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The Ronald Brown
Pathway
Croatia has a long climbing tradition and was among the first seven nations
in the world that had founded a national climbing organization. The Croatian
Climbing Society (HPD) was founded in 1874 and, at the beginning, climbing
in Croatia was directed more towards scientific research concerning the
natural features of the mountains, and less towards the conquest of peaks.
Many leading university professors and scientists were members of the
society in the last century and in spite of this long tradition, the mountains
are still the least known part of Croatia. The mountains of the Republic
of Croatia mainly belong to the Dinaric range.The mountains in Dalmatia
are higher and more deserted than in other parts. They represent a true
challenge for climbers, both the inexperienced and experienced ones.
The
mountains of Dalmatia
The mountains of Dalmatia include Sv. Ilija (Zmijino brdo - Snake hill)
on Pelješac, Biokovo, Dinara, Troglav, Kamešnica, Svilaja, Promina, Kozjak,
Mosor, Poljička planina and Omiška Dinara.
The basic feature of the mountains in this region is the fact that they
belong to the Dinarides. In Dalmatia, the Dinarides fork into a number
of parallel chains. The highest is the one that constitutes the natural
boundary with Bosnia and Herzegovina and consists of Dinara, Troglav and
Kamešnica. A second line runs through Dalmatinska Zagora in which the
highest are Promina, Mosea and Svilaja. From the climbing perspective,
the most interesting and demanding are the mountains in the coastal chain;
Biokovo, Kozjak, Mosor and Omiska Dinara.
The most important feature of these mountains is that the highest mountain
regions here do not have the form of a ridge but of a high plateau (up
to about 1700 meters), with a very complicated relief, with many gorges
and peaks, caverns and spurs. The edges of the plateaux often finish in
huge vertical cliffs that plunge into deep, flat karst fields. As a rule
the cliffs tend to be found on the south slopes, an exception being Troglav,
which has cliffs on the northern slopes. What makes the strongest impression
in the Dalmatian mountains is the awesome barrenness of the endless stone
wastes on the plateaux. This is the realm of the Dalmatian karst, which
has no parallel in Europe, perhaps not in the world.
The climate is very severe here. In summer the sun roasts the stone,
and in winter the extremely dry north wind dries up the very last trace
of moisture in the soil. This is highly unfavorable to the development
of vegetation, and a sparse flora means there is little in the way of
animal life, apart from snakes, including the venomous viper and adder.
Mountains
of the Croatian islands
What singles Croatian mountains out from almost all others in European
countries is the abundance of mountains on islands. All of the islands
are mountainous, and are actually themselves mountains, belonging to the
Dinaric chain. Their material (limestone of the Cretaceous period) and
direction (north west to south east) are identical.
The shape of the island mountains is conditioned by their origins and
the forces that have created the karst relief on them. Unlike the mountains
of the mainland, their foothills have been shaped by the action of the
sea. The best such example is the coast of Dugi otok, with its vertical
cliffs that rear right up from the sea for over 100 meters. These rocks
are suitable for coastal mountain climbing, which is not yet very popular
in Croatia. Nowhere in Croatia is the climate as mild as in the islands.
The average temperature in January is never below zero which means that
the summer climbing season lasts all the year round. The main troubles
that the climber will have are in the summer heats and the lack of water.
The heat is mitigated by the mistral wind off the sea. A result of the
Mediterranean climate is the growth of an interesting and rich vegetation
(approximately 1000 species). The hot dry summers and strong sunshine
are not very favorable to forests. Most of the islands are covered with
maquis, degraded forests of low shrub. Only on the southern islands is
there some real forest.
In the climbing world, the islands have not yet obtained their rightful
place in Croatian tourism. Exceptions are mountains on the islands of
Lošinj, Pag, Rab and Brač.
Caves
More information about the caves is being prepared. If you would like
to find out more, contact the respective tourist board or CROATIAN
SPELEOLOGICAL FEDERATION
Modra špilja (Blue Cave) in island Biševo (Dalmatia)
Zelena špilja (Green Cave) near island Vis (Dalmatia)
Šipun near Cavtat (Dalmatia)
Mountain
Rescue Service
If you plan to explore the hard accessible mountain regions of Croatia,
the Mountain Rescue Service (GSS - initials in Croatian) offers help in
case of emergency. The GSS offers its service for free to those in need,
and the members ask and expect full cooperation from everyone involved.
The GSS can be notified via the nearest information point or by contacting
a police station (tel: 92).
Important note: If you are unable to contact
the GSS at once, call the police.
Mountain Rescue Service Commission of Croatia
Kozarčeva 22, 10000 Zagreb, President: Damir
Lacković
tel/fax: +385 1 4824 142, tel: +385 1 4823 624
Markings
Croatian mountains are marked according to standards: a red circle with
a white dot in the center. Sometimes, very thin trees are marked with
two parallel red lines and a white line between them. The mountaineering
clubs look after the maintenance of the markings, usually those clubs
that have their lodge or hut in the mountain. The exception is the Velebit
mountain path, which is looked after by Planinarski Savez Hrvatske (PSH),
the Mountain Climbing Federation of Croatia.
Mountains far from the climbing clubs, and especially those in which there
are no huts, are sparsely marked. It should be added that occasionally
careless trippers or shepherds damage or destroy signs at crossways and
cut down the trees in mountain regions and so remove the markings.
Information
Hrvatski planinarski savez (Croatian climbing federation)
Kozarčeva 22, 10000 Zagreb
tel: 01 4823 624, tel/fax: (01) 4824 142
Planinarski savez Zagreb (Zagreb climbing federation)
Ribnjak 2, 10000 Zagreb
Tel.: (01) 4818 551
Journal
of Croatian mountaineering association (pages
only in Croatian)
Consulted source: Dr Željko Poljak:
The Mountains of Croatia, a climbing and tourist guide. The Croatian Climbing
Federation, 1981. More information can be found on the Croatian
National Board web site.
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