Trails & outdoors

Emergency & safety

Every hike below is in terrain with no phone signal and no fast rescue. Save these numbers to your phone first.

Albania has no 24/7 helicopter mountain-rescue service. Call 112 first, then your guesthouse — searches in Theth, Valbona and Jezerca are run by police with local volunteer rescuers and guesthouse owners, and they need hours to reach you.

• Tell someone your planBefore you leave, tell your guesthouse which trail you are walking, when you expect to arrive and who is with you. This is the single thing that starts a search early.
• Download the route firstSignal disappears on the passes. Save the GPX or KML from this page into Organic Maps, Maps.me or AllTrails, and download the offline map area while you still have wifi.
• Turn back by 13:00Thunderstorms build over the Accursed Mountains in the early afternoon. If you have not reached the pass or summit by 13:00, turn around.
• Follow the red-and-white blazesNever follow goat paths, scree chutes or shortcuts, especially in cloud. If you lose the blazes, walk back to the last one you saw.
• Carry the basicsAt least 2 litres of water, sun cover, a headtorch, a foil blanket, a power bank and a whistle. Three blasts means help needed.
• Cash and no ATMsThere is no ATM in Theth or Valbona. Carry lek in cash for cafés, guesthouses and any 4x4 lift out of the valley.