Something like Dartmoor

We always criticise others and each other of comparing your travels to places back home, or places you have already been. Oh what the hell, it reminded us of Dartmoor.

After yesterdays wander around the capital, Sofia, which had left us underwhelmed and faintly disappointed. Maybe this is another repercussion of travelling for a while, or it is a result of us moving through several countries fairly rapidly?

Do they all begin to blur into one?

We had seen the mountain to the south of Sofia, literally on its doorstep. Maybe this was Sofia’s defining feature, which made it worth while living here.

We went to have a look.

The start point wasn’t that far from where we had located Dora for the night. We just had to hop on Sofia’s equivalent of the M25 or the M30 around Madrid. Five minutes later and we were climbing up a cobbled road to another ski resort.

It was immediately obvious that this is the real local one, shabby, not really looked after. There were a few people here, some maintenance workers and some children doing outdoor adventure type things; some were on zip wires others on a climbing wall, but as always only a few were taking part, the rest had to wait the best part of the day to take their turn.

The range is called Mount Vitosha and the summit is Cherni Vrukh and is the forth highest peak in Bulgaria. We didn’t get to the first, but we did manage the second, would we be lucky with the fourth?

It is a really rocky and steep start and we cannot believe that this is the end of a ski run. And that drag lift off to the left, dragging you up here, no thanks. Ok it would be a lot different with a metre of snow. The drag lift looks in a really poor state, so bad it can’t still be in use. Why don’t they take it out, rather than littering up their countryside.

Below we can see the fast receding ski infrastructure, beyond Sofia and its airport.

Above, not much is visible up the steep slope.

The heavily eroded path indicates this is a popular and well used route, although today we are alone.

It is also well marked. A good thing as we have no map!

We are soon up with the clouds. It is not such a clear day. They are hanging around the summits. We are not sure if we will get a view from the top.

More detritus from long ago abandoned ski stuff.

It looks like something from the wild west. Left over rusting equipment, maybe from some gold rush.

The path turns into a track, it doesn’t feel that remote up here, although the encroaching cloud gives it a chilly and eerie feel.

Off the track it reminds us a lot of a Dartmoor type terrain, although not so high Dartmoor being more fearsome though.

A tricky bit of compacted snow to cross. It covers a gully and beneath it you can here a stream running full of melt water. We need to tread carefully, the snow can collapse plunging your feet into freezing  river.

I am not really sure about the stuff, part of me thinks it adds to the bleak landscape, like some forgotten piece of sculpture, or is it just litter to be cleaned up?

It is starting to get really moody now. We have no idea where the summit is, somewhere up there no doubt.

And then in clears and a large building is revelled. No wonder we got such good Wi-fi down below.

Someone else has beat us to it and is also wandering around, must be cold in those shorts!

The summit surprises us, surely this cannot be it already. It has only taken an hour and a half.

A few information boards confirm we are at the summit. We are a bit disappointed really.

We check out the other vistas.

Over to one side is a large ball building, never understood what these buildings were about, maybe someone could tell me. We check it out and find it is occupied by a group of people and dogs, maybe we shouldn’t be here. We make a hasty retreat.

And then we head back down the way we came. This time taking a slightly different route, down the track for speed.

And then off piste, directly across the rather soggy, overgrown grasses. It adds to the interest and was again quicker.

It must be amazing to have a mountain range right on your doorstep, one thing I really wished we had in London.

At least it will give us a good run onto our next destination and we won’t be driving too late.

 

You might rightly question whether trekking is actually a good way to see a country.

It is something we have been asking ourselves.

Many times, the landscapes can appear very similar, mountainous. They do vary, dramatically, but they are still hilly, steep, rocky and when at a certain altitude and a certain time of year, snowy.

The people are of a similar type; hill walkers, some will be of the country, a lot will be visitors, tourists you might say.

The differences from country to country, you might say, are subtle.

Is it any different from judging a country by visiting its art museums, or its shopping malls.

It may be the case, but at the end of the day, apart from wandering around the cities and towns and eating local food, everybody ends up doing what they like to do. Some people sunbathe on the beach, some people go partying at nights, some people visit museums, others stay in swimming pool hotels. We climb mountains. This is part of our travel experience. SM

 

This trip has provided us with the time we could never previously make available.

Some of the landscapes have been familiar, but never the same, and never boring.

Some, usually the ones that went wrong, will stick in the memory for a long time, the other a pleasant day out.

Today was a pleasant day out.

 

Dora has sat patiently for us. She carefully negotiates the twisting cobbled road back down to the suburbs of Sofia. We then head North-east towards Plovdiv.

GDR