Novi Sad, 18.05.2019.
Morning.
It's fresh outside...
We're gathering by the riverbank, and there's a mist, with the sun barely breaking through the fog.
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| Morning mist by the riverbank. |
We're loading the bikes onto the cars.
And we're off...
Our first serious break is at the viewpoint "Kapija Podrinja" (about 20 km before Bašta), to stretch our legs a bit and, of course, to take some pictures.
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| The view from this spot is phenomenal, and honestly, I always stop here whenever I pass by. A few years ago, they even built a wooden platform that makes the view even more beautiful. |
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| Panorama from "Kapija Podrinja". |
After the viewpoint, we continue on and arrive at Bašta, at the agreed meeting spot (the parking lot near the church). Waiting for us impatiently are Mentor, Lauda, and Dragan, our hosts from Bajina Bašta.
Soon, the second car arrives, followed by the third. We unload the bikes and change clothes. The welcome is top-notch; the hosts pull out a bottle of homemade brandy to treat the guests... |
| The Welcoming |
And then the bottle started making the rounds, and the hosts wouldn't allow anyone to leave without finishing it all.
Epilogue:
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| Mission accomplished! |
While the above-mentioned mission was being carried out, I was debating whether or not to put on sunscreen (since I burn easily), but it's still spring, and the sun isn't too strong yet, though the temperature was a pleasant 23-24°C.
I decided it was better to put some on, just in case (despite the curse that seems to follow me, sunscreen, and rain). I thought to myself, none of the forecasts I checked before the ride mentioned rain, so there's no reason to risk getting burned.
I applied the sunscreen.
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| Putting on the sunscreen... let’s hope it won’t... |
I was also debating which bike to take (road or trekking), as in May there's still a lot of gravel on the road, which can easily puncture tires. I opted for the trekking bike (the safer option), especially since we were a larger group, which meant we'd be riding slower anyway.
The route mapped on Strava and RideWithGPS didn’t seem too difficult (based on the digital data). Sure, it was clear that there were about 2000 meters of elevation gain spread over a little more than 90 km, but it didn't look too bad. In practice, every climb had a double-digit incline (10-14%) at least at one point, and some climbs were entirely in "double-digits"...
The route: Bajina Bašta - Perućac - climb to Mitrovac - loop around Zaovine Lake - back to Mitrovac - Kaluđerske Bare - Bajina Bašta.
We set off...
The first 15 km are flat, following the Drina River. The mood is fantastic, and we're riding together as a group. There’s constant laughter, not a moment without it.
We arrive in Perućac. Here, we make a point to visit the Vrelo River (also known as the "Year River" because it’s 365 meters long), which is said to be the shortest river in Europe. The river springs from Mount Tara, immediately forms a waterfall, then calms down, only to cascade beautifully into the Drina River in a stunning waterfall.
By the river, we were hit by an icy blast of cold air.
Unfortunately, you can’t actually reach the source because that area’s fenced off by the Drina-Lim Hydroelectric Power Plants. So, taking a picture by the fence was the closest we could get to 'reaching' the Vrelo river spring..
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| One selfie |
After snapping a picture next to the legendary fence, we head back to the road, where Đole announces that his tire is flat.
And that’s when the problems begin…
Đole, ever the optimist, has no tools on him, and he’s riding this ancient bike (just by looking at it, it’s at least 20+ years old). The back wheel? Yeah, that needs a size 15 wrench to come off...
Hmmmmm, none of us have a size 15 wrench, of course. Modern bikes have quick-release axles.
Luckily, Mentor, who works at the power plant (about 700-800 meters from the scene of the crime), says, 'I’ll go grab a size 15 wrench.
Wheel’s off, inner tube removed. That’s when the crew lost it laughing... the inner tube looks like it’s 'original equipment,' patched about 16 times, half-rotten...
I said, 'I’ve got a new one, it’s yours!' But here comes the next problem—the hole in the rim isn’t made for the car valve on my new tube.
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| Work’s in progress, and the tension is easing. |
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| The crew is following the action, constantly throwing in comments—definitely not boring! |
With some effort and struggle, we manage to squeeze the valve into the hole, and Đole is back in action.
After Perućac, the climb to Tara begins—around 11 km long, with an elevation gain of 850 meters, averaging an 8% grade. For most of the climb, it’s 8-10%, making it the first real challenge for the group.
On the climb, the group starts to spread out—some faster, some slower, but we’re all making our way up.
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| First break—I stopped to snap a photo and decided to wait for the others. |
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| Lauda, being the perfect host, is going up and down the road, keeping the Banditos company. |
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| The crew’s together again. |
We start moving forward, slowly making progress (after all, we come from the flatlands 😉).
About halfway up, we take another break (again with the idea of regrouping a bit)."
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| Panorama - Drina, Perućac Lake, Hydroelectric Plant |
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| The crew arrives. |
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| A quick selfie on the "krtici" |
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| A view toward Bašta. |
After a short break, we soon encounter two tunnels. We pass through them, the worst is behind us, and there’s not much left to go (about 2.5 km).
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| The tunnel looks like a perfect setting for a sci-fi movie. |
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| Finally, the end of the climb!!! |
I was the first to reach the intersection, so I waited for the others to join me.
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| The crew arrives at the intersection. |
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| Mitrovac - everyone’s together. |
After the break, we split into two teams:
- Team 1: Dragan from Bašta and Đole, who opted out of riding around Zaovine Lake.
- Team 2: The rest of the crew, continuing with the original plan.
Dragan had never planned to ride around the lake anyway—his route was just a loop from BB - Perućac - Mitrovac - Kaluđerske Bare - BB. Đole, on the other hand, burned out on the climb with his bike’s inadequate gearing and didn’t have the energy for the demands of the lake ride. The two of them headed towards Kaluđerske Bare, while the rest of us pressed on towards Zaovine Lake.
From Mitrovac to the lake, it’s mostly downhill (the first 700-800 meters have a slight uphill, but after that, it’s all descent). Before the turnoff where we needed to go right, there’s a water fountain. We stopped to refill, and Dule discovered he had a flat tire.
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| Gravel vs. Tires = 1:0 |
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| Tara Mountain. |
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| Zaovinsko jezero - veoma nizak vodostaj |
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| Tara—couldn’t be more beautiful. |
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| There’s still a lot of gravel on the road. |
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| There’s still a lot of gravel on the road. |
We rode on, slowly climbing to the highest point near Zaovine Lake. I didn’t even notice how the clouds were creeping in—before I knew it, the sun was gone...
When I reached the highest point (1200 meters above sea level), I glanced toward Bosnia—and the view was not promising, not at all.
It became clear that we were going to get soaked.
It wasn’t a matter of if we’d get wet, but when.
Once again, my curse—every time I put on sunscreen, I end up getting soaked...
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| It was obvious that a rain front was moving straight toward us—there was no mistake, we were going to get drenched. |
I stopped at the very top, put on my rain jacket, as it was starting to get cooler (nothing extreme yet), but with the descent coming, the jacket was a must.
The crew slowly gathered, and we continued on.
We descended to the dam, the rain front getting closer by the minute, and the race against time began—we were trying to make it at least to Mitrovac before the rain hit.
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| Zaovine Lake, photographed from the dam – the clouds are rolling in more and more. |
I stop to fill up water at the same fountain where Dule had his tire troubles.
About halfway between the dam and Mitrovac, a light drizzle begins—okay, not too bad, we keep riding. But as time passes, the rain picks up, getting stronger and stronger, and about a kilometer before Mitrovac, I decide to take cover under a thick tree canopy because it’s now pouring.
I waited about 10-15 minutes for the rain to ease up, then continued on to Mitrovac, where the rest of the crew had taken shelter in a gazebo.
There we waited together for the rain to pass.
Of course, it wasn’t boring—our good spirits and humor remained at a high level, even though the situation outside the gazebo wasn’t exactly ideal.
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| Hanging out with a bear. |
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| Hanging out with a bear. |
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| Hanging out with a bear. |
The temperature dropped from a pleasant 23-24°C down to 9°C. Everything was soaked from the rain, and while waiting for it to pass, we completely cooled off, and soon enough, we were freezing.
Just as our patience was running thin, the rain finally let up, so we headed toward Kaluđerske Bare. Just in time! We slowly warmed up again, even though it was cold outside, and as soon as we entered the forest, it got even worse.
In addition to the (unexpected) cold, we were also seriously hungry since the rain had delayed us. But we had dinner planned at Kaluđerske Bare, and the thought of that honestly kept me going. I’m sure the others felt the same, eagerly waiting to reach the hotel for our scheduled dinner.
Hotel in sight!!!!!!
Finaaaally...
We arrived—hungry, wet, and freezing.
We walked into the hotel, and it was pleasantly warm inside. Only then did we realize how cold it had gotten outside.
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A hot bowl of veal soup was a MUST—to warm up a bit.
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| The good vibes were still going strong. |
Over dinner, we recounted the day’s adventures and stories from previous rides. Time flew by, night was slowly falling outside, but we didn’t care—not in that moment, sitting in the warmth, eating, laughing, enjoying ourselves...
Dinner done, and now we just had ONE more thing left—the descent to Bašta. A measly 15 kilometers, in serious cold, downhill (no chance to warm up), and in the dark.
What could be better...
Not everyone had lights (we hadn’t planned on riding after dark), so those who had extras shared them with those who didn’t.
We started the descent, Bašta getting closer and closer, and finally, there we were—back at the cars.
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| Made it to the cars. |
We changed into dry clothes and hit the road back to Novi Sad.
It was an unreal experience (not counting the rain, which made things a little more complicated).
I have to thank our hosts (Aca, Miša, and Dragan) for the fantastic welcome, the great stories along various parts of the route, and making sure everything went smoothly. They really hosted us perfectly!
Until the next ride,
D.
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