Albania June 2024

 Breakfast on the terrace before going in to Skanderberg Square for a walking tour of Tirana. It is incredibly hot and likely to get to the high 30s C today. The tour is really interesting taken by a young and enthusiastic Albanian man who shares the fascinating history and difficulties of his country’s past. We move around from one patch of shade to another and spend a really enjoyable and informative couple of hours. Many young Albanians are leaving but he has decided to stay and is hopeful for the next 10 years. We feel privileged to have been born into a long established democracy chaotic as the political situation seems at times. We have a rustic lunch in a very traditional Albanian restaurant with stuffed peppers and lamb shank with cheesy polenta. We retreat to our hotel room for a rest in the air conditioning before joining the crowds in a bar to watch a bit of the Euros Football. Albania is playing Croatia and are 1:0 up when we arrive. We leave after 2 Croatian goals but ...

 Just a short day’s walk today. We head off via the Church and the Kulla Tower which commemorates some weird blood feud tradition on Northern Albania of which we will have to learn more. Then up to an impressive waterfall and along the river to a guesthouse where we will meet our transfer. About 3 hours of walking. It’s hot but much easier terrain so we enjoy a gentle day. We get on the mini bus to Shkodër with the group we were with at the lake a week ago. They seem to have had a good time as well. A very scenic hairpin ride up the mountain road out of Theth takes about an hour and then down the other side. From Shkodër we get another transfer to Tirana. Definitely more time sitting in a car than walking today. Back at Vila 60 at about 6pm for a very welcome shower in relative luxury before an interesting supper at Salt which offered very tasty Mediterranean Sushi fusion. A welcome change for one evening. 

 It looks like another hot day. Now poor Simon is not 100% and is lacking energy. We are transferred in a 4WD Land Rover along a rough track to a dried lake bed which shortens today’s route a little. We head out over the meadow once again surrounded by a million varieties of wild flower and something that smells like jasmine in a low bush form. Mountainous rocky pillars tower above us. We have a long hike up through a beech forest. At least there is shade but I know how poor Simon is feeling. We head on steadily over two cols up and down before the longest and steepest descent I’ve ever done. Nearly 2 hours of knee busting downhill. Thank goodness for trekking poles. We speak to a group from the Chech Republic, an Austrian woman who is also feeling the heat and an Irish girl who has been sleeping in the mountains in a bivouac bag! We feel rather humbled! After over 5 hours we reach a welcome oasis of a cafe where we gulp cola, iced coffee and a packet of salty crisps! Refreshed we ...

 We’re picked up with our luggage this morning and driven to the National Park of Gribaje Valley. We ascend through beech forests relishing the shade as the sun is already hot. After about 2 hours we reach a beautiful pasture with a circular range of mountains behind. Another 30minutes of climbing and I’m not feeling great so decide to head back to the pasture and let Simon complete the ridge circuit on his own. I find some shade and sleep for a bit and enjoy the views. Simon’s trip is challenging along a narrow ridge involving several very steep ascents and descents. He has spectacular views of the snow capped Montenegrin Dolomites and says it was an epic walk. Reunited we walk down together and have a beer / coke in a cafe at the bottom before being transferred to our next guesthouse. At least it isn’t a building site and we’re only sharing a bathroom with one couple! There are fine views from the terrace. 

  Happy Birthday Izzie! I wake at 4am with nausea and tummy cramps. At least there is no queue for the toilets at this hour. I’m certainly not feeling great and have to dig very deep to get up the initial ascent despite vomiting on the way. I am mightily relieved to reach the ridge summit which divides Albania from Montenegro. Once more the alpine scenery is stunning and we spot gentians, orchids, anemones and yellow poppies amongst other beautiful wildflowers by the path side as we continue into Montenegro. Luckily the path is flatter as we pass through blueberry and myrtle bushes and finally into the shade of a forest. I am managing to keep water down at least. The path is not well marked and we go off track a few times. Luckily Simon managed to download an off line map with GPS location.  I plod on trying to keep positive and do begin to feel a bit better as we continue to descend through pine forests. After about 4 hours we reach Lake Hrid where we actually swim. Surrounde...

  We are woken in the night by heavy rain and thunder. I worry about our trek up into the mountains.   It’s raining when we have breakfast and the tops are enshrouded in mist. The large group are from Finland and they are heading to the ferry today at the end of their holiday.  At 8am we’re picked up in a 4x4 which will transport us, our bags and various other supplies up the mountain to our route start at Cerem. It’s an incredibly rough uneven track challenging even in a 4x4. The rain eases as we get higher and after 30 minutes we’re dropped off. Our bags will be carried by horse! We start our climb initially struggling to find the start of the route of course. Our journey takes us through beech woods, pastures filled with wild flowers, conifer forests all with stunning mountain scenery. And it is dry, clear and sunny for most of it. We even stop at a shepherd’s hut / cafe in the middle of nowhere for Turkish coffee, cake and delicious freshly made yoghurt.  We chat...