Hiking the Peaks Of the Balkans Trail - My Advice

[@floordenil]

Hey everybody! In the meantime, I created my own in-depth, hiking guide of the POTB. You can find it here: floordenil.com/en/product/peaks-of-the-balkans-set/ Have a loooooovely trip! 🌺

[@dougieranger]

It’s such a great trail. Almost like a window on the past. It’s definitely on my list.

[@CaryMercer]

Thanks for putting this together, Floor. It helped with my preparation.

[@Mia-wf3ib]

Thank you Floor! This has made me feel soooo much more relaxed about doing the trail 💛

[@chrishiking8818]

Thanks Floor, just got the book over this trail. All the information you have given very useful indeed. Take care 👍

[@jackbeven1362]

Loved this video Flor! So helpful for planning my trip next June!

[@amycrooijmans4650]

We have hiked this trail in August; the water streams were almost all dry. Try to fill your water at a guest house! It becomes very hot in the summer 30 decrees in the Mountains you can keep your cloves at Home 😉 Thanks Floor, fun to see the video!

[@floordenil]

Oh hahahahahaha, what different experiences 😅 Putting this info in the description. Thank you for letting me know!

[@kimberlysnow1188]

She said to bring your gloves if you go early season. Which is smart.

[@dalebird3761]

Such a happy video 😂 looking forward to doing the trail 😊

[@raktoda707]

Wow extremely informative, helpful, honest video .Will post for the travelers...this seems to be a "go to destination" nowadays You must have had quite the time finding fuel,the correct kind,food internet... just about anything.Sorts like hiking when I was young 🌱 haha🦖

[@hayleywright4800]

You should also note that if you buy a SIM card in Podgorica, Montenegro it will not work in Albania or Kosovo except in some cases when hiking on border areas. Also cell phone network is not available in some mountain locations. Definitely do as Floor says and be prepared for cold weather at night, or sudden change of weather at any time of year - these are high mountains which see a lot of snow in winter, so treat them seriously at all times of the year.

[@floordenil]

The one that I bought in Montenegro worked in all three countries, all the way to Tirana in Albania! :)

[@lupin2366]

@@floordenil Do you still know which one you bought? :)

[@floordenil]

@@lupin2366 Ai, no, I bought it at the airport of Podgorica, it was the first one they offered 😅

[@lupin2366]

@@floordenil Haha, fair enough. I think I will just do it like that. Thank youuuuuuu :)

[@skpowerz]

Hi Floor! Thanks for the tips. You forgot to finish your boke met choco! Few questions for those of us that are interested in a softer/more luxurious alternative :-) - Are there any private rooms available in the guest houses? My partner is not able to sleep in a room full of other people! - Is there an easier (maybe longer) trail option where you don't have to climb & descend a peak each day? - is it true that there are a lot of services that offer donkeys to hike with you & carry some weight? Have you seen any, and any opinion on the animal welfare of these services?

[@amycrooijmans4650]

We went without a tent and in all guesthouses had a private room

[@mngaq7951]

Im planning on solo trip and what keeps me move it further is fear of doogs

[@derbyedits4959]

Where did you book your acomondations? Also can I fill up on food at those huts or only eat there? Very informative Video, I'm so excited to go in a month

[@klang180]

Thanks so much Floor that was so useful. Only question left is roughly how much to budget if camping at guesthouses and staying in them roughly 60/40 and eating mostly your own stuff? Thanks

[@demmad]

Guesthouses were mostly €25-€35pp for room+dinner+breakfast+lunch

[@klang180]

Thanks.

[@rowanpotato9816]

How much did you spend on the trip, excluding gear?

[@jonathanvandyck]

Hi Floor, super interessante tips. Merci!!! Wij vertrekken 6 mei richting the POTB. Looking SOOO forward. We willen graag nog de winterroute gpx bemachtigen, je zegt in je video dat hij in de link staat, maar ik kan 'm niet vinden. Nog een vraagje, zijn er veel gevaarlijke stukken 'als in' smalle paadjes langs ravijnen? Laatste vraagje, zouden de hutten al open zijn? Groeten uit Leuven, Jonathan.

[@sdhalter]

The video was SO helpful. We are hiking the POB next month. One of my buddies has a very weak stomach and tends to carry bottles of water. Do you know if the cafes or guesthouses along the trail sell bottles of water?

[@floordenil]

Hey Steve, thank you! I don’t recall them selling bottled water, unfortunately. I think the safest way would be to filter the water of the huts :).

[@Inaklamer]

Ben van plan om de route te gaan lopen in mei. Ik vroeg mij af of de hutten open zijn in mei en of ze vol zijn. Meestal ga ik met een tent maar aangezien het ook koud kan zijn dacht ik er over om alleen in de hutten te slapen. Of zou jij aanraden om wel een tent mee te nemen en het af te wisselen? Ben een beetje bang voor koude nachten.

[@user-lf6pb1iv9z]

Hi Floor, this was so so helpful, thank you. We are planning to do this walk with our 2 children (8 and 11yrs old) I was wondering if your thoughts on whether it would be suitable for children at the end of July? We plan to cut out the Kosovo section. Anythoughts would be so helpfull

[@floordenil]

Hey! So cool that you'll do this trek with kids :). Weather-wise it should be fine. I think streams can already dry out a bit, so maybe you'll have to carry your water from guesthouse to guesthouse instead of taking some from streams. Challenge-wise: I don't know what your kids have already done and I don't have kids of my own, so I don't really know what a 8 yo and 11 yo are capable of. Be sure to check out the elevation gains and losses, as they are quite tricky each day. But then again, kids have so much energy - they might run up and down those mountains!

[@lizziehillier8641]

Hi Floor, A big thank you for getting back to me. After looking into the hike in more depth we have decided not to do the walk with the kids this year. I we do take the plunge at some point maybe in a year or two i'll let you know how we get on. Thanks again for all your brilliant advice x

[@floordenil]

@@lizziehillier8641 If you want to make the plunge less frightening, other trails might be more suitable to start off with! From the top of my head, I'm thinking about doing a part of the Kungsleden, or the West Highland Way. These are beautiful hikes that are less physically challenging. Either way: good luck, I wish you and your family a brilliant summer!

[@TheTrailDancer]

Look... books and games! :)

[@rubenvieira5817]

Is the beggining of october a good month to do it?

[@floordenil]

Depends on the snow levels that year, but I wouldn't recommend it as the ideal period to go, as snow can already be falling on higher elevations!

[@rubenvieira5817]

Thank you so much for the quick answer ❤ i'm planing to go with two more friends and still deciding the best month. We also want to avoid a lot of people on the trail.

[@floordenil]

@@rubenvieira5817 Beginning/mid June and mid/end of September seem safer options. I can also recommend hiking clockwise to avoid other hikers, as most people hike it anti-clockwise.

[@chiara54813]

How would you compare this trail in terms of difficulty with the TMB?

[@floordenil]

I’d say it’s the same in terms of difficulty! I had a harder time on the POTB, however that was because I was a bit too early in the season. The paths on the POTB is also a bit harder to see from time to time, especially in Kosovo. Elevation is quite the same, they’re both quite hard if you haven’t trained throughout the year (which was me, haha!).

[@chiara54813]

@@floordenil i did the tmb in september this year and i found it quite doable (even untrained) if you take a tent, because then you can vary the length of your day depending on your energy.

[@IncredibleCreature]

Does anyone know how good phone service is on the trail? Thanks!

[@floordenil]

Hey Simon! Phone service is off and on on the trail. I remember making some notes on it but they're not complete. So don't take these as 'aha, the other places have phone coverage!', but more as a 'these for certain don't have coverage'. Have fun on the trail! -Babino Polje: no reception -Drelaj: weak reception -Rekë e Allages: weak reception -Milishevc: no reception -Dobërdol: no reception (but wifi in guesthouse) -Ceremi: no reception (but wifi in guesthouse)