local dialing codes (remember to omit the zero if calling Montenegro from abroad) are:
Cetinje, Budva 086
Herceg Novi 088
Kotor, Tivat 082
Mojkovac 084
Plav 0871
Podgorica, Kolašin 081
Nikšić 083
Žabljak, Pljevlja 0872.
Phone cards can be bought in newspaper kiosks.
Mobiles
Mobile phones with roaming (that is, almost any new mobile phone) will work fine in Montenegro.
Internet
Internet cafés can be found in most major cities and tourist centres, including Žabljak.
Walking in Montenegro
There is an ever-growing number of websites devoted to tourism in Montenegro, many of them far richer in hyperbole than in any practical information for the visitor, let alone the mountain walker.
The best online source of information on walking in Montenegro is to be found at www.summitpost.org (choose ‘Mountains and Rocks’ and search for ‘Montenegro’). The site contains a wealth of material, including photos, on mountain areas in Montenegro. Although there are some inaccuracies, it provides a valuable resource.
A more extensive list of websites is given in Appendix C.
Where to start?
With its spectacular scenery, well-marked trails and convenient local transport, Durmitor (Routes 6–8) will almost certainly be at the top of your agenda in Montenegro. Komovi (Route 11) is another wonderful area, very compact and with some exciting peaks. Prokletije (Routes 14–17) remains one of the wildest corners of Europe, harder to get to and much less visited, but with some quite unforgettable scenery. Less extreme in terms of terrain, but if anything even more remote than Prokletije, is Kučka krajina (Route 12). Of the many longer itineraries possible in Montenegro, perhaps the most rewarding is to combine the routes on Biogradska gora, Komovi, Maglić and Kučka krajina (Routes 9–12, see Appendix A). Forest is at its richest in Biogradska gora National Park (Bjelasica; Route 9) and parts of Durmitor. The Bay of Kotor (see Route 3, Alternative Route, and Route 4) remains perhaps the most impressive area of natural scenery on the coast, while Lake Skadar National Park (Route 5) is an ornithologist’s paradise.
Mountain huts and camping
Campsite in Kučka krajina (Route 12)
In contrast to neighbouring Croatia, mountain huts and shelters are relatively few and far between in the mountains of Montenegro, and in many cases camping is the only practical option. The official line is that camping is permitted at designated spots, such as next to a mountain hut or shelter. However, in practice the rules are rather more flexible, and particularly in the more remote areas you are unlikely to encounter any problems. Exercise common sense when camping: pitch your tent well off the main trail, do not light open fires, and avoid camping in sensitive border areas.
Those mountain huts and shelters which you do find will generally be unstaffed, with no electricity. In some cases, you will need to arrange to get the key from someone (details of this, where applicable, are given in the relevant route descriptions). Nevertheless they are typically a great place to meet local walkers and climbers. It is your responsibility to leave huts clean and tidy, to take your litter with you, and in some cases to lock up and return the key. Note that many huts have their own resident dormouse (puh in Serbian). These little creatures will do their best to sample all or any of your food they can reach (and it’s remarkable what they will manage to chew through to get at it), and for this reason most huts have some sort of wooden frame on the kitchen ceiling from which you should suspend your food bags (don’t forget to tie the tops, or you may well find a dormouse in one in the morning!).
Mountain huts relevant to the routes in this guide are listed in the introduction to each walk.
Katuns
A katun (summer cottage) on Bjelasica (Route 10)
Katuns are summer cottages in the mountains, to which locals move during the summer months to graze their livestock. They are typically occupied for three to four months of the year, depending on the severity of the previous winter (and more specifically the amount of snow remaining). You will pass many katuns on the routes in this guide. You may be invited in for a coffee by their friendly inhabitants, and in some cases you may be offered cheese for sale. Remember that they won’t have much for themselves, so accept in moderation. When camping near a katun, please bear in mind that this is someone’s home, and the local spring is their supply of drinking water.
WEATHER FORECASTS
Relevant weather forecasts for routes in this guidebook at: http://freemeteo.rs – change country tab (top left) from Srbija to Crna Gora, then choose between a list of towns (Gradovi) and mountains (Planine), including Žabljak (Durmitor), Subra (Orjen), Kom Vasojevički (Komovi), Jezerski vrh (Lovćen), North Albanian Alps (Prokletije). Choose forecast from Today (Danas) and subsequent days of the week listed left to right in Cyrillic.
www.accuweather.com also has 15-day forecasts for numerous locations in Montenegro (choose ‘world weather’, and type city name), including Crkvice (Orjen), Ivanova korita (for Lovćen), Veruša (Kučka krajina) and Gusinje (Prokletije). Remember that mountain conditions may be significantly different from neighbouring towns and cities.
What to take
Most people considering a walking holiday in Montenegro will be experienced hikers who already have a clear idea of what and what not to take in the way of equipment. For those in doubt, the following basic list may be useful.
Rucksack (approximately 60–75 litre capacity)
Walking boots with Vibram soles (wear them in before your trip)
Other footwear (rafting or trekking sandals, such as those made by Teva, are perfect)
Rainproof, breathable shell (Gore-Tex, eVENT or similar material)
Warm, preferably windproof fleece (Polartec or similar material), jacket or mid-layer
Light thermal base layer
Shorts and long trousers (lightweight, quick-drying material), long-sleeved shirt, T-shirts, underwear
Good quality walking socks (these counter the need to wear two layers of socks or sock-liners)
Warm gloves and hat
Sunhat
Reliable tent – indispensable on many routes; either tunnel or dome design (I have used Macpac tents for many years now, and they have withstood everything from Scottish and Alpine winters to storms in the Karakoram and New Zealand, and, in one instance, a herd of rather angry bulls)
Sleeping bag (2–3 season will be fine for all except winter use)
Sleeping mat (closed cell or inflatable)
Water bottles (lightweight aluminium, such as those made by Sigg, and/or collapsible plastic bladders such as those made by Platypus)
Stove (preferably multi-fuel such as MSR) and compatible fuel bottle(s)
Lightweight cooking pot, fork and spoon
Compass and relevant maps (and the knowledge of how to use them)
Torch