The Accursed Mountains

Guided-Group;
Walking Grade: Demanding

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Albania: The Accursed Mountains

• A remote & challenging Alpine adventure in the Balkans
• Visit the magnificent, isolated Thethi National Park
• Experience hospitality from Albanian highlanders

Introduction
The Accursed Mountains in the north of Albania (so called by Robert Carver in his eponymous 1998 book) are both
truly spectacular and virtually impenetrable, except for a series of high passes that link the small number of
farmsteads and homes in the valleys below to the outside world during the summer months. This is a truly special
European trekking adventure, well off the beaten track. Ideal for the discerning traveller in search of new cultural
experiences, and offering a refreshingly different experience from anywhere else in Europe, this trek leads you into the
heart of an unspoiled region where very few tourists venture. From historic Shkodra you travel into the Boga Valley
and leave the 21st century behind. We take a passenger boat on the fjord-like Lake Koman (which must surely rank as
one of the world’s great lake journeys) to Valbona. During the following few days we trek over the challenging Valbona
Pass, and follow the shepherds’ trail through the eastern Albanian Alps towards Thethi, an area of outstanding natural
beauty. You’ll trek through the heart of the Accursed Mountains to the Peja Pass. An area surrounded by high peaks
and dominated by the immense vertical rock wall of mesmerising Mt. Arapit (the Matterhorn of Albania), traditional
wooden-roofed farmsteads are scattered throughout the valley and there’s even a working water powered corn mill
and ‘blood feud’ tower too. The following day’s trek takes you across the Diagonal Pass which leads down to the ‘Blue
Eye Springs’. Your journey through the north of Albania is completed by a drive to Tirana, the trendy capital city.

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Your Holiday

Life on trek
You’ll be walking for between 5 and 8 hours each day in the most dramatic mountain ranges of the remote, far north of
Albania and close to the border with Montenegro. During the walking day you will carry only your usual daypack. Main
baggage will be transported either by vehicle or mule. Breakfasts and dinners will usually be taken at your overnight
accommodation. Lunches will usually be picnic style, and you will carry these with you in your daypack. Picnic stops
will usually be in a suitable and scenic location. Early morning starts on trek are typical, in order to avoid ascending in
the heat of the day.
Walking conditions
You’ll be mostly walking on mountain trails with varying conditions underfoot. Each day you will be walking for
between 5 and 8 hours. The walks are in challenging mountainous terrain and involve sustained ascents and
descents, at times on steep gradients. A couple of mountain streams along the way will require fording. Encountering
late-lying snow in shaded gullies and on higher slopes is always possible. You should ensure you are comfortable
walking at this level of grading and are physically fit and prepared for the trip. For details of each walk please see the
itinerary later in this Trip Dossier.
This is definitely not a trip for those who are beginners to mountain walking. You need to have a good level of fitness
and stamina. A full explanation of the trip grading can be found online at www.walksworldwide.com

Detailed itinerary
Day 1 Rendez-vous at Tirana Airport & transfer to Shkodra
You will be met by your driver in the arrivals hall of Tirana Airport. Your flight will need to land at approximately
12:00pm, midday in order for you to join the single timed group transfer to Shkodra. (See How to join & depart this trip
section later in this Trip Dossier).
After arriving at your overnight accommodation a short visit may be paid to the ruins of Rozafa Castle, which is
perched strategically on top of a hill just outside Shkodra. From the castle there are fine views across a large lake, as
well as across Shkodra city and to the mountains beyond. After a traditional Albanian dinner your guide may take you
on a stroll around the laid-back streets of Shkodra and through the pedestrianised area where the locals typically
enjoy promenading. There will be a pre-trip briefing at 8pm.
Hotel (dinner)
Day 2 Boat across Lake Koman; travel to Valbona
Although it probably doesn’t look too far on a map, it will take half a day to reach the Valbona valley. We leave early in
the morning to catch the 9am ferry from Koman dock. The journey along Lake Koman is absolutely stunning and takes
about two and a half hours. Lake Koman is narrow and surrounded by steep-sided mountains, and so the journey is
akin to travelling through a spectacular fjord-like canyon. The boat itself is a bit basic, as it’s primarily used as a ferry
by the locals – don’t be surprised if they look a bit bemused when a group of trekkers gets on!

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A local minibus will drive us to Valbona, where we will stay in a local guesthouse for two nights. On the way we will
stop to have lunch in a traditional restaurant.
In the afternoon we will go for a hike through
woods to the meadows of Grykat e Hapta,
enjoying the stunning views of Valbona’s jagged
peaks before returning to the bottom of the valley
and preparing for dinner and, perhaps, some
homemade raki (a fiery plum or grape brandy).
Walking distance: 8km / 3-4 hours
Ascent/descent: +473m/-459m (Max altitude
1364m)
Village guesthouse (breakfast, lunch &
dinner)
Day 3 Shepherds’ trail through the
eastern Albanian Alps
Our trek into the wild and almost inaccessible
mountains of northern Albania begins. We walk from Valbona and head across the broad valley floor before ascending
steadily to the remote hamlet of Kukaj, which consists of around four homes (1,150m).
We’ll then follow a shepherds’ trail high up into the remote landscapes of Albania’s eastern Alps. It’s a beautiful walk
as the trail winds its way up through wild flower meadow and woodland, with wonderful views across to the mountains
on the opposite side of the Valbona valley.
Ascending to the 1,600m mark, we stop at a shepherd’s stone-built summer hut for a picnic lunch. Depending on our
progress, and the weather, we may head a little higher to a remote pass at 2,000m* (optional) which forms the border
with Montenegro. Here you are able to be in two countries at once, and enjoy some amazing views. The jagged peaks
above are part of the Dinaric Alps, a mountain chain that stretches through Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia and which become the famous Julian Alps at their northernmost point in
Slovenia.
We’ll then make the descent back to our guesthouse in Valbona. As we cross the river valley floor, the sight of disused
machine gun bunkers strewn across the river banks here makes for a strange sight (although we will have seen a few
of these before), against the stunning backdrop of the soaring peaks above. There were in fact almost 500,000 of
these concrete machine gun bunkers in Albania at one time, signifying to the outside world that Albania was a
‘fortress’ nation.
Walking duration: 5-7* hours
Option 1. Walking distance: 10.5km
Walking duration: 5 to 6 hours
Ascent & descent: 763m / -763m
Min/max elevation: 956m to 1,678m
Option 2. Walking distance: 13.8km
Walking duration in hours = 7 to 8 hours
Ascent & descent: 1,143m / -1,143m
Min/max elevation: 956m to 200m
*if chosen this 2,000m optional pass would
be the highest point of the trip.
Village guesthouse (breakfast, lunch &
dinner)
Day 4 - Across the Valbona Pass to Thethi
Leaving Valbona behind, we must first load our main baggage onto mules as we are heading over the Valbona Pass
(Qafe e Valbonës). The pass, which lies at 1,840m, will be one of the highlights of our trek and a classic landmark of
the Albanian Alps. We start at about 900m of elevation, and so we have an ascent of almost 1,000m to reach the pass
itself.
After the rather flat approach section to Rrogam (where we see the last houses in the valley, we’ll be following a rough
and rocky path that later opens into a large glacier bowl continuing into a winding narrow trail that leads to the Valbona

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Pass. The trail is the only direct connection to the Thethi valley where we are heading. From the pass we can look
forward to fantastic views of the Radohima Mountains and, once again, impressive views on the Jezercë massive.
Now deep in the Alps of Albania and very high up, we have a long descent as the trail initially traverses a steeply
angled scree slope before winding its way down through meadows and beautiful beech forest to reach the
mountainside village of Thethi (800m), perhaps northern Albania’s most famous, and one of the most characteristic
and traditional villages of the region. With picturesque valleys of beech and pine, mountain streams and waterfalls, it is
Thethi that provided the inspiration for Edith Durham’s book ‘High Albania’.
Walking distance: 14km / 8 hours
Ascent &descent: +1007m / -1258m (Max
altitude 1840m)
Village guesthouse (breakfast, lunch &
dinner)
Day 5 - Into the heart of the
Accursed Mountains to the Peja
Pass
Today we remain in the Thethi National Park
and follow a challenging ascent trail to the
Peja Pass (1,730m). From here we have
superb views of Albania’s ‘Accursed
Mountains’ and along a trade route which is
visible far into the distance and which goes
all the way to Peja in Kosovo. From Thethi
the trail rises steadily as we head up into the
valley, passing scattered homesteads and
farmland along the way. The views ahead and to either side are of impressive, jagged peaks. Soon, the most
impressive peak (but not the highest) Mt. Arapit, comes into view. This is Albania’s ‘Matterhorn’, with a sheer rock wall
that rises almost 1,000m vertically to its summit from the valley floor. As we get closer to the head of the valley it
seems impossible that there would be a trail beyond the rock walls that lies ahead. However, the trail now begins to
rise as you head up through pine forests; it emerges above the tree-line and then begins to climb sharply away
from the valley floor. The trail you are following is an old trade route to Peja in Kosovo, still used by the locals and
their mules. From the pass there are fine views across the entire Thethi valley as well as to the peaks that lie
within Montenegro. We’ll take a picnic lunch at a shepherds’ summer pasture overlooking the steep slopes of
Albania’s second highest peak, Jezercë (2,690m). We’ll spend as much time as possible at this scenic
location before descending back to Thethi. For those not wishing to partake in today’s walk and perhaps rest their
legs, there’s the option of doing some local exploration in Thethi by yourself or in the company of one of the locals (for
a small fee and arranged in advance with your main trip guide).
Walking distance: 15km / 8 hours
Ascent and descent: +1025m / -1025m (Max altitude 1726m)
Village guesthouse (breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Day 6 - A short, easy trek to Nderlysa, visiting Thethi’s sites of interest en route
Today we make a relatively straightforward trek
to the hamlet of Nderlysa (550m), with no real
ascent and descent of any great note, but rich in
sites of interest. Baggage will be transferred by
local vehicle.
We’ll pass Thethi’s stone church, which has a
traditional wooden plank roof, and then visit the
village’s restored ‘Blood Feud Tower’, one of a
few only remaining examples of a lock-in tower
used by men for protection from blood feuds.
We will continue along the trail to a waterfall
then descend to a series of ancient terraces
created in the late Bronze Age. Nearby the
Grunasi Canyon can be admired from Grela’s
wooden bridge, with the foamy rapids of Shala
River thundering below.
We continue our hike along the side of River

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Shala, until reaching Nderlysa where we will spend our last night in the Alps.
In the afternoon you are free to relax in the tranquil setting of Nderlysa. Why not have a swim in the turquoise pools of
Kaprea creek nearby? The weather should be warm enough.
Today’s easy pace is the perfect way to prepare for our final ascent – to Thore Pass – tomorrow.
Walking distance: 8km / 4-5 hours
Ascent and descent: +254m / -500m (Max altitude: 832m)
Village guesthouse (breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Day 7- Trek from Nderlysa to the Diagonal Pass
We leave Nderlysa for a long and steady ascent to the stunning Diagonal Pass. The trail climbs first beside the Kaprea
creek canyon until we reach a beautiful pool known as the ‘Blue Eye’. From here a winding forest path takes us
through open meadows, against a backdrop of the mighty Biga e Gimajve massive, to the pass.
Our exploration of the Accursed Mountains and Albanian Alps is now complete, and we will enjoy a well deserved
toast and picnic at the wooden chalet bar. After lunch we will begin our descent, through the beautiful valley of Boga to
the Shkodra plain. From there we drive to Tirana.
Tirana is fast becoming one of the most dynamic cities in the Balkans and is also gaining a reputation as ‘party town’.
Our hotel in the capital is centrally located, just a few minutes’ walk from Skanderbeg Square. We’ve intentionally not
included this evening’s dinner in the trip price so that you are free to choose where to eat. Tirana has a wide choice of
reasonably priced restaurants and pizzerias. Whilst it is not mandatory to dine together this evening as a group, we
wholeheartedly recommend that you do so and your guide will be delighted to recommend somewhere suitable. Your
guide will be equally delighted if you invite him along too, and we recommend that the group meets the cost of the
guide’s evening meal on this last night as a
thank you. There are many late night bars in
Tirana, including some very trendy ones in the
area known as The Block, where the elite of
Hoxha’s regime once lived. This area is now
the haunt of Tirana’s in-crowd.
Walking distance: 7.5km / 7 hours
Ascent/descent: +1365m / -207m (Max
altitude 1659m)
Transfer to Tirana: 4 hours / 159km
Hotel (breakfast & lunch)
Day 8 - Depart Tirana
Depart Tirana at your leisure.
(breakfast)

Practical Information
How to join and depart this trip
The joining point for this trip is Tirana International Airport arrivals hall at approximately 12:00pm, midday on day 1 of
the Trip Itinerary above. This transfer is included because your first night in Shkodra is 95km from Tirana. If you are
unable to arrive at this time, our consultants can arrange a transfer for you on request – please contact us for prices.
Please ensure you attend the pre-trip briefing at 8pm (time subject to change) on day 1.
The departure point for this trip is Tirana group hotel on day 8 of the trip itinerary. In order to avoid unnecessary costs
inflating the trip price, departure airport transfers are not included. If you prefer, our consultants can arrange a
departure transfer for you on request - please contact us for prices
Flight Inclusive arrangements (from the UK)
You can book this trip as a 'Flight Inclusive' package. Booking your international flights through Walks Worldwide
guarantees you peace of mind and provides 100% financial protection under our CAA ATOL licence. What's more, if
you book your flights as well as your ground arrangements with us, we will manage these flight arrangements both
before and during your trip. As an ATOL Licence holder, we are able to secure and arrange competitively priced airfares
with most major airlines from the UK (as displayed on our website), as well as offering the option of regional departures
too.

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Land Only arrangements

If you would prefer to arrange your own international travel you can book this trip as a 'Land Only' package, where the
price does not include international flights (i.e. you will need to make your own arrangements to get to and from the
specified joining and departing points). Please note that if you are booking your own flights there are certain risks you
should be aware of. Many airline tickets purchased directly are non-refundable and often do not provide you with any
financial protection (as opposed to booking your flights with Walks Worldwide, in which case you would be 100%
protected under our CAA ATOL licence). For this reason, we strongly advise that you check the rules of any flight
booking you make, and check the limitations under any insurance policy you may have in relation to cancellation or
date changes. We cannot be held liable for any losses incurred or consequences of any flight bookings or related
travel arrangements you have made yourself, such as if your international flights were delayed or cancelled and you
could not join or depart your holiday on time.
If you do decide to book Land Only, we strongly advise that you do not book international flights or make other travel
arrangements (especially if there are financial penalties for cancellation or change) until your chosen holiday is
guaranteed to run. Please also ensure when making your own international travel arrangements that they enable you
to join and depart this trip in accordance with the criteria specified in the How to join and depart this trip section of this
dossier.

Accommodation
Accommodation is chosen on the basis of its location more than on any other criteria! You will be staying in
guesthouses and mountain huts with shared rooms with up to five beds per room for most of the trip. Four nights will
be spent in twin-share rooms in hotels. The guesthouses and mountain huts are simple and comfortable, and are
selected for their location and friendly service. However, please remember that Albanian tourist accommodation is not
of the same standard that we are accustomed to in the UK. Tourism is in its infancy in Albania and, as a result, the
guesthouses may often seem a little faded and in need of refurbishment in comparison with what is typical in the UK.
Power cuts are a regular problem in Albania, as are plumbing issues – travel through this relatively new tourist
destination should be viewed as an adventure and approached with patience.
Food
Meals included in the Land Only trip price are indicated in the Trip Itinerary. Albanian cuisine is influenced by Greek,
Turkish and Italian styles of cooking. The emphasis will be on fresh, locally farmed and grown produce in season.
Expect lots of homemade bread, sheep’s cheese and other dairy specialities, freshly caught trout, lamb, ham,
tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes and other fresh vegetables, pickles, bean soups and salad vegetables freshly
prepared from field to plate! Vegetarians are catered for – but the choice of dishes may be limited and repetitive. Our
local suppliers will do their best to cater for other dietary requirements; however, gluten free flour, pasta etc are not
common in Albania and are difficult to acquire, especially in the remote areas. Therefore, we cannot guarantee
adaptations to the menu for particular dietary requirements and we recommend that clients with specific dietary
requirements take extra snacks with them. Coffee is invariably Turkish in style, and copious amounts of chai (a herbal
mountain tea) is consumed here. It’s a good idea to bring along some trail snacks (cereal bars, chocolate) with you
from the UK. Albania produces some rather decent wine and, of course, there’s the home-brewed hooch called raki.
Vegetarians will certainly not starve in Albania, but will find their options very limited and very repetitive. Other special
dietary requirements whilst in the north of Albania cannot be catered for.
Climate
It is, of course, impossible to predict the precise weather conditions you will encounter during the course of your
holiday. However, we do schedule our holidays to coincide with what should be the most suitable weather periods for
walking. For this particular trip we can expect daytime temperatures between 20ºC and 25ºC or more at lower altitudes
and a southern Mediterranean climate. Mountains (especially when close to the sea) are notorious for creating their
own, localised weather conditions, so you should always be prepared for inclement weather conditions.
Thunderstorms can occur in the mountains, although these are usually brief but heavy. For climate statistics visit
www.worldweather.org. Please note: temperatures decrease by approx. 1ºC for every 200-metre increase in altitude.
Altitude
The altitudes on this trip are reasonably moderate and you should not anticipate any problems with altitude sickness.
Local transport
The group airport transfer to Tirana and overland travel within the itinerary is by private minibus.
Baggage
Please make sure that your baggage is clearly marked with your name, inside as well as outside, in case the labels
get detached. On the trekking days your main baggage will be transported by vehicle or mule/horse to our next
overnight stop. Please ensure your main baggage is packed in either a soft hold-all style kitbag, or a large, unframed
rucksack. Contact us if you are unsure about the suitability of your main baggage. No suitcases please.
Vaccinations and medical precautions

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We always recommend visiting your doctor and dentist for a check-up before travelling. Your doctor will also have
access to the most up-to-date information on vaccinations and medical precautions for the country you are about to
visit. In general, no vaccinations are necessary for Albania. A useful travel health online resource is
www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk
Please make sure that you obtain form EHIC either online www.dh.gov.uk or from your local post office – you will need
to produce this if you have to see a doctor.
Read through the trip itinerary thoroughly to ensure you are physically fit enough to complete this tour. We would also
like to highlight the importance of re-hydration throughout your holiday. Please make sure that you have adequate
fluids before setting off each day.
First Aid
You should always carry your own small, personal First Aid kit. This should consist of the following: throat lozenges,
painkillers, plasters (BAND-AIDs), blister treatment, insect repellent (DEET), rehydration salts, antiseptic cream and
diarrhoea treatment (e.g. Imodium).
Currency
The Albanian currency is the lek. Please refer to www.xe.com for up-to-date rates. You can change your travel money
upon arrival at Tirana International Airport, or at an ATM in Vlora and Qeparo. We would suggest that you change the
majority of your spending money upon arrival, or in Vlora (via an ATM) at the very latest. There are no exchange
facilities until you arrive back in Tirana. There are innumerable ATMs in Tirana. As all meals are included during the
trekking element, you shouldn’t need to carry a great deal of money with you as there isn’t a great deal to spend it on
other than drinks and for tips. Please note that if you intend to use an ATM in Albania you should ensure it is linked to
the international Cirrus system and inform your card issuer that you are travelling to Albania.
Security
Whilst the vast majority of travellers never experience anything untoward whilst on holiday, it is worth taking
precautions, particularly in urban areas. For example, be vigilant and make sure no valuables are on display in
crowded areas such as street markets and airports, where pick-pocketing is common, and keep clear of any street
disturbances. Don’t wear jewellery, or leave your bags unattended, keep large amounts of money, cameras and
mobile phones out of sight when walking in town centres, and avoid walking in city centres after dark. Keep copies of
important documents, including passports and details of credit cards, in a place that is separate from the documents
themselves. Leave copies at home with a friend too. Safeguard valuables, important documents and cash and deposit
them in hotel safes, where practical.
Language
In Albania the language spoken is Albanian. Although we’re accompanied by an English-speaking guide, we very
much recommend you take along a phrase book and also try to learn some simple Albanian phrases and greetings.
The local people (most of whom speak no English) will appreciate any attempt to speak their language and trying to
make contact in this way is all part of the fun of travel.
Tipping
It is customary to give your guide a tip if you have received good service. The amount is entirely at your discretion,
although we suggest that £15, given to your guide in Albanian currency (approx. 2,500 lek), is reasonable. Drivers will
welcome a small tip, and we recommend 200 lek (about £5) per group member as a reasonable sum.
Maps
We highly recommend you purchase the Bradt Guide to Albania, which provides excellent all-round information on the
country. Also, we recommend Stanfords at 12-14 Long Acre, London WC2E 9LP (Tel: 0207 836 1321)
www.stanfords.co.uk for maps.
Travel Insurance
It is a condition of booking any of our holidays that you have comprehensive travel insurance. It is your responsibility
to ensure you are covered for medical and personal accident risks for the part of the world you intend to travel to, and
the activities you will be involved in. This cover should include repatriation costs, air ambulance and helicopter rescue.
It is also advisable to take out cancellation insurance as all deposits paid are non-refundable.
You may arrange either single-trip or annual multi-trip travel insurance through Walks Worldwide. Please call us on
01962 302085 or email us at enquiries@walksworldwide.com for a quotation.
Passports & Visas
British passport holders (and other EU passport holders) do not require a visa to visit Albania for stays of up to three
months (please ensure your passport has at least 6 months’ validity).

Please note that we require a scan of your passport photo pages, and the completion of a form, in order for
you to cross into Montenegro.
You can obtain the latest visa information by contacting your reservation consultant.
Important Note

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Due to the specialist nature of our holidays, day to day itineraries should be taken as a guide only, and as statements
of intent and not contractual obligations. We regularly update our trip dossiers to take into account changes to trekking
routes, accommodation, local transport and so on. Such changes are a factor of this type of holiday and, when made,
are out of necessity. Other factors such as adverse weather, unforeseen circumstances and other matters entirely out
of our control can also lead to enforced changes during the course of the holiday. It is not possible to guarantee that
any of our holidays will operate exactly as per the anticipated itinerary. The most current trip dossier will be made
available on our website. We will also send you the most up-to-date trip dossier with your Final Joining Instructions
approx. two weeks before departure and you should carefully check this for any changes that may affect your plans.
Before booking you should read the Types of Trip and Essential & Useful information sections on our website:
www.walksworldwide.com as well as the Important Warning note on the site.

Clothing & Equipment

Please check our website for the most up-to-date information regarding packing for your trip. The information we
provide is our suggested guide to help you with your packing, based on our many years of travel experience. Using
your own judgment for packing is, of course, important, especially with regard to casual clothing. Please do not
hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about packing for your trip.

For dates and prices visit www.walksworldwide.com

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