6-Day Guided hiking in the Rila and Pirin Mountains
Join Damyan, an UIMLA-certified guide through the Balkans. You will hike over mountains only to look out onto lakes!
Details
Trip Duration
6 days
Mountain Range
Balkan Mountains
People per Guide
10 people
Trip Level
Intermediate
Offer Period
Jul, Sep
Type of Trip
Not specified
Highlights
Price per person
Price includes
- Guiding fee
- Accommodation
- Lifts tickets
- Transport during the trip
- Tips
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Itinerary
- Day 1: Day 1
Depending on what time you arrive in Sofia, there will be a sightseeing tour of the town (if you arrive too late, this activity can be postponed until the final day). From there we will be transported to the Rila mountain range and settle in our accommodation at the Resort Panichishte in Rila mountain (1200m.alt).
- Day 2: Day 2 Seven Rila Lakes – Malyovitsa
Transportation will take us to the lower station of chair lift (1600m). We will take the lift to reach hut Rilski ezera (2135м), where our 8-hour hike begins. With a steady ascent in the beginning, only getting slightly steeper at the highest path location, we will hike the main ridge of the mountain. Here we will be able to take in the view of the 7 lakes. Then we will head toward Mt. Malyovitsa. After passing peak Malyovitsa, we will walk down along the valley where our transportation will take us to our accommodation in village Govedartsi.
- Day 3: Day 3 Mt. Musala – highest point on Balkan peninsula
Transfer to Borovets resort, where we will take a gondola lift to hut Yastrebets (2368m.) The beginning of the route from there is nearly flat, but it then ascends to the top (2925m.) During our 7-hour hike we will pass several lakes and get many scenic views. We will take the gondola lift back to the starting point and then transfer to village Govedartsi.
- Day 4: Day 4 Crossing the mountain to Rila Monastery
A short transfer will bring us to the bottom of Malyovitsa valley. The trail will lead us uphill to the highest point (2500m), where we will cross the main ridge of the mountain. Then we will hike down to“Kirilova polyan”(1470m), where our transportation will be waiting for us in order to visit the famous Rila Monastery before transfering to a family-run hotel in the village Bansko for the evening.
- Day 5: Day 5 Mt. Vihren – the highest peak of Pirin Mountain
We will take a short transfer to the exit point of our the path for this day’s hike. In 3 hours we will reach the highest point (2914m.) During the hike we will be surrounded of steep slopes and especially the wall of Mt. Vihren. After a break at the top we will descend back to the transportation vehicle. We will stay the night in Bansko.
- Day 6: Day 6 Hike to Popovo lake and Mt. Dzhano
Popovo lake is the largest (13 200 sq.m.) and deepest (29.5m.) lake in the Pirin mountain. Our hike today begins with a chair lift, which will bring us to hut Bezbog (2240m.). The path to the lake is easy to hike up and down. Once we have finished this, we will go to Mt. Dzhano and then hike downhill to the Kremenski lakes. We will then be transported to the same hotel from the night prior in Bansko.
- Day 7: Final Day--Back to Sofia
Transfer back to Sofia. Optional guided sightseeing tour of the town will be offered, if you were unable to do so on the first day. We will then offer transportation to the airport.
Other details
Intermediate
Fit
Sofia, Bulgaria
The schedule may change due to bad weather conditions. The participants must possess: comfortable hiking shoes, waterproof jacket, sunglasses, at least 1L bottle for water, sunscreen, fleece jackets and polyester T shirts.
About the Guide
My first touch to the mountain had been at age of 3 with my father. Since then I have been spending valuable time among the mountains - at first in Bulgaria and later across the Alps every summer. At age of 24 I visited rock climbing course and two years later I graduated climbing instructor course. In 2010 I finished my the training for mountain leader and decided to devote my life to sharing this passion called mountain experience.
If you intend to visit Bulgaria to climb trad routes you will find several of them set by myself and my climbing buddies.
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