What to know before you go
Kotlovi is the highest via ferrata near Sarajevo. It climbs the wall of a deep limestone bowl just under the summit of Bjelašnica, the Olympic mountain above Trnovo, and tops out at about 2,056 metres, a few minutes' walk from the summit plateau.
On paper it is small: 160 metres of cable, 82 metres of height gain and about 90 minutes on the wall. The route mixes A, B and C sections, and steel rungs protect the steepest passages. The C pitches are short, but they are properly vertical, so this is not a first ferrata. If you have done Trebević or Bukovik and enjoyed it, Kotlovi is a good next step.
The bowl is what makes it. From the drone you can see why it is called Kotlovi, the 'cauldrons': a ring of pale limestone cliffs drops away from the grassy summit ridge into a green hollow, with dwarf pine clinging to every ledge. On a clear day the whole thing feels alpine in a way that is hard to believe is under an hour from Sarajevo.
Use this guide for planning, then check current weather, route conditions, access, and tour details before choosing a date.
The approach is the real work of the day. There are several ways up: the technical road through Štinji Do and then ski piste 3, the six-seat chairlift from Babin Do, the wooded Josipova trail, or simply walking up the ski pistes. Allow around 50 minutes from the Kotlovi basin to the cable. Red markings lead past a small wooden shelter, and the last climb to the start crosses steep, loose stone where the grass beside it gets slippery when wet.
On the cable, take your time and check every anchor before you clip in. In a couple of places rungs have come out of the rock, and you climb on natural holds instead. It is well within reach for a confident climber, but it rewards paying attention rather than assuming the line is complete.
After the cable, the route continues through dwarf pine and loose rock toward the summit and the upper chairlift station. To get down you can take the chairlift when it is running, walk past the observatory toward Kuća Spasa, or follow the ski piste down past Bivak Božja to the Josipova trail.
The season is short. Snow, wind and the high finish limit Kotlovi to roughly June to October, and even in summer the weather on the ridge turns faster than it does in the valley. Start early, carry a warm layer and a rain shell, and turn around if cloud is sitting on the summit.
Bring a full ferrata kit: harness, helmet and a proper Y-lanyard with energy absorber, plus gloves for the cable. If you don't have your own, we rent complete sets in Sarajevo and can deliver them. If you would rather go with a guide, start with one of our guided routes closer to the city and ask us about Kotlovi when you are ready for it.
