Today I climbed up and down a number of peaks including some scrambling over rocks.
After a good night's sleep I was away early, climbing up to the ridge that surrounds the Ribni lake. Then it was around a rocky peak and onto Mount Pavlev. Crossing Mount Pavlev involved climbing up a ridge with the ground steeply dropping on each side. A wire was staked into the rock to assist you in the climb. It helped a little but also got in the way. In today's dry conditions it was not difficult. On the other side of the summit there was an area of boulders to negotiate which took a bit more effort, both to avoid a twisted ankle and to work out where the path went. The following summits on the ridge involved some tiring climbs but no rocks to scramble over.
After early sunshine black clouds appeared. For the rest of the day sunshine and clouds alternated, windy at times, wisps of the clouds were caught in vortices, twisting and turning around the side of the mountain.
Unlike the Ribni Ezera lodge yesterday, which could be seen from many kilometres away, the Macedonia hut appeared suddenly at the end of a long descent, hidden by a convexity in the hillside. Some birds (buzzards?) were being held aloft by the wind rising up the hill.
When I arrived at the hut the people in the canteen had some fun with my inability to speak Bulgarian, but left me unsure as to what to do to secure my bed and get some food. After making some efforts I sat down and waited. Some soup appeared and after a further wait I was shown to one of the dormitories. In the evening I managed to get some food and a friendly Bulgarian who spoke English offered me some of his wine and brandy to try. The Merlot wine was very good, smooth and full bodied. His young nephew lived in England and was here on holiday, he had to learnt English at school very quickly and kindly helped me negotiate with the guy in charge.
After a good night's sleep I was away early, climbing up to the ridge that surrounds the Ribni lake. Then it was around a rocky peak and onto Mount Pavlev. Crossing Mount Pavlev involved climbing up a ridge with the ground steeply dropping on each side. A wire was staked into the rock to assist you in the climb. It helped a little but also got in the way. In today's dry conditions it was not difficult. On the other side of the summit there was an area of boulders to negotiate which took a bit more effort, both to avoid a twisted ankle and to work out where the path went. The following summits on the ridge involved some tiring climbs but no rocks to scramble over.
After early sunshine black clouds appeared. For the rest of the day sunshine and clouds alternated, windy at times, wisps of the clouds were caught in vortices, twisting and turning around the side of the mountain.
Unlike the Ribni Ezera lodge yesterday, which could be seen from many kilometres away, the Macedonia hut appeared suddenly at the end of a long descent, hidden by a convexity in the hillside. Some birds (buzzards?) were being held aloft by the wind rising up the hill.
When I arrived at the hut the people in the canteen had some fun with my inability to speak Bulgarian, but left me unsure as to what to do to secure my bed and get some food. After making some efforts I sat down and waited. Some soup appeared and after a further wait I was shown to one of the dormitories. In the evening I managed to get some food and a friendly Bulgarian who spoke English offered me some of his wine and brandy to try. The Merlot wine was very good, smooth and full bodied. His young nephew lived in England and was here on holiday, he had to learnt English at school very quickly and kindly helped me negotiate with the guy in charge.
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| Ridge up Mount Pavlev |
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| The path follows the ridge ahead |
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