Hi there Hive Family,
2 weeks ago, we did some training on the eastern side of Muratov peak. That side was very steep and dangerous to climb so we only climbed 1/3 of the whole terrain. This time we decided that we will go all the way to the top. In order to succeed we will take the western side, which is more slant and accessable.
This was going to be a long hike so we decided that we are going to go as far as we could the previous night. Sleep at the furthest shelter and then go to the peak on the next sunrise. In this way we will not be faced with crumbling or soft snow and have consecutive issues with the alpine terrain.
It was going to be a long night. We couldn´t go during the day as it was a working Friday. The hike to the shelter took us nearly 3 hours.
During our ascend, we were faced with technical regions meaning pools of concrete ice. It was impossible to step directly on the ice as it will bring us down and fall into the wilderness. We did find pathways around the pool but it was not always like that. Eventually, this part of the terrain was overcomed.
For the next sections, we needed our snowshoes as the snow was very deep and not always firm. We passed through a profoundly deep hole, probably dug by an animal. I have no idea, what kind. But was not very curious to know anyway 😄 Also the steps around this hole were a bit strange. A dog, a bear, a wolf. Who knows.. We did not stay for long in this area.
There we are. Shelter Spano pole. It had small cabins that were very cold to stay in if you do not have your own sleeping bag. Luckily, they also had a couple of rooms that were cold but at least you could sleep in a normal bed with 3 or 4 wool blankets. We chose that with delight.
The night passed relatively quickly. We were glad to leave the cold room and have something to eat downstairs in the main hall. We ate french toasts with honey accompanied with black coffee. That was enough energy to keep us alert and willing during our hike.
Here is one last image of the shelter area. It was going to be a very interesting alpine adventure.
As I turned my back, the weather was cloudy and dark. But then I turned around and everything was clear and bright. I guess, this is how life works. You do not go back to the past, you go forward and face the future. On the last image, the big dome like peak is actually our goal. Muratov peak.
The panorama and the peak there is an intermediate point. The big basin is actually a lake. Spanopolsko Ezero and Spanopolski chukar. Everything is frozen enough to not be a threat, but anyway, it is good to know where and on what you step in.
We are at the foothills now. From this perpective, the peak does not look to be very difficult. The weather was just perfect, so we decided that we will take our most important tools and items and leave the bags down resting on those rocks. Sounds crazy? It is actually crazy to climb such areas with 25+ kilograms on your back. So we took off our snowshoes, put on our crampons, picked up our ice axes and headed for the main course of the day.
Let´s do this! We are light and full with desire to reach the top.
Intermediate point. I took images from all angles. The scenery is amazing and this is just the beginning.
We are at the peak! The highest peak in Pirin mountain - peak Vihren stands just in fron of us. 2914 meters high.
And we are at Muratov peak which stands at 2669 meters high.
Here are a few pictures of the surrounding mountains. We still have a lot to cover. I haven´t been to most of these peak and they look just breathtaking.
This is actually the north-eastern slope which we tried to ascend 2 weeks ago. We reached the rock formation zone below where we decided to stop. Looking at the steepness and degree of difficulty, I would say, we made the right decision as it was too dangerous to do it on a free will without previous preparation and the necessary climbing equipment, which includes securing with rope.
A shot from our descend. Looks as if we descend mount Everest. Well, not really but it really looks stunning.
The story behind those 2 pictures was: On the first, you can see, looking closely, 3-4 running deers. They we running like crazy from a pack of snowmobiles coming up. Of course the snowmobiles did not chase them, they were just passing by. It was nevertheless just astounding, how powerful these animals are. They just ran up the mountain slope as if it was a downward sloping one.
Thank you for checking out my blog :)
Stay happy, be peaceful!
Namaste
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Nice
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Very beautiful mountains 😍
Amazing views from up top and very well written :-)
The place looks creepy or maybe because it was night time. I can't imagine how cold the place is since the mountains were almost covered with snow. Keep safe!