Snowstorm, Summit, and Open-Air Pool

… and all of that within 3 days. How did it come about?

Actually, I had quite a bit of free time this week and used it to take a multi-day hiking vacation in the Pirin Mountains with Nikita and Inka. At least that was the plan; reality looked different. Already on the ascent of the first summit in Bansko, we noticed that Inka wasn’t feeling well. While she initially wanted to keep up with Sisu, after the first few hundred meters of elevation gain, she thought better of it. It really isn’t a good idea to do a hut-to-hut tour in the mountains if you can’t be sure you’ll make it back down. Especially because there was already snow on the ground.

That’s why Inka made the quick decision to turn back. We redistributed our provisions for several days, and Inka headed back down while Nikita and I ventured step by step upward. On the ascent to Wichren, we didn’t encounter many people, but instead a huge herd of mountain goats. How was the view from Bulgaria’s third-highest mountain?

Well, no idea, because once we reached the top it was so foggy that we could barely find the summit cross.

Instead of staying long, we quickly made our way back down, which really wasn’t easy. Completely covered in snow and only passable with chains, we felt our way forward cautiously. The weather grew worse and worse, so much so that even Nikita, who usually did daring hiking tours, admitted that we probably had to change our plans. The Koncheto ridge, known for its wind and where our shelter was located, was simply too dangerous in this weather. So we took an alternative route down. While we initially hoped to find shelter in a nearby refuge hut, we discovered upon arrival that it was closed for renovation. So we continued down the mountain, back to the hut at the starting point.

Meanwhile, time passed and it grew darker. Fortunately, Nikita had a headlamp with him, so we safely arrived at the hut around 8:30 p.m. Completely exhausted and grateful, we settled into a heated room and dug into our provisions.

The next morning felt like Christmas in a picture book. It had continued snowing overnight, and everything was covered by a 20-centimeter layer of snow. Beautiful!

After some consideration, Nikita decided that it wouldn’t be worth continuing the hike and headed back home. So our paths parted ways, and I made my way to Bansko, where I had planned to spend some time anyway. The following days were full of relaxation.

Since I had found two inexpensive single rooms for myself in the off-season, I spent the days mostly lounging in bed and taking small walks to the supermarket and around town. On one of my walks, my path naturally led me to the nearest bookstore, since I had foregone bringing a book in my travel planning. My choice fell on a very inexpensive 1978 edition and “Animal Farm” by George Orwell. I had wanted to read both anyway, so I was very happy to find them both in one book.

Another small excursion took me to the neighboring town of Dobrinischte, a spa town known for its hot springs. Unfortunately, the authentic mineral bath was closed, so I ended up at another spa. In fact, I had it almost completely to myself, which might have been because the large outdoor pool was completely unheated. But combined with the warm jacuzzi next door, no problem. The only downside was that the sauna was closed due to lack of visitors, which was really a shame.

Well rested, I arrived back in Vegetarium on Friday evening, where I was greeted by our cat Lupe Joe on the way in. While I had been away, the others had moved the kitchen indoors and had started cooking on the wood stove. The cool temperatures were making themselves felt.