Osum and Vjosa river - kayaking guide through Balkan (ep1)

Osum and Vjosa river - 1st episode of Balkan Guides with ‪@michalkuthan1998‬ 🌊

Sometimes it’s just hard to describe some place with words. Osum canyon is definitely one of them. It’s actually probably the most beautiful place I have paddled through, Michal says. And as a bonus mighty Vjosa with Lengerica hot springs is just about 30 km away. Isn’t it a great place to go? Well it’s also true that driving to Vjosa via mountains is not for every car and for most drivers it is recommended to come back to Berat and drive around. On a plus side there is the historical city of Berat where you can enjoy a bit of local culture.

If you find discovering deep gorges and canyons interesting but don’t know where to go… Osum Canyon is the place! Easy flowing river meandering through absolutely stunning vertical walls of canyon is what you find there. Locals call Osum The Grand Canyon of Balkan. Great thing about Osum is that it’s quite safe and if you don’t get pushed against some wall you will make it through without any issues. So it’s a great package. Nice and Easy. Big advantage is also the free camping spot right at the put-in (40.437185, 20.280850). Including local pub where you can eat or have a couple beers in the evening. Keep in mind that the cash withdrawal fee is pretty high in Albania, but locals will almost always accept euros.

Vjosa river is something you have probably heard of already. It’s a great river with a lot of possibilities for everyone and even experienced kayakers can challenge themselves at upper sections where Vjosa is called Aoos (Greece). But don’t get surprised as we did when you get to an artificial weir or that the upper source lakes are affected by humans. The Sections I have chosen for this guide haven’t been touched yet (except trash and fisherman). There is a lot to paddle on this river but if you have never been there, the section from Langarica to Permet is a really good start to get an idea how this river looks like. This short 5km long section has quite a lot to offer. Nice wave trains with sharp eddies on the sides and one bigger rapid at the end. This rapid is just above the town of Permet. Left canal is an easy option or you can challenge yourself on the river right where the whole canal is blocked by big boulders (WWIII). It’s worth it to stop above and scout it from the river right. Easy take out is at the river left just a couple hundred meters below the road bridge.

There are a lot of fishermen at Balkan rivers and Vjosa especially. But the strings are not crossing the river so there is not a big chance to get tangled. Just go to the other side and pass them with a smile. As talking about fishing… don’t forget to try local cuisine. There is a really nice restaurant at the palace where you’ve passed a metal bridge while paddling down. It has a great BBQ for a very affordable price (40.207765, 20.387447). If you have enjoyed your meal and relaxed enough it’s worth going directly to Lengerica hot springs(40.243721, 20.431287). The truth is that they are not exactly hot. They are definitely more warm than hot, but with a bottle of Rakija it can still be pretty satisfying. The warmest pool is on the left side just above an old roman bridge.
Osum and Vjosa (Aoos) are great rivers with a lot of options and it’s definitely worth it to stay around a bit longer.

🌊Osum river 🌊

Difficulty: WW I - II
Length: 10 km
When to go: Spring snow melt or rainy season (autumn) - but it looks like it might be doable all year around with a bit of hiking…
Suitable for kayak/canoe/raft - with bigger raft it might be a bit more complicated at low water.

📍Recommended section:
Put-in 40.437185, 20.280850
Take-out 40.495074, 20.225617

🌊Vjosa river 🌊

Difficulty: WW II (III)
Length: 5km
When to go: All year around
Suitable for kayak/canoe/raft

📍Recommended section:
Put-in 40.207558, 20.415693
Take-out 40.236869, 20.352596