Slobodanka Pendovska – Bote
Bote was born on April 15, 1945 in Skopje – Tasino Chesmiche – at the end of the Second World War. That is why the name Slobodanka is associated with Sloboda – Freedom, but also with other events in her family. Her father – Panche, originally from Veles, was captured during the war and deported to Concentration Camp in Germany from where he escaped and returned to Macedonia on foot (even at that time in our family there was an affinity for long and persistent walking tours).
She finished primary school in Kocho Racin, while high school in Nikola Karev. She continued her education at the Faculty of Philology – Department of Yugoslav Literature, where after reaching the final year, her hormones took another direction and she does not finish it. Love is still the most important thing in life and we completely agree J
SPORTS AND WORK ..
From a young age she has been involved in sports, especially Athletics where she achieves remarkable results – especially in the discipline of sprint 400 meters where she has won a medal. At that time, athletics was popular in Skopje and it was practiced at the city stadium – unfortunately, today this popularity has vanished.
Bote spends her entire working career in City Cinema’s – Skopje in various positions of lower and higher rank, but that at that time was not so important because most important thing in life was happiness at that time, not money. Going to the cinema, however, was an event of cultural rank, one went in a suit and dress and did not eat popcorn, but during the break – the so-called Journal, the time was used for a kind of networking of the cultural class or an important conversation in the lobby of the Vardar cinema, surrounded by pictures of the most important Macedonian Actors. For important premieres, it was difficult to get tickets, and that is why Bote made sure that the tickets reached the right hands, and not at the so-called “Tapkaroshi”. Its was one of the most beautiful and happy period. After our society shifted social values in the direction of consumerism and naked race for money, a number of cultural heritages and events vanished, including City Cinema’s – Skopje. Today going to the cinema is like going shopping, so the cinemas conveniently located in the malls :)
THE MOUNTAIN ..
Bote dedicates most of her life to Her Majesty – the Mountain. And thank God, there are more than enough of them in Macedonia. The real mountain adventures start with joining the mountaineering club Bistra, which is one of the most active mountaineering associations at that time. Every weekend and holiday there are several serious mountaineering tours, serious meetings of the bodies of the society are organized, in the barracks of the Ministry of Interior, urgent and controversial debates are held about which peak should be conquered – and in the centre of the events, the long-time president Zhivko who is one of the experienced mountaineers in Macedonia. Bote regularly contributed to mountaineering club Bistra by being on duty at the Mountain Hut on Vodno, where tea and beans were prepared every weekend, but unfortunately this year (2021), the mountaineering club Bistra loses the decade-long concession over the Mountain Hut on Vodno – H2O, good luck, we will take a closer look of your activities so that you do not forget one thing: the mountain hut Vodno belongs to the mountaineers :)
In her long mountaineering career, Botе has visited almost all the important mountaineering tours through Macedonia and the Balkans. Some of them, such as Korab, Titov Vrv, Ljuboten, Solunska Glava and several times (after all, Solunska belongs to Buran – there are not doubts about that). Often through conversation, Bote gladly tells us about all the happenings on these adventures, how at that time they managed with mountaineering equipment, how they managed without GPS equipment and without online services for accurate weather forecast and how they enjoyed the mountaineering huts which unfortunately do not exist anymore.
One of these interesting adventures, which is worth mentioning, and which we often talk about, and which we believe has enough material to be filmed in the form of a documentary, is the event from the distant 1995 when 4 experienced mountaineers were lost on Shar Mountain and survive 3 days (2 nights) in conditions of low temperatures, storms and snow blizzard.
03.01.1995 – Mountaineers get lost on Shar Mountain and survive 3 days (2 nights) in conditions of low temperatures, severe weather and snowstorm
DAY 1 – 03.01.1995
Happy new 49th .. oops 95th. Unlike most who use the New Year’s holydays and their days off to rest from the “crazy night” and curb the consequences of gourmet and hedonistic pleasures (and sometimes exaggerations), our priority: to start the year with mountaineering hikes. Most mountaineers traditionally do this with easier trails, traditionally on Vodno, but we decided on a slightly more serious tour: Bakardan – Shar Planina. One of the most important reasons for our decision is the favourable weather conditions: a surprisingly hot wave sweeps our country during the holidays resulting in a sudden melting of snow and surprisingly warm temperatures for this period of the year (at some of the famous ski resorts in Macedonia, the heat wave causes a sudden melting of snow and the occurrence of short-term floods (which is an unusual phenomenon).
We leave early in the morning from Popova Shapka (Ski resort in Macedonia) – an experienced mountaineering team, including me, Biljana, Vlatko and Zhivko. The weather is great, clear skies and sunshine, and unusually warm for January. The trail is more than familiar to us: it is the winter trail Mountain Hut Smreka – Anteni Peak – Bakardan Peak – Titov Vrv Peak which is a total of 10 km in direction (altitude difference 900 m), with a plan to reach Bakardan Peak (8 km in direction). We climb the first peak in the series: Anteni 2531 MASL, from where there is a relatively easy hike along the ridge of the mountain with the following peaks: Sin Vrv 2550 MASL, Karabunar 2600 MASL and Bakardan 2700 MASL.
At the top of Anteni Peak we see the first signs that the weather is about to change. Nevertheless, after a short discussion we decide to continue: A MISTAKE THAT WE WILL REMEMBER. We mountaineers have a special name for Shapka (Shar Mountain), which is: “Crazy Mountain” and we all know that when the weather changes on Shapka, the best place to be at that time is the mountain hut Smreka, next to the wood stove and hot tea.
We are slowly but surely approaching from Sin Vrv to Karabunar but the weather conditions on Shara are starting to deteriorate. We arrive at the foot of Bakardan and we have 1 KM ascent that divides us from the top. We do not stop, although the conditions are constantly deteriorating, and we climb Bakardan Peak. We do not stay at the top for long and immediately head back.
The snow that splashed from time to time turned into a sleet. Within 10 minutes, the horizon turned completely white – as if someone literally laid down a white carpet of snow. Shortly afterwards, an intense blizzard filled with snow and strong winds began. We feel the snow as tiny spikes on all the unprotected parts of the body – we were simply completely exposed to the storm that was slowly circling us. In a few minutes all markings disappeared and visibility was reduced to just a few meters – a situation in which it was impossible to orient and follow the path.
We stop. We are at the foot of Bakardan Peak. We huddle next to each other to warm up. We can go neither forward nor backward. We still hope that the storm will pass us by and that we will get a chance to go back. As the day goes on, we are aware that the chances of going back are smaller. On the other hand, it is quite clear to us that if we try to go back in such conditions, the chances are quite high that we will fall into the abyss – the configuration of the trail is known in this part where there are ravines and abysses almost along the entire length. Zhivko as an informal group guide and a more experienced mountaineer completely loses orientation where the trail is – we are simply LOST.
The day is slowly passing, and it is clear to all of us that we will have to spend the night outdoors, in wind and snow and at temperatures of -10 degrees. Zhivko and Biljana found a small crack in a rock where they spend the night, while Vlatko and I, wrapped in a raincoat, spend the night standing – no sitting and lying down, because falling a sleep in such situations usually marks the end of the “movie”.
DAY 2 – 04.01.1995
Finally, it dawns. We are in a thick fog and the visibility is 1-2 meters. We are frozen in the extremities, but under the influence of adrenaline, we do not feel pain. I feel like time is slowing down: the conversations are slowed down and all the scenes are surreal. My focus on perception changes: the things that are within my reach seem to be 10 meters away from me. Encouraged by the fact that we are still alive, a new round of adrenaline fills us, and we give ourselves in search of any known marking, stone, rock, tree, sign, antenna … Zhivko takes the initiative again and leads us. We go down and up on unfamiliar terrain in the hope that everything is over, and after a period of optimism, we come across our own footsteps: we are spinning in a circle. I am slowly losing strength and I feel like I am slowing down the group. At one point Zhivko and Vlatko separate from the group in order to investigate the area, and after a few minutes Biljana does the same. I was left alone and said to myself out loud, “Bote, that’s it!” But after a short time, everyone returned unsuccessfully, and it was clear to all of us: a second night under the elements.
DAY 3 – 05.01.1995
Third day – dawn. It is clear to all of us that this day is decisive: survive or a “peaceful sleep”. The weather promises: the fog is slowly rising and we are trying to recognize where we are, although it is still early. Visibility increases but not enough to recognize part of the relief and mountain peaks. We are again on the move! – Zivko knows the direction this time. I can not feel my arms or legs but I can walk. I am present but out of reality: my consciousness is outside my body and I silently observe everyone from above. At times I come back to say a word or say YES or NO. The fog is clearing more and more and around noon we see the top of Anteni Peak and the last pillars of the cable car Cerepashina. We are saved! Zhivko points us to the left of the Anteni Peak in order to get out on the dirt road that leads to Leshnica. We get lost again but this time we keep the direction because the visibility is good and after several hours of hiking we go out on the dirt road that leads to Mountain hut Jelak. We arrive at the hotel Popova Shapka where the members of the police greet us: “And are you the ones who are lost, your relatives are looking for you?”
I try to take my shoes off but it is impossible: they are frozen like stone. I am wearing pajamas given to me by one of the men and heading to the hospital. As we arrived, we return back with our own vehicle – but this time to the hospital. The hospital staff are waiting for us, already prepared and informed about our condition, but a bit: “We expected workers who mistakenly were locked in a refrigerator?”
We all have frostbite on the face and limbs (some more / some less). Thanks to Dr. Andreja Mishkovski, director of plastic surgery at the time, I kept all my fingers and toes except for a small part of the edges that I no longer have. But with minimal surgical procedure, I’m now part of distinguished mountaineering group where this type of injury is common.
I, Bote, do not blame anyone for this event. We made all the decisions together, and I think we misinterpreted the signs that the weather was deteriorating. There is no struggle with the mountains and with the nature: the winner is known in advance. Our obligation is to preserve it, to take good care and enjoy. And to share our experiences as well :)
