Kominite - Kamen Del 2025

We are enjoying some gorgeous Indian summer weather this week, which is really great, as it coincides with the long weekend around our Independence day and Gaby's short visit to Sofia. 

On Friday, a day before her arrival, we chose to hike along a favourite trail on Vitosha - along the Kominite rock formation to peak Kamen Del and then back down to the car along an alternative trail.

The hike was almost an identical repetition from one we did last year with one major variance -  this year it was a work day and the usually crowded plateau and peak were almost empty and it made such a huge difference!

The weather was very sunny and warm, with very little wind, even on the ridge and at the plateau.

Despite the summer temperatures, autumn is definitely here - the grass is yellow and the berries, especially the raspberries, are all gone.

Peak Kamen Del, definitely one of the most frequented and the most panoramic peak on Vitosha

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxers, Burda cargo pants

I: lingerie, Sabrina Slims III, Central Park cardigan

We here lucky to be able to enjoy the peak for ourselves during our delicious lunch with a view to Sofia. One can never tire of the game Find the Sofia Landmarks, when snacking on Kamen Del - Sofia lies at one's feet like a real life Google map and it is so fun to locate the familiar places from above.

Hike info:

Date: 19 September 2025 

Destination: peak Kamen Del (1862 m) along circular trail

Mountain: Vitosha

Total length: 12.5 km

Elevation gain: 500 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 4 hours

Average difficulty: 4 / 10

On the way to the car we hiked the middle altitude circuit from hut Tintyava to hut Sredetz and from there to Bay Krustyo place, where we had parked the car.

Dragalevska river

The beech forest is still very much green

Kominite - Kamen del 2024

Yesterday was finally a warm and sunny day after a fortnight of fairly cold and wet weather and we decided to climb on Vitosha along a circular trail we constructed for us last year - we left the car at Bay Krustyo, climbed along the Kominite to peak kamen del, where we had our picnic with a glorious view at Sofia, then went down in the direction of Zlatnite mostove and took the mid-altitude trail back to the car.

The trail is really very good, with decent altitude gain, without being brutal and varying scenes from the forested part of Vitosha to the plateau and the stony desert of Kamen del.

The sun was fairly strong, but the temperatures were still a bit low, in the 13-15C, so the climb was actually comfortable, without too much overheating and sweating - you see, every cloud does have a silver lining :)

The sequence of the three rock formations, called Kominite, seen from above:

Hike info:

Destination: peak Kamen Del (1862 m) along circular trail

Mountain: Vitosha

Total length: 12.5 km

Elevation gain: 500 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 4 and a half hours

Average difficulty: 4 / 10

The plateau. As it was Sunday and a sunny day, the popular fairly short and level trail, which connects Aleko to Kamen del, was packed with all kinds of tourists, from experienced hikers to small children. 

Peak Kamen del was quite densly populated, but we managed to find a nice cozy spot and have our snacks, enjoying the views of Sofia. We've done it so many times, but it never gets old - trying to find specific buildings and other architectural landmarks, while looking at the city from above.

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxers, Burda cargo pants

I: lingerie, Sabrina Slims II, hoodie

The forests under peak Kamen del along the mid-altitude trail were probably the most beautiful part of the route, as they are gradually getting their autumnal colors.

The Dragalevska river

Kominite and Kamen Del, 2023

I'm finally catching up with the blog and all the hiking and traveling we did lately. Like many diary-type blogs, mine changes with my life and hobbies, and from a knitting blog it gradually turned into a hiking blog - this is the only one of my hobbies I'm not giving up and I'm trying to find free time for, even in my as of late very busy schedule.

This Saturday we hiked on Vitosha, in the region of Kominite and Kamen Del. The day was another one of those warm days, more like late summer than mid-autumn, with bright blue skies and almost no wind, even at the higher parts of the mountain.

Initially, we had planned a relatively short hike from Bay Krustyo lift station to Kominite and then down to Kikish shelter and back to the car along a circular route.

Kominite is a place with interesting rocks, favourite with rock-climbers and hang gliders.

The first of the Kominite rocks is behind me

The three consecutive rock formations and a view to Sofia

Once we climbed up to the final rock formation, we decided to take a detour along a path in the grass to a near-by peak. We came upon lots of blueberries and cranberries, stopped to eat and pick some and gradually came to the decision to extend our hike to peak Kamen Del and from there to continue downwards towards Momina Skala hut and from there to take the  trail back to Bay Krustyo.

And so we did. We climbed up, until we crossed the trail from Aleko to Kamen Del - one of the most popular trails on Vitosha, which on such a glorious weekend day was packed with tourists.

Peak Kamen Del - it looked like a public meeting place :) We had our lunch on a rock formation nearby.

The plateau, Golyam Rezen and Cherni Vruh in the distance

Hike info:

Destination: peak Kamen Del (1862 m) along circular trail

Mountain: Vitosha

Total length: 12.5 km

Elevation gain: 500 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 5 hours

Average difficulty: 4 / 10

Soon after we started down towards Momina skala, husband's right hiking shoe fell apart. Well, the incident had its precursors, there were signs of wear and he had already ordered and paid for his new hiking shoes (expected to be delivered later this week), but we thought these could last at least a couple more hikes. Well, we reckoned wrong :( The sole peeled off from the front back to the heel and walking was impossible, as it flopped and turned back on every step. And we had at least 8 more km through rough terrain back to the car! Husband tried to tie it with the shoe tie, but the front part of the shoe continued to flop. Luckily, we soon came upon a medicine box, which, apart from some sanitary products, had a single small zip tie and it saved the day. Husband made a hole at the front of his sole and constructed this contraption, which helped him to finish the hike, walking quite normally. From now on we'll be carrying zip locks in our backpacks, you never know when you might need them :)

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxers, Knipmode cargo pant, raglan blouse

I: lingerie, Sabrina Slims III, Shkatulka blouse, hoodie in backpack

The stony desert of Kamen Del

Warm autumn colors, I love them so much!

Kominite-Kamen Del 2018

Another hike on Vitosha, a combination of two different trails we've roamed previous years, situated close by. We hiked Kominite with Gaby in 2015 and we climber Kamen Del peak last year. There is a path from Kominite that leads to the plateau, so we decided to try the detour and then go to the popular Kamen Del, which hangs over Sofia and offers the best panoramic views to the entire Sofia plane.

:The stony trail to Kominite

: The first of the ridged rocks

: The place is very popular with climbers

: These alpine slopes are very avalanche dangerous in winter

: The entire place with abundant with cranberries

: The second and third "chimneys"

: Up the trail to the plateau, Eagle's nest peak in the distance

: Peak Kamen Del

:The city down there, in the skirts of the mountain. The day was a bit cloudy and it rained later in the afternoon

: The plateau. I'm very much drawn to this alpine scenery

: Cherny Vruh in the distance