And back once again to Bansko, and although the snow was a hundred times better this year than in 2007, I was a bit apprehensive as I was heading out on my lonesome for the first time since Pamporovo in 2004. Tim and Stu simply couldn't afford the money and/or time and Bob and Caroline had the pressing matter of a brand new member of the family to deal with.
I did toy with the idea of staying in Scotland, getting an all-centre five day pass, and travelling around my own country snowboarding in a different centre every day for a week. After all, even though I was fairly familiar with Glencoe and the Nevis Range, it was years since I'd been to Glenshee or the Cairngorms and I'd never actually been to the Lecht.
Then I priced it.
Let's just say that a week in Bansko was a bargain compared to a 5 day pass, Bed and Breakfast every night, petrol and evening meals in Scotland ... and remember, I'd be able to have a drink whilst in Bansko, instead of driving for half the week, and would have a whole extra day on the hill ... and would be in a foreign country instead of a hundred miles up the road, in the rain.
And I really wouldn't be on my own at all. A lot of the people from the website skidvd.co.uk would be in the resort too, a fact that was brought home to me when someone shouted my name in the baggage reclaim area of Sofia airport!
Saturday - Mmm Cigarettes
Let's rewind a minute first though. As Stu and Tim had taken ages to give me a definite 'no' to coming out with me, a few flight options had filled up and become unavailable. All that I was left with, on the date I wanted, was either a departure from either London or East Midlands. I looked at a map and East Midlands Airport looked to be just another half hour down the road from our usual departure point of Manchester. As it turns out, it wasn't, not by a long way, but the choice was made and the holiday booked.
I was with Balkan Holidays again, flying to Sofia and staying at the Strazhite Hotel in the centre of Bansko for a week, and my newly healthy and fit self was really looking forward to it. You see, I'd managed, after a few gos, to quit cigarettes, and was a regular user of the new electronic variety. All the nicotine and none of the bad stuff, and it still feels like smoking. But the journey to the airport was so so long ... so long in fact that five e-cig batteries I had brought with me had all ran out of juice long before I got there.
By the time I finally got there, got parked, got the free bus, got my board checked in and made my way through customs, I was screaming for a cigarette. But I'd done that as quickly as I could deliberately. I wouldn't now be in a position to smoke until Bulgaria, and if I made it to my hotel I could charge up the batteries and have nicotine again, without any of the bad stuff. Once through customs, that's it, no smoking ... except at East Midlands Airport. With two hours to kill in departures, I bought a paper, sat down and noticed a huge 'Smoking Area' sign. Two minutes later I had some Marlboro, a new lighter, and was in guilty, guilty heaven.
Despite being a mean temptress, East Midland's Airport is a friendly place. In fact, I bet that very morning all the staff had received an email saying, 'tell people this is a friendly place'. I heard it from customs people, check in staff and even the guy clearing the tables at Burger King. It's okay to be honest, but it's just an airport. I wouldn't move in or anything.
The flight was fine, and as I said I wasn't really going out alone, as lots of people from the Skidvd website were heading out around the same time. I was trying to remember the names of everyone who was coming when 'Suntec' Steve shouted my name as I grabbed my board from the carousel. We had a quick chat and catch up with both Steve and his mate Michael then boarded our coaches for Bansko. He was staying in the Kempinski Grand Arena Hotel, aka the big posh one by the gondola, so got to ride in a much better bus.
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| Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena |
Not that the Strazhite, where I had ended up this year, was in any way bad. It's in a very central location, just at the crossroads where you can head down along the 'river' or down to the old town... and the Lion Pub (and an AMAZING crepe stall) are just across the road.
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| Hotel Strazhite |
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| Strazhite Courtyard |
The rooms are a decent size with new LCD TV's and all the usual mod cons, including in this case, a mini-bar. OK, in reality it was a wee fridge with a price list sellotaped to it, but upon realising there was loads of room inside for my own stuff I headed out for supplies. I found a shop still open within minutes of leaving the hotel as it was just over the crossroads (I've a funny feeling it was open 24 hours, but can't be sure) and stocked up on big bottles of Kaminitsa and an array of snacks. I'd remembered to bring a small kettle with coffee, sugar and powdered milk, but nothing to drink it from, so I also found a gift shop selling mugs.
The welcome meal, as we arrived late, was again 'a bag of weird'. It consisted of a few bits of fruit and a polystyrene container with some weird chicken dish in a red sauce. Of course the containers weren't sealed so most people got a poly bag with a few bits of fruit and a bit of chicken, all floating together in a red puddle at the bottom. I binned it, pulled open a Ginster's Cheese and Ham thing I'd bought at the airport, poured a glass of Kaminitsa and discovered I had HBO on the TV and they were showing the latest Indiana Jones. And so, for the first time, I spent my first night in a Bulgarian ski resort, in my room, watching telly ... I even got to bed at a decent time too. Christ I'm getting old.
HINDSIGHT BIT: I was just hunting online for those pics above (as I didn't take a decent one of the actual hotel myself) and during the Google image search saw pictures of a pool and a bowling alley. I stayed there for a week and didn't notice. Is my eyesight going too? Why wasn't there a sign? So Strazhite Hotel, it's got a swimming pool and a bowling alley ... apparently.
Sunday - The Only Queue of the Week.
Up, showered, in gear, and at the Happy End for the welcome meeting. I could recite most of this stuff, but I need to be there to get my lift pass and pay my 5lev for the privilege. I don't know if any other tour operator does this, but we have to pay a 5lev deposit on our passes that they promise we'll get back at the end of the week. I've never bothered to chase this up as I'd rather have the pass as a souvenir, but they must make a fair few lev from this sideline. I was also both chuffed and impressed that Lou, our rep from three years ago, remembered me and gave me a nod. OK, the season isn't that long and I've got a fairly distinctive hair length, but still impressive.
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| Lou the Balkan Rep (pictured in 2007) |
Now, I'm all for following and respecting the traditions of the country I am visiting. I'm of the school of thought that you should always learn to say thank you, excuse me, yes, no and a few other handy phrases (like, 'no just leave the bottle') in the native language of the county you are in ... and in that spirit I was sporting my Martinitsa. If you've ever been to Bulgaria in the run up to March the 1st you'll be familiar with these, little adornments made of white and red yarn that can be worn on your person, usually around the wrist. I've got a few of these from previous visits and as this trip was in mid March I decided to wear one. A nice gesture I thought, a mark of respect for the country's history and traditions ... a gesture that had once got me a hug and a beer from Tommy in Franco's (in Borovets), so I'd travelled out wearing it.
As I approached the busy gondola station though, I'd forgotten all about it. The queue was down to the bottom of the stairs, and about ten people across, but was moving fairly rapidly. As I got closer, and as I was on my own, I got ushered past a big group wanting a pod to themselves, and got squeezed in next to five other people ... two girls and three guys. My board was rammed into the holder next to some skis, I was in, and the door was closed. Initially there was a feeling, as there usually is, of being in a lift with strangers, but the trip is of such a duration that before long all my pod-mates were laughing and joking with each other in Bulgarian, and kind of looking at me when I didn't join in. I think one of the guys may have directed some comment towards me and I started to worry. Shit, do they think I'm Bulgarian, and I'm being a really ignorant bastard to them? Faces were hardened towards me.
The pod pulled into the mid station above the Chalin Valog runs, I decided to act. Looking at the piste map I'd been given with my lift pass, I addressed no-one in particular and said, "Excuse me, is this Chalin Valog?" I knew full well that it was, but one girl, taking the initiative and maybe showing off to her pals a bit, said in perfect English, "Yes it is, is that where you wanted to go?". "No, I want to go up the hill, but I'm meeting someone here later, thank you."
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| View from a pod |
On arrival at the top station I took their advice and got to the very top of the hill as fast as I could. This is via two chairlifts and I'd done this trip before three years ago, only to find it an icy, lumpy, patchy mess. This time the piste was lovely and wasted no time in getting my board on and down the hill. The run at the very top (11 on the piste map) is nice and wide, although it's maybe a tiny bit too steep to be a blue run. I found it a bit hairy for run one on day one, but it soon leveled out and I had a brilliant, relaxed run from 11 to 10, then shat a brick when I hit, at speed, red 12.
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| Run One, Day One |
Check this piste map out for reference, http://www.skibansko.org.uk/pistemap.html, as the one above is a bit small to keep track. I'm in two minds about the numbering system as opposed to naming them all, but I suppose roman numerals are, these days, universal, whereas things like Yastabrets and Stinky-yank-off take a bit of getting used to.
Anyway, I'm screaming down red 12 as I thought that by staying to the right of the resort I could do a blue cruise to the bars at the bottom of Shiligarnika. I actually should have cut underneath the chairlift half way down and continued on run 10 instead of it suddenly getting all steep and shouting 'fuuuuuuuuuck!' all the way down.
I ended up, panting and wild-eyed, at the bottom of a chairlift so headed back up to do it all again. This time round I got it right, stayed on blues, and ended up at the Shiligarnika bars and ran into a pile of people from skidvd, and that really called for a drink. And food. Phil and Lisa (who run skidvd) went off to buy kebabs but thrifty old me brought out another Ginsters cheese and ham thing I'd bought at the airport yesterday. I hadn't paid extra for the in-flight meal and had bought a pile to eat on the way over as they were on sale for a quid each. Of course I'd fallen asleep and didn't touch any of them, but wasn't going to let them go to waste!
More of the same in the afternoon, then I took the long slow slide down the ski road. Brilliant until the last kilometer where it becomes flat and there's a fight to maintain any speed you may still have. Made it without having to take the board off and hike, but only just.
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| The Ski Road gets a bit flat! |
Back to the hotel and leave my board in the lovely big ski area (where they could have easily put up a big sign saying swimming pool and bowling alley this way!) and onto my room, where, clambering out of my gear, I suddenly remember that this morning I'd signed up for tonight's bar crawl. I think it was a combination of the fact that Lou remembered me and force of habit that made me do it, so after the quickest of naps and a quick bite in the hotel, I'm in my glad rags waiting for the bus. I think I've mentioned it here before, but this demonstrates the size of Bansko as compared to the other resorts. In Borovets and Pamporovo you do the bar crawl on foot, in Bansko you need a coach.
It was late but I was having a pleasant chat with to two other crawlers in the lobby of the hotel ... another reason I'd signed up. I'd made pals on every one of these that I'd been on and tonight was no different, although it was all spookily familiar. Lou turned up in the coach and took us to the Happy End, where we once again hammered nails into blocks of wood, arm wrestled and all the other things detailed in the 2007 report! It was almost pub for pub and word for word. But, and I mean this with great respect, it was just as funny as it was the first time around. One of the bars was different though, and in it I had another blast from the past. Vicki!
Vicki was last seen on these pages in 2006, the day after she'd been fired by Balkan, and the year before as the barmaid in the Happy Duck. But there she was, large as life, handing out free shots to everyone who came in, in a small out of the way bar in Bansko. I have no memory of the name of the place, and would only have half a chance of finding it again (it may have been slightly down the road from the Hotel Bansko, but everything was a bit hazy by now) but the shock of seeing her again makes it stick in the mind. We caught up, well as much as we could as she was a bit busy and a bit drunk, and she invited me to share a few shots with her.
I have no idea what was in them but they laid me low and as we got to the next pub, the Lion, I realised that my hotel was right across the road ... so, via the crepe stall, I ducked out and headed to bed.
Monday - Jesus MY HEAD!
Seriously, it was pounding. What were those shots?! I got into my gear, skipped breakfast and walked up the hill to the gondola. Best hangover cure is to scream down a big steep hill, so I followed yesterday's example and made my way to the very top as quickly as I could ... but as I skidded to a stop at Shiligarnika after a long and shaky run I was still throbbing at the temples. Also, the sun was splitting the sky, and although I had goggles, I had no actual sunglasses and the brightness wasn't helping matters, especially as it was being doubled by the reflection from the snow.
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| My Eyes! |
I also bought a pair of sunglasses and had a long lunch (well, breakfast) in a Mehana in town, and felt so, so much better. Head clear, eyes shaded and belly full I felt ready to tackle the hill again, but walking back into the hotel for my board I discovered it was past 3pm! Bugger. By the time I got up to the gondola and into a pod, and eventually up the hill, there would be time for maybe one run down the ski road. Besides, I'd already done the mountain from top to bottom this morning and then walked the length of the town, so better to chill out and watch a bit of TV than to rush up the hill. I was asleep in front of Mythbusters in seconds.
Had a lazy night that night too, with dinner in the hotel a movie on TV and eventually a pint in the Lion when I dragged myself out. I just wasn't in the mood for it tonight, so left my pint unfinished, headed back ... and found Sexy Sport Clips on the TV. That cheered me up no end.
Tuesday - Off Piste!
Skidding to a stop at Shiligarnika after my now customary first run down the hill I run into Phil, Lisa, Suntec Steve, Cathy, Mike, Steve (Smag) Smith, Ian, Steve C and Wendy. All the gang are here and we have a great time with Steve C eventually taking us off piste into the Todorka bowl. Phil and Smag both have a wee fall, and I have trouble keeping up on my board as we race through the bushes, but manage to keep Wendy's pink jacket in my sights and make it back to the bar in one piece. That really calls for a drink!
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| Weeeeeee |
A lazy afternoon after a mental morning ends with me on the ski road, eyes peeled for 'The Cave' bar. It's one of the cheapest Mehanas in Bansko, but you have to find it first. Along the ski road, on your left hand side as you travel towards town, there are some caves on a small cliff face ... after that there's a billboard for a real estate company, and just behind that is the 'Cave'. That's not it's real name by the way, just what it got called by those in the know. Actually, once you've found it, you're amazed that you ever missed it as it actually is quite big. I have a really cheap beer or two then make my way down over the flatter parts of the ski road to town.
After the off-piste part of today's riding I mentioned to Steve C that my board maybe needed a bit of a sharpen. He told me to go to the hire place in the gondola station ... and after a great full service I'll now recommend it to you, for either skis or board ... cheap(ish), quick and very good.
Another quietish night. I have a meal in the hotel, then meet up with Phil and Lisa in the Irish for a drink. We're not there too late, as we've got a big busy day tomorrow ...
Wednesday - BOROVETS!
Up early for Steve C and Wendy, as we're heading across country today ... to Borovets! Phil, Lisa, Smag and myself are bundled up in one of the earlybird transfer mini buses and take the (2 hour? can't remember!) trip to that magical wee resort, and when we get there ... it's empty! Seriously, it was deserted.
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| The Rila slopes ... utterly empty |
We had a great breakfast with Amie and Ariee! who last year had the Alpina, but at this point in the season were now running Chilly Peppers. Full of breakfast meat, we buy day passes at the gondola (which are cheaper than expected as the season is ending) and make our way up the hill.
Ahhhh Borovets, how I love this place. And as an added bonus it was snowing. Although Bansko had a good base and all runs were open, it hadn't actually snowed for a few days. Borovets had had a fair few inches of fresh stuff, and it was still gently falling so I had some of the best runs of the week down the Yastabrets slopes. A few more people to be seen up here, but still incredibly quiet. Not that I'm complaining as I've had moments in Borovets waiting in a queue to start off down the hill, so really savoured the great conditions and getting them almost to myself. Meet up with Gerry Koolski on the hill for a bit, then everyone splits up to head for a favourite run. Phil and Smag head to the Rila side and have a brilliant time on the big Rila black ... just above the building that used to have the 'Obey' the big sheep on it, but I stay up the mountain and play until my legs hurt!
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| Top of Yastabrets Express ... all alone |
Great meal with Smag, Phil and Lisa, the Koolskis, Amiee and Arie and Steve and Wendy, but notice that during the hour or so we were in there, hardly anyone passed the window. And this isn't the Alpina at a far corner of the resort ... this is Chilly Peppers (or 101 cocktails or whatever it's called these days) right in the centre, opposite the Rila. This place is really, really deserted!
Snooze in the bus on the way back, but it's not enough to recharge the batteries after such a long day. We head to the Irish as it's St. Patrick's day, but mentally I think we're all already in bed. I don't think I made it through my third Guinness, but I did try.
Thursday - Yet another blast from the past.
The Strazhite Hotel has a free bus that takes you to and from the gondola, but for some reason I kept missing it. It left every half hour, on the half hour, and I knew this, but I'd always find myself getting outside for 9.35 or 10.05 and facing either a five minute walk up the hill or a twenty five minute wait in the car park. The walk won every time, and this morning I met yet another blast from the past.
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| The walk up, all of it ... that's the Happy End pub in the distance. |
I'll quickly explain ... we had a DVD made in 2005 (see 2005 report for details ... obviously) and at the end Mike went round everyone with a piece of paper for our full names for the credits. Trouble is, he couldn't get to grips with my last name so I quickly said, 'just put Robert TK', my first name and last two initials ... and thought nothing more about it for a year. In 2006 he was working upstairs in Franco's, spotted me coming in and shouted, "Heyyyy Teekayyyy" and so a sort-of nickname was born.
We had a long chat and he invited me up to his accommodation for a beer that night .... and to my eternal shame and chagrin, I didn't take him up on it. I'd arranged a poker game online for that night and felt bad about missing it, but it was brilliant to see him again, if just for a chat in the street. To think I'd felt apprehensive about this week as I was coming out alone. It was becoming a ski down memory lane!
I got to the top of the hill via pod, chairlift, chairlift and had a very gentle run down to the bars at 'Shili' as we were now calling it. I stopped halfway and had a wee slug from the hipflask I'd brought with me and hardly used .. and right at that moment, Smag skied past. We made our way to the Shilli bars and had more beers than we should have chatting and soaking up the sun. I mentioned that I'd never actually snowboarded any of the runs at the Chalin Valog part of the resort, so after forcing ourselves to move, we made out way down the ski road, peeling off at the right moment, and arriving at the bottom of the Chalin chairlift.
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| The ski road as seen from a pod. |
At the top we met Suntec, Cathy and Mike so rode down together. I put snowboarder tolerance back a few years by side slipping down the black bit and scraping off some snow (I can do steep, but for fucks sake this was STEEP, and narrow, and bendy) but as soon as it leveled out I let rip and had an amazing run to the bottom. Really, when I think back to this holiday, this was the run I remember most vividly ... it was brilliant. Fast, controlled, rhythmic, everything clicked ... so as everyone else headed off, I went up and did it again. Superb!
That night we assembled in the Irish Bar with Phil, Lisa, Smag and his dad, who was just back from taking a train to Vleningrad and back, a six hour journey. I also hooked up with the poker players I'd met online and spent the night both playing cards and chatting with Phil and Lisa during the breaks. It was such an energetic day and an exciting night that I have absolutely no memory of the game. I don't think I won (which is the most probable outcome) but I think the buy in was so low I wouldn't have noticed either way. Judging by my head the next morning, it was a good night.
Friday - Taking it Easy
I decided to have a slow one today. Everyone else was heading off to Dobrinitsa, a smaller resort about half an hour away. I decided against it as it was another early morning and also because I'd pre-paid for a six day Bansko pass ... I'd already forfeited one of the days and paid for a Borovets pass on top, so I wasn't going to do it again, especially on my last day.
Some nice tunes on my mp3 player, sun shining, I did top to bottom via some of the reds this time, and although I did have a few 'fuck me this is steep' moments I got down in one piece. The slopes here are quite deserted as as you can see in the next few pics I almost had a few runs to myself ...
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For the last few seasons, mid-March has been the best time to be out in Bulgaria. No big holidays like half-term or Christmas, so no queues at the gondola, or anywhere for that matter and there's always been brilliant snow. In saying that, it didn't snow for the entire week I was in Bansko but the temperatures were low enough at night that they could run the cannons. The only place I actually noticed a difference from day one to day six was at the bottom of the ski road. By the end of the week there were some decidedly sticky parts which meant that I had to do that jumping back and forth from front foot to back foot thing on the board to keep going.
When I eventually completed my last run down I was knackered but didn't want to end things too abruptly. So I took my board off, propped it up on it's bindings, and laid against it, finishing what was left in my hip flask and enjoyed a smoke in the sun. Suntec Steve walked past and told me that his pal Mike had had a bad fall and had either broken or dislocated his arm. Suntec and his mate are brilliant skiers so it goes to show it can happen to anyone, the only consolation being that it happened late on the last day.
I wished Mike well and caught the bus back to the hotel, taking my board up to the room this time instead of leaving it in the ski area, to pack it away for another year.
So that's basically it. I was with Balkan Holidays who always seem to have early return flights. They seem okay at first glace, leaving at say 10 in the morning. But add the 2 hour check in time, plus the long transfer, and you can be leaving the resort at 5.30 in the morning ... which we did. I had a quiet night of packing and finishing the supplies I had in the fridge.
The flight home the next day was fine, but the drive home was brutal as I went up the East coast and then cut across the middle of the country, which felt like it was taking forever ... but at long long last I got home and slept for the next week!
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| Bye for now |
NOTES
Huge thanks to Steve C and Wendy, the Koolskis, Smag (and his Dad), Phil and Lisa, Suntec Steve Cathy and Mike, Mattsville and the other poker players, Amiee and Arie, the crepe stall guy and Tommy in Francos ... amongst so many others ... for making it a brilliant week. See you all soon!
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