Rila Ski Touring Adventure

Rila Ski Touring Adventure

Balkan Vagabondz invites you on a two-day ski touring adventure exploring the northwestern parts of Rila Mountains.

In order to participate in this adventure you need to be:
• In good physical condition
• Familiar with the parallel curves in different snow conditions (powder, slush, crust, firm snow)
• Have the necessary gear
• Have an insurance

This program is suitable for people that don’t need so much of technical skiing and rather enjoy being in the mountains in winter, without doing any challenging slopes.

~ Day 1 ~ 

1,5 hours drive from Sofia to Pionerska Hut in Rila Mountains. We get the lift up to 2140 m at Rila Lakes Hut and skin up. We ascent up to 2700 at Otovitsa Ridge for about 3-3,5 hours and ski down to the hut. Some nice slopes around the hut will give us additional opportunity to skin up and go down in the afternoon. The night we spent in Ivan Vazov Hut – 2300m.

~ Day 2 ~

There are a few options (depending on conditions) to ski back down to the starting point at Pionerska Hut. We will ensure you have more than a 1000 m of descent on nice slopes. We’ll visit the thermal pools at Sapareva Banya village at the end of the adventure. Transfer back to Sofia – 1,5 hours.

~ What to bring? ~
• Touring skis
• Ski touring bindings with ski/walk mode and breaks or straps
• Climbing skins
• Ski crampons
• Poles
• AT ski boots (with rubber sole and ski/walk mode
• Personal rescue equipment – beacon, shovel, probe
• Rucksack (35-45l)
• Water bottle (1l)
• Wind proof jacket with hood
• Wind proof trousers
• 2 pairs of gloves (tiny ones for touring and ski gloves)
• Sun glasses
• Sun cream
• Sun hat
• Warm hat
• Ski goggles
• Travel linen for the hut
• Snacks
• Personal Aid Kit