Page 24 - 2018 AMA Summer

EXPEDITIONNEWS
Musina Crag First Day
Moving into VT there are two main climbing areas, Trinity rocks and Uesto West/East. The exped explored these areas and are truly amazing in their offerings, a short walk into both from nearby parking areas.
Trinity rocks is a massive expanse of rock above the railway lines in VT, there is a monastery directly under the cliffs, the options for Sport and Traditional climbing are truly unique, hundreds of routes, however a 70 meter rope would be useful for some sections, also the grades were viewed by the RCIs as underrated. A few people were massively tested , on one particular climb it seemed as if a 5+ turned into a 7, three bolts up, this happened a few times along the extensive cliff. There is no current guide book for this area and it’s all test and adjust territory, Rich is developing mini guides for Trinity rocks, we tested out some of his draft guides, very helpful but currently only covers particular parts of the cliff. We were also there on a very cold and damp day, perhaps its better in the glorious spring and autumn, you will have to go and see! I know that I will be back but in a better time of year.
The other main climbing area is Uesto East/West, this is two cliff expanses’ split by a river and road in the valley floor, Uesto is a strange place, off the beaten track next to an abandoned housing complex, lots of teenage youth hanging around, we didn’t experience problems but be cautious of potential theft. The climbing there is polished in places and the bolts/pegs are not consistently spaced, however do not let that put you off as it’s an impressive area and there are some quite amazing routes to be ticked. Oddly there is a mini
house built into a cut out and bolted and positioned part the way up the cliff, it is an interesting feature to the cliff and a must see, you can walk along a small edged path with bolted wire supports as a hand rail to access the small house, it is worth a look. You can also climb from the base of the cliff and top out onto the balcony of the house, just the way any climber should arrive home for dinner!
We also explored Dryanovo monastery as there are surrounding cliffs there, very impressive, but grades were higher than we would have liked and with no guide it was an area we decided to not explore further to prevent time being wasted. A beautiful monastery is at the base of the cliffs and worth a visit, cheap to park and free entry, it’s a must, a 30 min stop will allow sufficient time to see everything there.
We drove to the top of the Balkan ridge in the snow to visit the abandoned Buzludzha monument, this was formally the house-Monument of the Bulgarian Communist Party. We approached from
‘Oddly there is a mini house built into a cut out and bolted and positioned part the way up the cliff’
the south via Kazanlak up the steep slopes in the SUVs. We managed to park near the torch monument however on foot we couldn’t make it on the path to the monument due to white out conditions and not being prepared for the walk in. However the monument sits on the highest point, it has an impressive dome and auditorium with remaining communist symbols intact and mosaics of Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. It is an impressive structure, for historical and cultural value a must to visit in better weather.
FINANCE The cost of the expedition was much cheaper overall than the equivalent in Spain, the food, accommodation and the flights were the majority of the savings were achieved. In better seasons, I would expect flights and accommodation to rise but not enough to prevent a visit. On average a 3 course meal is £6 and another £2 for drinks. Parking is cheap
and on a declared hour basis, about 50 pence an hour to park in the centre of the city. CILOR for 12 people for 11 days is sufficient for self-catering, unlike the food costs in western European countries where additional funding is required to sustain an expedition.
ACCOMMODATION We stayed in the Old houses www.theoldhousesbg.com in Mihaltsi run by a Scottish Lady who moved to Bulgaria 20+ years ago, she is fluent in Bulgarian and a key figure in the local communities. The compound where we stayed was safe and had security alarms; it was warm, dry and large enough to house 16 plus in 3 cottages each with their own kitchen and bathrooms. In the summer it has the swimming pool filled and a self-help beer fridge on tick. This is ideal so prying eyes can’t see you, shiny cars and shiny kit. Bulgaria, Romania and other boarding countries have cultural issues with Gypsies; sticky fingers can be a real issue.
MEDICAL There is sufficient medical facilities in VT and small local clinics and pharmacies in surrounding areas, it is worth doing a recce to check they are still operating and haven’t closed down or moved. It is a must to understand how the medical and emergency procedures work in Bulgaria; nothing can be taken for granted. We managed to buy over the counter drugs for individuals; in the UK these perhaps would need a prescription. Nothing serious was needed during our time but investing in time to recce and speak with English speaking Bulgarians to get the answers is worth the time spent.
INSURANCE Theft isn’t such an issue in the area where we stayed as it was rural and remote, however theft can be an issue in the city at night and especially in the tourist areas of Bulgaria, such as sunny beach, pick pockets and direct or threating theft is common (FCO advice). We experienced no such feeling or atmosphere, just be conscious when leaving the cars to go climbing for the day, take everything, opportunist thief’s are global!
EQUIPMENT For a pair or tri climbing in all areas, the recommendation is a full leader rack, 60 meter ropes, 15 Sport draws and plenty of tat and Malians as we learnt early on, the top of many climbs may have two
24 / ARMY MOUNTAINEER