Macedonia's mysterious mountain

01/07/2009

With myths swirling around Solunska Glava and green ice hidden in caves, Macedonia's Jakupica Mountain.has many rewards for adventurous climbers.

By Zoran Nikolovski for Southeast European Times in Skopje -- 01/07/09 Photos by Darko Andonovski

According to legend, you can see Thessaloniki, Greece from the 2,540m-high peak.

The top of Solunska Glava, the tallest point of Jakupica Mountain in central Macedonia, looks like a mixture of the Swiss Alps' greenery and the beauty of America's Rocky Mountains.

According to legend, you can see the Greek port city of Thessaloniki from the 2,540m-high peak. In the Macedonian tongue, the city's name is Solun, and the mountain's name literally means "Salonica's head".

The myth has attracted numerous mountaineers, dirt bikers, paragliders and hikers over the years.

"I have been here for six months, but have not seen the sea yet. You never know, there is time," said a guard at the telecommunications station.

Even if climbers fail to see all the way to the Aegean coast, there are plenty of other breathtaking sights, such as the perfectly smooth Nezilovo Cliff. Uros Zupancic first scaled it in 1936.

Mountaineers, dirt bikers, paragliders and hikers, from Macedonia and other countries, come to Solunska Glava.

Mountaineers have also said that, on a clear day, you can see Greece's Mount Olympus and Vihren in neighbouring Bulgaria.

Working your way down the summit slightly, at Begovo field, there are two caves, which are home to green ice and curious insects.

According to shepherds on the mountain, wild wolves, foxes, bears and boars also prowl the terrain. Fishermen claim that the river trout in the local Kadina River Falls, down the hillside of the Karadzica and Kitka mountains, are the hardest to catch in the country.

Hikers who want to scale Jakupica Mountain can reach Begovo field and Solunska Glava by climbing up a mountainous path south of Macedonia's capital, Skopje, via the Kitka and Karadzica Mountains.

From Solunska Glava, climbers can spend the night at one of two camps situated on the north side of the mountain.

One of those camps, Cheples, is located only few kilometers from the summit.

The camps aren't luxurious, and cost about 2 euros per night -- a small price to pay to hear birds sing, breathe fresh mountain air and see awe-inspiring sites.

During the summer, the Makedon Mountaineering Sports Club organises a three-day camping event for hikers to experience Macedonia's mysterious mountain.