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Cruising Koritnik, and Koritnik in Ice

Summary: The bulk of Koritnik (2397 Meter) lies in Kosovo, but its summit sits on the border of Albania and Kosovo. It doesn't look as dramatic as Gjallica, but it certainly is an imposing mountain near Kukes. It has a steep rock face on the Albanian side, but appears to be benign in Kosovo. Indeed, there is some good driving on forest roads to be had, with plenty opportunities for picnics or short walks. Even the hike to the summit, which can be done from different places, does not appear to be demanding (that's why we gave it a green, or easy, rating). But as you see in the images, conditions can change dramatically when the weather turns. Koritnik always seems to catch the clouds!

The Drive:

Maximum altitude:	1866 meter
Minimum altitude:	924 meter
Cumulative height:	1469 meter
Cumulative length:	27  kilometers
Difficulty	moderate
Time:	about 3 hours
Date of this record	October  2011
Download GPS info:	Cruising Koritnik

The Hike: 

Maximum altitude:	2397 meter
Minimum altitude:	1694 meter
Cumulative height:	703 meter
Cumulative length:	4.63  kilometer
Difficulty	easy
Time:	3  hours
Date of this record	October 2011
Download GPS info:	Koritnik in Ice

General location and approach: Koritnik is best approached from the village of Zhur in Kosovo, which is the first village nehind the border with Albania (or the last village when you drive from Prizren to Albania). In Zhur, follow the asphalt road in the direction of Draggash. Don't miss the turn to Koritnik as indicated in the GPS coordinates.

Other Information: Koritnik is a big mountain, and has many opportunities for hikes and picnics. Even on the Kosovo side, the slopes of Koritnik (especially those inside the horseshoe) are steeper than Google Earth may make you think. The ridge walk, regardless where you start, to the summit will always be a long undertaking, so be prepared. The summit ridge sits on the border of Kosovo and Albania, so take identity documents with as border police may contact you during your approach.

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