mtb velež

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.
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Mtb Mostar, Velež

Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Mountain: Velež, Brasina peak
Length: 43,5 km
Elevation gain: 1850 m
Maximum elevation:  1897 m
Technical difficulty: 3/5
Download GPS Track: Mostar Velež_cyclotrail
Date of ride: 14.04.2018.
Suitable for E-bike: Yes

Mostar, and mountain Velež are my first mountain biking experience in BiH and introduction is very interesting. In Slavic myhtology Veles, Volos or Voloh is god of earth, water and underground. He is often connected with dragons, cattle, musicians, magic, fortune and deceptions and is Perun’s main antagonist. Their rivalry is one of the main myths in Slavic mythology.

Before I went from Zagreb to town Ploče  I made contact with Đani over social media. I’ve read some of his text on internet about biking, explored some of his routes that he drove, so i knew that he could give me very good informations where to ride in BiH. Finally we met in person in Croatia at the end of 2017. while we rode on Babina Gomila (one of hills near Neretva Valley). At the time all mountains in BiH were covered in snow, so I had to be patient and wait for snow to melt down. And then on april, I got invitation from Đani to visit mountain Velež with his friend Darko. I didn’t know much about route, I just knew that there was one way road up and down to the peak Brasina in combination of paved and unpaved road.

At the day of ride I was a little late so we rode later than we planned. Due to my delay and potential snowdrifts we shortened our ascent and started our climb at 9th km of gpx file. Later that showed as a good call, because at higher elevations there were still substantial amount of snow, and took us quite time to cross them.

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