Maja e Gurit Gjon

Maja e Gurit Gjon is enthusiastically named a Natural Monument in the promotional picture book of the Lezha Regional Council. And when traveling the bumpy road from Rreshen towards Lure, Guri Gjon rises dramatically behind the abandoned mining town of Kurbnesh, almost like a little a miniature version of El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley.

Guri Gjon is not the high summit of a mountain, but the top of a cliff. Some higher summits can be climbed from Guri Gjon by those inclined.

Kurbnesh has had it heydays long time ago. Most of the old apartment blocks are only shells, with holes where there used to be windows and doors. There appears to be no future for the town, save for the small farming community.

For our way up, we choose a trail that scales the north face of the mountain and directly up to Guri Gjon. The path seems to have been abandoned some time ago, and was heavily overgrown in July 2013. We spent a long time clearing some of the worst spots, just to squeeze through. If you plan to follow this trail, consider taking some garden scissors or an axe to clear more of the brambles and shrubs along the way.

With all this vegetation, the trail leads along steep drops and care should be taken especially where the narrow path has been eroded away. The last stretch up to the grassy slopes, and the grassy slopes leading up to ridge of Guri Gjon are very steep and without a visible path. This makes this trail not suitable for the descent, as one may find oneself at precipitous drops while on slippery ground.

For the return, check out Wikiloc #4820627