Day 1 - Arrive in Sofia

 

Arrive in Sofia Airport by 14:00. Meet your guide and have a historical tour of the best sights and architechture of Sofia. On the banks of the Iskar river, the city has a number of mineral springs and baths Your guide will provide a briefing for the week ahead and answer all your questions.

 

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

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Day 2 - Snowshoe Mount Vitosha

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We start with a short transfer to the mountain of Vitosha, the symbol of Sofia and a favourite location for winter skiing and snowshoeing, or summer hiking, mountain biking and running. Our snowshoe route starts at an altitude of 1700m (5559ft), along an easy trail offering fabulous views to the Valley of Sofia, the Balkan mountains to the north, and the Rila mountains to the south.

We start our descent before stopping for lunch at the Momina Skala mountain hut (the name translates as Maidens Rock), famed for its nettle soup with local Bulgarian white cheese.

We then continue to descend past the beautiful frozen waterfall of Boyana where we may see ice climbers. From Boyana we have a transfer to the tiny ski resort of Panichishte in the Rila mountains, famous in Bulgaria as the gateway of the Seven Lakes region.

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Ascent: 410m (1340ft)
Descent: 1200m (3924ft)
Approx snowshoe time: 6 hrs
Approx driving time Boyana to Panichishte: 1.5 hours

 

Day 3 - Skakavitsa Snowshoe

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This area is well-known in Bulgaria for spectacular scenery and wildlife. We ascend through pine forests before heading to the sidevalley of Skakavitsa. We are aiming for the oldest mountain hut in Bulgaria - the Skakavitsa hut, where we can enjoy a morning coffee. If conditions allow we will take a detour to the nearby waterfall, or at least to the view point for photographs.

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We then climb further through the forest to come out above the tree line at a feature known as Dry Ridge, from where we will enjoy fantastic views to the Skakavitsa valley and the Seven Lakes, before circling back to where we began.

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On the descent you can usually opt to take a chairlift down to the valley if you prefer - this costs approximately 9 € and is not included in the price of your trip, as the intention is to descend through the pine forest on foot. 

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Ascent: 744m (2432ft)
Descent: 608m (1988ft)
Approx snowshoe time: 6 hrs

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Day 4 - Seven Lakes Snowshoe 

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A great and challenging day today with wonderful panoramic views! We'll make use of the nearby chairlift to access the route, which starts at 2100m (6867ft) at the Rila Lakes mountain hut, and we'll spend most of the day above the treeline.

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We immediately begin our climb in the direction of the Razdela Pass, first heading towards Fish Lake, then past the old Seven Lakes mountain hut, and onwards to the Green Ridge, on the eastern side of the cirque.

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Finally we will see the Razdela Pass ahead of us (2610m, 8535ft) - this is a meeting point of 6 different trails, but as it's too difficult to reach in the winter, our goal will be to a high point at approximately the same height as the pass. From here we will be able to see all of the Seven Lakes before we begin our gentle descent into the valley for a well-earned Bulgarian beer.

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Ascent: 681m (2226ft)
Descent: 953m (3116ft)
Approximate Snowshoe time: 6-7 hrs

 

Day 5 - Malyovitsa Snowshoe

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Today we start our snowshoe at the former Bulgarian Mountaineering School, heading up the valley to the Malyovitsa mountain hut which is impressively surrounded by jagged alpine peaks and cliffs. From the high terrace at 2220m (7259ft) we will be able to see approximately 20 of Bulgaria's highest mountains, including the summit of Mount Malyovitsa at 2729m (8924ft).

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By lunchtime we will have descended to Mala Cherkva village for lunch in a traditional tavern which has a great reputation for local food such as Bulgarian bean soup, or Kavarma, a stew cooked in a claypot.

After lunch we begin our drive to Bansko, with the option to stop en-route at Sapareva Banya, home to the hottest mineral geyser in Europe which erupts every 7 seconds sending a jet of water 7 metres (23ft) high!

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The thermal baths which cost approximately 4 Euros (not included) are modern and clean, and will supply you with a towel if you would like to have a quick dip.

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Ascent: 492m (1608ft)
Descent: 492m (1608ft)
Approx snowshoe time: 3 hrs
Approx driving time Malyovitsa to Bansko: 2 hrs

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Day 6 - Showshoe Bezbog summit in the Pirin Mountains

Today, we enter the Pirin region with its 176 lakes, 400 square km of pines and over one hundred 2,000m+ peaks. Though wolves, jackals and bears live here, we snowshoers are more likely to spot birdlife, from woodpeckers to peregrine falcons. We’ll snowshoe from the Gotse Delchev hut then chairlift up to the Bezbog hut for a picnic lunch. Enjoy stunning views from Bezbog’s 2645m summit. There’s an option to climb nearby Polejan at 2851m, one of the Balkans’ highest peaks. Your guide will gauge group speed and mood to make that call. 

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Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Showshoeing: approx 4.5hrs

Altitude gain / loss: +450m / -450m (or +650m / -650m if inc. Polejan)

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Day 7 - Snowshoe the Bunderista Cirque and lakes

You have two nights in Bansko so enjoy a more relaxed start today. The Bunderitsa cirque is on the cards today, one of the country’s best-known snowshoe trips. Our trail begins in the lush pines of the Bunderitsa valley. We’ll ascend to views of Mount Vihren, a.k.a. Pirin's marble giant. At 2914m (9557ft) it’s the Balkan's third highest peak. It resembles a marble pyramid and its north face is an impressive 400m (5248ft) vertical wall. After enjoying the Bunderitsa lakes we return to the Vihren mountain hut for the return to Bansko for a folklore dinner in a legendary Bansko tavern. 

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Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Showshoeing: approx 6hrs

Altitude gain / loss: +665m / -665m

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Day 8 - Departure day

After breakfast we inlude a departure transfer from Bankso to Sofia airport, leaving at at approximately 08:00, arriving at the airport at 10:30 for flights leaving from 12:30 onwards.

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If you require a private transfer this can be arranged, just ask for a quote. The group departure time from Bansko may change to a later time once everyone has submitted their flight details.

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We can also organise extra nights in Sofia if you would like to have more time in the capital.

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