Mountain highs: trekking without borders in the Balkans

It’s no easy stroll … but a spectacular new Balkan trail provides soaring peaks, lake views and memories of friendly locals – and real endeavour.

The views from Kosovo’s highest peak are incredible. Or so I’m told. It’s a tricky thing to confirm in blanket murk and howling winds. I’ve just leaned into a gale to reach the 2,656m summit of Mount Gjeravica, where a shabby concrete marker displays a defaced plaque commemorating Kosovo’s first and only Olympic medallist. At this point, the marker and the plaque are the only things I can see. All around, clouds rush and squalls blow. “Yesss!” shouts the man next to me, holding on to his hat. “I love it!”
I’m partway through a new guided walking holiday in the Balkans. In truth, “walking” is understating things. Over five days of hiking, our group of 12 – mainly Munro-hardened Brits, with a smattering of unstintingly cheerful Americans – is making the expedition a busy one. We’re climbing the tallest mountains in Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro, leaving time, too, for a much-needed hearty meal or 10. It is a week for the robust of boot and the sturdy of thigh.
Welcome to the Accursed Mountains. This is where the fun really starts!!!