Peaks of the Balkans Hiking Guide: GPX files
Kraig Adams, kraigadams.com

These are my own GPS recordings of my six days on the Peaks of the Balkans
in May 2026, from Shtupeq i Madh in the Rugova valley (Kosovo) through
Montenegro and Albania to Babino Polje (Montenegro), where snow turned me
off the loop. They show the way I actually walked. All timestamps have
been removed.

THE FILES

peaks-of-the-balkans-day-1.gpx   Day 1: Shtupeq to Lake Drelaj (25.2 mi / 40.5 km)
peaks-of-the-balkans-day-2.gpx   Day 2: Lake Drelaj to Plav (23.6 mi / 37.9 km)
peaks-of-the-balkans-day-3.gpx   Day 3: Plav to a camp below Qafa e Pejës (23.1 mi / 37.1 km)
peaks-of-the-balkans-day-4.gpx   Day 4: Qafa e Pejës to Valbona (16.9 mi / 27.3 km)
peaks-of-the-balkans-day-5.gpx   Day 5: Valbona to Dobërdol (17.8 mi / 28.6 km)
peaks-of-the-balkans-day-6.gpx   Day 6: Dobërdol to Babino Polje (8.9 mi / 14.3 km)
peaks-of-the-balkans-full-route.gpx   All six days in one file, plus waypoints
                         for where I slept and ate, the passes, the border
                         patrol stop and where I turned back on Day 6.
stats.json               Distance, climbing and descent for each day.

Total: 115.4 mi (185.7 km), about 29,900 ft (9,110 m) of climbing.

NOT IN THESE FILES

The part of the loop from Dobërdol over the ridge to Milishevc (Kosovo) and
on to Reka e Allagës. I turned back from it because of snow. My Day 6 line
down to Babino Polje is an escape route, not a marked stage. My Day 1 is a
road-heavy line north of the marked route.

BORDERS

The trail crosses the borders between Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania away
from any border post. You need a border permit for each crossing. See the
"Border permits" section of the guide.

HOW TO LOAD THEM

AllTrails: on a computer, sign in at alltrails.com, create a new map and use
Import to upload the file. The map then shows up in the app on your phone.
Downloading it for offline use needs a paid AllTrails plan.

Gaia GPS: on your phone, open the file from Files, email or AirDrop and choose
Gaia GPS, or on gaiagps.com choose Import. Then download the map area for
offline use.

Garmin: in Garmin Connect (web), go to Training, Courses, Import, and pick the
file. Save it as a course and send it to your watch.

Organic Maps: first download the free offline maps for Kosovo, Montenegro and
Albania. Then open the GPX file on your phone and choose Organic Maps. It
shows up in your bookmarks and tracks list and works fully offline.

Before you leave home, download offline maps and check that each day shows up
in your app. My two camp spots are where I slept, not recommendations. Paths,
rules, snow and timetables change. Use this as a guide, not a guarantee.

Copyright 2026 Kraig Adams. For your personal use. Please don't share or resell.
