How to Hike Bobotov Kuk — ALONG DUSTY ROADS

The Two Bobotov Kuk Hiking Routes & Difficulty

Durmitor National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site covering over 39,000 hectares in northern Montenegro. Arguably the most famous of the little country’s five national parks, it’s a year-round hub for hiking, rafting, skiing, and climbing.

The relative ease of accessibility and established tourism infrastructure, as well as the sort of scenery on offer, makes Durmitor a popular choice for those who aren’t even visiting Montenegro for its hiking; thousands head up there on day trips or overnight stays from the popular coastal destinations of Kotor and Budva (both three to four hours away).

For outdoorsy types and road trippers, Durmitor is a must-visit for at least a couple of days, and one of those days will end up being wholly dedicated to hiking Bobotov Kuk. This isn’t just for the accolade of conquering the highest peak in Montenegro; indeed there are hikes like that which really aren’t worth taking a day out of your trip just to secure bragging or bagging rights.

The reason you should make the effort to go to the tippy top of Bobotov Kuk is because the scenery is absolutely stunning all along the way.

There are two hiking routes to the summit of Bobotov Kuk:

1 / The Sedlo Pass route is the most popular. An out-and-back that covers a total distance of around 9.5kms, with approx. 850m elevation gain. It should take anywhere from 6-8 hours depending on pace, breaks, and time spent at the top – and we effusively recommend it.

Starting amongst the open mountains, it’s the most scenic route of the two as well as the shortest.

The only downside is you require transport to get out there and back (don’t worry, we’ve covered your options below).

2 / The alternative route starts in the little town of Žabljak, which most travellers use as their base within Durmitor National Park, and takes you up via the Black Lake. However, there are several reasons why we think the vast majority of people should instantly discount it:

· the elevation gain is about 300 metres greater

· it’s significantly longer (by at least 10km) and much more challenging

· the two routes converge before the summit

· you’ll miss the remarkable first half of the other route

So, trust us and just focus on doing the shorter trail that we did from the Sedlo Pass to Bobotov Kuk.

Know // In our pre-hike research, we were confused about why Bobotov Kuk is almost always referred to as Montenegro’s highest mountain. At 2,523 metres, it comes just a smidge below a trio of peaks in the Prokletije / Accursed Mountains: Zla Kolata (2,535 m), Dobra Kolata (2,528 m), and Rosni Vrh (2,524 m).

As these straddle the border with Albania, Bobotov Kuk is the highest peak entirely and exclusively within Montenegro – and when you speak with some locals, you’ll realise why that distinction is very very important.