New winter climbs in Croatia and Herzegovina

Croatia is certainly not world-famous for high mountains and extreme alpine winter ascents, yet around New Year a team of Croatian alpinists explored the winter potential of the Velebit massif which peaks with Vaganski Vrh (1757m) and also host the famous Paklenica National Park with its pristine limestone walls. Guided by Rene Lisac and Krešimir Milas, the team set its sights set on Visočica (1619m), located opposite the island of Pag, which revealed a host of new moderate routes that add to the original line Starčevića greben climbed by Borislav Aleraj and Borislav Starčević back in 1972. The new routes are:

Balerina 70°, M4/50°, 300m (Rene Lisac e Krešimir Milas)
Nagazna direkt 55°,M3/40°, 220m (Lisac, Milas, Ratko Johan, Lada Lukinić, Matko Patekar)
Zimski cvijet 60°, M3/45°, 250m (Lisac, Milas, Johan, Lukinić, Patekar)
Minski cvijet 55°, M3/45° 180m (Milas, Johan)
Baletana 70°, M4/50° 280m (Lisac, Milas, Johan)

According to Vedrana Simičevć, it is worth underlining that during the first half of the 1990's this area was fought over during the devastating Serbo-Croatian war and landmines still remain in the region's mountains. In fact, the Croatian Mountaineering Organization (Hrvatski planinarski savez) considers this area dangerous; anyone interested in climbing is highly advised to gather information by contacting Milas Krešimir milasvegas@gmail.com or the famous Croatian climber Borislav Aleraj borislav.aleraj@zg.t-com.hr.

It is worth noting that during the same period some other Croatian alpinists headed further south, to the remote Čvrsnica in Herzegovina where Edo Retelj and Domagoj Laušić established Kiflinu kosu rampu 55°, 300m, while Antonio Sunara and Željko Bockovac put up Alo, kusur momak! D- (75-85/45-60, 300m). According to Peter Miksa of friko.si, "climbing on Cvrsnica sometimes reminded of climbing the mixed and ice routes on Ben Nevis."

For further information and photos check out friko.si