Jezercë ( sq-definite, Jezerca) is the highest peak in the

Dinaric Alps The Dinaric Alps (), also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern Europe, Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia ...

, the second highest in

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 the sixth highest in

Southeast Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe is a geographical sub-region of Europe, consisting primarily of the region of the Balkans, as well as adjacent regions and Archipelago, archipelagos. There are overlapping and conflicting definitions of t ...

, standing at

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. It is the 28th most prominent mountain peak in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, and is regarded as one of the toughest and most dangerous climbs in the

Albanian Alps The Accursed Mountains (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Prokletije, Проклетије, separator=" / ", ; both translated as "Cursed Mountains"), also known as the Albanian Alps (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Albanski Alpi, Албански Алпи, separator=" / ", li ...

Etymology

The toponym ''Jezerca'' derives from the Slavic word ''jezero'' 'lake', in reference to the cirque lakes in the lower part of the ''Buni i Jezercës'' on the northern side of the mountain. During communist rule, it was given the name (), which never stuck.

Geology

Jezercë is situated within the

Accursed Mountains The Accursed Mountains (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Prokletije, Проклетије, separator=" / ", ; both translated as "Cursed Mountains"), also known as the Albanian Alps (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Albanski Alpi, Албански Алпи, separator=" / ", li ...

range, which is noted for several small

glacier A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...

s - among the southernmost glacial masses in Europe after Snezhnika glacier (latitude of 41°46′09″ N) and Banski Suhodol Glacier in

Pirin The Pirin Mountains ( ) are a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria, with the highest peak, Vihren, at an altitude of . The range extends about from the north-west to the south-east and is about wide, spanning a territory of . To the north ...

mountain in

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

. Apart from certain areas north of the peak, the

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) ...

mountain massif is part of the Alps of Albania National Park. It can be climbed from the north; most climbers come from

Gusinje Gusinje (, ; ) is a small town in Montenegro in the northern region. According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 1,673 and is the administrative center of Gusinje Municipality. Name Two alternative etymologies have been proposed ...

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

as well as from Theth. The summit is from the border with

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

, between the valleys of

Valbonë Valbonë ( sq-definite, Valbona) is a village in the Kukës County, northern Albania. It is part of the former municipality Margegaj and situated in the valley of the river Valbonë (river), Valbonë, south of the mountain, Maja e Thatë. Followin ...

to the east and the

Shala Shala (Šala) was a Mesopotamian goddess of weather and grain and the wife of the weather god Adad. It is assumed that she originated in northern Mesopotamia and that her name might have Hurrian origin. She was worshiped especially in Karka ...

to the west. In part, the whole floor between the valley of Valbonë, Shala, Ropojana and Maja e Roshit is known as the Jezercë Block. Additionally, Jezercë borders other peaks such as

Maja e Popllukës Maja e Popllukës is a mountain in Albania in the Accursed Mountains range. It is high and is surrounded by many peaks above . It is located just south of Maja Jezercë Maja may refer to: People * Maja (given name), a feminine given name (incl ...

and Maja e Alies to the west, Maja a Rragamit to the east, Maja Kolaj , Maja e Malësores , Maja e Bojës in the northwest, Maja e Kokërdhakut and Maja e Etheve in the north. Jezerca is a large rocky peak of dolomitic limestone. There is almost no vegetation there. North, east and west of the mountain top is in great

cirque A (; from the Latin word ) is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by Glacier#Erosion, glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from , meaning a pot or cauldron) and ; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform a ...

from that in the glacial periods when

s were more extensive than today. Today the northern cirque is called ''Buni i Jezercës'' at a height of and in height around . Because it is located in the wettest region of Europe with around of rainfall equivalent believed to fall on the western slopes, snowfall is so great that only in dry years do even the less exposed sections melt away.

References

External links

archived page
from SummitPost.org
Balkan Natural Adventure
{{Portal bar, Geography Mountains of Albania Accursed Mountains Two-thousanders of Albania Valbonë Valley National Park

Etymology

Geology

See also

References

External links