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Bulgaria - Skiing Feb 2017Bulgaria - Skiing Feb 2017
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A 8-day adventure by S Read more
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  • TravelerBulgaria - Skiing Feb 2017
    Day 1

    Into Bulgaria

    February 11, 2017 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 0 °C

    Feeling punchdrunk after a 2am start, we were first off the plane in Sofia and left to wander through an eerily empty airport. We were given the front seats in the plane...it was so pleasant I'd consider paying for it in future! Beautiful scenery through the flight though, especially the mountains around Munich and northern Italy.Read more

  • TravelerBulgaria - Skiing Feb 2017
    Day 2

    First morning!

    February 12, 2017 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ -7 °C

    Up super early for breakfast, before walking to get kitted out before the rush. Thank goodness we did as it gave us an opportunity to try and get out snow legs back before the ski test! -5 degrees at the bottom of the runs and a misty start made for a freezing start!Read more

  • TravelerBulgaria - Skiing Feb 2017
    Day 2

    So...we've forgotten everything!

    February 12, 2017 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ -7 °C

    Our guide Alex is very...eastern European...clearly, British manners were not in order this morning and we were all very "wrong" at almost everything, and told about it in no uncertain terms. Cultural linguistic differences aside, we reached the top of the lift to glorious sunshine, before descending with very little grace having forgotten almost everything...indeed, snow plough seems to be the group preferred method. However, the view from the top is beautiful and there was beer for lunch which is always heartening. Hopeful for a less stressful, and perhaps less culturally direct, afternoon!Read more

  • TravelerBulgaria - Skiing Feb 2017
    Day 2

    The afternoon route

    February 12, 2017 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ -4 °C

    Our guide remained...blunt...this afternoon. He did eventually give some helpful hints but there was a definite sense that half term week was not his favourite. After a run down the same route as this morning, we ran a different afternoon route - once with the group and once on our own. After a day out in the cold on the piste, all manner of muscle groups began screaming towards the end. We walked back to the hotel to stretch out somewhat with Ben continuing this on the floor of the hotel room! Nonetheless lots of fun was had and some confidence regained. We may not use ski school every day - just the opportunity to mess about on the slopes and have a break would be nice, especially given the long green run through the forests we could do...without being told we are doing it wrong! The map and ski details sadly only show some of this afternoon...need to turn my ski tracker in earlier tomorrow.Read more

  • TravelerBulgaria - Skiing Feb 2017
    Day 3

    The Silver Fox

    February 13, 2017 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ -5 °C

    Woke up, got out of bed, legs screamed at us! Wow, my calves and Ben's thighs were feeling rather special this morning. We limped forlornly to breakfast before walking to the slopes to try and get the muscles warmed up. After a long morning debate, we went groupless this morning; we decided we could bimble around greens and blues together, at our pace and have our own fun. So we kitted up and headed for the same slope we finished on yesterday...despite the glorious weather lovely it was still -5 and we quickly had horrifically runny noses and frozen hair...I definitely did not look majestic this morning! However, after kitting up, I simply could not get my left ski on. Some moron - Ben - had taken my size 7 ski boot, so I had picked up his 8 by mistake...we looked very professional having to change shoes on the snow! We spent an hour or so doing the Martinovi Baraki 1 blue slope from yesterday a couple of times before breaking for warmth and muscle relief at the Silver Fox...where we eventually got a drink once the owners finished the massive argument they were having...Bulgarians seem rather binary in their social exchanges!Read more

  • TravelerBulgaria - Skiing Feb 2017
    Day 3

    The Royal Residence Run

    February 13, 2017 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ -7 °C

    After we'd sufficiently warmed up, we went back to the slopes for the Royal Residence Run - a long languid green run through the forests, verging on cross country skiing at points. Both of us were slightly concerned after only one corner when we had to de-ski and walk up part of the run - was this a going to be a common feature of this run? Thankfully, not. Whilst there were flat bits, most of it was a gentle slope through the beautiful forests.With enough energy for one more run we hit the Martinovi Baraki 1 blue once more before out muscles just gave up. All the photos and videos are on the GoPro...excellent as it includes one of me embarrasingly nearly stacking it whilst trying to record Ben! They do not include the rather irate fellow whom I annoyed by skiing ahead of him...he seemed rather upset despite the width and flatness of the slope! Importantly, despite this, neither one of us fell or ejected today ☺ An afternoon spent working and relaxing in the hotel, with after dinner beers and a fire. Rather feeling the effects of the cold on my face and my rather ruddy nose this evening! Plans to do the same again tomorrow but going up to the Markudjik centre at the top of the mountain to play on the slopes there before the long Musala Pathway blue back down...all that being based around us being able to move in the morning.Read more

  • TravelerBulgaria - Skiing Feb 2017
    Day 4

    Markudjik

    February 14, 2017 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ -16 °C

    As we walked into town this morning, I commented to Ben that, with a couple of days of confidence behind us, today felt like a day for falling over...I managed to fulfil this prophecy before even getting skis on! We planned on going to the top of the mountain, meaning once we were kitted up we had to walk to the otherside of town to the gondola. With snow boots on and skis on my shoulder, I left the kit shop, stepped outside and hit the deck hard - after a bambi-esque scramble for traction, I landed on a knee and a hand whilst the skis and poles clattered everywhere. Thankfully, no damage more than a few bruises and aches.

    Walking in snow boots means a complete inability to bend or move your ankle, so we walked the jaunty snow boot walk to the gondola. A 25 minute ride to 2369m and the weather was unbelieveable, not a single cloud in the sky all day from the base to the peak of the mountain. The view was equally stunning, snow tipped mountains on the horizon in every direction.

    We headed across a ski way and down Markudjik 2, a lovely wide and steep blue recommended by our rep, and enjoyed it so much we looped around and down it couple more times. The first run of the day was a bit of a killer - cold muscles complaininh the entire way. Ben was the real victim up here though - he caught a ski pole in the face from our very apologetic chair lift companion, before wiping out at the bottom of the run and almost going head over heels! Thankfully, in the latter situation, I had camera in hand and filmed the whole thing - for plentiful reruns over lunch later!

    As the peak filled up we left and headed down the Musala Path, a long blue which would run us all the way back to town. We descended into tree-lined glistening valleys with curling S-bends between longer flat runs. It was absolutely beautiful and a lovely ski too, one we will definitely do again.    Read more

  • TravelerBulgaria - Skiing Feb 2017
    Day 4

    Back to Martinovi Baraki

    February 14, 2017 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ -6 °C

    With legs enough for one more run, we returned to Martinovi Baraki as this chair lift always has such a short queue. It was the first time this week that the weather at the bottom of the lift had been as fabulous as it was at the top. This meant the view over the resort and beyond was equally as spectacular as at the top of the mountain. We barely saw a cloud all day.

    After handing in our kit for the day, we headed back to the hotel for a lunch of "traditional long sausage" and "traditional oblong meatball" - not as bad or obscure as it sounds! The pancake and ice cream dessert was a welcome surprise from usual hotel desserts of a cake-shaped mush.

    Breaking all the rules, we swam after lunch to try and stave off muscle ache tomorrow. The pool is very impressive with lovely snowy views outside. Back in the room, after more laughing at the video of Ben wiping out, the idea of work went out the window in favour of a nap before dinner.    Read more

  • TravelerBulgaria - Skiing Feb 2017
    Day 6

    Days 4 and 5

    February 16, 2017 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 3 °C

    We spent the last two days up at Markudjik again. Yesterday we ran the red Markudjik 2b...well, I ran it. Ben ran some of it, and scooted the rest either sliding sideways on his skis or on his butt! As I wanted for him at the bottom, I offered to take a photo of a family, which turned out to be a Y9 boy from school...! Ben eventually made it down and we ran the bottom section together before heading down the mountain and spening the afternoon relaxing and watching Blacklist.

    Today, we went back up again, although spent much of the day falling down. We were running the beautiful blue loop faster and faster...resulting in more than one fall for us both. We made today a short day to get some work done with the intent of being out for longer tomorrow...yet to start the work though!    Read more

  • TravelerBulgaria - Skiing Feb 2017
    Day 7

    Last skiing day

    February 17, 2017 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C

    After a hard afternoon and evening working yesterday, we planned to make the most of our last day skiing. We headed up to Markudjik to start the day with spectacular views, running the blue loop half a dozen times before heading down the Musala Path back to the resort. Then up the Sitnyokovo lift and down the blue we'd not done since Day 1 before finally coming down Martinovi Baraki one last time. Having covered almost all the pistes today, Ben decided he wanted to finished on a red...which we both made a pig's ear of but had fun nonetheless! Tomorrow, we have a half day in Sofia before flying home; until then, relaxing!Read more

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