Balkans’ Ski Touring
- 10 days
- Montenegro, Albania & Kosovo
- Advanced
- 4 - 12
- Jan - Apr
Summary
This tour is for all nature-loving, skiing enthusiasts! It offers ski touring on some of the Balkans’ most beautiful and least commercially exploited mountain ranges.
At this time of the year, these mountains are tourist-free, making the tour ideal for those looking for solitude and a chance to experience snow-covered wilderness undisturbed.
The tour will take you to three countries, two mountain ranges and national parks, giving you a chance to ski on six different peaks, each standing at nearly 2500m.
Please note that while desirable, previous ski touring experience is not essential. If you have never tried ski touring but you are comfortable skiing on intermediate difficulty ski slopes and you are physically fit, then you can do this tour.
A number of different routes, to suit everybody’s ski level, are available on each mountain. Regardless of your skill level, upon arrival our experienced guides (members of Montenegrin mountain rescue service) will always give you full ski touring training, both theoretical and practical.
Itinerary
During the tour with us, your accommodation will be in a mountain lodge-style accommodation.
Please note that the skiing distances are our recommendation and are tailored for intermediate level skiers. Both, distances and routes can be altered to best suit your level and desire for longer or shorter tours. On touring days, elevation gains range between 500 m and 1500 m.
On all the ski tour days we will set off after breakfast, around 9 am. Lunch will be on the go and will consist mainly of high energy snacks to sustain you during the touring. Upon return from each of the ski tours, we will have a locally prepared cooked dinner.
All evenings on tour days will be spent relaxing in the warmth of the accommodation with a drink or two.
Highlights
- Bespoke, all-inclusive ski tour holiday
- Experience ski touring in the untouched wilderness and some of the Balkans’ most beautiful mountains
- Tour across three countries and two mountain ranges
- Ski on six imposing peaks, all above 2300 m
- Experienced bilingual guides (Montenegrin and English)
- 9 nights’ accommodation (mountain lodge)
- All food
- Ski touring equipment
- Transport to and from Žabljak
- Flights
- Insurance
- Ski touring equipment:
- Alpine touring skis or splitboard
- Avalanche rescue equipment (beacon, shovel, probe)
- Helmet
- Ice axe
- Crampons
- First-aid kit
- Warm mountain clothing
- Large backpack and a smaller day pack
- Hiking shoes
- Head torch
- Sunscreen, sun hat, sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
Our meeting point is Žabljak, a town in northern Montenegro located within the Durmitor National Park. Depending on the arrival airport, the journey typically takes 2:30 hours from Podgorica and 3 hours from Tivat.
Peak Šljeme stands at 2445 m, requiring approximately 2 km ski tour ascent that takes between 3 and 4 hours. Once on the top, you will be rewarded with one of the longest freeride descents in Montenegro and breathtaking views of Durmitor mountain range.
Savin Kuk is one of the best-known peaks of Durmitor mountain range. On a good day, one can see the whole of Montenegro from the top. It is famed amongst skiers, and while Savin Kuk is one of the most commercial peaks we will take you on, it’s still far from crowded, especially compared to some of the other well-known mountains across Europe.
The ascent is to Savin Kuk is 5 km and takes around 5 hours to complete.
This is a travel day, taking us on a 3-hour journey from Žabljak and Durmitor mountain range to Rožaje and Prokletije mountain range, followed by an hour-long trip through snow in 4 x 4 vehicles to the foot of Hajla mountain. From there, we will make our way up the mountain on skis to our accommodation, at 1600 m.
The first day on Hajla is dedicated to a 10 km ascent to Peak Ahmica, sitting at 2272 m. The ascent takes approximately 5 to 6 hours and from the top, you will be able to see large swathes of Montenegro, as well as the neighbouring Serbia and Kosovo. The descent from this peak is over untouched powder snow, taking you directly into the warmth of the mountain lodge.
Peak Hajla is 2403 m high and is the highest peak of Hajla Mountain, located between the borders of Montenegro and Kosovo. On day six, you will climb the peak from the Montenegrin side of Hajla Mountain and descent down into Kosovo to one of the country’s most iconic mountain houses. Following rest and refreshments, you will make your way back on skis into Montenegro and the accommodation.
The round trip is approximately 6 km long and takes 3 hours to complete.
We will leave our accommodation on Hajla, making our way down to the foot of the mountain on skis, where transport will be waiting to take us to Rožaje and then to Plav, our next destination. The entire journey is approximately 3 hours long.
In Montenegrin, “tromedja” means – a place between three countries. Mountain Tromedja forms a boundary between Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo, with the highest peak Tromedja at 2366 m. On this day, the tour will take us to the top of Tromedja, venturing from the Montenegro side into both Albania and Kosovo. The round trip takes around 6 hours and is 10 km long.
We saved the highest peak for the last tour day. Peak Starac is 2501 m high, and it offers some of the best unobscured views of the Western Balkans! This is also one of the longest tours – 10 km and 6 hours, guaranteed to end the journey on a high note (and leave you needing a spa for a few days).
On the last day, the departure is scheduled for after breakfast. We will drop you off back to Žabljak.
If you are staying in Montenegro for longer you can always go on another adventure with us 😊
