Harmen van der Kooij
Netherlands
harmen_van_der_kooij@nl.ibm.com
Some years ago I allready read about the great ski touring and off piste skiing in Bulgaria. In March 2004 me and my friend Olaf decided to explore the Bulgarian mountains ourselves. Our goal was to travel around for a week, find the best snow and also experience something of the Bulgarian life.
Ilian arranged all of this for us! We got in contact via the internet and he offered us to show us the best Bulgarian ski mountains (and not only the ones in the famous resorts). He is a very friendly and nice guy, a great skier (probably one of the best freeride skiers in Bulgaria) and he knows the Bulgarian mountains very well. We skied great powder in Bansko, skied to the famous Rila Monestry and walked up Vithosha (near Sofia) in a snow storm. He can take you off-piste skiing with usage of lifts or by ski randonee. In the evening he arranged cheap but perfect accomodations and brought us to the best restaurants and bars.
We had an absolute fantastic week. I would recommend Bulgaria to anybody who likes extreme and freeride skiing and wants to experience something different that the Alpes. And yes, Ilian is the best guide you can get!
Harmen van der Kooij
Netherlands
