Location – mountain:

  • Galichica, National Park Galichica

 

Starting point:

  • Mountain Hut Magaro

 

Description of the trail:

This hike takes you across the border to Albania, climbing two peaks of this shared mountain ridge between the two countries – the summit of Magaro peak in Macedonia (2,245 m) and Pllaja e Pusit peak in Albania (2,288 m).

 

The trail starts from the mountain hut Magaro. The first hundred meters the movement is along a wide dirt road, and then it transfers to a mountaineering trail through a beech forest. The trail is well marked and easy to follow. After leaving the forest belt, the trail continues along the valley to a cirque at a height of 1,930 m. In the south-east part of the cirque, through a dry stream the marked trail ascends mildly to the south-east, to the ridge and right beneath it the trail continues on an old patrol trail, which is well marked and passes beneath the ridge, and leads to the south-west to the green pass, which is on the peak of Kota (2,265 m), where there is also the border stone F10.

 

From the border, the trail continues at the same level, staying on the right side of the ridge. After approximately 2 km the trail passes by the ruins of former military buildings and from here the trail becomes wider and turns into a gravel road that was used before the 1990’s by border police. This road gently ascends to the summit, which is about 100 m above the gravel road.

The trail goes around Pllaja e Pusit peak and it starts descending north direction on an open terrain for about 3.7 km and then turns west to enter the forest. Soon after entering the forest it hits a dirt road that goes down on the asphalt road that connects the villages of the Albanian with Macedonian side. The closest accommodation possibilities will be in Dolna Gorica (Albania) or Stenje (Macedonia).

 

Technical and touristic information:

Altitude of the starting point: Mountain Hut Magaro – 1,630 m

Highest point: Pllaja e Pusit peak – 2,288 m

Altitude of the ending point: The village of Gorna Gorica 930 m

Altitude difference: 700 m

Duration of the hiking tour: 9 hours

Length of the tour: 21 km

Difficulty of the tour: (Proofreader’s Note: Please add here)     ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Required fitness level: (Proofreader’s Note: Please add here)      ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

 

Panoramas and landscapes:

Aside from the coastal hikes, there are no other mountains in the region from where as much water can be seen. From the summits of Magaro and Pllaja e Pusit both Lake Prespa and Lake Ohrid can be seen at the same time. In good weather the surrounding mountains can be seen, too. Towards the north the mountains of Shebenik – Jabllanica can be seen. On the west side is Mount Valamare with its glacial lakes, and to the East Mount Pelister, bordering Greece.

 

Access to the starting point:

  • Road Skopje – Ohrid, 172 km
  • Ohrid – Saint Naum, at the 23rd km there is a junction for a local road to Oteshevo
  • Form the junction, after 17 km driving is the Mountain Hut Magaro

 

Access to the ending point:

  • Tirana – Korça, 167km
  • Local road Korca – Gorica e Madhe / Gorna Gorica, 45km

 

Accommodation and food:

  • Mountain Hut Magaro – in the foothill of the Magaro Peak
    • (40°57’5.80″N20°49’48.16″E / 40.95161111, 20.83000000)
  • Vali Guesthouse in the village of Dolna Gorica
    • (40°52’46.4″N 20°55’40.8″E; 879551, 20.927993)
  • Edi Metri guesthouse in the village of Globoceni
    • (40°51’26.4″N 20°56’47.8″E; 857336, 20.946605)