On our way back home, we had a Sunday morning near Ribarice, Serbia where the Via Ferrata Djurdjevica gave an unexpected challenge up a sheer vertical. Ko had to bow out, but I gave it a try. Meanwhile, we were on full search and rescue mode trying to find Ash after sending her on an unmarked route up to the summit to meet us on top...
The next morning, we tackled the maze of interconnected via ferratas at the opening of the Rugova Canyon. We skipped the easiest: Mat, as it just followed a horizontal route just above the river. Instead we began with Ari, which headed up the cliff. Not long into it, there were splits for Peja 360 and, later, Shpellat. Combining all the routes, including forbidden descents along climbing routes, we were able to create the perfect, bespoke route, up, down, through caves, and finishing with the hardest D section towards the top of Shpellat. It was a fantastic combo route!
The first via ferrata we tried in Kosovo's Rugova Canyon was Marimangat. We had planned this one, the toughest, as our last but, inadvertently, it ended up being our first. About 30 minutes in, we learned why this is the toughest one with the D section challenging us in a way we hadn't yet been challenged on any ferrata. Ko had a few tense minutes but, we made it and were proud to reach the summit. The views matched the adrenaline rush and it was good knowing that the next day, after starting with this one, would bring no surprises.
