Echo of the voice

32 out of the 65 highest peaks in Albania are located in the Albanian Alps, making this the most mountainous region in the whole country. The density of these peaks, such as Jezerca (2694m), Radohima (2570m) etc, conditioning the surrounding area to have its own microclimate, but also endless space for mountain echo. Sound waves propagate in concentric circles at the source of sound and spreading through space. If the sound collides with softer objects, it vanishes. Whereas in broad mountain valleys the peaks of the mountains are continuous one after the other, therefore conveying the sound from one peak to the other. It is precisely this effect of conveying back the sound in the opposite direction to its source is called the mountain echo. In the Alps, this effect can also be experienced in the canyons, such as the one in Theth. In earlier times, its old name was actually ‘Uji i bardhë’ (the white water) canyon, inspired by the foamy flows of snow water in the spring. In the absence of infrastructure and means of communication, the echo effect has historically been used by highlanders to transmit news from one area to another. However, this sound effect should be taken into account especially during heavy snowy winters especially in the mountain gorges, even a single sound can cause dangerous avalanches.