Irmis Matuza

THE PEAKS OF THE BALKANS

It's a circular long-distance hiking trail in Southeast Europe, located in "Prokletije National Park". The trail winds through the mountains of northern Albania, western Kosovo, and southeastern Montenegro. During the Cold War, when tensions between Yugoslavia and Albania were high, the ancient routes were cut off. The German Development Agency, as part of a project to support the communities of these three countries, has marked the trail and turned it into a hiker's paradise. I first learned about this trail in 2019 while hiking the TMB (Tour du Mont Blanc). Since then, "The Peaks of the Balkans" has been at the top of my bucket list. I decided to customize the route, including three peaks: • Zla Kolata (2,534m) - Highest peak in Montenegro • Gjeravica (2,656m) - Highest peak in Kosovo • Maja Jezercë (2,694m) - Highest peak in the Dinaric Alps, second highest in Albania. I also included Grebaja with three peaks: Volusnica, Talijanka, and Popadija. This was a brilliant decision, as it became one of the most scenic places of the trip. I think it's a must-visit if you ever decide to hike the "POB". I didn't have enough time to complete the entire trail, so I decided to skip the northern part. Later, I found out that many hikers do the same. I heard some parts of that section involve just walking on roads. The official "POB" start is in Theth (Albania), so that's where I began. I finished my trip there after two weeks, essentially in the same spot. Many things happened during this hike. If you watch the entire film, you'll see that. There were times when I was struggling, and in those moments, my focus was on safety and survival. So, apologies, but I wasn't thinking about filming in those situations. Sometimes I couldn't film because I was saving battery, or there simply wasn't time. In the end, I got what I got. I made many mistakes, but I really hope I learned from them. The extreme heat every day, averaging 33°C (91°F), made it really difficult to find water sometimes. Many places are very dry. That's my main excuse if something went wrong. 🙂  Distance: 220km [136 miles] Elevation gain: 15,650m