Walking in Bulgaria's National Parks. Julian Perry
left, following a faintly marked green-blazed path. This makes a very steep and stony zigzag climb, before dropping back down towards the river near a pretty forest pool after about 10mins. Some 5mins later you will come to an old, rather incongruous, drag-lift sign on a tree within a deep forest gully. Here fork up left, climbing a stony path still on the true right bank of the stream.
After 10mins fork left again, climbing so steeply through the forest that you will be forced to find hand-holds on roots and rocks. To make matters even more awkward, large trees also lie strewn across the trail, so you will need to keep a careful eye on the blazes and what little there is in the way of a path. Eventually, after about 45mins, the trail levels off and becomes clearer. Contouring on, you now get a first glimpse right through the forest towards the high mountain pastures and sheepfolds on the flank of Gugla (1805m). Then finally, having crossed a forest brook and with a gentle climb, you emerge after 25mins at hizha Benkovski (1535m).
The hut stands at the upper edge of the treeline on the southern flank of the so-called Bratanishki Ushi, the two peaks of Golemi Ushi (1766m) and Malki Ushi (1726m). The latter can be climbed in less than 30mins from the hut, and offers a fine view towards the main ridge of the Stara Planina, on which the peaks Tetevenska Baba (2070m), Buluvanya (2043m) and Bratanitsa (1992m) stand out clearly.
Hizha Benkovski is permanently manned and it is usually possible to buy a bowl of hot soup from the kitchen.
DAY 2
Hizha Benkovski to Hizha Eho
| Time | 5hrs 15mins |
| Distance | 16km |
| Ascent | 750m |
| Descent | 650m |
| Highest point | 2198m (Vezhen) |
Today’s stage involves some fine open ridge-walking along the backbone of the Stara Planina, crossing extensive high mountain pastures at the southern edge of the Tsarichina Reserve. This reserve is renowned for its rich flora, with over 600 species having been recorded here, including some rare Bulgarian endemics such as Alchemilla catachnoa, Anthemis sancti-johannis and Viola balcanica. The reserve takes its name from the beautiful red-flowered Geum coccineum, which can be seen blooming in damp places. According to legend, this flower was the favourite of a princess (tsaritsa) who spent much time convalescing from a serious illness in the region. In good weather the gently undulating trail is easy to follow and a true delight to walk. However, in poor visibility navigation would become difficult.
On the main ridge of the Stara Planina at the edge of the Tsarichina Reserve
From hizha Benkovski (1535m) set off into the trees. The trail crosses a shallow gully and then runs on southeast through the top edge of the beech forest. After 10mins you emerge at a junction of tracks. The right-hand track, marked in green, curves round the head of a deep valley, passing the now defunct Dom na Ovchari (‘house of shepherds’), once the centre of a substantial high-mountain livestock-rearing complex. This trail climbs up and over the ridge saddle Antonski Preval, ultimately bound for the village of Anton, but you go left, following a stony track with red and green blazes that climbs to the saddle Vetroviti Preslap (1610m) after 10mins.
The green-blazed trail now continues on along the track, descending east into the valley of the Suvatski Dol en route for hizha Vezhen. However, you fork off right, following the winter pole-markers south up the grassy spur of Bratanashki Rid. After about 20mins the slope levels off slightly, and some 10mins later you bend away left on the red-blazed summer trail, contouring across an avalanche slope on the northeastern flank of Bratanitsa (1992m). After about 15mins the path becomes quite faint, and overgrown with dwarf juniper. Your best option now is simply to climb straight on up to the main ridgeback after about 5mins. There you can pick up the winter pole-markers at the start of a narrow rocky crest known as the Staroplaninsko Konche.
The trail along the crest is a delight, threading its way over and between rock outcrops as it skirts along the southern border of the Tsarichina Reserve. After 20mins you reach a col and reunite with the red-blazed summer path, following it on left to skirt north of Papa (1976m). Another 20mins then brings you to the next saddle, where you begin a steady climb.
On reaching a junction some 30mins later, ignore the grassy path that breaks off left, and simply keep straight on up the main ridge following the pole-markers. After a couple more minutes a second junction is reached, where a yellow-blazed trail cuts back left past the source of the River Zavodna bound for hizha Vezhen. You keep straight on along the red-blazed pole-marked ridge trail, and after 10mins reach a third junction. Ignore the winter trail to hizha Vezhen, which breaks off left, and keep straight on east-northeast to arrive in a little under 10mins on the summit of Vezhen (2198m).
The peak itself is unimpressive – a broad grassy plateau-like dome that is often bleak and windswept – but in fine weather it does offer some impressive views, in particular east-northeast towards hizha Eho, which can be seen perched on the ridge between the peaks of Yumruka (1819m) and Kavladan (1710m).
From the summit, keep gently on along the ridge. You pass a memorial cross, then skirt north of a rocky peak before eventually uniting with a broad blue-blazed packhorse track. Climbing on along this, you then arrive at the saddle Kamennata Porta (2080m), some 20mins from the summit of Vezhen. From the saddle, the blue-blazed trail, known as the Klisurskata Pateka (‘the Klisura path’), drops southeast over the ridge bound for Klisura. However, you continue straight on east along the main ridge, skirting south of Kamenitsa (2104m).
After about 40mins, ignore the unmarked path that crosses over the ridge, and continue along the main trail, a wonderful ridge-walk skirting a succession of rocky outcrops. Some 15mins later you reach a col where there is a memorial below the path to the right. The trail now switches to the northern flank of the ridge and, after another 10mins, brings you to the Ribarishki Prohod (1735m), the highest pass in the Stara Planina.
Ignore a clear path that forks down left, and continue straight on along the red-blazed summer trail, first along the left flank of the ridge, then on the right flank, while the ridge itself gradually bends northeast. Eventually the path drops steeply, and after 15mins brings you to a col from which you then climb gently across the shoulder of the next peak. Finally, after 10mins you reach the saddle Golyam Vetroviti Prelsap (1570m), where you ignore the yellow-blazed summer path that cuts back on the right, bound for Klisura.
On reaching pole no. 307, you now begin a steep ascent towards the next peak, but thankfully, after only about 5mins climb, you can bend away left on the summer trail to cut more gently across the northwestern flank of the ridge. Then 10mins later, having passed above a rocky spur, you arrive at the fountain Sladkoto Izvorche (1660m). Fill up your bottles here, as the water supply at hizha Eho is not always reliable.
Continuing north-northeast across the western flank of Yumruka (1819m), loop through the top edge of the beech forest high above the valley of the Ribaritsa, to emerge after 25mins at the saddle Zhelyazna Vrata. Here, above the path, is the small stone Holy Trinity chapel and a junction – a green-blazed trail cuts back right leading to Rozino, while a yellow-blazed trail that also breaks off right leads to Hristo Danovo. You keep straight on along the ridge for another 5mins to arrive at hizha Eho (1645m).
Hizha Eho, which can accommodate about 40 people, is beautifully sited. It stands tucked in beneath Kavladan (1710m) at the far side of the saddle, looking west across the Tsarichina Reserve and the labyrinthine network of forested valleys that mark the headwaters of the River Ribaritsa. You will need to bring your own food and, more importantly, enough water, just in case the hut’s supplies have run low.
DAY 3