Shortly after, bitter cold set in, and the next encounter, fought at Zlatitsa Pass on 12 December 1443, was fought in the snow. Until the Battle of Zlatitsa the crusaders did not meet a major Ottoman army, but only town garrisons along their route toward Adrianople.[6] Finally, at Zlatitsa they met strong and well positioned defence forces of the Ottoman army.[6] The crusaders were defeated.