#WalkWithMe - Spring Black Rock and Autumn Musala peak

Above the place where the water of Maritsa River starts its long journey from the Rila mountains' recesses to The Aegean Sea, close to the ski resort Borovets, there is a big rock with fearsome panorama and dark history. It is considered as a natural monument since 1974 and it is popular place to visit for the tourists, but avoided by the locals. The top of the rock is 135m above the valley of the river and there are some evidences that it was used as a place for killing innocent people from the villages around (throwing them in the abyss), which were "inconvenient" to the communist government around 75 years ago.

The local people believe that the place has really bad energy, that you can never hear even one bird chirping around the rock and that the silence there is deafening. It is near a road that leads high in the mountain to Maritsa Hut, which is the start point for a trek to the highest peak in Bulgaria - Musala(2925m) and other high peaks. But because the hut is around 15 km away from Borovets which is too much for going on foot if you also want to go to some peaks, it is rare to see other people on these trails. It is possible to go with a car to the hut, but not with any car, because it is a forest road and the last time it took me around an hour and I felt that I was too unfair to my car to make it do that :D.

It is not so bad here, but as you get higher, it's a lot worse.

I have an old post about a trek to three peaks from there, and today I will share with you some photos from a recent walk to the Black Rock, combined with few other from a trek to Musala several months ago (in October).

It was one of these beautiful misty and fragrant spring days, that I love so much, and I chose this place for a quick walk, because the weather forecast predicted rain, which for my disappointment didn't happen.

The cross is in memory of the innocent victims of the communist regimen. There was also a memory board before, describing the story, but now it's missing.

Maybe it's because its because I know its story, but there is really something ominous about this place.

As you continue on the road towards the hut, you can see the place from other perspectives. I like it more from here and usually if I go to some treks from Maritsa Hut, I don't even go to the rock. And that's not usual for me - I never miss the opportunity to enjoy a nice high view point - so probably the local people are right - bad energy.

And several months ago(19th October) while I was driving back from the hut after going to Musala peak, I saw it like this.

I was coming back from here.

Back then after the trek I sent these photos to my sister and she told me that I should definitely post them on Steemit. Although I already had an account, I still hadn't started posting, but here they are 6 months later :) I can't go there now, because reaching the hut is still not possible at the moment and I already miss this amazing place in our gorgeous Rila.

Thank you for checking out my blog!