banskoinwinter

Skiing in Bansko is not new. It was for a long time one of the favoured resorts for Bulgarians and others of the old Eastern Block. Now it is deservedly carving out a reputation for itself, throughout Europe, as a great ski resort.

The ski season is long, from mid December to mid April with plenty of snow and pistes up to 2 metres thick. Snow has never been in short supply but just to make sure there are 45 Snow Cannon covering 80% of the slopes.

There are 70km of runs over 18 pistes, 8 Blue, 11 Red and 1 Black. The highest ski point is Tadora Peak at 2600 metres and the longest run is 16 km back down into Bansko. All this is serviced by 25 km of lift infrastructure totalling 15 lifts. 1 Gondola, 7 High Speed Chair Lifts and 7 Drag lifts. And if that's not enough there are 9 km of cross country routes and ample opportunity for off-piste and extreme skiing but be advised for this it is sensible to have a guide. (Also make sure that your insurance covers you for off-piste skiing). There is snowboarding of course with plenty of natural features, a half pipe and a fun-park to add to the enjoyment.

You can hire a snowmobile, paraski and even night ski with the lower slopes being floodlit in the evenings.

For your refreshment there are Restaurants at all the major piste junctions and a Moutain Bar is never far away.

For families with young children there are ski and non-ski kindergartens. Children from 3-7 are welcome. From age 4 the children can get 2 hours of ski tuition daily. At 6 years of age the kids can join the Ski School.

There are various ski schools to choose from: The Method Ski School, Salomon Ski and Snowboard Centre, Bansko Ski Zone and the Bansko Ski School seem to be the most popular. If you need to hire equipment the ski schools mentioned will all do this for you. Just follow the links on their sites for more information and pricing.

Lift passes need to be purchased when you arrive in Bansko. You will need to turn up in person to do this as they take a photo for the pass. It's a very hightech system. Last season, 2007-2008, a six day pass cost approximately 280 BGN Lev. At present there are about 2.46 BGN to the GBP to give you a rough idea of the costs. Check out the Bansko Ski Zone site for more up to date pricing info.

Obviously no-one wants to get hurt whilst away on holiday, but we all know it does sometimes happen. To re-assure you there are first-aid stations on all ski slopes and a 24 hour a day Emergency Ski Patrol. Bansko boasts a good, well equipped hospital. Some services must be paid for in cash but they should provide you with all the necessary paper-work (bills, receipts, details of treatment and medication and the individual costs of each item) so that you can claim back off your insurance. If possible either you or one of your party should contact your insurance company ASAP and follow their instructions. Insurance is essential, please do not travel without this.