The Unknown Face of Kosovo

The Albanian Alps in the tri-border region between Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania are pretty cursed. The "Accursed Mountains." Sometimes loosely translated as "cursed," other times as "enchanted" – you can take your pick, depending on how you feel. This territory was an inaccessible no-go area not long ago, known for its bandits and the Yugoslavian war. Legend has it that the name derives from the geological ruggedness of the peaks, which made it difficult for shepherds and smugglers to cross.

Nowadays, however, we see this as something aesthetic: in the summer, hiking tourism has been well established for several years, mainly around the beautiful "Peaks of the Balkans" long-distance hiking trail, which is currently very much en vogue. As a result, old shepherd’s huts are being transformed into simple guesthouses, local hiking guides are getting trained, and improvised beer shacks are popping up along the way. But in the winter, you will find nothing here. The tri-border region in the Balkans is uncharted territory for ski touring enthusiasts, and every tour crosses borders and unites what were once enemies. But why is that?

A dreamlike snow-covered landscape with small alpine huts, hilly terrain with a sparse population of pine trees, and rugged rock faces in the background. In short, it is ideal skiing terrain, as we know it, from the Central Alps.

There’s just one thing you won’t find here: people. "We have around 30 to 40 active ski mountaineers here in Kosovo," says Alb Berisha, who will be our guide for the coming week. "So it’s pretty unlikely you’ll meet other people on a ski tour here. You’re more likely to meet a bear." The 25-year-old Kosovar with shoulder-length hair and a big, permanent grin, whom everyone calls Albi, is one of these few active people.

Kosovo is the country whose northern border with Serbia is shown as a dotted line on Google Maps. The country, which only declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, is now recognized by two-thirds of all states but still not by five states in Europe.

The country experienced a war 25 years ago that cost the lives of 13,000 people and destroyed entire communities, including Albi’s hometown of Pejë.

Kosovo is the country that people in Central Europe associate most with the words "conflict" or "unrest" on the news. But, as is often the case, this is only a small part of the reality. A considerably more significant part of the truth is what we see with our own eyes during our ski touring week: Hospitality, glorious powder snow and a winter landscape virtually made for ski touring adventures.

Another tempting aspect of the Accursed Mountains is that they extend across three countries – Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania – and you can easily visit all three. From the Gacaferi Guesthouse in Kosovo, it takes a good two hours to climb through sparse forests to the Trekufini summit (7,762 ft), the

Albania to the left, Montenegro to the right – wherever we end up first, we ski down in finest powder to Babino Polje. It is one of those rare places with no cell phone network or internet. Just yourself, the river, your skis, and the incredibly delicious food. Freshly rolled burek, kačamak and, as always, far too many cevapčići.

The next day, well fed, we continue on to Albania, to the high alpine settlement of Dobërdol, which looks a little like the Scottish Highlands. The snow-covered huts here are surrounded by

And so, without being disturbed, we do what you do during a ski tour: attach the skins to our big mountain skis, hike up a mountain and whizz back down again with greatest joy. And then, we treat ourselves to one last summit before we complete our tour and return to Kosovo, the Maja Kershit Kocajve (7,864 feet). We balance across a gorgeous ridge to the summit, rejoicing in exultation. Finally, we enjoy making our way down into the white solitude of the Accursed Mountains.