Day 4: Zla Kolata
Significance: Highest peak in Montenegro
Elevation: 2,564 m
Date climbed: July 4th 2018
Coordinates: 42.4850° N, 19.8972° E
Route Start / End: Point to point route from Çerem, Albania to wild campsite on south side of Zla Kolata
Route Distance: 17.1 km (10.6 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +1,457m / -1,148m. Net -309m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Web: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zla_Kolata
By avoiding the screening of the World Cup quarter final nonsense I managed to get an early night. It was just as well as the next day was epic. This was Zla Kolata, the High Point of Montenegro. It was a monster.
The morning was a nice ascent through forests and meadows up to pass on the Albania/Montenegro border. We stopped for an hour for lunch while Geri met up with 2 local guides who would help us on the summit climb. I spent much of that hour looking up at the ascent in fear. From there it all looked like sheer cliff faces and steep ice.
Most of the actual ascent was fine. Taking it step-by-step tends to be much less daunting than from a distance anyway. The tricky bit was not far from the top where the only passing point on an icy ridge was a thin, rocky ledge with a long drop below it. My slipping fear was kicking in but I pressed on, helped enormously by the local guides.
For the final push to the top we were down to 8, with 5 of the group having decided they had met their limits. The final 20 mins was a steep, but relatively easy and mostly grassy scramble to the summit. It was well worth the effort as we were rewarded by clear 360 degree views of both countries. It was a good competitor to Toubkhal for the best summit view I’ve had so far.
The descent to the pass was the same route, although several bits were tougher than I remembered on the way up. I held back to keep fellow trekker Stephen company. He had been struggling with his feet since the first day and was slowed down due to the pain of red raw toes. To be honest, I was also glad of the slower pace to take my time on the steep parts.
With no villages close to the mountain, we wild camped that night. I enjoyed the best night‘s sleep in a tent for many years. In the morning we left the camp site for the final descent to the Valbona Valley. It was a short day ending at a very nice guest house for some beer, rest, reading and a celebration on completing a challenging 3-country trek.
