Peaks of the Balkans and Grebaje Valley - Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo

[TRIP FULL.] The Peaks of the Balkans trail is a 192km circuit that passes through the spectacular mountainous border areas of south-eastern Montenegro, northern Albania and western Kosovo. We will start and finish the circuit at the Montenegrin town of Plav. The intention is to allow 23 days for this walking tour. The ‘standard’ time for the Peaks of the Balkans is 10 days. We will also do a number of side-excursions from the trail, including walking to the summits of some of the peaks in the area. We will base ourselves in the Albanian village of Theth for several days, and do some day-walks from there. At the end, we will spend 2-3 days in the spectacular Grebaje area, adjacent to the standard Peaks of the Balkans route. And several rest days are also factored in. The Peaks of the Balkans trail is generally medium in difficulty but with some more demanding sections (and easier sections); some of the day excursions will be strenuous. We will do the walk independently, i.e. without using a commercial guiding service. There is substantial information available on this walk, including the official website: https://peaksofthebalkans.com/. Among other resources, we will use the following guidebooks: Cicerone guides “Trekking the Peaks of the Balkans’ and ‘Trekking the Mountains of Montenegro’ and ‘Peaks of the Balkans’ by Bosse & Bosse-Steinweg (in German). Participants will need to carry their own gear but the use of guesthouses and cabins means that backpacks can be kept relatively light. Parts of the walk will be physically demanding, requiring ascents/descents of 1000m+. Participants should have experience in multi-day walks carrying a backpack. Those interested in this trip should register their interest on Bilby; the leader can provide further information, including a proposed itinerary.