Questions about extended E-4

Hello.

Excuse me for asking in English, but I could not find any thorough guide on the web, and in my homeland (Ukraine) trekking seems to be quite different: no mountain huts there, while camping is allowed everywhere.

Could somebody please advice on next points:
1) Is overnight camping (1 tent) tolerated at mountain ridges or other places away from huts?
2) Is there any food, like cheese and bread, to buy at the huts and use on the trek for next two days? Do I really need JetBoil, gas and sublimates?
3) How much water do I need to carry? In Ukrainian Carpathians I take 3 liters for a day - there're next to no water springs at the ridge. Is water from lakes drinkable?
4) How much money should I take for 2 weeks (entire Vitosha-Rila-Pirin)?
5) Which month is better: July or August?

Thank you in advance.
Denis

PS the preliminary track
PPS I think I can read Bulgarian (80% of words are familiar), but not write in it(

Camping is officially allowed only at designated places in the parks, usually near the huts. You could camp elsewhere in remote areas taking the risk of paying a fine if you get caught.

You could buy cooked as well as packaged food in most huts.

In principle the water from lakes and rivers is drinkable. Take a look at the BGMountains map for more info on water sources and other details.

Staying in a hut costs about 15 leva (7.5 euro) per night. Food and transportation costs should be roughly similar to what you're used to in the Carpathians.

Both July and August should be fine. In July you might encounter small snow patches here and there. In August some of the water sources might dry up.

_________________
"Caminante son tus huellas el camino y nada más;
caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar." -- Antonio Machado

Последната промяна е направена от vedrin на Вто Юли 02, 2019 10:48 am; мнението е било променяно общо 1 път

Thank you, Vedrin!

Excuse me once more.
If I'm going to stay in the huts, do I need a sleeping bag and a roll mat?
Should I avoid the famous Ribni Ezera hut by all means, and aim for either Grenchar or Makedonia hut?

	descri написа:
	Excuse me once more. If I'm going to stay in the huts, do I need a sleeping bag and a roll mat? Should I avoid the famous Ribni Ezera hut by all means, and aim for either Grenchar or Makedonia hut?

You don't have to bring your own sleeping bag and roll mat. Conditions vary but are typically acceptable if you are not a very demanding person. AFAIK Grunchar is one of the less well maintained huts along with Ribni ezera, but still will offer you a shelter and a meal.

_________________
"Caminante son tus huellas el camino y nada más;
caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar." -- Antonio Machado

Thank you!

There is just the first day where your start and then you might have to stay around a shelter that is not maintained. It is named something like “buka preslap” but if you get somehow directly to v. Klisura you can have a chat with the locals where to stay. Just in case i might have one, but lets see what the colleagues will comment

	Цитат:
	There is just the first day where your start and then you might have to stay around a shelter that is not maintained. It is named something like “buka preslap” but if you get somehow directly to v. Klisura you can have a chat with the locals where to stay. Just in case i might have one, but lets see what the colleagues will comment

I am going to start from Sofia, spend the first night somewhere at Cherny Vreh (maybe Sedloto), second night - at Klisura (probably via booking.com so that I have some document to show to the border guards at the airport), 3rd at Ivan Vazov, 4th at Grunchar. Did not plan further yet. That's if the weather allows.

descri написа:

	Цитат:
	There is just the first day where your start and then you might have to stay around a shelter that is not maintained. It is named something like “buka preslap” but if you get somehow directly to v. Klisura you can have a chat with the locals where to stay. Just in case i might have one, but lets see what the colleagues will comment

I am going to start from Sofia, spend the first night somewhere at Cherny Vreh (maybe Sedloto), second night - at Klisura (probably via booking.com so that I have some document to show to the border guards at the airport), 3rd at Ivan Vazov, 4th at Grunchar. Did not plan further yet. That's if the weather allows.

[/quote]

The original route of E4 is like that.

1. Dragalevtsi Sofia - Cherni vruh - Buka preslap
2. Buka preslap - Klisura (not sure you will be able get accomodation via booking)
3. Klisura - Seven Lakes
4. Seven Lakes - shelter Strashno ezero or hut Maliovitza.
5. Shelter Strashno ezero - hut. Ribni ezera and so on

and so on ..

If you go to hut Ivan Vazon on day 3 you drag away from the original route. And then hut Ivan Vazov - hut Grunchar will be a pain in one day. It is more like 15-16 hours treck unless im missing something.

kaloyanv написа:

The original route of E4 is like that.

1. Dragalevtsi Sofia - Cherni vruh - Buka preslap
2. Buka preslap - Klisura (not sure you will be able get accomodation via booking)
3. Klisura - Seven Lakes
4. Seven Lakes - shelter Strashno ezero or hut Maliovitza.
5. Shelter Strashno ezero - hut. Ribni ezera and so on

and so on ..

If you go to hut Ivan Vazon on day 3 you drag away from the original route. And then hut Ivan Vazov - hut Grunchar will be a pain in one day. It is more like 15-16 hours treck unless im missing something.

I want to see entire Rila and Pirin, so planned something like this https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DFdcqldXKu1WOH3xL0oNBtIQZ4XOaROz&usp=sharing
BGMountains shows about 40 km from Ivan Vazov to Grunchar. It should be doable in a day, especially with a light backpack, and as the track is at mostly same height.

descri написа:

kaloyanv написа:

The original route of E4 is like that.

1. Dragalevtsi Sofia - Cherni vruh - Buka preslap
2. Buka preslap - Klisura (not sure you will be able get accomodation via booking)
3. Klisura - Seven Lakes
4. Seven Lakes - shelter Strashno ezero or hut Maliovitza.
5. Shelter Strashno ezero - hut. Ribni ezera and so on

and so on ..

If you go to hut Ivan Vazon on day 3 you drag away from the original route. And then hut Ivan Vazov - hut Grunchar will be a pain in one day. It is more like 15-16 hours treck unless im missing something.

I want to see entire Rila and Pirin, so planned something like this https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DFdcqldXKu1WOH3xL0oNBtIQZ4XOaROz&usp=sharing
BGMountains shows about 40 km from Ivan Vazov to Grunchar. It should be doable in a day, especially with a light backpack, and as the track is at mostly same height.

Ok

Just let us know how that things are going or after the trip you can share here some feedback.

I guess after hut Grunchar you will go to hut Macedonia connecting the original route.

I want to get to Belmeken, then return to Makedonia.
Still did not buy the airplane tickets (may eventually become too expensive), because now I don't know how much time is needed (expect to spend 10-14 days).
If something goes (not terribly) wrong, I will either skip some side tracks, or skip Pirin.
Will publish the results, if I get to the mountains in person, not only at the forum.