Peaks of The Balkans!

Our life belongings packed up, we prepared to hit the open road and embrace the freedom of travelling again. After a couple of quick stops in London and Worthing to catch up with friends, belatedly celebrate Jelley's birthday, and store extra luggage, we were off to Gatwick with Greer to catch our ridiculously cheap £12 flights with ‘Wizz Air’ down to Podgorica, Montenegro. We had been warned of many cases of lost luggage on this route in particular, and dutifully dressed in our hiking boots and essential gear for the flight. It was a huge relief to see our luggage safely arrive on the other side. We were going to need them, too because our next adventure was going to be on foot!

Our 9-day hike around the ‘Peaks of the Balkans’ trail, through the Accursed Mountains of Albania, Kosovo & Montenegro was arranged through a local agency, Balkan Natural Adventures. With limited time to plan the trip, it was great to have the route, transfers and guesthouses coordinated for us. We had placed so much trust in these guys that we may or may not have read the entire itinerary notes before departure...and had a bit of a shock when we saw the distances and elevation gains ahead of us!

The ride into Theth was an eventful one with our energetic driver, Augustine, who loved to shout on his phone and take the tight mountain corners with extra speed. At one stage, he lost total control of the vehicle and we had a run-in with a well-positioned guard rail on the side of the mountain pass. Thankfully, this close call encouraged our driver to take the corners a little slower and ensured we eventually reached Theth in one piece! The scenery was stunning, and it was surreal to arrive in this gorgeous mountain town. After an amazing meal of homemade bread, soup, fresh salad and meat (a combination we would soon grow tired of!), we caught a couple of hours of sleep before our good friend Nial joined us in the middle of the night and our team for the adventure ahead was complete.

Day 1: Theth -> Nderlyse (Blue Eye) -> Theth, 19.8km

We woke on our first day together to moody low-lying clouds sitting in the valley, leaving it to our imaginations how the mountain tops surrounding us may look. Today was a ‘warmup’ hike before the main Peaks of the Balkans circuit began. We were walking to the Blue Eye of Theth, a stunning natural blue pool in the mountains, with a stop at a waterfall on the way. While vehicles can drive to the tiny town of Nderlyse for a shorter walk to the Blue Eye, the road again snaked over a similarly sketchy mountain road, and we were thankful to arrive by foot. It was a great feeling getting our legs moving again after a long period between hikes for 3 of the 4 of us (Nial had recently been hiking in the Swiss Alps and was in great shape for the journey!). The sun was beating down, but it was a really enjoyable first day walking to the crystal-clear Blue Eye of Theth. In contrast to the extremely hot weather, the cold water burned and it was nearly painful to submerge our feet in the water. The boys bravely jumped in but scrambled out just as quickly.

On our return to Theth, we had been upgraded to brand new rooms in the main guesthouse, with an amazing hot shower to end the day. The clouds had fully lifted across the valley and we soaked up the improved view of the dramatic mountain range with games, wine and plenty of laughter.

Day 2: Theth -> Valbona, 19km

Our first day on the ‘official’ Peaks of the Balkans trail was along the region’s most iconic 1-day hike - traversing from Theth to Valbone. We knew it would be a busy one with day trippers, and we were jealous as they walked with little on their backs compared to our 10 days of gear.

After cruising through the relatively flat town centre, we were greeted with an extremely steep climb through beech and birch trees, before reaching a clearing which made the effort all worth it. After a steep push, we reached the perfect resting point - a cafe with million-dollar views, refreshing cold drinks and homemade Albanian cake.

The ascent continued until we reached the Valbone Pass, and we had panoramic views of both where we came from, and where we were headed for the night. The views were stunning as we enjoyed the brief respite over lunch, before beginning the equally as gruelling steep descent. The day felt never-ending at times - we had the option to pay €10 for a short taxi ride to save around 4km at the end, and wished we had taken it in hindsight. Walking along the rocky riverbed and sealed road was a challenge on our legs. We were still getting accustomed to the long days on our feet, and had a long way still to go.

Day 3: Valbone -> Cerem, 18km

Our next day was from Valbone to Cerem, and we were taking an alternative route via Presollopi Pass as the ‘true’ Peaks of the Balkans trail takes you along a 4wd track all day. We later learned after having the trail nearly to ourselves, that the bulk of the other hikers took a vehicle transfer and skipped this day entirely! While it was the most challenging day for us, we’re so glad we didn’t miss it, and it afforded Luke & Nial the chance to summit Montenegro’s highest peak along the way!

The day started again with the same gruelling routine - straight up a mountainside. There was a great range in diversity in the flora through various forest types as we ascended, grateful for the shade in the blasting sun. The guys were setting a faster pace than the gals, determined to fit in Zla Kollata peak, and we spent the entire day apart.

Approaching a valley, which looked like it had been created by an ice cream scoop amongst the mountains, Greer & Jelley came across a local lady with no English selling cold Coke & Sprite from a tiny shack. It was humbling seeing her small home in the mountainside, we presumed she may have a shepherd's husband out with stock but would never really know as our communication was so limited.

The terrain reminded us of Castle Hill (in New Zealand, not in Townsville as Greer would like to point out), with impressively large boulders dotting in and out of the vibrant green surroundings. Another border crossing over to Montenegro, and we looked up to try to see the boys on the peak above us. A couple of stick figures appeared, and we continued on, aware of the long day ahead.

A unique feature of the track today was an ‘ice wind cave’, a cave which mysteriously stays at a constant temperature of 0 degrees Celsius. We could feel it immediately as we walked past - we later heard Luke & Nial went in to explore and nearly fell straight down a 70ft crevasse! No health & safety signage here in the remotes of Montenegro. Yikes!

The descent was a mental challenge and technical underfoot, with our ankles working hard to navigate the constant rocky terrain. We were pleased for a flat spot again, with herds of sheep with their noisy bells (and sheepdogs which looked like sheep!) blocking the main path. There was hardly a soul around for the majority of the day, until we reached a resting point and other hikers started to emerge from the surrounding mountain towns. With so many potential routes in the area, there were a combination of day trippers and multi-day hikers and we started to put names to a couple of familiar faces on a similar route to us.

We were relieved to arrive at our guesthouse for the night, with no idea how far behind us the boys would be. Greer & Jelley had a well-needed shower, did some laundry by hand, then cracked open a beer and bag of chips before the guys stumbled in. We heard all about their adventurous day - running out of water with no resupply points, then finding a second cafe just in time with not only plenty of water, but the best yoghurt/honey/blueberry treat of the trip!

Day 4: Cerem -> Doberdol, 18km

Day 4 started with a gentler incline and a sudden swarm of hikers coming from all angles. Many had taken the vehicle option from Valbone to Cerem, and all were headed to the same destination as us for the night, Doberdol.

With more hikers on the trail and greater vehicle accessibility, our chances of cafes along the way for hot & cold drinks were also higher. We hadn’t been walking long before coming across a very well-dressed local in a formal suit serving coffee on the roadside, with every hiker and local walking or driving by unable to resist a stop.

Today was a welcomed relief - after the challenging day before, Jelley & Greer were thinking deeply about the journey ahead, how we could possibly handle such brutal steep ascents every morning and the long 8-10 hours on our feet. It was a pleasant surprise as we ambled through forests with soft ground, and started leaving the dramatic mountain range for more rolling pine forest countryside. Blueberry and raspberry bushes began to line the walkway, and we couldn’t resist the perfectly ripe treat along the way.

We enjoyed lunch with a view (and caught up with Nial!), before heading on an equally as gentle descent towards Doberdoll. The grey clouds looming above and sound of distant thunder threatened to ruin the cruisy day, and we were soon poured on. We met another Kiwi & an Aussie, both living in Berlin, along the trail who were soon convinced to spend the night at the same guesthouse as us and play a few rounds of Monopoly Deal.

Doberdol is a small mountain community only inhabited in the summer months by shepherds and guesthouse hosts, in a unique valley reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands. Nial could confirm this as he was the only one of us who has actually been to the Scottish Highlands to date. It was crazy to look up and be surrounded by mountains from Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo, and a very special spot to be in the world.

Shortly before we arrived at our guesthouse, we were greeted on the path by the most confident 10-year-old, Nayla, the self-described ‘boss’. Nayla had the sales pitch down pat for every single incoming hiker, and we marvelled at her success in convincing subsequent groups who hadn’t booked anywhere to come and stay at her family’s property. Apparently, a UK TV news channel came all the way out to Doberdol to interview Nayla a couple of summers ago, and since then her dream is to become a journalist.

We had a cute hut and would be staying here for 2 nights. “Best bread, best soup” was Greer’s feedback on the delicious dinner we were served this evening before an early night. Jelley and Luke got up in the middle of the night to enjoy the illuminating sky and felt extremely grateful to be in this beautiful part of the world.

Day 5: Doberdol -> Gjeravica Peak (almost!) -> Doberdol, 16km

Staying a second night in Doberdol, it was freeing to be hiking today without our heavy packs on a return day trip. We had our first breakfast without tomatoes and cucumber, but found deep-fried dough was a bit much for 7am.

The trip notes suggested a possibly easy and enjoyable trail, albeit 19km return, but we were quickly corrected as we started to climb uphill through paddocks on the hillside.

The scenery was so different from what we had previously experienced on the trail. Panoramic scenes greeted us as we reached the top of the steep farm track, to the border of Albania and Kosovo. Once one of the most fortified borders in the world between Yugoslavia and Albania, now there is just a small piece of erected concrete marking the border. It was a pretty surreal experience, especially considering Albania was formerly considered "The North Korea of Europe" according to Wikipedia. We did have our prearranged visa permits just in case, but our journey continued without a single immigration official!

The goal was to summit the highest mountain of Kosovo today, Gjeravica. Nial was quickly off ahead of us like a mountain goat, native to the rocky terrain. Greer, Jelley & Luke continued at a steady pace, enjoying the scenes and acutely aware of the big grey cloud in the distance. We climbed a sketchy crumbling uphill track, and glimpsed the summit in the distance, hikers dotted along the ridgeline like ants. After a lunch break and an assessment of the weather, the 3 of us made the call to get down before the weather closed in. After getting down the sketchy section, we were greeted with pouring rain the entire return journey. Nial rejoined us before dinner and told tales of his adventure beyond the summit. Another big group of backpackers arrived for the night and started a bonfire, a little too rowdy for us as we took our tired legs to bed and prepared for the next day.

Day 6: Doberdol -> Milisvec, 18km

We rose early, ready to embrace the day, hoping to reach our next destination of Milisvec before the daily afternoon rain settled in. Just before leaving, we got chatting with a couple of intrepid mountain bikers, and discovered one of them was the owner of the company we had booked our arrangements through, Balkan Natural Adventures. It was tempting to stay and talk for hours with this young entrepreneur who grew up in the war-torn Kosovo (which only became an independent country in 2006), and we learnt a lot from our short time together.

Today became ‘Luke’s favourite day’, a phrase repeated on many days throughout the trip, We were crossing borders multiple times today between Albania and Montenegro before sleeping in Kosovo for the night. The wild blueberries scattered the trailside and we took many breaks foraging and gouging on the perfectly ripe fruit. The track was enjoyable, not too challenging, and we wondered if, on day 6, we had found our hiking legs. We reflected on the longest walks we had done before, the most recent being the Heaphy Track Great Walk in New Zealand, 8-km over 4 days. After every multi-day hike, our feet have been ready to fall off, we crave nuggets and beer, and couldn’t possibly imagine continuing for another kilometre, let alone another 5 days! We had crossed this mental and physical barrier and loved every moment of this day without an ache or pain.

After lunch on the ridgeline, watching the regular cloud convergence a symbol of rain on the way, we descended into a gorgeous valley. Not too disheartened about a wrong turn, we entered a stunning pine tree valley, alongside a jaw-dropping canyon and small waterfall. It was extremely peaceful listening to the cowbells ringing in the distance, and watching them cling to the steep cliffside.

With gentle rain falling around us, we reached our home for the night - a super cute log cabin fun by a family in the summer months nestled amongst the hillside. After Jelley’s first hot shower on the track (somehow everyone else got lucky before now!), we settled in and started to chat with fellow hikers. As the Peaks of the Balkans track is really a combination of many trails and many different accommodation and village options, we were always meeting new hikers, but also noticed 2 other couples who seemed to be at the same place at the same time - a retired Austrian couple, and 2 friends from America and Germany. We had booked through the same company, and realised we would be sharing the rest of the journey together, the 8 of us. It was refreshing to have a community on the trail, and to get to know each other better.

Our arrival was perfectly timed. The first true thunderstorm of our trip rolled in around us, and we have never seen such impressive heavy rain pouring down. Several hikers were not as lucky as us, and we quickly made space around the logfire for them to dry out. Our dinner was wholesome and varied, and we enjoyed a night of drinks and laughter with our newfound friends. The host family were fantastic - the son of the owner was on his university holidays and not only our chef, but also a member of the Kosovo national rugby team! His dream was for the Kosovo team to play the All Blacks one day. We treasured this experience staging at Guesthouse Lojza and it was a highlight of our stays whilst in the Accursed Mountains.

Day 7: Milisevc -> Babino Polje 14.5km

Although a shorter day awaited us of just 14.5km, we were anxious to get on the trail early with reports of another storm on the forecast and not keen to get trapped in it. While the track was easy on the legs, there was nothing unique about the scenery as we set out today, and we felt lethargic, a complete contrast from the day before. Promised ‘panoramic views’, we were greeted with a sea of clouds which covered us the entire day, and made navigating the trail particularly challenged. There were no markers and we were reliant on following a gpx file on our phone, which frustrated the 4 of us. It turned out to be even harder to find our guesthouse for the night, as we met up with the Austrians and Americans and walked up and down the gravel road trying to locate our destination.

We decided a small place that looked like a collection of ski-touring chalets must be the right place, and our spirits were lifted as we saw a huge collection of snacks and an ice cream freezer at the reception. It was quite early, just 1:30pm, and there was no one to be seen, so our tempting snacks lay behind locked doors. It was day 7, and we had been healthily eating our breakfast of cheese/tomato/cucumber bread, lunch of the same ingredients in sandwich format, and home-cooked dinner daily for a week with not a snack on the horizon.

Finding beers in a bucket of water, we nursed these until the owner arrived, brought out the snack stand and unlocked the freezer. We were like scavenging seagulls going for the comfort foods we’d been craving - potato chips, snickers ice creams, biscuits and chocolates. It was a relaxed afternoon, with just the 8 of us staying together for the night, getting to know each other better over another excellent dinner and a night of games.

Day 8: Grbaja Valley -> Taljanka Peak -> Vusanje , 11km

This morning, we were picked up in a van to be transferred to the Grbaja Valley National Park. A slight detour off the trail, we were going to one of Montenegro’s most stunning day walks, an epic loop track summiting 3 peaks with the backdrop of the Accursed Mountains.

There are no words to describe this day. It was incredible and an absolute highlight of the entire trip. 360-degree panoramic views surrounded us, and we were filled with joy the entire day. It was an epic hike, and one we would highly recommend to anyone in the area who isn’t quite ready to commit to a 9-day circuit but still wants a challenge.

We were transferred to Vusanje for our last night on the hiking trip, spent again just with the 8 of us who had shared the journey together. We shared a final dinner and many drinks together, the sun setting through the valley behind the mountain pass we would cross to complete the journey the next day back into Albania.

Our cabin was gorgeous, complete with wonderful hosts again, and we were sad as we realised the journey was coming to an end. Surprisingly, none of us were complaining of any sore muscles, blisters or injuries, and we didn’t want our time in the mountains to end.

Day 9: Vusanje -> Theth , 18km

Our final day of hiking had arrived !! The valley was covered in fog as we set out, and as it started to lift, we were impressed by the limestone cliffs emerging around us. Luke was convinced he was desensitised to the scenery by this stage, and nothing could top what we had seen to date. It turned out he was to be proven wrong, as we again entered a diverse landscape, climbing out of the valley to a landscape similar to the moon. Scattered with large boulders high in the mountains, these rocks perfectly camouflage the old war bunkers and military buildings, now abandoned by another stark reminder of the not-so-distant past realities which reigned the region.

There was just one final steep descent to conquer before completing our journey. It really looked impossible, with loose gravel impossible to get any grip on with little stability. It was slow, tiring progress as we navigated our way down, and we were lucky not to come away with any broken bones with several slips among us.

We were overjoyed and relieved to reach the final cafe and a sign with our names on it marking the end of our 135km journey. The transfer over to Shkodra was uneventful in comparison to our original drive over the pass when we first arrived. Although there was a mix up with the bags and we ended up with 2 random suitcases and none for Greer, we were stoked to have a well-needed shower and we hit the town for nourishment. Chocolate brownies had been the talk of the trip, and we enjoyed not just one but 6, before the biggest pizza of our lives. Our bellies and souls were filled, as we finished this journey and reflected on the amazing time shared together.

It was time to farewell Nial the next day, continuing his summer break with family back in Germany. The next stop for Jelley, Luke & Greer was along the Montenegro coast to decompress and explore further in this wonderful part of the world.

The Peaks of the Balkans exceeded all expectations and was the perfect 'active relaxation' to readjust to life on the road again after our 3 months based in England. We were excited about what lay ahead for the remainder of the year. Although we’re finally sharing this story and photos now in November, it was back in August we were traversing through the Balkans and a lot has happened since then! We look forward to bringing our journey back to the present time, so expect several more posts in the coming weeks, as we approach 12 months since leaving home!

Until Then,

- A Kiwi and A Cali

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