More than a thousand hikers from Macedonia and the region climbed Titov Vrv (2,747 meters) in the 44th traditional ascent, organized by mountaineering clubs. The event, held without interruption since the 1980s, this year drew participants of every generation.

The climb is traditionally held in early June, when the weather allows a safe ascent to the peak, which is part of the Šar Mountains. Participants set off early in the morning and reach the summit by noon, where flags go up and photos are taken.

Titov Vrv is the highest peak in the Šar Mountains and the second highest in Macedonia after Golem Korab. It's named after Josip Broz Tito, and despite the change of political system, the name has stayed - just like the tradition of the climb itself.

Here's the interesting part: this event outlived the system that gave birth to it. Launched in the socialist era as a mass spectacle, it carries on today as a spontaneous tradition of hikers, stripped of any ideological undertone. People come for the mountain, not for the politics.