A long day as I stayed at Lovna hut rather then one of those further on which were full, and with a total ascent of over 2000 metres pretty challenging (even without diarrhoea). In compensation there were wonderful views and the opportunity to see the "white brotherhoods" circles.
Up at 6 am, trying not to disturb the many others in the dormitory, although I woke the guy in charge to pay my bill (I had offered to pay the night before so not my fault). I took the route from Lovna hut to the "Seven lakes" recommended in "Tourist Route E4 in Bulgaria". As promised it was a scenic route through large fir trees then dwarf conifers. It was also rather steep.
The Sedemte Ezera lodge on the edge of the first of the Seven Lakes was surrounded by tents of many colours and suddenly there were throngs of people, young and old, heading up to higher ground many dressed in white. One particularly old lady bent over a stick was walking slowly but unaided, I hope I am still climbing mountains at her age. Most of these people were of the White Brotherhood and later from the top of the ridge behind the lakes I saw them forming huge white circles on the hillside for their religious "dance". In addition to the White Brotherhood there were lots of people out hiking on this August Sunday.
The Seven Lakes are stacked one above the other so that there was a short climb between each one. After the seventh lake it was a steep climb up to the ridge behind and I looked back to the lake below, the white dancers and the ranges of mountains in the distance that I had crossed so far in my journey from Sofia. It helped that the tree line was at the level of the Seven Lakes so there was nothing to obstruct the view.
I followed the route along the ridge which included climbing up and down various peaks. Soon I was overlooking the cirque adjacent to the one with the seven lakes, it also had a few small lakes and such lakes seem typical of the area. In the opposite direction I had distant views of the Rila Monastery.
Mount Maliovitsa was the final peak and I descended steeply from there to reach the busy Maliovitsa lodge. Lots of people, a few with dogs or young children, were climbing up the mountain from the lodge. The lodge itself was very busy but I stopped for a Fanta and a Shopska salad.
Then it was a steep climb out of the valley through dwarf conifers and often across boulders, towards the Strashnoto hut. Painful after the climbs that I had already completed today. Eventually the path levelled off and in one clearing I saw a small group of some sort of deer. After standing there for a while as I stood still, they wandered off. The dwarf trees thinned out and eventually it was just rocks, grass and lakes. By one of these lakes was the Strashnoto hut, which is unattended with few facilities. I camped by the stream below.
Although today I walked through beautiful scenery with interesting sights, it was rather spoilt by repeated diarrhoea. The number of people around made things particularly difficult when I really needed to "go" in a real hurry. Maybe something I ate at the lodge last night.
Up at 6 am, trying not to disturb the many others in the dormitory, although I woke the guy in charge to pay my bill (I had offered to pay the night before so not my fault). I took the route from Lovna hut to the "Seven lakes" recommended in "Tourist Route E4 in Bulgaria". As promised it was a scenic route through large fir trees then dwarf conifers. It was also rather steep.
The Sedemte Ezera lodge on the edge of the first of the Seven Lakes was surrounded by tents of many colours and suddenly there were throngs of people, young and old, heading up to higher ground many dressed in white. One particularly old lady bent over a stick was walking slowly but unaided, I hope I am still climbing mountains at her age. Most of these people were of the White Brotherhood and later from the top of the ridge behind the lakes I saw them forming huge white circles on the hillside for their religious "dance". In addition to the White Brotherhood there were lots of people out hiking on this August Sunday.
The Seven Lakes are stacked one above the other so that there was a short climb between each one. After the seventh lake it was a steep climb up to the ridge behind and I looked back to the lake below, the white dancers and the ranges of mountains in the distance that I had crossed so far in my journey from Sofia. It helped that the tree line was at the level of the Seven Lakes so there was nothing to obstruct the view.
I followed the route along the ridge which included climbing up and down various peaks. Soon I was overlooking the cirque adjacent to the one with the seven lakes, it also had a few small lakes and such lakes seem typical of the area. In the opposite direction I had distant views of the Rila Monastery.
Mount Maliovitsa was the final peak and I descended steeply from there to reach the busy Maliovitsa lodge. Lots of people, a few with dogs or young children, were climbing up the mountain from the lodge. The lodge itself was very busy but I stopped for a Fanta and a Shopska salad.
Then it was a steep climb out of the valley through dwarf conifers and often across boulders, towards the Strashnoto hut. Painful after the climbs that I had already completed today. Eventually the path levelled off and in one clearing I saw a small group of some sort of deer. After standing there for a while as I stood still, they wandered off. The dwarf trees thinned out and eventually it was just rocks, grass and lakes. By one of these lakes was the Strashnoto hut, which is unattended with few facilities. I camped by the stream below.
Although today I walked through beautiful scenery with interesting sights, it was rather spoilt by repeated diarrhoea. The number of people around made things particularly difficult when I really needed to "go" in a real hurry. Maybe something I ate at the lodge last night.
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| Sedemte Ezra lodge surrounded by tents as people rather for the celebrations of the White Brotherhood |
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| The circular religious "dance" of the White Brotherhood photographed from the ridge I climbed. "White" refers to purity, it has no racial connotation. |
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| One of the many lakes, formed as a result of glacial action in the past. |
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