Picture taken 4th February 2012. Banderishka Poliana (ski school meeting place)

Bansko town snow melting for a few days. Warmer temperatures in town of around 4 C have were feeling positively tropical. Here’s a video of the conditions. But read on for the amazing snow news.

But this should be only a temporary moment. It’s dumping snow hard in Sofia.

Whilst up on the Pirin the slopes are delivering. High winds closed the Plato area yesterday.  My views on the The FIS Women’s and Men’s Ski World Cup events are mixed. It is frustrating that some slopes are shut until the end of the month. Short term sacrifice for the long term image and confidence for the development of Bansko’s facilities.

Snow forecast is…

picture taken 4th February 2012. Off piste

January was excellent and now February is already turning out to be very good too. We are set for three days of SNOW. Monday sees temperatures fall again and the town of Bansko made white again. Happy days.

There is a series of snow storms passing through. I am not sure I have seen such weather charts ever before for this region.

As I type this, it is already hard in Sofia and snowing up on the mountain. It is a series of storm depressions centring themselves near and over Greece. They will work their snowy magic on Bansko’s slopes.

My forecast: another 50cm of fresh snow falling between today and Wednesday.

There may be MUCH more snow than this. Possible over 1 metre will fall on Todorka.

The ski conditions by Thursday will be just fabulous. The week commencing the 13th February is now assured to be excellent snow conditions.

UPDATE : MORE SNOW ARRIVING ON SUNDAY 12th & MONDAY 13th. 30cm+!

Too much of a good thing

The downside is…

Closed plateau (Plato) lifts due to high winds again today. The isobars are close together indicating storm winds for the coming days. We’ll see.

The other concern are travel plans. Some flights may get diverted or delayed due to snow. Although I rarely hear for Bulgaria Air being diverted, but this week we saw 1 cm of snow in Heathrow cause disruption in BA’s schedule. Far more problems than 20 cm in Sofia.

The Bulgarian snow ploughs, tractors and gritters have been very visible in town. They are also doing a fabulous job keeping open the main E79 and the Predela pass road from Simitli to Bansko.

That said, I only just made it over the pass last week during a snow storm, some didn’t. Whilst high quality winter tyres make all the difference, snow chains may be required for packed ice and snow. Coming by car? Then chains in the boot that you know how to fit…

… Sapiens qui prospicit (Wise is the person who looks ahead).

Special equipment rental

Skimania’s WhiteDot skis continue to rent well this season — as well as the whole advanced range. Same goes for the VIP range; with a good choice of twin tips and all mountain skis and premium snow boards. Skiers should go wide for this fresh powder snow.

Ski package bookings now being taken for March, but lesson dates filling up fast, so do please book soon. Sorry, no more prepay lessons for February. Some dates for hire, lift passes and transfers available. Five working days notice required

Subscribe for food and drink updates and general Bansko news. My big find are two excellent acts iGroove and Taboo at Sing Sing piano bar. Bansko’s piano bars are well worth a try and Sing Sing is my favourite. 10% discount on a bottle of spirits . Mention Bansko Blog when reserving your table.

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The Bansko snow report contains just video action from my GoPro helmet cam. Saturday and today saw some icy patches and exposed areas. Morning is best with the piste getting carved up by mid afternoon.

It was cold too. Those with thin cheap gloves were paying the price with hands colder than the snow around us.

My GoPro camera has been out of action for a while. So now fixed I’m again appreciating how much fun these little cams are. If you make your own GoPro or others ski movies in Bansko, then let me know and I’ll be happy to link to them.

I’m now thinking that, whenever possible, the latest snow reports will get more of this type of stuff in.

A musical evening

I enjoyed a good night out with friends looking for live music. So we chose the Happy End live. The live band here delivered plenty of all time favourites as usual.

Kempinski’s Sing Sing piano bar was next. A more chilled atmosphere, a top trio singing the favourites. A relaxing way to round off a great day.

Both venues are popular and reservation is advisable for the best tables. Both were surprisingly free of smoke. The Happy End more youthful and at higher volumes. But it is still very popular with DJ Shark doing a fine job to make the party.

When in the Happy End it can be challenging to avert one’s gaze away from the podium dancers.

So I didn’t.

Here’s a peek at one such lady, the mighty fine Malinka, dancing in the Happy End.

All pictures here are taken by me on Saturday 14th January 2012. Come back for more video, and pictures, on both the ski conditions in Bansko and the apres ski action.

2012 has seen a big improvement in the choice, with reliable traditional places mixing well with some new places.

Tips Of The Day

• watch the live cam to check if there is a queue for the gondola before setting out.
• new online ski booking click here. Free Bansko 2012 calendar and 20% discounted included in ski hire and lessons prices. Six day lift passes and transfer s from 1 to 30+ persons too.

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6th Janaury 2012. The BIG dump. 11:00 am today

The Bansko snow arrived today; bringing much joy. The snow forecast looks also good for more snow on Sunday. Powder skiing now on. Even more snow on its way for Monday — so the rest of January is going to be great for taking a break for skiing in Bansko.

Over 40cm has fallen so far today and I expect, by Tuesday 10th January well over 80cm of snow to have fallen.

Picture taken by Mark Empsey on 6th January 2012 at the Peshterite restaurant

So if it’s a good time to come to Bansko, then it;s also a good time to save on your ski hire. lessons, lift passes and transfers. Go to ski packages.

If  the live web cam is down — it should be up live again soon. Some queues today; so timing your trip to the gondola lift is important for this peak period.

Readers’ comments on the snow conditions are always welcome. Twitter @bansko. Bansko snow and piste conditions on the mountain are always a help.

And tweet to @bansko any ski info you would like share with others via a retweet. I always follow you back.

Think you are advanced? Can you carve like the instructors? If not, then try some lessons. Learn how to carve those sweeping turns. Like me you’ll start enjoying your skiing more. Same story for snowboarding better.

Don’t take my word for it. Here’s what one client who booked his ski package on Bansko Blog emailed me today:

Tips Of The Day

1.  Name days

Tomorrow, the 7th is a lot of name days in Bulgaria. These are bigger than birthdays for Bulgarians. There are thousands of Ivans in Bansko. So wish your Ivan happy name day on their name day; 7th January!

The full list of names who have their name day on the 7th is:

Ioan, Ioana, Yoan, Yoana, Ivan, Ivanka, Ivayla, Ivaylo, Ivet, Kaloian, Kaloyan, Vanya, Vanyo, Zhan, Zhana

More name day info on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgarian_Name_Days

2.  Homes to rent

A special welcome to a recommended new home to rent. This three bedroom luxury property is in Prespa and with, its log fire, spacious living areas and fine views, it is much more than a place to stay.

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The snow is falling in Bansko and the party has already started. I have rarely seen so many people in Bansko and, this year, we have the combination of great skiing, more white stuff falling from the sky and more food choice than ever before.

Happy Bansko days and nights are here.

All but one lifts are open. The gondola queues are inevitably growing longer — time your trip to the lift using the live queue cam. I am expecting another 30 cm of snow to fall today. Ski conditions are set to be really good. Powder skiing for today and tomorrow. Stay tuned for video snow blog updates.

New Year treats

Firstly, we have fresh snow. This will be enough to guarantee decent skiing for the next week. Secondly, we have an apres ski scene that just gets better and better. The last few days have seen me out and about in town, and sampling what’s on offer.

Pirin 75 bar stands out as being a firm favourite. Prime location on Pirin street to meet friends. Service comes with a smile, lively atmosphere and an inspired music choices from the DJ. Please try it out and enjoy a 2 for 1 beer if you book your ski package through Bansko Blog.

I also have had my sushi cravings satisfied at St Ivan Rilski and Japanese fish longings at the teppanyaki bar and grill at the Kempinski.

Sing Sing, also at the Kempinski, after the teppanyaki made for a highly memorable evening. Your comments are welcome on all the bars and restaurants in Bansko.

My third treat is the Bansko 2012 calendar. Its free for all ski packages clients of Bansko Blog. Seven nice glossy pictures to remind you of Bansko good times all year round.

New Year warnings

I recently spent several hours in the medical centre. This was a timely reminder that holidays in ski resorts are not without hazard. Be sure to have full winter holiday insurance. You pay for what you get for insurance, please be careful to have adequate cover before you travel to Bulgaria. Some of the pavements are icy so its not just for skiers who find their way needing medical attention.

Call European emergency number 112. They speak English and will forward your call to the relevant department — police, ambulance, mountain rescue, fire.

I advise that wearing a helmet is now just plain essential. I wear a Giro brand and can vouch for it. It is so comfortable that I now prefer skiing with it on than off. No helmet? Our ski packages enable you to rent a helmet (mostly new ones) for your period of ski hire. Plenty of place in town to buy one.

Happy New Year

Thank you for reading and I wish you a very Happy New Year.

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Bansko snow forecast from Richard, with his live video report from the pistes of Bansko. His snow report mentions more snow falling in in the Bansko area tonight, and this will see very good ski conditions persist through until at least next weekend. Temperatures will be lower. All pistes are open except blue #10. Snow road is still fine for getting back down at the end of the day.

Weather Forecast

19th March 2011

An occluded low pressure front passes over Bansko tomorrow which should see a good few extra centimeters of snow. Click on met chart.

After this next week, we will see high pressure move back in and less warm daytime temperatures. Afternoon Bansko ski conditions should be still okay, but becoming slushy by mid afternoon. The spring skiing will remain very worthwhile in the sunshine all week. Best conditions in the morning, but as so often is the case, this week in March offers superb conditions and this year is looking like no exception. Combine fresh snow, with good on and off piste conditions, with no lift queueing,… its a “no brainer” I would get to Bansko asap! Check out the streaming live web cam for not only any lift queue, but weather, temperature and humidity.

If you enjoyed this article and video, then please share it! Thank you. Subscribe to you tube channel to be notified by email as soon as reports go live.

Click To enlarge

Snow reports kindly sponsored by:
Crown-Interiors.com : Home interiors
Bulgarienbo.com : Real Estate
Bearsole.com : Travel

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The ski video says it all. Which is just as well for non Bulgarian speakers watching. Our weather and snow forecasting from last week was, in general, about right. Well, yes and no it was right. We said it was going to get warm in Bansko, and Bulgaria in general– but this heat? In Winter? It was even warmer than expected. This spring like weather continued over the weekend, after a period of good ski conditions. The next few days will see more rocky patches appear. The snow cover will thin due to some inevitable melting of precious snow in the clear sunny skies.

Weather Forecast — Dump Of The Season And A New Bansko Song

Remaining warm for a few more days, but by Thursday temperatures will drop back down below freezing at night time. By Saturday 12th February evening the snow will arrive — in a much colder air flow. The snow will keep on coming and Tuesday 15th will bring in some excellent powder conditions and many more smiles.

But I think the white stuff could keep falling some more after then — and the low temperatures will drop even further on Wednesday 16th. Is this the really proper dump we’ve been waiting for? If so, then great. In any event Michael Green cheered me up with his new Bansko Song here, “Let’s Go To Bansko.” Let me know if this catchy tune brings you a smile. There’s more like this ! Click on play symbol to listen:
More on Michael and his music here.

Men’s World Cup: Lucky Bansko

The President of the Bulgarian Ski Federation Tzeko Minev (R) and the Marketing manager of ULEN. Picture Credit: Vasilena Chonova

The second ski course inspection by FIS (the International Ski Federation) will be Tuesday 15th: They arrive to check the tomba piste is in top condition for the Men’s Slalom and the Men’s Super Combined. So it looks like that, just in the nick of time, Bansko gets lucky and the World Cup arrives. The party will be big one. Bansko and Bulgaria are put on the map. Articles coming soon on the World Cup ski programme, how to buy tickets to watch the action, where to party. Lots of surprises are promised to be store. Even a famous pop and/or a famous pop folk star(s) are promised to arrive and perform.

As a loyal follower of the Bulgarian chalga scene, I have to say this sounds all good to me.

How To Avoid Lift Queues

On race days I am informed that there will be shuttle buses to get everyone up the mountain. On Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th February it will be busy, but for regular skiers I would suggest to be at the gondola by 08:30. Try and avoid  long lift queues. Do please comment on your thoughts on lift queues, and ways you avoid them. For example, have you bought a priority Kempinsky pass? Have you driven up? Have you had your car towed away?

Today’s report is sponsored by Crowndevelopments.com — stunning home interiors from Warren and Yana Mace.

Coming to Bansko? Then click ski hire and lessons discount.for ski and snowboard packages.

Tip Of The Day:

Check very carefully where you park. Check for tow away sign EVERYWHERE in Bansko. Parking tow trucks in Bansko will be onto you in seconds. You’ve been warned.

Like It? Then please share it!

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This snow report is hot! And that’s not just the warm sunshine you see here; nor the sprinkling of overnight snow. Keep watching till the end.

No lift queues, and glorious sunshine made for me a much better day in the mountains than it had right to be. Vassilena joined me to help on extend video coverage. Great job. Thank you. Even though it’s very far from perfect ski conditions, there were people, like us, out enjoying the sunshine.

After another great dinner at St George’s Palace restaurant, and a fine local mehana pork steak at the Kulato, in Bansko, it was nice to get out and blow the cobwebs away. There were some tricky icy patches. A few stones were to be avoided too. The plato is shut and less than half the runs are open.

Picture Taken 16th January 2011

Snow arrives on Friday 21st through to Sunday 23rd. After that, it is still too early to be sure. Please subscribe to newsletter for more snow and weather news and to youtube for the snow and weather reports as they go live. In addition, we have more info on the forthcoming World Cup Bansko stage: 26th and 27th February. I recommend coming to Bansko for this World Cup weekend. Not to ski particularly — but for a tremendous party atmosphere. An event watched by tens of millions of people all around the world. As media partners for the event, Bansko Blog will be bringing you World Cup interviews, info and news over the coming weeks.

Blog Sponsor

With record numbers of web views this last week, the blog team are opening the site for more snow reports and blog sponsors. Thank you to bulgarienbo.com for sponsoring the snow report today. For a free listing of your Bansko property, click here.

Picture Taken On The Tomba 16th January 2011

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Picture Taken March 27th: Sunbathing Conditions -- Kempinski Hotel

Weather proved its spectacular display of changeability today. Yesterday Saturday 27th March will be remembered as the most wonderfully warm Spring day, with sunshine so hot the were sunbathing around the pool outside the Kempinski Hotel. It was so hot we put up the umbrella for shade. Snow was melting but everyone was happy. It felt like summer, people were sunbathing…actually better than most days they call summer from my native shores of the UK.

Then, in the early hours the weather front came in and dumped the snow – a good 5 cm and then — great news…  more snow today perhaps as much as 10 cm at Todorka. Temperatures fallen.

Easter Ski Conditions

More snow due Wednesday evening, could help for the holiday season. Temperatures will rise again but, with luck, the evening temperatures on the mountain will drop. Best skiing likely to be in the mornings. Ski high. Overall an END OF SEASON feel to the weather.

Tip Of The Day

Book Victoria restaurant, try “ByTheWay” my favourite new bar and restaurant. Not smoky.

Book your ski hire, lessons, tours and activities before travelling, and save 25%. Register today for your discount booking form

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Greek holidays combined with school holidays caused the biggest queue I have seen. Please see pictures below. Please also forgive me for saying it was Saturday in the video. It was Sunday.

Weather Forecast

Good and bad news today. It’s snowing so there is some excellent powder conditions to be had. The bad news is that there is a significant risk of really quite high temperatures. I’ve just been taking a look at the weather charts here: http://www.meteonet.nl/aktueel/brackall.htm

It’s going to be getting very warm and snow will turn to rain. Too early to see these temperatures dropping for next week.

Tips Of The Day

• Avoid Greek holidays.
• Join us to see the amazing Ani Lozanova and her band at JJ Murphy’s. A very special first birthday party guest. Free beer offer ends 12pm Wednesday. Subscribe today (be sure to confirm your email) and receive the voucher.
• Avoid first day hassle. organise ski hire, lift pass, tuition in advance and save cash. For your no obligation quote please subscribe and you will receive a form where you can detail your exact requirements (family/private/ group lessons or combinations of all three)

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Today’s snow report comes from Oggy and Oggy. I had just finished the video of my early morning Head ski test session, and I was introduced to Stampi and Vasco’s friend, Oggy. Oggy then bumped into his friend, also called Oggy. And we went skiing together.

The joi de vivre that these two amiable Bulgarian guys radiate shines through on “the two Oggys” video snow report. Taken on the lift; thank you for the shameless plug for this blog.

As we went up the chair lift with the first Oggy, I have to admit thinking at the time, “I hope these guys don’t slow me down…conditions are the best they’ve been for some time and I have to make the most of this.” The sun shone and there were those sparkling shiny crystals in the cold air. So evocative; and a big reason why I love the mountains in winter… check out video of my first runs of the day in new boots and Head skis on groomed coduroy pistes:

…Anyhow, as they sped off into the distance at a speed that belied their years, I knew there was a story here. I should have guessed it. In their youth both were in the Bulgarian Sk Team. I was soon receiving more helpful instruction from these guys. Then an insistent swap of skis…so that I could ski test how it feels to be on genuine race tuned professional slalom skis. More on that another time.

Snow Forecast

It’s snowing today and tomorrow we will see a really significant snow fall. Temperatures will remain low. Minus 8 and lower higher up. Sunday will be good day in the mountains and certainly conditions will improve accordingly. Next week remaining cold.

European Championships

I have been following the progress of our snow reporter in December, Nikola Chongorov. He came fourth in this week’s Bulgarian Championship. But expect excellent results from this Bulgarian Ski Team member and blog contributor

Tip Of The Day

Cheap Spa: Go to Dobrinishte to the hot mineral baths. Just 1.5lv (€0.75 approx) will ease any aching muscles. Basic but authentic Bulgarian experience. Separate mineral baths for men and women. It’s a nude thing. Be warned!

Ski Packages

Register at this site and you will receive a ski package quote form to fill in and email back. We then get back with the best rates for the quality… ski / board hire, lessons, 6 day lift pass. All available individually or as a package. Prepay only.

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