Bachun and Lanina Mogila 2025

On our Independence Day Gaby, husband and I went for a hike in the nearby village of Lozen, to peak Bachun. 

The weather was absolutely brilliant, sunny and very warm for the second half of September.

The trail to Bachun from Lozen passes through thick beech forests along steep tracks, covered with dead leaves.

Engulfed in chatting with our daughter, we soon climbed to Bachun just in time for lunch.

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

 

Husband: men's boxers, Burda cargo pants

I: lingerie, Burda jeans pants

Gaby: lingerie 

For our picnic in the open we continued to the nearby Middle Bachun, where we enjoyed our tortillas with a view to the chains of peaks of Lozen, Plana and Rila in the distance.

As it was still quite early, we decided to continue our hike along the ridge to the next two peaks - Small lanina Mogila and Lanina Mogila.

Hike info:

Date: 21 September 2025 

Destination: peak Bachun (1150 m) and Lanina Mogila (1188 m)

Mountain: Lozen

Total length: 12.5 km

Elevation gain: 460 m

Total duration (plus picnic): 4 hours

Average difficulty: 4 / 10 

On Small Lanina Mogila

The ridge between the two peaks

On Lanina Mogila (1188 m)

The gorgeous view from the top towards Iskar reservoir to the east

and Vitosha and Sofia to the west

And back to the village of Lozen. It was a great and amusing hike, we like hiking with Gaby

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 :)

Summer in March. Bachun

We are enjoying absolutely amazing summer temperatures at the end of March. Even up in the mountain it was so hot, that in the afternoon I took off my blouse and put on a tank top! Two years ago this same mountain at this exact time of the year was covered in snow! March is such an unpredictable month :)

Yesterday we hiked from Kokalyane to peak Bachun and back along a round trail. The trail starts at the far end of the Pancharevo dam, next to the hydroelectric power station.

The Pancharevo lake, the village of Pancharevo and the snow covered cap of Vitosha

Despite the summer temperatures yesterday, spring in the Lozen mountain is still in the beginning. The plum trees and blackthorn bushes are just coming to bloom at the foot of the mountain, up near the top they were probably a week or two away from blooming.

Hike info:

Destination: peak Bachun

Mountain: Lozen

Total length: 13 km

Elevation gain: 550 m

Total duration (plus long rest): 4 h 15 min

Average difficulty: 4 / 10

The trail is very pleasant, but the elevation gain is constant and at places significant, it's not exactly a walk in the park :)

There was an abundance of all kinds of spring flowers

My favourites - hepatica

On the peak

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

 

Husband: men's boxers, Knip Mode cargo pants, Green Burda blouse

I: lingerie, Plantain blouse, Sabrina Slims III, Houndstooth hoodie in the backpack

We had our delicious picnic on a meadow, facing Vitosha and the entire skirts of the mountain with the various villages and Sofia residential quarters.

It was Friday, a work day, and so it was very peaceful and quiet, just us and a couple of small birds in the nearing trees, singing their little hearts out. We lay on the ground and basked in the sun until we risked sunburn :)

On the way back we chose a shorter and steeper alternative route, which took us back to Pancharevo dam and the car.