Reisebericht: Pliješ Mt. 1

Reisebericht von Marko Doboš zum Naturformen-Eintrag S. heuffelii from Pliješ Mt.

Last summer a group of my friends and I had a big Montenegro trip.
First night we spent in Sarajevo and I have to say it was my first visit to this city despite
my long time wish.
Next day my friends went rafting on Tara river (in Bosnian part), and I didn't wanted to
waste time, so I decided to climb Pliješ mountain that was above rafting camp.

Day was....not perfect for climbing, it was very fogy and rainy. I had a route I found online in .kml formate that was on my smartphone. I was't sure about the mines, but I found reports about climbing, and also the locals said it's ok. And yes, I was alone.
It was probably one of the stupidest and most dangerous things I've done. It looks like that from this perspective when I sit next to the stove and writing on my computer. I was aware of it back then also, but I didn't wanted to give up. I saw satelite photos of the peak area, and I was sure Sempervivum must grow there.

Vipera ammodytes is the most venomous European snake species. If I belive in signs, this would be one of many on that day telling me not to go.

Forrest above village Mazoče was qite misterious and beautiful.

At some point I was quite wet, going trough a large field of Pteridium fern in a fog and singing very loudly to chase the bears. If my phone died, I would be in a BIG trouble.
In my head was only that it would be very wise to give up, but I didn't.

At some point I went out of the forest, out of the endless fern fields and came to Juniperus shrubs. As I went up, rocky grasslands were bigger and bigger between Juniperus and that's where I first saw Jovibarba heuffelii.

On my way up grasslands were covering peaks, and many J.heuffelii in flower were protruding from the grass. Peak Pliješ (1717m) was just one of the grassland I passed. At some point I saw pink Sempervivum inflorescence on my track. Someone or something dumped it on my track. I was quite wet and I was affraid moisture will also destroy my camera and my phone (that was my only map), but I knew if I go down right away, i might not see this Sempervivum in habitat, and I knew they have to be close.

I saw another smaller peak near by on my map and I give it a try and it was a real treasure. I found large colony of Sempervivum marmoreum cf. ssp. reginae-amaliae in flower growing together with J.heuffelii.
I made best photos I could do in this conditions.

I was quite pleased with plants I saw there, but I still had to go down...I didn't wanted to go back the same way because it would take too much time. My .klm route on my phone was round so I thought it would be very easy to go down...What I didn't saw before that contour lines on a map were very thick. At some point i was going down on my stomack because it was too steep. Going off this route just wouldn't be smart, and I was affraid I would end up on even bigger slope, thick bush or minefield.
At some point I was in a forrest, my track was at the actual goat track and it seemed it's heading towards village Mazoče. I went down from mountain, on a main road hitchhiking and reached the camp finally. I was very glad to see my friends, to be alive and to have a hot shower after my incredible day.

If you're gona visit places like that please be smart and don't go alone, inform about mine fields, about tracks, don't have only digital maps....in other words, please don't make my mistakes, but do enjoy like I did.

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