Spring hiking day trip to Borov Kamak waterfall and Ledenika cave

Dear All,

Early June is a great time for exploring waterfalls and wild mountain flowers and we are pleased to invite you on a scenic hike in “Vrachanski Balkan” Nature Park.

This land of incredible rock formations, impressive alpine walls, some of the tallest waterfalls in Bulgaria and the fairy cave of Ledenika is a heaven for hikers and nature lovers!

Come join us on this amazing trip and you will admire:

· The fairy formations of Ledenika cave and its abundance of galleries with stalactites and stalagmites, dating back thousands of years.

· Breathtaking sceneries of Vratsata Gorge and some of the tallest alpine walls in Bulgaria

· Circular walk to Borov Kamuk waterfall (60 m) on adventurous route.

· The rich flora and fauna of Vrachanski Balkan

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ITINERARY

Meet Up at 8 AM at the parking behind the Alexander Nevski cathedral. In front of "La Cathedral" cafe (former Mamma Mia pizza restaurant).

The trip begins with a transfer (130 km / approx. 2 h) to Ledenika cave, where we have a guided cave tour. Later we continue with a short transfer to Zgorigrad village, the starting point of the spectacular “Borov Kamak” walking path. We walk uphill on a scenic trail with many wooden bridges and ladders on the steep and rocky sections, helping the visitor to explore the unique nature environment of the Leva river canyon. The last part of the walk is enchanting, first we pass under the mist of the over 60 meters tall Borov Kamuk waterfall, then climb to the top on a wooden ladder well fixed on the rocks, to a spectacular viewpoint. Then the trail leads us in a beautiful beech tree woods. We walk downhill following a different trail that offers great panoramas of Vratsata limestone walls. We reach the van and continue with another short transfer to Vratsata Gorge, where we will stop for a short break at the foot of one of the tallest vertical rock faces in Bulgaria. Central Wall of Vratsata is over 450 m high limestone wall where dozens of rock climbing routes have been set. In the late afternoon we head back towards Sofia. The plan is to be back in the city around 6 PM.

Walking time: 3.5 – 4 hours.

Total ascent / descent: approx. 350 m / 420 m

Time we spend in the van on transfers: approx. 4 hours / 300 km

Please confirm as soon as possible if you are interested to join, so we know what kind of transportation we have to hire. If we are group of max 8 persons we will rent 8-seater van and will be able to drop you at your places at the end of the trip. If we are a group of 8 + people we will use a bus with a driver and at the end of the trip the bus will leave us at the same place at Al. Nevski cathedral.
We can also travel with shared private vehicles and would be great if we know as soon as possible how many participants have a own transportation and are ready to share it with others who doesn't.

The fee is 60 BGN per person and includes transportation with van, or mininus and guidance in Bulgarian and English.

The cost doesn’t include food and drinks, entrance fee for Ledenika cave and other personal expenses

EQUIPMENT

Please don’t forget to bring a fleece or light jacket as the constant temperature in the cave is 6 – 16 degrees Celsius. We also recommend hiking boots or comfortable trainers, comfortable pants, raincoat, day pack for your personal belongings, lunch pack and water bottle, water as much as you usually need for a moderate 3 – 4 hours walk, hat and sunglasses. Also, it is always good to have a mountain or other insurance when outdoors.

We remain at your disposal for any questions and further information you may have and look forward to meeting you up on Sunday 11th of June!

Kiril and Stoyan