Zabljak to Podgorica

148km / 1680m

A day that had *everything* – in terms of weather, experiences, terrain, and encounters.

We began with a beautiful 30km gentle downhill, over lush grassland and through verdant secluded valleys. Why can’t all days start like that?

A rude awakening though, as soon as we turned off we hit tarmac switchbacks that were steep, although annoyingly *just about* rideable, so no excuses to get off and walk.

Up at the top we were treated to more Montenegrin slap-chops views, through a high plateau ringed by peaks. Jaws were again dropped.

The way down was over steep rocky bends, only a screenshot of the map can do justice to the insanity of the road.

We freewheeled into our lunch stop at Kolasin for a burek in the town square.

Here began the first memorable encounter of the day. Needing attention to my front brake, I sought out an E-bike rental shop, hoping they could help. They didn’t have the right part, so the owner took parts off his own personal bike to fit onto mine. He would have to trek 70km to Podgorica to find his own replacement part. I begged to pay him. He flat out refused, with a smile, saying “I know you are in trouble so I just want to help.” Wow.

Still thinking about this kindness to a total stranger, we took the old road to Podgorica but soon we were half by a torrential thunderstorm.

Seeking shelter in a cafe we almost had a simplistic incident with a target vociferous customer who insisted we exit into the maelstrom. We sought a compromise, parking our bikes under a small awning nearby and sitting in for a coffee. Crisis adverted.

Once the storm abated we got the road, the steam rising off it, and the steep forests that surrounded us.

But the final section riding into was off the chart. After cresting the last hill we hit 30kms of pure adrenaline filled downhill, flowing round corners on an empty road. The speed almost took my eyebrows off. By the time we got to the bottom I was fizzing, every cell on high alert.

Duncan even fixed a puncture with some cow dung. No joke. But that’s another story.

What a day.