Maja Lucës

Maja Lucës had been long on our wishlist, from the time we got a glimpse of it from the Kurvelesh valley, when visiting Picar, Fushe Bardhë and Zhulat, and when looking at it from the Sarande-Delvine area.

The summit of Maja Lucës, as one of the high-points in the Kurvelesh-Sarande-Gjirokaster triangle, catches the first and the last daylight for a dramatic effect, and can be seen from afar. This betrays the fact that Maja Lucës is a remote mountain, and difficult to reach from any direction. We had explored various starting points, and eventually settled on Fushe Bardhë, where there is a well-run guesthouse during the summer months. (Call Adi, +355697635197). Our trailhead is another 3.5 kilometer on a dirt road (manageable by most cars) away from the guesthouse.

Maja Lucës has many flocks of sheep, but very little in way of good trails, and way-finding can be a game of hit-and-miss. Much of our ascent to the summit ridge was without visible trail. For the descent from the summit ridge we selected a more eastern pass, and while there was a trail it had apparently not been used for years.

Having lost some time during the ascent, and given the already short days in October, we did not manage to reach the summit. From a false summit where we decided to turn back, the way to the highest point appeared to be clear and without difficulty, but long and with some considerable up-and down. At least we were closer to the summit than we had been ever before.

It is worth noting that on the day of our hike construction work restarted on the road connecting Kardhiq and Saranda. The road will pass Fushe Bardhë, and enter a tunnel below Maja Lucës. Once completed (perhaps in a few years), access to the area will be a breeze.