Lupoglav
2,102 m
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Also known as ЛупоглавAlso known as
Лупоглав
- Elevation
- 2,102 m
- Prominence
- —
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jun
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Showing From Mostarska Bijela via Grabovčići and Barni Do (south-west side): the ’s line is approximate.
Sources differ: Extremely difficult (izuzetno teško) (HPD Prenj 1933 Mostar) · Very hard (jako teška); waymarking partial (planinarenje.hr)
The classic long line from the Neretva valley: about 2,000 m of ascent from Mostarska Bijela (about 120–150 m) through hornbeam and beech forest past the abandoned village of Grabovčići to the Barni Do shelter, then by cairns up a scree chute and an amphitheatre to the summit. Normally two days; the route of the annual winter memorial climb.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 10.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,999 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,102 m
- Time Up
- 8h 02m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 25m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Leave the M-17 Mostar–Jablanica road at about km 20 by the Mostarska Bijela bridge and drive about 750 m along the river to a widening where cars can park. Walk about 2 km up the gravel road on the left bank, cross a wooden footbridge (especially when the river is high) and, after about 400 m, turn right at the Lupoglav signpost. A well-marked, cleared path climbs in serpentines through hornbeam out of the canyon to the abandoned village of Grabovčići (590 m), with house ruins and medieval stećci, about 1½–2 hours from the start. Its small spring often dries up in summer. Above, the path continues through hornbeam and then beech forest with views to Čabulja and Čvrsnica, reaching the Barni Do shelter (about 1,580 m) about 3 hours from Grabovčići. The shelter stands on the old Galića stanovi herders' site and was built for the 50th anniversary of the 1970 tragedy; about 20 minutes further is Barni do (about 1,650 m) with a memorial to the three climbers who died. Waymarks end here and cairns take over: up a scree chute to a saddle, into the large amphitheatre between Ovča, Lupoglav and Vidina kapa, up its left side and on steeper ground to the junction with the paths from Tisovica and Lučine, 15 minutes below the summit. HPD Prenj gives 9 hours and about 2,000 m of ascent and recommends two days with a night at Barni Do; some do it in one day of 18 hours or more. From Barni Do to the summit and back takes about 3 hours by the standard line. There is no reliable water above the river. The unmarked upper section makes navigation aids essential in fog. In winter it is a demanding high-mountain climb: a 2025 report describes ice-climbing elements near the top and lists crampons, ice axe, helmet and moving roped together.
Start
Mostarska Bijela129 m
- Buses on the M-17 Mostar–Jablanica road pass the Mostarska Bijela bridge (stop not confirmed)
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mostarska Bijela → Barni Do | 7.8 | 1,415 | 6 | 5h 42m |
| 2 | Barni Do → Lupoglav | 2.8 | 584 | 21 | 2h 20m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Mostarska Bijela129 m
Parking about 750 m from the M-17 bridge, by the river
- Feature: Grabovčići635 m
Abandoned village; spring often dry in summer
- Bivouac: Barni Do1,539 m
Shelter on the Galića stanovi herders' site
- Feature: Barni do memorial1,725 m
Memorial to the 1970 victims; waymarks end, cairns begin
- Feature: Amphitheatre between Ovča, Lupoglav and Vidina kapa2,079 m
Reached via a scree chute and a saddle; follow cairns up its left side (not on route line)
- Summit: Lupoglav2,102 m
Key Passages
- Scree chute above Barni do
- Amphitheatre below the summit
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 65%Overview
A sharp limestone pyramid of 2,102 m in western Prenj, among the range's highest and most striking summits. The easiest ascent is a long hike from the Vrutak hut in the remote Tisovica valley; the classic line climbs 2,000 m from the Neretva at Mostarska Bijela over two days.
Lupoglav stands in the western part of Prenj, the limestone and dolomite range above Mostar, Jablanica and Konjic, between Ovča, Vidina kapa and the Vjetrena brda ridge. It rises as a recognisable pyramid above the deep south-western valleys towards the Neretva, and from its top every 2,000 m summit of Prenj is in view. Zelena glava, 4 km to the east, is usually listed as Prenj's highest point, but on current measurements the two differ by only a metre or so.
There is no easy way up. From the north, the waymarked path from the Vrutak hut in the Tisovica valley crosses dwarf pine, karst hollows and long scree traverses, with one steep, unnerving slope below the summit saddle; the Tisovica valley itself is reached only by about 24 km of gravel road from Konjička Bijela, or on foot from the huts at Jezerce and Bijele vode. From the south-west the classic route climbs about 2,000 m from the Mostarska Bijela gorge past the abandoned village of Grabovčići to a shelter at Barni Do, then on cairns into the amphitheatre below the summit.
Water is scarce on every approach, and as everywhere on Prenj, mines from the 1992–1995 war remain a hazard away from waymarked paths: the spring at Zakantar on the Tisovica route lies in an area with a mine warning.
Climbing Notes
From the Vrutak hut allow about 4–4½ hours up (8 km, about 830 m of ascent) and a similar time back; arrange the hut key in advance with PD Borašnica in Konjic, or approach over two or three days from Jezerce or Bijele vode. The route through dwarf pine is overgrown and partly cairned, so carry a GPS track. The steep slope before the saddle demands care even in summer and needs crampons and ice axe when snow-covered.
The south-west route from Mostarska Bijela gains about 2,000 m with no reliable water above the river; HPD Prenj gives 9 hours to the summit and recommends two days with a night at the Barni Do shelter. Above Barni do there are only cairns, and the upper section is unmarked, so navigation tools are essential in fog. In winter both routes are serious mountaineering objectives, and the memorial climb is done with crampons, ice axe, helmet and rope.
Never leave waymarked paths on Prenj because of mines.
History
The first winter ascent, on 13–14 February 1970, ended in the deaths of all three climbers on the descent. A memorial winter climb has been held every year since 1971, organised by the national mountaineering association, usually in mid-February from Mostarska Bijela; it is often turned back by bad weather. For the 50th anniversary the Mountaineering Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina opened a new shelter at Barni Do, funded by the Federal Ministry of Tourism and built by PSD Prenj Mostar. The summit is a checkpoint of the Herzegovinian High-Mountain Transversal.
Season
Best Jun- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter mountaineering; experienced parties only
- Feb
- Winter; annual memorial climb in mid-February
- Mar
- Winter conditions
- Apr
- Snow on the steep upper slopes
- May
- Lingering snow on the traverse and below the saddle
- Jun
- Good conditions; long days
- Jul
- Very hot on the south-west approach; little water
- Aug
- Hot; carry plenty of water
- Sep
- Good conditions
- Oct
- Shorter days; first snow possible
- Nov
- Early winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Vrutak hut is locked: arrange the key with PD Borašnica, Konjic. Barni Do is an open shelter.
- Rules
- Mines and unexploded ordnance remain on Prenj; stay strictly on waymarked paths. The Zakantar spring on the Tisovica route lies in an area with a mine warning
- Getting There
Konjic (for the Tisovica approach); Mostar (for Mostarska Bijela)
Mostar Airport (OMO); Sarajevo (SJJ) for the Konjic side
- Tisovica: from Konjic towards Boračko jezero, fork right to Konjička Bijela; asphalt ends at the sawmill, then about 24 km of gravel road via Ljubina and Rapt to the Tisovica valley and a 2.2 km walk to the Vrutak hut
- Mostarska Bijela: M-17 Mostar–Jablanica road, about km 20; cross the Mostarska Bijela bridge and drive about 750 m along the river to park
- No public transport to either trailhead was confirmed
Hazards
- Exposure
- Weather
- Remoteness
- Avalanche
- Landmines nearby
Huts & Shelters
2- 1,580 m
Barni DoBivouacUnstaffed
Open shelter
- 1,650 m
VrutakHutUnstaffedBooking required
Locked; key by arrangement with PD Borašnica, Konjic