Dragobi, the village into the Accursed Mountains

· updated · 2 min read
A hiker crosses a snowy valley beneath snow covered peaks near Dragobi in the Accursed Mountains
Dragobi, Albania
Distance
21.0 km
Ascent
+1,750 m
Descent
−1,737 m
High point
2,145 m
Difficulty
Hard
Water
Last source by the forest and riveraround 5 km from the start; carry 2–3 litres

The route

Dragobi, on the map

Two ways to walk it, both from my own GPX tracks. Pick one: the map, the profile and the numbers follow.

Distance21.0km
Ascent+1,750m
Descent−1,737m
High point2,145m
DifficultyHard

Walking time at your paceAn estimate without breaks, worked out from the distance and the climb.

  • Relaxed14 h 55 min
  • Average11 h 55 min
  • Fast9 h 35 min

Elevation

Elevation profile of Dragobi, the village into the Accursed MountainsStarts at 600 m, climbs 1,750 m in total to a high point of 2,142 m after 8.6 km, and finishes at 585 m; 18.9 km in all.1,000 m2,000 m0 km2 km4 km6 km8 km10 km12 km14 km16 km18 kmDragobiHigh point · 2,142 m

How steep

  • 3.5 kmUnder 8%
  • 4.5 km8 to 15%
  • 6.7 km15 to 25%
  • 4.2 kmOver 25%

In two parts

Embed this map

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What to pack14 things, for a summit, a long day

Every hike

For the summit

For a long day

The light for photographs

Today at the high point: sunrise 06:13, sunset 16:34.

Today at the high point: sunrise 06:13, sunset 16:34.

At the high point, 2,142 m, in local time (Europe/Tirane), with an open horizon: the mountains around can hide the sun sooner.

In short

This hard hike starts in Dragobi, Albania, and follows a 21 km route to a ridge at 2,145 m, with 1,750 m of ascent. The last water source is by the forest and river, around 5 km from the start. Carry 2-3 liters for the hike.

Dragobi is a very beautiful village surrounded by mountains in Northern Albania. Dragobi is well known for its gorge called Gryka E Dragobisë. From Dragobi you can reach some of the peaks of the Accursed Mountains. For example Maja e Hekurave 2’561 m/alt, Maja e Gavnit 2’509 m/alt etc. We tried to reach Maja e Gavnit, but we couldn’t make it.

A hiker on a snowy ridge above the rugged peaks of the Accursed Mountains near Dragobi

How to get there

Dragobi is 14 km from the city called Bajram Curri and 10 km from Valbona Valley. Reaching Bajram Curri from Tirana takes around four hours. The bus station in Tirana is in front of Asllan Rusi Sports Center.

Another way to reach Bajram Curri is from Prishtina, Kosovo. First, you go from Prishtina Main Bus Station to Gjakova Bus station and then from Gjakova take the bus to Bajram Curri.

Where to sleep and eat

In Dragobi there are several Guesthouses, which are cheap, traditional, cozy and they serve you very delicious food. You don’t need to book earlier for these Guesthouses.

About the hike in Dragobi

The hike starts in Dragobi village. First, you will go through a forest and a river, where you can find the last water source. This forest leads you to the mountain hut, and the distance is around 5 km. From the mountain hut, you will start ascending. When you reach the ridge, you may have two options. To the left, you have Maja e Hekurave, and to the right to Maja e Gavnit. We stopped our hike there. The view from the ridge, is the best view of this trail! Total distance until the ridge is around 21 km.

A hiker crosses a snowy valley beneath snow covered peaks near Dragobi in the Accursed Mountains

This hike is a difficult one, without any water source, therefore take around 2-3 liters of water.

Points of interest:

Starting point: Dragobi, Albania

Starting altitude: 583 m/alt

Highest altitude: 2’145  m/alt

Elevation gain: 1’750  m/alt

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Granit Temaj

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