Korab ( sq, Maja e Korabit or ''Mali i Korabit''; mk, Голем Кораб, lit=Great Korab) is the highest peak of the eponymous mountain range and the fourth-highest mountain located entirely in the Balkan Peninsula, standing at . Sited on the border between the two countries, Korab is the highest peak of both

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

and

North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...

and is also one of only two summits in Europe that are 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. Korab is situated within the Korab-Koritnik Nature Park. It is noted for its rich flora, including species such as

Bosnian pine ''Pinus heldreichii'' (synonym ''P. leucodermis''; family Pinaceae), the Bosnian pine or Heldreich’s pine, is a species of pine native to mountainous areas of the Balkans and southern Italy. Description It is an evergreen tree up to in height ...

European beech ''Fagus sylvatica'', the European beech or common beech is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae. Description ''Fagus sylvatica'' is a large tree, capable of reaching heights of up to tall and trunk diameter, though more ...

and

alder Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...

. The peak lies next to the

Šar Mountains The Šar Mountains (Serbian and mk, Шар Планина, Šar Planina, colloquially also ) or Sharr Mountains ( sq, Malet e Sharrit), form a mountain range in the Balkans that extends from Kosovo and the northwest of North Macedonia to north ...

and is part of the

national emblem of North Macedonia The national emblem of North Macedonia depicts two curved garlands of sheaves of wheat, tobacco leaves and opium poppy fruits, tied by a ribbon decorated with Macedonian embroidery, embroidery of traditional Macedonian folk motifs. In the center ...

Geography

The

Korab Korab (, ) is a mountain range in the eastern corner of Albania and the western part of North Macedonia, running along the border between both countries. It forms also the European Green Belt. In Albania, it is also called ''Vargu lindor'' (), ...

range stretches over in a north–south direction between the lower section of the

Black Drin The Black Drin, or Black Drim ( sq, Drini i Zi, mk, , translit=Crn 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 abo ...

and its tributary the

Radika The Radika (Macedonian and Serbian: , ''Radika''; sq, Radikë) is a river in southern Kosovo and western North Macedonia, a -long right tributary to the Black Drin river. Geography The Radika proper is long, but measured from the most distan ...

. It is around the border triangle of

and

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

, southwest of the

. The peak is a very rugged mountain massif consisting mainly of shale and

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

of the

Paleozoic The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838 by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and ' ...

period with block structures, as well as severely damaged

gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate 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, blackboard or sidewalk chalk, and drywal ...

rocks of Permo

Triassic The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago (Year#Abbreviations yr and ya, Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 ...

. 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 Radomires and

Korab III Korab III is a mountain peak located in eastern Albania. Korab III is a peak of Mount Korab Korab ( sq, Maja e Korabit or ''Mali i Korabit''; mk, Голем Кораб, lit=Great Korab) is the highest peak of the eponymous mountain range and ...

. 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

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 Korab Falls (Macedonian language, Macedonian: Корапски Водопад, also known as Proifel Falls; Macedonian language, Macedonian: Пројфелски Водопад; sq, Ujëvara e Korabit) is a waterfall in the upper course of the Dla ...

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 Macedonian–Albanian 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) ,

(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.2007 Trip Report
/ref> An international expedition to climb Mount Korab is organised each September by the mountain club PSD "Korab" in

Skopje Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and List of cities in North Macedonia by population, largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. The territory of Sk ...

References

External links

Korab, Albania/North Macedonia

Mount Korab on SummitPost

Korab climb on YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Korab, Mount Mountains of Albania Mountains of North Macedonia Albania–North Macedonia border International mountains of Europe Two-thousanders of Albania Two-thousanders of North Macedonia Highest points of countries Geography of Dibër County

Geography

Climbing

See also

References

External links