The route is beautiful and challenging in winter.

Statistics

6 - 7

hrs

1,401

m

1,402

m

20

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Moderate

Description

Maja e Drites can be reached from Skore-Gjirokaster or by Permet.

We ascended it from Skore. Information for the road till trailhead From Gjirokastra to Skore it takes about 2h40min as the road has some parts which are unpaved.

You leave the motorway and take the turn that goes to Libohove.

This road is 35km up to the trailhead.

The first 7km are paved and then the road is unpaved for 15.3km till you reach Pogon.

Then you drive on paved road for 2.1km till Polican and then again on upaved very very bad road,9.4km, till trailhead.

After Skore you have to drive for 3.5km till you see the vertical signs that warn to take the turn for Mali I Nemerckes. Hike Trail from Skore is shorter than trail from Permet and took us 3h30min ascending and 2h descending.

It can take a bit more if the snow depth is more than 40cm.

The hike is moderate but in winter can be challenging.

During our ascend the trail from 1800m and up was covered with snow and except that the we faced difficulty because of the clouds.

If we would not have navigation system probably would not find the way up to the summit as you could barely see 5m.

The trailhead start at 1068m altitude and ascend is smth like 5km up the summit and has an elevation gain of 1430m.

The average slope is 30 grade and the last 1.5km is 45-55 grade.

On the summit if you are lucky you will be above the clouds and have magnificent view.

On the east side you will see Vjosa valley and Permet city.

On the west side there is Bureto ridge and Lunxheri ridge which goes parallel with Nemercka and Dhembel ridge.