Winter Ascent of Mount Botev on Bulgaria’s National Day

For a long time, we had been thinking about doing a winter ascent of Mount Botev—the highest peak of the Balkan Mountains, rising to 2376 meters. Since we are from the southwest of the country, however, the logistics are more complicated and the whole adventure requires at least two overnight stays. Around Bulgaria’s National Day, March 3rd, there were three consecutive days off, which gave us the perfect opportunity.

We might have skipped it again this year if friends of Mihaela hadn’t organized a climb of Mount Botev for the holiday. As it turned out, for their group L.E.S.H.A. (Lightly Extreme Happy Adventurers), this ascent on March 3rd had become a tradition. Their plan included three overnight stays, the second one at Botev Shelter, while ours was more modest—two nights at Pleven Hut. Luckily Pavkata from LESHA reserved spots for us, because reaching Pleven Hut by phone is about as likely as winning the lottery.

Day 1: Travel and Ascent to Pleven Hut

As the week of the climb approached, doubts began to creep in. The weather forecast was very changeable, and Anelia—as usual—kept wavering about whether she would come, changing her mind almost daily. In the end, on the morning of March 2nd, four of us set off from Blagoevgrad: me, Anelia, Itso, and Mihaela.

By early afternoon we parked at the parking area below Pleven Hut. There are two trails from there—one considered the winter route and the other the summer one. Since there was no snow up to the hut, we chose the summer trail, which is slightly shorter but steeper. The weather was poor—foggy and damp. We climbed to the hut without taking a break and reached it in under an hour despite the heavy backpacks. Anelia set a relentless pace uphill, barely catching her breath but refusing to stop.

We had reserved a triple room but were moved to a four-bed room. After settling in and changing clothes, we went down to the dining hall for a beer and to discuss plans for the next day, comparing weather forecasts that differed wildly depending on the website. As for the hut itself—only good things to say: friendly hosts, clean, warm, hot showers, delicious food, and even a large library.

We spent the evening again in the dining hall, had dinner, and kept things light since we had to wake up early. Our alarms were set for 6:30 a.m. We could have risen earlier, but the kitchen opened at 7:00.

Day 2: Ascent of Mount Botev and Return to Pleven Hut

The day was March 3rd—Bulgaria’s National Day. We woke up at 6:30, still sleepy, got ready, and by 7:00 we were already in the dining hall. Breakfast was homemade tutmanik, though it looked more like a quick banitsa—or what we call at home a savory cake. Whatever the name, it was tasty and gave us energy for the first part of the day.

Around 7:30 we were ready, took a selfie in front of the hut sign, and slowly started upward along the old ski slope. The sky was filled with clouds, and the valleys below were wrapped in fog. Despite our lighter packs, we moved a bit slower than the previous day. Another group of four left shortly after us and overtook us, though they didn’t move much faster overall.

We encountered snow at the edge of the forest, just before reaching the more open slopes where the summer trail to Botev Shelter branches off to the left from the winter route. We continued along the winter path. On a flat meadow at the base of Mlechni Chal (2255 m), we stopped to rest and put on our crampons. Our time to this point was about 1 hour 40–45 minutes.

Thankfully, the previous day we had practiced fitting our crampons at the hut. Mine were already adjusted, but Itso had brand-new ones, Anelia had borrowed hers, and Mihaela’s were some inexpensive models that later caused trouble. Thanks to that rehearsal, we managed to gear up relatively quickly on the meadow, had a quick snack, and continued upward.

After about 150–200 meters, right at the start of the fixed rope section on the slope of Mlechni Chal, Mihaela’s right crampon began to come loose. We tried adjusting it, but after another 20–30 meters it became clear it wouldn’t work. Fortunately, the conditions were mild and not icy, so we decided she would continue without crampons, holding onto the rope more, while I stayed close behind in case she slipped.

Anelia was again leading, saying she had built momentum and didn’t want to stop. She did remarkably well for a committed smoker. Mihaela moved more slowly without crampons and at one point considered turning back, but we convinced her to continue. As mentioned, the snow was soft enough that climbing without crampons was manageable. From the meadow to the top via the rope section took us about an hour. Our total time from Pleven Hut to Mlechni Chal was three hours.

At the top we took a short five-minute standing break just to snap a few photos. Spirits were already high. Mount Botev was clearly visible ahead, we were roughly on schedule, and it was obvious that the snow along the ridge was shallow—we wouldn’t be sinking. Good thing we had left the snowshoes in the car to avoid carrying unnecessary weight. Encouraged, we continued along the ridge toward Botev Shelter.

We reached Botev Shelter in about 30 minutes and took another short break outside. The caretaker doesn’t allow entry with boots—let alone with crampons—so we lingered outside briefly before tackling the final ascent of Mount Botev itself.

Meanwhile, the high clouds began to break, and the sun would occasionally appear as the summit alternately revealed itself and disappeared behind passing clouds. Overall, the weather was very pleasant, with only a light wind. During the climb we met the LESHA group descending from the summit. We chatted briefly—they told us crampons were fine up there and that there were meatballs and beer available. That motivated me to pick up the pace a bit.

I arrived slightly ahead of the others at exactly noon—4 hours and 30 minutes after leaving Pleven Hut. I wandered around the buildings, took out the flag, and asked other hikers to take some photos. We happened to catch a sunny interval right on the summit. While waiting for the others, I changed clothes and grabbed a beer from the nearby building. We settled down outside, unpacked sandwiches, and enjoyed a well-earned meal, followed by the obligatory photo session with the Bulgarian flag for the holiday.

Despite the good weather before noon, the afternoon forecast wasn’t promising—clouds and stronger winds were expected. So we didn’t linger long. After eating and resting, we quickly headed back down toward Botev Shelter.

The descent went much faster than the ascent. We paused briefly again near the shelter, where Mihaela went inside to refill water for everyone. After that short stop we headed back toward Mlechni Chal. There’s a slight climb along the ridge, and for a moment we were engulfed by a cloud. As we approached the rope section where we needed to descend, the wind began to pick up.

Before starting down the rope, we stopped briefly to layer up—gloves on, jackets zipped tight. While climbing I usually open every ventilation zip I have, but now everything was sealed as we slowly began descending.

Fortunately, a little lower down the wind calmed, and at times the sun even came out again. We stopped to remove a few layers as we began to overheat. Slowly but steadily we continued downward, waiting for Mihaela to negotiate the rope section carefully without crampons.

Once we reached the flat area where we had first put on our crampons, we stopped to rest and take them off. After a quick snack, we descended to the hut without further breaks.

Back at the hut, a hot shower awaited us, followed by a cold beer and lamb soup. The food at Pleven Hut is excellent. After eating, we rested in the room for about half an hour, then returned to the dining hall and joined the LESHA group at the big table. We covered the tables with snacks, I brought out a liter and a half of homemade wine—well worth carrying up the previous day—and celebrated the national holiday late into the night.

Final Day – Descent and Journey Home

In the morning we woke around 8:00 and had some soup on the outdoor terrace. The weather was perfect—across from us the Northern Djendem and Mount Botev were lit by bright sunshine. One last photo from the hut before we headed down to the car and drove back to Blagoevgrad.