Mount Korab

"Korab" redirects here. For other uses, see Korab (disambiguation).

Mount Korab
Mount Korab
Elevation	2,764 m (9,068 ft) [1]
Prominence	2,169 m (7,116 ft) [1]
Listing	Country high point Ultra
Location
Mount Korab Macedonia Location on Albania/Macedonia border
Location	Albania  Macedonia
Coordinates	41°47′25″N 20°32′48″E / 41.79028°N 20.54667°E / 41.79028; 20.54667Coordinates: 41°47′25″N 20°32′48″E / 41.79028°N 20.54667°E / 41.79028; 20.54667

Valley of Dlaboka Reka river with the waterfall in the background.

Landscape of Mount Korab from the Macedonian side

Mount Korab ( Macedonian: Голем Кораб, Golem Korab, Albanian: Maja e Korabit or Mali i Korabit ) is the highest mountain of the Republic of Macedonia and Albania, its peak forming a frontier between the two countries. The peak lies adjacent to the Šar Mountains.

Mount Korab is also pictured in the coat of arms of Macedonia.

Geography

The peaks are occasionally ruptured by radial tectonics in the shape of blocks that end in the valley of the Radika river on the Macedonian side. These blocks occasionally have steep slopes that reach up to 500 m (1,640 ft). Particularly remarkable is also the alpine area of Kabaš with several sheer and hardly approachable peaks. In its highest part, above 2,000 m (6,562 ft), the climate is alpine and includes some alpine flora elements. The largest lake on Mount Korab is Gramë Lake located on the Mali i Gramës in Albania.

The mountain is home to the spectacular Korab waterfall in the upper valley of the Dlaboka Reka river. During spring time, the waterfall reaches a height of over 130 meters, which makes it the highest in 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 Macedonian Ministry of internal affairs,^[2] although people regularly track on Korab without it.

Peaks

The mountain has a number of sub-peaks that are higher than 2000 metres. These include:

• Mount Korab 2,764 m (9,068 ft)
• Korab II 2,756 m (9,042 ft)
• Korab III (somewhere between 2716 and 2756m)
• Korab Gates(peak) 2,727 m (8,947 ft)
• Maja e Moravës 2,718 m (8,917 ft)
• Shulani i Radomirës 2,716 m (8,911 ft)
• Kepi Bar 2,683 m (8,802 ft)
• Kabaš in Macedonia 2,395 m (7,858 ft)
• Mali i Gramës 2,345 m (7,694 ft)
• Ciganski Premin 2,295 m (7,530 ft)
• Ploča 2,235 m (7,333 ft)

Passes

The two main passes in the Korab ridge are:

• Small Korab Gate 2,465 m (8,087 ft)
• Big Korab Gate 2,062 m (6,765 ft)

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.^[3]

An international expedition to climb Mount Korab is organized each September by the mountain club PSD "Korab" in Skopje.

See also

Media related to Korab at Wikimedia Commons

• List of mountains in Albania
• Mountains of the Republic of Macedonia
• List of non-Alpine European Ultras

References

1. ^ ^{a b} http://peaklist.org/WWlists/ultras/EuroCoreP1500m.html
2. ^ Mount Korab on SummitPost
3. ^ 2007 Trip Report

External links

• Mount Korab on Youtube
• Mount Korab on SummitPost

Image gallery

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  Mount Korab

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  Landscape of Mount Korab from the Macedonian side

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  Valley of Dlaboka Reka river with the waterfall in the background.

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  Korab waterfall on Dlaboka Reka river.

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  Landscape of Mount Korab