Jabllanica

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Stebleve and Maja e Zeze, the highpoint of Jabllanica

Summary: The Shebenik-Jabllanica National Park is one of the largest National Parks in Albania. It is in a fairly remote corner along the border with Macedonia. The area has great touristic potential, but as of writing, infrastructure is minimal. There are some tourist huts being built in Stebleve, and we were told they will open in winter 2012/2013. We stayed one night in Stebleve, in a private house, but arrangements should be made in advance. There is no restaurant or cafe or bar in the village. Stebleve village is not being touched by the new (still under construction) asphalt road connecting Librazhd and Peshkopi. The school closed long ago as all children are raised elsewhere. We hope that the vicinity to a future asphalt road may bring more paying guests to the area.

The Drive: Stebleve can be reached from either Librazhd (shortest drive) or from Bulquize/Peshkopi (see 'Peshkopi to Librazhd'on this website). The road from Librazhd up to Fushe Studen (close to Stebelve) will be asphalt in the forseeable future. You have to turn into Stebleve village. The trail starts in Stebleve center, from near the mosque. It returns to the main road, follows it for a few hundred meter north to a functioning police post and signboard for the National Park. A road turns off to the right - if followed it will lead to the border with Macedonia. It is not allowed to cross the border by car. Instead, a few hundred meter after the sign board on the road to the border, turn right again and follow the old military road, as far as you get. It ends at an abandoned police post, but we decided to park the car a few hundred meter earlier, near some shepherd huts.

Maximum altitude:	1790 meter
Minimum altitude:	1152 meter
Cumulative height:	747 meter
Cumulative length:	8 kilometer
Difficulty	moderate
Time:	40 minutes
Date of this record	September 2012
Download GPS info:	Drive to Jabllanica trailhead

The climb: From the shepherd huts, walk to the abandonned police station. This could be a good place to camp. From there, the trail climbs to the ridge of the Jabllanica range. You may follow some (no longer used) military paths close to actual ridge, or walk the ridge itself. The latter option will accumulate more ups and downs. There is nothing difficult about the climb, except its length. When walking the ridgeline, beware of a few precipitous drops on the Macedonian side.

Maximum altitude:	2260 meter
Minimum altitude:	1802 meter
Cumulative height:	558 meter
Cumulative length:	7.04 kilometer one way
Difficulty	moderate
Time:	3 hours one way
Date of this record	September 2012
Download GPS info:	Maja e Zeze - Jabllanica

General location and approach: On the Albania - Macedonia border, between Librazhd and Peshkopi.

Other Information: We had no trouble with sheep dogs!

Stebleve, seen when coming from the north (Klenjes). The new asphalt road - when ready - connecting Librazhd and Peshkopi will not touch Stebleve.

Stebleve is a large village and commune. Neighborhoods and houses are separated by steep ravines.

There are no more any children growing up in the village, and the school is abandonned.

The school is nothing more than 'nostalgic memories'

The football pitch has to have special fences, lest the ball disappears into the nowhere

Signpost, explaining the Shebenik-Jabllanica National Park.

Sheepdogs watching the border to Macedonia

Much to our relief, the dogs were very friendly

For much of the way to the trailhead, the old military road is cobbled, but remains enourmously rocky

At the trailhead, near several sheep pens. It would be possible to drive on for another few hundred Meters to an abandonned police station, but it is not worth the effort.

Near the old police station. The trail leads through the short valley right to the center of the image

The weather had been mixed, if not rainy, and we were glad to see the clouds from above.

The pass leading to the Jabllanica range proper. In the morning, we could not see how far the range would stretch.

On our return, at the pass again. The summit of Jabllanica is barely visible.

A close up from the same spot. The knob peaking from between the two pyramids on the ridge is very close to the actual summit.

The first lake on the Albania side. The trail follows more or less the border between Albania and Macedonia.

We couldn't see the summit until we were there

On the west, Shebenik Mountain coming close

The three summits of Shebenik. The highest on the right; the second highest on the left

On the summit of Maja i Zeze, the highest point of the Jabllanica range

A little further south, another marked highpoint

View towards Macedonia. Lake Ohrid on the right

One of several lakes on the Macedonian side

Maja i Kallkanit, fully in Macedonia. Not quite as high as Maja i Zeze. Though, we were told, it has better views stretching from Diber, to Struga, to Lake Ohrid. In good weather...

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