[size=75:2ae06jo1]novinite 19 March 2010

Ski Special: Bulgaria

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I’M not one for being quiet, especially when I’m sitting in a pub.

But time and time again as my mates bang on about the ‘quality powder’ on their latest ski-ing jaunt I’m the one sitting stony-faced in the corner nursing his bitter and not uttering a word. So when the good folks at The Lodge Hotel asked me if I fancied learning how it’s done at their spa resort I ski-jumped into action.

"
Forget that it’s in Bulgaria and not the Alps,"
I thought, "
It’s now or never."


With visions of being able to boast of my highest speed down the slope and, well, not being left out any more at the pub table, I arrived in Borovets.

First impressions weren’t that great. I’m all for budget holidays (I even went to Benidorm last year), but the place looked a bit, erm, Communist. Grim 60s-style buildings (Prince Charles would love it here) and a couple of dodgy-looking bars dominated the main drag and I was beginning to wonder if I had done the right thing.

Seconds later I turned a corner and, like a reminder that this was Europe and the USSR had been and gone, there was The Lodge. Built in 2007 the British-owned hotel has everything. Spacious rooms, flatscreen TVs, designer dÃÂcor.

After delicious home-baked delights it was time to face my fears. Not a great lover of heights, nobody had warned me about the cable car ride, or ‘ski gondola’ which was probably more daunting than anything I experienced on the slopes of the Rila Mountains.

I had my back to her but could almost hear my guide thinking ‘I can’t do this for three days’ when I missed the pole to take me to the top of slope and went flat on my face. I’d had the skis on for two seconds, which must be some kind of record.

After getting the hang of it, I attempted my first ‘run’. It was more of a jog. A jog where you fall on your backside. A lot. After two hours of going 10 yards and falling over (I took out a skateboarder but was told that was OK) I began to get the hang of it. Over the next couple of days I was rewarded with some cheesy Zen moments. It can be pretty mindblowing when you’re up there alone with the adrenaline racing through your veins.

As for après ski. it’s all there. karaoke, pole dancing, nightclubs. It’s a bit more pricey than you’d think, and the lev doesn’t go as far as it used to. The season runs from December to April, which apparently is pretty good. I was there in March and it seemed, well, really snowy. Out of season there’s horse-riding, clay pigeon shooting and kayaking at the nearby Iskar ranch.

So, fast forward a couple of days, and I’m back in the pub. Topics ranged far and wide but no mention of ski-ing. Typical. Still, when the time comes I’ll be ready and waiting.

Ha Ha. Great article!