Bulgaria Ski discussion board

Hello All,

I have just joined the forum having had a number of visits to the site; very helpful and informative so thank you all!

We [me, my wife and two kids] went to Borovets for the first time this year in the half term week; this was our first skiing holiday so we had lessons with Hunters and started as complete beginners and ended the week being able to ski all the green slopes and my wife and I started to tackle the blues at the Rila and the top section of Sitnyakovo 1 [just down to the button lift and back up again]. We have booked up to return in the half term week [kids are still at school so have no choice] and plan to book more lessons and progress the whole family onto the blues.

Please can someone advise what the Musalla Pathway is like for low end intermediates? I would love to be able to ski this with the family is it too dangerous for the kids?? [boys of 14 and 10 both of which learnt very fast last time].

Also; we went up the gondola last time to the top where the gentle Suhar green run is along the ridge. we only used the button lifts here but I see that the run starts much higher up from the drag lifts accessed by Markudjlk 1 [blue run?] can some please advise what this route is like to these lifts and whether its suitable for us?

Basically we want to progress and ski new runs but being a careful dad I don't want to put the kids in a difficult position so any advise on good slopes to plan to tackle would be appreciated.

Thanks Steve

PS: looking forward to sinking a few Stolichno Bocks.......

Hi and I guess that I should say welcome although I'm not an administrator. I am however quite regular on here and am also a regular or Borovets and these days in half term too.

Firstly I would suggest that you book again for another week of lessons and I would have thought that if you are no longer snowploughing then you would be in a class that would use the runs that you mention assuming the conditions were suitable. That said, the Pathway is really just a point your skiis and go with only a couple bits that may scare the novice although I would suspect that it is likely to be the faster skiers going past on the 'S' bends that may frighten more than the slope. It's not the age of the boys more their ability but at that age I'd guess they will be better than you if not already so don't worry about them. As to the Marky runs, 1 is ok, nice and wide and not so steep but probably 2 and 3 if open might be beyond you especially if you are not with an instructor. I reckon the button lift on Marky 1 is probably harder than the run itself.

Am staying in the Flora and eating in one of Bobby's bars next half term so may well meet you.

Steve T

I agree with Emjay - definitely have more lessons although at Half-Term it will obviously be busier but hopefully that will add to the fun! Many people do 1 week and then decide they are too good for lessons - we know people that after 9 to 10 years still have lessons. I am not saying you should carry on for years however all the instructors out here would say that there is always something to learn and those that tend to not bother after week 1, end up with no style and / or are not safe on the slopes.

I have asked Bobby (my husband, who is from Borovets and a ski and snowboard instructor) and he says that, he would expect you to be on Mussala pathway with an instructor by day 2 or 3 of your holiday. In addition, when it comes to Blue Marky 1, the lift is the hardest part. Normally, your instructor will take you to Marky 2, you then take the chair up and then ski back down the Suhar (green) - so basically you cover the ''loop'' and then will also do Marky 1 after a few days.

Lots of discounts currently on offer for ski packages or you could wait until you come and decide what you want to do - bear in mind only a couple of schools will offer private lessons at half-term simply because of how busy it is.

Hope this helps and please message if I can help with anything else.

Kas