‘Keep hope alive’: Family of Adelaide hiker last seen in Albania reveal major update after eight month ordeal

The family of an Australian who disappeared on a hiking trip in Albania have issued a fresh plea for answers, revealing their latest update eight months after he vanished. Cameron Twiss, 28, last spoke to his family ahead of trek into the Albanian Alps in October last year. His family are now fundraising for a private investigator following extensive searches of the area. “So far Albanian police have not found any evidence and DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) haven’t been able to help,” Cameron’s brother Stuart said in the fundraiser. “Our family has now employed private investigators, but despite their efforts, we’ve had no breakthroughs. “We’re reaching out to ask for help - any financial contribution, no matter how small, would mean the world to us and will go directly toward continuing the search for Cameron.” Launched on Monday, the fundraiser had garnered more than $10,000 as of Wednesday night. Mr Twiss went missing in the Albanian Alps, which are also named the Accursed Mountains, which extend across Albania’s northern border into Montenegro. Mr Twiss had planned to hike from an isolated village called Valbona, to another isolated village called Theth. Hiking websites generally consider the trip a moderately difficult trek while anecdotes on forums suggest hikers should take a guide on the journey during winter. The Adelaide Advertiser interviewed a hiking guide who took Mr Twiss and a group onto the trail, who revealed Mr Twiss split from the trek by himself part-way through the hike. The guide reported he was last seen heading for the busy path to Theth. The hike requires a day of travel by road to the remote starting point. Albanian authorities found Mr Twiss’ passport in his hostel hundreds of kilometres away in the city of Shkoder. The hostel operator filed a missing persons report when Mr Twiss did not collect his belongings. “Your support can make a real difference in helping us find answers,” Stuart said in the fundraiser. “Please share this message and help us keep hope alive and find some answers in this hard time.”