Korab ( or ''Mali i Korabit''; ) is the highest peak of the
eponymous mountain range and the
fourth-highest mountain located entirely in the
Balkan Peninsula
The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
, standing at .
Situated on the border between the two countries, Korab is the highest peak of both
Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
and
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...
and is also one of only two summits in Europe to be the highest point for more than one country. It is also the 18th most
prominent mountain peak in Europe and the third on the Balkan Peninsula.
The Albanian part of Korab is situated within the
Korab-Koritnik Nature Park. The mountain is noted for its rich flora, including species such as
Bosnian pine
''Pinus heldreichii'', the Bosnian pine or Heldreich's pine, is a species of pine native to mountains of southeast Europe in the Balkans and southern Italy.
Description
It is an evergreen tree up to in height, and in trunk diameter. The bark i ...
,
European beech and
alder
Alders are trees of the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus includes about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few species ex ...
.
The peak lies next to the
Ć ar Mountains and is part of the
national emblem of North Macedonia.
Geography
The
Korab range stretches over in a northâsouth direction between the lower section of the
Black Drin
The Black Drin, or Black Drim (; ) is a river in North Macedonia and Albania. It flows out of Lake Ohrid in Struga, North Macedonia. It is long and its drainage basin is . Its average discharge is . After flowing through North Macedonia for , the ...
and its tributary the
Radika. It is around the border triangle of
Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
,
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...
and
Kosovo
Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
, southwest of the
Ć ar Mountains.
The peak is a very rugged mountain massif consisting mainly of
shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of Clay mineral, clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g., Kaolinite, kaolin, aluminium, Al2Silicon, Si2Oxygen, O5(hydroxide, OH)4) and tiny f ...
and
limestone
Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
of the
Paleozoic
The Paleozoic ( , , ; or Palaeozoic) Era is the first of three Era (geology), geological eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. Beginning 538.8 million years ago (Ma), it succeeds the Neoproterozoic (the last era of the Proterozoic Eon) and ends 251.9 Ma a ...
period with block structures, as well as severely damaged
gypsum
Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate Hydrate, dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, drywall and blackboard or sidewalk ...
rocks of Permo
Triassic
The Triassic ( ; sometimes symbolized đ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.5 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.4 Mya. The Triassic is t ...
. On the west side, the mountain falls steeply over rock walls. The north side consists of craggy rocks. A kind of double peak, that of
Korab II is about northwest of the peak within Albanian territory. On the same ridge are two other peaks rising over :
Shulani i Radomirës and
Korab III. The southeast, stretching from a few rock bands broken by meadows to the summit is easily accessed, and occasionally by shepherds with their flocks of sheep.
In addition to the Korab peak, there are several other, almost equally high elevations. North of the twin peaks are numerous other nameless, almost equally high rock towers. The peak about to the southwest, Korab-gate ''(
Albanian: Maja e Portës së Korabit;
Macedonian: Korapska Mala vrata)'' reaches . A few hundred metres south is another peak,
Maja e Moravës, which is only a little lower at .
The peaks are occasionally interrupted by radial tectonics in the shape of blocks that end in the
Radika valley on North Macedonia's side. Some of these blocks have steep slopes reaching up to . In its highest part, above , the climate is alpine and includes some alpine flora elements.
The mountain is home to the spectacular
Korab Falls in the upper valley of the
Dlaboka River. In springtime, the waterfall reaches a height of over 130 meters, making it the highest in North Macedonia. The state border intersects the higher peak, Great Korab.
Ascent from the Macedonian side involves entering the MacedonianâAlbanian boundary area, for which a special permit is required from the
Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia, although people regularly trek on Korab without it.
The two main
passes in the Korab ridge are the
Little Korab Gate () and
Big Korab Gate ().
The mountain has a number of sub-peaks that are higher than 2000 metres. These include
Korab II (unnamed peak) ,
Korab III (unnamed peak) , Korab Gates (peak) ,
Maja e Moravës ,
Shulani i Radomirës and
Small Korab .
Climbing
There are no formal restrictions on climbing the mountain from the Albanian side. The area is now safer and more stable than it has been in recent times. It is possible to drive as far as the local village of Radomira, but the local infrastructure is generally not good. A four-wheel drive vehicle with high clearance may be required. There are no accurate and up-to-date maps, local signposting is poor, and hikers may have to overcome the additional problem of aggressive dogs.
It is also possible to ascend from the North Macedonia side, starting at the Strezimir border outpost. When approaching from North Macedonia, hikers will be required to report to the border checkpoint and present their passport.
Korab Hiking Guide
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See also
* Geography of Albania
* Geography of North Macedonia
* Korab-Koritnik Nature Park
* List of non-Alpine European Ultras
* Protected areas of Albania
References
External links
Korab, Albania/North Macedonia
Mount Korab on SummitPost
Korab climb on YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Korab I
AlbaniaâNorth Macedonia border
Geography of Dibër County
Highest points of countries
International mountains of Europe
Korab
Mountains of Albania
Mountains of North Macedonia
Two-thousanders of Albania
Two-thousanders of North Macedonia