Albania & the Balkans Trek

Day 1 - Fly London To Podgorica - Albania & The Balkans

On arrival at Podogorica Airport in Montenegro, there will be a single group transfer to your Guest House in Lepushë Albania. The transfer is timed to fit the group flight, please check with us for further information. Lepushë is a small village in Northern Albania, set in a quiet valley at an altitude of 1,270 m.

Overnight: Guesthouse Alpini In Lepushe

Day 2 - An epic start. Trek along the border between Albania and Montenegro from Lepushë to Grebaye/Gusinje - 4-5 hours .

You start today’s walk straight out of the door of your guest house in the Lepushë Valley. Your trip in the Accursed Mountains starts on a real high as you follow an old trade route, the Volušnica and Popadija trail, between Lepushë and Grebaye/Gusinje on the border of Albania’s and Montenegro’s Prokletije mountains. These mountains offer some of the most breathtaking scenery in the Balkans. Today’s hike showcases the dramatic Karanfili peaks and the verdant ridges that frame the valley. Have your camera ready!

Firstly, you ascend through a peaceful forest and then, within an hour you emerge to your first expansive views. From here, you have the option to ascend Mt. Volušnica, which offers the first stunning panoramas of Karanfili, or alternatively you may continue along the ridge towards Mt. Taljanka, the highest peak on the trail. Taljanka sits on the Albanian side of the border, while Volušnica is on the Montenegrin side. The views from either are staggering, with layers of rugged mountains stretching to the horizon with picturesque pastures in the valleys below.

Your total altitude gain today is about 850 meters, and while the trail is not technically demanding, it may seem more strenuous if the weather is hot. If you are travelling in the late spring or early summer the brilliant wildflowers and lush meadows will be at their best.

You will finally descend to the Grabaja valley where your transport will meet you to take you in about 20 minutes to your guest house in the Ropojana valley.

859m/2,800ft ascent, 970m/3,208ft descent, 4-5 hours walking.

Overnight: Hotel Rosi, Gusijne

Day 3 - Trek to Thethi via Peja Pass, 1,751m/5,788ft - 7-8 hours.

An exciting day, as you cross the border into Albania on foot, with your luggage carried on packhorses. It is a one hour drive to the village of Ropoyana and the end of the road. The soaring peaks of the valley ahead appear impenetrable, but the route ahead is an old smugglers trail used for centuries, most recently by Albanians escaping the communist regime. The walk initially follows the valley floor, passing a waterfall and stunning bright blue pond. After a couple of hours the path climbs to reach a large lake that completely dries up in the summer months. In this idyllic spot, a small stone marks the Albanian border. Your luggage will be swapped onto Albanian packhorses at this spot.

The path now climbs through an ancient beech forest for about an hour before emerging at the high Alpine meadows of Fush e Kunices. You may well see sheep grazing, and rough huts guarded by fierce shepherds' dogs, necessary to guard the flocks from wolves. The path zig zags up through stunning limestone scenery, and soon you will see the first of the 'mushroom' bunkers, built to house individual soldiers during the communist regime to stop Albanians from escaping. There are a couple of small passes to cross before your reach the 'true' Peja pass. From just beyond here you will be able to see the Thethi valley far below. It is a steep descent on a well built rocky path, passing soaring cliffs. The path eventually flattens out to follow a riverbed before reaching the spread out village of Thethi, where you will stay in a converted house which provides charming, simple accommodation.

Your guide may be able to arrange a lift today either at the start the walk, or at the end, to shorten the total distance walked today.

765m/2,509ft ascent, 1,100m/3609ft descent, 7-8 hours walking.

Overnight: Guest House in Thethi

Day 4 - Thethi Valley walk with farmhouse lunch - 5-6 hours.

The Thethi valley is astonishingly picturesque. Dominated by the soaring limestone peaks high above, the valley is fringed with beautiful forests. Accessible only in the summer and recently linked to the outside world by a rough jeep track, most transport is still by horse or on foot. The valley is inhabited about 200 families in summer, but only 20 in winter, when the valley is totally cut off by snow for several months. Any flat land is cultivated, with plums being a popular crop used to produce raki. Corn is grown to make bread, and you will visit a water powered mill. The village church was re-built in 2006, having been used in communist times as a warehouse. You will also visit a blood-feud tower, and have a chance to learn about how life has changed in recent years. A short climb above the village leads to a spectacular waterfall.

You will have lunch in a traditional farmhouse further down the valley in the hamlet of Nderlysa, where just about all the food you eat has been grown on the farm, and is served with the traditional hospitality that is so important in Albania. The family will be happy to show you around the farm and house. Close to the farm house the river has carved out amazing pools in the rocks, and a small swimming pond has been created. After a refreshing dip, those with energy left can walk an hour or so up the river valley to the 'Blue Eye', another swimming spot set in lush vegetation. A jeep will drive you back up the rough track to your guest-house.

387m/1,269ft ascent, 387m/1,269ft descent, 5-6 hours walking.

Overnight: Guest House in Thethi

Day 5 - Trek to Valbona Valley via Valbona Pass 1,800m/5,940ft - 7 hours.

Today’s walk is over a pass that is still used by locals to reach the Valbona valley. The initial climb is steep, and you soon reach the 'last' house of Thethi. After a rocky uphill track you reach the shade of an ancient beech wood. The well-built path zig-zags up to reach a high alp with fabulous views of Thethi far below. Above here a local family camps in the summer months, and provides drinks and snacks in an ingeniously built café. The Valbona pass opens up views of many more peaks, and you can see your route ahead snaking far below. After traversing below cliffs you reach easier ground and meadows.

After a lunch stop you descend through a grand forest to reach the valley floor, and a walk along a dried up rive bed to reach the roadhead.

Overnight: Valbona Guest House

Day 6 - Transfer to Ceremi. Trek to Doberdol - 7 hours.

In the morning, to avoid having to walk a less interesting section, you will transfer from Valbona to Ceremi. There are two routes leading uphill from the lovely village of Ceremi. Both offer great views as you climb through a mixture of forest and dazzling flower-filled meadows. On either route you can stop after about an hour at the 'Forest Cafe'. This cafe was started by an enterprising Tirana man who speaks perfect English and lives with his family in the forest for the summer months. The trail continues uphill through the forest before you turn off onto a smaller path to climb gently to reach an open meadow and the Montenegrin border. You continue in Montenegro on a narrow mule trail, a truly delightful path, to finally reach a further clearing and the Albanian border. There are distant views from here of Doberdol, your final destination.

Walking on, about an hour of descent leads to the tiny village of Balqin. Perched on a steep hillside, the families here produce sheep's cheese to sell and you may well stop here to eat your lunch at one of the small stone houses. The summer inhabitants grow some vegetables and keep hens in addition to herding. With glimpses of distant Doberdol you contour around and down through beech and fir woods until you reach the Glansh valley. This wonderfully unspoilt conservation area is home to a few families in summer. A steep hundred metre climb at the head of the valley brings you out at the base of the huge Doberdol valley. Here, there are sheep, cows and ponies everywhere in summer as the traditional farming families bring their animals up from the lowlands to graze and the human population swells to up to 500 people.

Ascent 995m/3,264, Descent 373m/1,223ft, 7 hours walking.

Overnight: Doberdol Shepherd's Hut

Day 7 - Trek to Gropa and climb Gjeravica Peak, 2,656m/8,714ft - 7 hours. Transfer to Gjakova.

Your final day's trekking is an ascent of the highest mountain in Kosova, Gjeravica - 2,656m/8,714ft. You initially walk up the Doberdol valley before ascending the side of the valley to reach the pass of Aleiq. You will enjoy excellent views from here before you descend to follow a small path round two giant mountain cirques. This is another day of great contrasts as you initially cross limestone pavements to reach the first cirque. The small, rocky path contours the cirques and offers great views of soaring granite peaks. The second smaller cirque ends in a lovely little tarn and you can enjoy some time here before you start climbing on an old caravan path to reach the Gjeravitza pass.

Weather permitting, from here it is about one and a half hours to the rocky top of the peak. This is the highest mountain in Kosovo (and was the highest peak in Serbia), and there are stupendous views from the top. You descend back to the pass and then initially down a steep rocky path which gradually becomes more gentle to reach meadows and the small summer hamlet of Gropa. Your vehicle will meet you here for the drive to Gjakova and hotel for the night. Gjakova is an interesting, historic town, known for its two multi-arched stone bridges. In the evening you will have a chance to wander through its lively streets.

Ascent 1025m/3362ft. Descent 1195m/3920ft, 7 hours walking.

Overnight: Hotel Carshia e Jupave, Gjakove

Day 8 - Group transfer to Pristina airport - 1½ hours. Fly to London.

After breakfast, there is a single, timed group transfer to Pristina airport for the flight back to London.