From Valbonë to Theth

de fr

Route between Valbonë (Valbone) and Theth in Albania. A magnificent route that follows the Balkan Trail. The path is stony at the start in the riverbed but then becomes quite shaded. There are beautiful viewpoints all along the route and water at regular intervals to cool off, as well as a magnificent 360° view at the summit

Details

n°100840226
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
–
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.53 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 3,120 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 4,045 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 6,083 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2,362 ft
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Description of the walk

The start is about 3 km past the village of Valbonë. Altitude: approximately 1,000 metres. Make sure you pack enough food for the walk before you set off, as there isn’t much to buy to eat in the village.

Our host drove us to the start point at the end of the tarmac road.

There’s about 4 km of gently sloping, slightly uphill terrain following a dry riverbed, and then the climb begins.

On reaching the Valbonë Pass, if you fancy a further climb, you can do a round trip to the summit at 1,909 metres.

Back at the Valbonë Pass, we began the descent to Theth.

As for me, my route ends at my hotel, situated on the outskirts of Theth at an altitude of 720 metres.

You can’t go wrong on this route; it’s very well signposted in red and white.

The hike can be done in either direction without any problems.

It’s a challenging route as the descent before reaching Theth is quite steep, but it’s such an exceptional experience that you quickly forget the effort involved.

Waypoints

  1. S : mi 0 - alt. 3,287 ft - Car park
  2. 1 : mi 2.16 - alt. 3,747 ft - Rragam
  3. 2 : mi 4.49 - alt. 5,896 ft - Valbonë Pass
  4. 3 : mi 4.77 - alt. 6,060 ft - Summit
  5. 4 : mi 8.89 - alt. 2,454 ft - Theth (Thethi)
  6. E : mi 9.53 - alt. 2,379 ft - Bujtina Miqesia - Kisha e Thethit (Église de Theth)

Worth a visit

Theth Church

Other walks in the area

Walking From Kukaj to Rama Hut

Visorando Member
De Kukaj à Rama Hut
↔6.68 mi ↗+2,431 ft ↘-2,431 ft ◔5h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Albania
Hike to the isolated hamlet of Kukaj, then take a path that climbs through woods and meadows to reach an old military barracks sheepfold. If the peaks are clear, it is possible to continue the ascent via an old passage to the Montenegrin border to enjoy spectacular views of the mountain range called "Prokletje"

Walking Valbona to Theth - Winter path

Visorando Member
↔5.89 mi ↗+2,444 ft ↘-3,445 ft ◔4 hrs ▲Very difficult
⚑Departure from Albania
A beautiful mountain hike with stunning views of the two valleys and the mountains. It’s all uphill until you pass the peak, after which it’s all downhill (half dirt path, half rocky terrain). You might see cows, horses, and donkeys in the second half.

Walking From Valbone to Theth and back – the Albanian Alps

Visorando Member
De Valbone à Theth et retour- Alpes albanaises
↔12.07 mi ↗+6,217 ft ↘-6,217 ft ◔8 hrs ▲Very difficult
⚑Departure from Albania
Discover two very different slopes: mountain pastures and beech woodland. At the pass, there’s a 360° view with the option of an additional ascent. You can use this route to walk just one way from Valbone to Theth or vice versa, as hikers usually do; they sometimes hire horses to carry their rucksacks. The hike is challenging if you do the round trip due to the distance, but presents no technical or route-related difficulties.

Walking The meadows of Denelli

Visorando Member
Les prairies de Denelli
↔7.57 mi ↗+3,081 ft ↘-3,071 ft ◔6h 10 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Albania
Above Theth, the Shala River, forests and cliffs squeezed between massive limestone peaks, there is an idyllic mountain pasture. This is a little-used route from Theth that leads to the ruins of old sheepfolds. The mountain pasture is full of flowers in spring and summer, when you can see herds of sheep grazing there

Walking Theth - Maja e Zorzit

Visorando Member
Theth - Maja e Zorzit
↔6.79 mi ↗+4,163 ft ↘-4,163 ft ◔6h 45 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Albania
Circular route from Theth to the Maja e Zorzit summit This is the sister hike to the famous return route to Valbona, on the opposite side of the valley. But whereas the route to Valbona can be somewhat lacking as it is mainly through forest with a single viewpoint at the summit, this circular loop of equivalent difficulty is much less frequented and, above all, offers numerous and varied views of the Theth Valley to the north, Shala to the south, and the Ukut massif and Bogë Valley to the west, as well as the Grunas waterfall to the east. Allow at least 6 hours or so, including a few breaks. The ascent does not present any particular technical challenges and allows everyone to set their own pace (note: the reverse route, however, involves a technical descent!). The return descent route can easily be shortened or extended depending on your fitness level, as it runs close to the road, which remains quiet.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.