Bansko Winter Resort Opens the Ski Season

The ski season in Bulgaria's biggest winter resort of Bansko has now officially opened, and with it the start of round-the-clock duties for mountain rescue teams in the Pirin Mountains.

This year, one of the busiest rescue units has been reinforced with additional mountain rescuers, as well as new snowmobiles.

“Our unit is always on standby to respond to incidents. We have 40 rescuers, all fully prepared to react at any time. We are equipped with snow-going vehicles,” Blagovest Obetsanov, head of the Bansko rescue unit, told BNT's morning programme on December 15.

He explained that, at present, reaching incident sites above 2,000 metres remains difficult. The Bansko ski area is currently operating, but not at full capacity. Snow cover at higher altitudes remains substantial.

Mr Obetsanov advised all skiers and snowboarders to assess their abilities realistically and not to overestimate their skills. He warned against leaving marked pistes, stressing that doing so poses serious risks.

Despite these recommendations, mountain rescuers report that incidents are often caused by poor judgement and inadequate preparation on the part of tourists. In more complex rescue operations, the Bansko unit is already making full use of its new equipment, both on the ground and in the air.

Ivo Valeov, a mountain rescuer and drone pilot, said:
“We have two drones—one with a thermal camera and one without. We have several well-equipped four-wheel-drive vehicles for the higher parts of the mountain, a minibus that allows us to move faster and transport more people on paved roads, and enough snowmobiles—ten for use on pistes and four for off-piste operations.”

Mountain rescue teams also remind tourists not to venture alone into high mountain areas, to ensure their mobile phones are fully charged, and to have appropriate mountain insurance.