Seven Rila Lakes 2021 - Full Family Hike

Lots of pictures from our last hike this Saturday to the Seven Rila Lakes. The nature preserve is one of our most favourite places in Bulgaria and we try to visit it every year since we started hiking more actively. We've been there only the two of us, with a hiking group and with Gaby. This time was a very rare occasion, when we managed to get organized and go there together as a family. And I am so glad we did, as tomorrow Gaby is leaving for Vienna and we'll probably have fewer and fewer occasions to go somewhere the four of us - the children are no longer children :) She graduated from Sofia University yesterday with a BSc in Molecular Biology and plans to spend the summer, working in a biolab in Vienna and then to pursue her master's degree in Vienna Uni, if she gets enrolled.

We had a gorgeous weather on Saturday, with clear blue skies with small photogenic white fluffs of clouds, green meadows with plenty of flowers, granite alpine peaks with patches of snow and of course, the cherries on top - lakes, plenty of them. Apart from the Seven, we also saw four of the Urdini lakes and passed by the upper of the Panitzite lake.

:The Lower and the Fish lakes

As this is a nature preserve, the only transportation allowed is by horses and donkeys

:The "Sunny Meadow", a sacred place for the White Brotherhood

:The "Kidney Lake", the biggest of the Seven

:The "Eye", one of my favourites and the deepest of the Seven

:On the Lake peak (2544 m), with a panoramic view to all the Seven lakes

:The Tear - the highest of the Seven lakes

:A view to four of the lakes - the Twin, the Trefoil, The Fish and the Lower lakes

 

:After the Lake peak we continued to Razdela and then along the Green Ridge

:The Haramiyata peak and the upper of the Panitzite lake

:We had our picnic here, with a view to Urdini lakes and the magnificent Malyovitza Ridge. The beauty of the place was breathtaking, even Alex was impressed :)

:Two big birds flew over us, while we were picnicking - a crane

:and a hawk

Hike info:

Destination: round trail to Seven Rila Lakes and Green Ridge

Mountain: Rila

Total length: 13.4 km

Elevation gain: 500 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 5 hours

Average difficulty: 6 / 10

:Down the Green Ridge to the Paniztzite lake

:Along the very steep and narrow trail from Haramiyata to the Fish Lake

:The Fish lake

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxers

I: lingerie, Sabrina Slims, Houndstooth Hoodie

Gaby: lingerie

Alex: Burda 6719 Men's Sports Pants (I don't think I ever blogged these)