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Thethi to Grunas Water Fall and Canyon

Summary: Thethi is often referred to as the Chamonix of the Albanian Alps, and it is said that it receives up to 10,000 visitors a year. The recent upgrade of Albania by the Lonely Planet to a top destination in 2011 has certainly contributed to the boost of visitors. While Thethi certainly is a top destination for climbers and alpinists, it is a good destination by itself. This hike leads past some of Thethi's architectural and scenic highlights, but it is not a leisurely stroll through the village either.  

Maximum altitude:	782 meter
Minimum altitude:	667 meter
Cumulative height:	202 meter
Cumulative length:	7.38 kilometers
Difficulty	easy
Time:	about 2.5 hours
Date of this record	July 2011
Download GPS info:	Grunas

General location and approach: Thethi is reached best through the Boge valley, from Kolplik. The road to Boge is asphalt, from there it is better to have a high clearance vehicle. The pass to Thethi reaches an elevation od 1700 meter, and may not be open until May. It is possible to hike from Boge to Thethi, avoiding the road

Thethi has become a "boom" tourist destination, and every Lonely-Planet readers seems to make it here. There are many local inns that offer multi-bed rooms and full board. There are many high peaks to be climbed, all of which require some advance planning. There are also many "local" hikes, which anybody can try. An easy hike is descrobed here, but calculate 2.5 hours if your are frequent hiker, or more if you still need to warm up.

Other Information: The described hike is similar to the the "Rundwanderweg #1" described in the GTZ/GIZ Wanderfuehrer, published by Huber Verlag, with map. The guidebook is in German. The Thethi and Kelmend Wanderkarte (50,000:1) is both good for roadtravel  and hiking in much of Northern Albania

 

The hike itself starts at the Thethi bridge (the one for cars). It passes the defunct school, follows the river downstream. Continue below the Kulla and past the old mill and the second bridge, consisting of pipes (for people only). Follow the river for another several hundred meters, until signs lead you up left to Grunas Water Fall. From there, track back several meters until signs lead left to the Grunas Canyon. From there follow the road on the opposite side of the river back to the footbridge. Muster enough courage to cross it, and visit the mill, the Kulla and the church, and return to the center of Thethi.

GPS and trailmaps: The map and trailinformation is generated by www.wikiloc.org, 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.

Google Earth: You may also view the trail in 3D by clicking "view in Google Earth" when on Wikiloc. You need to have Google Earth installed on your computer.

Images: Click the button at the end of the page to view the slides in full screen