I am not a morning person, so I start at 7am, which to a purist might sound like a good reason to cancel the trek that day.

The first 4-5 hours are a gruelling uphill made worse by the lack of trees for most of the stretch and the occasional skull (animal’s, I hope) – reminding me how thirsty I am and how stupid it was to assume there would be water on the way.  At around 1800m altitude, I reach the top of the ridge and get a rewarding view of the alpine ridge of Stara Planina.  What follows is the most enjoyable part of the trek, getting in and out of forests, crossing springs (water, finally!), alternating easy climbs and descents and taking in the amazing views in each direction. 

You get peeks of the summit every now and then too – Botev is easily recognised by the striped red and white radio tower perched on top of it.  Together with the weather station, it has been home to scientists for close to 6 decades.  I am a bit put off by the fact that what I consider a great adventure is seen as a commute by many of them. 

The arrival at the Botev Refuge marks a change in pace, and slope incline, unfortunately.  It sits 300m below the summit and this final ascent is an absolute trudge.  The path is eroded by melting snow each year and if you look up you risk stepping on an unstable rock and breaking an ankle.  Not that there is anything to look at – on the way up that is.  A massive hill, nothing to break the monotony – not a single tree – and a tower marking the final destination which looks deceptively close and makes that last hour torture. 

Once at the top, I am rewarded with amazing views in every direction.  The mountain stretches east and west and cuts the country in half – if you look north, you can see the great Danube river on a clear day.  To the south, the Aegean sea – or so they say… Its either not a clear day or my eyesight has taken a hit after all these years of studying.

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to be continued