The mountains can touch you better than a hand can

We thought about climbing the north wall of Vihren on many other climbs. It is an impressive 500-meter wall located in the heart of Pirin, a beautiful mountain massif with steep and sharp peaks around your head. Every time I go there, I enjoy the deep woods, the cold rivers and the beautiful landscape no matter where you turn your head. Even with closed eyes, I felt the power of the mountains that surround me while I was standing in front of the mountain hut.

I remember the first time I saw the north face of the summit of Vihren. It was 2017, summertime, and I was passing below the rock face, absolutely confused, going in another direction, not aware that this rock face is the heart of the Pirin mountain, where the real adventures are hidden. I remember that moment as a magical one, and as I walked nearby, I entered the portal between the old and another world. This “another world” was the north face of Vihren. Back then, I didn't believe that one day I would climb there and enjoy the lesser-known shadows of Vihren.

Fast forward to 2024, after many days spent in the mountains, climbing, running, and learning, I felt ready enough to try climbing the north wall of Vihren. After some great climbs we did with Radovan, we decided to try Vihren NF. We did not find much valuable information on the route we wanted to climb, but we were fortunate enough to have some friends who had been on that wall, even in winter, so they provided us with all the details we needed to ensure we were on the correct route.

That year we came very late at the bivak of “Kazana”, which is a small and lovely wooden house equipped with only two beds and one small window. The cabin is about an hour and a half from the Vihren mountain hut. When the weather is clear, you can see the entire north wall of Vihren, standing in front of you, like a king sitting on his throne. When we arrived, unfortunately, we saw only clouds, and not the king. Also, we felt cold, but we were happy that we arrived on time before the fog made it very difficult for almost every creature to move that moment.

“Dear sun, in what will be your happiness if the ones you shine for are not here?” I remembered this quote from a book, when the sun was rising above the horizon, as a man slowly got up from the ground, proudly. Activities like this usually start very early, so you have the whole day ahead of you, but we were not the first on the rock; the goats were already there before us. The route we chose was “Scaly Groove”, graded around VI+ and almost nine pitches long. From afar, the route appears logical and attractive. It gives you a gentle smile on your face and butterflies in your stomach. All the good things, you know.

After we entered the route, we witnessed an entirely new mini-world. Everything was bigger from when we were looking from afar, the stones, the flowers, the grass, everything. Our climbing flow was very productive, and we were moving pretty solidly and on time. The route itself does not contain a lot of protection gear and requires you to put on your own. As we were climbing, we experienced the rock face as unstable and loose, so climbers need to be very careful when moving, belaying, or abseiling. While climbing, we saw many people passing by in the valley, and we heard their voices. For a short time, we were like the goats, only observing the surroundings. The normal routes that go to the neighbouring peaks pass below the rock face, but no one approaches the face. We were the only ones that day, the only ones curious enough to overcome ourselves and enjoy the real mountain environment.

After 2.5 hours of climbing, we reached the sixth pitch. It was my turn to lead, and I was more than prepared but also motivated and, as I said, curious. It was a short pitch, around 35 meters to the next anchor, so I saw the topo we had on paper and started moving. I clip the first quickdraw at the anchor as a first point of protection. After 4 meters, I suddenly fell down. A huge rock plate slipped below my feet where I was staying, and in one second, I found myself in the hands of my belayer. Luckily, we were not hurt so much as in that situation it is possible to be. I got a huge punch below my knee, which resulted in instant swelling. Radovan was also injured because of the rockfall, and he got wounds across his body. In the first minute, I was aware and okay until I saw that my leg was hurt and I could not move. The decision was quickly made; we started our descent by doing six abseils to the base of the rock face.

This experience was incredibly powerful and taught me a valuable lesson. This is part of the game. It is also an opportunity to reflect on and grow from the situation you have experienced. I did my best in that, ensuring that I learned the lesson before continuing my journey in the mountains.

Exploration continued. A Year has passed since the injury. It took me two months of recovery, but I was lucky that this did not hurt my enthusiasm and energy. In the last year, I have had many adventures in nature. I have done many new climbs, visited different mountains, learned many new skills, and absorbed enough knowledge. As mountaineers, we need to possess a variety of skills, including navigation, medicine, a good understanding of the gear we use, knowledge about the mountains, having the right mindset and the ability to climb effectively on every terrain, at every location. That’s the real beauty of being a mountaineer. It pushes you to be a lifelong learner, never stop the process of your growth and always be guided by the right people and the right reasons.

It is the 12th of July, 2025. It’s exactly a year and a week since we tried to climb “Scaly Groove” the first time. Now, more wise, more skilful, more experienced and in better physical shape than before, the same people, Radovan and I, are staying below the rockface. It is 07:15 am, we prepare the gear, put on our harness, and make the rope ready. The plan for today is to climb as fast as we can, be gentle and feel the rock. As we had known the route for the halfway, we were moving pretty fast. The climbing felt beautiful. The thought of the accident that we experienced a year ago was not present in my mind. My mind was clear, and I had really positive intentions. I felt wonderful this time, reaching the point where I felt last year. Now, very casual and regular, we switched gear, and Radovan took the lead. The climbing from here went perfectly, and the more interesting pitches are coming our way. With very little concern about where the route is going, Radovan make the steps very clear and precise. I followed. Now, we are at the crux pitch.

Here, the rock becomes much more solid, but our moves are still gentle. I felt how high we are when I took an eye measurement comparison with the neighbouring summits. “What a beautiful pitch”, I said to myself while climbing up and making all of these wonderful moves with open legs. I reached the belay and found Radovan signing a song, as usual. We are still two more pitches to go, an easy one, almost scrabbling to the ridge of Dzabdizev. It takes us 4:30 hours to finish this climb. I expected us to be faster, but this is a mountain, and we are not controlling anything here. We just listen to the mountain and act accordingly. Typically for Vihren, once we reached the summit, there were plenty of people standing on top. It is an amazing point to be with all the incredible views around. I remember one clear winter evening, I succeeded in seeing the cross of Mount Vodno above Skopje from the summit of Vihren. That’s how far our eyes can see, and our vision and perspective can see even ten times further. Keep dreaming and never let go of your dreams.