Moving on

Once you leave the small gorge behind and climb onto the ridge, the waterfall becomes audible, as its glory is presented on a silver plate before your eyes with the summit of Botev on top and the Djendem gorge to the right. Djendema means "hell" and it applies to the south face of the summit. Djendema encompasses 42.2 sq km, the largest reserve in the mountain and the second largest reserve in Bulgaria. It is centered on a granite extrusion combined with limestone outcroppings to form a labyrinth of steep slopes; deep, narrow gorges, massive rock cliffs, and towering waterfalls. It shelters beech and fir forests and large meadows with unique sub-alpine grassy species and communities. Because of its specific geological and climatic conditions, the area is rich in endemic species and rare plants. One could take several days to cross Djendema – but it is said that no one, not even professional alpinists, were able to scale the hellish gorge – Bear Grylls, come and try it if you dare.

One thing you may do is turn left and climb the Kupena peak which offers a spectacular view of everything around – or head towards the lodge, about 30 minutes away from the ridge, about five hours into the hike. The aptly named Paradise lodge is simply breathtaking. If you can imagine a high meadow, a deep gorge on one side, imposing cliffs on the other, the waterfall in between them and the summit of Botev lurking above, with heavy forests and a dozen wild horses running all over the perimeter, then you are almost getting there. The staff is friendly, the rooms are clean, accommodation at 10.30 leva a night – insultingly cheap, and the food is decent. Most importantly, there are clean showers with hot water in bountiful supply. In summer, the spacious meadow can accommodate dozens of tents, and the atmosphere at night is unforgettable.

We were hit by high winds and heavy, sustained rain early next morning which jeopardised the climb. We were poised to reshuffle the programme, when suddenly at 9am the rain stopped and the skies cleared. Almost two hours behind schedule, the assault on the summit commenced, the path going up towards and near the waterfall, then slicing ever upwards reaching the impending vertical cliffs. This is the beginning of the so called Tarzan Path, an epic route, which is for the most part rigged with a steel cable to ease climbers. Beautiful and stunning, the Tarzan Path lives up to its reputation, although one can negotiate it even without the cable, and only on very few occasions the cable was actually necessary – certainly not as dangerous as Koncheto Ridge in Pirin.

However, while you climb the Tarzan, the beauty and the adrenaline of the climb pour into your bloodstream and you keep going, not noting the fatigue. It is when the Tarzan ends and you reach the col of the mountain and the final gruelling stretch to Botev summit that you will get completely knackered. The nature of the mountain on that face is such, that the summit is invisible, which means you climb, and climb, not knowing how far you have to go, draining you physically and mentally. Add to that the sustained, strong wind battering us straight in the face, obstructing our advance; we were at our chin strap towards the end.

We spent more than an hour at the summit, sheltered in the meteorological station in a clean compound, furnished with a table and beds. A large kettle full of tea, more than two litres of it – for a laughable two leva. Wolfing down the grub, taking an aspirin where necessary, we recharged and made some photos outside the station with the friendly station keeper whose name, sadly, I can’t recall. Perhaps one of the most memorable parts of the three-day hike was here, descending from the summit on the second day, heading towards the lodge of Tuja. For nearly three hours we walked along the ridge of Stara Planina, Bulgaria’s spine. Glancing left, one would see most of northern Bulgaria, and looking to the south, eyes are cast upon the remainder. Botev is also close to the geographical centre of the country, which is in Lozana.

The descent was picturesque and beautiful, lasting a little more than four hours, only marred by speculation and fear that there might be no beer at the lodge, which might seem funny now, but I can assure you, the possibility of not being able to down a pint after a long day in the mountain was simply sadistic. There is a certain inter-lodge rivalry going on in every mountain, embellished and armoured with a fair amount of defamation and disinformation, fed to tourists to discourage them from going to a certain lodge, with some particular cases being more extreme than others, and this being no exception. To an extent Tuja lived up to its reputation, it was beautifully perched next to a river, the staff were pleasant and welcoming.

It was a lodge still in the process of reconstruction and refurbishment, there was beer and alcohol, as well as food, but they were severely lacking in salads. Sleeping arrangements were also substantially inferior to Rai, with us being packed in a room with about 20 other people, each one of them snoring at a different pitch and frequency, making for a delightful concert – it made me wish I carried my tent to no end. Regardless of it all,  however, it was not enough to dent the experience of Stara Planina. Highly recommended for anyone with a desire for adventure and an unforgettable weekend.