Peaks of the Balkans: A Mountain Bike Adventure with Jérôme Clementz & Ludo May

« Une sympathique aventure à travers les Montagnes Maudites »
À une époque où le matériel de mountain bike devient de plus en plus spécialisé; où chaque millimètre de débattement et chaque largeur de pneu sont pensés pour une pratique précise; Jey et Ludo ont voulu revenir à l’essentiel: la liberté et l’exploration. Sur leurs vélos, ils cherchent avant tout à parcourir les sentiers, découvrir de nouveaux horizons, traverser des vallées encore préservées et rencontrer des communautés isolées.
Habitués à sillonner les quatre coins du monde, que ce soit lors de compétitions, de stages ou d’aventures hors des sentiers battus, Jey et Ludo ont cette fois tourné leur regard vers les montagnes des Balkans. C’est au détour d’une discussion avec leur ami et guide VTT/pédestre, Cyril A’CH, que celui-ci leur parle du « Peaks of the Balkans », un itinéraire de randonnée récemment aménagé. Cette boucle relie le Kosovo, le Monténégro et l’Albanie à travers les fameuses« Montagnes Maudites », la région la plus alpine des Balkans. Rien qu’à l’évocation du nom, leur curiosité s’est éveillée et leur envie d’aventure était lancée. Enjoy!
Réalisateur: Ill prod

“A cheerful adventure across the Accursed Mountains”
At a time when mountain bike gear is becoming increasingly specialized; where every millimeter of suspension travel and every tire width is designed for a specific discipline; Jey and Ludo wanted to return to the basics: freedom and exploration. On their bikes, their goal was simple: to ride wild trails, discover new horizons, cross untouched valleys, and meet remote mountain communities.
Having already explored many corners of the world; through races, training camps, and off-the- grid adventures; Jey and Ludo were this time drawn to the Balkans. During a chat with their friend and MTB/hiking guide, Cyril A’CH, they heard about “Peaks of the Balkans,” a newly established hiking route. The loop connects Kosovo, Montenegro, and Albania through the legendary “Accursed Mountains,” the most alpine part of the region. The name alone was enough to spark their curiosity and set them off on a new adventure. Enjoy!
Film director: Ill prod

You see, some people complain about the snow, but if it hadn’t been for the snow, we wouldn’t have seen the
bear tracks. And there, the bear tracks are amazing! There are adults and children. It’s big, that’s big. A little high 5! Oh, it’s so beautiful! Every time I see something pretty, I stop, I’m trying to see animals but
I don’t see anything yet. See you soon. I’m taking in my surroundings. Shall I bring UNO? UNO is essential. I haven’t
packed my bag yet guys. One day we will get there. What? To go! I admit I’m slow. We are not in the rush. I’m already suffering
from Jey’s performance. We haven’t started the trip. I am always late. Basically, when I decide to have a shower, he’s already had a shower. When I decide to get ready,
he’s already ready. Anyway, he is always one step ahead. We are in Kosovo for a new
8 day adventure in the Balkans. It’s already started well. We met some locals,
a bit rustic but cool. The bikes are here but we don’t know if we will get them up there. Really? This thing doesn’t hold. I’ll stay up there. For this trip, I kind of wanted to go back to the origins of cycling. Cycling is now quite diverse. and for me,
the basis of cycling is to go on a bit of an adventure, to have natural trails that we might be able to ride, or maybe not. I’ve always wanted to come and see a little bit of Eastern Europe. And it’s funny, Jey
talked to me about it too. By chatting with
Cyril amongst others I wanted to visit countries in Eastern Europe and we ended up with a project that seemed pretty good called Peaks of the Balkans. It’s a small trail that is
200 kilometers and it connects three countries: Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania, through the
“Accursed Mountains”. So that was the pitch and it sounded like a good adventure to me. I think we have almost
1000 meters straight away. We just started and boom,
1000 meters. Ten years ago, we took
our first trip together. It was the first year of the Enduro World Series in Malaga and we had such a great time. Then ten years later, we are back here together. It’s so cool. With the same team, we have Jérémie as a filmmaker too. That feels good. We know that it’s doable on foot. Some people walk it. It is a marked trail. However, we don’t know
what to expect on the bike. So we have our equipment, a small “all mountain” bike as they say, which I hope will
allow us to have a good time. Maybe some tricky parts, but that’s also part of the adventure. It’s no joke with Jérôme. He knows what lies ahead. So, “see you up there”! What do you mean “see you up there”? We have no clue where we’ll see each other. How many kilometers have we done? 6 kilometers in 3h. There are 80 meters there, 20 meters after that and then we are there. Positive vibes only, guys! We don’t have the same meters
as Jérôme. 20 meters there no no, elevation, gain Here you choose whether you want to go down the couloir now or later. There is so much action, I only have one pair of shorts
and they’re already wet. There, the bear tracks are amazing There are
big ones and small ones. That’s big. It’s big. There are
the little ones with it. Well, it’s that way for the bear. There are little ones just here,
but these are double the size. You’re stepping on it there. Yes I saw. But look! Oh oh, it’s so beautiful! Shall we go and see? Yes. Do you think they’re fresh? It didn’t freeze over,
in my opinion it must have
been here not so long ago. I would say a
quarter of an hour. A little high Five! I’m amazed, it’s the
first time I’ve seen it. It’s made my day. It gets me so excited. Hi! He has dreadlocks. Look up, Bob has come out. Happy birthday! Happy birthday Jerome! Thank you my friends. That’s it,
the adventure has started. So yesterday we rode the
Liqenat up to Plav and what was quite peculiar is that at one point between
two passes, we were in an area that is not defined. So on the map it was drawn a a dotted area and we don’t really know if
we are in Kosovo or Montenegro. They have not agreed on this. Please! I’m not coming back. No, don’t go!
He’s going to leave. I’m not coming back. Do you have the map? I have the map. No, don’t do this to us,
don’t be offended and leave. I’m off. We’ll meet again. We offended Jérôme. Does that
mean you’re not offended? No, I’m not offended. See you soon.
I’m off. He’s going to leave, isn’t he? Well, it’s a quite the carry. Good. Nice climb. Thanks friend! This is already my last sandwich. I’ve really struggled every day with food. That’s a real and
untouched ride. Cheers! Beer from Montenegro. We arrived, it started to rain. We haven’t had a
drop of rain all day. And that I think is a
beautiful birthday present. And above all I would say well, this is the second day but we had some beautiful trails to go down, it was epic, I’m amazed! It’s so good to be here, to finally discover these Eastern European countries for a good friend’s birthday. Cheers! Thank you. We’re not going to starve tomorrow. There is a positive side. I love looking at the map and imagining what it will be like. And afterwards, on site, it’s
even more of a surprise. But when you manage
to interpret the map well and on the spot you go
“well, there I see the terrain” Then it’s not really
a surprise anymore! Yes it is, because you anticipate it, sometimes you’re a bit disappointed and sometimes it’s much better. Yesterday, when we were in the
mountains, I had the map, you see the lake, you see the small side where it goes up, you know you’re going
to have to push and then you have a green or glacial area. There may be cliffs with lots of rocks. And when you get there and you see this beautiful meadow with the flowers and your little single track… Magnificent! We’re alone, it’s so beautiful. You’re the happiest person in the world. You get to the end, it opens up, you have this small valley,
completely mineral. It’s not the highest, but we deserve it! Well done guys! There were times when
we weren’t together. I’m not saying I enjoyed not being together but there are times when you are just with yourself,
you enjoy the moment. And mountain biking, for me,
is also that. It’s not just riding trails that are made for bikes, it’s to deserve the descents. And when you’re in it and you
see everything coming together, that’s happiness. Thanks for today. Cyril, thanks for today. Yes, that was a beautiful day. You’re proud of yourself. You go right up to the limit whilst knowing that you are
high in the mountains, so you can’t afford to make a mistake and it all adds emotion. Then when you get to the bottom
and there is a clap of thunder, there is thunder and a little rain just when it is needed. And then the nice little guest house with a little beer. The beer tastes ten times better than when you drink in on the couch after a day of work. After a day of rest in Teth. We are kind of on the
way back. We were in the depths of Albania. It is the southernmost
point of our trip and we are now heading up
back towards Kosovo. I think we can wait here
for a little bit. It’s a little clearer
further on. There are still 150 meters elevation gain. It feels like it’s moving over
there, into the valley. There are two hikers, it looks quite touristy, so I’m under the impression
that people come on a day trip in sandals,
in Nike, not well equipped and experienced for the mountain. Two people slipped and
I think they died. Nice atmosphere… With the rain as well, not a nice atmosphere. And a lot of people at
the cafe warning us, and telling us to be careful, that it’s going to be dangerous, that you have
to go this way or that way. So we do ask ourselves
some questions. I think we’re going through
a nice little storm here. You alright Ludo? Are you cold? Well, I’m a little cold. If the others have gone
wearing Nike, if we’re careful, it’ll be fine. Alright, let’s go! It’s there. I wonder if this is where the two people slipped. Is that the snow patch? Oh yeah, it’s quite tricky. How slippery is it? It’s a bit slippery. Let’s go down here. The danger distance is shorter over there What do you think Ludo? Hit the snow firmly. Then if you have the bike down, you can block it with the handlebars. Thanks for the steps. We know what we’re doing, but people really seemed quite
startled to see us with bikes because it’s not a trail that
is made for bikes originally but hey, we know our limits,
we know how to be careful. So we continued, it was technical, just how we like it. Trialising. And there you have it,
a small van has just arrived on the path and it turns out that he is our farmer for tonight. He kindly took my bag. This way I can finish the
climb with nothing on my back. And let me tell you, it’s definitely easier with 10kg less to carry! We will sleep in a
local’s home, in a small house. It promises to be exceptional and unsual. Right, time to milk the cows, guys! It’s all well and good drinking red wine Oh f***,
there’s something up there. There is a bear or a
cow. My God, it’s for real. It’s a bear, I think.
It’s a bear. Yes, it’s a bear.
He’s going up, there. There’s a tip and to the left of the tip, there’s a shoulder, and they
are hidden in the hole there. She was crossing the
barrier rather than going down. And over there. They look at us. It’s incredible, isn’t it? He saw us, he turned around. I have a photo. You got it? Ah yes but still! Okay, okay Your camera is good, how much did you pay it? Oh f*** off! He’s on the rock again. Do you see the little bush? No! Where? And he goes back down. Explain to me. He’s hidden again. Oh I’m so rubbish! I didn’t see He will be back. Oh he’s huge! He is with the cubs You can be pleased not to run into him 100 meters away! These are the gifts of life. Honestly, the size of it! I can’t believe we’ve seen
a bear. Thank you life!
Thank God. I don’t know if
I believe in God, but… my God, I won’t get over it. I forgot everything I saw today, apart from the one scene we were all waiting for, we saw the bears and that was priceless. In life in general, not just for this trip,
but as a life experience, as we said earlier,
as a meaning to life. Today, we have given meaning to life. We saw the bears and that will remain the highlight not just of today but of the whole trip for me. It also makes you so happy seeing all of that with your friends, it really adds to it,
it’s so exciting. Cheers to my friends. I cannot wait to go
and ask everyone at camp if they saw a bear today! Oh la la la la ! It’s crazy. A little hug for the bear! These are such good times. Oh f*** you guys! Let’s go, I’m good for
another run! Spin the camera. Energy boost x200. Now, that feels good! So we started from Kosovo,
we went to Montenegro, Albania  And tomorrow we will reach the summit up there behind me, which sits at 2366 meters
high and that is the peak where the three borders meet. It will be the link of this tour of the Peak of the Balkans and it will be the symbolic place of this trip. We’ve run out of cereal bars. I’ve brought some
extra supplies, some extra honey sandwiches. I don’t think this is what made a difference with the weight of the bag, but the idea is there, we are minimalists. We had the same idea
and I like that. Today, you’ve already waited 1 hour for me. We have time today, we have time because this is
the last part of our trip. Back to Kosovo. Yes! I dreamt about bears. That doesn’t even surprise me. And it won’t be my last night
dreaming about bears. For me these are the best experiences you can have in the year, and in general, for life too. To disconnect from society a bit and especially on a bike. Because in the end, you also have this
adrenaline filled and fun side of travelling, these great times living
in the present moment. And for me, that is the foundation of life. And these trips remind me how much of a good time we can have with friends. That’s it, we’re there. I’ll show you on the map where we are. We are exactly here, between
Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. Sir, your passport, please! Are you returning to Kosovo? Small turns. Selling the dream! Well, we were lucky to see the bears and then the freeriders because apparently there is only one around! Come on, let’s go! We’re off to Kosovo! Coming here there was only one certainty: that the landscape was going to be unbelievable and it did not disappoint. The Balkans are really beautiful, it’s not very well known yet
especially back home in France and Switzerland. Not many people come here, but there are really beautiful things to see here. That’s so good! I think we all came here for a bit of an adventure and it really delivered
in this respect. We can try that one, we
can try on the right, there. We try this one? Well, we don’t have anything
yet anyway. Yeah, so let’s take the first one. Also to have experienced this
over three different countries, it was something special because it means juggling with customs, etc. It’s nice to have
this feeling of moving from one country to another and meeting people who ultimately
are like us, or who live like
we did in the past back home. In some places some of them have less than us in terms of equipment etc. but they are so happy and
enjoy connecting with others and chatting with us. Yeah, those are really
good times. It’s cool to see that ultimately we’re all the same and with different cultures too. When you go on an adventure like this, you are not alone, it’s four people. So there was this human side of it between us which is nice to experience. I feel like we’ve been away for 6 months! We move forward together, we struggle together, we laugh together. We interact, sometimes topics go off on a tangent. You focus solely on what you’re sharing with friends, with the
people you meet, with nature. And that’s part of the things you can only reach
for when you’re lost when you push the limits a little further. I sat down but I don’t know
what I want or what he’s going to do to me. That’s good! That one! No, no! There we go, there were
real moments of exchange, I think the people who met us, whether locals or tourists on the trails, are going to keep little images of these four guys on bikes who had come to do The
Peaks of the Balkans. Are the mountains cursed here? I’d say I think it’s a thing that locals invented so that not many people come here and so that it’s peaceful in their mountains and they don’t get bothered by people. Change the color. S*** I could have changed. He was bluffing You knew it! It’s the fourth one he’s won.
He bluffed. He didn’t win the “win tout”. It’s a shame. You bluffed.
I love people who bluff. Well done!
It was tough!