Three Peaks of the Balkans

Day 1 - Fly London to Pristina

You depart from London on your overnight flight to Pristina.

Overnight: In flight

Day 2 - Arrive Pristina. Group transfer to the Valbona Valley.

You will be met on arrival at Pristina airport and transferred to your guest house in the Valbona Valley.

The airport is situated on the wide plane of Kosovo, and you will drive west, initially on the excellent new dual carriageway, towards the hills and the Albanian border. At the town of Gjakova the road climbs into the mountains and you cross the border at a sleepy checkpoint. As you descend through a picturesque valley, cows and sheep appear on the roads and the verdant fields are covered in old fashioned haystacks in the late summer. At the permanently semi-built town of Bajam Curri, the road starts climbing up the Valbona Valley. The road twists and turns up the stunning limestone gorge before the vista of the wide Valbona Valley opens out with the soaring peaks of the Accursed Mountains on both sides.

Overnight: Valbona Guest House

Day 3 - Trek to Ceremi - 3 hours. Explore village.

Weather permitting, you should be greeted in the morning by a stunning view of the valley. Your walk today is relatively short and designed to break you in gently to the more challenging walking ahead! A fifteen minute road transfer takes you to the start of the walk. The very rough track is surrounded by beautiful trees and soaring high above are the astonishing limestone rock faces that dominate these mountains. After about an hour of climbing you reach a welcome water fountain before the path flattens somewhat and the wider Ceremi valley appears in the distance. Ceremi is a widely spaced out village, inhabited by shepherds in the summer months who have started welcoming foreign trekkers into their traditional houses. The same families have inhabited the old stone houses for many generations and their hospitality is legendary. You will be given a very warm welcome and fed with delicious local produce. In the afternoon there is the opportunity to explore the village and the picturesque waterfall at the head of the valley.

Ascent 640m

Overnight: Cerem Guest House

Day 4 - Trek to Doberdol - 7 hours.

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 1330 metres, Descent 650 metres.

Overnight: Doberdol Shepherd's Hut

Day 5 - Trek to Milishevc. Ascend Tromeda Peak, 2,365m/7,759ft - 8-9 hours. Drive to Peja.

From the broad, grassy floor of Doberdol valley you climb the side of the valley, quite steeply to start with but compensated by the superb views, to reach a saddle. Your first peak, Tromeda - 2,365m/7,759ft - is just ahead of you, an easy ascent up a grassy ridge to reach the top and the triangular border point of Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. You descend by an alternative route to re-join the path and the start of a superb ridge walk. You are now in Kosovo. The display of wildflowers in spring and summer is remarkable - from tiny gentians to rare orchids the grassy uplands are a blaze of colour. The path undulates through high alpine meadows until you reach the Roshkodol pass at 2,258m/7,408ft. This is a good lunch spot and about halfway through your walk. As you continue on, the wide Roshkodol valley lies below you, and you traverse the head of the valley to gain another ridge and descend through sparse forest with a distant view of the town of Plav in Montenegro. The path then descends through trees, quite vaguely at times, to reach a meadow and then the scattered village of Milishevc. From here you descend by jeep to the Kosovan town of Peja.

Ascent 915 metres. Descent 980 metres.

Overnight: Hotel Dukagjini

Day 6 - Sightseeing in Peja. Transfer to Reke e Allages, through Rugova Gorge.

Kosovo is of course a young country, only formed in 2008, and it is immensely interesting as part of your Balkan trek to spend your rest day investigating some of the historic sites of the Peja area. Your day will start with a visit to the exquisitely beautiful monastery of Visoki Decani. Having survived since the 13th century, this important Serbian Orthodox monastery is carefully guarded following the formation of Kosovo as an independent country. The church was designed by a Franciscan monk, and both the Romanesque exterior and prolific interior frescoes provide a visual surprise and delight. The site is home to 24 monks who find time to make cheese and brandy in addition to preserving this important symbol of Serbian Orthodoxy in the heart of Albanian Kosovo.

As possible light relief, you next visit the caves at the source of the White Drin river and experience the popular Kosovan past-time of eating trout. There will be time to visit the reconstructed centre of Peja town and the mosque (burnt by the Serbs in the recent war but rebuilt) before visiting the 13th century Serbian Orthodox Nunnery and Patricarch church on the edge of town. This is followed by a drive of about an hour up the stunning Rugova gorge to your homestay for the night with a friendly and hospitable Ariu family.

Overnight: Reke e Allages Guest House

Day 7 - Trek to Liqenat via Hajla Peak, 2,403m/7,884ft - 8 hours.

The trek today starts right outside the back of your accommodation. You initially zig-zag up the home pastures of the family, climbing quite steeply until you reach woodland. Eventually you reach an impressive large meadow with old wooden huts. You climb behind these to reach a small rocky ridge, covered in wildflowers, before descending slightly to a mountain cabin. This is where you start your climb of Hajla peak - 2,403m/7,884ft and straddling the border of Kosovo and Montenegro. It is a steady two hour ascent, eventually following a stunning ridge with views to Montenegro. The mountain appears to be cut in half, with vertical cliffs on the Montenegrin side and far below views of the town of Rozaje. In the far distance, Serbia and the Albanian peaks can be seen. The summit is reached along a sharp ridge on a good path. The descent is via the same ridge to reach steep, grassy meadows and the path to the bottom. You now join the remains of an old caravan route to reach a small path that leads to the village of Pepaj. It is an interesting walk through this mountain hamlet to descend on an old route to Drelaj, a small hamlet with a large mosque. Your vehicle will transfer you to Liqenat, starting point for tomorrow's trek. The mountain lodge has superb views back across the valley to Halja Peak and much of the route you walked today.

Ascent 1,250m. Descent 1,300m.

Overnight: Liqenat Mountain Guest House

Day 8 - Trek to Babino Polje - 8 hours.

The start of today's walk is a lovely ascent on a good path through lofty pine trees. Your initial objective is the lake of Kucishtes at 1,860m. You skirt around this lake and climb to reach a smaller lake of a deep, green colour similar to the Rio Olympics diving pool! From here it is a steady uphill climb to reach a valley full of dramatic rock formations. Your route takes you up the side of the valley to reach the pass of Jelenka. This is your high point of the day and there are expansive views of the Accursed Mountains to the south. There are several good lunch spots here before you descend to walk the ridge to Ravnobrdo. Here you cross into Montenegro. It is a delightful descent, gentle to start with through a high alpine meadow to reach the sheep pastures above the Babino Polje valley. The final descent is steeply through forest before you reach the valley floor and your accommodation for the night.

Ascent 1150m. Descent 980m.

Overnight: Babino Bolje Mountain Hut

Day 9 - Trek to Doberdol - 7-8 hours.

Today you start walking on a farm track to reach a couple of picturesque mountain hamlets. There are excellent views from the meadows of the peaks of Montenegro. The trail now leads uphill on a small path through forest before contouring for half an hour to reach the stunning alpine lake of Hridsko Jezero. There will be time to relax here and take in the scenery before ascending on large rocks that eventually lead to a small hut. A rough track leads you back to the Albanian border, with lovely views of the big Albanian peaks. A ruined army post marks the border and you climb from here for an hour or so to the edge of the Doberdol valley.

Ascent 1000m. Descent 950 m.

Overnight: Doberdol Shepherd's Hut

Day 10 - 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. There are excellent views to enjoy from here before you descend to take a small path walking along 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 and in the evening you will have a chance to wander through its lively streets.

Ascent 1165m. Descent 1195m

Overnight: Hotel Carshia e Jupave, Gjakove

Day 11 - Transfer to airport and fly to London.

After breakfast there will be a group transfer back to Pristina airport to catch your flight home.