Skiing in three Countries in one day, including a Backcountry tour of the Balkans

Skiing in three Countries in one day, including a Backcountry tour of the Balkans

Skis carving deep tracks through snow and a swirling wind and fog get me to a vast plateau. High-fives from Alb Berisha, our guide. He beams when I say, “Welcome to Kosovo.”. Putting more layers on makes me feel warmer. Swinging my arms around to stay warm, I eat a pita (a Balkan cream cheese pastry).

Getting a good sense of which country you’re in is difficult while high up on the Accursed Mountains. These rugged mountains stretch from northern Albania to Kosovo and north-eastern Montenegro.

Ski touring in this area, which sees only 200 to 300 visitors in winter. It doesn’t have the lifts and infrastructure of a major ski resort, just a few cat skiing operations, and even they don’t venture where we tour.

Snow untracked, a chance to cross three countries in a day, white wilderness surrounded by secluded hamlets, our goal is untracked snow. Skiing off-piste requires good off-piste skills and fitness, but an adventure far from Europe’s usual snow fields awaits.

My week was spent walking between four and eight miles a day, gaining about 800 meters in elevation. I also stayed in guesthouses that opened in winter. Skins on skis allow us to grip and climb up slopes while skiing down them. Combining effort, solitude, and discovery is rewarding.

Maja e Bard (White Peak) stands at 2,392 meters and promises pristine snow on its southwestern slope in Kosovo. Getting into a metronomic rhythm, I slide my touring skis steadily forward along the Ali Peja Pass (2,275 meters). We see a ridge here and a snowy summit there as we near the summit.

However, the peaks retreat behind a thick curtain. After escaping the lingering mist of Albania, we clip our skis to go downhill, carving through the powdery snow in Kosovo. Our ski tour around the Accursed Mountains will come to an end after another lap through this pristine winter landscape.

Climbing with Arb, I’m struck by the speed of the clouds. Arb explains that’s why they’re called the Accursed Mountains. The reasons are many. According to one story, the name comes from Serbian soldiers traveling through the mountains to take their king to safety in Corfu. This was during the First World War.

The devil created them, according to another. Peja, at the eastern end of the mountain range, was where we began our journey a week earlier. As we arrived at night, we hadn’t been able to see the iconic limestone peaks looming above the wooded landscape until the next morning.

There are also buildings from Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman times, as well as a nearby thermal spa and brewery popular since antiquity.

Virtyt Gacaferri shows us around his hometown, which has suffered from tumult, especially since the breakup of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo conflict of the 1990s. On skidoos, we ascend Ali Peja Pass, where rugged mountains and pristine valleys await us

Virtyt sought to test if the mountains could also attract tourists during the winter months after the 119-mile (192km) circular hiking trail (the Peaks of the Balkans, launched in 2013) promoted peace and employment in Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo. Balkans Natural Adventure was born when he persuaded three guesthouses to open for the season. Our tour includes staying in these guesthouses.

Following breakfast, we headed for the Accursed Mountains National Park by road. Snow-dusted peaks loom over us as we navigate steep forest tracks and rocky streams in our van. After a snowy drive through Deçan province, we pull into the Gacaferi guesthouse.

Our luggage is carried on skidoos up the Ali Peja Pass, revealing jagged mountains and pristine valleys below. Several 2,300-metre peaks around the region remain unnamed after we climb for two hours. We can see Albania’s Dobrdol and Valbona valleys, and Kosovo’s Gjeravica, the second-highest Accursed peak.

Upon our return from skiing through soft snow, Safete Gacaferi greets us with cups of Turkish coffee.

Afterward, we sit around the stove and watch the arduous kitchen work. Safete prepares pita by rolling out dough, spreading halta over it, and rolling it into spirals before baking. They’re served with homemade meatballs and creamed peppers, then we retire to our comfy single beds.

We skied across a crisp monochrome landscape the next morning, visiting three countries within a few seconds. While rounding the summit cairn on Trekufiri (2,366 meters), we link hands and call out the names of Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo.

A jovial border patrol officer welcomes us into Bogievica, a deserted hamlet, his curiosity piqued by our presence during the winter. Featuring a ski trailer, a former army truck drives us to Babino Polje in Montenegro on a bumpy ride.

Eko Katun Hrid’s children welcome us with homemade blueberry juice and warm slippers at the guesthouse.

Although the guesthouse is remote, the newly built apartments, which have single and double beds, feature hot showers. Our sleep is accompanied by the sound of the river. It features a large, warm living room and kitchen that are typical of a family house.

He also serves as the director of Montenegro’s Prokletije national park. During a dinner of lamb chops, fish, chicken, and potatoes, he shared stories about his 20 years of involvement in creating national parks. The parks must be united and boundaries must be broken.

Everyone here is the same, no matter their nationality. Neighbors can be closer than brothers.”

We stay at Leonardi Guesthouse, among the most secluded spots in Albania, over the next two days. Then we ski to Shpati Peak (2,203 meters) and stroll along the scenic ridge to Kershi Kocit before returning to the guesthouse, where Arb uncorks a bottle of raki.

It’s time for a toast,” he says as he raises a glass to the untamed beauty of the Accursed Mountains, where borders blur and you can never be certain of your location.

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