Ski & Snowboard Touring in the Albanian Alps.

The Accursed Mountains (Prokletije, also called the Albanian Alps) run across the borders of Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. On the Albanian side the range is steep limestone: big walls, deep valleys around Theth and Valbona, and high cirques and couloirs above them. Maja e Jezercës, at 2,694m, is the highest point in Albania.

There are no ski lifts here. Winter access to the valleys is limited and the riding is almost entirely earned on skins — open bowls and couloirs up high, forest lower down.

Our way in is the hut-to-hut traverse, which starts and ends in Kosovo and crosses into Albania and Montenegro over the high border ridges.

Snow builds from December, and the main touring season runs from January to April. February and March are usually the deepest and most consistent; our traverse runs in that window.

Weather comes off the Adriatic and can change fast, so flexibility is part of the plan — the route and the descents are picked day by day.

We don't publish snow depths or forecasts on this page — they go out of date within hours. These are the sources we check ourselves: Windy for wind, freezing levels and storm tracking, and the resort or regional forecast for snow detail. On a guided trip your guide checks them, plus the snow on the ground, every morning before any plan is set.

Windy — Theth / Valbona
Windy — Maja e Jezercës

No formal avalanche bulletin service for this region — always go with a certified local guide. Albania has no daily public avalanche forecast for the Accursed Mountains, so every slope is assessed on the day by guides who know the snowpack.

⚠ Conditions change fast — this is for planning only. Always check the latest advisory where one exists and consult a certified local guide before heading out.

On the traverse two guides assess conditions every day. Beacon, shovel and probe are mandatory, and companion rescue is practised at the start of the week.

Big objectives are the maximum, not a promise. Conditions come first, then the level and wishes of the group.

Rescue resources in the Albanian Alps are very limited and help can take a long time to arrive. Mobile coverage is patchy to non-existent in the high valleys — our guides carry satellite communication, and any independent group should too.

Travel and medical insurance with mountain rescue and helicopter cover is essential and is not included in our trips. We recommend Austrian Alpine Club (Alpenverein) membership, which includes mountain rescue cover.

Our traverse starts and ends in Kosovo: fly to Pristina (PRN), and transfers to the start are included.

For independent trips into Theth or Valbona, Tirana (TIA) and Podgorica (TGD) are the nearest airports, with Shkodër as the usual jumping-off town. Winter roads into the valleys can be closed or need a 4x4 — check locally before you go.

On the traverse — one or two nights at Gacaferi Guest House in Kosovo, then two nights in one mountain hut and one or two in a second, then back to Gacaferi. Bedding is provided; showers only at the guest house.

Theth & Valbona — a handful of family guesthouses stay open in winter for touring groups. Book ahead and confirm road access.

There is no rental in the mountains. Bring your own touring kit or ask us to arrange rental in advance.

Bring or rent through us: touring skis or a splitboard, touring boots, climbing skins, adjustable poles, beacon, shovel and probe, a 30–40L pack, headlamp, layered clothing, spare gloves and goggles. Helmet mandatory. We send a detailed, light hut-to-hut kit list after booking.

Mountain food is simple and generous: bread, cheese, beans, slow-cooked meat and whatever the hut keeper has been cooking all day. Rakia is the evening pour across the border region.

Theth's old stone houses and its lock-in tower (kulla) are a glimpse of the old mountain life of northern Albania. Shkodër, on the way in or out, has a lake, a castle and good coffee.