Visit-Montenegro.com: Winter ascent of ’Zla Kolata’
Mountaineers from MA (Mountainneering Association) „Prokletije“ climbed the highest peak in Montenegro
Plav – Nice weather in the last few days was favourable to the mountaineers from MA „Prokletije“ from Plav who made a successful winter ascent of Zla Kolata, the highest peak in Montenegro at 2.534 meters height above sea-level.
This quest was ventured by seven mountaineers from the aforementioned Mountaineering Association and Beta Perovic, film-editor of the documentary TV show „Wild Beauty“.
Variations in height of more than 1.500 meters in the ascent make this mountaineering tour extremely difficult, and most probably the highest one in Montenegro.
As Ahmet Rekovic, Vice President of the Association, denotes – the group went at 6 a.m. from the village Vusanje near Gusinje, a town at 1000 meters height above sea-level. Weather conditions were excellent on the morning when the quest to conquer the highest peak of Montenegro begun.
- When we reached the height of 1.900 meters, there was a two-meter-deep snow and we had difficulties to walk, so we’ve constantly fallen into snow up to our knees, and we sort of trudged through it, which slowed us down pretty much- says Rekovic.
He mentioned that the expedition got into a trouble under the mountain-ridge on Kolata where snowstorm caught them, and also later on, near the peak itself, where the entire slope was frozen so that they were forced to use crampons and and ice axes.
- Finally, after only eight hours of an exhausting walk, we’ve reached the peak. We had a spectacular sight in front of us- we could see innumerable neighbouring peaks. Good visibility allowed us to see the Kuc Mountains, Komovi, Hajla, Pasji Peak, Djeravica, Maja Jezerce, Karanfili- adds Rekovic.
By A.I.
(4th March, 2009)