Zagoria Valley Loop: Sheper, Sopik, Çatistë, Gjirokaster
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 48.66 mi
- Elevation gain
- 4,547 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Difficult
- Elevation loss
- 6,781 ft
- Max elevation
- 3,472 ft
- TrailRank
- 36
- Min elevation
- 798 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Moving time
- 6 hours 35 minutes
- Time
- 9 hours 8 minutes
- Coordinates
- 9645
- Uploaded
- June 6, 2022
- Recorded
- June 2022
near Sheper, Gjirokastër (Albania)
Viewed 157 times, downloaded 8 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
A truly special, long, one-day tour. Can be split in 2 if you bring a tent, or ask for accommodation in one of the villages on the southwestern side of the valley (Çatistë or after, I suggest). Or you organise a vehicle for pick up, e.g. on the 'main road' between Gjirokaster and Poliçan.
All unpaved gravel roads, mostly easy to ride, never too steep or too rocky. The part between Sopik and Çatistë is fantastic mountain biking, great flowing trails with amazing views (I decided not to listen to the people in Sopik who said the road was impossible on a bike - one of the few times it was better not to follow the locals' advice).
The villages on both sides of the valley have few inhabitants, and each village has freshwater springs which you will need. Bring your own food along.
In case of an emergency, there was good mobile phone coverage along most of the trail, except along the Greek border and on the southwestern side of the valley (more patchy here). Except for the more difficult stretch between Sopik and Çatistë, any 4x4 vehicle could reach any point on these roads.
All unpaved gravel roads, mostly easy to ride, never too steep or too rocky. The part between Sopik and Çatistë is fantastic mountain biking, great flowing trails with amazing views (I decided not to listen to the people in Sopik who said the road was impossible on a bike - one of the few times it was better not to follow the locals' advice).
The villages on both sides of the valley have few inhabitants, and each village has freshwater springs which you will need. Bring your own food along.
In case of an emergency, there was good mobile phone coverage along most of the trail, except along the Greek border and on the southwestern side of the valley (more patchy here). Except for the more difficult stretch between Sopik and Çatistë, any 4x4 vehicle could reach any point on these roads.
Waypoints
Panorama
3,086 ft
River
You can add a comment or review this trail
Comments