Dernjačišta
2,237 m
Montenegro
Also known as Dernjačista, Dernečište, +1Also known as
Dernjačista · Dernečište · Дернечиште
- Elevation
- 2,237 m
- Prominence
- 1,247 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The usual ascent of Ljubišnja's highest point: from the shepherds' pastures of Konjsko polje (about 1,550–1,615 m), reached by 46 km of mostly gravel road from Foča, north up open, fairly steep meadows with patches of dwarf pine to the summit. About 3.4 km and 650–700 m of ascent; 2 hours up, 1½ down.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 3.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +639 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,237 m
- Time Up
- 2h 34m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 43m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Konjsko polje is a high pasture on the south side of Ljubišnja, below the summit. It is usually reached from Foča in Bosnia and Herzegovina: cross the Ćehotina bridge towards Pljevlja, go through Dragočava and over the Zavait plateau towards Čelebići and Meštrevac, and before Meštrevac continue straight for Konjsko polje. Asphalt ends after about 9 km and most of the 46 km is gravel in poor condition; a car that is not too low can make it with care. The roads from Pljevlja in Montenegro are similar. The path starts by the shepherds' summer huts (katun) on the left of the approach road. Head north towards the clearly visible summit, past abandoned shepherds' houses among scattered conifers, then climb fairly steep open meadows with occasional dwarf pine. Waymarks are old and sparse, but the terrain above the treeline is open and navigation is easy in good visibility. There are several springs at the start and none higher up. Allow about 2 hours up and 1½ hours down (a round trip of about 6.8–7 km with 650–700 m of ascent). The summit, on or very near the Montenegro–Bosnia border, looks over Durmitor, Maglić, Bioč, Zelengora, Bjelasica and Zlatibor. The neighbouring Mala Ljubišnja (2,073 m) cannot be reached along the ridge because of dense dwarf pine and is climbed separately from Konjsko polje on an unmarked line.
Start
Konjsko polje1,608 m
- None; a high-clearance car or 4x4 is advisable for the gravel roads from Foča or Pljevlja
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Konjsko polje → Dernjačišta | 3.2 | 639 | 13 | 2h 34m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Konjsko polje1,608 m
Approximate position; start elevation quoted as 1,550 m and 1,615 m
- Summit: Dernjačišta2,237 m
Key Passages
- Steep meadows below the summit
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 60%Overview
The 2,237 m high point of Ljubišnja, a remote, forested mountain on the Montenegro–Bosnia and Herzegovina border between the Tara and Ćehotina rivers. The summit itself is an easy two-hour walk over open meadows; getting to the trailhead on 46 km of mostly gravel road is the real effort.
Ljubišnja rises between the Tara and Ćehotina rivers in the far north of Montenegro, on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, its main ridge running north-west to south-east. The mountain is mostly covered in conifer forest, with dwarf pine near the top and open pastures and shepherds' summer settlements on its southern slopes. Dernjačišta (also spelled Dernečište or Dernječište) is its highest point and the high point of Pljevlja municipality; counted as on the border, it is also the third-highest summit in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Below the mountain the Draga river cuts a canyon about 600 m deep at Tijesno.
The climb itself is short and straightforward: from the high pasture of Konjsko polje a sparsely waymarked path climbs about 650–700 m over steep but open meadows to the summit, about 2 hours up. The view takes in Durmitor, Bjelasica and the Morača mountains in Montenegro, Maglić, Bioč, Zelengora, Treskavica and Jahorina in Bosnia, and Zlatibor in Serbia.
The difficulty is access. Konjsko polje is about 46–48 km from Foča and about 50 km from Pljevlja, mostly on poor gravel roads, and there are no huts or services. The neighbouring Mala Ljubišnja (2,073 m) is a separate, unmarked ascent through dwarf pine.
Climbing Notes
A short mountain walk (estimated T2) for anyone reasonably fit. The main preparation is logistical: a car with reasonable ground clearance, a full tank, and a map of the forest roads from Foča (via Dragočava, Zavait and towards Meštrevac) or from Pljevlja. Some parties camp at Konjsko polje, where there are springs, and combine Dernjačišta with Mala Ljubišnja over a weekend.
Waymarks are old and sparse; in fog take a GPS track, as the open meadows give few landmarks. Expect snow from November to May and late-lying patches into June. The approach from Bosnia passes through Foča municipality: no source mentions mines on the mountain, but in Bosnia and Herzegovina it is prudent to check the BHMAC 'BH Mine Suspected Areas' app before leaving established roads and paths.
History
No record of a first ascent was found; the high pastures have long been used by shepherds. A popular local story holds that the area came to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a territorial exchange for Sutorina on the coast near Herceg Novi, which an Al Jazeera Balkans article reports as unconfirmed. Local legends link the mountain's name to Herceg Stjepan and to the violet colour of its forests at sunset.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Access roads snowbound
- Feb
- Access roads snowbound
- Mar
- Winter conditions
- Apr
- Snow on the mountain and the gravel roads
- May
- Roads may be muddy or blocked; snow patches high up
- Jun
- Shepherds return to the pastures; wildflowers
- Jul
- Best season
- Aug
- Best season; afternoon thunderstorms
- Sep
- Stable weather
- Oct
- Autumn colours; first snow possible late in the month
- Nov
- Early winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- No huts. Camping at Konjsko polje; accommodation in Foča or Pljevlja.
- Rules
- The summit lies on or within about 100 m of the Montenegro–Bosnia and Herzegovina border; carry a passport
- No mines are reported on Ljubišnja, but the usual approach crosses Foča municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina; check the BHMAC mine-suspected-areas map before leaving roads and paths
- Getting There
Pljevlja (Montenegro); Foča (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Sarajevo International Airport (SJJ); Podgorica Airport (TGD)
- From Foča: road towards Pljevlja, cross the Ćehotina bridge at Dragočava, then about 46 km (asphalt for the first 9 km, then mostly gravel) via the Zavait plateau and the Meštrevac junction to Konjsko polje
- From Pljevlja: about 50 km on gravel roads in similarly poor condition
- No public transport to the trailhead
Hazards
- Remoteness
- Weather