Peaks of the Balkans stage 1: Theth - Valbona

Peaks of the Balkans: Hike Theth - Valbonё, Albania

Stage 1 of the long-distance hiking trail "Peaks of the Balkans" is a pleasant start with a few rest stops and marvellous views of the extensive Valbona valley. The start in Theth, where we follow a gravel track along the course of a river, offers little in the way of scenic attractions; we share the route with jeeps and minibuses. Then, however, the hiking trail leads us up to the pass "Qafa e Valbonës" (1,797 metres). From there we have a marvellous view of the long valley of Valbona. The village is particularly atmospheric in the mornings and evenings due to the special lighting conditions. It has small hotels and guesthouses, restaurants, campsites and shopping facilities - and therefore pretty much everything we need after a long day of hiking.

Peaks of the Balkans, beeindruckende Berglandschaft in Theth Albanien, malerische Natur und traditionelle Dörfer.

Peaks of the Balkans, beeindruckende Berglandschaft in Theth Albanien – traditionelle Dörfer

Route 19.4 km I Duration 6:30 h I Ascent 1,112 hm I Descent 928 hm I Highest point 1,807 m I Lowest point 744 m

Degree of difficulty: Medium I Markings: white/red/white

Peaks of the Balkans stage 1 - Map & elevation profile

This first stage begins with the hike from Theth (745 m) over the Valbona Pass (1759 m) to Valbonë (995 m). This hike follows the route of an old mule track that connects the tribal regions of Shala and Nikaj.

The route can be divided into two parts by staying overnight in one of Rragam's guest houses. 6 km before you reach the centre of Valbonё. Another way to split the hike is to camp in the meadows before reaching the Valbona Pass. There are no people near the Valbona Pass (nor shepherds in summer), but a bar has recently been built where you can meet people in summer.

The hike starts in the centre of Theth, waypoint (waypoint) 1, and continues northwest on a gravel road with the river Theth on our left. The main bridge of Theth and the Prek Harusha guesthouse can serve as landmarks. After a few hundred metres, we cross a stream on a footbridge and immediately take the path to the right at the junction.

The path turns right at SS 2 and continues north-westwards. A few metres further on, you will pass signs for Gusinje, Montenegro and Valbonë, Albania. The hike continues gently uphill along a dirt road until we see the first house of the village of Gjelaj together with the mule track on the left at SS 3. We take the mule track and the ascent becomes steeper. After approx. 200 metres
the mule track enters the forest and runs through it for 1 kilometre until we reach a picturesque meadow (WP 4). This is an inviting place to rest.

Our first stage of the hike next leads steeply uphill to the north-east and enters the forest again after about 30 minutes. 500 metres. After walking about a kilometre through the forest, we reach a water source (SS 5). A few metres further on, we pass a new wooden bar, which was closed at the time (in November 2011), but according to locals will be open to hikers in summer. We follow the path south-east through the forest for about 700 metres, then leave the forest and continue eastwards to the Valbona Pass (WP 6).

The rest of the trail begins on the right above the bar and leads us to the "Qafa e Valbonës" pass in another 45 minutes or so. This is located at an altitude of 1,797 metres. This point offers breathtaking views of two valleys (Valbonë to the east, Theth to the west).

The descent to Valbonë begins in the north-west and then leads through a series of zigzags to the north-east (SS 7). At the end of the zigzag we cross a (dried up) stream (SS 8). We then continue south-westwards as the trail follows a clear path into an open, wooded area. After about 600 metres we reach a stream with drinking water (SS 9), a good place to rest before starting the final descent to the village of Rragam (SS 10). At this point, we turn left at the crossroads.

In Rragam, our hike is lined with fences and the Valbonë valley can be seen to our right. After walking a few hundred metres through the village, we turn right at the crossroads (SS 11) and the route continues along a gravel road lined with pine trees. This is the main road that connects Valbonë to Rragam. We take this route for about 3 kilometres and end our hike at the Fusha e Gjes Hotel (WP 12). The centre of Valbonë is 3.5 kilometres to the north-east and can be reached via this route.