Donji kotao / Diljin katun (from hut 'Karanfil')
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 4.83 mi
- Elevation gain
- 2,270 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 2,270 ft
- Max elevation
- 5,486 ft
- TrailRank
- 32
- Min elevation
- 3,739 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- 4 hours 6 minutes
- Coordinates
- 2314
- Uploaded
- October 30, 2022
- Recorded
- October 2022
near Dolja, Gusinje (Montenegro)
Viewed 167 times, downloaded 12 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Donji kotao is a classic hike from the valley of Grebaje to the womb of Karanfili and a glacieret that lies inside.
You start from a characteristic big rock in the third (last) meadow of Grebaje. The trail then turns eastwards up through a wood, where it splits, the left part going to Donji kotao and the right part to Zastan. Once you reach a gully, you cannot miss the path anymore, you just follow the gully all the way to Donji kotao.
The trail is marked by some new improvised marks in the first part (through the wood), and by few old classic marks through the gully. Anyway, as said, the orientation is rather easy.
There are two points on the trail which are secured by fixed cables and ropes, with the first point being pretty tricky for someone going there for the first time and not too much (or at all) into proper climbing :) Seriously, it does require attention.
There's actually a big rock/barrier in the middle section of the gully, which cannot be climbed directly but needs to be bypassed, by climbing rocks on the left of it. We spent a lot of time before finally succeeding, almost abandoning it. You need to identify the exact footholds and the manoeuvre that you will use, including the iron pin (use it!). We positioned ourselves very close to the rock/barrier, used the footholds (including the pin) of the rock we were climbing while holding a vertical cable or a rope and leaning on the rock/barrier by our backs, and then at one point grabbed a horizontal cable by right hand, after which we were able to reach a dent in the rock we were climbing, and then it was a lot easier to proceed.
There's also a second point with cables and ropes on the trail, but it's much easier, to the point that the cables/ropes are basically not needed.
Finally, at the elevation of 1,600m you reach an amphitheater with three imposing rocks: Gvozdac (Iron peak) on the left, Koplje (Spear) in front and Prijesto (Throne) on the right. In late spring or early summer I can imagine the snow would be very close to the 1,600m. However, near the end of October, we found only a small part of the glacieret at some 1,650m, while the main part receded to some 1,750m (rough estimate, as we only reached the small part).
You start from a characteristic big rock in the third (last) meadow of Grebaje. The trail then turns eastwards up through a wood, where it splits, the left part going to Donji kotao and the right part to Zastan. Once you reach a gully, you cannot miss the path anymore, you just follow the gully all the way to Donji kotao.
The trail is marked by some new improvised marks in the first part (through the wood), and by few old classic marks through the gully. Anyway, as said, the orientation is rather easy.
There are two points on the trail which are secured by fixed cables and ropes, with the first point being pretty tricky for someone going there for the first time and not too much (or at all) into proper climbing :) Seriously, it does require attention.
There's actually a big rock/barrier in the middle section of the gully, which cannot be climbed directly but needs to be bypassed, by climbing rocks on the left of it. We spent a lot of time before finally succeeding, almost abandoning it. You need to identify the exact footholds and the manoeuvre that you will use, including the iron pin (use it!). We positioned ourselves very close to the rock/barrier, used the footholds (including the pin) of the rock we were climbing while holding a vertical cable or a rope and leaning on the rock/barrier by our backs, and then at one point grabbed a horizontal cable by right hand, after which we were able to reach a dent in the rock we were climbing, and then it was a lot easier to proceed.
There's also a second point with cables and ropes on the trail, but it's much easier, to the point that the cables/ropes are basically not needed.
Finally, at the elevation of 1,600m you reach an amphitheater with three imposing rocks: Gvozdac (Iron peak) on the left, Koplje (Spear) in front and Prijesto (Throne) on the right. In late spring or early summer I can imagine the snow would be very close to the 1,600m. However, near the end of October, we found only a small part of the glacieret at some 1,650m, while the main part receded to some 1,750m (rough estimate, as we only reached the small part).
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