The name of this peak “shkarpë” in the Opojan (regional) dialect means bush. In People’s Army of Yugoslavia (PAY) topographic map the peak can be found under the name Skarpa.

During the conflict in Macedonia in the year 2001, this peak was used as an observation base by the German KFOR troops, proof of which have remained ruins of the concrete foundations, iron posts and razor wires.

Shkarpa’s Peak, in fact is the only peak from the Sharri mountains that has an asphalted road for military vehicles, a road that today is so damaged that it barely can be traveled since no maintenance has been made on it since its original construction back in 2001.

On the side of the peak in the Macedonian territory, meaning on the south face, there are two lakes named differently in different maps. In the PAY map they’re called “Malo Ezero” and “Golemo Ezero”, while in later maps they’re namd as “Malo Karanikolsko Jezero” and “Veliko Karanikolsko Jezero” (in Serbo-croatian) even though these lakes aren’t related to the Karanikolla peak.

The biggest slope of the mountain faces the north in 360º, while the slopes that constitute the Kosovo-Macedonia border face the top, one 40º to north-east, while the other 160º to the south.

Coordinates: N 42º04.684’

E 20º47.065’

Elevation: 2479m.

Tags: peaks, Sharr, hiking