This hike is close to the border with Bulgaria, near the Toranica mine.
The start is approximately 22 km from Kriva Palanka, measured from the road that leads to the Monastery of St Joakim Osogovski. To get to the start, take the E871 toward Bulgaria. After 12 km, take the turn-off to the right towards the Toranica mine. Be aware that there are some holes in this road!
After about 7 km you arrive at the gate for the mine. You have to announce yourself here, and show your passport in order to pass, so make sure you have your passport with you!
After the gate, the road is still asphalted, but is in extremely bad condition with many holes. After you followed this road for another 3 km, you arrive at some buildings where you can park the car.
The hike starts here and is approximately 12 km in length with an elevation of 810 meters.
We were aware of the fact that there was a chance of thunderstorm the day that we did this hike, but we decided to do it anyway. When we started the hike, the weather was still sunny, but when we were halfway it became cloudy rather quickly. We could hear thunder in the distance, which is not a very comforting sound if you are walking to a peak…When we were almost at the top, it became very foggy within minutes, and visibility was reduced to just a few meters. While we were walking downhill again, the sky cleared and there was sunshine again.
Take-home message: Weather conditions can change very quickly in the mountains!
We were not alone during this hike, there were quite a lot of people picking blueberries, which are growing abundantly on these mountains.
There are several ruins along the hike, most likely of former border patrol houses. 4 out of 5 stars for this hike.
The GPS file of this hike can be downloaded here: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/ruen-peak-near-kriva-palanka-7546737
My Macedonia Blog 