The beginning of April in Rila is something particular. Winter has not yet said its last word, and spring is barely peering out from behind the snowy crests. That is exactly when the Kovach range shows one of its most honest faces - raw, white and endlessly beautiful.
This walk is not a stroll. It is a meeting with the mountain as it really is: no crowds, only us, the group and Rila in all its April brilliance. We set off from Nehtenitsa, pass the frozen Granchar lake, climb rocky Kovach and, if your legs and your spirit want it, step onto Sua Vapa as well.
Price Includes / Excludes
Price Includes
- Complete organization and coordination of the program
Tour Itinerary
The day begins early, at about 1,550 metres, where the forest air smells of resin and damp earth. We set off along a well-defined forest road. The ground is gentle and lets the body wake up gradually, while the forest around us opens and the mountain begins to reveal itself in pieces between the crowns of the trees.
After about two hours of walking we leave the trees and the Granchar cirque spreads out in front of us - one of the most striking in Rila. At its centre, at 2,187 metres, stands the Granchar hut, a welcome host in this wild beauty. At the beginning of April the lake beside the hut is usually still under ice, and the mountain slopes around us are covered with the whiteness of the last winter snow. Here we rest, take on a hot drink and prepare for the second, more challenging half of the day.
From the hut we climb onto the main Rila crest. The ground rises steadily, rock and snow alternate, and the view behind us widens with every step. Soon we leave the main path and make for the imposing silhouette of Kovach peak (2,634 m) - formerly Nalbant, renamed after 1942. The final climb follows the broad stony back of the ridge: open, windy and exhilarating.
On the summit the world opens all at once. The Yakoruda lakes glitter below to the south, Musala is visible to the north, and on a clear day the view reaches Pirin and the Rhodopes. This is the moment when every step up to here finds its meaning.
Here the guide judges: how the group is going, what time it is, what the weather is doing. If all is well, we will also climb Sua Vapa (2,638 m) - a little higher, a little less often visited, and with a view that completes the picture: the Yakoruda lakes on one side, the Granchar cirque on the other, with the hut a small dot far below.
The descent takes us back past the hut, where we can stop for a short break and something to eat, and then along the familiar forest road back to Nehtenitsa. The legs are heavy, but the gaze is light.
Important:
Winter trekking equipment
Shoes
High shoes with hard sole and membrane
Spare socks
Lighting
Headlamp - An absolute must-have accessory for every mountaineer. It may be necessary for the group to start a trek very early or finish the trek in the dark (force majeure). In these situations, each participant must have a headlamp. We recommend going with a proven brand like Petzl or BlackDiamond
Spare batteries
Backpack
About 40 liters backpack - Quite enough for one or two day hikes. Please come to treks with a backpack suitable for trekking. Very often, each participant needs to attach snowshoes to their backpack, and this cannot happen with urban backpacks
Backpack cover - in case of rain or snowfall
Clothing top
Тhermal base layer
Fleece
A down jacket or other jacket with synthetic insulation
Wind and water proof jacket
Hat
Gloves - 3 pairs of gloves, one thin, one medium thick and one for very bad conditions
Buff
Clothing bottom
Тhermal bottom base layer
Winter pants
Gaiters
Sun protection
Sunglasses
Sun cream with high protection
Water and food
Water (1.5 liters)
Food for the trek
Money and documents
Money
ID or passport
Other
First aid kit
Trekking poles with winter feathers
Cancellation Policy:
Чл. 89. (Изм. – ДВ, бр. 37 от 2018 г., в сила от 01.07.2018 г.) (1) Пътуващият има право да прекрати договора за туристически пакет по всяко време преди започването на изпълнението на туристическия пакет. The tourist owes a penalty as follows: