Day one
Route: Banderitsa Parking lot - Vihren refuge - Vihren peak - Kazana bivvy - Banderitsa refuge

Group meeting 20:00 on Friday evening, in the parking lot of Banderitsa refuge. After parking the cars, we will do a short hike to Vihren refuge, we'll check into the lodge and have a hearty dinner to fuel up for our upcoming assault on the summit! After dinner we go to bed early, as the attack will commence at 03:30 and a climb on the classic steep trail o Kabata area.

The environment around us will be a silent fairy tale, illuminated by the full moon and interrupted only by our breathing! It is very likely that we will even surprise on the way the herd of goats inhabiting the area at the top and the mountain will gift us with their proximity!

On the way down, we'll take the slightly more difficult path to the Big Cauldron to bathe our eyes in the view of the iconic North Face of Vihren. The wall holds an awful lot of history of tough climbers and epic adventures! We will briefly stop to rest at the Kazana shelter, after which we will head to Banderitsa refuge and our cars. We will also stop for a delicious lunch before heading to the starting point of our next night adventure - the cradle of Bulgarian mountaineering - the Maliovitsa Valley!

Day two
Route: Maliovitsa refuge - Elenino Lake - Malyovitsa peak - Malyovi Lakes - Maliovitsa refuge - The CMS

As soon as we park at CMS Maliovitsa, we will make a journey of about 1 hour to Maliovitsa refuge, where we will settle in and once again tackle a hearty dinner before hitting the pillows early. Still, we have another night trek ahead of us!
We get up early and take the path to the top, in the embrace of the starry sky. At daybreak, we pass the still-sleeping Elenino Lake and continue up to our goal, where we will meet the sun, against the backdrop of the stunning panorama of The Camel, The Evil Fang and Orlovets peaks.

Our path continues to the mysterious Maliovo pole field, far from the well trodden paths. Here we're gifted with a different view of the north wall of Maliovitsa.

The path meanders past the glittering Malyovi Lakes and gradually descends towards the refuge. We stop for a short rest and a well-deserved cup of tea and head back to the CMS.
And in our hearts remain the memories of unforgettable sunrises and nights under the full moon...

Mandatory personal equipment:
– mountain insurance - it will be provided for you by us.
– small knife (recommended)
- backpack - about 25-35 liters
- small medical kit - 2pcs elastic bandages, 2pcs plain bandages, emergency blanket, various sizes of adhesive patches
- hiking shoes
- spare socks - 2-3 pairs
- suitable clothes:
* comfortable pants with long legs
* thermal blouse and leggings
* fleece jacket
* raincoat or membrane jacket
* * windbreaker jacket
* down jacket or jacket with synthetic insulation - with a hood
- winter hat
- gloves - two pairs
– a buff, bandana or another type of head/ neck scarf - 2 pcs.
- headlamp or flashlight
- sunglasses
- sunscreen
- hiking poles (recommended)

HIKES DURATION

TERRAIN DIFFICULTY: 

ATTENTION!

Guides in the field, as well as Mountain Talk as an organizer, reserve the right to make changes to the itinerary, including on the fly, in order to ensure your safety!

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MINIMUM number of participants: four 
MAXIMUM number of participants: eight persons

All Mountain Talk hikes in three-season conditions are conducted with a guide to participants ratio of no higher than 1:8 . This, in our opinion, is the best way to provide you with an excellent level of safety, an adequate level of itinerary personalization and a maximally pleasant experience, tailored to your needs and interests.

With great interest in the programs, we organize additional, independent groups with their own guide.