Accursed Mountains
Accursed Mountains | |
---|---|
Albanian Alps | |
Serbo-Croatian) | |
Geography | |
Countries | Albania Kosovo Montenegro |
Parent range | Dinaric Alps |
The Accursed Mountains (
Name
The origin of the name "Accursed Mountains" is disputed. According to one local legend, the devil escaped from hell and created the jagged glacial karsts in a single day of mischief. Others say a woman cursed the mountains while she and her children trekked through them on a scorching-hot day and could not find any water. A third legend claims Slavic soldiers gave the mountains their name as they struggled to march through them.[2]
Both the Albanian (Bjeshkët e Nëmuna) and Serbo-Croatian (Prokletije) names mean "cursed (mountains)".[3][4]
Location and relief
The Accursed Mountains, the southernmost part of the Dinaric Alps, stretch more than 60 kilometres (40 mi) from Lake Skadar along the Montenegrin–Albanian border in the southwest to Kosovo in the northeast. These points are at 42°45' and 42°15' N in the Mediterranean zone of the western Balkans.[5][6] The southern boundary of the Accursed Mountains is at the river Drin and its tributary Valbona. In a broader sense, the Accursed Mountains also include the mountain ranges to Mitrovica with the Hajla and Mokna massifs. Some authors, however, see the river Lim as the northern boundary of the Accursed Mountains in geological terms.
From Lake Skadar, the mountains stretch northeast along the
The Accursed Mountains are ethnographically and sociologically diverse with many tribes living in the region as sheep herders. Names of various
Geology
The Accursed Mountains are a typical Dinaric karst high mountain range with a pronounced steep topography and glacial features. Maximum relief differences of 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) are found in the
The range was formed by the folding resulting from the collision of the African and Eurasian plates. Nowhere in the Balkans have glaciers left so much evidence of erosion. After the Alps, these mountains are the most glaciated in Europe south of the Scandinavian ice sheet. They have very steep limestone slopes with abundant karst features. The Accursed Mountains are a large, rugged, pathless range. It is one of the rare mountain ranges in Europe that has not been explored entirely.
In some areas, the Accursed Mountains run almost parallel with the Šar Mountains in North Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo. This tectonic crash produced the unusual zig-zag shape of the range and also their curving from the dominant Dinaric northwestern – southeastern direction toward the northeastern one.[7] In the western and central parts of the range the composition of the mountains is of mainly uniform with Mesozoic limestones and dolomites of the Jurassic and Cretaceous ages. In the eastern Accursed Mountains in addition to the limestone and dolomite series, there are rocks from the late Palaeozoic and Triassic periods, medium-Triassic volcanic rocks and Jurassic metamorphic rocks.
The Kalktafel is cut deeply with valleys in a variety of rock blocks of the mountains north of Përroi i Thatë, the Biga e Gimajive south of it, the Jezerca block between Shala and Valbona valley, the massif of the Maja e Hekurave, the plateau of the Maja e Kolats north of Valbona and Shkëlzen northeast of Valbona. The valleys were formed by glaciers which created very steep walls and hollows up to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) deep. The south wall of the
Although some scientific research gives the Accursed Mountains the status of a separate mountain chain,[citation needed] in most other ways this chain is still considered the highest of all Dinaric areas, connected with the Dinaric mountain chain in terms of geology, morphology, and ethnography.
Massifs
The Accursed Mountains are made up of many large sections or mountain massifs/groups, all of which are connected to one another. These massifs include the Popluks group with a height of 2,694 m (8,839 ft), the Shkurt group at 2,554 m (8,379 ft), the Radohimës group at 2,570 m (8,430 ft), the Zaborës e Krasniçës at 2,625 m (8,612 ft), the Bjelic group at 2,556 m (8,386 ft), the Karanfili-Brada group at 2,554 m (8,379 ft), the Rabës group at 2,232 m (7,323 ft), the Ershellit group at 2,066 m (6,778 ft), the Kakinjes group at 2,359 m (7,740 ft), the
Canyons and valleys
Erosion during glaciation left many telltale features behind. Deep river canyons and flat valleys wind around the ridges of the mountains. The largest canyon is Rugova Canyon. It is situated in Kosovo and is 25 km (16 mi) long from the border with Montenegro to Peja and is 1,000 m (3,281 ft) deep.[9] It has very steep vertical mountain slopes on both sides. Valleys common at lower altitudes are found at the alpine level, creating mountain passes and valley troughs, such as Buni Jezerce in Albania. Buni Jezerce means "Valley of the Lakes" and it contains six small glacial lakes, the biggest being called the Big lake of Buni Jezerce.
Canyons in the Accursed Mountains
- Rugova Canyon
- Deçani Canyon
- Gashi Canyon
- Cemi Canyon
Valleys in the Accursed Mountains
- Vermosh Valley
- Valbona Valley
- Thethi Valley
- Ropojona Valley
- Gerbja Valley
- Buni Jezerce
- Cemi i Nikçit Valley
Rivers and lakes
The Accursed Mountains contain several notable rivers of the region. Rivers in this range fall roughly into two main categories, those that flow into the Lim and those that enter the
In the southern Accursed Mountains, the
There are about 20 small alpine lakes of glacial origin in the Accursed Mountains. Many lakes are in the Bogiçevica border area between Kosovo and Albania and the Buni i Jezercë trough near the Jezerca and Bojs peaks. Some lakes, such as
Waterfalls are found in some parts of the range. The
Highest peaks
Peaks over 2,600 m (8,530 ft)
- Maja Jezercë(2,694 m or 8,839 ft; in Albania)
- Gjeravica (2,656 m or 8,714 ft; in Kosovo)
- Maja Grykat e Hapëta(2,625 m or 8,612 ft; in Albania)
Peaks over 2,500 m (8,202 ft)
- Maja e Radohimës(2,570 m or 8,432 ft; in Albania)
- Maja e Popllukës (2,569 m or 8,428 ft; in Albania)
- Maja Briaset(2,567 m or 8,422 ft; in Albania)
- Maja e Hekurave(2,561 m or 8,402 ft; in Albania)
- Rodi e Kollatës(2,556 m or 8,386 ft; in Albania)
- Maja e Shënikut(2,554 m or 8,379 ft; in Albania)
- Maja Tat(2,543 m or 8,343 ft; in Albania)
- Gusan (2,539 m or 8,330 ft; in Albania and Kosovo)
- Zla Kolata/Kollata e Keqe (2,534 m or 8,314 ft; in Albania and Montenegro)
- Marijaš/Marijash (2,533 m or 8,310 ft; in Albania and Montenegro)
- Dobra Kolata/Kolata e Mirë (2,524 m or 8,281 ft; in Albania and Montenegro)
- Maja e Rosit (2,524 m or 8,281 ft; in Montenegro)
- Guri i Kuq (2,522 m or 8,274 ft; in Kosovo)
- Maja e Vishnjes (2,517 m or 8,258 ft; in Albania)
- Maja Kokervhake(2,508 m or 8,228 ft; in Albania)
- Rops/Maja e Ropës (2,502 m or 8,209 ft; in Kosovo)
Peaks over 2,400 m (7,874 ft)
- Maja Shkurt(2,499 m or 8,199 ft; in Albania)
- Maja Reshkullit(2,496 m or 8,189 ft; in Albania)
- Maja e Malësores (2,490 m or 8,169 ft; in Albania)
- Karanfili (Veliki Vrh, Kremeni Vrh, Maja Gurt e Zjarmit) (2,490 m or 8,169 ft; in Montenegro)[11]
- Maja e Ragamit(2,472 m or 8,110 ft; in Albania)
- Maja Bojs(2,461 m or 8,074 ft; in Albania)
- Koprivnik/Kopranik (2,460 m or 8,071 ft; in Kosovo)
- Maja Vukoces(2,450 m or 8,038 ft; in Albania)
- Veternik (2,410 m or 7,907 ft; in Albania)
- Shkëlzen (2,407 m or 7,897 ft; in Albania)
- Maja e Thatë (2,406 m or 7,894 ft; in Albania)
- Pasji Peak(2,405 m or 7,890 ft; in Kosovo and Montenegro)
- Maja Bogiçaj(2,404 m or 7,887 ft; in Albania and Kosovo)
- Hajla (2,403 m or 7,884 ft; in Kosovo and Montenegro)
Peaks under 2,400 m (7,874 ft)
- Rusulija(2,382 m or 7,815 ft)
- Strellc (2,377 m or 7,799 ft)
- Tromeđa(2,366 m or 7,762 ft)
- Žljeb(2,365 m or 7,759 ft)
- Maja e Kakisë (2,360 m or 7,743 ft)
- Liqenat (2,341 m or 7,680 ft)
- Rrasa e Zogut (2,305 m or 7,562 ft)
- Hajla e Vëranocit(2,281 m or 7,484 ft)
- Junik (2,280 m or 7,480 ft)
- Maja Stogut(2,246 m or 7,369 ft; in Albania)
- Maja e Elbunit(2,231 m or 7,320 ft)
- Deçan Mountain (2,200 m or 7,218 ft)
- Maja Harapit(2,218 m or 7,277 ft)
- Maja Trojan(2,190 m or 7,185 ft)
- Pogled (2,155 m or 7,070 ft)
- Maja Dramadol(2,120 m or 6,955 ft)
- Beleg(2,102 m or 6,896 ft)
- Maja e Ershellit(2,067 m or 6,781 ft)
- Maja e Vjelakut (2,014 m or 6,608 ft)
- Hajla e Shkrelit (2,011 m or 6,598 ft)
- Maja e Madhe(2,011 m or 6,598 ft)
- Maja e Grebenit (1,864 m or 6,115 ft)
- Lice Mountain (1,799 m or 5,902 ft)
- Maja e Veleçikut(1,725 m or 5,659 ft)
Climate
The Accursed Mountains are on the whole the wettest area of Europe. In the village of Boga in the valley, precipitation is 3,033 millimetres (119.4 in) per year, and otherwise 2,000 to 2,500 millimetres (79 to 98 in) per year is normal.[6] At higher elevations snow is found even in summer, except in very dry years.[12]
Glaciation
There are at least five active glaciers that probably formed during the late
A recent report from geographers at the
Flora
The vegetation of the Accursed Mountains is among the richest on the Balkan Peninsula and one of the main central European regions for flora. To date, 1,611 wild plants have been described in the Albanian part alone.[15] As of 2013[update] 50 flora species are endemic, sub-endemic and endangered plant species.[16] The southern edge of mountains have a sub-Mediterranean character. Various evergreen bushes are found in the deepest valleys of the canyons and sunny slopes,[17] and in the higher valleys deciduous Shibljak shrubs are common. In the mountains over 100 medicinal herbs are found, including species of the genus Primula, Satureja and Sideritis.[citation needed] Because of its altitude and its favored habitat, the range is one of the centers of arcto-alpine relict flora of the Balkan Peninsula.[18] Out of 77 arcto-alpine species of former glacial flora on the Balkan Peninsula, a little over 50 species can be found in the Accursed Mountains.
The levels of vegetation in the Accursed Mountains meet the alpine level, from upland valleys through the montane mountain stage on forest-free alpine and subalpine mats and subnivale tundra caused by permafrost in vast heaps of rubble with raw soils.[citation needed] A real snow level is not widely spread, although in the high altitudes snow and fern fields can also keep during the summer on four very small glaciers at high altitudes, the highest one found in the shade of Jezerca.
A cushion-sedge and blue grass lawn of (Seslerion juncifoliae) grows in alpine areas and, on shallow limestone soils, Oxytropidion dinaricae, to which the alpine grass krumm grows as in the
The flora in the rocky areas of the Accursed Mountains are particularly noteworthy, because they are rare rich and endemic species, including the
Fauna
Large mammal species that have long been extinct in other regions are found here, such as the
Bird species include the
The rivers are home to a growing number of marble trout. Among the amphibians are the alpine salamander (southernmost habitat),[25] fire salamander, yellow-bellied toad and fire-bellied toad. The rich herpetofauna include the fence lizard, green lizard, Greek tortoise and snakes such as the true vipers, including the venomous horned viper and adder. The Accursed Mountains have one endemic species of lizard, the Prokletije rock lizard or Dinarolacerta montenegrina, named after the range.[26]
Early climbing
British climbers Sleeman, Elmalie and Ellwood were the first to reach the summit of
National parks
There are three national parks in the Accursed Mountains — one each in Montenegro, Kosovo, and Albania. Illegal deforestation is a major problem. To some extent even the national parks are affected. In dry summers
In Albania, the new, enlarged
The Montenegrin part of the mountain range was declared
As of 2010, Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro are planning to create another tri-state park in the area that will be called the Balkans Peace Park.[34]
Settlement, economy and transport
The Accursed Mountains are home to
create their sphere of influence and are frequently visited by inhabitants of the highlands for errands, administrative procedures and market sales.In the mountains, villages only have up to a few hundred inhabitants. They are often scattered settlements without a clear core. Among the biggest are Tamara and Selca, both in the valley of the Cem and belonging to the community of the Kelmend. The community of eight villages – including Vermosh – comprises 6,600 inhabitants.[citation needed] Tamara is currently the only place in the central mountains with infrastructure such as a secondary school. Tamara and Vermosh share a maternity hospital. Until the collapse of communism there were such facilities, for example, in the Shala Valley. Many residents of the villages in the interior such as Boga, Theth or Valbona live there only in the summer months, as the villages are cut off for many weeks during winter.[20]
In addition to the seasonal migration, the whole mountain area is suffering from a severe "brain drain", as its income from agriculture is low. Many leave to seek work and a little more comfort in the region of Shkodra and Koplik, Tirana or abroad.[35] As the year-round population dwindles as the terrain becomes less accessible, there are few state or local government employees such as teachers. Local income comes from agriculture, semi-illegal forestry and tourism.
In a few places like Theth tourism has been revitalized by recreational hiking. With the help of GTZ, 40 private houses (also referred to as guest houses, or han in Albanian) have been transformed into tourist accommodations or B&Bs. In 2010 there were 130 beds available in total – 100 more than in 2007. Additionally, hiking trails have been marked and trails maps and travel guides published. From 2006 to 2009, the number of tourists rose from 300 to around 7,500 per year. Unlike in the rest of Albania, the increase was due to foreign tourists. Lakes such as Plav and Hrid also receive many tourists during the summer months. In many villages there are small hydroelectric power plants that supply the village with electricity.[36]
The 192 km Peaks of the Balkans Trail connects all three countries.[37]
Many villages were already settled by the 15th century,[citation needed] and some valleys have been inhabited since the Stone Age. At the end of communism, however, several thousand people emigrated and depopulated the area.
Transport in Albania
SH20 road crosses the Accursed Mountains in the Kelmend region of northwestern Albania, stretching from the eastern shore of
From west to east, there is only the SH21 road recently paved from Koplik to Boga. The road from Qafa Thores leading to Theth has been recently paved with crash barriers and guard rails added, but is still steep, winding and narrow in places.
Historically, a caravan route between Podgorica and Plav crossed the mountains along the Lim and Cem rivers.[40][41]
References
- ISBN 978-953-51-3543-2, Published: 4 October 2017
- ^ Elia, Peter. "The Peak of the Balkans Trail: Europe's last true wilderness". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ISBN 9789995610326.
1953 dalloi tri krahina të mëdha natyrore: Alpet Shqiptare, Shqipërinë e Brendshme dhe Shqipërinë Bregdetare, ndërsa prof. P. Geço (shih) në v. 1963 dalloi katër krahina të mëdha: Alpet Shqiptare, Krahina Malore Qendrore, Krahina Malore ...
- ^ Galanti, Arturo (1901). L'Albania: notizie geografiche, etnografiche e storiche. Rome: Societa' Ed. Dante Alighieri. p. 13. Retrieved 28 June 2021 – via asa.archiviostudiadriatici.it.
- ^ Website des Montenegrinischen Tourismusministeriums Archived 30 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Akademia e Shkencave e RPSSH: Fjalor enciklopedik shqiptar, Tirana 1985 und Gjeografia fizike e Shqipërisë, Tirana 1990
- ^ a b "Dinaric Alps : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost". summitpost.org.
- ^ "Maja e Arapit, Geoquest Kletterführer" (PDF). Geoquest Verlag. August 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Rugova Canyon (Pec) – 2018 All You Need to Know Before You Go (with Photos) – TripAdvisor". www.tripadvisor.com.
- ^ "Bogićevica/Bogiçevica : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost". summitpost.org.
- ^ "Karanfili : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost". www.summitpost.org.
- ^ .
- S2CID 111383505.
- ^ a b Glaciers discovered in 'cursed' mountains of Albania, The University of Manchester, 27 January 2010
- ^ Rakaj, Marash (2009). "Floristic and chorological news from north Albania" (PDF). Botanica Serbica. 33 (2): 177–183.
- .
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84162-149-4
- .
- ^ Treasures
- ^ a b Michael Galaty. "Dr. Michael Galaty in Northern Albania". Millsaps College – News & Events. Archived from the original on 14 December 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2008.
- ISBN 3-931323-06-4
- ^ "Lov - Lovački portal SRBIJALOV - www.srbijalov.com". www.srbijalov.com.
- ^ "Euronatur: Albaniens Wilder Norden – Schatzkammer der ökologischen Vielfalt in Europa". Retrieved 27 July 2009.
- ^ "BirdLife IBA Factsheet". Retrieved 19 June 2009.
- ^ "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Salamandra atra". 14 December 2008.
- ^ "Prokletije Rock Lizard, Dinarolacerta montenegrina". Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
- ^ Reveue de géographie: – Volumes 10–13 – Page 8
- ^ "Illegal Logging Ravages Albania's Forests". BalkanInsight.com. 16 December 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
- ^ "Journey to Valbona » Blog Archive » Something New is Happening : The Albanian National Park of the Alps". journeytovalbona.com.
- ^ "Parku Kombëtar i Alpeve nën mbrojtjen e Shqipërisë dhe Kosovës". Archived from the original on 21 September 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ a b Thethi-Guide. "Historia e Parkut Kombetar Theth" (in Albanian). Retrieved 28 July 2010.
- ^ Albanian National Agency of Tourism. "Valbona Valley National Park" (in Albanian). Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
- ^ Summit Post – Bogiçevica
- ^ Sulejmani, Edlira. "Bashkepunimi rajonal bisedime per nje park kombetar shqiptaro-kosovaro-malazez". Alsattv (in Albanian). Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
- ISBN 3-89794-091-4
- ^ Ismail Beka (24 April 2010). "Grenzüberschreitende Destinationsentwicklung für Bergtourismus (Albanien, Montenegro, Kosovo)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
- ^ "The Peak of the Balkans Trail: Europe's last true wilderness". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ The Highway to Theth - Albania 2021
- ISBN 978-3-86112-257-9
- ^ Shala Valley Project – Final Report of the 2006 Field Season Archived 31 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 0-7136-5016-8
Further reading
- Boenzi Federico, Giovanni Palmentola: "Glacial Features and Snow-Line Trend During the Last Glacial Age in the Southern Apennines (Italy) and on Albanian and Greek Mountains", in: Journal of Geomorphology, 41, 21–29, Berlin 1997.
- Cook, Steve and Marash Rakaj. "Social Changes in the Albanian Alps During Communism". Middle States Geographer 28, 1995:84–90.
- Jovan Cvijić : "Ice Age in Prokletije and Surrounding Mountains". The – Glass SKAN, XCI, Belgrade 1913th (Original: Cvijic, J. 1921: Ledeno doba u i Prokletijama okolnim planinama .- Glasnik Srpske Akad Kraljevske XCL, 1913, XCIII.)
- Jovan Cvijić: Geomorphology I-II, Belgrade 1924/26.
- Edith Durham : High Albania, London 1909
- Helmut Eberhart, Karl Kaser (Editor): Albania – Tribal Life between Tradition and Modernity, Böhlau Verlag, Wien 1995, ISBN 3-205-98378-5
- Rose Wilder Lane: Peaks of Shala, Harper & Brothers: New York, 1923.
- Milovan Milivojevića, Ljubomir Menkovića and Jelena Calic: "Pleistocene Glacial Relief of the Central Part of Mt Prokletije". In: Quaternary International, v. 190, 1, November 2008, 112–122
- Franz Nopcsa: Geography and Geology of Northern Albania, Institutum Regni Hungariae Geologicum, Budapest 1929
- Christian Zindel, Barbara House Amman: Hiking North Albania – Thethi and Kelmend, Huber Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-940686-19-0
External links
- Media related to Accursed Mountains at Wikimedia Commons
- Prokletije travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Peace parks of Prokletije
- Montenegrin Prokletije
- Prokletije at summitpost.org
- GTZ. Successful Cooperation – Sustainable Results: Examples from Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, Berlin, 2010
- Peaks of the Balkans Trail
News articles
- Neville, Tim (29 March 2013). "Hiking Beyond Borders in the Balkans". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
- Knott, Jonathan (18 May 2012). "Walking in Albania's 'Accursed Mountains'". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
- Rue, Geraldine (20 March 2017). "Le charme des Balkans dans les Alpes albanaises #1". Le Monde. Archived from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2017. (French)