Bulgaria Ski discussion board

Just to give everyone an update on the resort and conditions from my visit this week.

It has been 10 years since I went to Pamporovo, not alot seems to have changed except there is no people whatsoever in the resort in every bar/ restaurant we were the only ones except in one bar there was one other group. The conditions the first time i went were excellent and in my opinion they were this time aswell. There is an additional run going down to stoykite which is a great run and was in good condition up until about 2pm when it seemed to get icy. A couple of runs were closed but as mentioned in my report i would be suprised if they were closed by the start of next week as there was lots of snow on them. The great point with Pamporovo is that the runs all seem to be grass slopes with no large rocks meaning the resort doesn't need as much snow as bansko or borovets which have rocks everywhere and in my opinion after being to both resorts a large number of times they poorly maintain their slopes,poorly groom them and all the runs seem to be icy and chopped up after 10am.

All in all if your are looking for a resort which offers great skiing, a friendly but quiet resort there is not many better places to go than pamporovo especially for beginner to intermediate skiers. If however you are an advanced skier or are looking for good nightlife I dont think pamporovo will be for you.

Many people may disagree with my comments but as I have skied in Bulgaria many times at all resorts and many times in other countries i think my report is a fair analysis. If anyone is going out to Pamporovo soon the conditions look great and I am sure you will have a great time

Ps I am in a rush this evening so sorry about the poor grammar/ punctuation!

Hi Charles,
Nail on head comes to mind, and your thoughts on Pamporovo are very similar to my own.
Pamps used to be a vibrant, lively, and very busy resort but as I've said in previous posts the lack of
travel companies using Plovdiv Airport has crucified the resort as many will not make the 4 hour transfer trip from Sofia.
It will always hold a very special place in my heart and nobody can ever take away my memories of the late 1990's and early
2000's and lets all hope that those days may one day return, however that will probably be too late for me to enjoy again.

Still a great place to ski - but the mad parties are now on hold.

PP

Many thanks for that Charles, I've had pretty much the same reported back to me by my guests who are there until Saturday. I think they need to update the info on which runs are open on this site.

I think other than Pampi and a couple of other bars the town for the last few years seems very quiet. To be honest as my place is past mid station I tend not to head into town (I'm on my tush after a day's boarding anyway so it's roaring fire and a single malt for me in the chalet 😁

You're right about the mountains being grass runs rather than rocks - one of the best things about Pamps is that you can get away with about 20cm of snow. Grooming at Pamporovo has massively improved over the last two seasons.

It can be very hit and miss with the bars. I think there is a plan and everyone goes to one place so it can take a bit of looking to find them. I've been in and out of a few completely dead bars and about to head home then suddenly find everyone somewhere I wasn't expecting them.
But I'm not a great clubber, a good meal and being able to talk to friends over a couple of drinks is my sort of evening.

The transfer is ok if you are prepared for it. Take snacks, catch up on sleep and make sure you have a stop. Private transfers are preferable to coach transfers as you can stop where you like, go shopping on the way and stock up on alcohol and snacks etc.

A night at the natural hot thermal springs at Devin is also a great way to spend the evening.