CLIMBING

About 60% of Croatia’s surface is mountainous which, together with its unusual karst phenomena, makes it one of the most interesting places to climb in Europe.
There are a lot of routes which have been tried and tested, some made secure with fixed anchorage bolts, but a whole lot more that have not.
Croatian climbers await and welcome all you adventurous rock climbers out there to join them in pushing the boundaries of exploration further.

The mountains of the Republic of Croatia mainly belong to the Dinaric range, which is known in the world as a classic region of deep karst. The sharp karst shapes, the domination of bare karst, the lack of water, poverty of vegetation, harsh climate and sparse population require the same efforts from the climber as many much higher mountains.

There are differences among the Dinaric mountains. Those in the north, in Gorski kotar, for example, are lower and milder and those in the south, the Dalmatian mountains, are higher and more deserted. Good climbing mountains are not just restricted to the mainland, there are some excellent climbs on the islands of Hvar, Brac and on the almost-island, the Pelijesac peninsular.

Unlike the mountains of the mainland, the foothills of the island mountains have been shaped by the action of the sea. The best such example is the coast of Dugi otok, with its vertical cliffs that rear right up from the sea for over 100 metres, but this is a common feature of all the islands. Well known climbs on Hvar include Miss Jadrana and Crown point, both on the cliff base of Suplja stina. Nowhere in Croatia is the climate as mild as in the islands. The average temperature in January is never below zero which means that the summer climbing season lasts all the year round. The main trouble that a climber may encounter is the summer heat and lack of water.

Velebit at 1,758 m is one of Croatia’s tallest mountains and the longest mountain of the Dinar system, with a limestone structure and steep sides. It is part of the Paklenica & Sjevern Velebit National Parks and includes the famous vertical rock formation, known as Anica Kuk, which is one of the most popular training areas for Croatian mountain climbers.

The Biokovo mountains of Central Dalmatia, with Sv Jure as its highest peak at 1762 m, are perhaps the most imposing mountains of Croatia. The most important feature of these mountains is that the highest mountain regions here do not have the form of a ridge but of a high plateau (up to about 1700 metres), with a very complicated relief, with many gorges and peaks, caverns and spurs. The edges of the plateaux often finish in huge vertical cliffs that plunge into deep, flat karst fields. As a rule the cliffs tend to be found on the south slopes, an exception being Troglov, which has cliffs on the northern slopes.

The Biokovo mountains dominate the whole landscape, towering above all the little resorts on the Makarska Riviera, providing a spectacular back-drop to an already beautiful coastal area. Where else better to take a holiday than here; it has the best beaches, some of the best accommodation in Croatia, a wealth of cafes and restaurants - and it has Biokovo! source: www.dalmatiancoast.com

The highest mountains in the Republic of Croatia

Coastal Belt and Mountain Croatia
Dinara - 1,831 m
Kamesnica - 1,809 m
Biokovo - 1762 m (Sv Jure)
Velebit - 1,758 m (Vaganski vrh/peak)
Licka Pljesevica - 1,657 m (Ozeblin)
Velika Kapela - 1,534 (Bjelolasica)
Risnjak in Gorski kotar 1,528 m
Svilaja, Dalmatia - 1,508 m
Snjeznik, Gorski kotar - 1505 m
Ucka - 1,401 m (Vojak)

Pannonian Part
Zumberacka gora - 1,178 (Sveta Gora)
Ivancica - 1,060 m
Medvednica - 1,033 m (Sljeme)
Psunj - 985 m (Brezovo polje)
Papuk - 954 m
Samoborsko gorje - 879 m (Japetic)
Krndija - 792 m (Kapavac)


Islands
Brac - 778 m (Vidova gora)
Cres - 650 m (Gorica)
Hvar - 626 m (Sv. Nikola)
Losinj - 588 m (Osorscica)
Vis - 587 m (Hum)
Krk - 569 m (Obzova)
Korcula - 568 m (Klupca)
Mljet - 514 m (Velji Grad)
Lastovo - 417 m (Hum)
Rab - 403 m (Kamenjak)