Location: Central Macedonia (nearest town- Veles ) Duration: three days Tour technical difficulty: good hiking skills Group Size: min.2 Term: 10.04. - 20.11. Tours: Every day Price per person: 138 euro (5 persons group)

Short tour description: This is one of the most breath taking and with peak “Solunska Glava” absolutely gorges mountain missive in Macedonia. Hiking tour is performed in three days with two overnights in Mountain House Cheples ( 1450 m ).On our way up to the mountain, we shell pass thru City Veles, villages :Chaska, Stari Grad,Teovo, Oreshje, Bogomila, Nezilovo, Papradishte and others. We will surmount pick “Solunska Glava” ( 2585 m ), visit the spring and waterfall of river Babuna and enjoy in wonderful nature.

Detailed time schedule for the tour:
DAY 1 Papradishte, Cheples
10:30h Transfer from airport or place of you’re accommodation to village Papradishte
12:30h Arriving at the village Papradishte ( 800 m ) and continuing upward to M.H.” Cheples” (you’re backpacks will be carried by jeep to M.H. “ Cheples” )
14:00h Arriving at Cheples ( 1450 m)
15:00h Lunch, rest and side seeing of the surrounding area
18:30h Dinner
DAY 2 Solunska Glava, Babuna, Village Nezilovo,Veles lake “Mladost”,Skopje
9:00h Breakfast and hiking towards the peak high above
14:00h Arriving at the peak Solunska Glava ( 2585 m ), rest, snacking (lunch packet ),taking pictures and descending downward to M.H.” Cheples “
18:00h Arriving at M.H.” Cheples “ (1450 m), dinner and overnight
DAY 3
10:00h Breakfast and descending to spring and waterfall of river Babuna
13:00h Arrival at river Babuna waterfall and spring, rest, taking pictures, and continuing with the descend to village Nezilovo
15:00h Village Nezilovo, rest, lunch in the fish house and driving to Veles lake “Mladost”
17:30h Lake “Mladost”, side seeing , coffee break and driving to Skopje
18:30h Arriving to Skopje and transfer to airport or place of you’re accommodation

The Jakupica Massif

Highest point: Peak Solunska Glava (2540 m) Location: The Jakupica Massif consists of five interconnected mountains: Jakupica, Dautica, Karadzica, Goleshnica and Kitka. It is located among the Vodno Mountain and the Drachevo suburb near Skopje in the north, the city of Veles in the east, the Babuna Mountain and the Pelagonia valley in the south, and the river Treska in the west. 

Approach: There are many alternative approaches to this massif, but the most frequently used are the ones:Skopje –    Drachevo – Preslap, from where you can walk or go with a terrain vehicle (in summer) to the “Kitka” (1350m) and   “Karadzica” (1450m) mountain lodges. From there different routes through this massif are possible.Veles – Bogomila to the villages Nezhilovo or Papradishta from where, also by walk or terrain vehicle (in summer), the “Cheples” mountain lodge (1445m) can be reached. It can be a starting point for several different routes. 

Possibilities: On the Jakupica massif, precisely below the peak Solunska Glava, the biggest cliff in Macedonia is located. With its height of 650 m and width of 2 km, it is one of the biggest on the Balkan Peninsula. It is a real challenge even for the most experienced alpinists. The approach is pretty complicated. In summer, from the streams of the river Babuna through the couloirs, and in winter because of the avalanche danger, alternative approaches are chosen. The cliff as an alpinist object is not used enough. There is only one fully protected route: “Centralen Solunski Kuloar” (The Central Thessalonica Couloirs) and several routes climbed in dry weather. In winter, there has been only one attempt so far, which was unsuccessful because of the bad weather conditions. In winter, down the flow of the rivers Babuna and Chepleska, there are frozen waterfalls and couloirs which offer good possibilities for ice climbing training. Hence, it is obvious that Jakupica massif has ideal facilities for alpinism and trainings for alpinist expeditions. Apart from this, there are also ideal facilities for speleology, ski-hiking, etc.
Detailed description about the tour
DAY 1 Skopje – Veles - village Papradishte - Mountain House “ Cheples

We peak you up from you’re hotel or airport. Driving 1,5 hour to Veles village Bogomila( 500 m).From here we walk 1 or 2 hour   to village Papradiste where we’ll make a short break and continue our ascend on the mountain Jakupica up to mountain house Cheples (1450m),where we’ll arrive in about 2 or 3 hour. We’ll walk along wide macadam road with ideal slope for hiking. Mountainsides are richly covered with density forest, and until we arrive to mountain house Cheples, we’ll hear the murmur of Chepleska river witch is deeply notched between steep and covered in forest mountainsides. Chepleska river cut’s thru macadam road and on that place it makes vivid waterfall. A legend is related for it. It is about the African queen witch in the past was expelled from hers kingdom, her spirit settled in the wonderful region of mountain Jakupica and here the nature, engraves her face in the stone and it surfaces from the rocks  on which crustily clear water breaks in thousand drops giving to the place mystical beauty. Overnight is in the mountain house Cheples witch is located on a plane mountain side, surrounded in fern meadow with southern orientation and with wide opened view on the density forests and toll rocky ridges rising up behind them. The mountain house has electricity, drinkable water, cooking kitchen, group bedrooms and it is one of the most visited places from the American ambassador in Macedonia ( Batler) .

DAY 2 M.H.”Cheples” ( 1450m ) – peak Solunska Glava ( 2585m ) – M.H.”Cheples”
Summit day. Accordantly to you’re physical condition ascend will last 3,5 to 5 hours. Hicking trail in the first half (up to 1800m) goes thru density forest with huge 100 years old threes. During our walk we’ll pass area called lower grandmas pit, place with spring and wonderful meadow surrounded by dark pine three wood and      very often a group’s of hikers can seen here, usually camping at this place. This is also the point where the winter path branches away from the main trail. Here well make a short break because wonderful ought standing view opens toward 650 meters high rocky wall with peak” Tessaloniki head “ itself on the highest point, witch we are about to ascend. Of course from the surrounding path. From this place feeder, steep rocky ridges and deep chasms change forests, from witch like from chimneys fog and lover clouds are rising up in the sky. The path with steep serpentines is winding around the rocks rising up to 2200 m, area called ”upper grandmas pit”, and it passes closely to the big mountain depression which in winter conditions, when it’s storming, low clouds wind and fog appears, could be very dangers and careful moving is needed, also strict holding to mountain marks. From this place path extends in depth of the area towards the summit ridge, witch will be visible until we climb it. Ground is covered with grass. The path goes up with obliquely cross section slope and harmonious, relatively plane mountainside. On left side of the path, view extends over the lower region and sheepfoldwitch are located there, and on the right side movement is restricted by the edge of the cliff which under angle of 90 degrees falls almost 600 metres down on the lower ground. This is one hugely big area which takes you’re breath away, and makes you feel very   small, because everything that is around you is enormously big by every meaning of the word. We are climbing the summit ridge with steep serpentines once again, and on this place the grass that was previously under our feet, now switches with big rocks witch will follow us until we reach the peak. Wonderful view extends over the other mountain massif’s in Macedonia such as: Shara mountain on northwest,  mountain Baba with peak Pelister on sought, also mountain Vodno etc.If you ask yourselves how did the peak get it’s name(Tessaloniki head),this will be you’re answer: If you have ideal weather and air conditions, at night the lights of city Tesaloniki in Grece can bee seen. This area is also well known by the” Solunskite jami” ( Solunska’s pits) .Two hours away from the peak, the deepest pits on the Balkan peninsula are discovered. They are 16 meters wide and with absolute vertical   depth of 800 meters. Our expedition collaborated with French team of experts manage to get down to depth of 400 meters and to document wonderful underground glaciers with blue and green icy covered walls. Our descend from the peak is through same path that we used for ascending it and because of the area specifics well need same time for going down as for going up.
Friendly evening   will follow in mountain house Cheples where we’ll also overnight.

DAY 3 M.H.”Cheples” – river Babuna waterfall and spring – village Nezilovo – veles lake Mladost - Skopje
Getting down from the mountain and visiting the springs and waterfalls on river Babuna They are situated right under the 650 meters high rocky wall and the mountaintop above all. At first well follow the macadam road and after a while well branch away and step into the canyon of river Babuna. The path harmoniously and obliquely goes up over the canyon wall right above the river. At this area the forests are pitch solid and even the sunlight can hardly pass through the treetop of the threes. This is one truly hidden, secrete, and very interesting area. Simply untouched nature. From time immemorial. The whole river originates from the foot of the 650 meters high vertical rocky wall. One ought standing view. This is also the place where central tessalonica culoirs begins. It has been used by our Mount Everest expedition for training. The two 10 meters high waterfalls only several meters below river spring will admire you also. Simply unforgettable. Going back is thru same trail until we reach the place where we branch away from the macadam road. From this point we’ll continue our walk downhill to village Nezilovo where we’ll take a break and have a lunch in the Fish house build on the river Babuna. After the break we travel back to Skopje to  the previously appointed location(you’re hotel, airport etc.).


Tour Staff & Support: Tour Leader and mountain guide, transportation staff.
Meals: Breakfasts, lunches and diners in the mountain house, and ought door lunch packet
Necessary equipment: Hiking boots, rain protection clotting, hat, gloves, sunglasses, ski-pools
Price per person: 138 euro (5 persons group)
Note: Price depends on the group size