Bansko
 
 
The superb Western Face of Todorka with it's great forests and famous couloirs
 
    Well, when I think of Powder in Bulgaria I always think of Bansko. For this is the place where the one who seeks will find... There is always some hidden powder in the couloirs, the vast slopes and steep forests. And when I think of Bansko I definitely think of it's forests. Steep, rare forests of 500-years old P.peuce. Large open spaces which are always shaded, fallen trees covered with thick powder, rocks, which offer perfect possibilities for cliff dropping here and there ... The view of the tiny huts Bunderitca and Vihren in you feet when you ski the Western face of Todorka....

 But Bansko is not only the steep forests and the great 700m western wall of Todorka. It is also the gate of the great Pirin mountains. Large, geometrically perfectly shaped slopes are everywhere. Untouched, they wait for the ones who are ready to climb a whole day and then feel the joy of a 1000 m run. One can ski here a whole year without ever repeating his tracks...
 
The Eastern Face of Vihren and Kutelo Peaks 
The  Eastern Faces of Vihren and Kutelo  Peaks offer possibilities for long and interesting runs.		 The 1000m Eastern Face of Vihren 
         The 1000m high  Wall of Vihren viewed from Bunderitca hut 
 

 Vitosha

Just above the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia stands a not very big but beautiful mountain - Vitosha. It is not so high as Rila (just 2200m), not so long as the Balkans and so perfectly shaped as Pirin, but it is our mountain. The place where we have taught to ski and ski every possible day, the place where we climb and roam in the summer. And although Vitosha is so small it offers some very interesting places for skiing.
 
Vitosha, the terrain beside Gorno Lale ski run   My favorite is the region of ACADEMICA II chair lift. Passing just above the steep terrain of "The Avalanche" this lift delivers you just 100m away from the peak of The Big Rezen. And the Eastern wall of it is separated in 4 big couloirs. Every of them offers something different. The first is steep and narrow, the second-large with a lot of rocks in it, The third- like the 2nd and the fourth- like a wide steep boulevard. Just the kind of skiing one may prefer at a certain moment. 
To the Left: "The Avalanche" and Academica II chair Lift
Another famous place for skiing is the region of Kominite. It is interesting, but sadly, avalanches are very common there and have caused the death of friends and injuries for others.

Stara Planina (TheBalkan range)
    Stara Planina (the Balkan) is the longest mountain range of Bulgaria. It has given the name of the hole explosive peninsula. And the mountain is so wild as it's population.
For my greatest pity I can't write a lot about Stara Planina because I haven't skied there. Anyway my summer visits have put it in the plans, I just need several free days in late April, a car and a company of friends.
In the summer Stara Planina is very popular place, but the nasty weather conditions drive away the people in the winter. Since this long mountain range stops the incoming cold western masses the weather here is unpredictable. It may be a sunny beautiful day and in a sudden a strong wind appears (often more than 100 km/h) and brings so dense fog that you can't even see your shoes. As long as I know the snow conditions are the same. So the time for skiing is late spring. And if I should say something about the terrain - well, it is like the one of "The Evil Streams" in Maljovitca region, maybe even wilder. The most often name of valleys here is Dzandem (Abyss). Unpassable forests with bears and huge, very steep grass covered slopes above them. Steep cold streams,100 m waterfalls, and big avalanches- this is what the Balkan is. Scary and very beautiful. Attractive and terrifying...
 

 

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