Stage 42: From Komovi to Vermosh

6 August 2016

After a zero/waiting for my border crossing permit in Adrijevica I hit the trail again. The hike from Treŝnevik to katun Stavna goes over an road. It is a fast, but not very exciting hike.

From the katun the hike gets way better!
In about an hour the trail reaches an empty, Alpine landscape. Today’s misty and I get treated on dramatic sceneries.

Cafa od Carina (pass)

Due to a late start I do not meet any other hikers, but there are a lot of names in the trailregister on the pass.

The mountains on the other side of the pass are less dry and rugged and green. Here are also a few springs (until the chapel where there’s a small lake).

Cvrka Setog IIije

The last few km’s to the chapel mostly go over an unpaved road. At the chapel there are stunning views and there is also a picnic table and a small lake just down the trail. Here I stayed for the night. It’s a bit windy at the saddle but I really liked the views, I ended up folding and pitching my tarp as a sort of a wind shield.

From Montenegro to Albania

Leaving the chapel is a fast hike over the same unpaved road, than a few km’s after a crossing the roads suddenly disappears. From here there’s no trail or signs until, way in, Albania.

For starters there are a few tracks to follow, but these disappear fast. Now there’s only the GPS track left. It starts fine through green hills, but after a while it hits a pretty steep area. Here there are lots of loose rocks and gravel or there’s slippery grass with hidden rocks beneath it. Be cautious out here, especially in wet conditions!

After the steep downhill hike there’s a forest. Again with no trails or signs. While kind-of-sliding-downhill and doing some bushwhacking I arrived in Albania, according to the GPS. And after some more kind-of-sliding-downhill and crossing a small stream I hit an unpaved road again.

In the first village the marking returns making it a fast hike to Vermosh.

Albania Alternate

Just before Vermosh I leave the Via Dinarica. While turning on my phone in Montenegro, checking on news about the permit I got a message that my data bundle had expired.

No data, no balance, no shop at the mountain, no internet, no permit…

So I’m hiking plan B.; the Albania Alternate. Meaning no more border crossings in this area. I printed hiking maps at the hotel in Andrijevica and even found GPS tracks online.

With a little detour and if the weather is OK I will climb Maja Jezercë, the highest peak of the Dinaric Alps. Even not really enjoying heights I cannot skip this one, can’t I?