Been to Bansko twice, going again in a few weeks, also Borovets 3-4 times. Both underated by most skiers. Bansko is the nicer of the two and with a slightly larger ski area. Tops out at 2500 Mtrs, but most of the skiing area is below about 2000 and so in the tree line and very pretty. Downside is that February gets Very Busy and gondola queue can be horrendous! I think January and March are best months to go, if snow conditions are good (which they always have been for me), to avoid peak times.
Thanks for the information... I've been to all three (Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo) twice now and agree they are underated so many videos of this area to come... The longest queue I've ever been in, is in Bansko, the morning Gondola queue during school holidays on weekends is to be avoided...
@@althr321 A bit pot luck as to the snow I'm afraid. Some years the snow can be good, but this year it was very poor. Going that time of the year, if possible don't book until very last moment and keep watching the snow reports!
It reminds me of the traffic on my route to work before I retired. Which is why I'm going to re-start my ski journey after the mid term school holidays.
@@ChasingSnowI have really great memories of Bansko, but its true that the line-ups, especially on the gondola are a big problem. Even if you arrive early, youre looking at a 50min wait.
Watching this gave me anxiety! Made a few decisions I wouldn't have. Very close to some other skiers but maybe that was a perspective thing. Great fun place to ski tho, if a little shady and cool, in the afternoons.
I think if I’d been the builder of bansko I would’ve moved the parking lot and lift base up to the top of that long flat, featureless runout and avoided the cost of maintaining snow cover and a gondola. I’m not sure what bansko gains by positioning the gondola base so far down
The idea of the gondola is to get you to the ski area and lifts. The long flat run is an old mountain path and they decided to put some snow on it so you can come back with your skis. Anyway, at the second stop of the gondola is a parking lot to which you can travel by car but the main idea is to get up in the morning and walk 5 min to the gondola then come back with your skis.
@@StanislavMeetsFood The problem being that during busy periods the length of the queue to the gondola is ridiculous....Is there public parking somewhere near the top? Is it pay parking?
10 years ago the plan was to improve the gondola because waiting time of the line was crazy. Is there anything happened? This gondola looks exactly the same to me.
@@ChasingSnowGood for you that you can do like that. We usually book ahead half a year, and the time we choose is usually based on such as personal availability, snow security so choosing low peak is not an option. However we did avoid the local winter holiday but was still crazy line at the gondola every morning.
@@strobi0001 Yes, the queue is usually long but I had the nightmare line, a weekend during school holidays. I think it was about 1 hour 20 mins I had to wait...
... and nobody at the start of the gondola! I would have done a second one! (You probably did several and such a nice day). Thanks for sharing. Never been there.
Thank's for the video!what i really find disconcerting is the fact that a lot of people on the slopes have no bussines being there so up high the mountain ( they should learn first of all how to ski)! And very crowded! This lack of, i don't know what to say, maybe discipline or respect for other skiers, it's typical in Eastern Europe! ( I know what I'm talking about, I'm from Romania)...Overall, was it a good experience for you?
You’re so right, I’m in Bansko at the moment and skiing today was an absolute nightmare, so many learners and kids blocking up the runs. It used to be good value for money, but now there’s far too many people and not enough skiing area. Coming back down the snow road today was an absolute nightmare, no room to move.
Absolutely love all the videos and content. Thankyou. I was wondering if you might do a video on how you setup your go pro exactly and how you do the animation of the pistes you go down with the line it draws etc. thanks again.
Glad you like the videos. I've put the GoPro settings in the video description... as for the map animation and video creation, that's really out of scope for this channel but there are plenty of guides on the net... that's how I learnt...
There's a bulgarian tale saying that the grape would forever be sour for the fox, which cannot reach it, in contrast to the the chickadee, which can always have a bite.... 😅
Going there with my family on Saturday, what’s the best time to get to the gondola in the morning and how long is the wait in the que or is it easier getting a taxi ?
Have fun! My advice is to get your ski pass the day or night before. If the ski pass counters are closed, then machines are available. Start queuing up early if you can. The gondola opened at 8:30 when I was there, and so did the ski pass counter. I queued about 30 mins, which wasn't too bad as I once queued for much much longer. If the queue is long, you have the shuttle or taxi option, but I'm not sure of the cost...
Thank you for that, we’re getting a weeks ski pass, I’ve herd stories of people waiting an hour or So for the gondola, we’re are always up early , so would you say go there for 8am and get straight up or do you think 8.30 is ok ?, have an 8 year old child with us that’s all and I don’t think waiting long times to get up will be a nightmare 😃. @@ChasingSnow
@@adamsmith2232 I would say on weekends get there before 8:30 and during the week I think 8:30 is fine. However, if Bulgarian school holidays have started then get there at 8am...
@@adamsmith2232 It's the same pass. Once you are up the mountain, try to remember not to ski down to the start of the Gondola before midday otherwise you might get stuck in the queue again.
Great video mate, going there myself next month 💪🏼 Couple of questions if you don’t mind: 1. What app / sw are you using for the superimposed data on the video? 2. What’s the Big Melt? 🥶
Hey, glad you enjoyed the video. 1. I use VirbEdit to display the telemetry info and 2. The Big Melt is all the warm weather circulating Europe melting the snow... hopefully it won't last....
@@ChasingSnow thanx! I sure hope it wont last long, last year in Bansko in January most of the slopes were closed including the ski road. Really hope to have them open next month.
@@ChasingSnow yeah that’s the ski road and it was closed in Jan 2023, so all levels skiers had to use the same slopes making it crowded (and scary for beginners).
@@ChasingSnowa noob in Colorado ski slang. Comes from that giant, unmistakable "gap" of forehead flesh typically visible between a gaper’s helmet and goggles.
Well it’s nice to see that families (and dogs) can enjoy the slopes here, rather than the privileged few that can afford it. I have enjoyed this insight into the Bulgarian slopes. How did you find this season over all?
I've just finished touring this region so many more videos to come. I'm having engine problems on my van at the moment so haven't skied as much as usual (this season) but once solved, I'll head back to the Alps...
There are plenty of ski resorts all over Europe that are affordable, unless you go someware daft like Klosters, Courchevel, Zermat etc there are budget hotels in most resorts.
@@adjo82 yes though personally I try not to use hotels as I usually turn up the day before and finding budget accommodation is quite difficult and what's left is usually expensive. However, fuel, food and ski pass costs are usually cheaper in this part of the world....
![[4K] Skiing Bansko, Stunning 11.7 km Top to Bottom Before the Big Melt, Bulgaria, GoPro Hero11](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
