To the Blue Arrow Shelter, 2021

After a whole month, we are finally back in the mountains and I couldn't be happier. Yesterday was a rare warm and sunny day, with temperatures nearing 20C (!!!) and everybody (I hope) was out, enjoying the sun and the fresh air.
Husband and I chose to climb the trail from the village of Zheleznitza to the Blue Arrow shelter - a route, which has become one of the staples among our annual hikes. The trail is steep and when hiked in the spring, it is an amazing illustration of the seasons in the mountain - from late spring down in the village to early spring mid-elevation to winter up at the shelter. However, as it is still winter in early February, the range this time was from warm and snowless hills to ankle deep snow and strong winds on the ridge.
Pictures from my phone, I decided not to bring the DSLR this time (again :)

Hike info:

Destination: Blue Arrow Shelter

Mountain: Vitosha

Total length: 11 km

Elevation gain: 530 m

Total duration (plus rest): 3 h

Average difficulty: 4 / 10 

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxers, socks, hat

I: lingerie, socks, hat, black Grasser T-shirt, Zerda gloves in the backpack

:The Blue Arrow shelter, as the skirts of Belchova skala peak (1832 m)

:The visibility was astonishing, to the north it was as far as the snowy peaks of the Balkan mountains

:When taking photos with a phone, how can you resist a selfie :)))

:The amazing chain of snow covered Rila peaks in the distance