Bulgarian Mountains mini-FAQ

 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Genral Questions

• 1.1 What are the mountains of Bulgaria?
• 1.2 What time of the year is the best for treeking or climbing?
• 1.3 What is the weather like?
• 1.4 What guide books are available?
• 1.5 What (good) on-line info is available?
• 1.6 Which places are the best for treeking?
• 1.7 Do I need tent?
• 1.8 What maps are available?
• 1.9 What national parks are there in Bulgaria?

2. Climbing Questions

• 2.1 Which places are the best for climbing?
• 2.2 What special equipment do I need?

Frequently Given Answers (FGA)

1. Genral Questions

1.1 What are the mountains of Bulgaria?

• The longest mountain range is Stara Planina - it crosses the middle of Bulgaria in East-West direction. The highest peak is Botev peak(2???m).
• The highest is Rila with its Musala peak(2925m).
• The most beautiful is Pirin. Highest is peak Vihren(2914m).
• The best for easy trekking is Rodopi. It is mainly forests.
• Near the capital Sofia is Vitosha. Highest peak Cherni Vrah (2???m)
• There are a lot more mountains - Plana, Verila, Strandzha, Sakar, Osogowska planina...

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1.2 What time of the year is the best for treeking or climbing?

May be August is the best weather for summer and February-March is the best for winter in the high mountains.

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1.3 What is the weather like?

think continetial climate. Winter is cold without much snowfall. Summer is hot and dry.

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1.4 What guide books are available?

There are some guidebooks in Bulgarian.

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1.5 What (good) on-line info is available?

• Federation of Bulgarian Alpine Clubs
• Vratza Rock Climbing Area
• Bulgarian Mountains

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1.6 Which places are the best for treeking?

Well it depends on what you are looking for, but any place that is marked on the maps as a trail is usually good.

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1.7 Do I need tent?

In most places there are huts and they are relatively cheap, so you don't need a tent. It is forbiddent to put up a tent in the national parks (think most of the Bulgarian mountains), except on the (few) designated places. You will usually find hot tea (no sugar!) for free in most of the huts. You can order some food, but do NOT rely on that. Better bring your gas stove if you plan to cook.

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1.8 What maps are available?

There are quite a lot of maps, but most of them are old and in "specially distorted" coordintes, so they are not very precise. Expect to pay 0.25 .. 2.00 € per sheet.

Some of the currently (2003-03-12) available maps:

Name	Year	Publisher	Scale	Sheets
Rila	1995	Cartografia, Ltd.	1:55000	1
Pirin	1996	Cartografia, Ltd.	1:55000	1
E-4	1992(?)	Cartografia, Ltd.	1:50000	5(?)
E-5	1992(?)	Cartografia, Ltd.	1:50000	5(?)
E-8	1992(?)	Cartografia, Ltd.	1:50000	7(?)

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1.9 What national parks are there in Bulgaria?

Main national parks are Rila, Pirin and Balkan. See Bulgarian National Parks official website for more info.

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2. Climbing Questions

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2.1 Which places are the best for climbing?

• Vratza - the biggest limestone wall. Best weather is in April-May and September-October.
• Malyowitsa - Granite walls and ice in winter
• Lakatnik - A lot of free routes

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2.2 What special equipment do I need?

Nothing special.

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