My name is Mario and here is the story how Black Pine came to my life.

It all started back in 1999 when I enrolled in Speleology school. After a year of speleology, I realized that I enjoy more in the process of looking and arriving to the caves than the actual visit to the caves so I decided to stay above the ground and finished mountaineering school.

For the last 18 years mountaineering and cycling were my hobbies and I earned money through playing the drums, photography, cooking and working in telecommunication sector. During 2 years in telecommunication sector the idea of becoming a professional guide was becoming more and more real.

Since I already finished mountaineering school and had an experience in cycling the last step on the path of professional guide was a licence of professional mountaineering and cycling guide which I shortly afterwards passed.

Then I started to work as a freelancer for different agencies. For the last 3 years I guided a lot of hiking and cycling tours in the Balkan region, mostly Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The most attractive tour is Via Dinarica hiking mega trail that extends from Slovenia to Albania.