SCOUTING Skialp in Kosovo

An account of a ski mountaineering trip to Kosovo,

by Franco Laudanna Del Guerra, ProrockOutdoor Mountain Guide

Recipe for a successful ski mountaineering trip: put together a group of new and old (very old.) friends, an unknown and wild place, impeccable logistics (thanks Ale!) and 30-40 cm of powder that fell the day before. Mix well and let it simmer for five days et voila the cake, pardon me, the trip is ready.

After departing, some from Pisa, some from Milan, for Tirana, fifteen of us met up at the airport, from where, having crammed the organisation's minibus to the limit with skis and suitcases, we moved on to Peja to rest at the Bora hostel run by the legendary Bardosh, who has supported us magnificently throughout these days.

The next day, with a very adventurous jeep transfer and a short 'pellata', we were deposited in a beautiful lodge, the Gacafery Guest House, in the heart of the Accursed Mountains and the starting point for many excursions.

Here we spent three wonderful days of ski mountaineering on slopes perfect for this discipline, including numerous ascents and trespasses in nearby Albania and Montenegro, bear tracks and discovery ski mountaineering as rarely seen in our mountains.

After-skiing was just as much fun thanks to the excellent food and the helpfulness of the guys at the Guest House, the 'gang' then did the rest between jokes and laughter. These days went by too fast, and so we found ourselves tossed around in jeeps and then in the minivan, the Kosovan and Albanian roads still have much to improve. It is no coincidence that they are part of the NaturKosovo project (of which CAI is also a member, whom I thank for their hospitality), which aims at the sustainable tourist development of the area through the promotion of the local section of the Via Dinarica, enhancing its cultural, historical and natural resources, supporting the institutions in the governance of the sector and creating jobs for the benefit of the local communities. Goodbye Kosovo, see you next year, I count on bringing more friends to meet you!