Pirin Mountains: Another Avalanche Falls in the Banderitsa Valley

For the second day running an avalanche has fallen into the Banderitsa Valley in Bulgaria's Pirin Mountains. According to reports nine people were attempting to climb from the 'Banderitsa' mountain hut towards Kazanite when the avalanche struck. Thankfully none of them were actually buried by the avalanche, but one woman suffered head injuries and was evacuated to hospital by the Bulgarian Mountain Rescue Services.

Once again the Bulgarian Mountain Rescue Services are warning that there is currently hightened avalanche danger in the mountains, and reiterating their demands that skiers, snowboarders and hikers only use prepared pistes and marked winter trails.

'Rila' National Park: Investigation into Illegal Forest Cutting above Panichishte

The Bulgarian Ministry of Environment & Waters and the Executive of the Forestry Agency have started legal investigations into the illegal forest cutting which has taken place between Panichishte and the Seven Lakes.

The cutting has occured not far from the illegal new lift between the 'Pioneer' mountain hut and the 'Rilski Ezera' mountain hut. It is clear that this new felling was intended to continue development of ths ski-piste which was illegaly cut earlier in 2009 in the territory of 'Rila' National Park.

Construction of new ski developments and pistes is forbidden within the 'Rila' National Park. However, developers pushing for a new 'Panichishte-Seven Lakes-Mount Kabul' ski zone desire to encroach into the 'Rila' National Park, and the construction of the illegal new lift between the 'Pioneer' mountain hut and the 'Rilski Ezera' mountain hut was a fundamental first stage of their overall plan.

Permission for the proposed 'Panichishte-Seven Lakes-Mount Kabul' ski zone has not yet been approved, but obviously there are those who are interested in illegaly pushing ahead and trying to make it a fait accompli.

Interestingly, the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment & Waters has recently rejected plans by the local forestry executive in Dupnitsa to cut new so-called fire-breaks in the forests in the region which, according to the Coalition 'For The Nature' just so happened to be of the same shape and location as the proposed ski-pistes of the developers! What a coincidence!

More information about the campaign to stop the development of the proposed 'Panichishte-Seven Lakes-Mount Kabul' ski zone illegaly encroaching into the 'Rila' National Park can be found on the website of the Coalition 'For The Nature'.