 Poster: A snowHead
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After heading to Val D’Isere in March (Trip Report), my next trip was to be a lads event in Bulgaria, a completely different prospect. For several years now a friend of mine has had accommodation in Bansko (Bulgaria); a relatively small town which in early 2000’s had a lot of investment in the Ski industry on the Pirin mountain range which is a national park and world heritage site. Almost every year we organise a cheap lad’s trip in late December (pre-Christmas) to get some skiing in before the main season starts (this one was £550 all in).
This year we flew from Manchester T2 with Easyjet, flight times to Sofia aren’t the best (departing 7am) so an early start was required. We booked flights a few months in advance and they came in at around £150 each (Sofia flights are Tues / Thursday with Saturday added during the main part of the Ski season). When arriving in Sofia, the ‘cheap’ terminal where the likes of WizzAir, Easyjet and Ryanair land has literally no frills, a single shop and a single Café on the way out and just two luggage belts on the way in so if you can try not to spend several hours in the airport.
This year we used HD Transfers to get from Sofia to Bansko and with the Motorway extension the journey took around 2hrs 10, which is a big improvement on the near 3 hours the first time we went. All in Transfer and Accom (a 1 bed apartment split between 3, sofabed / double) came in at £110 per man.
On arrival we knew that the mountain wasn’t open (due to the lack of snow plaguing the rest of the alps). I personally being a  was not too pleased with the alternative sports of mountain biking and running however it’s something to do (having not ridden a bike for 8 years). Bike hire was 25 Levs for a front suspension bike, or 35 for a full sus per day, around £10 for the cheaper alternative. We managed 3 days doing other things and then 3 days on the slopes first lift to last to make up for lost time!
So onto the specifics, note all the costs are calculated at 2.7 which is what we exchanged at (granted at a very favourable rate, at the time of writing XE.com is at 2.65 Levs to Sterling)
Accommodation
We stayed in the apartment complex where my mate has his apartment Four Leaf Clover, (Tripadvisor). Our 4th floor the apartment was warm, clean but basic. The bathrooms in the apartment blocks all have wet floor type drains in the middle for easy cleaning so everything in there generally gets drenched. There was plenty of hot water though and towels / bed linen were provided by the complex management.
The apartment complex is split into four blocks with a central Wellness area, here there is an underground hot tub, sauna and steam room with changing rooms. There is also a warm indoor pool which is regularly refilled with waters from the thermal spas in Banya (a well known Spa town with several natural hot pools). During the season there are also massages available, but it’s not something I can comment on. Getting over to the pool is generally a cold affair heading outside crossing the courtyard and then getting into the conservatory walkway. When we were there the Sauna, Hot Tub and Stream room weren’t open, however the pool was which was open from 7am till 6pm.
Daytime / Mountain Meals & Snacks
On the mountain we’re creatures of habit, sometimes a morning / afternoon coffee break, and always a stop for lunch. The mountain is relatively small in terms of piste length so you can really get anywhere for food, our lunch stop of choice is the 180 Restaurant at the junction of Red 4 Blue 5 & Blue 6, relatively easy for people to get to and if you’re off the learner slopes near the top of the Gondola then beginners will be able to get there to. That being said those in the early stages it’s best to eat at the Gondola as that is where the meeting places for lessons are and the true beginner work is done. For Bansko 180 is reasonably expensive, Pizza ranging from 22-28 Levs, Soup 13 Levs for a Spinach and Ricotta (£8-10, £4.80 respectively). The quality here is superb though, arguably the best Pizza in town, well worth the added ‘expense’ and the soups are full of fresh ingredients, really thick a soup and half a pizza will easily fill the charging 30 something after a long morning! The only real issue with 180 is getting into the area to take ski’s / boards off, it’s not the easiest to get into and there is little stopping space if any that’s flat before you get onto the boards of the outer decking. Just something to be weary of for the early beginners and kids, that said I think there is a lower entrance where there is more space….
Other alternatives include the Goat restaurant at the top of the four man Shillgarnik lift (Also accessible from Mosta), which is a great sun spot for a drink out on the snow, views from the other side of the hut go straight down to the town and valley so a good photo op also. The remaining food stops are at the top of the Gondola and the bottom of the Shilligarnik Lift, a variety of places to suit all tastes, some self-service, some sit-down some take away.
We tend to pop into one of the little circular tents for our coffees, in good weather the tented top is brought in so the sun fills the space. There are a few about the place but we tend to use the one at the top of Tomba, about half way down the Ladies Downhill run, on the map at the junction of Red 6 Blue 6 & Black 9 (Tomba). From memory 3-5 Lev’s for a hot chocolate or a coffee £2 at worst.
Evening / Meals
Staying in self-catering apartments, all meals were eaten out and we tried to change where we went to get some variety whilst going to the usual haunts. I can’t think of a pub or bar where we went which didn’t have free Wi-fi so if you’re a surfer just ask and someone will give you the code, useful for those who like to keep in touch!
The Lions Pub, in past years we’ve been regular fixtures here (Tripadvisor), which is at the top of Pirin Street, opposite the bowling alley and Strazhite Hotel. There are many screens for watching football and good beer at reasonable prices, a local pint costs in the region of £1.50. Food is very much bar food but good pub grub with a number of Mexican dishes on the menu. When we visit with the other halves they are not so keen on it, the décor does need a bit of an update but it’s a good pub / sports bar. The local tipple is Pirinsko which is a light thirst quencher, Zagorka is also a local one with a stronger taste both better (in my view) than the more expensive ‘brands’ on offer.
The Log House, this season there was a new Log House in Bansko, owned by the same people but a much larger log cabin. Facebook has some pictures of the building of both of the venues but effectively they are large log cabins serving traditional Bulgarian food. The original log house, (Tripadvisor) is just below the Gondola carpark and is my favourite of the two, the smaller space makes for a more intimate feel, the food is always great and we always order too much. The larger newer Log House needs slightly more finding it’s behind the flash nightclub near Pengiuns Bar, but no doubt if you can’t get into the original you’ll be directed slightly further down the street. The Sache and Skewer dishes are fine to share between two (weirdly we seem to forget every time…). The main dishes range from 13-25 Levs, (£4.80 – £9.25) and generally for plenty of food and drinks we’re splitting the bill at £15-20 a head. Some favourite Bulgarian dishes to try; Any Salad with Tomatoes (unsure why they taste so much better there), Garlic and Dill Potatoes, Mishmash, Chicken Sache and Emperors Skewer.
Victoria, more of a restaurant and slightly more expensive than the other places in Bansko. The decor is contemporary with a number open fires in a large dining room which wraps around the hotel. Apparently it’s a chain of places however I’ve only been to the Bansko one which is located in the Boutique Hotel Uniqato just above the Gondola (Tripadvisor). It’s an Italian at heart serving classic Italian cuisine, the Pizzas and Calamari are excellent as is the service. A starter, main, desert and a couple of drinks will set you back in the region of £20 maybe slightly less.
Mehana Momini Dvori, a traditional Mehana in the old town (as I describe it the one with the water wheel). One of the few Mehana’s I’ve been in where we haven’t been bothered by someone trying to sell something, or take a picture or some other kind of distraction / annoyance. Always a warm welcome with good traditional food. Makes a nice change from the modern feel of the ski resort higher up towards the Gondola. It can be quiet and sometimes we’ve been the only people in but being in a large group and knowing what we’re getting we didn’t mind that. It’s also frequented by quite a few locals which give it a different feel. Tripadvisor
Euphoria, perfect for a quick après drink for us due to its proximity to the Gondola and Tsakiris (see Ski Hire). Good for live music and apparently the Chinese food there is excellent, located just below the Gondola car-park (there are steps at the bottom). Tripadvisor
The Bears, a new place for the 15/16 season which we wandered into on one of our none skiing days. Food was good and there was a nice atmosphere with quite a few people having coffee and working on laptops. Couldn’t really comment on the feel later on but worth a visit. Tripadvisor
The Skiing
Bansko is a reasonably small resort with 75km of piste on the map, as many of you will know this season hasn’t had a great start and so we were limited as to what was open. For the first 3 days only a very small beginner slope was open for first timers by the top of the Gondola. Luckily for us, they worked hard to open the mountain for the Greeks who were coming at the weekend (it’s only a couple of hours drive from Greece) so we had 4 pistes open to us, on which we managed to clock up 30-35 (50kms) miles per day. Again being early season our hire and lift prices were discounted, we paid 25 Levs per day for the lift pass which in season will be around 58 Levs (£~10 rising to £~21). For Ski hire we always use Tsakiris Ski & Snowboard Rental, great friendly service and they will try and get the Skis you want. We’ve been on some Atomic Race Slaloms and Race GS skis from there which were truly excellent. They also do servicing if you have your own skis. Run by the Greek Biathlete Athanassios Tsakiris and his daughter the knowledge there is second to none.
The resort itself is split into three areas, the first is assessed from the mid-station of the Gondola from town called Chalin Valog. It has two lifts, a 4-man chair servicing Red and Black’s and a button lift, being lower down is can suffer from poor snow but is home to one of my favourite runs (more later). The other two are on the same mountain but split in terms of access. To the right of the peak, reds and blacks snake down from the summit with more cruisey blues taking the long way back down on the left side.
This year we noticed that the main blue ‘beginner’ run which loops round to the Gondola (Blue 6, 4 and 1) has been improved with a by-pass area at Shilligarnika meaning the uphill section can now be avoided. This will no doubt greatly improve traffic flow in the area, good to see. Also the Tadorka lift which was an old slow 3 man has been replaced with a new detachable 6-pack. Improving access to the Red’s and Blacks to the right of the mountain.
Favourite Runs
Red Four – A relatively steep red which starts above the tree-line but soon plunges into the trees and snakes it’s way down to Shilligarnika, the new 6 man lift should make laps of this a doddle! Perfect.
Red Ten – With either a Black or Blue Track (icey narrow and horrible) entry, Red 10 in Chalin Valog is great if the conditions allow, the pitch from the top of the chain down into the run is graded black and really quite steep but it then flattens into a great blasty red which doesn’t get that much traffic.
Runs to Avoid
Since the improvements at Shilligarnika I don’t think there is necessarily anything to avoid anymore but there are things to be wary of.
Mosta Lift, if you’re a first to last lift type of person you’ll need to be careful of the various junctions which head down to Mosta when the lift is closing. Red / Blue 12, the bottom of Blue 10, the bottom of 5 and 5a all go to Mosta and once you’re on these runs there is only Mosta to get you back up so make sure you can get there before it closes if you’re cutting it fine.
Learners Loop, from the top of the Gondola the Kolarski 6-pack is one of the main lifts to get beginners onto a blue loop which circles round the mountain and back to the Gondola on the map as Blue 6, 4 and 1. This can become a skating rink later on in the day as it’s in shade a lot of the time and there are a few steep / tricky bits in the early parts.
The Ski Road
The Ski Road allows you to Ski back down to town (the bottom of the Gondola) from the ski area. It’s marked blue and probably is in the classic definition, but it can be daunting for beginners. It gets very busy, is reasonably narrow and can be icey. The initial phases are the steeper areas and it does flatten out significantly which means to get home without poling you need some speed to carry over the flats. Overall it’s 6-7 km if my memory serves me well so it’s a nice long run but if you lose your speed it’s also a long walk…
Thats it, any questions just ask 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Good news on the reduced transfer times, we are going back out there in February, first time since new year 2009.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@NickyJ, I think you'll notice quite a lot of changes. Depending on who you use you can get the transfer down to 2:10 (no stops). It's significantly better than before though
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Levi215, Taking everything into consideration, did you prefer Val d'Isere or Bansko?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@red 27, I've done Bansko 4 times now Val D once, given the choice of only going back to one I would choose Val D but it's a lot more complex due to costs. The benefits of Bansko are two fold...
Lads trip: beer, food & social is cheap. A couple of years ago we got off the slopes at 4:30 and embedded in a bar until 12 having eaten 3 meals each had beers on the go and watched 3 football matches. Less than £30 in Val I would expect that to be £200+
Group trip: everyone can hotel it at their own price points b&b and then meet up to go out. You can get a huge variety of accommodation and the food is cheap. So as a couple you can spend £1500+ or £800 again variety I'm not sure would work in Val D.
I'd like to get people out to other resorts both lads and partners but the cost cases is not compelling for those not massively into skiing. Also once you've gone somewhere cheap you notice it... and it's always the comparison. if that makes sense?
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sat 2-01-16 18:30; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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HI
Im returning to Bansko in Feb.
Do you know what the rates are for VIP ski passes this year. Is it the published rate plus a set fee or is there a different rate card anywhere?
Peter
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@Levi215, Interesting - thanks 
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@Peter Groom, I'm not sure i'm afraid, i assume you mean the pass from the Kempinski which takes you into the back of the Gondola? Probably only worth getting that if you're going in school holidays as the queues generally aren't that bad outside of it.
I seem to recall it was 10% on-top last time i used it, but that was a few years ago so might well have changed... sorry
@red 27, also worth noting that i would try other places before going back to Val D'Isere, the skiing is great don't get me wrong, but some sour tastes were left by the clientele
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Mrs MA and I have skied over 150 ski areas worldwide and loved Bansko on a short break a few years ago. It far exceeded our expectations, albeit in fresh snow conditions.
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@mountainaddict, in what way? Interested to hear your perspective (as someone wanting to ski over 150 areas WW  h
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Great stuff, it does depend when you go (re horror stories) but accom can be great, especially in comparison to France. Same, in some cases much better, for half to a quarter of the cost.
Staying 5* b&b with a massive spa (ski in) for £800 for a week
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Decent price that Levi215 - was that your last trip or are you going again?
You will have spotted that I've added a few pics from our trip. Happy memories - though I'm surprised to find it was as long as six years ago this month. Where does the time go  ??
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You know it makes sense.
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@mountainaddict, going again, tend to go at least once a year on either a couples / familys or with the guys. Looks like you had some cracking conditions!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Excellent write up
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks @kiteman69, try to do a reasonable job! Hard work with the huge variety of expectations on here but the best and worst bits usually come though
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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+1 on the write-up front. It's a fascinating place and can offer great vfm.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Ive been going there for the last 10 years including a full season in 2008/9 and I have seen the town grow from 2 bars to hundreds now. I absolutely love the place. Your write up however was a great read I couldn't have put it better myself.
Just to add that if you don't use the bars and restaurants operated by the lift operator and take me short walks through the trees there are a few other places well worth stopping at for a bite to eat. These are usually around half the price of the others and the food quality is better.
I have also skied in many other places ( France, Italy, Canada,Switzerland and Austria) but have always managed at least one trip a season to Bansko in winter and usually one in summer as well.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Levi215,
That's the way to do a trip report. Top marks.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Double Bombardino, @Paul100, much appreciated
@Dave Canski, there are a few down the ski road have been bought out / forced out (unsure which) by Ulen (the mountain operator). Think they are trying to consolidate their position. I don't know if any huts on the mountain close to the pistes? Be good to know where they are!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just a quick tip - Bansko at present has amazing off-piste conditions following a decent dump over the last week or so, particularly in the forest. The northern Todorka slope, while packed with more than 150cm of powder, is a bit too avalanche prone. If you need a pro guide - I would recommend Andy Balevski - he runs the White Lavina Ski & Spa Lodge and OXO Ski and Snowboard School in Bansko. It also happens that he is almost definitely one of the best freeriders in E Europe. His contact details are on the web-site. I am going out with him for some 1-1 guiding at the end of March and cannot wait...
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Very interesting thread. As the post from @mountainaddict indicates, its not just about maximum mileage of groomed piste. The experience of "travelling" is also a pleasure in itself, for some people.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Levi215 the ones on the ski road have definitely not been bought out by Ulen. The guys from the Peshterite have intact invested a lot of money this for season and still have their old rices which are at least 50% cheaper than the Ulen Restaurants. Ulen are not able to 'consolidate their position' on privately owned establishments.
Shilligarnika Hotel is a good one but about 150 m walk from behind Bla Bla. Also Tofano is quite well hidden but a bit hit and miss with opening times. It would be a great place to stay on busy weeks to avoid any queues at the gondola.
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FAQ
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