The Ski Road is one of the most used slopes in Bansko, and for many beginners, it’s one of their favorites. It starts at the top gondola station on Bunderishka Poliana at 1620m. asl. and finishes 10.2km later at the bottom gondola station, 990m. asl. It’s the fastest way down the mountain and much more fun than taking the gondola again. On your way down you can stop and have a bite to eat or check out the Chalin Valog ski area.
N.1 is the Ski Road, 1A is the exit for Chalin Valog.
The Ski Road starts just behind the gondola top station and is visible while going up with the gondola. The total length of the Ski Road is just over 10km and varies in incline. The beginning and end of the run are flat and you will need to carry speed if you don’t want to come to a halt. Most of the Ski Road is a steady descent with no steep parts, adequate for almost all beginners. It is narrow at some points, but there is enough room to maneuver and overtake. There are no tricky or hard parts, but there can be a rock or two by the end of the season. The time it takes to ski down depends on the skier’s ability, if you’re going in a straight line without slowing down it’ll take you around 10-15 minutes. For more inexperienced skiers it can take a lot longer, even over an hour. If you’re a first-timer, especially on a snowboard, it may be wise to skip the ski road as the last 1-2km is very flat and you may need to walk them down.
Beginning of the Ski Road. Building on the left is the Gondola Station.
The Ski Road is one of the busiest slopes in Bansko. Apart from the “rush hour” that starts just before the end of the resort working hours, there are many ski school groups all day long. At the last third of the Ski Road, you’ll also find many people out for a walk, kids with sleds and so on. If you’re an advanced skier, it’s good to keep a safe distance and slow down if you see the slope getting crowded. If you’re a beginner, don’t forget to not ski out to the very edge of the slopes, as this is something like a “fast lane”. At the end of the day, the resort management doesn’t physically close off the Ski Road and prevent you from going down, but it’s a good idea not to stay too long in the mountain. The snowcats start grooming at around 5-6 PM and it can be dangerous if you are just then heading down.
On your way down the Ski Road, you will pass two restaurants and a round bar closer to the end of the slope. The first restaurant you will pass is just after the exit for Chalin Valog and is called “Peshterite” (The Caves). It is one of the oldest restaurants in the ski area, not owned by the resort management, thus it has much better prices than the ones up top. Further down, at the merger of Chalin Valog and the Ski Road is one of the round, glass bars that you’ll also find in the main ski area. The second restaurant called “Kolibata” (The Shed) is just a hundred meters below the bar and is again privately owned and with better prices.
Restaurant “Peshterite”
Restaurant “Kolibata”
The Ski Road finishes at the bottom gondola station and from there you can either head home or go up for another run. The Ski Road is normally one of the first slopes to open and is often working before the New Year’s, but this depends on favorable weather.
The last 1/3 of the Ski Road.
Ski & Board Traventuria is a leading provider of lift passes, equipment rental, airport transfers and ski school for the Bansko area. To book your next ski vacation in Bansko with us, please check our website – www.skibansko.bg
