Most people spend two, maybe three days in Theth. I spent an entire week. Though admittedly, my first several days were plagued by sickness.

Maybe it was because I have a rock of a stomach and have not had food poisoning in nearly 20 years, or maybe it was because I was fatigued and thus not thinking clearly, but I made a very bad decision with my lunch choice during the 2.5-hour bus ride to Theth, opting to eat a cheese (ricotta-like) filled savory pasty that had been sitting in my hot car for almost two days. I did refrigerate it overnight! But alas, my body rejected it in full. Thus, day one was spent in bed after a miserable night. Perhaps not until day four did I feel back to normal.

Still, I was able to take advantage of my trip in Theth and with a luxurious week to play with, still had enough time to do all my planned hikes!

Theth is located in the Northwest corner of Albania in what is termed the “Albanian Alps”. It is a seasonal town of only 370 residents though it is growing by the year. The dead-end road to Theth closes for the winter trapping the handful of residents that stay behind in this mountain valley.

Even though it is just 72 kilometers/45 miles from the much hotter Schkodër with an elevation change of only 750 meter/2,460 feet, the temperature difference is a surprising 11°C/20°F cooler, with the nights dropping into great sleeping temperatures. This is a part of Albania where air conditioning is not required. I was thankful not only for the cooler weather but also for the clean mountain air.

With my feet barely under me, I set out for my first exploration of the Grunas Waterfall, a roughly 45-minute walk from the center of Theth. The winding trails lined with stone fencing included small pop-up snack and drink stations. In the week to come, I would be amazed at the lengths gone to by some of these operations to capitalize on the busy hiking traffic, using horses to restock drinks deep into the backcountry throughout the day.

After the two-hour intro into the area, I spent the rest of the day in bed recovering, only to then overdue it with dinner, choosing to eat at the guesthouse. Of course, the food was amazing, but too much, and my stomach was not ready for such variety. After an uncomfortable night, I set off on a longer hike the next day with the idea that perhaps I could sweat out my sickness and to be honest, I was also sick of laying in bed so I figured it was worth a shot.

I got an early start to the Blue Eye, opting to walk the distance to the actual trailhead instead of taking a bus to shorten the hike by more than half. My reasoning was simple, the valley I would walk through from Theth to the town of Nderlysaj was stunning and if needed to, I could always take the bus back.

It was a slow and steady slog and I will admit I felt terrible the entire time. Luckily I was able to enjoy the scenery and just kept putting one foot in front of the other. Once I arrived at the trailhead to the Blue Eye in the town of Nderlysaj the amount of fellow hikers grew exponentially.

When I arrived at Blue Eye it was unsurprisingly packed with people. I mustered the energy to climb up the final section for some overhead shots. It was the kind of place that if I had had to myself I would have been in heaven, but sharing it with a crowd of loud people changed the entire experience for me. All I wanted to do was lay in bed. So without even a rest, I headed back down the trail.

Having decided not to take the bus back, after exactly 6 hours and 20 kilometers (12 miles) of hiking, I arrived back to my room, still undecided as to whether I had made a wise decision or not. But as the night continued, I started to feel better and better and the next day, I was back. It worked!

After a planned rest day, I set off on my final hike, this one would be much harder but also shorter. After another delicious breakfast and a packed sack lunch from the guest house, I set off for the 7-kilometer/4.5-mile climb up Valbona Pass.

Two hours after setting off, I found myself on Valbona Pass. I was not alone, but I still enjoyed a luxurious hour of eating my lunch and enjoying the views from 1,795 meters/5,890 feet above sea level, the highest I would climb during my time in Albania.

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Lessons from: The Albanian Alps!

• The buses to/from Theth are called “minibusses” and are mostly Sprinters. Larger buses cannot navigate the road. There are no websites to book this transportation. I inquired at the visitor’s center in Schkodër and was given a phone number, which I contacted through WhatsApp. The process was smooth and cost 12 euros each way. Send me an email if you need the phone number!
• Theth is growing and fast! New guest houses are popping up everywhere. If I return, I wonder if this dirt road town will be recognizable.
• Guest houses often will pack sack lunches for your hiking days if requested, for an extra fee. I paid 6 euros/>$7 for mine and found it quite a fun experience because I had no idea what was in the bag until I was on top of the pass and was ready to eat!