The hardest hikes in Montenegro, by the numbers
Of the 19 trails in Montenegro in our dataset, 11 (58 percent) rate strenuous or very strenuous on the gain-and-distance scale we use and run 3 to 30 miles with at least 1,500 ft of climb; all 11 are listed here, highest rating first.
Durmitor Skyrace 34K leads with 9,090 ft of gain over 21.2 miles, 429 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 68 percent.
Across the 11, gain runs from 1,818 to 9,090 ft and distance from 4.3 miles to 21.2 miles; the median gain is 2,990 ft and the median distance 7.9 miles.
7 of the 11 are out-and-back routes; the rest are loop (2) or point-to-point (2).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durmitor Skyrace 34KDurmitor NP | 21.2 | 9,090 | 429 | 68% | 4,682 to 7,726 | 620.8 | |
| 2 | Velje Duboko - Manastir Morača (suggested trail, no trailmarks) | 16.6 | 5,559 | 335 | 47% | 989 to 5,993 | 429.6 | |
| 3 | Maglić do Pivske planine preko kanjona Pive | 12.3 | 6,399 | 520 | 61% | 2,134 to 7,060 | 396.8 | |
| 4 | Pepiće - Visitor | 10.5 | 4,943 | 471 | 53% | 2,930 to 7,073 | 322.2 | |
| 5 | Durmitor Skyrace 16KDurmitor NP | 10 | 2,884 | 288 | 42% | 4,688 to 7,411 | 240.2 | |
| 6 | Morakovo - Katun Maganik (suggested trail, no trailmarks) | 7.9 | 2,425 | 307 | 17% | 2,961 to 5,274 | 195.7 | |
| 7 | Žabljak - Šarban (via Bobotov kuk)Durmitor NP | 7.1 | 2,366 | 333 | 72% | 4,692 to 7,680 | 183.3 | |
| 8 | Brezojevice - Visitor | 4.3 | 3,881 | 903 | 51% | 3,164 to 7,074 | 182.7 | |
| 9 | Sutorman - Zupci | 5.5 | 2,789 | 507 | 51% | 567 to 3,218 | 175.2 | |
| 10 | Zla KolataProkletije NP | 4.5 | 2,990 | 664 | 41% | 3,624 to 6,623 | 164 | |
| 11 | Baltina - Gornji Šestani | 6.3 | 1,818 | 289 | 38% | 1,475 to 2,961 | 151.3 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band strenuous (150 to 200) or very strenuous (200 and over), 3 to 30 miles, at least 1,500 ft of gain, ordered by rating desc, gain per mile desc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Montenegro" here means the 19 trails in Montenegro in our dataset, not every trail in Montenegro.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Durmitor Skyrace 34K.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other countries in our dataset.