Borovets, Bulgaria

Judith Gamse from UNITED KINGDOM writes:

It was the coldest week in a very, very long time - the gondola opened on Sunday, then closed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday...
A good flight and we arrived on Saturday night at about 8.30pm, dumped our stuff at the Iglika and went straight around to White Magic where we got a lovely greeting from Christo.
Sunday was ski school - got up early, got our ski packs from the reps and then went in search of Tosh - found him and got him as my ski instructor for the week. It was a beginners class, but I was an "advanced beginner" - needed to get the ski legs back first before going into an intermediate class. We spent the first day on the Rila slopes just doing the basics - and in the afternoon we were already on the drag lift there - no longer side stepping up the slopes like most of the classes.
On Monday morning, we went to the steeper nursery slopes over the other side and spent the morning there, and in the afternoon, the group took the Sitnayakovo chair lift and did the 6km run. I didn't join in with this.... not my favourite run.... spent the afternoon at White Magic instead.
Tuesday the group were back on the Sitnayakovo run - but did a couple of practices on the small drag lift at the top there first. I decided to try blades on Tuesday - I'm not a blades person I've decided - I'm glad I only rented them for the week and not bought them. We were practicing traversing the blue at the top of the Sitnayakovo - two turns, wait for th rest of the group, carry on - one of the class went into me - had I been on skis I'd have stayed upright, but with blades on, as soon as the bodyweight got released, down I went. Came down on the chair lift and joined the group at the end of the run. Did the Inghams Pizza and a Quiz night and our team came third.
Wednesday - missed the group so checked the e-mails, went to lunch at White Magic and got convinced by friends to go on the Sitnyakovo 6km with them. Only fell once and that was on a piece of sheet ice where I didn't have the momentum to keep going. I got to the part where it crosses the black run my friends refused to let me take my skis off - I've a new nickname - Sheeeeeeeeet scared of Borovets... It was such a feeling of elation doing it - back to White Magic in the evening.
Thursday - the gondola was open at last - went up to the top and rather than just do one run on the long drag, we went straight off down to the red run. No falls - great fun. Schussing down the blue though didn't half judder my legs. Spent the whole day up there and it was so nice. Got the skidoo taxi up to the gondola again - it's gone up, it's 5 lev this year!!!
Friday - last day on the slopes and Tosh took us up the Rila 4 man chair. Oh no, that was really scary... Sheeeeeeeeettt scared of Borovets was in her element - I looked at the slope and just thought to myself "gulp" I can't do that - only one tiny fall - actually going out from the blue run out onto the red bit - the sheer steepness of it unnerved me. I lay there in the snow just scared out of my wits and laughing - being stupid really as I knew I could do it. Got down nearly the whole way without incident - got cramp in my legs just before it turns off onto the green so came down on my bum from the red across to the green then skiied the rest of the way down (including across the black and reds)
In the afternoon, we went up the Gondola again and I just pottered around on the baby drag lift - the rest of the group went on the red, but by then, my legs had had enough. Did the baby blue about 4 or 5 times but I know when I've had enough. Got the skidoo taxi back up and took some photos. Ski diploma presentation in the evening and we also all went out to Black Cat for dinner with Tosh. Got a bottle of sprite split over me by the waitress and when I asked for a replacement, she tried to charge me. In the UK they'd have been sent a dry cleaning bill!!!
Flight home was fine - except a 3 hour delay so we didn't get indoors until 2am!!! should have been home by about 10.30pm. Had the best time for ages - I'm slowly getting my confidence and tackling more challenging runs. Met a fantastic group of people and will definitely be going back again - but I'm going to try Arinsal in 2007, just to see the difference.
Hope that helps everyone. I went for massages at the Samokov when I was staying at the Iglika, it was 25 lev for a massage at the Samokov and 40 lev at the Iglika - 5 massages in a week, that's 75 lev saved!!!

2006-02-14