Cherni Vruh 2016

I've been planning this climb for almost a year, since our last climb of Cherni vruh in 2015. We did it then as we often do from Aleko hut up the steep "Wall" and down the "King's road" back to Aleko. But we've done this route so many times that it was no longer a challenge. I examined the map and drew a new route, double in length, but spectacular in views and was only waiting for a chance to try it. This January we covered half of the route but the snow was too deep and the weather too cold, so we cut it to Kupena peak and then climbed down to the village of Zheleznitza. But this Saturday the weather was perfect (at least along the 2000 m altitude).

The two "Slices" - Peak Malak Rezen (Small Slice) and Pk. Goliam Rezen (Big Slice) 

and the patch of snow, which can be observed from our residential area in Sofia:

We started from Aleko hut, but took the path to Peak Kupena, 

a very beautiful and almost level path just above the tree line (2000 m)

The wild flowers were at their prime, 

some of these are rare and endemic for Vitosha

Yellow Mountain Lilly (планински крем)

The clouds were very low and one could see them passing rapidly through the peaks

Tollius europaeus (витошко лале) - protected species

It felt like walking through a garden of wild flowers

Orchis Maculata (петнист салеп) - a wild orchid

Aquilegia aurea (златиста кандилка) - Balkan endemism, protected flower

Peak Kupena

Near Peak Kupena we left the path to Zheleznitza and

 took the winter trail to Cherni vruh. From there on it was only climbing up and up.

The weather changed - it was still sunny, but the wind was cold and very strong, 

so we had to put on our windproof jackets. Cherni vruh is one of the most 

windy peaks in Bulgaria and this time it was really showing its teeth.

Geum coccineum (омайниче)

Cherni vruh

The pyramid of the peak and the hut on Chermi vruh. On nicer days the meadow on the peak is full of people, lying and snacking, but it was a VERY windy day and everybody was searching for shelter behind the rocks. We had our lunch there too, but though we were tired, we didn't stay long, as the wind was cooling us too quickly.

We returned to Aleko along the easy "king's road" - 

a total of 14 km long, but interesting hike