Hikes in Dropull

Journey through time in Dropull. Hike from the Roman ruins of Adrianoupolis to serene Byzantine monasteries. A trail where empires and faith have left their mark.

Poliçan - Maja e Dritës (Papingut)

Albania has many mountain regions that are difficult to access. One of the most frequently mentioned mountains is Maja e Papingut. This dominant peak is part of the Mali i Nemërçkës, a 10–12 km-long mountain range in southern Albania in the Qarku i Gjirokastër. The Nemërçkë Massif is one of the most spectacular geological barriers in the south of the country. While its southern slopes rise relatively gently, its northern cliffs drop more than 1,000 m vertically into the Lugina e Sopotit Valley. Therefore, the ascent route from its southern side is recommended. Since there are only a few villages at the base of the mountain, the drive up an extremely bumpy gravel road presents the first challenge. There are neither official hiking trails nor marked routes leading to the summit. The ascent takes you past seasonal shepherds’ huts, along old shepherds’ trails, or through pathless sections where you must navigate using landmarks. That sounds like an adventure—and it is! About 10 meters before a road branching off to the right and at the same elevation as a trail branching off to the left, we leave parking spot 01and continue hiking along the access road. We cross a scoured area and, after a right-hand curve, take the next path branching off slightly to the left. This path ends at a wider, well-worn gravel road. We turn left and climb through numerous switchbacks up to a 02 key section. Where there is a scour field of gray stones to the right of the trail, we leave the gravel path to the right. We hike off-trail across the gravel field between the trees and then, upon reaching treeless terrain, ascend across the gravel field, which is very steep in places. At the end of the ravine, where the gravel field begins, there is a goat trail on the right. We follow this path for a long stretch, zigzagging uphill to a 03shepherd’s hut. We pass this on our right and continue off-trail, zigzagging up the mountainside ahead of us until we come upon another goat trail. This trail turns slightly to the right to bypass a ravine. We reach a 04 water reservoir and pass another shepherd’s hut. On the steep terrain, we zigzag uphill along a ravine located to our right. Soon we reach a spot where we can simply cross the ravine to the right. We hike a few more meters along the ravine. At the point where the path turns slightly to the left, we continue straight ahead, zigzagging uphill. Since the summit is not in sight, we always head toward the highest point in this pathless terrain and finally reach the rocky summit of 05 Maja e Papingut. From here, you can already look down 200–300 m into the depths. We hike slightly downhill to the left along the edge of the cliff face to a unique 06 viewpoint. From here, you can look straight down approximately 1,000 meters in elevation. We then traverse the slope slightly to the left, heading toward a trail visible in the distance that crosses the mountainside. On the way there, we cross another gorge and arrive at a rock face with a 07 key section. A narrow, grass-covered gully leads through the steep rock face. Afterward, we head slightly to the right again toward the trail that crosses the mountainside. Once we reach the trail, it leads uphill once more. At a hilltop, below which there is another water reservoir on the left, the trail turns to the right. At the 08fork that follows, we take the left-hand branch, which crosses a wide cirque. The trail turns left and passes another water reservoir and a ruin. From here on, a well-trodden path is visible. At another inconspicuous fork, we take the slightly right-hand path and, after passing more 09 shepherd’s huts, head slightly left. We pass animal pens made of stones loosely stacked on top of one another. Then the numerous cattle trails converge into a single path, and we follow a well-trodden trail downhill for a long stretch. On the way down into the valley, we cross two small ravines until the trail finally becomes indistinguishable. We head down the fall line to a stone hut located near the first large trees. Beyond it, we continue pathlessly, zigzagging around bushes and trees down the fall line until we finally reach a wide 10 road. We follow this road—whose course isn’t always clear—across meadows and then through curves. At a fork, we take the right-hand branch and, after a few meters, arrive at parking spot 01.