Bobotov Kuk
2,522 m
Montenegro
Also known as Боботов кук, Боботов-КукAlso known as
Боботов кук · Боботов-Кук
- Elevation
- 2,522 m
- Prominence
- 1,478 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Sources differ: T3 (Many guidebook-style sites describe it as a difficult hike with short cabled steps)
The shortest and most popular way up Durmitor's highest peak: from the road pass at Sedlo (1,907 m), a marked path of about 5 km and 940 m of ascent crosses a cabled step at Uvita greda, the Surutka valley and the Zeleni vir lake basin to the Velika previja saddle, then traverses below the south wall to an exposed, cabled summit block. About 3 hours up.
About 0% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 1 check note
- ascent 942 m is 1.5× the net gain 620 m: the line probably detours down and back up (not a traverse)
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 5.5 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +942 m
- −323 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,522 m
- Time Up
- 4h 28m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 38m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start from the small free car park at the Sedlo pass (1,907 m) on the P14 road between Žabljak and Plužine, about 25 minutes' drive from Žabljak. The path, marked with red-and-white circles, crosses meadows to Uvita greda (2,199 m), where a short rock step and ledge on the western flank are protected with cables. Beyond, it passes a saddle and sinkholes into the Surutka valley (spring) and crosses boulder fields down to the small Zeleni vir lake (about 2,028 m), roughly 1½ hours from the start. From Zeleni vir the path zigzags up the steep Čista lica barrier, with a secured rock step and some easy scrambling, to the broad Velika previja saddle (2,351 m) between Bobotov Kuk and Lučin vrh, about 45 minutes to an hour. Here the route from Žabljak joins. The last 30–60 minutes follow a loose scree path along the south wall to a notch, then climb the west side of the summit block: an exposed start, a short climbing passage (UIAA II at most) with fixed cables and ropes, and the summit ridge. Descend the same way in about 2½ hours, or traverse north to Žabljak (about 14 km, 6 hours, taxi up to Sedlo). The limestone is polished and brittle and becomes treacherous when wet; the summit section is narrow and congested on summer weekends, so start early. The route faces south and is very hot in sun.
Start
Sedlo1,904 m
- Buses reach Žabljak from Podgorica and Nikšić; no bus to Sedlo, so take a taxi from Žabljak.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sedlo → Bobotov Kuk | 5.5 | 942 | 323 | 4h 28m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Sedlo1,904 m
- Crux: Uvita greda2,128 m
Cabled rock step and ledge on the western flank
- Feature: Surutka2,090 m
Valley with a spring
- Feature: Zeleni vir2,026 m
- Col: Velika previja2,352 m
- Summit: Bobotov Kuk2,522 m
Key Passages
- Cabled step on the western flank of Uvita greda
- Zigzags up the Čista lica barrier to Velika previja
- Exposed, cabled summit block on the west side (UIAA II at most)
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
The highest peak of the Durmitor massif (2,522 m) and the highest summit lying wholly within Montenegro. A marked karst path with short cabled steps leads up from the Sedlo road pass in about 3 hours, or in a long day from Žabljak.
Bobotov Kuk rises at the centre of Durmitor National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage limestone plateau in northern Montenegro scattered with glacial lakes, sinkholes and summer shepherds' settlements. Its west wall drops into the Škrka valley and its lakes; to the south lies the Zeleni vir basin. For a long time it was regarded as Montenegro's highest mountain; newer surveys put three peaks on the Albanian border higher, Zla Kolata being the highest point, but Bobotov Kuk remains the country's best-known summit and the highest wholly inside it.
The ascent is a hike with a scrambling finish rather than a climb. The normal route from the Sedlo pass starts at 1,907 m, so the effort is moderate, about 940 m up and down. Short cabled steps at Uvita greda and below Velika previja, and an exposed, cabled summit block, are the only difficulties, but the rock is polished and the final section is narrow and crowded in high summer.
The longer approach from Žabljak via Crno jezero and the Lokvice pastures turns it into a 10-hour day through forest and karst, and can be combined with the Ledena pećina ice cave. From the top the view takes in the whole of Durmitor, the Tara canyon rim and, on clear days, Prokletije on the Albanian border.
Climbing Notes
Good fitness for a 5½–8 hour round trip from Sedlo (or 10–11 hours from Žabljak), sure-footedness on loose scree and a head for heights on the cabled summit block are needed. No rope or technical gear is required in dry summer conditions; a helmet is sensible because of crowds and loose rock. Avoid the summit section in wet weather or thunderstorms, when the polished limestone becomes dangerous.
Most people base themselves in Žabljak and drive or take a taxi to Sedlo, starting by 08:00 on a weekday to avoid the queues on the final 30 minutes. A popular one-way option is Sedlo up and Žabljak down via the ice cave. Snow can linger on the upper slopes into June; from October the route needs crampons and winter experience. The park entrance fee is collected by a warden at Sedlo or at the Crno jezero gate.
History
The first recorded ascent was made in 1883 by the Austrian cartographer Oscar Baumann. The east face was first climbed in 1926 during a visit by the Zagreb club Sljeme, and in 1931 two Austrians, Bauer and Obersteiner, made the first winter ascent via Bezimeni vrh. Slovenian climbers opened routes on the high walls above Škrka in 1933 and made the first winter face climbs in 1940. Durmitor National Park was established in 1952 and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Not advisable
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; Sedlo road may be closed; ski-mountaineering terrain
- Feb
- Winter; avalanche risk
- Mar
- Winter conditions
- Apr
- Snow on the upper route
- May
- Snow on the upper route; Sedlo road may not be clear
- Jun
- Season starts; snow patches on Čista lica and near the summit early in the month
- Jul
- Main season; wildflowers; busiest and hottest; afternoon storms
- Aug
- Main season; queues on the summit block at weekends
- Sep
- Often stable and quieter
- Oct
- Possible in stable weather; early snow and ice
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- No staffed hut on either route. Accommodation in Žabljak (hotels, guesthouses, campsites).
- Fees
- Durmitor National Park entrance ticket, EUR 5 per person per day (collected by a warden at Sedlo or at the Crno jezero entrance)
- Montenegro National Park Card, EUR 13.50 for a year in all five national parks (sold at the Crno jezero entrance, not at Sedlo); children under 15 free
- Rules
- Durmitor National Park: no drones, no fires, no littering; stay on marked paths
- Camping is tolerated at designated spots such as Lokvice
- Getting There
Žabljak
Podgorica Airport (TGD)
- Sedlo: drive or take a taxi from Žabljak on the P14 road towards Plužine (about 25 minutes); small free car park at the pass
- Crno jezero: 3 km on foot or by car from Žabljak centre; paid parking at the park entrance
- Buses run to Žabljak from Podgorica (about 3 hours) and Nikšić
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather