This hike is about 27 km long with 1550 m ascent. If you take a shortcut and exclude the Babin Srt peak, it should be about 23 km with 1300 m climbing. Note that the shortcut is just a suggestion based on a GPS track that I did not walk myself. The hike visits the Golem Rid/Bik Doruk peaks, it is still unclear to me if this is two names for the same peak or different names for two peaks very close to each-other. After Golem Rid (Big Hill)/Bik Doruk you could take the shortcut or continue to the Babin Srt (Grandmothers peak) like I did.
The hike starts at Motel Topila in Gari, where we stayed for a week in June/July 2019. A few days earlier we had done the hike from Gari to the Krsiser ridge, during which one of the 3 dogs from Motel Topila who had joined us on our adventure went missing (luckily the missing dog miraculously returned the next day to our relief). I was alone on the current hike and decided to ditch the dogs this time, so I would not have to worry about them during the hike. So I left Motel Topila, quickly closed the gate when the dogs spotted me and ran for it! The dogs did not follow me this time and I wouldn’t have to worry about them getting overheated or M.I.A! However, after 2 km hiking I suddenly heard panting behind me and two of my four-legged friends, black/white Leon and black Geena, were there again!
The first 5 km are not too interesting, first following a small trail from Gari that later continues in a dirt road. There are a picnic place, a church and the Spring of St Petka along the road. We had walked this part as well when we came back from the hike to the Krsiser ridge.
After 5 km you leave the forest and the view gets really good! You’ll keep walking uphill through a valley and follow a small stream for about 1 km.
After some more climbing with good views, you reach the first goal of the hike, the peaks Golem Rid and Bik Doruk.
From the peaks you have an excellent view of Lake Debar and Debar itself. After descending from the peak there is a remarkable hole in the ground, I think it may be some kind of sinkhole called doline. There was still some ice at the bottom.
About two km after the peaks you can decide to take a shortcut, which can be found at Wikiloc (https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/gari-big-doruk-25474050). This makes the hike about 4 km shorter and saves about 250 m extra climbing. It was my original plan to take this route, but I was not tired and decided to continue to the Babin Srt peak. In addition, the shortcut seemed like a rather steep and free-style descent, but since I did not do this I can do no more than just point out this option.
The part to Babin Srt was not too demanding and well worth the good views. The dogs Leon and Geena also made it to the top, notice how they cherish the only bit of shadow from the marker of the peak! From Babin Srt you basically go downhill free-styling, following the general direction of the GPS track.
After about 3 km from the Babin Srt peak you reach a sheep farm. I’m always very careful around them because of the possible presence of the feared shepherd dogs. Since the sheepfarm looked deserted, I felt comfortable passing it. How stupid. When I stepped over a ditch, there were at least 4 Shepherd dogs enjoying the shadow of this ditch! Barking loudly they came after me. Luckily, the Albanian shepherd, alerted by the barking, came out of this shed and called off the dogs just before I was turned into dog food. However, now the shepherd dogs noticed my little dog companions and went after them. The Shepherd’s son helped calling them off and together we found black Geena hiding in a bush. No trace of Leon, the Shepherd’s son though he was not hurt but overheated from the escape and hiding somewhere else in a bush. I waited for half an hour, but still no Leon and I had to continue back to Gari. I suggest to avoid this sheep farm (and others) and walk with a big circle around them even when they appear deserted!
I was so relieved when doggy Leon caught up with me again a few kilometres later! From here it was just following the dirt-road back to Gari (except for a freestyle shortcut to avoid a big curve in the dirt-road). The last part through the forest is the same road as how you started, but the shadow was very welcome, especially for the dogs!
This was a really good long hike with a challenging height difference, but without parts that were difficult to climb or to navigate. Here and there some nice freestyling without a clear path, it always gives me the feeling I really am in nature! An almost perfect hike, except from the Shepherd dogs…5 out of 5 stars!
This hike is outside the borders of Mavrovo National Park so you do not have to buy a ticket.
You can view and download the GPS track here: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/gari-golem-rid-bik-doruk-and-babin-srt-39542851
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