Yavorov Hut – Kamenitishki Pass

The route links Yavorov hut (1,740 m) in northern Pirin with Kamenitishki Pass (about 2,670 m) on the main ridge. It is about 7 km long and waymarked in blue. The whole route lies in Pirin National Park.

The route

From the hut, follow the green waymarks towards Yavorova Polyana and turn onto the blue ones after about 1 km. The path crosses the western half of the Bayuva Dupka cirque, between the Sabite and Sredonosa ridges, and comes out on Kamenitishki Pass — the saddle between Kamenitsa peak (2,726 m) and Bayuvi Dupki peak. On the pass it joins the red-marked path from Yavorov hut to Vihren hut; the so-called Kaiser’s Road also ends there. The pass is about 3.5–4 hours from the hut.

What you will see

The first half of the way is in forest, the second on alpine meadows above it, through the Pogledets area. Up here the marble part of the main ridge begins: Kamenitsa is built of Proterozoic marble and lies in the Bayuvi Dupki – Dzhindzhiritsa reserve. From the pass the red waymarks continue to Koncheto and Vihren.

Difficulty and preparation

The path is old and poorly maintained. In places the waymarks are missing and cannot be relied on alone, and higher up there is scrub that makes the going hard. The slope steepens gradually and is steepest below the Sabite slopes. The climb from the hut to the pass is about 930 m, and there is no water on the way. This is a high-mountain hike for experienced walkers with a map or GPS, not a family walk. The north-eastern slopes of Kamenitsa are prone to avalanches.

Getting there

The starting point is Yavorov hut. From Razlog it is about 4 hours on foot past the Betolovoto area, and from the park entrance at Betolovoto about 1.5 hours. The hut has a restaurant and a snack bar; next to it is the All Saints chapel, consecrated in 2016.

Nearby

• Razlozhki Suhodol peak — about 1.7 km.
• Bayuvi Dupki peak — about 1.9 km.
• Koncheto — about 3.2 km.