Eastern European Skiing. A little help?

[INDY GS]

So after reading the article on Bansko in Bulgaria in the new Powder as well as the write up in Skiing, I passed the mags on to my dad.

Tonight I was picking my son up from his house and he asks me if I want to head to Europe to see family and do some skiing this winter. He doesn't care where, but we will fly into Belgrade, YU (serbia-montenagro) where he grew up. His home town is about 150 - 200 Km from Bansko, but is also convenient to The skiing in Slovenia, and I'm sure other areas.

So if anyone has some input as to when the best time of year to go, specific areas to hit, etc. When does the season start there, anyplace to avoid?

I'm stoked about this possibility since not only will I get to ski someplace completely new and exciting i will get to see the country where my pops grew up and meet some family I have never met.

Oh february is out, due to a trip to OOOTAH.

Thanks in advance,

INDY

[bad_roo]

Bulgaria. One word. Don't.

[Arty50]

Kako si!

I don't know much about skiing in Yugoslavia, Slovenia, or Bulgaria. However, I came across some sick pics on Biglines from Slovakia.

They're pictures 25433 - 25471. This should get you started:

http://www.biglines.com/photos_large.php?picid=25433

My favorites:



http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic25460.jpg

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic25466.jpg

[INDY GS]

Šta settle? Arty. Nice pics.

Roo, why such a firm stance against Bulgaria? Just curious. From what i can see online and from the articles in the recent mags, it sounds like the terrain is good/great. The purpose of the trip would be to go to Yugoslavia to see family, and then do some skiing too, so we would not be making Bulgaria the ultimate destination, more of a side trip.

Any guys from TGR that went if you want to chime in and give me some Beta, that would be great.

Thanks,

INDY

[bad_roo]

In one week in Bulgaria I managed to get shot at, witnessed a 70 year old man being kicked unconscious by 'hotel security staff', saw his family barricade themselves into their room in sheer terror, was sold out of circulation currency, saw a girl begging to be repatriated after being gang raped, suffered numerous power outages and a sewage influx through our bathroom floor, watched waiters pick food off the floor and put it back onto plates, saw a local restaurant blown up by mortar fire blah blah blah. It's not a very genteel place.

The skiing was lousy too. The whole of the upper mountain where we skied (Borovets) was thickly covered in dense gorse so there was no freeskiiing as such, just trails cut through the bushes. Some trails just ended in woods with no lifts at the end. I can imagine that if you get well away from the lousy Mafia-run resortsd there could be some decent backcountry but you're liable to be robbed or worse. There are many more pleasant places to go in order to get your jollies.

[glademaster]

Originally posted by bad_roo
In one week in Bulgaria I managed to get shot at, witnessed a 70 year old man being kicked unconscious by 'hotel security staff', saw his family barricade themselves into their room in sheer terror, was sold out of circulation currency, saw a girl begging to be repatriated after being gang raped, suffered numerous power outages and a sewage influx through our bathroom floor, watched waiters pick food off the floor and put it back onto plates, saw a local restaurant blown up by mortar fire blah blah blah. It's not a very genteel place.

The skiing was lousy too. The whole of the upper mountain where we skied (Borovets) was thickly covered in dense gorse so there was no freeskiiing as such, just trails cut through the bushes. Some trails just ended in woods with no lifts at the end. I can imagine that if you get well away from the lousy Mafia-run resortsd there could be some decent backcountry but you're liable to be robbed or worse. There are many more pleasant places to go in order to get your jollies.

You say all that like its a bad thing roo, that sounds like a damn good time to me.

[The AD]

Originally posted by bad_roo
In one week in Bulgaria I managed to get shot at, witnessed a 70 year old man being kicked unconscious by 'hotel security staff', saw his family barricade themselves into their room in sheer terror, was sold out of circulation currency, saw a girl begging to be repatriated after being gang raped, suffered numerous power outages and a sewage influx through our bathroom floor, watched waiters pick food off the floor and put it back onto plates, saw a local restaurant blown up by mortar fire blah blah blah. It's not a very genteel place.

Christ you're picky!

[bad_roo]

We successfully sued the holiday company we travelled with. I'd never go back to that shithole again. One man chairlifts and all that jazz. It's not even that cheap anymore. Budget skiers have abandoned Bulgaria in their droves in favour of Andorra.

The local mafia man had a bunch of shell-suit clad ex-wrestler henchmen. One of them had a BMW 750 with beige suede interior covered in bloodstains. We later found out that he'd travelled to Klagenfurt in Austria, spotted a guy at the traffic lights in the car and clobbered him with a hammer and then driven off in his car.

One thing that is pretty funny about Bulgaria is their casual approach to copyrighjt law. You can buy all of the latest Salomon or Rossignol skis in the local shops but they're all crummy Mladosts underneath. Likewise every burger bar is a McDonalds and all the chicken joints are KFCs.



I've heard Slovenia, on the other hand, is a really pleasant spot. Kinda like the low budget extension of Austria.

[glademaster]

Bulgaria....so sketchy right now.

[lemon boy]

Okay, check don't let the wife read this thread (trying to convince her to help me out getting to krasnaya polyana)

[freshie247]

Hey Bad Roo,
Don't mince words,HOW DO YOU REALLY FEEL!

[hoarhey]

Bad Roo:

How recently were you there?

Had a friend who was there in March. He liked it, but he didn't go off-piste so I don't count his opinion with respect to the skiing experience.

[Spamhelmet]

INDY GS: PM a guy from this board called Jiehkavarri.
He was (last or year before) around Tatras for a season working for a tour operator and saw lot of places.
Youll get lot of info from that guy.

But as a wide overwiev of my friends experiences around Bulgaria (borovetz etc,.,) is close to Roo´s.
Not that harcore though....

[INDY GS]

Roo, thanks for the deatail. Sounds like a pleasant country! The way I like to spend vacation, being gang raped by mafioso henchmen, then being beaten with a hammer and to top it all off have my Bimmer stolen. Sounds FANFREAKIN'TASTIC.

Slovenia is really where I want to go, but With the recent press that Bulgaria has recieved, we thought we might try there.

Thanks, for the input. Spamhelmet, i will try PM'ing Jiehkavarri, to get some info from him. Thanks.

INDY

[cj001f]

Originally posted by bad_roo
I've heard Slovenia, on the other hand, is a really pleasant spot. Kinda like the low budget extension of Austria.

I've only been to Ljubljana, but it was safe and quite pleasant. The Bulgarians on the train were more than a bit sketchy.

[summit]

Read Splat's Poland article in last season's Powder (forget which one). Good article.

[Jiehkevarri]

<-- dudes, the name goes like this

I am quite busy at the moment, won't have too much time on answering PM's....so I suggest to search here and biglines for my screen name, and e.g. words: Tatra, Tatras, Tatra Mountains, Slovakia...I've sent some pics now and then (like the ones Arty found!)

If you're on budget Slovakia kicks ass, and if you got lucky it storms decently, and you'lle git sum for sure...the storms are not as frequent as in the Alps though; very inland conditions and snowpack, somehow I think the comparison of Utah vs. Colorado will fit to roughly describe the comparison between the Alps& the Tatras (smaller and lower mountains, less snow, but when cold and snowing --> very dry snow!)

EDIT: quick search for some more help...(or at least some more pics, check also www.jasna.sk for resort info!)

http://tetongravity.com/forums/showt...threadid=13151

http://tetongravity.com/forums/showt...&threadid=7664

http://tetongravity.com/forums/showt...&threadid=5823 (stuff from 2002-2003 season when I spent 6weeks in the Tatras, and about the same in the Alps...god damn those were the times!!!)

[Hicks]

Bulgaria? Quoting Elvis...

'You're looking for trouble?'..duh duh duh duh dum...
'You're in the right place....'