Mali i Gurit

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Mali i Gurit

Summary: Mali i Gurit has been on our mind for quite some time, as it is a prominent mountain seen from Librazhd. The road from Librazhd to Peshkopi - now being upgraded - leads past its foot at Fushë Studën.

Fushë Studën and Stebleve are central to the Jablanica - Shebenik National Park, though there is not yet much infrastructure. Some cabins have been under construction near Stebleve for the past several years, and Hotel Hasa in Studën has been renovated but is still very basic.

Mali i Gurit may not seem very high when in Fushe Studën, but it still is a respectable mountain. There are some logging roads that lead close to its summit, and there are some defunct military installations. It is possible to follow some roads for very short stretches, but most of the ascent is along narrow trails, sheep trails, or without trail.

We happened upon a very cold but clear day, and views were almost like never had before. One easily could make out the mountains from as far as Kukes (Gjallica Mountain) in the North, and Valamares and Tomorri in the South. And of course views reached from the Macedonia border in the East to Dajti Mountain in the West.

A special bonbon of the trip was our encounter with a horned viper, sometimes considered to be the most venomous snake in Europe. It didn't bother us, and we didn't bother it, and we departed leaving it motionless in the soon-to-be freezing night.

The Hike: We continued from the summit towards waypoint 12, which is what appears to be summit when seen from Librazhd. This did add about two kilometers to the hike.

Maximum altitude:	1821 meter
Minimum altitude:	1124 meter
Cumulative height:	776 meter
Cumulative length:	10.27 kilometer roundtrip
Difficulty	moderate
Time:	5 hour
Date of this record	November 2013
Download GPS info:	Mali i Gurit

General location and approach: Near Fushë Studën, between Librazhd and Peshkopi. The old road (via Stebleve, see separate page) can still be used, but will take longer than the new road from Fushe Studën via Borovë (also see separate page)

Other Information: We hope that accomodation facilities will soon improve, when the construction of the new road will be completed. Until then, if you decide to stay in Hotel Hasa, bring your own breakfast. There are two basic restaurants in Fushë Studën that provide home cooked meals.

View towards Mali i Gurit in the morning, from the window of the Hotel Hasa

The hillside looks less steep than it actually is

Views opening up, towards the border to Macedonia. From left to right: Gjallica (near Kukes), Korabi (the complex massif), Velivar (the pyramid in the center of the image), and Kërcin (the sharp pyramid somewhat to the right). We posted trails to all of these. The two minor bumps on the right are in Macedonia.

Mali i Raducit (2081 Meter), somewhat of a house-berg for Stebleve. It is also on the border to Macedonia.

To the west, in the middle-ground is Mali i Shën Noj (appears as the twin peaks of Shën Noj madhe and Shën Noj vogel). Further away, on the left is Mali me Gropa. The dark ridge on the left is Dajti Mountain

On our way back, we almost ran over a snake.

Vipera ammodytes or horned viper. It is reputed to be the most dangerous of the European vipers due to its large size, long fangs (up to 13 mm) and high venom toxicity.

The most distinctive characteristic is a single horn on the snout. This species is listed as strictly protected under the Berne Convention. Despite its reputation, this species is generally lethargic, not at all aggressive, and tends not to bite without considerable provocation. If surprised, wild specimens may react in a number of different ways. Some remain motionless and hiss loudly, some hiss and then flee, while still others will attempt to bite immediately. It hibernates in the winter for a period of 2 to 6 months

House in Fushë Studën. Corn and garlic being dried under the roof.

Evening drama with Korab massif, and the pyramids of Velivar and Kërcin.

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, based on GPS information collected from the actual hike. Waypoints can be downloaded to a GPS device from Wikiloc. If necessary, use GPSBabel to convert GPS data to different formats. For more hike descriptions by Palmtreetreeproduction, browse this website or visit Wikiloc and search for "Palmtreeproduction". You may also find nearby trails from other authors.

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