Is Goten Gotin*

Yesterday we hiked in Sofijska Mountain, a part of the mountain chain of the Balkans. Strange enough, though Sofijska Mountain is fairly close to Sofia, obviously, we very rarely travel in this direction and know almost nothing about the trails and sights there.

Not long ago we came upon a GPS track for a trail from the small town of Buhovo to the summit of the mountain - peak Goten and back along an alternative track. It was a good thing we had this track, as the trails are very poorly marked, the mountain is criss-crossed with dirt roads and tracks and finding your way without GPS navigation, especially when one doesn't know the mountain, would have been problematic.

It seems the peak is not very frequented, as we were the only tourists along the paths. However, the area is popular with racers and mountain motor bikers. The trail starts from a small racing track at the outskirts of the town and almost during the entire hike we could hear the roar of the cars and the motor bikes.

:A view to Buhovo and Sofia Valley

:The trail to the peak was not long - only 5.5 km, but quite steep almost along its entire length.

Hike info:

Destination: peak Goten

Mountain: Sofijska Mountain

Total length: 11.3 km

Elevation gain: 600 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 4+ hours

Average difficulty: 5 / 10 

:The day was surprisingly warm for mid-October and our jackets and upper clothes stayed in the backpacks / tied around the waist during the entire hike

:A view to peak Murgash (1687 m) in the distance

:The wild pear and apple trees along the way were beautifully colored in red

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

 

Husband: men's boxers, Knip Mode cargo pants

I: lingerie, Sabrina Slims III, knitted Central Park cardigan

:On peak Goten (1294 m)

:We had our picnic here, with a view to Vitosha across the Sofia Valley

:The alternative track down was as steep as the one up

:In the past Buhovo was a mining center and traces of the mining activities can still be seen along the neighboring hills

:Just before entering back into Buhovo, we passed through the St. Maria Magdalena monastery, where half a dozen of people were basking in the warm October sun

 *Gotin - BG coloq. cool