A self discovery trek through the region of Kelmend, rustic valleys of Montenegro and the Valley of Theth. You will hike in the most spectacular panoramic trek of the Albanian Alps, in front of the Accursed Mountains and enjoy the local hospitality of the Albanian highlanders.
Special highlights:
The Southern Dinaric Alps / The Accursed Mountains: a spectacular massif that connects naturally Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo.
The “Accursed Mountains” remain among the least visited areas of Western Balkans. Until now, the mountain region of Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania has virtually remained untouched and is only sparsely inhabited.
Theth Valley: melting pot for most of the treks to the highest peaks and passes of the Albanian Alps and beyond.
| TOUR: | Into the Heart of the Accursed Mountains | ||||
| START/FINISH: | Shkoder | ||||
| TYPE: | Self guided walking holiday | ||||
| CODE: | SGKEL 5.1 | ||||
| LEVEL: | Challenging | ||||
| PRICE: | |||||
| DATES: | Based on your request | ||||
| NIGHTS: | 4 | ||||
| DAYS: | 5 | ||||
| HIKING DAYS: | 3 | ||||
| INCLUDED |
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| EXCLUDED | Everything not specified in itinerary
Bank transfer fees |
Essential Info:
Level of the tour: Challenging
This tour is physically challenging, and demands you to be in excellent physical shape.
In general the walks last between six to eight hours a day. Previous trekking experience is an advantage, but not a must for those who are reasonably fit and comfortable in their hiking shoes.
During the hikes, you should carry your small rucksack, while the main luggage gets transported by vehicle and/or horse. vehicle.
Terrain during the hikes:
The trails are a continuum of steady ascends and descends. into pure alpine terrain of great beauty. The selected paths are mostly well trod underfoot and safe (rarely exposed).
What to bring:
Breathable lightweight waterproof jacket and pants , fleece/wool pullovers/wind-stopper jackets and gloves, small back-pack with rain coverage, hat, mosquito repellent, head-lamp, hiking poles, water bottle, sunglasses/block.
Land only
The “OA” tours are Land Only; the prices do not include flights, nor transport* to and from the airport to the hotel (*unless requested separately). Please let us know while booking if you would like us to arrange an airport transfer.
Good to know
Pick-up location
Central Shkoder, to be specified at booking confirmation
Drop-off location
Central Shkoder, to be specified at booking confirmation
Children policy:
Children joining this tour should have experience with hiking. An adult needs to accompany children under 18.
Luggage transport
The main luggage will be transported by Outdoor Albania. While on tour, you will only need to carry the personal day-pack. You will have to carry just your own backpack.
Hiking route changes
For safety reasons, we reserve the right to modify the agreed hiking route in the remote case of severe weather conditions, and do our best to minimize any extra costs that might rise because of it.
THROUGH THE CANYON OF LAKE KOMAN, AND INTO THE ALBANIAN ALPS
Early in the morning you will depart on a scenic drive from Shkoder, to reach the docks in the dam of Koman. The homonymous lake beyond it was artificially created in the 80’s after the construction of the third hydro-power dam that interrupts the canyon of river Drin.
The spectacular boat ride through gorgeous landscape that will follow from there is a not-to-miss highlight of Northern Albania!
At the end of the navigation, step out of the boat with your luggage in the dock of Fierza, find a local van parked outside and sit in to drive for about one hour through the narrow valley of Valbona – one of the most beautiful valleys of the Albanian Alps, where you will be hosted in a comfortable local guesthouse.
Transfers:
Shkoder – Valbona: 55km/1hr30min
Ferry trip: 2hrs30min
Fierza – Valbona: 35km/1hr
THE VALBONA PASS
Today you will hike on a ‘classic’ trail of the Albanian Alps that for centuries connected the glacier valleys of Valbona and Theth via the 1860m high Valbona Pass. The pass becomes possible to cross on foot from the end of May, when the snow melts enough to let people and animals through.
After breakfast, be ready to leave at 07:45hrs, load the luggage on horse led by a porter that will act as local guide, salute the hosts and start hiking towards the end of the valley for about 6km until leaving behind the last houses of Rrogam.
In the afternoon you will relax in Thethi, the best-preserved alpine village of Albania, overnight in one of the traditional houses in the valley and enjoy the extraordinary hospitality.
Hike info: 14km/7-8hrs / +920m/-1100m / Highest Point: 1760m
EXPLORE THETHI’S ATTRACTIONS
Thethi is the most known village of Northern Albania. The small village has been described by several well-known writers, which were impressed by its stunning and rather inaccessible location in the middle of vertical mountains. Still today, most of the houses or ‘kulla’ are built in grey stone and roofed with wooden planks. Traditions remain strong and authentic.
Walk down from the house (850m) and visit the attractions of the village, including the Church, Kulla e Ngujimit (a tower house used in the past by men as a shelter against ongoing vendettas), the Waterfall of Thethi, and peer at the rocky narrows of the Grunasi Canyon from the wooden bridge of Grela. Near the canyon are found stonewalled terraces dating from the late bronze era, revealed only in 2007. After the picnic lunch, you may then return to the same house as the night before or you may decide to continue your journey and discover The Blue Eye of Nderlysa. The way is marked following the Shala River. On return to Nderlysa, an arranged transfer will return you to Thethi for a second overnight stay.
Hike info: 13km/4-5hr / +250m/ -480m / Highest Point: 795m
Transfer: Nderlyse-Theth (03:00 PM): 8km/30min)
THE HIGHLANDS OF PEJA PASS
Load your luggage on horses and start a long hike to reach the village of Vuthaj, Montenegro. You will climb slowly on a rocky trail, used before by the highlanders as a trade corridor with Peja city in Kosovo. At Peja Pass you can stop for a picnic lunch, and gaze at the beautiful valley of Theth before starting our way down. The trail winds beside the rocky dome of Harapit Peak, which dominates the valley end and continues sided by the spectacular massive of Langoj-Karanfil peaks on the right and Jezerca – the highest summit of the Albanian Alps on the left. You will first reach the rocky plateau of Runica, later the alpine lake of Gjeshtar reaching at the end the valley of Ropojana.
The trail will exit in the main road, where a vehicle is instructed to reach you and take you in Vuthaj for dinner and accommodation.
Hike info: 16km/7-8hr / +1300m/-850m /Highest point: 1749m
Transfer from Border to Vusanje (PM): 10km/40min)
THE ‘ACCURSED MOUNTAINS’ AT THE PALM OF YOUR HAND
You will be picked up at the guesthouse between 07:30-08:00hrs for a short transfer (30min) to the beginning of the trail in Grebaje village.
Leave Greabaje on foot (between 08:00-08:30hrs) and walk on a fine beech forest trail, climbing through the meadows toward the panoramic spot of Volusnica to the ridge that leads to the peak of Taljanka, from where you can gaze at Albanias’s wildest alpine landscape: The Massive of the Accursed Mountains.
The trail will descent in the valley of Lepusha, where your driver will be waiting to take you back to the city of Shkodra.
The drive back will initially follow the taller mountains of the Valleys of Kelmend as the road winds through remote glacier valley debris of limestone until the shores of Lake Shkodra.
Arrival in Shkoder. Tour ends.
Hike info: Distance/Duration: 12km / 5 – 6 hrs / +900m / – 1020m / Highest point: 2054m
Transfers:
Vuthaj – Grebaje: 13 km/30min
Lepusha – Shkoder: 190 km/2hrs
6th – 10th of August
