Vratsa, Bulgaria & The Aonach Eagach

I'm recently back from a climbing trip to Vratsa in Bulgaria, which was nothing short of fantastic. The weather was perfect, climbing was very varied and super accessible (5 mins drive from the town of Vratsa) and the food and drink very cheap. There's a reasonable guidebook available, which contains everything from single pitch bolted routes right through to big trad adventures. The area isn't particularly huge, but there's plenty for a week or so, and it makes a nice change from heading to Spain at this time of year.

Back in Scotland, I was out with Eileen along the Aonach Eagach in Glencoe today. The weather was great all day, and the rock reasonably dry, giving us an enjoyable day out.

Now, Eileen is in her very early 70s, and whereas many people her age are taking things easy, Eileen, in her own words, is addicted to being in the mountains and despite having taken hillwalking up fairly recently, has racked up a fair few Munros, Corbetts and Grahams, and can now add the Aonach Eagach, her first serious scramble, to the list. I'm forever inspired by people like her, who are proof that age is simply a figure and that if you're dedicated and motivated enough, you can stay fit and healthy, and continue to seek new challenges in the mountains whilst well into retirement.

2019 dates for our open Aonach Eagach Courses (£99/person) are:
18th May 2019
1st June 2019
15th June 2019
13th July 2019
3rd August 2019
31st August 2019
14th September 2019

If you would like more info, head over to:
https://westcoast-mountainguides.co.uk/…/aonach-eagach…/