Key Takeaways
- Download GPX files and an OpenStreetMap-based app like Maps.me before you go.
- Bring trekking poles, especially for the steep downhill sections.
- Most trail water is safe to drink, but know the warning signs (like Doberdal’s grazing runoff) and filter when in doubt.
- Guesthouses beat camping on this trek. Budget the extra €300 to €400 per person if you can.
- Pack KT tape. It handles blisters, joint support, and even gear repairs.
1. GPX Files, They’re Free and Could Save Your Life
So what are they? GPX files are pre-mapped routes you can download and use offline to help you navigate.
How do you use them? First, you’ll need a map, not Google Maps and not a paper map. You’ll need something that runs on the OpenStreetMap system, an open-source mapping tool with more trail data than you’ll ever need.
My favorite, not sponsored, is Maps.me. It’s free and works great. They hide some features behind a paywall, but I’ve been running the free version for almost a decade now. It works on iOS and Android, and did I mention it’s free? Just make sure to download the region you’ll be hiking before you get there.
So if you already have offline maps, why do you need GPX files too? The GPX file is the actual route. I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Maps.me. It’s taken me through some amazing places in the most rural parts of the world, but the trails are sometimes outdated, and the interface can be clunky enough to send you down the wrong path. On the Mineral King Loop, on the last day of a five-day trek, when all we wanted was to get back to the car, Maps.me routed us down an old abandoned trail because it was a few hundred meters shorter than the marked one. By the time we realized we were off course, it was too late. We scrambled over boulders, through brush, and along the edge of a cliff face while watching the sun set. We made it back to the car in the dark. It was exhausting. With GPX files, that never would have happened.
So where do you get GPX files? Right here: The Official Peaks of the Balkans GPX route. In our Complete Guide, we’ve also included two alternative routes that follow our own recommendations for the trek.
How do you use them? It’s easy. After you’ve installed Maps.me on your phone and downloaded the regions you’ll be trekking through (Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro for the Peaks of the Balkans), download the GPX file to your phone, find it in your files, and open it in Maps.me. The trail will populate on the map and stay there until you delete it.
2. Bring Trekking Poles (Learn From Our Mistake)
I don’t normally use trekking poles. I find they’re more a nuisance than a help. There’s one exception: steep downhill sections, and the Peaks of the Balkans has a lot of them.
Ecem and I didn’t bring trekking poles, and it was my biggest regret on the trail. We ended up sharing one leg of our tripod as a makeshift pole, which is about as far from ideal as it sounds.
Don’t be like us. Bring trekking poles.
These are our recommendations. They’re affiliate links, but we’d stand by them even if we made nothing off the click.
- Budget option: Amazon Basics Trekking Poles
- Buy-it-for-life option: Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles
Unless you’re replacing an old pair because you already know you’re committed to the trekking pole lifestyle, skip the Black Diamonds. They’re light, durable, and arguably the best poles on the market, sure, but the basic poles cost about a tenth as much and work great.
3. Know Your Water (Most of It’s Safe, Not All of It)
Almost all the water on the trail is potable. In fact, it’s downright delicious; nothing beats fresh, cool mountain spring water. Unfortunately, not all of it is safe, and there aren’t any warning signs on the trail telling you which sources are which. So here’s how to spot the difference.
If I had a lawyer, they’d probably tell me to shut up before someone gets sick. I don’t, so you’re in luck. Here’s how I, an avid freshwater drinker, stay safe.
If I’m drinking from a tap, or as you’ll often find on the Peaks of the Balkans, a free-running hose or pipe sticking out of the ground or the side of a mountain, the first thing I do is look around. I’m mostly checking for animals, since they’re usually the ones contaminating water supplies.
In Dobërdol, don’t drink the water unfiltered. Dobërdol is a livestock grazing village. When animals graze the valley walls, they relieve themselves on the ground; the rain washes the waste into the streams, and those same streams get tapped for water by the guesthouses. A lot of people get sick in Dobërdol.
If you’re out in the forest and no one’s around, you’re probably fine. But people bring contaminants too, so we filter our water in the bigger towns as well.
For exposed water sources- untapped springs, small streams, or rivers along the way- we always filter. We trust our filter, but we use good judgment too, just in case.
Signs of water to avoid:
- Skip stagnant water when possible.
- Look for the part of the stream flowing the fastest, or bubbles in the water.
- Water straight off a waterfall is usually a safe bet.
- The cleaner it looks, the cleaner it probably is.
In my experience, this is the best filtration system out there. It’s light, and the CNOC bag makes it easy to collect water from a lot of different sources.
Recommended Gear: Sawyer Squeeze Water Filtration System
4. Skip Camping, Stay in Guesthouses
Unless you’re on an extremely tight budget, don’t camp.
We camped, and it’s my second biggest regret, and I say that as someone who genuinely enjoys camping. Ecem and I did a 30-day trek across Turkey, camped almost the whole way, and loved it. The Peaks of the Balkans is a different story.
Here’s the issue: supplies and weight.
Trekking supply infrastructure is almost nonexistent in the Balkans. Finding gas for your stove is a hassle (check the Complete Guide for the know-how), and there aren’t supply stops along the route, so you have to carry everything from the start.
You can camp at the guesthouses and still eat there, saving a lot of hassle and pack weight. Doing it this way will save you roughly €300 to €400 per person compared to staying in guesthouses the whole way. But if you can spare that extra cash, just stay in the guesthouses.
You’ll skip carrying a tent and sleep system, which adds up on a trail where you’re gaining and losing a thousand meters of elevation every single day for ten days.
We were envious of every guesthouse hiker on the trail. We had all our gear and a ton of food, and we still ended up in guesthouses some nights because it got too cold to camp. We did get to sleep and wake up in some genuinely beautiful spots, an experience you only get with a tent, but in our opinion, it’s not worth it. Not on this trek. Spend the extra €300, make friends with the other hikers, and sleep in a real bed.
Check out all our recommended guesthouses in our Complete Guide.
5. Pack KT Tape (Trust Us)
I’m a KT tape person for life. When I first started trekking, everyone recommended Leukotape, which is an excellent tape. It’s like duct tape got a degree in sports science. In my opinion, KT tape got a PhD. They’re similar, but KT tape has a bit more stretch, which makes it a better impromptu joint brace. It’s also just a great all-around tape; you can use it to repair gear, tape over blisters, and pretty much anything else.
For blisters: cut off a small piece and tape over the area as soon as you feel a hot spot. The sooner, the better, but it’s fine to tape over the blister itself too; just leave the tape on until the end of the trek. It acts as a barrier, cutting friction and stabilizing the area.
Watch this video on how to tape a sprained ankle:
When Ecem and I did the Mineral King Loop, about halfway through, at least a three-day trek from the nearest road, I stepped into a gopher hole and heard a loud pop. “Fuuuuuuck,” I thought. I didn’t know how to tape an ankle, so I figured more was better and used half a roll. Luckily, it worked, and I hardly noticed the ankle for the rest of the trip.
I also have an IT band injury from running that tends to flare up on treks. Taping my knee makes the pain go away.
On this trek, I taped my knee, Ecem taped a spot on her lower back where her pack was rubbing, and we used the tape to patch a wear spot on our hydration pack that would have turned into a leak if we didn’t catch it. It won’t hold a wet leak, so check your gear for wear before it becomes a problem.
We recommend this tape because it’s affordable and precut into manageable pieces. Skip the name-brand stuff and save yourself some money.
Recommended Gear: Kinesiology Tape
Check out our Complete Guide for our full packing list and gear recommendations.
If 5 things aren’t enough, here’s our other Peaks of the Balkans content.
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