In the middle of the Middle Stara Planina, in the Kalofer region, Mount Botev rises like a huge dome. Viewed from its base, it looks like a giant fist.
Mount Botev (2376 m) is the highest peak of Stara Planina and the third highest in Bulgaria – after Musala in Rila and Vihren in Pirin. From the north it is framed by the majestic, terrifying and bewitching chasms of Northern Jendem. Amidst a chaos of steep ledges and sheer cliffs, dozens of streams form a continuous series of waterfalls and splashes.
From the south, dizzying sheer cliffs encircle Botev Peak and outline the secret South Jendem. To the west and east, the peak descends to the two saddles Duza and Marinka. Further on, on both sides, lower peaks line up like a rosary. Balkan” located on part of the territory of the Middle Stara Planina.
In the two slopes and the top towards the North and South Jendem, teeth, steps, smooth rock verticals have formed.
In terms of its harsh climate, Mt. Botev can only be compared with Mt. Musala. The average annual temperature at the top is -6°C, and the absolute minimum is -28°C. For centuries, Botev peak was uninhabited and wild. In its bosom many voivodes hid from the Ottoman enslavers. Through the peak, back in 1867, Panayot Hitov’s troop passed with a waved green flag carried by Vasil Levski. After the Liberation, those who love the unsightly beauty of Stara Planina began to come to the summit, albeit timidly. In time, meteorologists ascend, who remain to live and work amid the storms on his flat meadow.
Before 1942, the third in Bulgaria and the second highest high-mountain meteorological observatory was built. Botev Peak occupies a central position in the Central National Park. On the slopes of the peak there are large ravines that form mountain streams and waterfalls, known as the Splash.
The largest is the Paradise Splash – the highest waterfall in our country (124 m), which is located on the southern slopes of the peak above H. “Paradise”. The summit can be reached by several roads. From Kalofer, a 42-kilometer road leads to the high mountain village on the summit. On this road, the tourist trail separates from the town of Panitsik, which leads through the village of “Rai” to the peak. Botev. From Kalofer in h. It takes 7 hours to reach the top of “Rai”.
Botev peak can also be reached from the east – from the village of “Tazha” (4 hours). The transition from the north with the exit point in the town of Apriltsi, through h. “Pleven” and the shelter “Botev”. The route from Karlovo through the huts “Hubavets”, “Balkanski rozi” and “Vasil Levski” is very popular, which takes 10 hours. The shortest way to the top is the so-called Tarzan trail, in 1941 by meteorologist and mountaineer Todor Bozhkov – Tarzan, who later died on it.
