Malyovitsa

Malyovitsa reaches 2,729 metres in the northern Rila and is the mountain where Bulgarian climbing began: the north face and the surrounding walls were the training ground for the country's mountaineers from the 1930s, and the hut below it has been a base ever since. The walk up from the road head takes about two hours to the hut and another two to the summit on a marked path with some rock scrambling near the top, and the surrounding cirque holds glacial lakes, including the Elenino lake below the summit. The rock scenery is sharper here than elsewhere in Rila, with faces and ridges rather than rounded plateau, and the valley below is forested and steep. It is the standard weekend objective from Sofia.

What you actually see

• The north face - the wall where Bulgarian climbing started.
• Elenino lake - the tarn in the cirque below the summit.
• Sharp rock ridges - scenery unlike the rounded plateau elsewhere in Rila.
• The Malyovitsa hut - the base used since the 1930s.

When to go

June to September for walking; snow lies into June and returns in October. A day from the road head. Weekends are busy with Sofia walkers. Afternoon storms are common in summer.

Honest expectations

The final section involves rock scrambling and is exposed in places. Weather changes fast. The hut is basic and crowded at weekends. The road up from Govedartsi is narrow. There is no rescue infrastructure.

Nearby

The Seven Rila Lakes are west; Borovets and Musala lie east.