Greetings to world travelers and lovers of discovering new locations for #WorldMapPin 🙂
When I showed my walk in the small mountain ski center of Bansko the other day in the WednesdayWalk contest given by @tattoodjay, I was intrigued by the amount of water that flows through Bansko.
Although I am not equipped to climb mountains, I wanted to go closer to the peaks, which are still covered in snow in places.
I wanted to see those mountain streams that are formed by the melting of the remaining snow and that form this river at the foot of the mountain.
The gondola is not yet in operation and the only way to go to the mountain (since I am not a mountaineer) was by car.
On the map I selected the location of Vihren chalet, a mountain lodge at the foot of the highest peak of the Pirin mountain range, Vihren peak (2914m), which I decided I would reach.
On a narrow, steep, but very high-quality asphalt road along the mountain, we drove easily from 900 m above sea level, where Bansko is located.
The first stop was the intermediate station of the gondola, Banderishka meadow, where we took a short break. At this position, the gondola stops its ascent for a short time and from one, the one who wants to go to a higher altitude, would switch to another steeper ride.
We parked the car in the parking lot in front
Banderitsa Chalet, on an extension that has a restaurant and well-marked trails with the sights of this part of the national park.
From there, I set out on foot for further research and ascent to the end point.
First on the route, at the end of a long but not too steep wooden staircase, I was greeted by a notice of an interesting discovery, a large pine, Baikushev's pine, a 1300-year-old tree.
Visiting that old pine tree required climbing the stairs. But it is definitely worth it, because when you are near this mountain, you can enjoy the shade made by its branches.
One large branch, probably damaged, was cut off and is next to the pine. I hope that the "wound" caused by cutting off that branch will not endanger it and that this old pine will continue its life through the next centuries(and that pine cones will fall from its branches for a long time to come).
From the pine, down the steps to the road, then uphill for another 2 km to the mountain lodge below Vihren peak.
When I reached the mountain lodge and Vihren Chalet
even though I was at an altitude of 1972 m, I saw in the distance the rather high peak of Vihren.
A frivolous pedestrian and tourist has no chance of reaching it. With this ascent from the parked car to the mountain lodge, although only a few kilometers along the mountain road, I measured a rather large temperature difference. From 25°C to 18°C. Probably, by further climbing, towards the peaks where there is still snow, I would have reached the zone, when the temperature would be close to zero, for which I did not have a suitable wardrobe, jacket, pants and shoes.
But my idea was not to go to the top, but to look for the mountain streams at the footmountains make a river.
Following the noise, the roar of the water, I went behind the mountain lodge and saw a stream. And over the flow, this beautiful wooden bridge.
I took a few pictures and videos and headed back to the car.
In the clearing where the car was parked, next to the mountain restaurant where I took a lunch break, I saw a children's park with swings, and a little further on, a brave camper who had pitched his tent on a nearby meadow.
Going to the toilet, a few hundred meters away from the restaurant, was interesting, because to get there I crossed a road, covered with water, which poured down from the nearby hills.
Although a small amount of water, in the bed next to the parking lot, several such small basins made a larger mountain stream.
When I headed back to Bansko by car, on an extension, before a small bridge, I came across a slightly more serious mountain stream, an ideal place for a break and some photography.
Observing all these streams, it is clear that there is still a lot of snow left on the mountain tops, which melts to form these not-so-small streams, which further make the entire river.
From this tour of the Pirin mountain and national park, I would single out the stay in the mountain lodge below Vihren, because the view towards the top of Vihren and the surrounding peaks is phenomenal and worth mentioning in the #worldmappin community.
On to the next interesting site, I welcome you and I wish you many nice travels that you will share here.
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Thank you for stopping by my post and I hope you enjoyed the photos and the story I shared with you
All photos are my property, taken with a mobile phone