Maja e Këndrevicës
2,122 m
Albania
Also known as Maja e Këndrëvices, Maja KëndrevcësAlso known as
Maja e Këndrëvices · Maja Këndrevcës
- Elevation
- 2,122 m
- Prominence
- 1,666 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Sep–Oct
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Approximate line — not for navigation
An automated check found that parts of this line could not be matched to mapped trails, so it may stray far from the real route. Use it for planning only, with a map and a guidebook.
Why? 8 check notes
- danger scan: Cliff band gully → Summit ridge: straight line 461 m (limit 200 m)
- danger scan: Cliff band gully → Summit ridge: sustained 41° > 35° on a straight line
- 65% approximate geometry
- DIN time up 4.25 h vs published 2.5 h (+70%)
- Trailhead beyond Nivicë → South slope (about 1,550 m): bridge (snap_failed; one off-graph gap, 2.9 km)
- South slope (about 1,550 m) → Cliff band gully: dem (snap_failed, 0.5 km)
- Cliff band gully → Summit ridge: straight (snap_failed; DEM rejected: DEM path 1717 m > 1.8× straight 461 m + slack, 0.5 km)
- Summit ridge → Maja e Këndrevicës: dem (snap_failed, 0.3 km)
Sources differ: YDS class 2 (Petter Bjørstad, prominent-mountains.no)
A direct, mostly pathless climb of about 1,100 m up the open south slopes of the Griba massif from a 4WD trailhead (about 1,010 m) beyond the village of Nivicë, through a band of cliffs broken into natural steps, to a broad three-humped summit ridge with First World War trenches and views to the Ionian Sea.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- ≈ 4.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- ≈ +1,118 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,122 m
- Time Up
- ≈ 4h 15m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- ≈ 2h 46m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Nivicë, a 4WD track continues about 7 km to a trailhead at about 1,010 m, next to a shepherd's house. Follow the path towards the mountain past a rock with a memorial inscription; it heads up a small valley that curves right. Leave the path and climb directly up the open slope above. Higher up, a horizontal band of cliffs crosses the slope. Either traverse right (east) to easier ground, or climb straight up a shallow but distinct gully, where the rock is broken into natural steps (YDS class 2, easier than it looks from below). Above the cliffs the angle eases and you soon reach the broad summit ridge, which runs west to east over three small tops; the eastern one, marked by a cairn, is the highest. Remains of trenches and water cisterns from Italian positions dated 1916 lie near the top. Bjørstad's party took 2 h 10 min up; SummitPost gives 2–3 hours and a local tour operator about 2.5 hours. Descend the same way. An alternative circuit from near Nivicë climbs steep slopes to the top of Kllogjri (1,967 m) and follows the gentler ridge to the summit (about 17 km, 1,300 m of ascent, around 7 hours).
Start
Trailhead beyond Nivicë1,002 m
- None documented to Nivicë or the trailhead. Nivicë is about 32 km by road from Tepelenë; Camp Nivica offers 4WD pick-up in Nivicë and guided climbs of the peak.
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trailhead beyond Nivicë → Maja e Këndrevicës | 4.2 | 1,118 | 0 | 4h 15m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Trailhead beyond Nivicë1,002 m
End of the 4WD track about 7 km beyond Nivicë, by a shepherd's house
- Feature: South slope (about 1,550 m)1,542 m
- Crux: Cliff band gully1,736 m
Shallow gully with natural rock steps through the cliff band; easier ground to the right (east)
- Shoulder: Summit ridge2,040 m
- Summit: Maja e Këndrevicës2,122 m
Key Passages
- Memorial rock at the start
- Cliff band (gully with natural rock steps)
- Three-humped summit ridge with 1916 trenches
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 55%Overview
The bare limestone high point (2,122 m) of the Griba massif in Albania's Kurvelesh highlands, west of Tepelenë. One of Europe's ultra-prominent peaks, climbed in a long half-day from the canyon village of Nivicë, with views from the Vjosë valley to the Ionian Sea.
Këndrevica rises about 15 km west of Tepelenë as the culmination of the Griba range, the long ridge between the Vjosë and Shushicë valleys that continues south as Mali i Gjerë above Gjirokastër. With about 1,666 m of prominence it is one of Europe's ultra-prominent summits. The mountain is Cretaceous limestone, pyramidal from some angles, with three or four glacial cirques on its eastern and northern sides above 1,700 m, known locally as Gropa e Madhe and Gropa e Kondos.
The upper mountain is treeless, arid karst with no permanent streams. In summer large flocks of sheep and goats are brought up to graze its high pastures, and shepherds and their dogs are the people you are most likely to meet. The summit ridge runs west to east over three small tops and carries the remains of trenches, firing positions and water cisterns built by Italian troops in 1916, rediscovered by a Czech archaeological expedition in 2019.
The usual starting point is Nivicë, a remote village on the edge of the Nivica canyons, reached by a long, scenic road from Tepelenë. From a 4WD trailhead beyond the village the ascent gains about 1,100 m on mostly pathless slopes, with one band of cliffs that is passed by an easy gully with natural rock steps.
Climbing Notes
Fit hill walkers comfortable on pathless, rocky ground can climb it in 2–3 hours from the trailhead, 4–6 hours round trip. The main issues are heat, water and navigation: there is no water on the mountain (only old snow in shaded hollows near the top, which must be boiled), and the lower slopes are very hot in summer, so start early and carry plenty. Shepherd dogs can be aggressive; carry trekking poles and keep your distance from flocks. Access requires a 4WD for the last few kilometres beyond Nivicë. Stay in Nivicë (guesthouses or Camp Nivica, which offers guided climbs) or Tepelenë. A local guide is helpful for the route-finding and for dealing with dogs.
History
No first ascent is recorded; the summit has long been used by shepherds. Italian forces fortified the summit in 1916, during the First World War, as dated by inscriptions in a water reservoir ('1916, June 20th'). Petter Bjørstad and a companion climbed it on 5 October 2007 and published the route that is now the standard reference for foreign visitors.
Season
Best Sep–Oct- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Possible
- May: Good
- June: Best
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Best (best window)
- November: Possible
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; snow on the upper mountain
- Feb
- Winter; snow on the upper mountain
- Mar
- Snow on the upper mountain
- Apr
- Snow possible high up
- May
- Pleasant temperatures; late snow in hollows
- Jul
- Very hot lower down; start at dawn; flocks on the pastures
- Aug
- Very hot lower down; start at dawn
- Oct
- Often clear and cooler (Bjørstad climbed on 5 October)
- Nov
- Short days; first snow possible
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- No huts. Accommodation in Nivicë (village guesthouses; Camp Nivica glamping with half board, 4WD pick-up and guided hikes) or in Tepelenë.
- Getting There
Tepelenë
Tirana International Airport (TIA)
- Car: from Tepelenë via Benca to Nivicë (about 32 km), then about 7 km of 4WD track to the trailhead
- No public transport to Nivicë is documented; arrange a transfer through local accommodation
Hazards
- Remoteness
- Weather