The Accursed Mountains is a 3 day expedition I started planning 9 months ago as the Foundation lead for Acre, the company I work for, It now stands one of my proudest achievements. With 11 other colleagues, we took on our most ambitious challenge, raising money for Plastic Oceans UK, to help find solutions for the ocean plastics crisis. As i write this on my journey home it’s hard to summarise just how unforgettable and spectacular the last few days have been, but I’ll try;
Upon arrival in Skopje, North Macedonia on Thursday 4th October we met our guides, Nol and Kuta, two inspiring, empathetic, motivating and generous individuals whom we’re grateful to have met and hope to keep in touch with. To begin we endured a 6 hour drive to our first guest house amongst the mountains and were greeted by the friendly owners, they made us feel incredibly welcome, serving local delights to give us energy for the day ahead. At this point we were comfortable and itching to get started.
Our first day was very tough, the rain held back but the mist, dew and low clouds restricted our views. The Accursed Mountains at this point remained a mystery, but one which would shortly start to reveal its beauty. At the top of our first ascent (1000m), in the most remote of mountain areas we were greeted by two local shepherds who served us a much needed coffee to fuel our further 500m to reach Mt Zla Kolata, the highest peak in Albania. The summit treated us to our first exposure to the scenery as we rose above the cloudline and saw the surrounding peaks.
After a gruelling descent, we arrived in our guest house in Cerem, here we were greeted by a lovely family with enchanting stories spanning 3 generations where they cooked us more local food and presented us with a hard earned, cold local beer. Thanks to increased PR around the area in the last year, the three families in this small area have received an incredible surge in guests, from 30 a year to 1000 - generating much valued revenue which families of Cerem have been utilising to have access to electricity and other amenities.
Our stay was short-lived, the second day kicked off early, however this time the prospect looked a little different, as with clear skies we were to be fully exposed to the scenery the accursed mountains had to offer. Though a slightly easier day, it still proved hard work on the legs after a tough Friday. Early into the second day, we picked up two more local guides in the form of two adorable stray dogs, subsequently named Jez and Suze (Peep Show fans will appreciate!). These two steely animals led us through gorgeous forests, experiencing seasonal transition to autumnal oranges and browns. Doberdol hosted us for our 3rd night, in the remotest of villages of the accursed mountains, we stayed in guest houses and enjoyed more great local food and drink (Raki on this occasion). At this stop we were without any form of heating in our rooms, and it was a bitter and chilly sleep (-2 degrees) even with the many blankets we were provided with. Much to our joy and surprise our guides Jez and Suze waited for us outside our huts for the next day of hiking.
The final day was here - it proved to be the most spectacular, and challenging. A further 25km of hiking which saw us take on an extra peak in the form of Mt Gjeravica, the highest point in Kosovo and the first time throughout the whole trek we saw other hikers (though these were local!). Ahead of summitting Mt Gjeravica, we reached the three-border peak where we stood atop Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. Needless to say the views were spectacular. At this point everyone was suffering from some form of injury and handicap, ibuprofen and team spirit carried us through, and at 5pm on Sunday, after a 60km and 4000m ascent hike (30hrs total), we had completed our break through the Balkan alps. To help understand just how challenging it was, among the group there were 8 injured knees, 5 ankles, 2 shins, two swollen wrists and a lot of blisters. Elated, very tired and high off endorphins, we headed to a hotel in Peja where a hot shower and more local cuisine awaited.
This particular evening was not only significant for our achievement, but for Kosovo as a country. It was Election Day. As we returned to the hotel following dinner, the results were announced and Kosovo took one more stride to becoming the democratic country that it’s people have embodied and had long desired it to be. There was a personal significance of this event; 20 years ago, when I was 5 years old, my father, seconded to NATO, partook in the Kosovan war to free the country from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Kuta, Nol and the communities we stayed with shared their gratitude for this. Though I don’t support war, and on many occasions we’ve misjudged and got things wrong (cc: Iraq), we can take some pride for laying the foundation for democracy to thrive in this great region. Hopefully this offers a bit of reprieve against the backdrop of our current messy political situation (Brexit... enough said). Needless to say, celebrations continued late into the evening and sore heads accompanied our achy bodies in the morning!
What happened to Jez and Suze? After following us the entire two days, and still having the energy to play and chase one another whilst leading and checking in on us, Kuta decided we couldn’t leave them behind. They now have a home where they’ll be looked after, but where they won’t lose their footloose spirit, living on Kuta’s father’s farm. Acre have offered to sponsor the veterinary bill to help these lovely animals become more domesticated and to live long healthy lives.
Collectively the team not only experienced the beauty that these Balkan countries had to offer, but the culture and spirit which has sometimes been lost in misconceived press and negative propaganda. When we set out to take on this challenge, we not only wanted to raise money for Plastic Oceans UK, challenge ourselves, bond further, but crucially we wanted to change perceptions and contribute to communities with which spirit and incredible stories are in abundance. I hope that if you read this we have to a degree achieved this.
From all 12 of us who took on this challenge, if you are an avid hiker, want a city break, or something more relaxed, these beautiful countries have a lot to offer.
To those who have donated, and who are to do so, thank you. I’ve exceeded my personal target and so far between 12 we’ve raised £8,000, surpassing our initial target of £7,000.
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