Karanikola (also known as: Karanikolitsa) is a mountain top of Shar Mountain, in the northwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. It is an integral part of Shar Mountain and its height is 2,409 meters. The peak is located northwest of the city of Tetovo, on the border with Kosovo. Its location is located right in the middle of the main ridge of the Shar Planina stretch, almost at the halfway point of its stretch, not far from the place where it changes direction from northwest to south, and at its southern foot on the Macedonian side are the beautiful Karanikolicko Lake and Mal Gjol.
Karanikola lake or Golem Gjol is the first and largest lake of the three that bear the name Gjol on Shar Mountain. It is a natural glacial lake located in the Karanikol area at 2,300 m.a.s.l. Karanikolska River flows from it.
The lake is 590 meters long and 115 meters wide. Its total volume is 675 m and it has an area of 26,240 m². It is 5.60 meters deep. It is characterized by an elliptical shape elongated in the direction from north to south, which has a curved shape on the eastern side, while on the western side it is straight. It has steep banks. The lake has many underwater springs, which are arranged mostly next to each other. Golem Gjol has no tributaries, but gets its water exclusively through underwater springs. The highest water level in the lake is in the spring. The water is lukewarm, but it is not characterized by impeccable purity due to the pollution caused by livestock. However, due to its depth, the lake has a dark blue and greenish color. According to its origin and formation, the Karanikolic Lake is cirque, that is, it has an erosive-cirque origin, that is, it was formed in the hollowed-out part of the cirque where the mountain glaciers began to move, and it is the largest cirque lake on the Shar Mountain.
Mal Gjol (also known as Small or Gorno Karanikolicko Lake) is the second of the three lakes that bear the name Gjol on Shar Mountain. It is a small glacial lake located in the Karanikola area at 2,300 m above sea level, immediately to the west above the Karanikola Lake in a depression (circus) below the peaks of Scarpa and Guri Sheremetica. Its basin is rocky and pear-shaped. The surface around the lake is meadow. It is 115 meters long and 102 meters wide. Its total volume is 313 m and it has an area of 8,240 m². It is 0.80 meters deep. It is characterized by clear water, but at the bottom it is murky. although there are no tides, the lake never dries up. When there is a high water level, the water drains over the rocky hollow bed.
Source: Wikipedia
Tour
(under construct.)
Mountain trails nearby:
Bike trails nearby:
Village Veshala – Karanikola Lake – Golem Gjol (7 km.)
Village Veshala – Peak Karanikola – Peak Skarpa (8,5 km.)
Village Veshala – Peak Karanikola – Peak Skarpa – Peak Guri Sheremetica (9,2 km.)
- Above options are included in the GPS link
