http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/6739/1019444fw9.jpg
Me

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/7203/1019449wz9.jpg

These are the main steep peaks of the valley, there are 8 peaks which can´t be climbed without alpinisym, Petlite, Orlovec, Iglata, Dvuglav, Zlia zab, Gorna diavolska Igla, Lovnica, Goliam Kupen, some of them can´t be seen from here as they are behind the peaks or at the side and you can just see the edge of them.

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/8538/1019470ux4.jpg

Ok, let´s go up, this is exactly the other direction, this is the northslope, the other peak was from the south side of the mountains but it is taken 500 meters away towards another valley.

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/5048/1019484wz8.jpg

The Rilska river

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/5048/1019484wz8.jpg

Here are the peaks again, you see we are at antoher position, 2 km away from the first position.

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/1894/1019493qd7.jpg

A zoomed pic towards the main peaks, the highness ranges through 2600 - 2700 m on this pic.

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/8165/1019498cg9.jpg

A zoomed pic towards the peak Goliam Kupen 2731 m, this is the highest peak in this valley, but not the highest in Rila though. It may nto seem so extrem but it is, you can´t see the whole peak since there is something like a whole between the slope you see and the main peak, the whole is probably 400 m deep.

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/2170/1019496qw5.jpg

Here´s the peak again, you can see some rests of the September snow we had.

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/237/1019531dq4.jpg

Some scenerie from the mountains we were under, a few meters away I took the pic of the main peaks as showed above. More pics are comning!

Beautiful :)
Which side of Rile did you start you hike on?

I hike at the Rilska valley, the Valley with the Rila monastery, it is the one with the biggest rockwalls in bulgaria, 50/600 m, there are other valleys with steep slopes benieth the Rilska valley but the peaks don´t have big rockwalls. I´ll go to check how it looks just under the peak goliam Kupen and then I´ll go to the Idinia Valley just on the other side of the slope with the forests. in the Idinia valley there are very beautiful shapen mountains and also high.

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/4696/002531471bigbf8.jpg

Here´s the pic with which I want show the whole between the right part of goliam Kupen, just look on the highest peak far away, you see that there´s soemthing like a hole which dviides the main peak Goliam Kupen and some not so high slope, aktually on the peaks you see the not so high slope which is blocking the full view, you can jsut see the whole peak Goliam Kupen from the west or if you go jsut under it. I hope you get what I mean.

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/213/1019557mg2.jpg

the slope with lots of forests and not so rocky.

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/1271/1019581zj3.jpg

Goodbye montains, this is 10 km west of the previous position and it´s just where the Rila monastery is, the peak in the distance is one peak of the Idinia valley, which is also very long, maybe 20/25 km until it get´s merged with the Rilska valley.

Nice :)

Snow already?

^^ Yes there was snow on Vitosha too 2 weeks ago.

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/1851/1019452pq7.jpg

Another pic from the Goliam Kupen massive, this rocks are lower though, 2400 - 2300 m high, still high but not 2700+ meters as that´s the very end of the Goliam Kupen massive.

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/3218/1019482bk8.jpg

View towards the western peaks from my position there.

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3569/routerx8.jpg

Here´s the route I´ve taken from Blagoevgrad, at the right of this valley you see the Idinia valley which obviously also has steep slopes, and far away you see the highest peak of the Rila mountain, Musala 2925 m and the long Iskar valley.

nice stuff radi :cheers:

come and visit man. Btw, the slopes of the Idinia valley might not seem very steep but especially the ones on the right side of the Idinia valley aktually are, I´ll post a nasaworldwind map from east looking towards west to show that they are steep and high, too... Ohhh how I love high steep moutnains.

Did you complain that there isn't a highway all the way to the mountain top? :D

Nice trip

the road to the mountains is very good, I don´t wanta motorway to the mountains to destroy the beautiful landscape.

Very beautiful mountains. :) But next time suit yourself more comfortably, you look like you're taking a dump. :lol:

Great pictures! Excellent!

I plan to go to the Monastery and Borovets - which from what I can tell is the most developed resort. I plan to take the lift to Yastrebets (is it a simple chair-lift or some sort of gondola?).

What can you tell me about the hike from Yastrebets all the way up to Musala? Is it difficult? I'm asking because I get terrible vertigo on even moderately steep descents and steep climbs. I feel like I'm about to lose balance and fall all the time :nuts: . Living in the Pannonian plain certainly doesn't help...

I also saw some impressive pictures of the Malyovitsa peak somewhere, probably wikipedia.

Also, what can you tell me about any other cable-cars and gondola systems in Bulgaria? I love them because you usually see a great panorama from above the ground level (not to mention because of my lazyness! :D )

No, climbing Musala is relatively easy, though it's the highest peak there (almost 3km high). I don't know whether Borovets is the best ski resort though, you should consider Bansko too. Malyovica is a beautiful place, well-known about (haha) its magic mushrooms, but I strongly advise you not to try that :) As for the cable cars, I can't tell you much, cause I haven't been there for years. You should be aware that during the season, the place is packed with tourists and that's very annoying and can easily spoil your holiday.

P.S the Rila Monastery and its surroundings are beautiful :)

You didnt went alone,did you? It is always dangerous to go out into the nature alone.
BTW,nice mountains. You obviously have way too much free time;)

Well, having a mobile phone and knowing the place, it's quite safe to go there alone :) Especially in the summer. And the routes are marked, you can't easily get lost. In the winter....well dunno, definitely it's dangerous to go alone..

Well, having a mobile phone and knowing the place, it's quite safe to go there alone :)

Tell this to the skiers in the Alps who die every year because of avalanches. Who knows what awaits you in the forest...

Avalanches rarely kill people here...you see, our mountains are not so high and not so populated as the Alps..

Avalanches rarely kill people here...you see, our mountains are not so high and not so populated as the Alps..

I think we should derail Radi's thread with this discussion. Lets agree in that there is always a slight chance you get hurt in the nature.

That's really beautiful, thanks.

there aren´t many avalanches arround the Rila monastery since thevalley is quite low and the high peaks are very steep so not much snow can get hold on them, There are avalanches on the fammous big coloirs between the rocky peaks, there are 4 or 5 of them and they are very high. I went there with my cousin but I know the region so well that I don´t think i will get lost, I went there virtually so often (the virtual maps) that I would find way home always, and on these narrow valleys it´s impossible to get lost anyway because there are jsut two directions, west and east, east is going higher and deeper to teh mountains, and wst is going out of the mountains. Maliovica is not that spectacular, the Rila monastery valley and the Idinia valley are more spectacular, on the Idinia valleys there´s a sperpentine road which goes to a mountain hut high up at 2200 m or so.

Consider climbing Musala from different directions as it isn´t very beautiful and the wors view probably from the Borovets, the northside.

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/5359/musalaeastce8.jpg
this is the eastface of Musala, it can be climbed from the iskar valley

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2740/musalanorthjl9.jpg
thisis the borovets side

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/3485/musalasouthwestdt6.jpg

this is probably the most beautiful side of Musala

You're so fortunate to be living as close as you are to this beautiful scenery...i'm very jealous:)

Wiqter, if you go to the area of the Rila monastery take your time, sleep there for 3 or 4 nights and maybe even more and go close to each slopes and sides of the mountains because they all are uniquie and you will see better higher slopes at the river and on the other side where the big peaks are as at Kirilova Poliana, and if you come here you have to leave me a pm so that we go together, if I dusturb you I want at least to show you the mountains for 1 day, the other days I´ll go.

To the lifts, the Borovets lift is a Gondola, I am not sure if the lift of the Panichishte resort is Gondola, too. the lift in Bansko is Gondola and starts directly from the town of Bansko but it operates just winter, the Borovets lift operates always.

How did you make a 3d image in WW? I couldnt figure it out...its a plugin?

How did you make a 3d image in WW? I couldnt figure it out...its a plugin?

what do you mean?

what do you mean?

My worldwind only functions like google maps,no 3d maps...but you have the mountains in 3d.

My worldwind only functions like google maps,no 3d maps...but you have the mountains in 3d.

Ofcourse it functions in 3d, you have to press and hold the right mouse-button and move back if you want it mroe horizontal, or forword for more vertical view. You can change the layers if you open the layermanager and open Images - NASA landsat Imaginary - and tick Onearth 15m Global Mosac, visual, because the normal layer is ugly and lowresoluted, the one i use is quite good.

Ofcourse it functions in 3d, you have to press and hold the right mouse-button and move back if you want it mroe horizontal, or forword for more vertical view. You can change the layers if you open the layermanager and open Images - NASA landsat Imaginary - and tick Onearth 15m Global Mosac, visual, because the normal layer is ugly and lowresoluted, the one i use is quite good.

Thank you!now its working!

Thanks Radi for the offer!

Great stuff Radi. Thanks... :)

good stuff radi ;)

here goes a couple of photos for your pleasure

Rila :

http://212.36.3.59/site_pics/160/S_1153057735_Maljowica_pejki.jpg

The rest is Pirin

http://photo-zona.net/images/user53829/album7603/large/1191763929_vwjb6093_zona.jpg

http://photo-zona.net/images/user53829/album7603/large/1190143718_ulvy5668_titi_flat.jpg

http://photo-zona.net/images/user53829/album7603/large/1187359547_gwid1019_Untitled-3.jpg


Edited, as radi said the photos don't belong here. Sorry radi :)

the pics are awesome, but they don´t belong here since this is about the Rila not the Pirin mountain.

On Saturday I finally made an awesome trip to the Rila mountain in the area where the Rila monastery is but I went up the valley towards the steepest peaks and highest rockwalls in Bulgaria. No other mountain in Bulgaria comes even close to this, unfortunately I couldn´t go to a meadow very close to the mountains because there were falling avalanches that day and the meadow is so close that it is dangerous to be there when avalanches fall, from there the view would be times better than here I guess. There was still lots of snow, there were peaces of snow even at the valley which is at 1300 - 1400 m. while the peaks there go imediatelly up to 2700 m, with high rockwalls and extremly steep slopes.

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/6739/1009939ag6.jpg
A zoomed pic to the rockwalls

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/797/1009951ge8.jpg
A not zoomed pic. The mountains look very close from there altough the beginnings of them are 1500 m away, but that´s because they are so high.

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/1461/1009956by4.jpg
a zoomed pic, just look at the rocks

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/1131/1009963bc7.jpg
This is a zoomed pic, but towards another direction, there are also rockwalls there.

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/4884/1009968qn7.jpg
that was when we were going back and the street passed very close to the mountains, that´s the Dvuglav peak.

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/9710/1009985ve4.jpg
The Dvuglav peak again.

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/131/1009996oj0.jpg
In this zoomed pic you see 3 very steep peaks, too bad there´s so much forest in the valley
http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/3746/1010018tl9.jpg
another zoomed pic to the highest peaks of the valley

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/1938/1010015ob2.jpg
On this pic you see to the right the highest peaks of this valley up to 2750 m, while I was standing at only 1350 m in the valley.

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/5693/1009986yn5.jpg
this is towards the other direction

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/7563/1010027ys1.jpg
this is some 8 km away from the last pics on the way back.

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/3781/1010032no1.jpg
The slopes are becoming more gendle

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/1029/1010034yw8.jpg
slopes with forests

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/1402/1010036mr0.jpg
but they are still steep

It was a very nice trip to the amazingly alpine landscape of the Rila mountain

I talked with people from there and they were telling me, that on the top of the peaks there was 3,50 m snow, that´s amazing for April, on the other Bulgarian mountains there is far less snow, But it´s because of the alpine shape of Rila that clouds give more percipitation, like in the alps, the Rila mountain can compete with a lot of areas in the Alps.

What happened guys, you didn´t answer, you comment the most ugly communist buildings with 10 000 posts but don´t comment these mountains because you are angry that your mountains can´t compare to the Rila, that´s imbecile.

The crashbarriers are not shiny anymore.:ohno:

^^
Post pictures of the seven Rila lakes, Maliovica and Skakavica and you`ll get many comments.:okay:

P.S.
Saying that no Bulgarian mountain can be compared to Rila made me ask you if you`ve ever been to Pirin?

^^
Saying that no Bulgarian mountain can be compared to Rila made me ask you if you`ve ever been to Pirin?

I was going to say the same thing. Still, every mountain is unique and gorgeous in its own way.

^^
Post pictures of the seven Rila lakes, Maliovica and Skakavica and you`ll get many comments.:okay:

P.S.
Saying that no Bulgarian mountain can be compared to Rila made me ask you if you`ve ever been to Pirin?

Ofcourse I´ve been to Pirin and know everything of both moutnains, the Pirin mountain is apsolutely rediculous compared to rila mountain, Pirin has no valleys, the peaks are like fallen apart, and the whole mountain is connected, however rila isn´t connected at all, it has many valleys, peaks are seperated from each other and so on.

^^
Post pictures of the seven Rila lakes, Maliovica and Skakavica and you`ll get many comments.:okay:

P.S.
Saying that no Bulgarian mountain can be compared to Rila made me ask you if you`ve ever been to Pirin?

Ivalio, do you aktually think what you type, I don´t think so at all. Man, you seem to me pretty stupid with this sentence

"Post pictures of the seven Rila lakes, Maliovica and Skakavica and you`ll get many comments.:okay:"

If you don´t know it, these peaks are all of the Maliovica group, on these peaks you see Dvuglav, Zlia zyb, Golyam Kupen, Iglata, Orlovec, Diavolskite igli, Petlite. these are all peaks of the maliovica group, only that they are way steeper and higher on this side than on the other side, on the other side they only have small walls, here they have big walls. so don´t write such things man, besides that where I was Rila is most extrem, not at Skakavica, or 7 Rila lakes, who cares of the 7 Rila lakes with 100 m walls if these walls here are 500 m and more.

Nice trip you hade there, Radi! :)
Rila is a trully gorgeous mountain...

I have even more pics, say if you want.

Guys, I want more comments, you can´t comment some rediculous tiny rocks in Vratsa but not talk about these gorgeous alpine peaks.

I love Rila, Radi. Even though I've been to Rila only a few times (not counting my many trips to Velingrad, of course, which to my knowledge is in the Rhodopes). Funny thing though... Yundola (some 20 or so km. away) is already considered in Rila. Enough said... Show us the rest of your pics.

I love Rila, Radi. Even though I've been to Rila only a few times (not counting my many trips to Velingrad, of course, which to my knowledge is in the Rhodopes). Funny thing though... Yundola (some 20 or so km. away) is already considered in Rila. Enough said... Show us the rest of your pics.

I think Yuldola is considered Rila aswell because it is in Rila aktually. I even think that the on the right side of the climbing of the pass to Velingrad which you reach when you exit the Velingrad exit is still Rila, I´ve never been there but on the map it looks amazing, I think Yiundola is still Rila, too. It is the best m ountian in Bulgaira and even compared to the alps I think it can compete with some of the mroe beautiful places in the Alps liek Watzmann or Triglav. If we think seriously, we should be lucky that we have the Rila, because only the rila has deep valeys with attitude ddifferenses of up to 1500 m from valley to peak, the highest difference in valley to Pirin is only 900 m, not to talk about the other mountains in Bulgaria. We should be happpy and proud of it and respect it because that´s the real moutnain in Bulgaria and a ting we should be proud about, because only rila reaches standarts of the big moutain ranges in the world, the toher moutnains jsut can´t reach those standarts. We should respect the Rila mountain and protect it like a girl we love, because the Rila IS the only alpien mountain in Bulgaira, and that´s a fact.

the only peak in Pirin that has truly alpine character is not the Vihren, but the Banski Suhodol, I talked to many people and they all said that the Banski Suhodol is the most beautiful pea in the whole Pirin mountian.a fact.

sorry, double post

ok we want more pics. put them up

I think Yuldola is considered Rila aswell because it is in Rila aktually. I even think that the on the right side of the climbing of the pass to Velingrad which you reach when you exit the Velingrad exit is still Rila, I´ve never been there but on the map it looks amazing, I think Yiundola is still Rila, too. It is the best m ountian in Bulgaira and even compared to the alps I think it can compete with some of the mroe beautiful places in the Alps liek Watzmann or Triglav. If we think seriously, we should be lucky that we have the Rila, because only the rila has deep valeys with attitude ddifferenses of up to 1500 m from valley to peak, the highest difference in valley to Pirin is only 900 m, not to talk about the other mountains in Bulgaria. We should be happpy and proud of it and respect it because that´s the real moutnain in Bulgaria and a ting we should be proud about, because only rila reaches standarts of the big moutain ranges in the world, the toher moutnains jsut can´t reach those standarts. We should respect the Rila mountain and protect it like a girl we love, because the Rila IS the only alpien mountain in Bulgaira, and that´s a fact.

the only peak in Pirin that has truly alpine character is not the Vihren, but the Banski Suhodol, I talked to many people and they all said that the Banski Suhodol is the most beautiful pea in the whole Pirin mountian.a fact.

I beg to differ. Generally Rila has smoother peaks, while peaks in Pirin are more rocky. You mention Banski Suhodol, I could add Kutela 1 & 2, the northern (if my memory serves me right) side of Dzhangal - I remember the experience when I was there. Pirin has some spectacular peaks like Sinanitza. Rila does also have some rocky peaks - Maliovitza is a great place.

I don't want to be misunderstood, I LOVE both mountains, each one of them is gorgeous in its own way. I've been plenty of times to Musala and Vihren and most of the higher peaks. That is why I believe that comparison between Bulgarian mountains should not be made. There are great places in Stara Planina, such as Goliam Kupen, the space at the very peak is as large as a dining table, extremely steep, Kozia Stena let alone Botev, magnificent in its own way.

Despite I love rocky mountains sometimes I feel I need some "low-mountain" experience. The Rhodopes calmness and immensity are something that you can't find anywhere. And how about Strandzha - a mountain without high peaks, but quite underrated. May be that is the reason why it is still preserved. I've never been there, But I've heard it's a very beautiful place.

you are right with Pirin, Zaro, there are indeet some steep peaks in Pirin, but you should know that the area arround Rilska Reka valley has by far the highest rockwalls and steepest slopes in Bulgaria and also the highest evelation of valley to peak. I like the golqm Kupen of Stara Planina but rila´s golqm Kupen is the real thing it is one of the msot extreme peaks in Bulgaria. Many Pirin peaks are rocky but so are Rila, for example if you go to Blagoevgrad and drive along Dupnica there are many rocky peaks.

I went to the Rila mountains for the first time last September. These are a few photos I took on my phone.
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m150/Ant1_06/DSC01358.jpg
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m150/Ant1_06/DSC01359.jpg
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m150/Ant1_06/DSC01369.jpg
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m150/Ant1_06/DSC01372.jpg

How can you dump folks not post replies here?

^^because there arent any shiny crashbarriers on the pics you posted:):ohno::)

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/7563/1010027ys1.jpg

Ah theres a crash barrier :D
Anyway nice photos :)

^^Yes ,but it isnt shiny,i want a shiny one:nuts:

Could someone please scan and upload good high res Rila mountain map cause I can´t find any fucking decent map on the fucking imbecile google, where all peaks are named and highness information is given. Fucking imbecile searchengine. Btw, I was in the Rila yesterday, it´s the best mountain in Bulgaria and all toher mountains are dry dusthills compared to the Rila mountain, I will post pics soon.

Oh shit, could someone move this to the Bulgarian forum, I´m sorry.

could someone move this thread, please??? !

could someone move this thread, please??? !

I think only Cosmin can move threads; he doesn't seem to be around at present.

Radi, radi...:ohno::lol:

Yesterday I went to the Rila mountain and enjoied the magnificent scenery there, I´ve noticed that the Rila mountain is the only alpine mountain in Bulgaria and has water, not like the other dusthills in Bulgaria, it is very steep and has very deep valleys.

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/4097/1010218vm6.jpg
Bulgarias steepest peaks with the biggest rockwalls covered in fog.

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/9582/1010223ri0.jpg
STEEP SLOPES

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/8343/1010230ep0.jpg
Alpine slopes in fog, could be in Austria or Southtyrol aswell.

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/6622/1010237bf8.jpg
The first pic and this pic show rocky slopes and walls which can only be found in the Rila mountain in Bulgaria.

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/5176/1010244bl3.jpg

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/7717/1010255xb3.jpg

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/4953/1010262re4.jpg

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/3952/1010267nj1.jpg
Steep from everywhere

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/1743/1010270ys4.jpg
This is a view of the mountains of the other valley, just where the Rilska River enters the Idinia river and the valleys come together.

On these pics you can see that the Rila mountain pwns all other Bulgarian mountains in everything. And these places aren´t the best places in the mountain.

Radi, this is your second thread with the same title and topic..You could post the new pictures in the previous thread.

Very nice trip and pics, Radi! :okay:

Rila is an amazing mountain! :cheers:

more pics are soon to come, from other places of the Rila mountain, also.

ВОДА, yes the Rila mountain is amazing. it has 7 valleys, where the steep slopes go higher than 850 m from valleybottom to top of the slope and peak, in 6 of these valleys the peaks and slopes rise more than 1000 m from valleybottom to top which is amazing, in Pirin there´s only one valley with a difference in height of more than 1000 m valley - peak. Exactly this, the difference from valley to peak is most important, that´s also why the alps look so amazing, cause most peaks have a big difference in height VAlley - peak. In the Alps and in Rila you see most peaks with trees at the lower parts and with rocks at the top like in the Rila mountain. I like mountains with big fresh forests, water and so on, I want to be able to see the rockwalls from a height where deciduous trees grow. In Bulgaria taht´s only possible in the Rila mountain, in all other mountains in Bulgaria you must be at a height of 1700+ m to see the big peaks unless it is enough for you to see them from 8 km away, which isn´t enough for me.

Don`t forget that Rila is the highest mountain in the Balkans. ;)

http://milenishte.org/downloads/rila/map_resized.jpg

http://www.saparevabanya.info/images/rila_map_saparevabanya.jpg

Thanks man, but I found them yesterday. The problem is that the maps show only part of the mountain and only few peaks are shown, I want a map that shows all peaks of the mountain with height data.

radi604 , how old are you ??? You seem to be no more than 16 years old. Am I right ??

nice pictures......

мн. добри

Tomorrow I might go to Bistrica and take pics of the extremly steep slope which can be seen from the E-79 on the right side when you drive to Sofia before Dupnica.

Wow, bulgaria has fantastic nature. And I saw that there are quite a few good ski slopes in the area.

^^ One of 'em:
http://www.bulgariaski.com/img/big/11_11.jpg
http://www.bulgariaski.com/img/big/11_2.jpg