120 years since the first winter climb of Mount Vitosha’s Cherni Vrah

On this day in 1905, 15 enthusiasts, university students, climbed the highest peak in Mount Vitosha near Sofia, in winter for the first time – Cherni Vrah peak (2,290 m.)

The young people started out at noon on 30 January, 1905 from the region of Koru Baglar (Lozenetz of today) towards Dragalevtsi village and Dragaslevtsi monastery where they spent the night. Even though the people from the village tried to talk them out of the climb because the snow cover was very thick, the mountain was full of wolves and because no one had ever done it before, early in the morning on 31 January, the young people started on their way up to the top, 360mag.bg writes. Because the snow was so deep the students were making their way up slowly, and by 5 PM they had managed to reach their goal. The view from the top was spectacular – to the South the white peaks of Mount Rila, to the North – the Balkan Range. And down below them – Sofia, all wrapped up in smoke and fog. Before starting on their way down, the young people set down, at the foot of the most prominent rock on the peak itself, a list of their names and the date – 31 January, 1905 – on which they had made their dream come true – to climb Cherni Vrah peak in winter.