Safe Return Doubtful

60 miles (97 km) – Total so far: 526 miles (847 km)

Misty morning.

And onwards through the canyon.
It’s gently up and down for about 15 kilometres, on a road devoid of cars which I suspect later will not be.
The sun is trying its best to get through. A good time to ride.

More tunnels to beware of…
There’s about 10 of them in the Gorge. None have any lighting.

Then a hundred metre or so climb to the Tara bridge.
It’s quite touristy, though still too early in the morning.

A timely little break and a chance to chat with a French hiker and a couple of Austrian cyclists headed the other way, and exchange information.

The road now climbs about 700 metres, steadily at a sensible gradient, 6-8%.
This is now the Durmitor National Park. The climb has traffic, not crazy, but quite evident, trucks also.
It emerges onto a grassy plain

And now, about 8 km out of Zabljak, the fun begins..
This is the Durmitor National Park proper.
The road is a single track, with very little traffic, and the scenery is staggering.
The road climbs steadily, but the riding is always of the highest quality.

To 1904 metres, a new high point for my tour.

There are two high points to the road.
The first at 1904 m as in the last photos, the second here at 1880 m, with a drop of 200 metres or so between them, a saddle, as it is called in the local language.
I meet the guys here who had taken my photo before, chatting with a shepherd. They get a beer for each of us from the car, a Serbian and a German, and the shepherd. A good ten minute break.

It’s a tremendous 10 kilometres, probably more, at 1700 metres+, then (sadly) down…

…back to agricultural land, and a view of the Balkans for the next days.

This is one of the finest afternoons riding I have ever done.
The descent is hugely spectacular – 1100 metres down to the Pluzine Gorge and reservoir.

It’s switchbacks, dark tunnels, and, just to round things off, a storm.

Not a bad way to celebrate your 57th birthday.
One of the most thrilling rides I have done, and, ‘icing on the cake’, a decent darker beer at 6.2%.

10 km on and the ski town of Zabljak, at 1400 metres asl.