Back to the roots Vol. 01

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.
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