Kokalyane Bachun

Spring in March is a strange animal - look at the weather forecast for the week at the end of this post :) Today was summer - hot, though quite windy and husband and I had a perfect long hike in the Lozen mountain. We started from Kokalyane, gradually climbed through forests and peaks to peak Bachun and then back to Pancharevo and from there to Kokalyane by the Pancharevo lake - a total of 18 km.

The trees need probably just a week to get into their spring mode, but the spring flowers are already here and in abundance of colors and species.

A view to Sofia - the strong wind blew the smog away and the air over the city is finally clear after a season of thick smog and clouds.

Hike info:

Date: 15 March 2025

Destination: peak Bachun

Mountain: Lozen

Total length: 18 km

Elevation gain: 550 m

Total duration (plus rest): 5 h

Average difficulty: 4.5 / 10

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

 

Husband: men's boxers, Burda cargo pants, Red Burda blouse

I: lingerie, Burda blouse, Sabrina Slims II

On the peak - the winds on the ridge were so strong, that I had to clutch at my hat to prevent it from being blown away. Luckily our route was through the forest, so we could hear the wind in the tops of the trees, but were completely protected from its powers.

We had our picnic on a meadow on the lee side of the peak, with the first beer for the hiking season :)

Vitosha's snowy peaks in the distance

Pancharevo lake

The first tree in bloom we've seen this year, adorned with plenty of martenitzi.

The forecast for the coming week - summer today, rain on Monday, snow on Tuesday with -6 during the night on Wednesday, gradually back to spring towards Friday :)

Urvich 2025

As planned, this week we travelled to Kokalyane again, but this time we hiked across the road, in the Lozen mountain, around the Urvich fortress.

The day was sunny and even pleasantly warm (6-7 C). Because the gorge of the river Iskar there lies in the shadows of the two mountains, the river was still frozen and the ground was still partly covered with snow.

The path at the beginning of the trail was cleared of debris and fallen trees and easy to walk. I believe this is the path that most visitors to Urvich know and walk and I wouldn't be surprised that a lot of people do not even suspect the existence of other walkable paths around.

After the detour for the monastery, the path seems abandoned, with lots of fallen trees, blocking it and requiring going around. To be honest, it had a very Blair witch vibe today and gave me a bit of the creeps.

Hike info:

Destination: Urvich

Mountain: Lozen

Total length: 6 km

Elevation gain: 90 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 2 h 30 min

Average difficulty: 2.5 / 10

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

 

Husband: men's boxers, Burda cargo pants, Burda longsleeve, Burda hoodie, hat, (scarf in the backpack)

I:  socks, lingerie, Grasser sweater, Central Park hoodie, CC copycat hat, gloves, (scarf in the backpack)

I was just commenting with husband, that there were still no spring flowers on Kokalyane and Urvich and we came upon these snowdrops and hellebores :)

After doing the full circle around the hill and returning back to the river we followed the hidden path along the rocks to the Urvich fortress. We found this path last time we were here and it is probably the most exciting part of the hike.

The excavations of the fortress were closed and covered for the winter season, but the works have gained some progress over the past three years since we were here.

The grounds of the Urvich fortress are now like a museum in the open, with a number of information boards, elucidating the history of the place and the unearthed artifacts. This was definitely the most interesting and informative part of the hike.

After visiting the excavation works we went down and then up the opposite hill to the functioning monastery, where we had our lunch on one of the sunny benches. It was a short but nice hike and I am so glad we chose Urvich for our visit today.

Polovrak January 2025

It had been three full weeks since our last hike and I was craving clear air and mountain views. The day was promised to be sunny and warm on Polovrak and we packed our backpacks and climbed in the car, although the morning in Sofia was dark, gloomy and foggy.

It got even more foggy towards the village of Lozen and we began to wonder, whether this would be one of those rare hikes in the fog with almost zero visibility.

But once we were high enough above the village at the parking lot, where the trail starts, the fog was left below and the sun was shining bright in the sky. That phenomenon of fog and smog in winter in the Sofia valley is really bothering me, as I am a sun-oriented person and the months under the blanket of smog are a real downer.

The first spring crocuses are out. The forecast for the beginning of February is for cold and snow, but today it felt, like spring was around the corner. I'm not a winter person, I can't wait for the sunnier and warmer months.

Hike info:

Date: 31 January 2025

Destination: peak Polovrak (1182 m)

Mountain: Lozen

Total length: 10 km

Elevation gain: 420 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): approx. 3 h

Average difficulty: 3 / 10

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxers, Burda cargo pants, Burda longsleeve, knitted socks, orange hat

I: lingerie, sweater, CC CopyCat hat, gloves

The thick cover of smog over Sofia

We had our pieces of freshly baked banitza and cups of hot herbal tea on the peak, looking at the ranges of mountains ahead and the Iskar dam in the distance and enjoying the warm January sun.