From zero to 1762m up to Sveti Jure
September 11th, 2019
September 2019 and 50 years from September 1969. A step into a new time counting - UHU: under hundred. Yes 3 days to go and celebrate my 50th birthday. Reason enough to do this at a nice location and also reason enough to do a gift to myself in riding a nice one out of my bucket list - Sveti Jure, the highest mountain in Croatia.
I decided to do this celebration not at home and not with too many people and so Andrea and me combined this with a last summer holiday for the summer season 2019. As usual in september we had great summer weather with high temps and not a lot of wind.
In the middle of the week it was time to do the ride to the highest point in Croatia. To do so i needed to leave very early, it still was dark, by car to go to the base of the Biokovo Mountains a croatian nature park. To do also an adequate mileage i started in Brela a few k´s before the touristic city Makarska and also the deepest point on this ride at sea level. As well it was a good warm up as from the harbour i had a climb up to 1762m in front of me, shown also on Strava as my longest climb at this time. I was excited but also i was wondering how much the temperature change will be on this ride.
The first hundreds of altitude done i entered the national park paying the bicycle fee of 25 kuna roughfly 3 euro. From here it was still 23km to go which friendly wise is shown to you after every kilometer on little signs next to the road. Which is definitely in the beginning when you have reached 6k a mental disaster as you are looking into a wall where you never would assume a road is going up. Switch back by switch back you come higher which after a while is opening an incredible view which let you forget the signs.
About half of the altitude done but still 15k to go i reached a nice plateau and from here the road went 180 degrees back to north west. It became more flat but honestly the peak was not in sight. Kilometer by kilometer i gainded more height but as i reached the point where i saw the first time Sv Jure it was clear that still i had a lot to do and it became steep again. A few more hairpins at the end and finally i reached the top - the highest point of Croatia.
Quick you will not remember the hard work in coming up here as the view from there was just insane. I could see all the nice islands like Hvar, Brac and Korcula but also at the horizon the beautiful cities like Split and Trogir. By the way temperature was about 15° Celsius and no issue.
The good thing going up a road 28 kilometers and there is no other way down is you also ride 28k down ;-) A great descent and when you are not reaching for best time worth stopping time by time and enjoy the great view onto the adriatic sea. A nice present to myself in turning into 50...
bike: Pretty Betty Specialized Tarmac S-Works
starring: Gerry Samer
