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.