Description

There are 40 mountains in Bulgaria and 8 of them are higher than 2000m.

In this itinerary 5 top mountain trails are selected and will for sure take your body and soul to another level. Another level of traveling and exploring the beauties of Bulgaria. Join in for the great trail running experience, conquering five of the tallest mountains in Bulgaria!

Difficulty

With a total running distance of more than 110km, 7150m D+, 7250m D- in 5 days this itinerary is suitable for intermediate to advanced trail runners.

Accommodation

Overnight stays are arranged in small family hotels which resemble the local spirit of the country and the delicious traditional food.

When to do it?

The most suitable time of the year is between June and late September. The crossing of the Marble ridge in Pirin requires good weather for optimal safety!

Prices

Price includes:

• All nights w/ breakfasts and dinners
• All transfers during the trip (airport to airport) 
• Lunch packs – energy bars and/or sandwiches during the days
• Mountain insurance for the time of the trip
• Licensed mountain guide

Price does NOT include:

• Transport to Bulgaria – flight, bus, train etc.
• Drinks during the trip
• Any equipment for trail running

Itinerary

Day 1. Arrival

Pick up at Sofia airport, transfer to the hotel, city tour and dinner in the centre.

Day 2. Vitosha mountain

Total distance 25km, 1500m D+, 1300m D-. Starting just in the vicinity of the capital city of Sofia, the route follows a nice path through the mixed forest. But soon we get in the wide, open plateaus and get rewarded with fascinating views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. After climbing Black peak, the highest in Vitosha and highest point of the day, we enjoy the soft, grassy top plateaus and then descent back to the support vehicle. Lowest altitude of the day 850m, highest 2290m. Estimated time to complete the route 4:30-6h.

Day 3. Rila mountain

Total distance ~ 28km; 1850m D+, 1550m D-. The route starts in Borovets – the oldest ski resort in Bulgaria and with a long and ‘gentle’ 1600m ascent we climb Musala peak – highest on the Balkans! Following the ridge in southern direction we continue over not technical mountain path climbing several peaks higher than 2700m. Then we start to descent in direction to the small rest area Treshtenik via Granchar hut. Plenty of fresh water along this route, except for the highest ridge paths. Lowest altitude for the day 1400m, highest 2925m, time to complete the route around 5-7:30h.

Day 4. Pirin mountain

Total distance 18km; 1600m D+, 2100m D-; Welcome to the steep, alpine North Pirin – the true beauty of the whole trip. Starting high at 1950m we climb directly Vihren peak (2914m) – the highest in Pirin and second highest in Bulgaria. A lot of technical, narrow terrain follows after that, mainly sharp, rocky ridges. The exceptionally panoramic Marble ridge is higher than 2700m along a length of 4km. But due to the karst character of the rocks, drinking water is scarce along the route, making it even more challenging. Lowest altitude for the day 1100m, highest 2914m, estimated time to complete the route 6-8h.

Day 5. Slavyanka mountain

Total distance 16km, 1500m D+, 1500m D-; Starting from 1000m in the beautiful old forests the route steeply takes us to the wide, open mountain ridge. The ridge itself goes south to the border with Greece providing us with fascinating views in all directions. The highest peak in the mountain – Gotsev (2214m) is located only 70km from the Mediterranean sea and we can see and feel the warmer weather and the different vegetation. After that we descent steeply to the forests and towards the support vehicle. Lowest altitude for the day 950m, highest 2212m, estimated time to complete the route 5-6h.

Day 6. Osogovo mountain

Total distance 26km, 700m D+, 700m D-; The last mountain we are going to conquer is located on the border with Macedonia. The lightest route of all five but rather long, it will take us to the highest peak Ruen (2251m). From there we will be able to see all the mountains we climbed the previous days, but not only – the Osogovo mountain is so panoramic! Lowest altitude for the day 1550m, highest 2251m, estimated time to complete the route 4-6h.

Transfer back to Sofia and a final dinner.

Day 7. Departure

Breakfast and transfer to Sofia airport.