Mountains don’t know borders
Last but not least I’m hiking Maglić peak, the grand finale of the White Trail in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although the official Via Dinarica Trail goes to Trnovačko jezero before it climbs up to the peak, I choose an alternate route: the adventurous approach from Prijevor directly to Maglić.
Continue Reading "Hiking Maglić peak, Via Dinarica VLOG #4"
In this video I’m hiking Lelija and Zelengora mountain, the second to last section of the Via Dinarica White Trail in Bosnia and Herzegovina. From Kamp Lalović in Jelašca (near Kalinovik) I crossed Zelengora all the way to Sutjeska National Park, to Kovačev Panj. A perfect combination of crazy green wilderness, white karst, cold lakes and endlessly wide views.
Continue Reading "Hiking Lelija and Zelengora mountain, Via Dinarica VLOG #3"
In this video I’m hiking from mountain hut Jezerce on Prenj via Boračko jezero to Lukomir. A trip down memory lane through Bjelašnica’s crazy green wilderness and the unapproachable Rakitnica canyon.
Continue Reading "Hiking the Rakitnica canyon to Lukomir, Via Dinarica VLOG #2"
It’s been a while, but I’m back on the Via Dinarica. I’m section hiking the parts I loved the most when I was out there in 2016, new routes that will be included in the near future and peaks I skipped because of bad weather.
Continue Reading "Hiking from Mostar to Prenj, Via Dinarica VLOG #1"
After almost three months in North Macedonia it was time to leave the country. Literary, because my tourist visa would expire after ninety days. I choose to head towards Kosovo, partly because I wanted to leave the option open to go for a hike in Prokletije, but mostly because I wanted to ride through Durmitor National Park. Although I was still far from light weight packed, I felt ready to give the mountains another chance while biking from Skopje to Mostar.
Continue Reading "Biking from Skopje to Mostar via Durmitor National Park"
The 5th of May I arrived in Mavrovi Anovi, at Ski Hut Gorica to be precise. This mountain lodge has been my home base for May, June and July. In the first place I helped out with the usual things like cleaning and making the beds, helping guests to find their way around and providing them with information to have them explore Mavrovo National Park. But there were also quite a bunch of other jobs such as painting furniture, building lockers and gardening for example. And if a good weather window opened, I couldn’t resist running off into the mountains. So, yeah, no reason to be bored.
Continue Reading "Work Away at Ski Hut Gorica, how I spent my time"
Left Sarajevo in the rain, woke up in snow. It’s May, but in the mountains it feels like Spring is still asleep. Alright, then I have another excuse to find myself an easier road. Not that I don’t like mountains, I love them, but it’s damn though and I’m not properly equipped. Or actually, I’m over-equipped with non-biking related equipment. I’m heavy and slow and a tiny little bit in a hurry, because the second week of May I hope to be able to help my friends in Mavrovi Anovi by looking after their house while they’re gone. And thus, I tried to find a relatively easy, but still very scenic route from Sarajevo to Mavrovo.
Continue Reading "Biking from Sarajevo to Mavrovo, cruising canyons"
Hey there, it’s adventure time. I’m biking from Zagreb to Sarajevo and further on to Macedonia, Skihut Gorica in Mavrovi Anovi to be precise. This year I’ll travel to only a few locations in the Balkans, because I’d like to spend more time in one place. Visit friends, pick up rock climbing and write. But I also want to learn about organic farming and fishing, do volunteer work and learn to speak the language like I did in Zagreb. As long as the weather allows I’ll use my bike as transport. I sort have a route, but I have no idea what I’m capable off. Guess I’ll find out along the way.
Continue Reading "Biking from Zagreb to Sarajevo, I choose rivers"
In class we had to write an “essay” about our favourite, or best, weekend. Although it’s not even 150 words, it is my first story in Croatian. Thought it would be fun to share.
Continue Reading "Moj najbolji vikend"
At the end of the month I’d like to look back on what I’ve done, on how I felt and what was on my mind. While scrolling through the photos, I immediately got a smile on my face. I like Zagreb. It’s been almost two months since I left the Netherlands and although I thought I didn’t do much, except for learning Croatian, it turned out that I explored quite a bit. So, here’s a photo journal about my life in Zagreb and an unorganized list of things to do in and around Zagreb.
Continue Reading "Life in Zagreb, two months in Croatia’s capital city"
Dobro došli. Welcome.
Doći, argh a ći-verb. Došla sam?
Išla, mogla, željela, mislila, gledala – the lala’s and sams dance around the class room. My head is spinning. All verbs I know have changed. Meet the Croatian language. It takes a while for me to realize we’re gonna do the past tense. Excitement, let’s do this.
Continue Reading "Back to School"
At the end of the month I like to look back on where I’ve been and what I’ve done. On how I felt and what was on my mind. I could have posted these photos on Instagram, but I didn’t. Now they’re in February’s photo diary where I leave snowy Sarajevo for The Netherlands. Usually February is a bit of a difficult month, it’s not green yet, it’s still cold and the sunrise I terribly late. This year was different though. No, not the sunrise, no. But it was warm and sunny. There were blue skies, nature started to wake up. I even saw little lambs. This crazy early spring arrived almost at the same time as I did. Lucky me!
Continue Reading "Looking back on February: Crazy early spring & a microadventure"
When I open my eyes it’s dark, but I know we arrived in Zagreb. Hello Zagreb! The bus waits for a traffic light, when I look to the right I see McDonald’s and the casino. My eyes search for the church, the church on the opposite side of the building I live. Found it. It’s not the prettiest neighborhood in Zagreb, but I’m excited to be back. Even though I only live and lived here for a few months, it feels like “my” neighborhood. And even though I don’t have my own house or apartment, it feels like coming home.
At the end of the month I like to look back on where I’ve been and what I’ve done. On how I felt and what was on my mind. My Instagram pictures give a pretty good impression of what it’s like to spend some time in a mountain hut, but they don’t really tell what was on my mind. Or at least not during the second half of January. That’s why I wrote a weekly update as well, filed under “Trebević Tales“. Here’s January’s Photo Story with a whole lot of snow, snow, snow.
Continue Reading "Looking back on January: Snow, snow, snow!"
Here I am again, back on my blog and I got another (by the time I post it) old update for you. Here’s the fourth and last part of my Trebević work-away adventure: Trebević Tales #4 “UP and DOWN”.
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It has been over a month since my last update, but before I move on to new stories, I’d like to write the third part of my “Trebević Tales” series, the episode where we got snowed in. Or snowed out actually. Anyhow. Let me see, I think my last update stopped somewhere on the way down. Down to town. Yes. After almost two weeks on Trebević mountain I desperately needed a shower – wash and brush my hair, that kind of stuff. So, together with Sabina and Dado (regular customer and friend of the hut) I made my way through the snow towards the city. Sarajevo city.
Continue Reading "Trebević Tales #3 “Snowed in”"
What is it like to live in a mountain hut? Is it cold? What do you do all day? And what do you eat? With this video I hope to give you an impression. And in case you’d like to know, Sabina is showing how to make uštipci. THE traditional Bosnian mountain breakfast.
Continue Reading "How to make uštipci WINTERVLOG #3"
The first week on Trebević felt like one big weekend. There were people coming up for tea or coffee, for a warm meal, for a beer or something stronger. There were people spending the night at the hut, there was another vulonteer from Brasil and there was a New Year’s Eve party and a New Year’s Day hike. Busy winter holidays.
Continue Reading "Trebević Tales #2 “Mountain Life”"
“What are you doing for Christmas? Where will you be at New Year’s Eve? Do you have plans for your birthday?” Same questions every year. More or less same answer every year. “Don’t know, I’ll see.” For me the holidays aren’t anything special. I’d be totally fine hanging out in a hut, shovelling snow, making fire, walk a little, read a little. But to be honest this year I did feel like spending time with friends. Maybe I could do this walking, fire- making and snow shovelling stuff wíth friends?
Continue Reading "Trebević Tales #1 “The Wild One & Me”"
In the Netherlands it’s a tradition to dive into the ocean on the first of January. In Bosnia and Herzegovina they hike upon a mountain. So, this year no New Year’s Dive, but a New Year’s Hike for me. And which other mountain than the one and only Trebević could it be? In this video I show you more of the beauty right above Sarajevo. Or well, Sabina shows you, cause she’s the real star of the vlog. Together with Ana, Hana, Branka and Đon we happily hike to Trebević peak. Here’s my second vlog from the mountains, hike on!
Continue Reading "New Year’s Hike to Trebević peak WINTERVLOG #2"
At the end of the month I like to look back on what I’ve done and where I’ve been. On how I felt and what was on my mind. It turned out that my Instagram pictures actually give a pretty good impression. So, I decided to put them together in a blog post. Here’s my monthly photo essay, Looking back on December: Slowly sliding towards the finish line.
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In Sarajevo I met up with Sabina, a sweet sweet friend ánd crazy-cool outdoor buddy I met three years ago. We stayed in touch and try to meet at least twice a year. Whenever we see eachother we go for a hike. Mostly in the mountains. This time Sabina took me to Trebević, thé mountain above Sarajevo. We made our way up from old town to mountain hut Jure Franko. Although Sarajevo is one of my favourite cities, I prefer breathing fresh mountain air. Especially during the winter Sarajevo is extremely polluted. Unfortunately.
Continue Reading "Hiking from Sarajevo to Jure Franko WINTERVLOG #1"
Bura, Jugo, Bura, Jugo, Bura and there’s the Jugo again. Jugo brings clouds and rain from Italy, Bura blows it with a good dose of freezing cold air all away. In between it’s calm. So serene. Although I’m constantly checking the weather, it’s actually not bad at all. It’s exactly what I wished the winter to be like. Fresh air, clear skies and a whole lot of quietness. I learned that my tent can’t do wind, but even that’s okay. Just have to be a bit more strategic and opt for a room when there’s no other way out. Now I’m this close to Učka Nature Park, I will give everything I have to cross the finish line. Or in this case the finish top.
Continue Reading "Island of Pag and Rab & Učka Nature Park"
One more mountain to go. One more mountain before the trail would turn flat and take me to Krka National Park, Vransko jezero and eventually back to the coast. Bittersweet. I love those mountains, don’t want them to end. At the same time it’s getting harder and harder, colder and most of all, windier. But okay, that’s the season. I will give my best. And if my best isn’t good enough, I will come back another time.
Continue Reading "Kozjak mountain, Krka National Park & the coast"
On Biokovo it suddenly got cold. Cold, but still sunny. “Little Bura is coming” someone said. Bura, wind from the North can be tricky so I decided to go to Mostar to pick up warm clothes and new shoes before heading on to Omiška Dinara. Smart move, because on my way down my sandals ánd my FiveFingers fell apart. Even without Bura it would have been impossible to continue. Time to dust of those thumbs and get myself a ride to town.
Continue Reading "Mostar, Omiška Dinara & Mosor mountain"