Tumba 2019

Cherna Gora and its summit Tumba are one of those places we like to visit any time of the year. I love low mountains (Tumba is only 1129 m) for their human size peaks and fields and for the freedom of movement their mild slopes provide. And what I like most when we visit a well known place - some new route, an unexpected adventure, to spice up the hike, for a hike to be memorable, it has to have these two components - something awesome and something adventurous. What was awesome today - for me it was the view of the fields and the mountains in the distance to the west of Tumba. And the adventure - after climbing the peak, we didn't feel like returning along the same track, so we took to the west, along a long winding track, that leads back to the village of Gigintzi. Initially we planned just to take a stroll along that track and get back, but we loved it so much, that we continued along it until we saw the monastery, where we had parked the car, right across the hills. There was no track, leading directly to the monastery, but the forest was not very thick, so we thought - why not try to traverse it without a track. And we did, down and up hills, across small rivers, it was difficult and interesting and different, and I'm really glad we did it (though I'm not sure I would repeat it :).

: Tumba

: The first crocuses are here

: Dam Pchelina in the distance

: The peak

: The beautiful mountains of Kraishte

: I just couldn't get enough of that sunny track

: Through the forest

: and along the bed of the small river

: The mountains are still grey and brown but the first spring flowers are in bloom

: Back to Giginsky Monastery