Bulgaria: Musala
General Information
Height: 2925m
Difficulty: 2
Best Time To Climb: June to September
Length of Time to Climb: 12-14 hours
Permits Required: None required
Accomodation: There are many hotels in the area of Borovets
Overview
Musala stands at 2925m and is not only the highest peak in Bulgaria but also in South-East Europe and the Balkan Peninsula. It is a very popular mountain, boasting over 50,000 visitors each year. Musala Peak is situated in the Rila Mountains and has a very similar landscape to that of the Alps.
The name ‘Musala’ comes from the name ‘Mus Allah’ – which translates as the ‘Mountain of Allah’, which was given its name during the time in which Bulgaria was part of the Islamic Ottoman Empire. Previous to this, the Mountain was called Tangra.
Hiking the Musala peak is a beautiful experience; its views are out of this word, including views of the other peaks surrounding it, which are Irecek (2852 m) and Malka Musala (2902 m). Also, the stunning Rila Lakes can be seen during the climb.
How to get there
To reach Musala, you can either take a bus or a car from the main city of Sofia to Samokov. If you’re taking public transport, you should take a bus from Sofia’s South Bus Station. The buses depart every half an hour from 7 am and the journey will take approximately 1 hour. A big bonus of this is that the cost is only €2!
Once you arrive in Samokov, it is only a further 15-minute trip on a minibus to Borovets at a cost of just €0.6.
If you don’t wish to take the bus, a car or minibus will be an easier journey from Sofia.
The Route
You will begin your hike in Borovets at the junction outside the Samokov Hotel. Continue along the road for 1.3km (west). You will pass under a cable car around halfway, and you will see the forestry track is sign-posted for the Musala Hut.
As you enter the forest, you will see a rocky stream – you will cross this multiple times before you reach the hut. There are two routes from here; you can either follow the forest track or take advantage of the foot-marker paths that previous hikers have crafted beforehand. If you choose to follow the forest track, continue for a further 2.5Km until you pass Mihalev Kamak, which is a huge boulder on the right-hand side of the track with messages painted upon it. Continue along the track for another 1Km until the track crosses over the stream again.
Continue further along the track for another km and you will reach a fork, follow the path (it may be over-grown) crossing the stream a final time until nearly 3Km later you will reach the Musala Hut.
Musala Hut to Ledeno Ezero Hut (1.5-2 hours)
After leaving the Musala Hut, follow the path around the western shore of Musalenski Ezero and follow the clear, marked path past the lakes until you reach the Ledeno Ezero Hut, on the shore of the Ledeno Ezero Lake (otherwise known as the ice lake).
Ledeno Ezero Hut to Summit (45 minutes – 1 hr)
You will now be on the final leg of the climb. After leaving the Ledeno Ezero Hut, follow the path up the spur onto the main north ridge. When you are on the ridge, follow the zig-zag path until you finally reach the summit!
What to pack
It is important you pack the necessary equipment to make the climb as easy and comfortable as possible. Please find our recommended kit-list below.
Clothing
- Hiking Socks
- Gaitors
- Double Boots/HikingBoots
- Comfortable Underwear
- Base Layer (Bottoms and Tops)
- Midlayer Top (Hoodies/Jackets)
- Softshell Jacket
- Softshell Pants
- Hardshell Pants
- Hardshell Jacket
- Insulated Jacket
- Lightwear Gloves
- Insulated Mits
- Wool/Synthetic Hat
- Sunhat
Gear
- Water Bottle
- Ice Axe
- Waist Lease
- Crampons
- Trekking Poles
- Backpack
- Headlamp
- Goggles
- Sun Glasses
- UV Buff
Additional
- Power Adaptor
- Camera
- Toiletry Bag
- ‘Travel Clothes’ e.g. clean clothing that can be worn on ‘travel’ days
- Ear Plugs for more comfortable sleep in the huts
- Sun Protection (Sunscreen and Lip Screen)
- Snacks and Drinks
- Small First Aid Kit
