Kanjoning Hrčavka – Izazov

  I stayed at the Outdoor Tara base camp for 3 nights last August and also joined the Advanced Hrcavka canyoning tour (the longer one). Outdoor Tara is a pretty new... read more outfit with a ton of potential, brand new facilities and amazing staff.

I can't praise Branko and the other staff enough for the personal attention and flexibility they offer. I arrived by bus from Sarajevo to Foca and Branko talked with the bus driver to arrange a place to drop me off, and then personally came and picked me up. Then after the canyoning tour I was having trouble warming up, and Branko lent me his own sleeping bag to use that night. They also provided free transport for me to the Montenegro border the morning I left. These are just a couple of examples of how the staff is willing to go out of their way to help you have a great trip.

The cabins at the base camp are cozy with nice showers and hot water. You can also pitch a tent and make use of the 2 communal showers, which I did for 2 of my 3 nights. Just don't underestimate how cold it gets at night - even in August the nights were freezing! Breakfast is HUGE and includes a great selection. The location is gorgeous, with access to the river Tara for swimming - although the current is fast and water is cold!

The canyoning trip was great. Branko and his friends are putting together a world-class canyoning experience here. The equipment they provide is top notch, the canyon itself is incredibly beautiful and amazing fun to traverse, and the all-you-can-eat dinner afterwards was delicious!

In addition to canyoning they can get you into rafting and other tours run by different operators in the area. I joined a rafting tour organized by a different operator and Outdoor Tara provided transportation to their basecamp.

Having said all that, as with any new tour operator, there are still a few kinks to be worked out at Outdoor Tara.

First of all, communication could be better. While Outdoor Tara provided a driver to take me to the basecamp where my rafting tour would start, the driver didn't speak English so I wasn't able to ask basic questions like what I should wear and if there would be a place to leave my phone. As it turned out, I waited over an hour at this other basecamp before they finally started loading us into vans. It was a very chilly morning and I was in just a bathing suit, with nothing to do since I hadn't brought any personal items. The delay was NOT Outdoor Tara's fault, but some information about what to expect, where I could leave my personal items etc. would have been greatly appreciated. (For the record, you can take personal items and leave them at the other basecamp when the rafting tour starts.)

Another example is the number of jumps required to traverse the canyon. On previous canyoning tours I had always had the option of abseiling down waterfalls if I didn't want to jump. However, Hrcavka hasn't been fitted with permanent anchors yet, so all the ropes have to be rigged up in the moment for abseiling. There are 2-3 spots in the long version (not sure about the short version) where you have to jump because rigging up the ropes would be too difficult or time-consuming. I HATE jumping and would have liked to know about this beforehand. I managed it, but there were a couple of guys on the tour with me that just COULD NOT bring themselves to jump. The rest of the group had to wait on them, and by the time they finally jumped we were all freezing from sitting still so long in the cold water. Some communication beforehand about the required jumps could have fixed this problem. (Although hopefully in the future the canyon will be fitted with anchors so jumps can be avoided.)

Finally, the advanced canyoning tour is very long and physically demanding. I really wanted to do it and I'm glad I did, but some members of our group really struggled. As this canyoning tour is so new, they have to combine groups and balance some people's preference for the long version vs. others' preference for the short one. I personally wanted the long one, but looking back, the short version would have been the better choice for the group I was in. I would encourage Branko and the others to not be afraid to recommend the shorter course over the longer one based on the physical fitness level of the group.

Overall I recommend Outdoor Tara as both a base for exploring the area and a canyoning tour operator. The rough edges are made up for by the staff who are willing to go above and beyond to make you comfortable.

  Perfect trip if you are in Bosnië! The guides were really friendly and really supportive! Really pretty area and the view was great! They even took the time to show... read more us a beautiful war monument!

  Me and my travel partner bumped into a local park ranger whilst hiking Beskita. He gave us the info/help to discover Branko and Davor - Absolute legends. Helpful and friendly,... read more they picked us up near our hotel enroute to the canyon. Full gear provided and after a short hike we set off down-river with Branko. His knowledge is clear and is a man you can trust when jumping into the unknown! Excitement, great scenery and excellent guides - definitely do this if you're in Sutjeska National park. Thanks again guys! We had a great day.
- Alan