Rila - Musala Hut - Sitnyakovo

Yesterday we hiked a new circular trail in Rila. We started again from Borovetz, took the gondola lift to Yastrebetz and followed the crowd to Musala hut. However, instead of climbing Musala - the highest peak on the Balkans, we detached from the masses and took the opposite trail - up the ridge Sreden chukar, along a trial passing by Deno and Shatur peaks and down to Sitnyakovo, where we took the chair lift back to Borovetz. The trail is very unpopular and probably for a reason - though very easy, it's not that interesting and challenging and the second part of the trail is definitely not scenic. I liked it enough and it was a good 15-16 km hike, but I don't feel like coming back to it again.

:The view from Yastrebetz with Musala in the center. We climbed Musala almost exactly 5 years ago. The children are so grown up now!

: The path from Yastrebetz to Musala hut is called by some the Musala highway - it's a broad and fairly level path and on a sunny August day it's crowded there!

: The first of the Musala lakes and peak Irechek

: Musala hut and the lake remain down in the distance as we climb Sreden chukar

: The ridge we have to cross over

: The gully between Sreden chukar and peak Shatur

:The pyramid of peak Shatur

: We leave peak Deno behind. Our trail passes by the peaks without climbing them

: A beauty view spot to the Saragyol lakes

: From here starts the tunnel of dwarf mountain pines. Up high they were very low

: but soon they formed a tunnel higher than average human height. This was the more boring and even a bit claustrophobic part of the trail.

:But it had its perks - the blueberries were ripe and abundant all the way to the end of the mountain pine part.

: The view from a panorama terrace near Sitnyakovo chair lift. Our starting point was the farthest peak on the picture:

: Jorko, the mascot of the chair lift