Todorka
Encyclopedia
Todorka is a massive peak in the Pirin
Mountains of south-western Bulgaria
. It is the only peak of the Todorka side ridge and has a summit elevation
of 2746 m (9009 ft.) above sea level. Todorka is the 11th highest peak in Pirin and is made of granite
, and although not rocky, it is steep. It is a relatively short crest with three peaks - Golyama (Big), Sredna (Middle) and Malka (Little) Todorka. Golyama Todorka is located to the north and viewed from the town of Bansko
looks like a dramatic pyramid. There are several ski tracks from its slopes, and has been developed extensively since 2000 and is now a major ski area, with a lift
-served summit of 2600 m (8530 ft). Bansko hosted World Cup races for the women in 2009
and for the men in 2011
.
Following the ridge to the southwest of Golyama Todorka is Sredna Todorka at 2706 m (8878 ft.) and to the southeast is Malka Todorka (2712 m, 8898 ft.). To the east of the cirque their form are situated the two lakes Todorini Ochi (Todora's eyes) which are part of the Vasilashki Lakes
near which runs the route between the Vihren refuge
and Demyanitsa refuge. To the west is the Banderitsa valley which makes a peculiar twist following the twist of the Todorka peak. That is the reason why the end of the valley lies invisible from Bansko.
There is an impressive panorama from the peak. To the west can be seen Vihren
and Kutelo
, to the east is the Strazhite edge. To the south Kamenitsa rises above the other peaks. To the north in cloudless days there is a dramatic view to Bansko in which the streets and buildings are clearly visible.
woman Todorka who the defended the Sinan fortress against the Turks
during the Bulgarian-Ottoman Wars
. She fought to the end and finally ran to the peak above the castle chased by the Turks, jumped into the abyss and died. According to the second legend a local girl named Todorka did not manage to persuade her father to marry to her beloved Vasil. She ran away from home, reached the peak and started to cry from which the two lakes Todorini Ochi were formed. Vasil searched for her in vain and in the end reached the nearby peak Vasilashki Chukar and threw himself in despair into the lake below (one of the Vasilashki Lakes).
Pirin
The Pirin Mountains are a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria, with Vihren the highest peak, situated at . The range extends about 40 km northwest-southeast, and about 25 km wide. Most of the range is protected in the Pirin National Park...
Mountains of south-western Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. It is the only peak of the Todorka side ridge and has a summit elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 2746 m (9009 ft.) above sea level. Todorka is the 11th highest peak in Pirin and is made of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, and although not rocky, it is steep. It is a relatively short crest with three peaks - Golyama (Big), Sredna (Middle) and Malka (Little) Todorka. Golyama Todorka is located to the north and viewed from the town of Bansko
Bansko
Bansko is a town and a popular ski resort in southwestern Bulgaria, located at the foot of the Pirin Mountains at an elevation of 925 m above sea level....
looks like a dramatic pyramid. There are several ski tracks from its slopes, and has been developed extensively since 2000 and is now a major ski area, with a lift
Ski lift
The term ski lift generally refers to any transport device that carries skiers up a hill. A ski lift may fall into one of the following three main classes:-Lift systems and networks:...
-served summit of 2600 m (8530 ft). Bansko hosted World Cup races for the women in 2009
2009 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 43rd World Cup season began in late October 2008 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in mid-March 2009, at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden.Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won the overall title by two points over Benjamin Raich of Austria. Svindal returned from a season-ending injury in December...
and for the men in 2011
2011 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 45th FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season began on 23 October 2010, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on 20 March 2011, at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.Being an odd-numbered year, the biennial World Championships took place in February...
.
Following the ridge to the southwest of Golyama Todorka is Sredna Todorka at 2706 m (8878 ft.) and to the southeast is Malka Todorka (2712 m, 8898 ft.). To the east of the cirque their form are situated the two lakes Todorini Ochi (Todora's eyes) which are part of the Vasilashki Lakes
Vasilashki Lakes
The Vasilashki Lakes are situated in Pirin, Bulgaria in a large cirque between the Todorka and Vasilashki Chukar peaks. The cirque is opened to the east, where it faces the Demyanitsa river in which the water of the lakes pour. This cirque also includes the two lakes Todorini Ochi , whose waters...
near which runs the route between the Vihren refuge
Vihren refuge
The Vihren refuge is situated in the Pirin mountain, southwestern Bulgaria at an altitude of 1,915 m. It is composed of two massive buildings and bungalows. There is a road from Bansko, which makes the refuge one of the most visited parts in the mountain as well as one of the most polluted...
and Demyanitsa refuge. To the west is the Banderitsa valley which makes a peculiar twist following the twist of the Todorka peak. That is the reason why the end of the valley lies invisible from Bansko.
Vihren
Vihren is the highest peak of Bulgaria's Pirin Mountains. Reaching 2914 m, it is Bulgaria's second and the Balkans' third highest, after Musala and Mount Olympus. The peak is located in Pirin's northern parts. The easiest route is from the Vihren chalet , reaching the summit from the south...
and Kutelo
Kutelo
Kutelo is the second highest peak in Pirin, southwestern Bulgaria . Like Vihren, which towers to the south, Kutelo is marble but its slopes though sheer are not so rocky and it is not very difficult to climb. Kutelo is a double peak with a small saddle between the two parts, the lower being only...
, to the east is the Strazhite edge. To the south Kamenitsa rises above the other peaks. To the north in cloudless days there is a dramatic view to Bansko in which the streets and buildings are clearly visible.
Legends
There are two legends about the name of the peak. The first one tells about the brave BulgarianBulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
woman Todorka who the defended the Sinan fortress against the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
during the Bulgarian-Ottoman Wars
Bulgarian-Ottoman Wars
The Bulgarian-Ottoman wars were fought between the disintegrating Bulgarian Empire and the new emerging Turkic power, the Ottoman Turks in the second half the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century. The war ended with the collapse of the once powerful Bulgarian Empire in 1422. The...
. She fought to the end and finally ran to the peak above the castle chased by the Turks, jumped into the abyss and died. According to the second legend a local girl named Todorka did not manage to persuade her father to marry to her beloved Vasil. She ran away from home, reached the peak and started to cry from which the two lakes Todorini Ochi were formed. Vasil searched for her in vain and in the end reached the nearby peak Vasilashki Chukar and threw himself in despair into the lake below (one of the Vasilashki Lakes).
External links
- Bansko Ski.com - - official site for Bansko ski area
- Bansko World Cup.com - -site for World Cup races