Bulgaria Ski discussion board

HI WE GOT BACK LAST WEEK AFTER OUR SECOND YEAR AT THE RILA HOTEL IN BEROVETS.TOOK KIDDIES AGED 7 AND10 AND WE HAD THE TIME OF OUR LIVES.FIRSTLY LET YOUR CHILD GO TO A BEGINNERS KIDS CLASS AND YOU GO TO YOUR OWN ADULT CLASS.CLASSES GATHER OUTSIDE THE RILA HOTEL AT 9.15-9.30 AND AFTER THE FIRST DAY EACH INSTRUCTOR WILL TELL YOU IF YOU ARE MEETING EARLIER OR LATER.THE CLASSES FINISH AOUT 3-3.30PM SO YOU STOP AND HAVE LUNCH IN ONE OF THE CAFES WITH YOUR GROUP THE SAME WITH THE KIDS SO YOU NEED TO GIVE THEM SOME MONEY,A BUMBAG IS VERY USEFUL..THE KIDS ARE SO WELL LOOKED AFTER AND IF THEY ARE BACK AT THE RILA BEFORE YOUR CLASS THEIR INSTRUCTOR WILL STAY WITH THEM SO NEVER WORRY.YOU WILL PROBABLY BUMP INTO EACHOTHER DURING THEDAY.THE KIDS MAKE SUCH GOOD FRIENDS AND WILL BE WASY AHEAD OF YOU BY DAY4!THE AREA IS SO SAFE AND FRIENDLYAND THE SLOPES ARE ALL ONLY A SHORT STEP AWAY. AFTER LESSONS THER IS PLENTY OF TIME TO PRACTISE TOGETHER AND BELIEVE ME AFTER 3 DAYS YOU WON\'T FEEL A PAIN OR ACHE. THE GREAT THING IS THAT THER ARE NURSERY SLOPES RIGHT OUTSIDE THE RILA DOOR AND MY KIDS WENT UP AND DOWN 1OO TIMES AS WE SAT AND WATCHED FROM THE CAFE VERANDAH. EQUIPMENT IS FINE MAYBE NOT OLYMPIC STUFF BUT FOR US WAS PERFECTLY FINE.YOU PICK YOUR SKIS UP BESIDE THE SLOPES EVERYTHING IS SO HANDY.
TAKE A SKIDOO RIDE,GOOD FUN.
PLACES TO EAT AND ALL ARE VERY CHEAP.ALPIN RESTAURANT,FRANCOS PIZZA,101 COCKTAILS.
HAVE A GREAT TIME NADWISH WE WERE THERE

Hi

Your tour rep will organise you on the first day. The gear is fine which is good as you do keep it all week. (Hand it in at the end of each day, and collect same gear again each morning) Ski school was really good everyone in our group stayed together more or less. Only other useful info is that we took far too much warm clothing. It's actually quite tiring and we found ourselves wearing a lot less than we thought we would. The skidoo safari is great fun and if you get the chance to take the snow taxi up into the mountains and ski back down, it's huge fun.

Hi
There are a number of ski schools, Hotel Samakov (new carver skis) and Borosports being the biggest.
You get your boots and then your skis (they have to set your bindings which takes a few mins) on the morning of your first full day and keep the same ones all week; otherwise they would have to redo your bindings each day. You leave your shoes at the ski store each morning and pick them up when you have finished for the day. The kit we have had both times has been pretty good for beginner level, it is worth getting your edges done and a wax (5 lev) if you are intermediate but don't bother if you are a real beginner, as the fewer sharp objects there are around when you fall off the better!
School starts as agreed with your instructor anytime from 9 til 10.30 and much the same finishing in the afternoon 2.30 til 4 ish (we had one 5.30 (bit keen) finish but the lifts stop at 4.30) it all depends how keen, lazy or unfit you are. Instructors tend to call it a day when people start to flag.
Groups are set on ability but as long as people are not too different in ability they do keep people together if it is important to them, just ask.
Clothing, it was bl**dy cold when we were there, take lots of thin layers as working hard you do get hot quickly (we use a mini ruc sac) but equally you can get very cold quickly too. Last week there was a very very cold wind at times, which 'stings' anything not covered up. Always use sun block.
Have a good time

Tina