I first visited Bulgaria’s Seven Rila Lakes in June 2010, hiking through meadows lush with purple crocuses and across plains blanketed in six inches of snow. One moment the summer sun was on my back and the next I felt like an Arctic explorer. It was a surreal experience, certainly one of my best hikes ever.
My dream of going back to the lakes came true this year. I returned to Bulgaria eager to see more spectacular vistas, to climb more mountains, and to experience new adventures. I would not be disappointed.
The Rila Lakes, each one more stunning than the next, are located in the Rila Mountains about two hours south of Sofia. I joined an eight-day "Hiking trek in the Pirin and Rila mountains,” organized by Traventuria, a Bulgarian company with a well-earned excellent reputation for its hikes and tours. I set forth with seven other hikers from around the world and a local guide.
The first thing I learned upon my return to the Seven Rila Lakes was that “seven” is far from an accurate count. The Rila Mountains are spotted with more than 200 glacial lakes. My hike would give me a brief view of only a small number of them.
The Pionerska chairlift to the starting point of the Rila hike is an adventure in itself - more than twenty minutes on an open seat going over beautiful forest landscape. The lakes are a popular destination, attracting not only experienced hikers but families and visitors of all ages. The area tends to be quite crowded in the summer months, especially on weekends, but the higher we hiked, the less people we encountered.
On my first visit we had only hiked as far as the fourth lake, which was frozen solid at the time. There was too much snow on the ground and it was too cold to venture further, and this was in the month of June! This time around, the only snow we saw was in small off-white patches in the distance.
We hiked up the steep slopes, passing each lake in turn. Each lake has a name characteristic to its shape or one of its features. The Lower Lake; the Fish Lake; the Trefoil; the Twin; the Kidney; the Eye; and the Tear. The lakes reflected the surrounding mountains and from above, they were brilliantly blue in color. At one high point you can take in a panoramic view of several of the lakes laid out below you, just waiting to be captured in an amazing photograph.
Our hike did not stop at the highest of the seven lakes. We continued on the paths of the Seven Rila Lakes Cirque, higher and higher, along narrow ledges and also across wide grassy meadows. Each ascent was steeper than the last. We took well-deserved breaks while gazing at the breathtaking scenery. Towering mountains with their craggy slopes, hidden valleys, pristine lakes in shades of turquoise and green—all of Bulgaria’s wondrous natural beauty made the challenging climb totally worthwhile.
We climbed to the Malyovitsa peak and along mountain ridges overlooking the picturesque Rila Monastery, so tiny in the distance that you could almost miss it in the thick forest. Along the way we passed by, and above, additional glacial lakes, different in size and shape and surrounded by the amazing Rila terrain. We made our way down the Malyovitsa Valley, considered the “cradle of Bulgarian mountaineering and rock climbing”, to the van awaiting us at journey’s end.
Visiting Bulgaria’s Seven Rila Lakes for the second time, climbing the surrounding mountains to the highest peaks and viewing the incredible panoramic views—all of this served to whet my appetite for further Bulgarian adventures.
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loved your descriptions!
ReplyDeleteI think we would like to do this !