Last November a group of BIS students spent a weekend in Povlen as expedition training for their Duke of Edunburgh’s International Award. This is what they got up to:
Day 1:
We started our expedition at 9am and it took us about 2.5 hours to get to the mountain Povlen, near the city of Valjevo. The participants were carrying all the equipment in the backpacks to the mountain lodge, around half an hour. In the hut we had warm meal, and we got a little rest. In the afternoon we practiced archery in the field. After dinner, participants learned about cartography, azimuth and compasses.
Day 2:
After breakfast, we started the long walk – around 5 hours, without heavy equipment (only water and snacks). We climbed the peaks of Mali Povlen and Srednji Povlen, took pictures from the tops and we got back to the hut, just before rain and dark. After dinner we talked about hazards in mountains and we learned what to do in different situations.
Day 3:
In the snowy morning, we headed to the top of Veliki Povlen. On the way, participants were learning how to make fire using only tinder and tree bark, and how to make shelter from natural materials. After 2-3 hours we got back to the hut, we packed our equipment, and we back down to the place where our driver already waited. We arrived at Belgrade at 4pm.
