Vihren

Description of mountain:
VIHREN 2914 m (970 vm) (5 h – 3.20 ascent +1.30 descent)
The starting point is the ski resort Bansko. From there a road leads to the Vihren hut (best to take the bus from Bansko – departs at 8:30, return at 14:20 and 18:00, as the parking lot at the hut is very small).
From the hut we head right to the signposts that direct us horizontally right. After a few meters the path begins to ascend gently in zigzags. Soon we reach a trail junction where another path leads right to the summit past the Kazana bivouac. We continue left uphill, cross a rocky slope and climb to a small saddle (cross on the edge). Here the view opens to Vihren and the Vihrenski Preslap or Kabata saddle. We first continue across gentle meadows; the final section to the ridge (saddle) is a little steeper. From the saddle we proceed left of the ridge and soon reach a broad saddle beneath the summit area of Vihren. Another good 300 vertical meters of ascent (40-50 min walking) in zigzags remain. Several variants are possible; the most optimal is the one with faded markings.
The descent follows the same route, or we can descend along the ridge on the other side of the mountain to the Kazana bivouac, where we turn left and descend diagonally under the summit slopes until we reach the previously described (ascent) route.