Ski equipment delivery in Kosovo

This week, Ryce Travel brought winter sports and ski equipment to Kosovo. Our director Peter Hofman drove to Peja himself to deliver the supplies to the town of Peja. These are mainly touring skis, split boards and avalanche equipment. The purchase was made with help from our partners MK Skiservice, Arva, Technolyt and Frosty Snowboarding.

Along with previous shipments, there is now a wide variety of winter sports equipment in Peja. The goods will allow local guides to offer more tours. Ryce Travel is teaming up with Kosovo-based Wander Adventures to open Peaks of Balkans in winter. In addition, there will be a professional outdoor store run by local guides. Of course, with the support of volunteers from Ryce Travel.

Peaks of Balkans

In September, Peter, Ferda and Lauren travelled to Kosovo to walk the Peaks of the Balkans. This hiking route has become one of the most popular in the Balkans. Thousands of hikers know their way around the border region of Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania. These routes are expertly plotted by local guides from these three countries. For about ten years, tourism has grown tremendously. Guesthouses have been built, and mountain huts have been converted into places to sleep.

Here’s a glimpse of the highlights:

In winter, the trails are buried under a thick blanket of snow. Most guesthouses are closed, and tourism is primarily on hold. That’s why Ryce Travel and Wander Adventures have teamed up to create a Peaks of Balkans winter edition. You can then use touring skis or split board to follow the route. We seek unique slopes for backcountry skiing and sleep in mountain huts. Next winter, we plan to open various routes here. Fortunately, the first step has been taken with the purchase of touring skis and avalanche equipment.

In addition, Ryce Travel is supporting the opening of the Bora Outdoor store in Peja. This place will become a hub for outdoor enthusiasts. Moreover, you can get there from repairs and maintenance. In recent years, we have provided ski maintenance equipment and offered training to maintain skis and snowboards. Starting this winter, this will be operational, and next summer, the outdoor shop will be built and opened.

In this way, we would like to thank MK Skiservice for their years of support on this project. Menno Koelewijn was never shy about supporting us with materials and knowledge. Also, a special thanks to Arva, Technolyt and Frosty Snowboarding. For more photos of this project, check out our Instagram.