Snow-covered Mt. Bjelasica in April: Almost half a meter of snow, mountaineers barely escape blizzard

Photo: RINA/Sasa Jovovic

Snowfall in the middle of April covered the Bjelasica mountain on the Bijelo Polje side. A group of mountaineers who found themselves at the Smiljaca Ski Center barely managed to get to safety.

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"When the snow started to fall, we went on a tour. The blizzard that caught us was as intense as if it was winter in full swing. Massive fog, large amounts of snow. We barely got out of the snowdrifts, and then we decided to spend the night on the mountain in a cottage, in order not to take any risks," Sasa Jovovic, a Smiljaca mountaineer, told RINA.

Snow on Mt. Bjelasica is currently 30 centimeters deep, and today this area looks like a proper winter fairy-tale.

"Unfortunately, we didn't have this kind of winter scenes during the whole winter, there was no snow at all. But, April surprised us. In previous years, when winters were not so mild, snow in April and May was a normal occurence, but now when temperatures (earlier) in April were almost summer-like, this was a surprise," Sasa added.

There are no permanent residents in this area of the Omar Katun, it consists mostly of cottages and pastures where the locals from nearby villages take their cattle during the summer. It is located at 1,760 meters above sea level and represents a magnificent landscape of wild, untouched nature.

"Bjelasica on the Bjelo Polje side is really beautiful, tourism is slowly starting to develop thanks to enthusiasts. Certainly, this area has a lot to offer visitors, so I hope it will be well-positioned on the tourist map," said Sasa.

(Telegraf.rs)