There is a Tsarev Peak not only in the Rila Mountains, but also in the Osogovo Mountains. This one lies in North Macedonia and rises to 2,085 metres above sea level. There are several possible starting points for the hike, but we chose to approach it from Kalin Kamen Lake.
The forecast for the first weekend of October was excellent, with clear skies and plenty of sunshine, so we were wondering where to go for a mountain hike. Sofi suggested climbing Tsarev Peak in the Macedonian part of Osogovo. And that was that – our destination was decided.
On Sunday morning, we got together and drove towards the Gyueshevo border crossing. Fortunately, there was no waiting on the way into North Macedonia. Our starting point was Kalin Kamen Lake, located in the northern part of the mountain at an altitude of 1,610 metres and accessible by an asphalt road.
The road begins just before Kriva Palanka and passes by the Osogovo Monastery of St. Joachim of Osogovo. We stopped for a while to have a look around. It is an interesting monastery, tucked among the steep slopes of the mountain. Directly above it there is also a hotel complex and a restaurant, reached by a steep flight of stone steps. One thing that caught my attention during the Sunday service was that the women were standing on the left side of the church and the men on the right. I had never seen this in Bulgaria.
After visiting the monastery, we continued by car towards the lake. The road is initially steep and narrow, with plenty of sharp bends. In some places the asphalt is in poor condition, and at one spot there were clear signs that someone had managed to smash their oil pan. Higher up, however, we saw newly laid asphalt and roadwork machinery, so I assume the entire road will soon be resurfaced.
We left the cars where the asphalt ends, shortly before Kalin Kamen Lake. From there, there are two options. The first goes straight and steeply uphill towards Kalin Kamen Peak, while the second follows a longer dirt road that starts to the left above the lake. We chose the longer route.
As we started along the dirt road above the lake, a group of horse riders took an even longer route beginning slightly below the lake. We met the same riders again higher up, near some old stone ruins, most likely the remains of a former border post. Shortly afterwards, the routes merge with the steep trail we had avoided and continue towards Tsarev Peak.
Once we reached the ridge, the route became much easier, following the high ground and traversing below several smaller summits, one of them being Vlaska Bachevina. Tsarev Peak itself stands higher and requires one final short but steeper climb. There are ruins of an old Ottoman border post on the summit, and the peak's former name, Sultan Tepe, also dates back to that period.
At the summit, we met three Macedonians from Vinica. They told us they had climbed up from the direction of Makedonska Kamenica. Their route to the summit was about 10.5 km, compared with our 7.5 km.
We took a longer lunch break on the summit, had something to eat and enjoyed the beautiful sunny weather. The only disturbing sight was the large wildfires visible in the distant mountains.
After a good rest and plenty of photos, it was time for the rather monotonous walk back towards the cars. This time, we went over Kalin Kamen Peak (1,817 m). Strangely, the summit marker was located quite a way below the actual summit, at a place that did not look like a summit at all, and it gave the elevation as 1,884 metres.
From there, we descended directly towards the lake and our cars. The return route was 6.6 km, so taking this trail saves about a kilometre. If you choose it for the ascent, however, be prepared for a real lung-buster at the beginning – the climb is seriously steep.
On the way back, we stopped at a small restaurant, but it was packed with people, most of them Bulgarians, and there were no free tables. So we drove down to Kriva Palanka and headed to Vodenica 3, a restaurant outside the town and higher up in the mountains, although reached by a different road.
The restaurant was nice, with tasty food and good prices, but it had one serious drawback for people like me who enjoy their beer – they only served small beers. Even the draught beer came in a small glass! We had a good meal, enjoyed a drink and then headed back towards Bulgaria.
Unfortunately, our Macedonian adventure ended with a little over an hour of waiting at the border. There was a long queue of cars and buses, and it was moving painfully slowly.
Add new comment