Sunday was a very beautiful day to go hiking since spring began with 21st of March. The weather was perfect, it was sunny and the birds were tweeting. Rugova Mountains are one of the best destinations of Kosova and people love this place each time they visit it. I am going to tell you about our adventure that we had at Hajla peak.
We aimed for Peja from 7 am especially we stopped at ETC at 9:30 am which is a big super marked, so we stopped there in order to buy some food. We continued moving towards Pepaj a village hidden in the beautiful forest of Rugova mountains. The village is not so far away from Peja and can be visited by a car or a truck easily. At 10 am we arrived at the last stop in order to go to Pepaj but the bus couldn't continue further due to a small bridge so we had to get out and pack our backpacks and start moving. After we hiked for about 1 hour and 15 minutes we made the first pause, that time was very warm and there was no wind, we were gazing with the surrounding views that started to show in front of us.
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| Guri Kuq seen from Hajla, it is the highest peak in Rugova Mountains 2522m. |
Usually, when you are hiking up a mountain there are fantastic views but sometimes you need to take a rest so we did it too, at 12 pm we made our second break. You know what's the best thing to happen in the mountains, when you are hiking and love the nature? If that day was your birthday that is a fantastic day just like our friend Genti, he had his birthday and he became 24 years old, the best place to celebrate your birthday. In the meantime, we had something to eat, everyone was enjoying it, people were having fun, laughing and playing around. I didn't want to eat so I was just staying there and talking to people but Drilon called me and he offered me some pancakes that he made. He added: I made them with a special mix to it, he put protein and honey in there and they were so delicious. Later on Engjell gave me some Spaghetti and I thought today is going to be a great day, while a small group decided to stay there and rest till we come back from the top.
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| Hajla Ridge |
Just some minutes ago we were walking in the road however we started to hike up and the road started to narrow itself. There was a beautiful trail covered with snow and mud, the pines were creating shadows which looked very mystic. From the village of Pepaj there is a beautiful summit which is 2403 meters high and is called Hajla, this peak is so beautiful and outstanding, there is a sign on the peak that an Alpinist from Montenegro found sadly his death there, he went during winter and when he arrived at the peak he fell from there.
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| Hajla 2403m |
It was 3:10 pm and we arrived at the magnificent ridge of Hajla, even though it was spring now, the snow up there was very deep and wet, additionally, it was very hard to walk in it because we had to do two or three steps because the snow was so smooth and we kept slipping by each time we attempted. Together with Haxhi Zekaj from Jabllanica e Madhe, we continued ascending to the peak, and we met other hikers that reached summit that day, one of them was Ismet, he went on and said: "Return because it is to late", and I said: I will endeavour it. So later on I found some other hikers that wanted to return back but didn't summit the Hajla peak, so I said to them "You are so close to the summit and yet you are giving up" and so they decided to come with me and we did it. At 3:50 pm we arrived at the Hajla peak or also called Hajla e Keqe, such a great feeling, I was amazed from the view up there, you could see the Accursed Mountains in Albania and not to mention the Rugova mountains, the sun kept shining and emitting heat like a fireball, we had no wind and we stood at the same spot were the Montenegro's Mountaineer met his fate. I was standing there with Driada which she was having the best time of her life. Also, Shpendi was very happy with this hike and was taking many pictures with us.
Furthermore, the highlight as mentioned above was Genti's birthday which I asked him how he felt during the hike and standing on the summit he replied: "I am feeling fantastic today and today is my birthday, I am 24 years old and I am drinking a beer in the best place in the world which is Hajla".
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| Beautiful ridge of Hajla. |
We praised the mountain, took some pictures, and ate some snacks and started to head back. After a long way, through snow and mud, through steep downhills, over beautiful valleys, the hills were covered in red, this moment was so peaceful one more reminder that the mountains are the cure of this world and we have to keep them clean and care for them. As Kristen Butler said: " Sunsets are proof that no matter what happens every day can end beautifully".
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| Sunset in Hajla, Rugova Mountains |
The hiking details during the hike from the buses to the top according to Wikiloc:
22.44 Km Hike from the Buses to the top and the way around it.
Total moving time was 6 hours and 29 minutes and total time was 10 hours and 5 minutes.
Elevation loss: 1500 meters.
Elevation gain: 2403 meters.
Minimum elevation: 944 meters.
Type of the trail: loop.
Technical difficulty: Moderate.
The hiking adventure was held on Sunday, 24.03.2019.
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