Kopitoto-Boyana Falls 2017

Today's hike on Vitosha - husband and I took the map and decided to make a round route, following the paths on the map and combining into one trail places, we've hiked before from different starting points. We left the car at the Golden bridges place and went to Kopitoto peak with the TV tower. Then we continued to the Boyana Falls - I've been many times there, but always hiking from below and this time we were high and descended to the falls from above, visiting the upper threshold first. After a short lunch break at the foot of the falls we climbed back up to Momina skala hut and from there back to the Golden Bridges - I just love it when the route is so intense and circular.

A wet meadow near the Golden Bridges

The path to Kopitoto

Kopitoto peak and the TV tower

A view to Sofia - there were clouds, but the wind carried them away

The Boyana river and a small fall before the big falls

The gorge of Boyana river

The upper threshold of the falls. I can only hope my children do not take such unfounded risks as the young folk on the photo :(

At the foot of the falls

Me, myself and I at the Boyana Falls :)

Frozen

For our, probably, last hike for the year we chose the quiet and fairly easy trail from the village of Vladaya to the Golden Bridges place on Vitosha. The day was windless and warm for winter, with temperatures just above zero (C). The place was empty, with just a couple of people beside us venturing a walk in the open on Christmas day. It hasn't snowed recently and the snow on the path was well-trodden. There were a few iced and frozen sections that were really impossibly slippery and difficult to pass, but as a whole a very easy and refreshing hike.

The Vladaya river was covered with ice and it was amazing to watch the water flow under its icy lid.

This is the low part of the mountain, the trees are mainly deciduous and without the leaves and the grass the place looked monochrome, it's hard to tell that these are actually color photographs :)

A patch of color - viburnum tree

The Golden Bridges - we had a quick snack in the open and headed back. I'm so glad we had this refreshing hike among all the holiday shopping, cooking and eating.

Knyazhevo

Knyazhevo is a residential area within the boundaries of Sofia and therefore a popular outset for hiking in Vitosha. Yesterday there were only three of us - Gaby was (and is still as of now) in Shumen, taking part in a mathematical competition (she won first place with her team in the team competition for 8th graders, yey! :). Thus we decided to hike along a route which she already had climbed with her classmates last autumn, so she wouldn't miss much.
Knyazhevo - Golden Bridges is a two and a half hours of fast climbing (700 m denivelation) over well marked paths through beautiful forests and alongside mountain streams. I still like the track to the Golden Bridges from Vladaya better, because the route from Knyazhevo was more tiring (or maybe it's the post-winter-out-of-form syndrome :), but the fresh air and springtime mountain views were totally worth it! A total of approx. five and a half hours hike with an hour rest and picnic at the Golden Bridges.

A view at the Sofia Plateau

The trunk of this tree has formed a natural basket with flowers:

A rock clam or maybe macaroon :)

The Vitosha Mountain TV Tower: