Peaks of the Balkans Trail Stage 7: Plav to Bora (2023)

6 min readJul 17, 2023

This stage begins in the town of Plav, goes through dirt roads and later rocky paths uphill, leading to the green mountains and ending at the grassy peak of Bora (2,106 meters above sea level). The first part is through a pine forest, and from the tree line, you have a view of Plav and Gusinje.

The original Dutch version is available here

Plav

In the morning, I start this stage in Plav. Since I stayed overnight at the hotel, I begin with a nice breakfast of eggs and vegetables. They also have a type of cake with jam, which is a local delicacy. According to the forecasts, thunderstorms were expected at the end of the day, but those predictions turned out to be completely wrong, although I didn’t know that at the time.

Rain and thunderstorms

The stage runs straight through Plav. It starts rumbling, and the clouds begin to gather. In the forest, it starts raining lightly, and shortly after, it pours down. While taking shelter, I chat with two Dutch people who moved to the US (Upper state New York) but still speak Dutch to each other. They check the weather app, which is in Fahrenheit, for the forecasts. According to them, it was going to be cold and rainy all day. I thought, “We’ll see,” and continued.

Forgot my hiking stick

When the rain started pouring harder, I waited under a tree for a while and then continued uphill. There, I met a couple from Britain who were descending. I had started with enthusiasm wearing shorts but decided to change into long pants. I also forgot my hiking stick, so I had to go back to retrieve it. Luckily, I found it again. I was so annoyed with myself for forgetting it.

First day and then rain

Further ahead, I meet two guys and a lady from Germany. They tell me they started in Theth and had beautiful weather in the past few days. The two guys joined the trail for the first time that day. It was an opportunity for me to say they hadn’t lied, and the lady started beaming with joy. By now, the rain had stopped, and there were no more thunderstorms.

Travelbird

Later on, I’m overtaken by Eddy from France. He is a guide and was walking the trail without a group when I met him. He is doing a preliminary assessment of the route, looking for any obstacles. He takes photos of fallen trees on the path. Later in the year, he will lead groups for Travelbird. It’s a travel organization that does a lot of marketing in the Netherlands. He tells me that they shorten the Peaks of the Balkans Trail because most participants are not fit enough for the full route. Besides, everyone would become grumpy, and that’s not what you want.

Orchids

Just above the tree line, there was a stream and a large number of orchids growing. It’s easy to forget how rare that flower is in the wild. Luckily, I managed to take a photo of a butterfly on one of the orchids.

Maja e Borit

From the alpine meadow, you hike uphill to get to the top. There’s a section of rock climbing where you have a beautiful view of the lake near Plav and the valley. It’s a technical climb, but I didn’t need any special equipment to reach the top.

Just after climbing the rocks, I meet two women from Flanders (Belgium). They had been to this spot before and had lunch at the wrong place the first time, realizing that it was much more beautiful further ahead. They also talk about the crowds between Theth and Valbona and a rocky descent between Vilsanje and Theth, which, according to both of them, would take an hour.

Bora

This mountain (Bora) is 2,106 meters high, but there are no rocks; everything is green. It feels like I’m walking on a golf course, but that’s not the case. From here, you have magnificent views of the valley and the lake near Plav, as well as the Perslopit Pass. This is the pass I crossed in Stage 2. From here, I recognize the meadow after the descent and the rocks I climbed in the second stage.

Camping

A few hundred meters lower, I set up camp. I had a suspicion that there would be thunderstorms again that evening, and my suspicion proved to be correct. So I found a spot where there were higher points than my tent. Luckily, the thunderstorms were far away, but I’ve slept better before.

Conclusion

The seventh stage of the Peaks of the Balkans Trail, from Plav to Bora, offered a challenging and adventurous experience. Despite the predicted thunderstorms, I decided to start the hike optimistically. Along the way, I encountered various other hikers, including Dutch, British, and German travelers. Despite the setbacks, I enjoyed the breathtaking nature, such as wild orchids. Eventually, I reached the green grassy peak of Bora, where I was rewarded with stunning views of the valley and the lake near Plav. The day ended with camping in a strategic location to protect myself from the predicted thunderstorms. Despite the challenges and the unpredictable weather, the seventh stage of the Peaks of the Balkans Trail was a memorable adventure full of natural beauty and encounters with fellow travelers.

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There is an overview of the Peaks of the Balkans series, you can find it here