Lazarow World-Hike-About

After reaching the top of the ski slope, one of the steepest ever, we gaze at the apartment/hotel complexes scattered below. Jen contemplating how to instruct her leg to move forward. Apparently, there is a rebellion underway.   We’ve been to Pamporovo once before, booked in for a few nights and stayed seventeen. It’s a gem tucked away in the Rhodope Mountains which border Bulgaria and Greece. We are on the Bulgarian side although the language may as well be Greek for all we understand. There’s a tranquility in the region which allows a person to absorb the surrounding beauty without any of the usual noise. This is further enhanced, we’d guess, because of the period. The region is a ski resort which means, of course, that the main action occurs during winter months. Therefore, it’s incredibly quiet and peaceful without visitors. To illustrate the point, we are staying in an apartment complex; it appears we may be the only current residents. Over the recent long weekend ...

Some of the best experiences are off the beaten track, but hopefully on some track.   Jen asked a while ago whether I longed to return to Pamporovo, Bulgaria, (close to the Greek border), so I could have some fun on the rock wall, the via ferrata. We discovered this gem of a place 4 years earlier and I will admit I became quite besotted with the endeavor. It brought back memories of my dear Mother who probably encouraged this form of activity, or some might even think, misbehavior. When young, it was not unusual for Mom to utter ‘Jeffrey, you are driving me up the wall.’ Maybe, I’m continuing her tradition of climbing (driving up?) walls. Now I can see how challenging, helpful and stimulating I was to my mother. Unfortunately, she never complimented me or even acknowledged favorably my contribution to her climbing activities. Well, in all other aspects she was wonderful.    In answer to Jen’s comment, while there’s no denying I enjoy this nippy activity, it’s ...

  The world looks different from height, usually far more dramatic, sometimes a little scary, other times very scary and invariable more attractive than from level positions. By world, perhaps it more accurate to say views create different impressions, not unlike humans, the further away the more attractive. However, the implication is the higher up the more attractive rather than the further way horizontally or laterally speaking. From height, one gains a better impression because most of the time there is little to obscure the view while allowing the eye-and-brain to absorb a fuller picture or perspective, a clearer defined subject.    The following photographs illustrate the concept mentioned above as they were taken on a very steep ski slope. The going was rough; after all it's never the intention to make such slopes comfortable for hikers or to encourage people to view them as nice alternatives to chairlifts. Obviously, when in use, they are covered in snow and t...

Position 1: We arrive at the commencement point. Ten days earlier, we walked up to this point, Bezbog Hut, in less than two hours. For this hike, we rode the chairlift to the hut as the hike to the peak would be more than enough for our capability. Position 2: We walk to the other side of and above the lake and ascend the surrounding mountain while looking back at Bezbog. If hiking, climbing or walking is placing one foot in front of the other and moving forward then how can this function/pastime be interesting. On the face of it, it’s a good question. Okay, have you any other questions? We would love to provide a comprehensive answer to the query because it’s deserving of explanation if only to share the enormous benefits we have and continue to derive from moving our feet about, taking into account hops, skips, jumps, climbs, trips, jogs and moves we never thought possible. It appears that we are stalling—not providing an answer to the issue raised. We have answered the questi...