Test report Bansko

The ski resort Bansko is the leading ski resort in Bulgaria. They have renewed the ski resort completely to the season 2003/2004. With the eight person gondola with a length of over 6km you can reach the ski resort via a mid station very easy. Arrived in Bunderishka at an elevation of 1635m you can take the high speed quad Bunderishka Polyana (Todorka I) and in connection the Bubble Todorka II up the highest point in the resort at 2560m. From here you can ski the hole resort. The two t-bars Plato 1 and 2 open up two very nice easy runs at the peak. Via easy to intermediate runs you can ski down to Shiligarnika, from where a slow triple chair brings you up short underneath the peak or you can take the high speed quad Shiligarnika-Plato up to the t-bars Plato near the peak. In Shiligarnika is also a t-bar and an easy run down to Bunderishka. You can also drive down to the high speed quad Mosta-Plato (opened for the season 2004/2005) which is with 2,6km the longest chair lift in the resort and the top station is near the Plato t-bars. Via the skiroad 2 you can go to the mid station of the gondola to Chalin valog. The two t-bars at the mid station are closed, as well as the double chair Ctzurna Mogila on the right side of the ski resort. Here is something new planned for the future. For the experts is a lot of free skiing terrain below the peak - there are very nice steep runs through the forest. The run no. 9 called Alberto Tomba is an advanced run, which leads below the the high speed quad Bunderishka Polyana down to Bunderishka. Here is another t-bar, especially for beginners, which open up a very easy and wide run next to the gondola. The long valley run no. 1 starts at Shiligarnika and lead via Bunderishka down to the base station of the gondola. The run is very easy and in the lower part you have to push yourself a bit to reach the valley. The runs in the whole ski resort are very well groomed and for a break or for lunch you have a lot of restaurants in the resort - for example two huts at the Plato lifts, some restaurants in Shiligarnika and Bunderishka. They offer Bulgarian specialities from the grill for a good price and you can listen to a lot of different music. If you have completed the long valley run (from the peak to Bansko you have to ski 16 km) you can enjoy the après ski at the Happy End - here you have a lot of fun and with prices of 1,50 Euro for a beer you can drink also one more beer as planned.