Koritnik, the mountain surrounded by branches of the White Drin river

· updated · 2 min read
A hiker in a yellow jacket crosses a broad, snow covered ridge on Koritnik beneath a cloudy sky
Koritnik, Albania
Distance
22.0 km
Time
~7 h 30 min
Ascent
+1,400 m
Descent
−1,364 m
High point
2,393 m
Difficulty
Challenging

The route

Koritnik, on the map

From my own GPX track. Move along the elevation profile or along the line on the map: both show the same point.

Distance22.0km
Time~7 h 30 min
Ascent+1,400m
Descent−1,364m
High point2,393m
DifficultyChallenging

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

  • Relaxed12 h 40 min
  • Average10 h 10 min
  • Fast8 h 5 min

Elevation

Elevation profile of Koritnik, the mountain surrounded by branches of the White Drin riverStarts at 1,082 m, climbs 1,400 m in total to a high point of 2,434 m after 9.4 km, and finishes at 1,100 m; 18.6 km in all.1,000 m1,500 m2,000 m2,500 m0 km2 km4 km6 km8 km10 km12 km14 km16 km18 kmRapçë, DragashMaja e Pikëllimës · 2,434 m

How steep

  • 2.8 kmUnder 8%
  • 10.2 km8 to 15%
  • 3.4 km15 to 25%
  • 2.1 kmOver 25%

In two parts

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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 Maja e Pikëllimës: sunrise 06:09, sunset 16:33.

Today at Maja e Pikëllimës: sunrise 06:09, sunset 16:33.

At Maja e Pikëllimës, 2,434 m, in local time (Europe/Tirane), with an open horizon: the mountains around can hide the sun sooner.

In short

This challenging hike to Koritnik’s Maja e Pikëllimës starts from Rapçë in Dragash, on the Kosovo-Albania border. The route is 22 km, takes about 7 h 30 min and gains 1,400 m, reaching 2,393 m. Carry around 2 litres of water.

Koritnik mountain is part of a beautiful triangle view that I was grown with. The triangle I am mentioning is Pashtrik, Koritnik, and Gjallica. Koritnik mountain is located on the border between Kosovo and Albania, and it is surrounded by the branches of the White Drin river. The slopes of the mountain meadows are mostly covered with forests. The Koritnik mountain because of its high fields contains a population of 60 chamois. Koritnik falls within the Korab-Koritnik Nature Park, forming the European Green Belt. The highest peak of this mountain is Maja e Pikëllimës with its altitude of 2’393 m/alt.

Snow covered ridges on Koritnik beneath an overcast gray sky

How to get there

There are several points where you can hike to this mountain. The most frequent one is from the village of Rapçë, Dragash. The distance from Prizren to Rapçë is 35 km. You take the road from Prizren to Dragash, and after around 30 km, you turn right. When you reach the village, you take left and go up ahead for around 1 km. If you have 4-wheel drive, you can go further, but if not, you can park the car there, and start hiking.

About the Koritnik hike

A hiker in a yellow jacket crosses a broad, snow covered ridge on Koritnik beneath a cloudy sky

As mentioned above, if you have a 4-wheel drive you can drive further, however, if not, you start walking through an unpaved road for around 3 km. From there, you can see the beautiful Sharr Mountains range and several villages of Dragash. After 3 km, you get into a forest and continue ascending through an unpaved road in the forest, for around 5 km. Then, you need to start ascending to get to the beautiful ridge which is in form of a horseshoe. From there, the highest peak of this mountain called Maja e Pikëllimes is quite close. From the peak, you will have a beautiful 360-degree view of the Sharr Mountains range, Gjallica mountain, and also Pashtrik. In clear weather, you can see the Accursed Mountains as well. The peak is right on the border between Kosovo, and Albania.

It took us around 7 hours and 30 min in total because of the snow. The total distance is around 22 km. Take around 2 liters of water with yourself.

Points of interest:

Starting point: Rapçë, Dragash

Starting altitude: 1’070 m/alt

Highest altitude: 2’393 m/alt

Elevation gain: 1’400 m

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Granit Temaj

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