Bulgaria Ski discussion board

I went with my family to Borovets at the end of the season just gone, arriving on 3rd April 2004. When we arrived we were somewhat dissapointed to find out that the only skiing available was at the top of the Gondola on the Markoudjika pistes (where skiing remained excellent, especially in the morning), with skiing down to the Gondola middle station on the Yastrabets pistes just barely possible (many grassy patches).
(See the piste map to see where I am talking about: http://www.bulgariaski.com/borovets/borovetsskiruns.shtml)

All the Sitnyakovska and Martinovi Barak were closed due to lack of snow, even the ones outside the hotels that are covered by snow cannons (it was too warm for them to work - Rila Hotel said 17 degrees C average in the day that week).

According to the snow reports, and looking at the snow on the trees on the webcam, Borovets itself had a bad season snow-wise, and looking at the reports/webcam, they showed the last major snowfall before we arrived was the 20th of Febuary, with another less significant snowfall on the 9th of March. This apparently isnt the average, as the season before had regular good snowfalls throughout this time, ending with a huge snow dump on April 7th 2003 (wish we'd gone then ). Luckily for us, the top of the mountain kept getting snow, so we were saved.

We were probably unlucky when we went, and we are planning to go again next year, but due to work we're having to leave it late again (arrive 19th March), but we're hoping for as good snow as they had in 2003 - it's kinda crap or bust.

Hope this helps, dunno why I decided to write such a long post, i guess i was bored without skiing lol . Any questions about our trip i'll be glad to answer.

David