Blog

MTB Rujnica

Country: Croatia
Mountain: Velika Rujnica/Babina gomila peak
Length: 30 km
Elevation gain: 920 m
Maximum elevation:  735 m
Technical difficulty: 4/5
Download GPS Track: Velika Rujnica_Babina Gomila_Cyclotrail
Date of ride: 02.07.2018.
Suitable for E-bike: No

I visited Babina gomila two times. First time was in December 2017 (with Đani and Ivo), and second time during summer 2018 (that is the reason why I have pictures in winter and summer time). I cannot say for sure, but I think that Đani, Ivo and me were probably the first ones that visited Velika Rujnica by bike. Ride starts from a small place called Rogotin. I parked my car near bus station and continued to ride along Neretva river (follow the road which turns left just before Rogotin bridge) . At 3rd km turn left for Banja, then keep right at intersection. Right road takes you to Blue eye and lake Desne (Modro oko i jezero Desne). This is significant landscape of partially submerged karst depression connected with river Neretva. Except as a ladscape, this area is also significant from the point of view of biodiversity because it contains endangered habitats, and is also important for the migration and wintering of birds.

View on Desne and Blue eye from above. You can see Neretva delta and part od peninsula Pelješac.
Before Strimen, there is a road that goes left. After some time it becomes unpaved road which leads through olive garden. After some time unpaved road transforms  into narrow singletrack which leads to Babina gomila peak.  After reaching singletrack our travel to the peak becomes combination of bike&hike. I was lucky to visit this mountain during winter and summer. In winter Rujnica has a brown color, with not so many vegetation and animals, but at summer, Rujnica becomes green beauty crowded with vegetation and spider nets crossing the paths.

Peak is at 735 meters and offers open view at all directions. You can see Biokovo massif, peninsula Pelješac, delta of river Neretva and local hills. A few hundred meters before the peak is not for biking so I left my bike and hiked that part. I was in big problems afterward because vegetation were so big I couldn’t find my bike :D.

At descend I had a problems of another kind. My tire punctured two times and I had only one inner tube (at the time I didn’t have tubeless) and no repair kit so I couldn’t ride and record the whole track, which is actually the best part of the track. I finished my ride at worst possible way (if you exclude injury), carrying my bike downhill for 5 km. That day I learned valuable lesson, ride tubeless in Dalmatian karst, you should learn from my mistake… Nevertheless, you can download the whole track that i rode with Đani and Ivo.

Map of route:

Elevation profile:

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Leave a Reply