High Scardus Ultra 2022

Athletes with a decent fitness level and good form, will enjoy this medium - level trail. This race is for less experienced Ultra-Trail runners, with good physical and mental condition to complete a demanding course. start: 04 SEPTEMBER 2022, 07:00 distance: 50 km ascent: 2,900 m D+ descend: 2,900 m D- time limit: 15 h aid stations: 5 Course description of Eagle Ultra 50K The run starts in Prizren, with earliest archeological remains dating back as far as 1100 BC and the fortifications being held at different stages by the Byzantines, and the Ottoman rulers of Kosovo until the 20th century. As you run on the old part of Prizren, you visit some of the most historical monuments protected by UNESCO such as the Hamam of Gazi Mehmet Pasha, The Old Stone Bridge, Mosques and Churches up to the Fortress and many more monuments that boast architectural highlights from its Ottoman, Orthodox and Christian past into Shadravan square. Today, the fortress is often used for concerts and theater performances as well as movie screenings during the world famous festival-Dokufest. As you continue your run leaving the trail that belongs to the area of Prizren, you will capture glimpses of the awe-inspiring Lumbardh Gorge gradually opening up. This natural reserve features special biological, geographical, hydrologic and landscape values. Numerous water springs flow into the Lumbardh of Prizren which in this area, due to its sloppy and rocky terrain, form numerous waterfalls, small and large lakes. As you continue running, the road will continue through mixed forests and rocky terrain in the vicinity of the villages Pusko and Jabllanica. From there, the trail-road will continue to Mountain hut Sharr, built in 1951. Passing through valleys Prislop and Stane e Struzha, a defunct border police building, within 5 km down a gentle uphill, where now the trail is opening more to Sharr Mountains. The first significant landmark on the way will be Guri i Zi, a rock in the form of a dog at an altitude of 1,779 m. This part of the run is gentle up and down to Karanikolla Lake. You will become an awestruck witness from near and far of the extraordinary glacial forces that carved the “three rocks of Leshnica” – Plat, Sreden Kamen and Kriva Shija. As soon as you get on the ridgeline and reach Karanikolla Peak, a phenomenal panorama of the Dinaric Mountain range will open up again, as you are looking at far north Acrussed in Kosovo/Albania/Montenegro, the great Kosovo plains, Sharr Mountains peaks and Mount Korab and Mount Bistra to the south. From Karanikolla Peak the run continues to Scarpa peak (2,474 m), where is the home of the golden eagle and the last high altitude point. This area is known as the highest point of an ancient trade route connecting Kosovo’s Prizren with North Macedonia’s Tetovo. From here, the trail is gentle down, all the way to Zaplluzha. Few kilometers on the roads but with a great view. During the final kilometers of the race, you will pass through a few picnic areas in a beautiful pine forest until you make an entrance into the historic Prizren. From here, you will enjoy the final meters of the race accompanied by Prizren’s historical heritage, friendly faces, the smell of abundant traditional food and simply feel a vibe that is so unique from all other places you’ve ever been to, surrounding your whole being-that is the magick of this culturally rich town.