Rockbusters' Blog Post
06/10/2021Rock Climbing in Balkans - Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania
FEATURED ARTICLE
In November 2021 we are kicking off with a new epic climbing road trip in the Balkans and here you can read some lines about Bosnia, Montenegro, and Albania. Written by Klemen Becan, the local climber and route developer.
Bosnia
Mostar, čevapčiči, coffee, bridge jumping, and climbing. Pecka is one of the places where you can climb the conglomerate wall. Mostly there is easier stuff, but you can also find some hard projects. Like in any other Balkan country, there are many walls still to be discovered, and the potential is limitless.
Montenegro
An interesting country with rocks everywhere. The high mountain of Durmitor is better suited for adventure climbers and driving on the beautiful landscapes but the best sports sectors are around Podgorica. There are two canyons from rivers Morača and Cievna. Just 5km from the capital Podgorica in Morača canyon there is Smokovec. Dinosaur-shaped tufas everywhere, super solid rock, and enjoyable climbing with the perfectly flat base of the wall. Besides “Smoki” there is still 17km of a canyon of walls on both sides of the river. Few are developed, many still waiting to be explored. The same is with Cievna canyon, there are walls everywhere. Few routes here (around 40 top-quality lines), and it has the potential to become the next climbing hotspot. There are also some other places which were developed by Austrian climbers and I’m sure soon there will be many more.
Albania
The hardest route is located in Brar, and it is just 20 minutes drive from Tirana. It has the grade 9b and the wall is so good that attracted even Adam Ondra to make the 1st ascent of it. Although the easiest route is 6a it is recommended to climb hard in 7th or 8th grade to fully enjoy those tufa monsters. Bovill is another nice place not far from Tirana near lake Bovilla. There are two sectors named “Lake sector” and “Tufa sector”. I think the name says it all and you can expect grades raging from 5a to 8b. If you need to rest, there is a super cool beach on the south which just in case, you change your mind and get bored of swimming in crystal clear water, you can do some deep water solo or climb in a canyon for 5 minutes’ walk from the beach. (Some routes above the water have rusted bolts, so be careful what you clip. If it looks too rusty remember it is better to be alive pussy than dead cat, and go down before it’s too late!). There is more climbing in Albania, including 1000m walls so I’m sure we will hear about this country a lot in the future.
