Separating the Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea, the Dinaric Alps run from Italy down to Albania, and it’s one of the more rugged mountain ranges in Europe. The landscape is rich with historical sites ranging from the ruins of Roman-era fortresses, hundreds of thousands of distinct dome-shaped bunkers built by Enver Hoxha’s communist government between the 1960s to 80s, and remnants from the Kosovo and Yugoslav Wars. Weaving throughout Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania is the 192km Peaks of the Balkans trail. These Peaks of the Balkans trail photos are from a 120km, 11-day solo ski touring trip through the area.
You can see more Peaks of the Balkans trail photos (taken in the summer), and a description of the trail with GPS points, by visiting the official website. If you decide to go in winter, be sure to bring an ice axe and crampons as there are a couple of steep-ish passes to get over. A hard-wearing dry bag proved useful too to tow as a makeshift sled, along with a snow shovel for digging out campsites each night.
The main part of the Dinaric Alps stretches across eastern Montenegro, southwestern Kosovo and northern Albania, and is sometimes referred to as the Accursed Mountains. The foreboding name originates from local folklore that suggests the devil built the peaks in one day after being released from hell. For years the range remained one of south-east Europe’s least known areas, but it has slowly grown in popularity since the trail was established. In the summer, there are kullas (traditional stone houses), old shepherd and mountain huts, and small mountain lodges to stay in—but during the winter most of them are closed, so be prepared to camp in the forests.
If you have questions about the trail or you would like to license any of the images below e-mail me at info@matthewtraver.com.
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