Sarajevo abandoned bobsled track - 1984 Winter Olympics (11/06/15)

[pete37038]

Firstly this is a bit of a tale so I apologise for the seemingly long blurb, but the pictures alone won't tell much of the personal and background story without it, bear with me :-)

1984, Sarajevo in Bosnia hosted the Winter Olympics, a World watched on as the games showed all that was great about the Country and the Worlds sports people, fast forward 8 years and the city was held under a bloody seige the likes of which hadn't been seen since World War 2, this lasted 4 years until 1996, in reality the aftermath lasted a lot longer.

Not a commonly visited site, obviously a few folks have done it but it's extremely risky even with a guide, myself and my mate didn't bother with one, in hindsight somewhat foolishly but we wouldn't have got to see it all if we had.... the area around Trebevic mountain and surrounding hillside (sniping range) areas is still 80% uncleared of land mines, we knew there were mines, the percentage still in play was something we only discovered later.

This was really high on the must do list in Sarajevo for both of us, not something you get to do/see everyday and certainly not mentioned in any brochures etc, so we set off one morning to get to the top of the mountain and walk the track, we heard it was possible we could get a taxi up there so tried at a rank in the City, the first few refused point blank - 'NO'. Eventually one guy who spoke broken English agreed and we were off heading into the hills... about 1/2 way up heading out of the City he reached out of the window and removed his taxi sign from the roof and stowed it behind the drivers seat! ok, so this was getting pretty dodgy, he just said 'no taxi allowed'..

He dropped us off some 25 minutes later at an abandoned car park with a blown up hotel, and charged us the equivalent of about 6quid, total bargain, and pointed down a track - 'bobsled' before wheelspinning out of the car park and away.

The photos below are a selection from what was at the end of that road. We walked it all top to bottom, saw the old spectator stands, old cafe's, and the finish line, along with bits from the war where it has been used as a sniper defence by the Serbs, it was only at the end of the track we realised we we smack bang in the middle of the minefield, tape denoted it as a mined area along with other things such as big craters in the ground. We hadn't really thought this out properly and were faced with the option of going back uphill, hoping we had internet/phone (unlikely) and calling a taxi to get us, or just head off downhill the mile or so down the mountain,, we chose the latter option (even now I can't get my head around that) after a bit of careful poking about we found a dirt track that had tyre tracks in it, figuring they werent from 1996 we walked down cautiously in those avoiding the overgrown center of the road, passing blown up bullet ridden long abandoned houses.

Eventually after about 45 mins we hit tarmac and knew we should be ok. still pressing on cautiously we hit an inhabitated area about 20 mins later, and knew we were safe, one guy came out to talk to us and was amazed we he reailsed we were English, even invited us in for a brew, a bit taken aback from the whole incident we said thanks and headed downhill for something a bit stronger!

In hindsight one of the most ridiculous and potentially dangerous things I've ever done, but, also one of the most rewarding / enjoyable experiences I've had, the views from the mountain were breathtaking and it was very easy to forget what the place had been through if you didn't look for the signs. Given the chance I'd probably do it again, but that's easy to say as I sit typing this from the safety of my own house.

All images taken with Fuji X100S / wide angle adaptor, this is just a selection from the visit the full set can be found here if you're interested - https://www.flickr.com/photos/peterowbottom/sets/72157656465024890

1. The road in

Trebevic old Olympic entrance road by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

2. Minefield warnings, we couldn't read it so we just carried on..

Minefield warning by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

3. Olympics rings still on road, not faded as hidden under pine trees

Trebevic Olympic rings by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

4. First glimpse of it

Sarajevo abandoned bobsled track from 1984 Winter Olympics by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

5. Start Line

Sarajevo abandoned bobsled track from 1984 Winter Olympics by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

6. Pano view from the first curve

sarajevo bobsled pano by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

7. Into the forest

Sarajevo abandoned bobsled track from 1984 Winter Olympics by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

8. Wartime sniper hole

Sarajevo abandoned bobsled track from 1984 Winter Olympics by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

9. Forest turn

Sarajevo abandoned bobsled track from 1984 Winter Olympics by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

10. Concrete carnage

Sarajevo abandoned bobsled track from 1984 Winter Olympics by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

11. View from the bobsled...

Sarajevo abandoned bobsled track from 1984 Winter Olympics by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

12. Vibrant

Sarajevo abandoned bobsled track from 1984 Winter Olympics by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

13. Section with roof now missing

Sarajevo abandoned bobsled track from 1984 Winter Olympics by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

14. Finish line reflections

Sarajevo abandoned bobsled track from 1984 Winter Olympics by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

15. Idiot at finish line..

Sarajevo abandoned bobsled track from 1984 Winter Olympics by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

16. Reality hits home shortly afterwards...

Sarajevo abandoned bobsled track from 1984 Winter Olympics by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

17. And again, snipers pillbox from the war, with out of place smiley face

Sarajevo abandoned bobsled track from 1984 Winter Olympics by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

18. Once peoples houses...

Abandoned buildings Trebevic Mountain by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

19. The dirt track downhill, Sarajevo can be seen below the abandoned mountain house, which gives some idea of the distance from the City

Sarajevo viewpoint by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

20. Finally back in the start of the city, a batered old Yugo passes by

Olden Sarajevo, with obligatory Yugo by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr

21. Back in the City, one of the buildings still left decimated from the war, Locals look on.

Remembering the past by Pete Rowbottom, on Flickr


Sorry about the huge thread but not really something covered in 6 shots, it's took me a while to process and put this together so many thanks for taking the time to check it out, still makes the hairs on back of neck stand up looking over it all again.

 

[Mr Sam]

there was a video doing the rounds the other week of some mountain bikers flying down it!

(off topic) great pics of the 37's on your Flickr, a couple with a single flask passed me at work last night and opened up when they passed out worksite, Hellfire

 

[The Franconian]

I like the pics of the bob track

 

[Bertie Bollockbrains]

I spent a lot of time in Bosnia in the 1990s with SFOR peacekeeping troops (accumulated nearly 3 years out there) and I still regularly return these days in a futile attempt to try and get over the horrors that I saw back then. Let me repeat what's already been said in big capital letters: THE COUNTRY IS STILL RIDDLED WITH LANDMINES and as these are mostly made of hard plastic and cannot easily be detected, the situation will remain as it is for at least the remainder of our lifetimes. Not a place where you want to be leaving well marked paths. But if anyone wants to be a war tourist, most of the country is still showing war damage, even in the touristy towns such as Mostar - just don't leave the paths. I was at one point based at the Dutch camp of Sisava which was dominated by a huge wrecked ski-jump facility on top of the hill. That's still there to be seen.

The bobsled track in this report was the scene of a horrific war crime of which I and others had to pick up the pieces a few days later

 

[WildBoyz]

Very interesting report that Glad to hear you survived too.

 

[norfolkexplorer]

Cool images but as said not something you want to be playing with.. Just means somebody else is coming along to clean you up

 

[Will Knot]

Ace report but bloody hell man!!!!! You survived.........
Awesome set of pics there dude

 

[Morrisey]

^^^^^^^^^^^^
What he said.

 

[Punk]

Cracking report of an awesome place
Glad to see you survived.
Certainly an interesting experience
I really like pic 14

I spent a lot of time in Bosnia in the 1990s with SFOR peacekeeping troops (accumulated nearly 3 years out there) and I still regularly return these days in a futile attempt to try and get over the horrors that I saw back then. Let me repeat what's already been said in big capital letters: THE COUNTRY IS STILL RIDDLED WITH LANDMINES and as these are mostly made of hard plastic and cannot easily be detected, the situation will remain as it is for at least the remainder of our lifetimes. Not a place where you want to be leaving well marked paths. But if anyone wants to be a war tourist, most of the country is still showing war damage, even in the touristy towns such as Mostar - just don't leave the paths. I was at one point based at the Dutch camp of Sisava which was dominated by a huge wrecked ski-jump facility on top of the hill. That's still there to be seen.

The bobsled track in this report was the scene of a horrific war crime of which I and others had to pick up the pieces a few days later

I have to agree, don't fuck around where there are landmines. Slightest wrong step, if you're lucky you'll have half as many limbs as before. In the 15 years following the conflict, 507 people died and 1223 injured, as a result of landmines laid during the early 90's.

 

[pete37038]

Thanks for the comments, as mentioned in the report yes, I know we were stupid, kind of the essense of the thread although it maybe didn't come across like that, it's easy to look back in hindsight with little regard at the time, it's a huge lesson learned. As regards to being a war tourist I'm not sure how that was meant to be taken but I'll take it how I thought it was ie somebody interested in what happened from a historical point of view and no glorification of it in any way through photographs or otherwise, I'm still glad I did it but it has woken me up a lot. In one way my ignorance served me well in the fact that i didn't freak out and was able to think quite calmly and I'm still here, as I sit writing this now I'm in no doubt about how wreckless and carefree we were, I wasn't attempting to make it look that way and would discourage others from doing the same, I hope you enjoyed the photos and all the best to you guys, Stay Safe.

 

[bally787878]

amazing mate, i was shitting myself just reading your commentary!

 

[Here there and nowhere]

Wow! great pics, would have gone back up if it was me. Glad your alive to tell the tale

 

[kingrat]

You've got some great shots! This is very cool.
We're off here in a few weeks time (amongst other places) so it's nice to see it beforehand.
Did you see the medal podium?
(As an aside, your minefield warning is actually asking you not to set campfires in the woodland)

 

[weezdeez]

Top report. Bravo!

 

[marct4]

@ Bertie:
I was there in the aftermath of the war in 1996 documenting the warcrimes that took place in Bosnia and Croatia.
As the area was still fully inaccessibel due to the mines, we used SFOR's helicopters to gain access.
We had horrible pictures of what had happende there from the German BND and could easily verify that indeed the alledged attrocities really happende there by the hooks and blood still visible where they hung the bodies after having shot these people coming up on the skilift like sitting ducks! I have never seen any mentioning of these warcrimes anywhere and nobody had to answer for them as far as I know, which is really sad!
This place should at least have a memorial for the victims i think!
Good to see that nowadays the bikers use the bobtrack again.
Let me check if i can find the pictures we took back then.
Greetz, Marc.