Breaking In The Boots On Belmeken

I promised to try to avoid writing a usual blog like iwashere-itwassonice, irodealot-itwassohard. But this day, this day was really something I have to write about in a style like this. And also about how I got here. Here, where the flipflops and the SIDI (my cycling shoes) was not enough to handle the situation. I was waking up in Hotel Belmeken and put on my hiking boots (what are more like shoes, but never mind) to climb peak Belmeken.

Fantastico - leaving Sofia

And how I got here, well, yes. Last time I was writing in Sofia as I remember, a short one. Finally, after more, than two weeks without riding I again found myself in the seddle, pedalling up in the side of Vitosha mountain. This is the one rises over Sofia, it can be seen almost from anywhere in the city. Passing by it I had a view on Rila mountains.

First glances on Rila

Next day the background of my photos became the road under my tyres, I was climbing up to Borovets (north part of Rila), then down to Sestrimo. As I am riding with the speed of the light, I just missed to stop there to find a nice room for a few Levas, so I began to climb up, up, up, when the Sun had began to go slowly down, down, down. I really didn't know where I can find a place to stay that night, but never mind, I was just pushing the pedals.

My tent choose this place to sleep

And finally I found a little place near the side of the road, after a bridge what had not been used latly obviously (full of grass reaches up to my neck...). So I camped there - it was safe, there was almost no traffic on this road, one car passed by in an hour. Still I was a bit scared, but hardly I could get myself sleeping after a few hours rolling in my sleeping bag.

Up, up, up - never give up!

The next day I rode only about 25 kms (probably a negative record), but it was only up, up, up. I was trying to reach lake Belmeken, but it just didn't happen. Sometimes I was stopping in every five minutes. Sometimes I found myself talking to me to stop, to turn back (where?), to finish this stuff. Fortunatelly I didn't listen to myself, I was just pedalling further - in a standing up position, because the road was that steep (e.g. on TransFogaras I could manage to sit during the whole climb, here I was almost couldn't sit). Finally I got to lake Belmeken - and the crying game began, the soap opera began. It was so beautiful I really went sensetive.

Finally - lake Belmeken

After calming down I found Hotel Belmeken, where I stayed for 14 € - which is nothing concerning that this building is at about 2000 m above sea level. I could safely left all my luggage and my bike there, that is also the reason I choose it but not the tent. It made possible to climb up to Belmeken peak next day. Just perfect!

Pure landscape

Finally I arrived back to the title of this post. The boots, what are shoes. I was carrying them since I started and I didn't wear them, still they got the third of one of my side-panniers on the 1600 kms I took already. But now, the time had come!

Finally on the hike!

In beautiful weather, actually in perfect weather for hiking I - a classical afternoon traveller - was already walking at 8:55! I could hardly beleive it, but it happened. The path was boring. Yes, no excitements. Belmeken is actually a huge hill, nothing else. Above the forest level there were only grass fields. Despite these facts I really enjoyed it - finally walking, finally breaking the shoes in, finally breathe this clean air, feel this clean sun! Again I found that everything is so clean and clear in the high mountains! The water, the ground, the grass, the air, the wind, the warm and the cold - everything! I think this is one of the reasons I love to go to high mountains (or, almost any kind of mountains). This cleannes is like in fairytales. And I can beleive it when I'm there. It exists. Also, it cleansens me, somehow I get relaxed. My mind becomes clean sometimes. My thoughts become clean sometimes. Worth the walk up, the wake up.

Rila - from above

Ah, and during walking up to the big hill, a thought came. Many smart and famous people are talking about that not the aim, not the goal is important, but the way you get there. I have something to add on this. I think the viewpoint, the insight what one gains during the way (or when arriving, reaching the goal) is the most important. It is something what can't be received but only this way, by ourselves, by our experiences. To be more clear: the view from the top of Belmeken is complately different if somebody carries me up on his back or if I climb up. Oh, it is so, so, so obvious, but still, I feel that I (we?) forget this fact from time to time! So here is an opportunity to learn it, again and again, do it in our ways.

Layers

And a little more of Belmeken. Being up there I could see half of Bulgaria! I saw Vitosha mountain, what was hiding Sofia behind her. I saw the western part of Rila mountains, and more on the south the sharp, wild edges of Pirin mountains. Straight on south some greek mountains was asking me to take a picture of them. And on the west, what comes next, many layers one behind the other, the Rodopi mountains (I'm heading there). And on the north, I could see the Old Mountains, Stara Planina, what reaches from west to east crossing almost whole Bulgaria. Standing at this point I felt so greatful and thankful that I could get to this place, I had the perfect weather for it, I had the health to climb up here and I had the shoes to break in! Thanks, for I don't know, who, but really, many, many thanks!

On the way back

Because of the early start I could came down from Belmeken peak (and from philosophy lessons and from geography lessons) also early. From there, oh, man, I was bombing down straight to Velingrad! What a day, I had the biggest downhill in my life! I was rolling around 34 kms, almost all the way down! Bikers paradise: good asfalt, no cars, beautiful mountains, hills, forest of every kind as going more and more down in sea level! Huhh, after the hardest climb came the biggest down - again an almost obvious fact, but to live it, it is more, than I can find words for! (What a thought: "Live the obvious!")

Lake and hill are both Belmeken. Bike is Fuji.

And to make this almost perfect day better, after arriving in Velingrad and finding my host (who had been recommended by my host in Sofia), he took me to a thermal bath. A gipsy style one, out at the side of the town, looks as it is in a place of constuction, but no, it is just a mess. Still, the water in the little pools are the same as you can pay for huge amounts in hotels nearby. So we soaked ourselfs for a while in the hot water - I can say all my little particles were happy saying thanks for coming here! And the style of the place: later I was not surprised when some of the people left the bath with a horse-carriage. Superbalkan!

During the big DH sometimes I had to stop for a pic

This day, boots to break in, philosophy and geography lessons to have, and the biggest downhill ride ever coming down from 2626 m to around 750 m, going through all this above, is something I almost can't beleive how it fit into one day. Anyway, it happened, and it was such a gift I will definately remember. It carved itself into a kind, friendly part of my brain I usually like to visit sometimes. All these experiences were for free, but worths more than I can imagine.