Montenegro
May 10–17, 2027 · 7 days
May 10–17, 2027
7 days
Up to 14 participants
Trail Running
The challenge
Picture a house perched high above the Tara River Canyon, the deepest in Europe. The air is thin and clean.…
Read the full brief
Picture a house perched high above the Tara River Canyon, the deepest in Europe. The air is thin and clean. You've just landed, and already the mountains are pulling you in. That first afternoon, we shake out our legs on a soft forest trail to the Ćurevac viewpoint. Easy, for now.
Then Durmitor takes over. We loop past Black Lake, old water mills, and quiet lakes tucked in the trees. The big day climbs 1,400 metres to the summit of Prutaš, the most beautiful peak in the range. It's rocky and exposed, and your legs will feel every step. This is a hard trip. That is the point.
I'm Dreama Walton. I'm a single mum and an Air Force veteran who ran her first ultra back in 2011. I've raced Western States and Leadville, and I coach runners for a living. On this expedition, you'll join a team of people who want the real thing, not the easy version.
Halfway through, we swap the peaks for the sea. We drive to the Bay of Kotor and paddle a kayak toward Our Lady of the Rocks. You'll swim, rest, and breathe. Then we rise before the sun for a ridge run up to St. Andrija Fortress, with the whole bay laid out below.
Seven days. Mountains one morning, salt water the next. When we're done, you'll sit by the sea with tired legs and a quiet head, watching the light drop over the water.
Apply to join
We read every application. Small group — and I want to get the group right. If this sounds like you, apply below.
Day-by-Day
Day 1
We land at Podgorica Airport. Then we drive to Nadgora village, high above the Tara River Canyon, the deepest in Europe. In the afternoon we run 7.5 km with 267 m of climb, up to 1,615 m. We loop past Goveđe Lake toward the Ćurevac viewpoint. Soft forest trails. A gentle start. The canyon drops away below you.
Day 2
Day two is a big loop in Durmitor National Park. We run 17.5 km from Black Lake, up 937 metres, with a high point at 2,100 m. You will pass old water mills, quiet Zminje Lake, then climb to the Ražana Glava viewpoint. Down past Jablan and Barno Lakes. Dense forest opens wide to alpine sky.
Day 3
This is the big one. We drive 45 minutes to Dobri Do, on the most scenic road in Montenegro. Then we traverse Durmitor's high alpine zone. Up to Škrčko Ždrijelo pass, then Prutaš, the range's finest peak. Down to the Škrčka Lakes, up again to Planinica. Seventeen kilometres, 1,400 metres of climbing, topping out at 2,353 metres. Rocky and exposed.
Day 4
Today we swap peaks for the sea. We leave the mountains and drive to the Bay of Kotor. It is one of the biggest scene changes in Europe. In the afternoon, we kayak from Perast toward Our Lady of the Rocks. You'll swim, paddle, and slow right down. Salt on your skin, sun on the water.
Day 5
We start early in Perast. You'll climb the ridge above the bay, 11 km with 840 m of ascent, up to St. Andrija Fortress. This old Austro-Hungarian spot looks out over the water and the mountains. We drop down toward Orahovac, the bay wide below. The afternoon is yours to swim and rest by the sea.
Day 6
Day six is where we split. After breakfast, the Core group transfers to Podgorica Airport. If you stay, you'll join the Extended team. We take the cable car up from Kotor to the Lovćen plateau. Then we run 9.5 km, climbing +490 m to the Njegoš Mausoleum. The mountain air is thin and still.
Day 7
Day 7 takes us back to Lovćen, starting at Ivanova Korita. This is our last run, 20 km with 700 m of climbing. You will move along high trails with wide views over the southern coast. Take it in slowly. That night we rest in Podgorica, the capital. The mountains behind you, the sea still in your eyes.
Day 8
Day 8 is your last morning. You wake in Podgorica, the capital. We share breakfast one more time, then transfer to the airport. No running today. Just a slow start and time to let it settle. The peaks, the bay, the miles behind you. You leave with tired legs and a full heart, heading home.