Malyovitsa

Worth a detour

At 2,729 m Malyovitsa is not among Rila's highest, but it is the most recognisable — a steep granite pyramid at the head of its own valley, and the training ground of Bulgarian mountaineering since the middle of the last century. From the hut at about 1,960 m the walk is three to four hours up and two to three down on a well-trodden path, with a rocky last section. No technical climbing on the summer route; sure feet, though.

Story

Background

The valley road climbs from Govedartsi to a small ski centre at around 1,730 m, and that is where cars stop. The hut is another half-hour above, at roughly 1,960 m, just at the treeline, and from its terrace the peak is the obvious pointed thing at the head of the cirque. Bulgarian alpinism effectively began on the walls around here; the mountaineering school in the valley trained several generations of climbers, including members of the country's Himalayan expeditions.

The ordinary route is a path, not a climb. It works up through meadow and boulder to the shoulder, then steepens into rock steps for the last stretch — nothing that needs a rope in summer, but enough that you will use your hands and want dry conditions. Three to four hours up is realistic for someone who walks regularly; the descent is quicker on the legs and harder on the knees.

Malyovitsa is also a junction. From the ridge, marked paths run north-east towards the Seven Rila Lakes and south-west down to Rila Monastery, which makes it the standard first day of a traverse rather than simply a summit. That also means the hut fills up in season. In June there is often still snow in the gullies under the peak, and the rock steps are considerably worse wet than dry.