Matka canyon - Blue bridge to the Millenium cross on Vodno mountain

  The Millenium cross on the highest point of Vodno mountain is a fixture here in Skope, it's ever presence guarding the city day and night, you can't miss it because it is the biggest cross in the world (66 meters).
  It was built to commemorate 2000 years of Christianity in Macedonia and the world.          The place where it stands is known as Krstovar (place of the cross) since Ottoman times, and there has been a cross there ever since. 

 An interesting fact is that it was financed by the Macedonian Orthodox Church , the government and donations from the Macedonian diaspora.
  The first time I visited it was on my first visit to Macedonia, it wasn't open to the public nor completely finished, but the peculiar circumstances of my coming to Macedonia gave me a chance to visit the site.
  You have an amazing view in all directions from up there, not to mention peace and fresh air. 

Millenium Cross

  Since then, a mountain refuge was built, Dare Djambas ( tel.+38923164365, 25 beds ), run by the Bistra mountaineering club of Skopje, and in 2011 a cableway from the cross to Sredno Vodno (middle Vodno) started operating. The ride lasts about 6 minutes and is 1,6 km long. Very interesting.

Dare Djambas mountain refuge

Cable cars

  Check out www.jsp.com.mk for the timetables. It costs 100 denars round trip, and there is a bus service from the main bus station in Skope to Sredno Vodno, the line is called  Милениумски крст (Millenium cross).

  On my first visit to the cross, I noticed that the surroundings were beautiful, and I started to formulate a plan to come back and visit the area.
  So I did, I came back. 

  Now, I didn't want to go up to the cross just like that, no no.  Had to earn the visit.

What better way then going from Matka canyon to the cross on foot?
  Before we get into the details, you have to decide if you are going to do it from Vodno or from Matka.
  There is a difference of course. If you decide on doing it from Vodno, it is more or less downhill all the way, starting at  an altitude of 1066 meters and finishing at 293 meters.
 Now, for that I'm old school, I prefer to do the hard work first and relax after, so I started at Matka. Also, at the end you get the added treat of taking the cable car down to Sredno Vodno, with an incredible view as a bonus.
  The starting point is the blue bridge at Matka. I got there with the good old number 60 bus from Deksion.

The blue bridge

The Treska river

  Now, this time you have to turn left at the end of the bridge and follow the trail that goes along the right bank of the Treska for about 400 meters.
  Then you will get to an intersection. On the right, going up, is your trail to the cross and from here, you start climbing.

The intersection, you arrive from the trail on the right, turn and go up

  You will see some red and yellow markings along the trail, sometimes they are quite  hard to find, so when you are not too sure, I suggest that you just look to see where the ground has been trampled by other people (or animals!)

Trail going up

and up...

  The route is beautiful and varied, you get some great views of Matka canyon. And just the wind and nature around you.
  At one point, you will get to a clearing, and here you will find a secondary trail on the right going downhill that will lead you to Sv. Nikola , it's fairly easy. It ends up on the main trail from the bridge to the monastery, near the water spring. Then you are 200 meters from the entrance.

  Just in case you change your mind and don't want to climb any more.

The path to Vodno is straight on - the path going down at the right, between the rock and the snow patch,  goes to Sv. Nikola

Another picture of the path going down 

  Just keep on following the initial trail, it will start going up again, and you will soon arrive at a water spring in the middle of nowhere. You can drink the water by the way, that is if you are a water drinker. I tried the stuff, got no taste, I prefer wine, period. 

The path to Vodno after the intersection

Water spring

  You get some nice views of Sv. Nikola along the way, I  also took a couple of pictures of  Sv. Nedela on the other side of the canyon. Very nice. It gives you an idea of the trek down to Sv. Andrea. 

  Looks pretty vertical, huh? it is. But it's a rip!

Sv. Nedela and the hut to the right. In orange is the way down to Sv. Andrea. You can also see the trail from Sv. Spas on the right.

   After the spring, I started finding more snow as the altitude increased. Also found some ice in some parts, which makes going up easier then down in these conditions.
Another reason I chose to start the trail from Matka.

Snow

and more snow...

  Eventually, you arrive at another clearing, larger then the first one, with some of the best views of the canyon. When I was there, it started to snow, but  the sun was still shining in the west. 

   From there, you aren't too far from the top of the canyon. It's a good climb, it's about four kilometers from the bridge to the top and beautiful all the way.
 Once there(alt. 880m), things start easing up a bit, it gets flatter and you can see the Millenium Cross in the distance. 

At the top of the canyon

The Millenium Cross in the distance

  You have about eight more kilometers to go.
  This is where the cowboy in me starts coming out,  you're in the middle of nowhere, and all you have are cows scattered all around the place. 
  I call this part the "Cow Cow Boogie" trail.
  So I start singing the song.

The"l'il dogies", minding their own business

  The song has nothing to do with Macedonia, so I do apologize for this little twist to the blog, but the song seems to be appropriate for the trail. And the "l'il dogies" (cows).

  Anyway, after a while we get out of the far west, and we continue our trek on to the cross. The trail and the red markings can be hard to find sometimes as mentioned previously, but common sense will get you where you are going.

The red and yellow markings

  The scenery changes several times, you go through some nice  woods, then rocky terrain, and so forth.
 I must point out that the route that I am describing in this entry is what could be called the "official" route. I am not quite sure who traced it, but it works out fine.
  If it's your first time doing this trail, it is best to follow it. However after getting well acquainted with it, you may wish to use a slightly different route on some parts, as you will notice that if you methodically  follow it, you will miss out on some nice ridges and spectacular views. I suppose the trail was created for working purposes . People who live and work in the mountains will always privilege practical  rather than spectacular. But always know where the official route is, it is your guideline. It can be easy to lose yourself in certain conditions. On the day I did this route, a couple of people got lost on Vodno mountain and had to be rescued by the police and the Red Cross mountain rescue team, they were freezing. And believe it or not, they were real close to the Millenium Cross and apparently, me. It is easy to get disoriented, so be careful.
  Just another reminder to emphasize safety; the mountain is unforgiving in the winter, so if you decide to go there, be properly equipped, chose the appropriate clothing, make sure you tell your friends or family where you are going and have cell phones that work. Be safe, not sorry.
  
  There are several huts along the way, the nearer you get to the cross. The first one has a great view of Skopje.  And you can see the cross, not too far to go.

The first hut, with a great view of Skopje, at least on a good day!

From the hut, you can see the cross in the distance

The trail continues, in and out of woods

   The closer you get to the Millenium Cross, the larger the trails. You pass a few more huts and a refuge, and you also walk through a beautiful Birch tree forest at one point. Not too many of those around Skopje.

Refuge

The view to the south west

   After a few hours of trekking, you arrive at the highest point of Vodno mountain, the Millenium Cross. 
  It is hard to tell how long the whole trip takes, It can be done in around 4 hours without any significant problems for most people, but it depends if you stop a lot, like I do, to explore other parts, if you have lunch, if you want to go fast or slow, etc...On this occasion, I was slowed down by some icy parts and the snow didn't help, but that is part of the fun. I don't consider this kind of activity as a race, there is too much too see and explore. And one of my biggest  pleasures is eating and cooking outdoors, so I always take some time for that.

   It is now time to go down to Sredno Vodno with the cable car.  Or you can spend the night in Dare Djambas. Whatever you decide, Vodno mountain is a great place to spend some time away from the city. It is remarkable how fast you go from a city environment to a mountain one. 

  I have the GPS course, so you can visualize the trail in better detail, and if you have a GPS, you can download the route and not have to worry about losing track of the trail.  
Just contact me (through the comments link at the bottom of the post) and I will be happy to send you the links and information.
   I will do an update on this route at an ulterior date, when the weather will be better, around spring time, because not everyone enjoys the snow and winter conditions like I do, and spring up there is something else. 
  Winter does have it's benefits, for example you get to see all the wildlife tracks in the snow, such as rabbits and boar. Of course, you get the occasional dog tracks, this IS the Balkans! And you get to avoid the sweltering heat of certain summer days. You have all the snow you want to do the dishes, and apart from a few "L'il dogies", you wont see many people along the way. It does get much busier in the more clement months of the year.

  There is something for everybody up there, so enjoy yourselves!