The village of Tamara is found in the Kelmend valley in the very north of Albania, right near the border with Montenegro. In recent years quite a bit of sport climbing has been developed here. Some of the routes have great rock, some not so much. The bolting is generally very friendly. The valley floor sits at just 300 meters above sea level, meaning summer here gets quite hot, making spring and fall the best seasons for climbing here. Besides the sport climbing the valley is worth visiting for the scenery, hiking and multi pitching.
In and near the village of Tamara there are guesthouses, campsites, spots for vans, restaurants and stores for basic groceries. It is recommended to stock up on bigger groceries and cash before coming to the valley. It is also smart to make sure you have enough gas in your car before coming over the pass to Kelmend.
Valley sector: the here offer nice slab and face climbing on rock that is more interesting than it might look from afar. Apart from one harder one all the routes fall in to the 6th degree and the climbing is mostly balancy, on water holes and crimps. The setting is very pleasant, overlooking the valley and river. The wall gets a lot of sun throughout the day. Only in the early morning and evening can you climb in the shade.
Antikontrabanda: a bigger sector close to the Valley sector. Some routes still have significant amounts of loose rock, but there's several lines that are quite nice and worthwhile as well. The climbing style is varied and there's lines with everything from slabs to overhangs, both long and short, crimps, jugs and even an occasional tufa. In spring especially there is quite some shade here during the afternoon.
Fushë Futbolli: a small, accessible sector. You park close to town, and climb close to where you park. The base of the routes is flat and comfortable. The climbing is mostly crimpy and fingery.
Kaskadë: this sector is found not far past the Fushë Futbolli sector, at the entrance of a narrow valley. The base of the routes is by a small stream. In spring the belayer might get their feet wet! The climbing is mostly slabby, and the water washed rock has pleasant smooth rounded shapes, and ergonomic jugs.
Forever young: a little further up the valley is this sector with only 4 routes so far. The main wall is an impressive overhang with tufas, the approach and base of the routes are steeper, giving this wall a very different character from the sectors below.
