Bulgaria Ski discussion board

So here is the annual thread - what new kit is being built for the next season?

Last season was superb snow best in a few generations so no doubt they will have had a ver profitable year. To capitalise on this and the ongoing FIS championships events being held then it needs to continually improve.

Therefore what is actually bing planned?
Also what did they actually deliver for the season thathas just finished - this will give us an indication (or its possible they have big investment every 2 years not every year)

There you go: as soon as somebody posts some rumours about investment in one of the 3 BG resorts and another one jumps with eager to post entry about the others.
Calm down !
I can understand you want your patch to b e the center of the ski universe, but chill out and satisfy yourself with what's present.It ain't a little .
I don't think it will move with more ski facilities in the next few years.
Vultures are gathering above other ski places at the moment with better prospects for setting up more wisely with no mistakes.
Have a guess which ones are they.

Well Ulen are a company offering Ski services to the Mountain in Bansko. The Ski area is having huge publicity which is a great thing due to the FIS and thankfully they have made improvements.

They have to make improvements every year no question.

Last summer they made Red 12 now Skiable all season with the addition of snow cannons plus sorted out the Piste. The previous season it was closed - that meant te other Pistes were more congested so cut up more etc. This is a good improvement.

The 6 man lift has resolved the bottle neck at the base station a big improvement and the old drag lift to the Plateau now replaced with the 4 man lift. A huge improvement and what that means is more people now use different areas of the whole mountain - again this is good as its less congested gets cut up less and makes it more usable & quicker to cover more Ski distance every year.

Last summer they also fitted an anti avalanche system for the mountain on the right hand side which has not been used for 15 years yet that has 3 challenging red's. All they need to do now is to clear the piste from rubble/new trees etc and also install a new 4 man chair lift. That will be a big improvement - and again assuming same volume of customers reduce congestion on other Pistes and enable more Pistes to Ski. This is a self fulfilling action as once it is open all the Ski sites will be aware of the enhanced area to ski ths more people will come.

I'd guess they are going to do the mountain on the right due to the initial work they did last summer with the anti avelanche - else why spend the money on kit you have no intention on using and it doesn't impact the existing area in any way.


Further developments - I'd say could be totally new sites on the outskirts of Bansko one near to Pirin Golf and the Other to Enhance Dobriniste an existing area but very 1970's Russian style.

Funny!
Tiny correction:
The avalange system installed is to protect the Bunderitsa flater area not to access the Akademika area.
That place is a foggy ground as far as the permits need to be issued etc etc.
It is kept on the map just to make the figures and make the piste's map bigger (grander)That's all.

Your entry looks like it is taken from the official Ulen's site, Gareth.
What is your position within this lovely company?
Hope you are quite high on their payroll .

Vultures (people with money and ready to splash) are viewing Vitosha and Borovets at the moment where there is a real benefit for quality development of ski facility not block of flats left right and center.
The times when they can suplement some ski facilities as a sweetener to sell block of flats Is DEAD and gone now don't forget that.

Now everybody looks at viable places with huge potential for what it is needed.
Short transfers, ski resort atmosphear not simply a town, not ugly overbuild,
There is not anymore a need for making noise and a spin that this lift will be done here and there, just to rip off the buyers and make them zombies until they part with their cash.
Think about it!
Or maybe not.
Or you prefer to Believe in some dream - but then the seasons will roll out you will get older and will ask yourself (or maybe not) why did you waste all of this time for nothing.

I always thought it strange that the avalanche system was installed to protect Bunderitsa Polyana ? which sits beneath a broad treeline, but this is what they are stating. That apart the runs accessed from the Akidemika lift were closed due to avalanche risks, that risk has been allayed..
The update of the old chair from Shilligarnika to midway Tordorka is on Dopplemyrs list of works, cancelled last season as was the extension of the cannon network to cover red 12 (trenchs dug etc, good ole enviro'mental'ists)..
Nothing really will happen outside of these works this season (but who knows ?) 2013 with the rezoning of development areas within the national park including Damienitsa will perhaps bring some movement.
Vitosha is destined for update, 12 chairs are on Dopplemyrs list of works though not confirmed, and investment is proposed for Borovets (about time), supposably Minev's own money (some problem with monopolising skiing by Ulen in BG ?.. Bansko, Vitosha, Chepalare... Borovets ???)
Borovets will be knocked down, the town ? a collection of temporary builds with dodgy permissions will disappear, and what will replace them ? shopping malls ? and Vitosha ? new lifts, snow cannons, mass of accomodation (Dragalevski and Simianovo) and on Sofias doorstep... hopefully they can make the mountain higher...

All good really in principle, with increasing winter tourist numbers year on year who knows ??? perhaps a better position than an old colleague who owns a chalet in Breviere in the Haute Savoir who has witnessed the reverse in numbers through the past seasons...

and lastly, the ski area in Bansko had no involvement with development (over?) in the town, the promises of agents and developers (many English, Irish and Scottish) of massive development in skiing, as with the airport/winter olympics were sales pitches made to pull in uninformed buyers to part with their money to allow for the biggest lie, to make lots of money ! the whole thing fueled by greed on the parts of the agents and buyers alike, many not even visiting Bansko... Now those of us who actually liked the area, the traditions and the people came anyway, and are still here, and enjoying the peace

Mr M. How cynical of you. To clarify the only vested interest I have is two properties in the area. I have no involvement with any company you suggest - I am an Accountant with my own practice here in the UK thanks.


Am surprised that red 12 wasn't finished last summer. Seems that planning permission is a secondary thought... Anyway with 12 months gone it would be madness if they still have not got that resolved now.

Mr M I've been going to Bansko as a tourist for what 7-8 years now and not once has there been any talk or known risk of avalanche from the right hand mountain onto the base gondela station. There is a huge mature tree line too so in my eyes it would be overkill. The sole reason the mountain to the right has its red runs closed is due to the avalanches so fitting anti avelanche on that side for a logical thought process would hint at attempting to open up that existing red run without needing planning permission and a cheaper option.


Does anyone know if there is even a vision to access the mountain to the left which has a vast plateau ? I'm thinking a life from the top of tadorka straight over peak to peak. I'd guess a possibility of 6-7 pistes without venturing into the treeline a superb option

Mr M. How cynical of you. To clarify the only vested interest I have is two properties in the area. I have no involvement with any company you suggest - I am an Accountant with my own practice here in the UK thanks.


Am surprised that red 12 wasn't finished last summer. Seems that planning permission is a secondary thought... Anyway with 12 months gone it would be madness if they still have not got that resolved now.

Mr M I've been going to Bansko as a tourist for what 7-8 years now and not once has there been any talk or known risk of avalanche from the right hand mountain onto the base gondela station. There is a huge mature tree line too so in my eyes it would be overkill. The sole reason the mountain to the right has its red runs closed is due to the avalanches so fitting anti avelanche on that side for a logical thought process would hint at attempting to open up that existing red run without needing planning permission and a cheaper option.


Does anyone know if there is even a vision to access the mountain to the left which has a vast plateau ? I'm thinking a life from the top of tadorka straight over peak to peak. I'd guess a possibility of 6-7 pistes without venturing into the treeline a superb option

The Akidemika lift is in need of renovation, and there are no plans posted for this to happen (Dopplemyr website).. Perhaps because of the complete lack of information forthcoming from Ulen we can only speculate based on available information... and one piece was a planning application to build a restauranr/spa complex in the Damienitsa valley, at the moment heavily protected, but likely to change after 2013. The valley is accessed already off-piste but lends itself to prepared piste, the only stumbling block is to get a lift out, a ski development unblocking would allow this.. and the plateau overlooks this valley, but hopefully will remain off-piste... the other is the renovation of the old chair from Shilligarnika to a high speed 6 man. There is no bottleneck as such at Shilligarnika, well covered with existing lifts, but if it was to cope with uplift from the town via a new gondola then it would be an issue, and lifts would need to increase capacity... All pie in the sky really as Ulen will do as little or as much as they like, but they are not stupid, and economics dictate, good times have been had in the last 10 seasons, if they are to continue then the bad rep of queuing must be addressed.... The expansion possibilities in Bansko are limited, the Pirin is a very steep range, and the likelyhood of aerial cabins connecting peaks in a national park is zero, but that said, areas such as the back of Todorka sweeping into the Bunderitsa valley could be used without massive investment in lifts, and as said the Damienitsa valley... time will tell