So Close, So Far

in #esteem5 years ago (edited)

57618E31-0F89-4E0D-8544-A14B43983FF1.jpeg

More than a month ago I went to a peak in one of the most difficult to access areas in Rila Mountains. Actually the preparation for that trek started many years ago.



Skakavtsite Peaks from Samokov

k237e74qgn.jpg


In the middle of the photo you can see St Spirit Peak(2122), we were there yesterday. On the right side of the photo this colorful hill is called Shishman and in the middle and behind Shishman and St Spirit are Skakavtsite Peaks, all of them around 2700m high.


I knew about these peaks from the lectures of Peter Deunov - a Bulgarian spiritual leader, who died 74 years ago. He was a phenomena for Bulgaria and the whole world and among his followers were people like Einstein and a French president. So he used to mention Skakavtsite in his lectures and he said that this is one of the two most powerful places in Rila Mountains and on our planet.

I have a friend who spent all his life in Samokov watching these peaks almost every day, was almost every week in the mountains, used to spent whole months in the mountains and is a great mountaineer but he had never been to Skakavtsite. Luckily he is also a fly fisherman. I will explain later why that was luckily.

So when I first met my friend he told me that he wants to go there but he was still trying to figure out how. Although they are so close, we had to go to the other side of the mountains and to hike 3-4 days to reach them. This was too long and the backpacks would have been too heavy. It was still possible, but we didn't have that time and also I don't like to spend more than a night in the mountains.

And because my friend is creative, he figured out another way.

Close to Skakavtsite Peaks(they are six peaks, I think), 800m below them there is a very well guarded and big dam. The road to it goes by a river in a stunning valley and around 18 km before the dam, there are always policemen who wouldn't allow you to continue and it is absolutely forbidden to go there. I could say that every serious mountaineer here would like that to be otherwise because of many reasons - for example a hike to Skakavtsite Peaks or 1000m high difference free-ride skiing from Musala Peak to the dam. My friend is a great fly fisherman and mountaineer and everyone in Samokov knows that and ask him questions about fishing and mountains and things like that. Since 14 years he has been raising many times money for buying small trouts and release them in the lakes and the rivers around this part of Rila Mountains. He used to do the same for that dam and the police officers know him very well.

The truth is that there are several ways to visit the dam.

  1. You are a very very lost tourist in danger. This happens once in a while.

  2. You are someone very important.

  3. You are a local guy who know someone that knows someone.

The peaks are just above the dam and on one of them there is a really old device for measuring the quantity of the rainfalls. So probably 15-20 years ago some meteorologists used to go there from the dam and they made a pathway in the creeping pine. My friend saw this "pathway" on Google Earth, made ten print screen photos and went to one of the police officer that is his friend with the words "Can I go please?". The police officer scratch his head, told us that we are crazy and said okey, but he didn't know when exactly it would be possible.

3AFE235E-9C77-4520-805F-95A47AA5CC0A.jpeg

78325A4F-AD37-499F-96F0-601D0D80F142.jpeg

11386023-7BC5-4FDE-80B5-DA46430D043D.jpeg


The Dam

59429184-CF17-4D39-9FA9-97A5D072790E.jpeg


A trout in the dam. It was a big one.

1tr7khg8ta.jpg

A month later the appropriate day came. Many people wanted to go with us but, as often happens, just before it was time to go, something came up for everyone and in the end we were just the two of us. It turned out a lot better because that hike was truly quite torturous and I think most people wouldn't manage to handle it.

9F37753B-2659-4B9D-8C07-249F47E8FFE6.jpeg

63D5B911-13CB-4313-9106-2908511CA77E.jpeg

AD2812F5-2078-42B9-A571-D027E94AE1C3.jpeg

9B397E31-61B9-4B76-B28A-8E87FD7D4801.jpeg


First views of Skakavtsite Peaks from the forbidden area

We started our hike pretty well, there was a flat narrow pathway leading to one of the rivers flowing above the dam, but from there... I am not sure how I could even explain it. The pathway that my friend saw wasn't a pathway anymore for most of the time. And it was also very confusing because there were many animal pathways apparently from bears. Also prickly juniper bushes, slippery stone rivers and creeping pine, traces from obviously a giant bear and also the huge possibility to lose ourselves somewhere. Of course it looked quite different from the Google Earth screenshots, but we knew that it was going to be like that. My friend was walking ahead with a 20 km backpack, trying to pass by all the obstacles, with a whistle in his mouth and a bear spray in his hand. It wouldn’t be a pleasant surprise neither for us, nor for the bear if we had met each other in the creeping pine tunnels so we were trying to warn the animal. Screaming Bear, bear, we are coming was my part of the job :D

B1E9F6CE-57B8-4663-90C7-6802F53C672A.jpeg


Water Catchment system. The nice pathway in the beginning was because of it, after that we had to find our own way.

D8DC8373-A624-496E-86BC-AA781C84B619.jpeg


First bear signs. Blueberries + Cranberries. That one was huge and probably the bear also was a giant one.

34D970B3-8DBA-4502-9881-2D0B02CE8E02.jpeg


First view after more than an hour walking through the forest. You can see also the creeping pines and the juniper here.

91D9811F-15DD-49B6-A9B6-B1AC70D7336A.jpeg


As we were getting higher and higher, we could see more.

3ls48hnkzw.jpg


Me in the juniper bushes

8B6C4F0B-770C-49AA-B6EF-695AADDFE785.jpeg

E5CAEC22-1133-4AE4-9EEC-8AFA195883A5.jpeg


Do you see the dam? View point from the creeping pine "forest"

93F44891-F6EE-4A77-9D80-0C3DF84F62E5.jpeg


The next step was walking on scree

55BF833B-F444-457B-8C8E-818238EFB933.jpeg

Barefoot hiking was absolutely impossible there as the terrain was awful and for me walking with trekking shoes and a backpack is like a punishment. I had wounds, scratches and bruises everywhere, not serious enough to bother me, but definitely making me look like I had a fight with someone.

F127C7BC-1661-4AC3-9F5F-02CEB662AA3E.jpeg

It was hours longer trek than we thought it would be and we were so tired that when we reached the ridge just bellow the peak, I had to sit down and couldn't move at all for half an hour. I was just sitting and enjoying the view. And the view... I cannot describe it, so I will try to show you, but you should know - it is A LOT better when you are there. It was so beautiful! I had a missed call from one of the people working around the dam.
They had my number because I couldn't find my phone before we started hiking and one of them called me. They were probably worried about us, but I couldn't call them back, because my phone wasn't working.

C7ACA199-E1F9-4AA0-827F-90F12475272B.jpeg


Here was the 30 minutes break. First serious one for the day. The peak in front of us was our goal and we placed our tent on the ridge below it. That was the only place possible and we knew it would be windy.

30B65568-F6C9-4F16-8FA9-3AADFEE8A074.jpeg


The view from the ridge

7F5FB8F6-13DE-4CCE-A594-5E33E946F37E.jpeg


We saw only birds - no people, no other animals.

D647D3C4-A212-4C14-9F3F-9943CB308988.jpeg


The view from the ridge

The food after a hike like that tastes like nothing before, even the simplest one or just an apple. It was amazing, we were in paradise.

131025B8-3AEB-430F-BB0F-581C40C1E865.jpeg


We could see Musala Peak(2925m) perfectly from there

AC28E6D0-73E6-478C-929F-1B4F2DA8BA37.jpeg

7D05C206-799D-4F1A-AA93-0342FE9706F3.jpeg


The place of our tent.

D5BAC273-5E0A-4712-99CF-9568B7E65B89.jpeg


The next step was to go to the peaks above us that we were seeking from Samokov and the road. Here they are. :)

14730B12-6DB8-4B5D-991D-5AF5542A1D1A.jpeg


Musala Peak

FDC87A7E-0A3C-4897-B408-05014106C809.jpeg


This was supposed to measure the quantity on the rainfalls here.

40B78E74-5033-4255-9D99-E3A458CBF648.jpeg

BC610522-9C4D-4450-877C-404BD6E383F9.jpeg


@danielapetk on one of the Skakavtsi peaks

1D8150C9-4FC8-4856-B132-E6621C9134D6.jpeg

ztw3wfxnar.jpg

rztwluuedk.jpg


The place of our tent.

komokpyxdy.jpg


The Dam from Skakavtsite

23nwrov3sk.jpg


The mountain golden hour was coming

The Sunset

0r8jty1f9z.jpg

r56tg1fb0i.jpg

nsfv0khzlk.jpg

uw0eovu0ha.jpg

3bh7uyqxqt.jpg

44hhrfhs6e.jpg


Full Moon

4lchuqrtm4.jpg

8i9y7een2c.jpg

e6w66ndedl.jpg

2gcrhu5d1q.jpg

The night was not the best possible as the wind on our 2600m ridge between two of the Skakavtsi peaks was just too strong. It even damaged the "construction" of our tent and we couldn't wait for the sunrise so that we could go back. My friend was quite worried; at first that the wind will push our tent into the abyss below the ridge, and later - about finding our way back to the dam so he offered me to come back from the other way and to call someone to pick us up from the other side of the mountains. It would take us more than 10-12 yours, so I immediately said NO. I just couldn't even imagine walking so long after the previous day. I told him that I am sure that we will find the way and we will be soon back to the dam.

The Sunrise

62bm0cidhw.jpg

ram78oxjy6.jpg

ipliw9ty77.jpg

ynvbdr5yqd.jpg

ay23htg8wb.jpg


Our tent had a slightly different shape in the morning

adt14x1ss9.jpg


Coming back

Finally again near the dam

ua3des7lbf.jpg

m02fhtbui2.jpg

vlmmc9gg9j.jpg

t2wgbrrya7.jpg


We slept on the ridge between these two peaks.

We didn't have any problems with that and 3 hours later we were in the car coming back (a lot faster than going up) and feeling super happy that we are safe and that we were there :).

Thank you for reading!



Sort:  

Определено най-силният Ви пост, поздравления!

Благодаря! Радвам се, че така мислите 😁

Hello @danielapetk, thank you for sharing this creative work! We just stopped by to say that you've been upvoted by the @creativecrypto magazine. The Creative Crypto is all about art on the blockchain and learning from creatives like you. Looking forward to crossing paths again soon. Steem on!

Thank you very much!

Thanks for using eSteem!
Your post has been voted as a part of eSteem encouragement program. Keep up the good work! Install Android, iOS Mobile app or Windows, Mac, Linux Surfer app, if you haven't already!
Learn more: https://esteem.app
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/8eHupPq

Thank you so much for sharing 👊😊

Thank you very much, @melip! Glad you like it :) 🙏🤗🙃

Прекрасно изживяване, предадено по фантастичен начин, браво, Даниела! :)
За жалост тази година лятото не ми остана много време за хубави преходи, надявам се следващата да е по-благодатна и в това отношение! ;)))

Поздрави и чакам следващия разказ!
Дамян

Много благодаря, Дамян! :))

I see bear poop and I can't help it to steer away :)

😂😂😂 Thank you 🙏

Congratulations, Your Post Has Been Added To The Steemit Worldmap!
Author link: http://steemitworldmap.com?author=danielapetk
Post link: http://steemitworldmap.com?post=so-close-so-far-d0325dc739a71est


Want to have your post on the map too?

  • Go to Steemitworldmap
  • Click the code slider at the bottom
  • Click on the map where your post should be (zoom in if needed)
  • Copy and paste the generated code in your post
  • Congrats, your post is now on the map!

I love this publication, not only because of the wonderful photos you show us, but because of the structure ... I like how you put the photos. The publication was great, Congratulations friend! 👍

Thank you very much, @blessed-girl! Greetings from Bulgaria!

Dear @danielapetk,

Your story attracted our attention and we would like to introduce our tag #archisteem that could provide you with some extra support. For your information, we are currently running the project – 1001 Places to Remember. Your content is a fit for the project and could be qualified for the 10 Steem reward biweekly contest.

It would be great if we can have this story of yours included in the project. If you agree, please reply to us.

Do drop by and take a look :) Hope to see you around soon.

Stay tuned and Steem on!

Sincerely from,

@archisteem and team

Thank you very much, I agree :)

What a fantastic adventure. Closest thing to being on top of the world. Pictures out of sight. :-)

Thank you very much!! Glad you like it!

Coin Marketplace

STEEM 0.36
TRX 0.12
JST 0.040
BTC 70839.13
ETH 3563.41
USDT 1.00
SBD 4.77