Dear parents,

The 8^th grade class trip this year will be to the Durmitor region in Serbia. The trip will be organized by ACE Cycling and Mountaineering Center [info@ace-adventurecentre.com], who have previously coordinated several very successful trips for our students at ISB.

Details about the trip, including dates and costs, has been provided by ACE and follows this letter. A summary of important information is listed below:

· Dates: May 16 – 20, 2005

· Costs: 350 euro. This includes all transportation costs except to and from the airport, all accommodation, all meals (not including beverages) except the first day’s lunch, and the assorted guide services and souvenirs as outlined at the end of the brochure.

· Please note: If you are planning on attending the Cultural Arts Festival in St. Petersburg, there is a scheduling conflict with this class outing. Please discuss with your family the decision about which trip to attend. If you need more information about either trip please contact Mr. Stutz about the 8^th grade trip or Mr. Wilson about the Cultural Arts Festival.

· Chaperones: Mr. Dave Stutz, Mr. Chris Slough, and Mrs. Milica Jocic

Please sign this letter of permission stating that you will be attending and agree to pay for the expenses that have been listed above. Please return this form to school by Thursday, March 17, 2005.

Thank you,

___________________________________ ___________________________________

Student's signature Parent's signature

The information that follows is supplied by ACE Cycling and Mountaineering, our guides for the trip.

Durmitor Hiking Trip - from May 16th to May 20th 2005. Grade 8th

Durmitor is the pearl of Montenegrin tourist offerings. It is a paradise for nature lovers, hikers and mountain climbers. It is very difficult to resist its beauty and wilderness. It is certainly one of the most attractive places to visit in Serbia and Montenegro. Dramatic views, sharp rocky summits, tame pastures, glacial lakes, streams, rivers and Tara Canyon will take your breath away, and many days after finishing this trip you will still see silhouettes of Durmitor in front of your eyes.
There are hiking trail of all levels of difficulty. We have chosen tours which are suitable for 8th graders. On two days we will have gentle and relaxing hikes and between them we will have one longer hike on gentle rolling terrain.

WHAT WILL YOU SEE

Durmitor was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1980. It is a strikingly beautiful natural park, one of the highest (2523 m) and probably the most beautiful mountain on the Balkans. There are 17 glacier lakes called "mountain eyes" in the area of Durmitor. The most famous is Black Lake, covered with ice and crystals of frozen snowflakes in the winter. You can swim in it in the middle of the summer. Between the steep hillsides and hidden in the green, thick foliage, are the magic beauties: Zmijinje, Barno, Riblje, Vrazje, Modro and the other lakes.

Durmitor Mountain

Zabljak town is located at 1465 meters on the massive mountain of Durmitor. This small mountain town will be used as our base for exploring the mountain. All our hiking tours will start from the hotel.
The Moraca Monastery is one of the most monumental medieval monuments in Montenegro. It was built in 1252 by Stefan Nemanjic (grandson of famous Serbian king Stefan Nemanja). It is situated in a picturesque canyon of the Moraca River. Only a small portion of the original painting from the 13th century was preserved. The other

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Tara River

frescoes suffered in the first half of the 16th century, when the Turks devastated the Monastery. The majority of icons are painted by very famous Serbian painters in 17th century.

"The jewel of Europe", violent, clear and wild river Tara is a huge water mass made of snow and rains. It rises from the mountain range in the northern part of Montenegro and flows 140km in length. It meets the Piva river and together they make the river Drina, one of the longest and water-richest rivers in the Balkans. For centuries, with its strength the Tara river has been hollowing out a soft limestone surface giving it a sculptural form full of gorges, large rocks and chasms.

OUR GUIDING
Our guides will accompany your students throughout the tour. Our main goal is to provide your students a safe and pleasurable hike. We will describe the historic backgrounds of tour highlights and answer any questions you may have along the way. All our guides are fluent in English. One of our guides is a family doctor. Altogether with ACE staff and three ISB teachers there would be maximum five children with one adult.

ACCOMMODATION
Hotel “Jezera” is situated one and a half kilometers from the center of Zabljak town, toward the grandiose peaks of Durmitor. The hotel is rated with three stars. It is one of the best hotels that Zabljak town can offer. Our group will have available double and triple rooms. Rooms are with private bathrooms and balconies. The hotel was recently privatized. "Jezera" is located on the road between Zabljak town and the Black Lake, close to the center of town and the lake (10-15 minutes walk). It has a very nice position and the rooms have nice views of the mountain. The hotel's restaurant is one of the best choices in Zabljak. Breakfasts are buffet style.

TOUR SCHEDULE

Hotel Jezera

Moraca Monastery (13th century)

Day 1 Monday - Flight Belgrade- Podgorica at 10 am. Bus will wait for the group at Podgorica airport. Transfer to Zabljak (180 km and 3 hours long ride). Along the way we will stop and visit the 13th century Moraca Monastery. After arrival in Zabljak we will check in and have a short presentation of the week’s plans. Dinner at 7pm.

Day 2 Tuesday - Breakfast at 8:30 am. After breakfast we will take a gentle hike around Crno Jezero (Black Lake). This is a "magic" loop. We will go through the pine jungle. The color of Black Lake is sometimes green-blue when the sky is mirrored on its surface and sometimes is black because of the black pine forest around. On the lake bank we will have a picnic lunch. Free afternoon for school activities. Dinner at 7pm.

Day 3 Wednesday - Breakfast at 8 am. It is a challenging day: a very nice walk but also the longest one. Passing the eastern side of Crno Jezero we will take a path that goes through pine forests and slowly gains altitude. Soon we will exit the area of forests and enter a grass and rock region. We will walk between summits- Savin Kuk, Terzin Bogaz and Medjed. We will pass underneath a section with year-round snow - Debeli namet - and alpine refuge. The path leads on the Previja saddle between Terzin Bogaz peak (2303 m) and Medjed (Bear peak 2285 m). On Previja saddle we will enjoy spectacular views of Black Lake. From there we will drop down to Lokvice valley, pass by the mountain refuge, enter again the range of pine forests, Black Lake and back to Zabljak. The total hike is about 6 hours. Picnic lunch on the trail and dinner at 7:30 pm.

Black Lake

Durmitor Mountain

Day 4 Thursday- Breakfast at 8:30 am. Today we will have a bit longer hike but not difficult (about 4- 5 hours). We will stay on the plateau and not climb to Durmitor peaks. This is a very nice and relaxing walk. We will walk over highland meadows and groves. Passing by some nice and small lakes and ponds we will stop, take a break, and rest in the stillness of the picturesque landscapes. On the end of the trail we will find ourselves above the Tara Canyon and enjoy gorgeous, breathtaking views. This is a celebration of the art of nature. After a picnic lunch we will be going back a different way. Dinner at 7:30 pm.

Day 5 Friday- Breakfast at 8 am. Check out the rooms. After the breakfast we will walk through the big pine forest to Zminje Jezero (The Snake Lake). Return to Zabljak and depart to Podgorica airport at 1pm. Flight to Belgrade at 5:30 pm. Arrival in Belgrade at 6:30 pm.

WHAT TO BRING

We suggest you bring: comfortable hiking shoes, some warmer clothes, rain jacket, comfortable pants, cap, a few extra pairs of socks, SP cream (sun protection), sun glasses, water bottle, small daily backpack, camera, a light lunch for the first day (sandwich or pastry).

TOUR COST
The tour cost is 350 Euros per person and includes: