Maja e Thatë, Mountain summit in Valbonë Valley National Park, Albania
Maja e Thatë is a 2,406-metre summit in the Kolata massif of the Accursed Mountains, about 2 km northwest of Valbonë. It is built entirely of Triassic dolomite and limestone, with a sharp, jagged crest and very steep rock walls on its northern and northeastern faces. Beech, black pine and Bosnian pine grow on the lower southern and western slopes.
Maja e Thatë is built entirely of Triassic dolomite and limestone, part of the Kolata massif in the External Albanides, the Alpine belt's Albanian section. Glacial activity north of the mountain carved small cirques such as Lugu i Rupës and Lugu i Persllopit, and ice and frost erosion on the massif surface caused solifluction reaching the eluvial layer.
The name Maja e Thatë means "Dry Peak", referring to the bare rock above roughly 1,400–1,500 m, where only scattered Bosnian pines grow before giving way to black pine and beech lower down. The peak is a landmark for the villages of Valbonë and Kukaj, which lie about 1,500 m below it.
The climb requires good fitness and takes several hours, with marked trails available from Valbona village through Lugu i Rupës or from the Montenegrin side via Persllopi pass. Bring proper hiking gear and check weather conditions before starting, as the terrain can be steep and conditions change quickly.
Haxhia Cave, a Nature Monument of Albania, opens on the southern slopes near Valbonë village at 1,630 m. Long given as 120 m, it was surveyed to 365 m by Polish speleological expeditions in summer 2009, and a spring inside measures 5.4 °C.
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