1. Zlia Zyb is one of the most popular crags in the region.
Its North face
is a good training area for beginners and provides good oppertunity for
winter climbing. There are 2-3 routes in the face itself and 2 on the East
and West ridges, being the oldest ones in the region (1935, Herman Hundt
& Toni Widemann).
North face: Klassicheski*, VI, 3 pitches; East ridge**,
III, 3 pitches; West ridge***, VI+, 1 pitch.
However, the South-east face
is more popular. There are really beautiful routes here (about 10):
Varnika,
V+, 5 pitches; Granit,
V+/A1 obl., 5 pitches; Slavia,
VII+ max., V+/A2 obl., 5 pitches; Slavianski,
V+, 4 pitches.
Maybe the nicest one is Vezhdite or the Eyebrows
(see picture below), VIII max., V+/A2 obl., 6-7 pitches.
The most convenient place to sleep is the mounain
shelter Granitna Voda/BAK, built by Bulgarian mountaineers under the initiative
of Milcho Ladov. See how it can look in the middle of August (Huh!):
2. Djavoilski Igli (Devil's Needles) are 6 crags hanging over the glacier vally Belia Ulej. There are many routes here but unfortunately many of them have already been forgoten.
The best are:
MAL, V-,
5 pitches; Sofia, VI+,
7 pitches; Planinetz, VI+,
5 pitches; Sliven, VI+,
A3, 5 pitches; Plovdiv,
V+, 5 pitches; Orlovetz,
V-, 3 pitches; Eho,
VI-, 5 pitches.
There are some good routes for aid climbing (if you're
a faithfull folower of Marquis de Sade), such as Narodna Armia(see
picture below), V+/A2, 5 pitches.