Mons Vipera

view to a hill

It's a grey and rainy day in Korčula, jugo wind is showing its consistency and persistency in keepeing you inside...ideal for many indoor activities such as cooking, watching a film from a couch or brainstorming. Through the window and clouds I percieve the mountain of Zmijino brdo also known as Mons vipera (Viper's mountain) or Perun's mountain, and its peak Sveti Ilija.

across the sea

Its presence dominates the area of Pelješac and north-east side of Korčula island. It rises 961 m above sea level as a giant from some old tales not really interested in people but rather happy when left alone. Occasionally gets angry and then it's not a place to be there. But we all know that storms come and go and blue sky appears again as if it has never rained before. 

Orebić

A group of us, friends, went few weeks ago up there to spend a night in the so called hunters' cabin (half an hour walk from the top) and the forecast said it would rain at night. We contacted the local Mountaineering Club Sv. Ilija from Orebić to get the hut key and they said somebody was already up there so there was nothing to worry.

hike up

Our pace was moderate and we got there just in time to organize wood for fire and then after a grill and homemade wine right when we got into our sleeping bags the clouds swallowed the mountain and began pouring down its wet content. It felt nice being inside, protected. It seemed we were the only people in the world and I imagined us from say, a perspective of Korčula, when on such a day you only see two thirds of Ilija and the rest dissapears in the clouds like some lost and distant world. 

in the mountain

Wind gusts and showers went on whole night, and finally the morning cleared the sky so after breakfast we went to the top plateau to admire the view to the mainland and distant mountains of Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro to the north and islands of Mljet, Korčula, Lastovo, Sušac, Vis, Hvar...on a day with a really good visibility it's possible to see the most remote islets of Palagruža and even the Italian coast. 

the ridge

Spectacular landscape includes the ridge of the peninsula of Pelješac itself resembling a long and jagged dormant beast winding and streching for 65 kilometers. If one wanted to venture into exploring numerous coves, fields, vineyards, taverns and wine cellars, villages, not to mention history, it would take time but it's nice to know that there is always something new and different to come back to.

 

sage

   

prickly juniper

Like this mountain; from its foothill you mostly see rock and little greenery and when you start ascending it, like we did, taking the east, steeper trail, it is fascinating how suddenly you're walking surrounded by trees and when you arrive to the plateau leading to the cabin it is even more green and fertile then expected, tall, mighty black pines stand in harmony with hibernating sage and prickly juniper forming such a delighting scene that you soon start thinking you have to be back in springtime when they are blooming.

black Dalmatian pines

As for the animal world the most common is to spot moufflons, but they share the mountain with more elusive jackals, boars, rabbits, falcons, hawks, vipers, owls, pheasants, grouses, and many other birds species. Seeing hoarses roaming some lower parts of the mountain is no surprise either. In order to encounter some of the wildlife one should be silent, spend more time in the mountain or simply be lucky, perhaps armed with a binocular.

 

...because it's there...

The way down took us more to the west in a milder but longer trail, first through the trees and then it started turning back towards our starting point in Orebić with views opening once again to Korčula island and town with all the islets spread out in the strait. And then the chapel of Lady of Karmen and its cypresses gave us one more opportunity to stop for a moment and reflect on all the wonderful things and sights we've met along the way.

a view to Korčula and Lumbarda

To summarise, Sveti Ilija is a wild and beautiful mountain with good and marked trails, an ecological heaven only a couple of hours walk from the sea level, so if you happen to be in the area and have a „hiking problem“, that's a place to go, particularly in spring or autumn when conditions and temperatures are generally more favourable.