The „Prpa“ Mountaineering Club was established in 2001 in Baške Oštarije, on the 750th Anniversary of the historical town of Karlobag, and forms a part of the Karlobag district. It is the first (and only?) mountaineering club established on the Velebit Mountain. It actively participates in popularisation of mountaineering, ecology and nature protection as well as preservation of cultural and ethnological heritage. This club is responsible for the maintenance of a total of over 30 km of mountaineering trails and has prevented, largely on its own, the tearing down of the famous Kubus monument. Regular Club activities also include organising educative trips offering different attractions. At present, „Prpa“ Mountaineering Club has over 300 loyal members from different parts of Croatia as well as from some distant countries of the world. The Club’s main aim is gaining the Croatian mountaineering the reputation it deserves and making trips to nature at least a small part of an average Croatian citizen’s cultural life. “Prpa” is not only a mountaineering club but also a club of patriots and true friends. “Prpa” is one big family proud of its Velebit.

Climbers’ lodging

Climbers’ lodging “Prpa” in Baške Oštarije is also the seat of the mountaineering club carrying the same name. It is situated at the foot of Basača at 950 m height above sea–level, and only 400 meters of asphalted road distance from the Gospić – Karlobag main road.
The lodging’s location at the dividing line between mid– and southern Velebit is an ideal starting point for many attractive mountaineering tours. Five cottages can accommodate more than 40 people and mountaineers also have a big heated living room with a hearth and kitchen at disposal.
The lodging is supplied with high–quality water, firewood and electricity, and it is open throughout the year, however only for mountaineers with Croatian Mountaineering Association identity cards.

Botanical garden

With over 50 registered autochthonous plants, the botanical garden in the surroundings of “Prpa” climbers’ lodging numbers approximately 250 plant species, also including 15 endemic ones which are protected. This area around Basača (botanical garden) is also interesting because of different habitat types: meadows, forests, mountain clearings, stony grasslands, sandbanks, craggy ridges etc. The botanical garden includes the following families: lilies (Liliaceae), irises (Iridaceae), orchids (Orchidaceae), composites (Asteraceae), blue–bells (Campanulaceae), mints (Labiatae), gentians (Gentianaceae), primroses (Primulaceae), violets (Violaceae), geraniums (Geraniaceae), various leguminous plants (Leguminosae), roses (Rosaceae), peonies (Paeonia), buttercups (Ranunculaceae), carnations (Caryophyllaceae) and other.
Some of the endemic plants are: Velebit Degenia (Degenia velebitica), Croatian Sibbirhaea (Sibiraea croatica), Martagon Lily (Lilium martagon), Sandwort (Arenaria gracilis), Croatian Grassy Bell (Edraianthus graminofolius var. Croaticus), Croatian Sand Rock-Cress (Arabis croatica), Kitaibel's Primrose (Primula kitaibeliana), Amethyst Meadow Squill (Scilla pratensis), Waldstein Bell Flower (Campanula waldsteiniana), Window Bell Flower (Campanula fenestrellata), Croatian Micromeria (Micromeria croatica) and other.

Plants have not been marked with name tags to avoid the ruining of the landscape’s natural beauty. Most of the plants bloom in May and June when the beauty of the botanical garden shows its full splendour.

prijevod: Mirna Fumić