY DISCLAIMER
The publishers, authors and editors accept no responsibility for any
activities for any consequences arising from the use of this magazine
and do not accept any liability for any damages or injuries occurred. Rock
climbing is an inherently potentially dangerous activity with objective
and subjective dangers that might lead to personal injury or death.
Corrections:
Although we have put every effort and have taken lots of care in
preparing this magazine, we cannot guarantee and we do not accept any
liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content due to possible
changes at the places showcased in this magazine.
Aleksandar Saša Škorić
Alberta University of Art and Design, BFA,
Calgary, Canada
Saša works across multiple disciplines including art direction, textile
design, illustration and graphic design. He established Saša Design in
Tokyo where he lived and it is where he started creating his wondrous
paper masks.
www.sasadesign.com

3 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Please visit our website www.balkancolours.com for updates and please drop
us a line at info@balkancolours.com if you find anything to be inaccurate or
missing. Your feedback, comments and suggestions are highly appreciated.
The creation of this magazine was realized throughout the “BiH Climbing
Fusion” project, which is funded by the Embassy of Switzerland in Bosnia and
Herzegovina throughout MarketMakers, a project supported by the Government
of Switzerland, implemented by a consortium of Helvetas Schweiz and
Kolektiv / Posao.ba.

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07
Back to the roots
11
KRAJINA REGION
Banja Luka and the
highlands
Bosnia and Herzegovina
19
A HITCHHIKE
THROUGH BOSNIA
It’s a love story!
25
Exploring my country
during COVID-19

31
Former young
talent turned old
fart
51
HERZEGOVINA REGION
The Bosnian California
with Mostar
69
Razor-sharp rocks
in the land of
homemade rakija
35
SARAJEVO REGION
The capital and its
mountains
47
FROM ZERO TO HERO
Building a Climbing
community in Northern
Bosnia
61
FIRST ASCENTS AT MT. VELEŽ
AOB mountaineering camp
2020
41
CLIMBING,
CAMPING AND
COFFEE
A Year in Bosnia
and Herzegovina
55
BLAGAJ STORY
Gem of the south
5 BACK TO THE ROOTS

6
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
The small rocky country in the heart
of the Dinaric Alps remains one of
Europe’s last climbing secrets

Back to the roots
7 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Rock climbing and climbing tourism became a global
trend. Gone are the days of scruffy basement bouldering
gyms. High-end climbing gyms are popping up even
in the most rock-forgotten places. That doesn’t come
without a downside - in the trendier climbing areas it’s
becoming increasingly anonymous and crowded.
In contrast to this highly saturated climbing landscape
in Western Europe, climbing in Bosnia remains a small
subculture, although recently there’s been
a real boom. The small, tight-knitted
climbing community enjoys an
unexpected luxury: Compared
with any other country,
Bosnia probably has the
highest number of routes
per climber. Seventy
percent of today’s 1500
routes were bolted
in the last 5 years!
The bigger crags
easily match similar,
well-known climbing
areas in Croatia or
Slovenia in terms of
rock quality, versatility
and character. The big
difference to most other
climbing areas, more often
than not, one has the whole
crag to themself.
As for so much in Bosnia, the reasons for
this lie in the violent disintegration of Yugoslavia.
While sport climbing experienced a real boom during the
late 80s and early 90s, the mountaineering and climbing
scene in Yugoslavia completely collapsed.
The wars in Bosnia and Croatia (1991-1995) left a
devastated, divided country still struggling with poverty
and corruption.
Many stories testify to the post-war Bosnian climbers
passion and their do-it-yourself spirit overcoming a lack
of finances, material and knowledge. Climbing gyms were
built with donated materials in ruined buildings, garages
and basements equipped with self-made holds. A usual
bolting modus operandi in the early days was
to bolt half a route with a cable-powered
drill. The rest was bolted half a year
later when more bolts could
be organized from friends
abroad.
The small annual cult
climbing festivals
(Pecka, Drill & Chill,
Blagaj) and the
first Guidebook
for Bosnia and
Herzegovina (2018)
attract thousands of
international climbers
each year. Today a new
generation has taken
over the drill, scratching
the surface of an enormous
rock potential that still lies
undiscovered in Bosnia’s forests,
canyons and mountains.
They increasingly receive funding from
international donors who support this success story for
both climbers and local businesses.

8
If you’re planning your next trip, we hope you
consider coming to Bosnia for an unforgettable
experience, while it’s still as original and quiet as it
is today! It’s as close as Croatia, the rock is excellent,
varied and unpolished, with well-bolted routes
mostly in the 5 th -7 th french grades. Hard movers
will find enough test-pieces to destroy their skin
on, adventure-hungry climbers and bolters also
won’t be disappointed by the potential. In addition
to a relaxing climbing trip in the midst of unspoiled
nature, in a week you can explore a whole country
with a fascinating history and a real southern
hospitality. Have we mentioned it’s extremely
cheap for a western wallet?

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Village life
In the following pages we present the best crags around the three main
cities, Banja Luka, Sarajevo and Mostar. For colour, we added a few
travelers stories and dispatches from the locals.
Hope you’ll enjoy your trip,
see you at the rocks!
David & Igor

Naslov
420 m highline at the Drill & Chill Festival, Kanjon Tijesno
10

Krajina region
Banja Luka and the highlands
11 BACK TO THE ROOTS
The north-west, the Bosnian Krajina, is a much underrated region. Good
news is it has the highest climbing density in Bosnia! The sparsely
populated area that has been shaped for centuries by its strategic location
on the border between Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. Thickly
forested hills alternate with picturesque highlands crossed by spectacular
wild water (Una, Vrbas, Sana & Pliva rivers) and some of the largest
limestone caves in Southeast Europe.
Pecka

Banja Luka, the capital of the
Republika Srpska (RS - the part of the
country that was established during
the war with a Serbian majority) is
a tranquil, green city with 200,000
inhabitants. It’s a great base for a
climbing trip with a big range of
areas within a short drive. On rest
days, the many cafés (Kafic), bars and
restaurants (Restoran) are never far
away, there is also a small club and
cultural scene and a well-equipped
climbing gym run by Climbing Club
Extreme on the University campus.
Follow the main highway along
the Vrbas river south for twelve
kilometers - after a sharp curve you’ll
stare up into the 350 m deep Tijesno
canyon. Currently, it has 450 pitches
which makes it the largest and most
diverse climbing area in Bosnia. On
two kilometers there are several long
ridges, most reaching down close to
the road. Between them are highfriction
limestone walls with technical
face climbing and juggy slabs, steep
cracks and wall climbing, and 70
meters high tufa overhangs...
The multi pitches are all plaisir style
climbs with a length of up to 200
meters, mainly in the sixth French
grade. Almost all routes were bolted
since 2015 during the annual “Drill &
Chill Climbing and Highline” festivals.
There are also a few fine sport
climbing sectors that offer routes in
the 5 th -7 th french grades and some of
the hardest routes in the Balkans in
the 100 m high Amfiteatar sector.
12
Kanjon Tijesno
Not far from the canyon is Kameni
Most. The natural arch known as the
“stone bridge” is extremely scenic
and offers interesting, technical
climbing in all grades and orientations.
A maximum exposure game is the
curious Živjeli (7c), which starts on
top of the stone bridge and traverses
through the highest point of the arch
(next double page).

Banja Luka
Vrbas river
13 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Klekovača
Sana springs
An hour’s drive south of Banja Luka, near a small village, lies the Bosnian pocket
climbing paradise Pecka. The south-facing cliff band is up to 40 meters high and
stretches for a few kilometers through a hilly landscape. Over 100 closely bolted
routes in all grades offer pocket climbing on gray slabs and bellies and steep,
powerful overhangs. The Pecka Visitor Center, located in a former village school
is a good base, as well as the bed & breakfast in the village Ubovića brdo. Just
as worth a visit are the Sana springs or the Zelenkovac Eco Zone, a rustique café
and small gallery which has been lovingly built by a local artist.

14

Živjeli (7c) at Kameni most
15 BACK TO THE ROOTS

Interklemezzo 9a, Amfiteatar, Kanjon Tijesno © Sebastian Wahlhuetter
The news about the rock quality
got through to Adam Ondra. In a
few days in September 2018 he
climbed Interklemezzo, Bosnia’s
first 9a and, in the four days that
followed, he bolted and climbed
“Highline”, a 50 m extension of
Bolts for bitches, 8b+, which he
graded 9a+/b and recommends
highly.
DRILL & CHILL FESTIVAL
ADAM ONDRA BOLTING AND
CLIMBING BOSNIA’S FIRST 9A
AND 9A+/B
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Kanjon Tijesno
17 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Amfitetar, Kanjon Tijesno

18
Pecka

A hitchhike through Bosnia
It’s a love story!
Maren Pfeiffer and Claudio Giesen
19 BACK TO THE ROOTS
We are sitting on a small balcony in the heart of Sarajevo’s old town. The
copper-colored roof of the nearby Sebilj fountain protrudes from behind
the roofs. We have a cup of coffee and play a game of Kniffel. Our eyes
wander incessantly over the expansive scenery: a sweeping canopy of
leaves, the narrow minaret of a mosque, countless houses, forested hills
loom behind. It’s good we’re here.
Baščaršija - Sarajevo old town
Sarajevo

We owe our trip to unknown Bosnia
to a cultural scientist from the
University of Hildesheim, Germany. In
her doctoral thesis, Marija Đorđević
examines the monuments in the
Balkans that were built in honor of the
partisans’ struggle against fascism.
Even those who visit it without any
scientific interest will be amazed by
their size! In particular, the memorials
in the Tjentište / Sutjeska National
Park and in the Kozara mountain range
are significant testimonies of Yugoslav
memorial architecture. Thanks to their
location in the midst of vast national
parks, visiting cultural highlights can
be combined with excursions into the
mountains.
After a week in Central Bosnia, the
end of the excursion takes us to the
town of Banja Luka. This turns out to
be a lucky coincidence, as we want
to spend the remaining time with as
much rock contact as possible. One of
the best sport climbing areas in Bosnia
is just located in the nearby Kanjon
Tijesno, which has been a household
name since Adam Ondra’s visit in 2018.
Tjentiste
Sutjeska National Park
Jajce
20

21 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Pecka
So after ten days of cultural vacation,
we fill our backpacks to the brim with
all kinds of edibles. Because we don’t
have our own car, and we don’t have
enough local knowledge, we take a
taxi which takes us to a quiet village
called Rekavice. There we are greeted
by a gentleman who later introduces
himself to us as Vito, who points out
the drink offerings from his hikers
cafe - the rakija going on the house
depending on the mood. Needing to
scout a suitable camp spot and the
nearby climbing rocks we postpone
this appointment to the evening.
In terms of climbing, the Tijesno
Canyon has a lot to offer: Thanks to
the internationally known “Drill and
Chill” festival, a multitude of sport
climbing routes in different parts of
the canyon and multi-pitch in various
difficulties, lengths and styles await us.
To start with, we choose a moderate
multi-pitch slab. The rappel anchors
are quickly found and a few meters
of descent follow - Is that the “Verdon
feeling” that people talk about?
In the next few days we deal with
the Amfiteater and Krilo sectors,
which should keep climbers busy
for a few days.
During the evening rounds in
Vito’s Kafana, we relax our bodies
as much as possible. Due to
inadequate language skills on
both sides we improvise with all
the gestures and creativity we
have. Vito’s notebook also helps
with communication - significantly
more than his German fragments
from his time working in Germany.
After our provisions run out after
a week, we move on. Thumbs out
and off we hitchhike to Jajce. One
hour of waiting time is rewarded
with a direct connection. In Jajce
we book a hostel on the outskirts
of the city on the picturesque Pliva
river. If we are otherwise rather
stingy with rest days, we treat
ourselves to two full relaxing days
without climbing.
Our last week we spend in Pecka. Our
travel guidebooks warn against public
transport, especially away from the big
cities. So how could it be otherwise:
Started with a lot of delay, the bus
lets us get off somewhere along the
road. We walk the last kilometer to
the bus station in the town of Mrkonjic
Grad, where we learn that we missed
our connection - i.e. the last bus. Our
thumbs and a good dose of luck
finally get us to Pecka.
It’s already dark when we are picked up
by a helpful ornithologist couple in the
small logging town Baraći. As climbers
themselves, they recommend the
Pecka visitor center for the night. So
we get in the car, drive down the hill
and a few bends later: Pecka. We can’t
believe our eyes: a three-story hostel
in the middle of nowhere, the ground
floor brightly lit and inviting, a warm
welcome at the door. Later, of course,
an alcoholic welcome too. We are the
only guests and yet food is served
here at a late hour, food!

After an evening in front of the fireplace, we decided to
spend the night under the roof of the small music stage
out front. The next morning we marvel at what we missed
in the dark and pick up some background information:
The Visitor Center, once an abandoned and ruined village
school, has been painstakingly renovated since 2014
and given new life as a leisure and educational center.
It serves as a hostel with comfortable beds, a common
room, a big kitchen, a veggie garden and everything
else that goes with it. It is mainly attended by school
classes and knowledge-hungry mushroom pickers. Or
by climbers looking for shelter, coffee, a shower and a
washing machine.
Why are we here again? Ah yes, climbing. For anyone
without a wheelchair, the approach from Pecka visitor
center means a 1.5 kilometers walk up the hill. The
distance information has always been doubted since the
signpost was installed. In other words, it’s a sweaty and
exhausting affair, especially with our big backpacks. But
at least orientation is easy. The rocks are in sight all the
way from the valley.
Praised as the “Bosnian-Margalef” we are excited and
curious. Without having been to the Spanish original,
we guess that the rock there must be steep and very
pocketed. As always, the first thing to do is to set up a
weatherproof camp. We find something in a small forest.
But after a first night under the tarp in heavy rain, we
prefer to move under one of the numerous overhangs -
better safe than sorry.
For the first time on our trip we meet other climbing
tourists. They also speak German, how could it be
otherwise. However, except at the main fireplace, we
rarely see them. The selection of rocks and routes is
not to be despised. Most of the beautiful long lines are
available from the 6th French degree onwards. Those
who prefer to climb in lower grades have mostly shorter
lines that can be powerful for the grade. But with a little
commitment you can tick off an entire sector within a day.
Apart from that, most of the things have already been said
about the climbing: The steepness varies, the sharpness
of the unpolished holes does not.
Kanjon Tijesno
Pecka village
22

Pecka Visitor Center
23 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Although the way home should be easier a week later
with almost empty bags and downhill, Boro the owner
of the Pecka visitor center seems to have sympathy with
us shouldering our huge backpacks and lends us his car.
For the first time in three weeks we can enjoy the comfort
of our own car. After we had another Bosanska kafa and
covered it with honey, it is time to leave. Once again we
witness the Bosnian willingness to help: of course we
don’t have to walk to the next station. And even the bus
to Banja Luka surprisingly picks us up on time. Freed from
our luggage, we relax and let the landscape of the Krajina
pass by under the windows one last time.
Maren is a cultural worker and art enthusiast. She
likes climbing, reading and gardening. She loves food
and feminism. Her favourite color is blue.
Maren and Claudio
Claudio is a handy woodworking craftsman. He
started climbing in his early twenties and isn’t intending
to stop. Moreover, he is interested in community and
exploring new sights.

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Pecka

Exploring my country
during COVID-19
Melina Hrapovic
25 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Even though the small country where I’m from only covers around 51.000
km² (slightly bigger than Switzerland) of this, at the moment, unreachable
planet Earth. Somehow I always knew, in theory, that there is so much to
see, feel and learn about.
Of course, the best way to do that is through climbing, hiking and skiing!
Klekovača

Melina at Pecka
Klekovača
26
The sad fact is that all the desire
we have for exploring the world,
we usually project less on our own
country. It’s not at all in the sense of
borders or nationality. It’s in the sense
of your origin, your biological and
geographical destiny. One could travel
the whole world but never discover all
the beauties of one’s own ground.
Corona hit us like some crazy futuristic
movie we still can’t believe actually
happened. At the same time it gave
me a different perspective about
my country and the opportunity to
explore it deeper.
When all the craziness started, I was in
the climbing area Blagaj, my second
home spot. It started to get really
hectic out there, so I went back home
to Sarajevo.
The first super-strict lockdown, I
could do for a month. Then, little
by little me and some of my friends
who were „crazy enough“ started to
go on climbing sessions on spots
around Sarajevo (Bukovik, Špicasta
stijena, Dariva) and also camped a
bit at Drežnica.
We also went to a climbing spot
near Olovo, Memagića stijena.
It’s perfect for beginners and the
landscape is really pleasant for
the eyes. I have to admit that it was
somehow especially magical to be
in nature - with all that craziness
around you in the world. These
climbing spots were kind of like
safe areas - we felt really at peace
there. I often watched the beautiful
nature around us and wondered
about the big contrast in people’s
minds and in nature. During
summer, the people in Bosnia and
Herzegovina got a bit more laid back,
even though the restrictions didn’t
change much. We decided to go on
a road trip to the Northwest of the
country, a region known as Krajina. I
only used to pass these regions when
I was younger, while going to Croatia
or other countries in the EU with my
family. This time, filled with only a
desire to explore, we loaded all our
climbing gear and without much of a
plan drove up.
Pecka, the first place amazed us so
much that we spent a whole month
there. What a place! A place that has
the most special horizon, where the
village life is really slow, good smiling
people offering you the best rakija you
could find! You can buy it from the
farmers in the village, along with fresh
bread and cream cheese (Kajmak).

For me, Pecka has the best set-up so
far: It’s the only spot which I know of,
that you approach from the top. With
no artificial lights at night, you have the
best star gazing nights! The area also
is very famous for picking mushrooms
(Boletus is a specialty!). Because of
it’s wilderness you can witness the
magical animal world in its untouched
flow. I saw a lot of big owls, foxes,
deers, skunks and many others.
27 BACK TO THE ROOTS
The Pecka visitor Center is a 15 minute
walk down the valley. The people from
the Center did an amazing job and
transformed the former elementary
school into a meeting place that will
warm your hearts.
Pecka transport system
Here you can find all the info that
you possibly need about this region
in any sense, and you also have the
opportunity to meet some inspiring
people. The climbing style in Pecka
is super unique. Fun and enjoyable
pocket climbing with a lot of variations
and constant moving from the easiest
grades to the hardest!
It’s a good place to improve your
climbing technique and get
stronger fingers.
Because I was there during August,
of course I was always looking for
some swimming spots. My friends
and I enjoy the challenge to swim in
freezing waters, such as the source
of the nearby Sana river. Another good
refreshment after climbing is the
public pool in a nearby village.
Nearby there are other beautiful
waters, such as lake Đol and Plivsko
lake. For me the best swimming spot
is in the city of Jajce, on the beautiful
river Pliva. Amazing freshwater and
lovely little cascades.
Klekovača

We continued to the mountain
Klekovača, which has Bosnia’s
highest climbing spot, at 1700
m. What a place! It was good to
feel the freshness of a mountain,
somehow with a very different
vibe than the mountains around
Sarajevo. We cooked dinner on
the peak and witnessed a vibrant,
colourful sunset. I looked at that
sea of pine trees and thought
to myself that most humans
don’t even experience the
greatness within the borders of
their countries. Just imagine how
elusive the greatness of the world
is! That night I experienced an
astral phenomenon - the biggest
shooting star I ever saw in my life.
We spent the night at the mountain
hut and met the guys from Climbing
club Extreme and Balkan Colours
who were bolting the day after.
The following day we ticked off a
whole sector. Such a good rock,
fun routes, awesome friction and a
magical ambient. A special surprise
was finding a rare beautiful plant
called ‘Leontopodium alpinum’ in
the middle of one of the routes.
Klekovača
28

For the rest days we stayed on a little
river island on the Una river, in a place
called Bosanska Otoka. Super chill!
Kayaking on the river Una is starting to
become quite famous and is a great
summer experience.
After a little break in Sarajevo, our
hometown, we continued southeast
to Ozren, a climbing area near Foča.
It’s very good for camping at the rocks,
with a drinking water source. We
checked out the nice-looking routes
but since the rocks are positioned
south it was way too hot to climb.
We continued to hike and relax in
Sutjeska National park. My eyes
almost couldn’t take in all the
amazing views. I wondered what I
had been doing my whole life, why
I didn’t consider all these spots that
are only 2 hours from home?
The day after we went on a hike to
Velika Vlasulja (2337m) the Volujak
mountain range’s highest peak.
What a lovely walk. Such an open
space, a whole new world left
unseen. We looked to the hills and
mountains around and imagined
how beautiful it might be for ski touring
when it’s covered with snow.
As I write this text, flashbacks
are coming in. All these places,
sunrises, sunsets, rocks, rivers, lakes,
mountains, huts, people, moments. In
such a small time frame, so many lives
lived.
What a beautiful world, I think to
myself, from its micro substance,
from this small country, reflecting the
greatness of the beauty left unseen.
29 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Una river
Melina, young explorer from Sarajevo, B&H. Enjoys
learning about the world, in pursuit of living a simple
and happy life. She studies archeology and French.
Loves outdoors sports.
Melina

30

Former young talent
turned old fart
Vuk Maric
31 BACK TO THE ROOTS
The story goes something like this: Two best elementary school friends from
Banja Luka went climbing. One was skinny, even by the trainspotting standards,
and had a technique based climbing style. Not because of proficiency but rather
because only perfect style could get him up those sixth and seventh grades.
Thin and bony fingers were his only strong side, so cheating his way up by heel
hooking and sticking the whole body to the wall was the only way he could
manage.
Skubalj, Kanjon Tijesno

The other one, a leader, was the epitome of the the day and regularly watches me fail pectacularly.
word warrior. With a body created to hunt grizzlies or
something. He could fall, but only if multiple holds broke
simultaneously. He used to muscle up everything there
was at the crag, build a dam on the nearby stream and
dig a trench. Casually, all in one afternoon. So yeah he
Nikola, the young wanker, puts a few holds together and
absolutely smashes. As of 2021 he is ready for 8c routes,
I am sure of it. Only sneakiness and hard core tactics are
keeping me on top as a King (not really haha).
was kind of strong. His name was Dino, a local
strong man and to this day a legend.
Žela the dungeon master, gym
supervisor, beard of wisdom, the
The other one was me, and as
the title says, in the meantime
I took up a few kilos.
one with the book of debt. He is
always around, like a good spirit
that puts a smile on the faces
of newcomers and gym rats.
Enough of the jokes, I get
them all the time in the gym.
Addicts that are year round
there, four times a week.
Body shaming in Banja Luka
has, hmm, a slightly different
role. Let’s say that humiliation
is a kind of virtue with sensitive
rules of conduct that brings
Let’s wrap up the story with
myself since I was tasked with
writing something about this
old climber of 26 years. There
people together.
From formal conversation one can learn
about people, but mean comments can take
Zvečaj bouldering
is no fun in naming hundreds or
thousands of routes I did on lead.
But have you ever top-roped with a
clip-stick? Now comes the controversy. A
a person from the place of knowing to somewhere closer quickdraw attached to an old broom is clipped from
to the heart. All the gyms in the West are plain overstuffed bolt to bolt. With some practice one gets quite fast, in 10
hamster wheels if one has no true connections. In a minutes or so, the rope up to the anchor.
typical evening of training Ševa comes up with a slab of
Extreme climbing club gym
32

33 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Sector Maršal, Pecka
Svinjologija 8a+, Pecka
Some may call me an absolute disgrace. Even more so
because I regularly proceed to top rope the routes I stickclipped.
Projecting in this fashion last summer, I climbed
Minutes to midnight, 8a (being on the lighter side I ripped
off the jug) and East is the beast, 8a (easy).
All I can do at this point is to recommend a superb article
“Freedom and individualism on the rocks” by Dane Scott. It
covers the ethics of our foolish endeavor called climbing,
and I think everyone should think about it for himself. Top
rope can be a way to go and the rocks surely don’t mind.
Cheers!
Vuk Marić is a climber from Banja Luka, Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Bouldering, easy solo on a scramble
and anything with bolts is what he love to do. His plan
is to find a new multi year project and barely manage
it in some 10 years.
Vuk

Bukovik
Vuk
34

Sarajevo
The capital and its mountains
35 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina (400,000 inhabitants), has
the oldest and most established climbing scene in Bosnia. The city is very
conveniently located not only for climbers but also winter sports enthusiasts
and mountaineers. The Sarajevo basin is flanked by 2000 m high mountains
and canyons filled with plenty of rocks that stretch right to the edges of town.
Sarajevo

Sarajevo has a unique character,
formed by its position on a historical
crossroad between East and West.
It has traditionally been referred to
as the European Jerusalem because
of its openness and diversity.
Illyrians, Greeks, Romans, Venice and
especially the Ottoman Empire and
Austria-Hungarians left their mark on
its customs, architecture and culinary
art. From a tourists’ perspective the
city offers any kind of benefits one
might expect from a capital city: Hip
bars, cafés, a few galleries, museums,
cultural institutions and a busy
nightlife. Strolling through the old
town Bašcaršija in the bustling stream
of tourists, it’s difficult to imagine that
Sarajevo, like many parts of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, was almost completely
destroyed 25 years ago.
From the old town it is only a short
walk along the river promenade
to Dariva, the largest of Sarajevo’s
three climbing areas and one of
Bosnia’s first real sport climbing
crags. Roberto Ferrante, an
Italian EUFOR-officer and alpinist
stationed in Bosnia after the last
war, organized the first bolting
action in the late 90s. Since then
the evolving Bosnian climbing
scene has met here every day and
established about fifty routes.
The 40 m high rock has a good
mix of short, easy routes and
demanding, longer routes in the
mostly 6 th French grades and
above as well as three test-pieces
in the 8 th grade. Dariva is one of
the few areas in Bosnia where you
can be sure to always meet other
climbers. It’s very family friendly with
a nearby playground and generally
has a great inclusive living room
atmosphere.
On a rest day we recommend checking
out the old town or a hike to the
nearby highlands. Bjelašnica mountain
behind the city holds an olympic ski
resort and Bosnia and Herzegovina
highest permanent settlement - in the
village of Lukomir (1500 m) people
still live in the old ways, even though
tourism significantly started to pick up
over the last years. For hot summer
days there’s an interesting variation
to Lukomir through the Rakitnica river
canyon, involving short swimming
sections and very easy downclimbing
that climbers won’t have trouble with.
Kafana Promaja,
Bukovik
36

In memoriam Armin Gazić, Dariva
37 BACK TO THE ROOTS

Spijonik bouldering area
For active regeneration we recommend a trip to the
relaxed bouldering area Spijonik on the Visocica mountain
range which combines an easy hike with a few moves in
an amazing landscape. During summer, you are in good
hands in the climbing area Bukovik, which is located a few
kilometers north of Sarajevo on an alpine pasture at an
altitude of 1200 meters. Three sectors offer 40 routes from
5 to 7c, all of which require a good dose of technique.
And in the evening Dragan’s hut Kafana Promaja awaits
with hearty snacks and a big range of excellent, self made
rakijas.
38

Climbing area Ozren near Foča
39 BACK TO THE ROOTS

40
Blagaj

Climbing, Camping and Coffee
A Year in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Nathan Cahill
41 BACK TO THE ROOTS
We arrived in Sarajevo on a winter evening, the call to
prayer echoing from minarets around the city. The drive
from the airport to what would be our new home for the
next two years took us past gray buildings pockmarked
with bullet holes from the war 25 years ago. With my wife’s
work, we move to a different country every few years,
which gives us a chance to explore parts of the world
where we might not have ended up otherwise. Before
arriving here, I’d heard rumors about a bit of climbing in
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), though I’d only found a
smattering of information online.
After living two years in the Sonoran Desert of northern
Mexico with absolutely no snow, I happily spent the first
winter skiing the two Olympic mountains on either side of
the city. But the thing that kept catching my eye as I drove
the winding roads up to the slopes was the vast amount
of rock. Everywhere. The country is mountainous, with the
Dinaric Alps, a karst mountain range, running the length
of the entire country. Limestone cliffs tower over the roads
at every turn.
Sarajevo

Preodac
42
As the weather got warmer, we started
to explore the climbing. We had found
a crag on Google called Dariva, a
small limestone cliff only a 10-minute
walk from the historic Baščaršija
bazaar downtown. Partially bolted as
a training area for a youth climbing
club, it has a healthy number of 4s,
5s and 6s. It can definitely feel like a
gym, with topropes shared around
and draws hung on every route.
Despite the polished holds on easier
routes, Dariva quickly became our
after-work hangout, and we started
making friends in Sarajevo’s small
but passionate climbing community.
Moving around the world every
couple years, climbing communities
are a social lifeline for us. It can be
challenging to make friends in a new
country and to communicate in a new
language, but the stoke for climbing
transcends those barriers. Projecting
and trading beta at Dariva, working
routes like Vizija (7a+) or the
testpiece Zen Majstor (7b+), the
original “hard route” when sport
climbing was just getting started in
BiH, I started to feel at home.
I picked up the country’s guidebook
at an outdoor shop in town and
was blown away by the amount of
climbing in the country.
The guidebook lists around 1000
climbs over 34 areas, most of
them bolted recently. And the next
edition will have almost double
the number of routes! As small as
BiH is, it has a huge variety of rock,
from the remote northwest crags in
Krajina to the Mediterranean tufaladden
overhangs of Herzegovina
and the tall multi-pitches of Tijesno
Canyon. When the pandemic
hit, closing borders and cancelling
international trips (along with most
of my work projects), I suddenly had
the whole summer to explore more
remote parts of the country.
Climbing friends put me in touch with
the crew at Balkan Colours and I hit
the road with them for a month, living
out of my truck with my two dogs,
climbing, bolting and filming around
BiH.
Preodac was one crag that really stood
out. After a long drive on dirt roads, we
were rewarded with a beautiful valley
and the ruins of a 15th century castle
peering over the cliff. Sadly, the valley
was ravaged by the war and most of its
farmsteads are abandoned and falling
down. Only a few farmers remain, but
they happily shared their homemade
dairy products and rakija with us.

Past the farms, we followed a faint path alongside
a bubbling stream as the valley narrowed and cliffs
appeared on both sides. Twenty newly bolted routes,
ranging from 5a to 7c, extend along the cliff face below
the ruined castle. We climbed there until dark, returned
to the cars, and gorged ourselves with fresh cheese
on slices of tomato by the light of our headlamps. We
camped alongside the creek among huge pine trees
and I can’t wait to get back. Pecka was another incredible
area I fell in love with immediately. It could be the future
of hard sport climbing in BiH. The rock is beautiful, full
of steep, pocketed pitches similar to Margalef in Spain.
Another couple climbers already had a fire going when
we got to the campsite at the top of the cliff band. We
shared beers and rakija from a plastic soda bottle around
the campfire well into the night, trading stories about
climbing and traveling. No matter where we were in the
country, we experienced the hospitality and selflessness
that BiH is known for. Complete strangers would invite
us in for bosanska kafa or homemade rakija (the local
equivalents of turkish coffee and grappa), no matter the
time of day.
43 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Preodac

Back in Sarajevo, on a run in the
mountains with the dogs, I came across
a beautiful cliff face with overhanging
orange, white and gray limestone in the
village of Nahorevo. Throughout the rest
of fall I slowly cleaned and bolted new
routes as the leaves changed colour
around me. Only 15 minutes from the city,
it’ll be a great addition to the climbing in
the region. One of the first pitches I bolted
there is named Bubamara (6b), after the
huge nests of ladybugs I found on the
cliff face. Leaving some routes of my own
seemed like a perfect way to give back
to the climbing community we spent so
much time with.
When winter arrived, the yearly Sarajevo-
Zenica valley inversion created a wall of
smog throughout the city. Most homes
burn wood or coal for heating and the
air pollution gets terrible, so I used every
opportunity to travel towards clean air.
Warm, sunny Herzegovina is only a twohour
commute toward the coast.
Nate in action
Some of the most impressive climbing
there is located in a stunning canyon
above the town of Blagaj. Huge walls of
limestone tower above a spring where
an entire river surfaces, freezing cold,
from the foot of the canyon. Classic
Mediterranean overhangs with orange
gray limestone and incredible tufas,
including a prominent line I’ve been
projecting called Powerline (7a) rise up
along much of the cliff. After climbing all
day in the sun, I’d head back to Sarajevo
or camp at the Eco-center in the canyon,
hanging out with local climbers and
sharing the stoke for climbing.
Preodac
There’s been so much bolting and
route development here, yet we’re just
scratching the surface of BiH’s potential.
Although neighboring Croatia is already
a big winter destination for European
climbers seeking warm weather, BiH is
still relatively unknown and off the beaten
path.
44

45 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Nate’s discovery Nahorevo climbing area
It is starting to pop up on the climbing radar though. While
2020 did not play out as any of us planned, I’m happy
for the chance to explore and climb around this beautiful
country that I currently call home.
Nate is a climber, route developer and outdoor
photographer living aboard and exploring the lesser
known parts of the world with his wife and two dogs.
Instagram: @climbingnate
Nathan

46
Srebrenik

From Zero to Hero
Building a Climbing community in Northern Bosnia
Admir Andelic ‘Tomba’
47 BACK TO THE ROOTS
2014, Tuzla Canton, population 400,000. Number of climbers: 1, number
of sport climbing routes: 0, number of climbing gyms: 0.
I’m Admir Andelić ‘Tomba’, I’m from the town Živinice near Tuzla, and I’m
the only climber in the whole region.
After completing the alpinistic courses from the traditional Sarajevo school
of Alpinism, i set out to promote the sport in my region. I found some rocks
right next to the road, that later became the Stupari climbing crag. The
beginning was extremely hard because I was alone in everything, but I
managed to bolt a few sport climbing routes.
Kladanj
Stupari

48
I soon I realized the challenges of working alone, so I
started to popularize climbing, which isn’t easy without
any kind of support. I continued equipping routes
for myself in Stupari where I trained for the
big walls, because I am actually more into
mountaineering and alpine climbing.
After a while I met Amra, which became
my wife. She stuck to climbing
and learned quickly which made
everything easier. Bolting the
routes together was much faster
and training was more fun
as well. Winter was always
a problem for us because
there is no climbing gym
in our region. So we
decided to solve that
problem. I extended the
roof of my garage to 5
m height and built the
first climbing gym in
Tuzla Canton. At the
beginning we didn’t
have light or heating
during the winter.
But we were very
happy to have the
opportunity to train!
Slowly all the hard
work, effort and
persistence pays off,
rock climbing is slowly
expanding in our area.
A few years ago, we
started to explored the
municipality of Kladanj,
which I like to call the
Chamonix of Tuzla Canton.
Kladanj, at the foot of Mount
Konjuh with the wild river Drinjača,
is a town known for its many
speleological objects. Thank god, that
means many opportunities for climbing
in our regions. In the Drinjača canyon, a
few kilometers from Kladanj, there are two
Tomba’s home gym
I needed to come up with a way to get some institutional
support for developing that great potential. A Via Ferrata
would have high chances of support, so we wrote a
project and received a small grant by the Italian
NGO CISP. So after we finished the first Via
ferrata in our region, we also bolted a few
routes from 10 m to 150 m, in the grades
between 4 and 7c.
After the Climbing gym in my
garage was finished we started
with climbing courses, where
we have the opportunity to
train in a heated room. We
have children’s and adults
training sessions and we
are working on a real
training for climbers. I’m
very happy to see that
it’s happening, that
slowly sport climbing
is finding its way into
At Visočica
our part of Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
Hundreds of hikers
and mountaineers
passed through the
Via ferrata, we had
some competitions at
Kladanj and even more
routes were bolted.
Currently, there are 10
sport climbing routes
and 5 multipitches, with
a potential for a hundred
more. Kladanj is a beautiful
town, where you need only
15 euros a day plus 10 euros
for food, there’s beautiful
nature, rural tourism and now
even climbing. Now it’s 2021.
Tuzla Canton currently has around
20 climbers, 5 climbing crags with
over 50 routes, and one climbing gym
in my house where everyone’s welcome
to train. I have a lot of projects in my head
for the future, we’d like to see hundreds
large walls: Hotanjki krš and Brateljevićki krš. As
more climbers, hundreds of routes and a first
soon as I saw these rocks for the first time, I knew
children’s club that will have all the support from
that I found the huge potential I knew must be hidden an early age to improve the sport.
somewhere.

49 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Kladanj rocks
VIA FERATA PAOLO DIECI IN
KLADANJ HERE:
I plan to create the first artificial outdoor
lead climbing in my city, 16 m high and 15 m
long, so that we can organize competitions
and improve children’s climbing skills. Who
knows - maybe someday there will be
world-class climbers from this region who
compete in the world championships, climb
some big walls, and most importantly enjoy
the most beautiful lifestyle they could live.
Wishes and dreams... Backed by hard work
and determination anything is possible!
Greetings from us!
Tomba’s life revolves around Alpinism and all his future
aspirations include it. He most enjoys first ascents in
big walls with bivouacs on the wall and climbing in the
freezing cold. When ice covers a rock face is when it’s
most interesting to him - paradise or hell depending
on the conditions and the mountain’s attitude.
Admir

50
Drežnica

Herzegovina region
The Bosnian California with Mostar
51 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Herzegovina truly is rock country, with the potential
for a few new Leonidios! Mostar’s reggae band Zoster
painted Herzegovina in one of their songs as the
Bosnian California: A mediterranean climate with tropical
summers, plantations of grapes, tangerines, wild figs and
pomegranates, extensive rocky landscapes, and a relaxed
southern vibe. This is particularly true of the southern
Neretva valley around Mostar. Northern Herzegovina
around Konjic has a lush mountain jungle and Bosnias
largest mountains ranges (Visočica, Čvrsnica, Prenj and
Velež), all with a long mountaineering tradition.
Mostar (105,000 inhabitants) is the cultural heart of
the region and is best known for its historic 23 m high
bridge from the 16 th century, which was for a long time
the national symbol of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today’s
post-war Mostar has a Croatian and a Bosniak (Muslim)
character with a well-preserved, beautiful medieval old
town from the Ottoman period. There are lots of good
restaurants, cafés, a few pubs and a wide range of
accommodation that makes it a good base to explore
the surrounding areas. Climbing club ASPK Neretva has a
great bouldering gym on the university campus for rainy
days. Although you’d have to be really out of luck since
Mostar is the sunniest place in all of Ex-Yugoslavia.
Mostar

Drežnica
52
Drežnica makes the podium for the
most beautifully situated climbing
area in Herzegovina, surrounded by
wild alpine surroundings. It’s also
one of the oldest, largest and best
climbing areas in Bosnia-Herzegovina
established by Sport climbing pioneer
Edin Durmo and friends. It is located
at the confluence of the Drežanka
Canyon with the famous Neretva river
valley, which National Geographic
Travel recommended for good reason.
The rocks are situated in a park which
is a national cultural monument - it
houses several rare rock engravings
from the 14 th century which are located
just next to the routes. A multitude
of routes in medium grades run
through the porous, gray and white
limestone.
The main sector, Kuk Ciklame is
up to 40 meters high and has an
incredible exposure over the valley.
Blagaj is the future of Climbing
in Bosnia! It’s one of the newest
climbing areas that, thanks to
the great efforts of a highly active
Blagaj climbing club and the Blagaj
Eco center, quickly grew into a
diverse Climbing area covering a
huge terrain.
Thanks to the shady canyon you
can climb all year, the rock quality is
excellent, the potential seemingly
endless. The town Blagaj and the
Blagaj eco center, with its cosy camp
and the artificial lead wall, are a great
base for a few days.
New routes are constantly being
bolted, currently there are 140 pitches
spread in 11 sectors, mostly sport
climbing but also a few multipitches
up to 200 m.

53 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Blagaj
Above the camp there are 5 sectors with excellent
tufa- and technical face climbing. The canyon offers
long multipitches, relaxed sectors for summer climbing
and powerful, steep sport climbing up to the french 8th
grade. A Via ferrata leads you through the Canyon and
an incredible system of eroded rock walls, to the Sector
Rebro on top of the Canyon. It has 20 m high rock ridges
shaped like a shark’s fin, which can be climbed on both
sides.
Drežnica
In the evening you can cool off at the many restaurants
along the river next to Blagaj’s main sight - the Tekija Buna.
It’s a 16 th century Dervish monastery (And a Unesco world
heritage site) at the base of a 200 m rock wall, where the
Buna river emerges from.

54
Sector Šube, Blagaj

Blagaj story
Gem of the south
Melina Hrapovic
55 BACK TO THE ROOTS
The geographical position of Blagaj, together with the pleasant climate
and the sectors’ orientation, have created perfect conditions for almost
all year long climbing season in Blagaj. A variety of grades will satisfy all
climbers, there are old school slabs with small crimps that require maximum
precision and finely tuned leg work, to completely modern athletic
overhanging routes. The Rebro and Šube sectors can be climbed all year
round. Sectors Pejotl (A), Pčelinjak (B), Ljut (C), Crvena stijena (D), Duga
peć, Karantena and Vučije točilo are excellent for winter, because they
are mostly in the sun and if the wind is not too strong you can climb in a
T-shirt.
Tekija Blagaj
Dervish Monastery

During the summer, it becomes
unbearably hot in these sectors
after 10 o’clock, however sectors C,
D and Karantena offer shade a bit
longer, until noon or 1 pm. When
the sun becomes too strong,
you can move on to the canyon
sectors Hladovina, Publika and
Ispod-Vodopanac which usually
have little wind and offer different
orientations that provide shade.
If you are still feeling the heat, you
can go and visit the nearby dervish
Tekke and the source of Buna
river to cool off. It is probably one
of the coldest waters you will ever
swim in. If you have an affinity for
slacklines, at the beach on Bunica
river, there is a possibility of setting
up a waterline around 60 meters
long, which is great fun for hot
summer days.
Rebro
56

57 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Rebro
Blagaj
The gentle grove (blagi - gaj) attracts many travelers,
adventurers and climbers because of its special
atmosphere and ambience. In addition to the richness
of cultural and historical heritage, richness of flora and
fauna, nature has fascinatingly played with geological
forms, which provides a real playground for all ages when
viewed from a climber perspective.
In a relatively short period of time, the canyon and the
Blagaj rocks came to life. Many young people who come
from the area, and did not know climbing as a sport,
become aware of the enormous potential that this place
has. In addition to tourists and foreigners who come to
Blagaj more and more often, it is a significant awakening
of the local scene and that young people who live there
are beginning to use and learn how to appreciate the
beauty that is at their fingertips.
Climbing in Blagaj
Climbing in Blagaj offers equal enjoyment both for
beginners and experienced climbers. For beginners,
compact fours and fives are reserved, and for more
experienced and stronger climbers, a wide range of
different climbing styles is offered, with routes in 6, 7 and
even 8 grades!
Blagaj currently has about 140 climbing routes, with
that number growing almost on a daily basis. In 2021
it is expected that a total number of routes will reach a
milestone of 200 routes with new sectors to be opened
in this year.
Also, in case you have never tried multi-pitch climbing,
this is an ideal place to try in a safe and comfortable
environment. The DUGA PEC sector, which has only
multi-pitch routes, is located just above the source of the
Buna, the largest karst spring in Europe!

Camping in Blagaj
In the area of the Eco Center, a
camping area is provided. The
center offers everything you need for
camping and climbing.. The center
offers a bar, kitchen, toilet and 2
outdoor showers (water is heated by
the sun), as well as free Wi-Fi and a
seating and social area.
Camping is also possible Lazy bar
next to Buna. The Lazy bar is only
open during the warmer months, and
after September it is generally quite
cold to sleep by the river, so this camp
is recommended only in the summer.
There are also other camps and
numerous private accomodations in
Blagaj.
Local initiatives
Bolting new routes - The local crew
is always trying to expand existing
sectors with new routes and to
open new sectors. During the
COVID 19 pandemic, new sector
Karantena was develop with 7 new
routes, all of them classics in their
grade. The potential is huge! Just
between Blagaj and Mostar there is
a potential for bolting thousands of
routes. The only limiting factor are
the funds for materials. Hopefully
with the help of the international
climbing community this could be
changed.
Bivouac at sector Rebro – the
idea for building the bivouac
came from Vedran Ugljene and
it was supported by all the local
climbers who volunteered during
the construction but also helped to
collect the funds and materials need
for building the bivouac. Such a great
construction required a lot of work and
dedication, a lot of challenges were
successfully accomplished thanks to
skillful and hardworking hands.
MarketMakers training program - for
guides and tourist guides at 4 climbing
areas (and Via Ferrate) in the area of
Herzegovina. The program lasted 5
weekends and provided participants
with basic knowledge about Ecology,
Flora, Fauna, First aid, History of the
region and Presentation skills and
safety. As a result of this project new
tourist tours are created and are
available at:
www.blagaj-climbing.com
Rebro bivouac
58

MORE FROM SPORT CLIMBING CLUB BLAGAJ HERE:
59 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Via ferrata,Vulin potok

Velež, a mythical mountain.
many are still not sure
whether it is male or female,
whether it is named
after the ancient Slavic god
Veles or originates from
the period of Roman rule,
but in one thing everyone
agrees - The 13 km long
rock ridge with 600 m walls
and the highest peak Botin
(1969 m) attracts any climber
at first sight.
Mountain Velež
60

First ascents at Mt. Velez
AOB mountaineering camp 2020
Igor Milošev
61 BACK TO THE ROOTS
From the main road passing this quiet region, this mountain is hidden from
the view of random passers-by. As you enter the Nevesinje karst field towards
the village of Lakat, a view opens over green plains and pastures,
a greenery of leafy and coniferous forests under these magnificent gray
rocks that give the impression that there is no end. The seemingly endless
ridge attracted the first alpinists back in 1968, in the 70s Bosnia and Herzegovinas
alpinists increasingly visited this mountain and held climbing
championships there. On two occasions, in 1982 and 1983, Slovenian alpinists
led by Bojan Polak came to Velež and left a big mark in these rocks
with over 40 climbed routes, most of which are first accents.
Sector Tri sfinge

62
“Okno” - the eye

Unfortunate events in our area have led to this mountain
slowly going into oblivion, but with the enthusiasm of a
few climbers, it is slowly regaining its old splendor. The
first post-war mountaineering camp of BiH alpinists
was organized in 2017. During 2018 and 2019, there
was a series of ascents - first ascents and first
repetitions, as well as the project “Heart
A fire which we alpinists all feel while we are high on the
rocks, but the global situation has greatly influenced our
plans to stay local, not to say to remain more modest.
Usually our desires take us far away, into new, unknown
mountains even though in front of us are equally magical
places where we can also enjoy and realize our
aspirations.
of Velež” which included equipping a
500 m Via Ferrata. The mountain
We came up with the idea of
was finally opened, and “tamed”
organizing a mountaineering
for visitors, but in its heart it is
still wild and unpredictable.
camp on Velež - we got
organized quickly, tried to
balance dates and free
This year, 2020, means a
lot to us from the Alpine
Club of Belgrade (“AOB”), 70
time, although it is difficult
in the age of this fast-paced
lifestyle.
years have passed since the
first enthusiasts founded the
So, we arrange the transport,
Department, started educating
equipment, explore the
young alpinists and achieved
mountain, prepare ... and finally
their first ascents on the rocks of
Serbia, Yugoslavia, Europe and the
World.
Mountain Velež
gather under the glow of the stars
and the shadow of Velež rocks to
modestly mark the jubilee, 70 years of
existence and work of our club.
We had great ideas, big plans on how to mark and
celebrate our continuity and thanks to these first people
who passed that fire from generation to generation.
63 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Stećci, medival tombstones under Velež

We move slowly, out of respect for the
mountain, and fear of what awaits us,
we climb “Camp route” III/IV, 340 m,
next to it “Surprise route” IV/V, 330
m, we have already freed ourselves
and enter the “harder” routes such
as “Davor’s route” V+/VI 340 m, we
are doing the first repetitions of
some routes from 1983, such as “Kik
‘83 route” IV/V 370m, and “Sonja’s
direction” III +/IV + 375 m and for the
end, as part of our jubilee, me and
Edin Zuhrić climb the championship
route through a striking shaft, giving
it the name “70 years of AOB” V+ 360
m and thus leave a small mark on this
mountain. “AOB was here” but with a
happy ending. We climbed a total of 8
routes of 300+ meters and we are very
happy with the camp’s success.
Not everything turned out as ideal as
planned. The mountain is still harsh,
and sometimes it decides what to do
and how to behave, so we had rain,
ice, thunder, we felt the pain of early
alpine starts and the long, daily hours
of approach to the rocks. We got better
at climbing without climbing shoes,
were bitten by bees and wasps, and
learned how to distinguish them, that
time on the mountain flows in its own
way and, most importantly, the old,
popular belief that thunder doesn’t
strike in nettles proved to be true.
All this would not have been possible
without our friends from Nevesinje,
mountaineers from PED Zimomor,
the Tourist organization of Nevesinje,
the Municipality of Nevesinje, the
Forest Farm “Botin” Nevesinje and all
the good people who made our stay
on the mountain easier and made
us feel at home - because under the
mountain we are!
Camp participants:
Predrag Zagorac, Srdjan Bosnić,
Darko Daljević, Dragan Djordjević,
Nikola Djurić, Pavle Kosutić,
Dušan Starinac, Ljiljana Matić,
Ivana Rogić, Aleksandar Vuković,
Edin Zuhrić, Igor Milošev.
WATCH MORE HERE:
64

65 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Sector Amfiteatar
Igor is a guide, alpinist, climbing and Via ferrata
developer. He works as a sales manager and lives
in East Sarajevo. He’s also a nature enthusiast and
hobby photographer. With his work he tries to show
the natural beauties of the Balkans to other people.
Igor
Instagram: @igor_milosev

66
Piton somewhere at Mt. Velež

The new and first (2018) Guidebook for
alpine climbing in the Velez mountain
range starts with general information
about the massif and it’s rock barriers
north walls.
The core of the book is a full account
of all classic and recently established
routes with photo topos, descriptions,
and approach info. This section is
followed by a chronological overview
of ascents and developments on
Velež in the period from 1955 to 2018.
The historical part concludes with
five stories of successful alpinists of
Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Velez Alpine
Climbing Guidebook
A5 format
144 colour pages in local language
40 routes with photo topos
The Guidebook costs 13€ and can be
ordered directly from
the authors:
draganilic567@gmail.com
+387 61 083 773
e.hukic@gmail.com
+387 61 722 997
67 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Emira Hukić is a pedologist, alpinist and
nature lover. She feels very dedicated
to preserving the history of alpinism in
Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was her
main motivation to work on this guidebook
with Dragan.
Dragan Ilić is a passionate alpinist who
started climbing in the beginning of the
80s. He holds many first ascents across
big walls of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He
did more than 300 alpine routes across
the globe from the Dinaric mountains and
the Alps to the Himalaya and Andes.

68
Kameni most

Razor-sharp rocks
in the land of homemade rakija
Miriam Pult and Ben Miroux
69 BACK TO THE ROOTS
After two weeks of climbing around the Croatian Adriatic,
our Bosnia trip almost felt like adventure:
Vacation becomes travel, sea becomes mountains,
beach days become adventure, sun becomes wind...
After we cross the border everything suddenly looks and
feels different. We roam Bosnia-Herzegovina in search of
nice climbing.
Well, almost ... It’s 2020, the year of the pandemic, and
before we can even go to Bosnia, a PCR-test awaits us
in a Croatian test center in Split. After a plastic stick was
lovingly rammed into our cerebral cortex and our germs
were processed through a centrifuge in a split laboratory,
we received the result a few hours later. Now nothing
stands in the way between us and Bosnian rocks. We are
heading straight for the border.
Prenj Mountain

Our first destination is Banja Luka in
the northwest of the country. This
region is the Republika Srpska, a
republic within the republic, so to
speak. In the area around Tijesno
canyon, a few sport climbing crags
have been discovered and developed
recently. At the bottom of the valley
we climb at Skubalj between the rain.
Excellent rock quality with a focus on
medium grades awaits the motivated
climber. The area is fairly new, no trace
of polished holds. If future climbers
clean little patches of grass from
the pockets it’ll be even better. Clear
recommendation!
As the weather becomes more stable,
we explore the Kameni Most climbing
area with its impressive 50 m high
limestone arch. The crag is a home
spot for Banja Lukas climbers and a
must-visit for a climbing trip through
Bosnia. The climbing tends to be
rather long and in the medium grades
and above.
We move on to the Amfiteatar sector
in the middle of Tijesno canyon. An
impressive rock face in the canyon,
which can only be reached from
above (at least on foot). A ledge
leads directly into the wall. For the
most part, you can walk unsecured,
on the narrower sections there’s a
fixed rope. The climbing offers an
impressive exposure and scenery, but
it’s consistently demanding and just
as tough graded as the rock is sharp.
Overall, it is an impressive spot!
This area of the canyon also has
various beautiful multi-pitch routes,
which can be reached partly farom
above and partly from below.
Especially during the warmer months,
a jump in the Vrbas River as well as a
portion of Ćevapi and a cold beer at
the numerous restaurants at the side
of the river beckon after climbing.
Well ... and then what happens to
almost every tourist in Bosnia also
happens to us. In every village, it is
said, there is a guy who fills tourists
with homemade rakija (brandy)
and bills the whole thing under
the motto “rakija povezuje ljude”
(rakija connecting people). Not
malicious, rather full of pride for
his drinks and in a very amicable
manner. Of course this also applies
to the village we were staying in.
We suffer through the next day and
learn quickly.
We continue to Pecka - a wonderful
place, so incredibly idyllic and quiet, in
the middle of nature. Ben writes in his
diary: “I have seldom visited such an
idyllic place. I am deeply impressed!”
The Pecka Visitor center, is a meeting
point, where people come and go,
hang out and enjoy conversing. It is a
feeling of home that is felt in Pecka,
that we almost feel melancholic
when we leave. The region is rich in
mushrooms, so we spend a day in the
forest and enjoy our dinner with fresh
mushrooms from the pan.
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71 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Neretva river valley
The climbing is razor-sharp, steep
and full of holes, of a technical and
sometimes athletic nature - wonderful!
The rock quality is impressive, we’ve
both never seen this type of rock
before.
Towards our way to Sarajevo we stop
in Central Bosnia in a crag called
Pršljanica. The climbing reminds us
of a lot of our local limestone areas
in Germany, technical and crimpy,
according to the motto “hold on and
don’t let go”.
It’s probably not Bosnia’s most
impressive crag, but worth a
detour!
Sarajevo - the charm of a capital
that you won’t soon forget! A clash
of cultures, a city shaken by war
and suffering. The climbing area
can be reached on foot from the
city center. We skip the main sport
climbing crag area Dariva and do a
short (historic) multi-pitch on Babin
Zub (grandmother’s tooth) which
overlooks the whole city.
Sight-seeing climbing, so to speak.
The sunset view from the summit over
Sarajevo compensates for the “wild”
climbing on sometimes dubious rock
quality.

Bivouac at Prenj
72
From cold and wet Sarajevo we are drawn to the south
of the country. We are particularly looking forward to
the Herzegovina region and are excited. The landscape
changes, it becomes more, much more mountainous.
Deep valleys with azure blue, water-rich rivers dominate
the landscape. If it gets wider and flatter, the mild
Mediterranean climate allows for wine growing. The
summers here are barbarously hot, but we don’t notice
anything. On the contrary - there is always wind!
We head for the climbing area Drežnica. The drive leads
us through the narrow Neretva canyon to a delta where
the river Drežnica joins the Neretva. The landscape is
breathtaking, we really like it here. We have a nice and
flat parking spot for our van right at the water and a small
restaurant with good Bosnian coffee is around the corner.
The climbing is varied and beautiful, with a meadow to
linger and the whole thing even in the slipstream. We stay
a few days and let climbing determine our daily rhythm.
After a few days, a bad weather front became apparent.
We decided to use the remaining good weather to go
hiking in the Prenj massif across the climbing area.
The tour starts in the nature park Rujište and takes
us to the highest point of Prenj, the summit of Zelena
Glava (2155 m). It’s a long walk and in hindsight we
recommend an overnight stay in the hut or bivouac
called Bijele vode. The mountains of Herzegovina are
lonely and rough, a perfect rest day program! (Prenj is
still mined in some areas - get informed and stay on
the marked trails!).
The next day the cold front comes as promised, and
we rush to Mostar to lick our wounds in a small hostel.
We check in at Taso’s and are his only guests. We
quickly become friends and he takes really good care
of us, making a great breakfast for us every morning.
Three more or less rainy days follow. We are tired
and spend the days between the sofa, a restaurant,
walking around and napping.
On our last day we’d like to climb in Blagaj,
unfortunately it rains buckets, so we had to drive on
without rock contact. It’s a shame, Blagaj is an absolute
climbing pearl. Well, we have to come back to Bosnia-
Herzegovina anyway.

Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque
73 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Bosnian coffee
On our last day, before we continue to Montenegro,
Taso takes care finding a lab for us - after a delicious
breakfast of course. A quick poke, two coffees and a bit of
packing later, the results are there and we drive towards
Montenegro. But that’s definitely another story...
Drežnica
Miriam and Ben
Miriam and Ben are a travel and mountainenthusiastic
couple from Allgäu, Germany. They love
to explore, whether it’s mountaineering with a bivouac,
ski touring, alpine- or sport climbing. A cappuccino
before the tour and a piece of cake after are at least as
important to them as the actual tour itself. They visited
Bosnia-Herzegovina in autumn 2021 during their oneyear
mountain trip with their VW-van “Guschtl”.

Travel info
For further information and updates on new routes check
www.balkancolours.com
Best time
The climate in Bosnia is continental
to Mediterranean, with relatively
mild winters and hot summers. Many
crags have a main southern orientation,
therefore March to June and
September to November are best. In
winter you can often climb in a T-shirt
during warmer periods, especially in
Herzegovina. In summer, climbing is
also possible with a careful selection
of areas and sectors.
Getting there
You are most flexible with a rental
or your own car, as some areas
are far off the main roads. There
are long distance bus connections
from all over Europe to Banja Luka,
Sarajevo or Mostar several times a
day and the local bus network is
well developed. Hitchhiking to remote
areas is quite possible and
common. Low-cost airlines fly to
Sarajevo, Tuzla, Banja Luka and
Mostar.
Accomodation
The touristic infrastructure in the cities
of Sarajevo, Mostar and Banja Luka is
very well developed and mostly, like
everything in Bosnia, very cheap! More
remote areas are often less prepared
for international guests, but language
barriers can often be overcome with
a few words in German and English..
There are lots of private rooms, apartments
or camps available on booking
websites or by just asking around.
Climbing
Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the
largest karst areas in Europe, which
for climbers means there’s an enormous
limestone rock potential that
runs through the country. There are
currently around 1500 sport climbing
routes, 70 % of the routes have been
bolted in the last 5 years with high
quality material and are mostly bolted
in a very friendly manner. There are a
few bigger multipitch climbing areas
and even a few bouldering spots. Information
about trad routes and alpine
climbing is sparsely documented,
again a big potential awaits. Due to
the low number of climbers, it’s always
advisable to wear a helmet, should
holds break and to take a bouldering
brush with you.
Safety
Bosnia Herzegovina is a very safe
country with a lower crime rate
than the EU average. In the cities,
especially in Sarajevo, it is advisable
not to leave any valuables visible
in the car and to park on paid
parkings who have a guard. The
Bosnian War ended 25 years ago
- Even traces of the war are still visible
in many regions and there are
still mines in remote locations - 99
percent of the time this does not
affect traveling climbers! No climbing
area is affected by mines, more
details are described in the Climbing
guidebook, mine warnings are
specially signposted and known to
the locals.
The drinking water quality is excellent
due to the abundance of spring water.
Traditional food is a mix of Turkish (burek,
baklava, Turkish coffee ...), Austrian
(pastries), local grilled and stews.
International fast food is widespread.
Vegetarians and vegans find increasing
menu options in the traditionally
meat-oriented cuisine. Like the whole
of the Balkans, Bosnia is particularly
well-known for its abundance of
schnaps (rakija), depending on the region,
for example from plums (šljivovica),
pears (kruška), quinces (dunja),
grapes (lozovača) or apricots (kajsijevača)
and Turkish coffee.
74

Rock climbing guidebook for
Bosnia and Herzegovina
75 BACK TO THE ROOTS
480 pages, English and local language
4 regions, 32 climbing crags, 2 bouldering areas
Foto topos and individually crafted maps for each area including points of interest for each climbing crag
25 page Travel and country info section
Extensive climbing culture section:
History, gyms, festivals & 8 interviews with local developers
Local phrases section for a smooth travel experience
Get it here https://www.balkancolours.com/guidebook/
or ask for it at your local Climbing shop!
MORE HERE:

The Fusion project
This magazine is part of the “BiH Climbing fusion” project, which fuses the existing
elements and transforms the status quo - in terms of usability of Climbing areas
for local climbers and tourists, a stronger national recognition for climbing as a
sport and economic chances for local communities.
As of 2020 Bosnia and Herzegovina had a handful of larger climbing areas of
regional significance with well-marked, logical approaches, a high density
of well bolted routes in all grades on solid rock. At the same time there are
many small crags scattered all over the country, often with only a dozen routes,
sometimes hard to find with old, corroded bolts.
Bolting at Klekovača
76

Standardization
A handbook for the Gold standard
of sustainable Climbing Crag development
was published in the
local language and distributed for
free to all bolters in Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
Signs for ten climbing areas
77 BACK TO THE ROOTS
Rebolting Han
Derventa
Upgrading of Infrastructure
10 Pilot areas received beautifully
designed info tables and complete
trail markers with references
to points of interest and local
businesses at Bastašica, Dariva,
Drežnica, Duman, Kameni most,
Kanjon Tijesno, Klekovača, Pecka,
Preodac and Pršljanica.
75 new routes were bolted in
4 existing crags (35 routes),
expanding and diversifying a
low number of routes at Duman,
Kameni most, Klekovača, Kozara
and Pršljanica 2 new crags (40
routes) in a region (Kanton10)
which has only few Climbing areas
Bastašica, Preodac.
The forgotten, overgrown and
defunct Climbing area Han
Derventa next to Pale/Sarajevo
was completely rebolted (28
routes) with chain and double-ring
anchors, 12mm bolts in A4 steel
quality and cleaned up.
Promotion of Climbing tourism
This magazine covers all 4 climbing
regions and is distributed for free
in climbing gyms shops and with
multipliers all over Europe.
A Video series presents 8 climbing
areas in the 4 Climbing regions,
promoting Bosnian Climbing on
Social media, both regionally and
throughout Western Europe.
The project was funded by the
Embassy of Switzerland in Bosnia
and Herzegovina throughout
MarketMakers, a project supported
by the Government of Switzerland,
implemented by a consortium of
Helvetas Schweiz and Kolektiv /
Posao.ba.

Balkan Colours
Throughout the last 15 years we established a dozen
climbing areas and a few hundred routes all over BiH.
As much as generating Climbing infrastructure, we
worked on creating an interconnected Climbing
community through international climbing festivals,
workshops, publications and promotion in all Climbing
channels.
Balkan Colours is our commitment to a careful
development of some of the last wild places in Europe,
with a focus on best-practice quality and education.
Our vision is a regional development that’s driven by
expanding sustainable outdoor recreation and a healthy
outdoor lifestyle as a means to protect the natural jewels
and revive rural communities.
Adventure
Festivals, events & touristic tours in
outdoor sports.
Communication
Changing the perspective on this
region and its potentials both local
and abroad.
Development
Sustainable rural development
through adventure tourism.
Media
Creating Outdoor media content
- Social media campaigns, video
marketing, print publications and
cooperations with Adventure
sports media.
Ecology
Protecting nature through
sustainable development and
rising environmental awareness.
Learning
Spreading a culture of competence
and openness by sharing knowledge
and resources.
David Lemmerer
Igor Vukic
78
David is connected to Bosnia and Herzegovina since
2009. Fascinated by the small country, and it’s climbing
scene, he’s been an avid ambassador of BiH in Western
Europe through publishing of numerous articles, photo
and videography and the creation of the Drill & Chill
festival.
He bolted many routes throughout the country and made
the first Climbing area development handbook in local
language.
David has a Master’s degree in Social Work with
a background in Sociology, Urban studies and
Neighbourhood work. He currently lives and works in
Innsbruck and Banja Luka.
Igor became a member of the Banja Luka “Climbing
Club Extreme” in 2004 and shortly after started
working with media, fundraising sponsors for the club,
organized international work camps, climbing festivals,
competitions, various seminars and workshops,
bolted many climbing routes and helped build the first
climbing gym in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He managed
numerous projects expanding climbing areas all over BiH,
connecting climbers through various interethnic projects
(“The Outdoor Connection”, “Hello Neighbour”, “Highland
Heritage”).
Igor holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Finance
and has been working in finance for a few years. Currently,
he works as a web developer and project manager in
Banja Luka.

6 7
Sebastian Wahlhuetter
David Lemmerer
30 31
Photo credits
Morski Vuk
Stefan Gajić
Vuk Marić
David Lemmerer
Matko Šrepfler
54 55
Claudio Giesen
Judith Zauner
Antonio Radić
79 BACK TO THE ROOTS
8 9
32 33
56 57
Leon Buchholz
David Lemmerer
Igor Katalinski
Midhat Mujkić
Antonio Radić
10 11
34 35
58 59
12 13
Luka Tambača
Archive TOBL
Ljiljana Doroslovac
Igor Vukić
Boro Marić
36 37
David Lemmerer
Adi Kebo
60 61
Igor Milošev
Sebastian Wahlhuetter
Mugdim Čolić
Nathan Cahill
Igor Milošev
Velija Hasanbegović
14 15
38 39
62 63
Sebastian Wahlhuetter
Luka Tambača
Leon Buchholz
Nathan Cahill
Midhat Mukić
Velija Hasanbegovic
16 17
40 41
64 65
Ulysse Lefebvre
Igor Vukić
David Lemmerer
Igor Milošev
18 19
42 43
66 67
Maren Pfeiffer
Samed Žužić
Ulysse Lefebvre
Antonio Radić
Igor Vukić
Nathan Cahill
Christian Dorsch
Dženad Džino
20 21
44 45
68 69
Boro Marić
Luka Tambača
Boro Marić
Muhamed Gafić
Admir Andelić
Unknown
David Lemmerer
22 23
46 47
70 71
Amar Melez
David Lemmerer
Aldin Milunić
Admir Andelić
Ramo Ramić
Miriam Pult
Ben Miroux
24 25
48 49
72 73
26 27
Matko Šrepfler
Amar Melez
Boro Marić
David Lemmerer
50 51
Igor Katalinski
Archive TZ HNK/HNŽ
74 75
David Lemmerer
Dino Zjakić
David Lemmerer
Tina Dervišević
Antonio Radić
David Lemmerer
Igor Vukić
28 29
52 53
76 77

www.balkancolours.com