Accursed mountains-Grebaja valley, Hrid Lake

4 days

Duration

12+

Years

moderate

Accursed mountains or Prokletije and their mountain range are one of the wildest and most impressive landscapes in the Balkans. The Trojan Mountains used to be, now the Dinaric Alps, stretch along the northeast of Montenegro, northern Albania and Kosovo and Metohija. Prekletije stretches from Lake Skadar in the west, Komovi and Mokra Gora mountain in the north, Metohija Valley in the east and Drim River in the south. In addition to the two highest peaks of Montenegro - Zla Kolata at 2528 m and Maja Rosit at 2524 m, Prokletije also includes the highest peak in Kosovo and Metohija - Djeravica with 2656 meters above sea level, which is the second highest mountain peak in the entire Prokletije massif, after Jezerski peak in Albania at 2694 meters.

According to many hikers, Accursed mountains are the most beautiful mountains on the Balkan Peninsula.

On the Montenegrin side of Prokletije, there are two glacial valleys of incredible beauty: Grebaja and Ropojana. The Grebaja Valley is located entirely within the Prokletije National Park. It is surrounded by Karanfili, a series of peaks that rise to more than 2000 meters above sea level.

Prokletije is the youngest national park in Montenegro since 2009 with an area of about 16,630 ha in the territories of the municipalities of Plav and Gusinje. Within it are two nature reserves, Lake Hridsko and Volušnica. Prokletije is distinguished by its characteristic limestone relief and beauty. It have been declared a protected area of national importance.

On this four-day trip, we will get to know the beauty of the national park and its picturesque valleys, Grebaja and Ropojana. We will go to the attractive peaks Talijanka, Volušnica, and Popadija. The hiking trails are given special charm and magic by the glacial lakes - Hridsko, Plavsko, and Buni followed by the Alipaša's springs, the Grlja waterfall, and the karst spring, Oko (eye) Skakavica.

DEPARTURE LOCATION	The parking lot at the municipality New Belgrade
DEPARTURE TIME	7 h Belgrade
INCLUDED IN THE PRICE	Transportation by minibus from Belgrade A total of 3 nights with breakfast in bungalows or rooms in private accommodation Mountaineering tour from the valley of Grebaja - ascent to the peaks of Talijanka, Popadija and Volušnica Tour of Alipaša's springs, Grlja waterfall, Oko Skakavica Mountaineering tour from the Ropojana valley from the Zastan plateau to the Great and Ropojan lakes Hiking tour to Hrid Lake Tickets for the Redžepagić Tower Entrance fees to Prokletije National Park Local taxes Meals: 3 breakfasts and 3 lunches (2 in katun and 1 packed lunch in nature) Off-road vehicle transfers on site Local mountaineering licensed guides Tours according to the program and tour guide
NOT INCLUDED	Other individual costs International travel health insurance

Additional notes:

Necessary personal equipment for the Prokletije-Grebaje Valley tour and other hiking tours: Deep hiking shoes with a vibram sole, hiking poles, adequate clothing in accordance with the weather. Backpack with the necessary mountaineering equipment for three-day hiking, enough water (1.5-2 liters per day), energy bars, spare T-shirts, long hiking pants, raincoat, sunscreen, hat or cap, ID card, and health ID card.
Mountaineering tours are recommended for people in good physical condition. They are not recommended for people with health problems. The guide reserves the right not to take persons with inadequate equipment on the hike. Consumption of alcoholic beverages before and during hiking is prohibited; in case of bad weather and other objective circumstances, hiking can be postponed to another date.
Those who do not want to hike, can spend time on their own and enjoy short walks in the surroundings.

Reservations for the Prokletije-Grebaje Valley tour:

Upon registration, the full amount, or ~ 40% or 100 EUR is paid, and the rest of 149 EUR no later than June 12 (payment is made through an account in dinars at the middle exchange rate of the NBS on the day of payment).
Own transportation: in case you come with your own transport, the price of the tour is 195 EUR and includes the use of your own transport on local roads, except for the 3rd day when all-terrain vehicles provided by the organizer must be used. Reservations: Upon registration, the full amount, or ~ 40% or 80 EUR is paid, and the rest of 115 EUR no later than June 12 (payment is made through an account in dinars at the middle exchange rate of the NBS on the day of payment).
Accommodation: double, triple and quadruple rooms in bungalows with shared bathrooms or private accommodation in Plav in rooms with private bathrooms.
Food: three breakfasts and three lunches are provided.

Conditions in case of cancellation by travelers:

If the reservation is canceled within 30 days from the date of arrival of the group, the organizer does not charge a fee. If the reservation is canceled within 30 to 7 days from the date of arrival of the group, the organizer retains a fee of 40%. If the reservation is canceled in less than 7 days from the date of arrival of the group, the organizer retains a fee of 100%. Note: The advance payment upon cancellation is non-refundable, except in case of replacement by another passenger.
In case of changes in the monetary market, as well as changes in the prices of carriers and other service providers, the agency reserves the right to adjust the price of the arrangement.
The Prokletije-Grebaje Valley tour is organized for a minimum of 18 registered passengers.
In case of insufficient number of registered passengers or unfavorable weather conditions, the deadline for notification of the postponement or cancellation of the tour by the organizer is 2 days before departure.

The tour is organized by “Balkanica travel agency”, Bijelo Polje. Travel agency Explore Balkans doo acts as a sub-agent of the travel organizer.

Day one: Belgrade - Mileševa monastery - Bijelo Polje - Plav

Departure from Belgrade at 7 AM
Journey to Montenegro, with stops and sightseeing. Tour of the Mileševa Monastery near Prijepolje, break in Bijelo Polje.
In the afternoon we arrive in Plav where we will go to visit the Redžepagić Tower - stone houses and towers are characteristic of the area of Plav and Gusinje. These unique stone houses were built from the 16th to the beginning of the 20th century, and differ in structure and form from the wooden houses in the area. The towers were built for the purpose of defending the city. Most of the towers were built by craftsmen from Debra in Macedonia, who were well-known experts in the construction of buildings made of wood and stone. Redžepagića Tower is the oldest and most interesting residential and defense building in Plav. It was built in 1671 by Hasan-beg Redžepagić. The tower has three floors connected by wooden internal stairs. Two floors are made of stone, and the third floor is made of wood. On each side, on the second floor, there are covered wooden balconies. On the ground floor there was space for housing horses and warehouses, and on the first floor - rooms for sofas, seats, sleeping and dining.
After the tour, accommodation in the rooms and going to dinner next to Plav Lake. Local menu. Return to the accommodation next to the lake itself. Overnight stay.

Day two: Plav - Prokletije National Park - Grebaja valley, ascend to the peaks of Talianka, Popadija, and Volušnica

Breakfast.
After breakfast, departure to the valley of Grebaja, in the Prokletije National Park. Transfer lasting about 20 min. The valley of Grebaja, shaped like a horseshoe, offers a view of the fantastic peaks of Karanfil, the highest peaks of Prokletije.

Mountaineering tour where we will go to the peaks of Talijanka, Popadija and Volušnica.
The start of the hiking tour begins at the mountain lodge, behind which a slight uphill begins, which very quickly continues to a slightly steeper forest path. The path leads along the Volušnica stream and slowly gains an increasing slope. From the house to the exit to the Volušnica valley, it is necessary to overcome a height difference of about 400 m.
Popadija is located right on the border with Albania, and from there you can see the paths that lead to nearby Albanian mountain chalets. From the top of Popadija, there is a magnificent view first of the nearby Karanfili, and then further on the Prokletije massif with all the highest peaks. From Popadija, the path continues along the ridge towards Volušnica. From the ridge, there are always magnificent views of the opposite Karanfili, and down to the beautiful valley of Grebaja. From Popadija to Volušnica, there is about 1,800 m of hiking along the ridge. From the top of Volušnica, a sharp descent down to the valley of Volušnica begins, the path leads between rocks and occasionally you need to pay attention to the difficult terrain and find the best passage.
When you reach the valley, you follow the same path to Grebaja as you did during the ascent. Lunch in the mountain chalet in the Grebaja valley - local specialties. Return to accommodation in Plav. Overnight stay.
Information about the mountain trail: moderate, total duration about 7 hours with breaks, total length about 12 km, with a total ascent and descent of about 1200 m.
- Start of the trail: 1,160 m, Grebaja valley (mountain lodge "Branko Kotlajić" or Suljova česma - mountain lodge "Karanfili").
- Goal: Talijanka peak 2,057, Popadija peak 2,030 m, Volušnica 1879 m
- Altitude difference: 897 m
- Length of the trail: about 12 km
- Water sources – 2 sources, at the very beginning and in the forest on the first third of the route
- Trail difficulty: moderate

Day three: Plav - Prokletije National Park - Ropojana valley - Ali Pasha springs - Grlja waterfall - Oko Skakavica - Veliko jezero - Ropojana lake - Plav

Getting up early by 7 am and breakfast.
After breakfast, transfer to the opposite valley to the Grebaja valley - Ropojana valley. Ropojana valley is a place rich in springs, waterfalls, canyons and mountain lakes. On this tour, we will cross into Albania, so it is necessary to bring documents.
After about 20 minutes of transfer, we arrive at Ali Pasha's springs. There, the water springs from the ground over an area of over 300 square meters, providing during most of the year about four cubic meters of water per second. This well-known tourist resort is a symbol of life for many citizens of this place.

Ali Pašini izvori, Prokletijе — Ali Pasha's springs

Oko Skakavice Prokletije — The Eye of Skakavica. Prokletije National Park

Continuation of the journey to the village of Vusanje and tour of the Grlja waterfall The waterfall, about 30 m high, is created by the river Grlja, which originates only 1.2 km away in the so-called The Eye of Skakavica (Sava's eye), a karst spring about 12 m deep. Tour of Oko Skakavice.
Continuation of the transfer and departure to the hiking trail from the end of the valley. We will hike along the route that climbs to the highest peak of Prokletije - Maja Jezerce. Zastan plateau is located at about 1384 m, but we continue toward the lakes, of which there are 5 or 6 depending on the amount of melted snow. The highest lake called also Great Lake and is at 1792 m. Swimming in the lake for the brave! In this part, we are already on the Albanian side of Prokletije. Rest and lunch package by the lake.

Continuation in the direction of the peak of Maja Boys, but this time we will not climb to the top, but continue further towards Runice and further to Rapojana Lake which is in its best shape in June, and thus make a circular tour to the starting point. We re-enter Montenegro near Ropojana Lake. The transport will be waiting for us at the same place. Dinner can be organized in one of the restaurants in Ropojana. Transfer to accommodation in Plav. Overnight stay.
Information about the hiking trail: moderate, tour with a total length of about 17 km, with a height difference of about 920 m and a total ascent and descent of about 1100 m. The total duration of 7 to 8 hours with breaks.
- Beginning of the trail: Ropojana Valley at about 1200 m
- Goal: the foot of the peak of Maja Bois 2117 m
- Altitude difference: 917 m
- Length of the trail: about 17.3 km
- Water sources - near the Grlja waterfall, the beginning of the trail, near Zastan and Runice (but they can dry up)
- Trail difficulty: moderate

Day four: Plav - Prokletije National Park - Babino Polje - Hrid Lake - Belgrade

Breakfast. Leaving the accommodation at 8 am.
After breakfast, departure from the accommodation and transfer to Babino Polje, from where the hiking tour to the highest mountain lake in Montenegro starts - Hrid Lake, at an altitude of 1970 m.
From Babino Polje to Bajrovic mountain chalet, the hike is through the forest, on a wider mountain road for cars. After a short refreshment and break, we continue from the mountain chalet, towards the lake along the mountain path through the forest and meadows. Hrid Lake is known for numerous stories about fairies that bathed on its surface. One of them says that the lake was created by the gods as a gift to the forest fairies. Curiosity led people to look for them and look, so the fairies fled. This angered the gods, so they rained down lightning and thunder on the surrounding mountains and, cursing them, turned them into bare rubble. Since then, according to tradition, the mountains have been called Prokletije (Accursed mountains).

After resting by the lake, return to Bajrović mountain chalet where we will enjoy lunch with a view of the surrounding peaks. After lunch, return to Babino polje and departure for Belgrade.
Information about the mountain trail: easy, total length of about 12.5 km, with about 450 m height difference. Total duration about 4 hours with breaks.
- Beginning of the trail: Babino polje, 1520 m
- Goal: Hrid Lake 1970 m
- Altitude difference: 450 m
- Lenght of the trail: 12.6 km
- Water sources - Bajrović mountain chalet
- Trail difficulty: easy
The departure for Belgrade is planned until 15:00, in order to arrive around 22:00, with a note that the exact time of return depends on road conditions and breaks along the way.