Subra (circular route), grade I+
Subra is really surprising, impressive, and grand – certainly anything but an easy hiking peak.
Rarely is appearance so deceptive as at Subra: What looks from a distance like an ascent to a gentle dome turns out in reality to be a serious challenge in wild karst terrain where you must bypass fissures, jump over rock gaps, and carefully avoid abyssal shafts. There are also short climbing sections and on the descent two almost vertical rock gorges must be mastered.
The reason for this "optical illusion" is the horizontal layering of the rock on the Subra plateau, the middle zone of the mountain, which only reveals its true ruggedness from above—or when trying to cross it. Viewed from the side, Subra looks quite harmless due to its gentle, rounded summit zone.
Therefore, the circular route described here is a real karst adventure made possible for non-locals only due to the excellent trail markings placed by the "Mountain Friends Subra" from Herceg Novi.
Author’s recommendation
You should take plenty of time at the spectacular Subra plateau to thoroughly appreciate its "wildness".
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
Track types
Safety information
Absolute sure-footedness and freedom from dizziness are indispensable to safely navigate through the rugged karst landscape along the often quite boldly placed markings.
Tips and suggestions
Babina Glava (Lovćen) – Circular route
Pestingrad - Krstac from/to Kotor
Roadbook
From the parking area, follow the yellow signpost "Subra" uphill and walk on a gravel track gently uphill. After a while, a marking points left and you shorten a hairpin via an old stone path to rejoin the track, which initially continues flat, then climbs steeply in switchbacks to the saddle "Vratlo" and then gently downhill to the shelter "Za Vrtatlom", which is managed in summer.
Just below the shelter at a fork, take the marked route left towards "Subra". The footpath leads along a shallow karst basin and reaches another fork where you follow the markings left. At a subsequent fork, also keep left. You walk through light woodland gently uphill and reach another signposted fork where you continue straight towards "Subra". The route goes flat again through open terrain along a karst depression, then up a wide ridge past a stone house. Beyond, in the forest, the route gradually climbs more steeply and soon reaches the edge of the karstic Subra plateau in blocky terrain, where despite the dense markings you should watch carefully for fissures and cross cracks. You pass several vertical shafts that are labeled (e.g., Nikolina Jama, 188 m deep) and ascend in stages through the karst labyrinth. Beyond the plateau the route reaches forest again and leads steeply uphill there. You reach a junction left which leads to the viewpoint "Vilino Guvno" (very worthwhile!). After returning to this junction, you continue climbing straight ahead and pass the "Zaklon Shelter". Soon you follow a horizontal rock ledge to the right back to the main ridge and then steeply up in rough block terrain, past a junction to a spring and finally surprisingly easily over some karst steps to the gentle summit dome of Subra.
For the descent, follow a mountain ridge from the summit northeast along markings downhill. Soon it goes steeply down over karst steps and curves to the right, then through scattered pines and down to a gorge where you have to climb down (grade I+). Beyond that follows a traverse with unpleasant narrow sections leading to a descent into an extremely steep gully down to the right. Another traverse crosses a deep rock crevice, then continues downhill through very rough karst terrain. The next crossing to the left goes almost flat through very rugged rock for quite a while. Finally, you go down another gully and then diagonally left below it over a slope to a rock plateau where a junction to a spring is marked right. Straight ahead the markings continue flatter through the karst and soon turn right. You reach the labeled junction to Somova Cave and follow the markings left further towards "Za Vratlom". Here the terrain becomes flatter and the path gradually gentle. You cross a forest and reach a fork where you have to turn sharply right towards Vratlo Shelter. Behind a crest in the forest at another fork keep left (Vratlo). Soon you pass Vodena Cave where water drips and at the next crossing reach the ascent route, which you follow left passing the shelter back to the starting point.
Public transport
No connection
Directions
On the coastal road M-1 from Bijela to Herceg Novi, in the district Meljine shortly before Herceg Novi, take the roundabout towards Trebinje. After several hairpins you reach the town Kameno and a junction with signs "Sveti Stefan" and "Subra". On this paved side road (single-lane) drive uphill to a junction "Zlijebi", keep left there and after more hairpins reach a sharp left turn at a large sign saying "Mountain Hut Subra". Here you can park on the valley side next to the road. (It is also possible for a normal car to drive a bit further and park after the first right curve or a few hundred meters after the start of the gravel road, also on the right. However, driving up to the Mountain Hut itself is impossible for a car.)
Parking
Parking lengthwise on the valley side next to the road opposite the sign "Mountain Hut Subra" or right after the first curve past the junction to the "Mountain Hut".
Coordinates
Equipment
Hiking equipment.
In every backpack should be: rain, cold, and sun protection, a first aid kit, sufficient fluids, and a hiking map of the region.
Localization
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.

User Questions