“Skiing the Balkans” Named Finalist in 42nd Annual Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival
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Backcountry skiing guidebook explores formerly unchartered Balkan Peninsula
SOFIA, BULGARIA – OCT 4, 2017
“Skiing the Balkans”, the first and only guide to backcountry skiing in the Balkan Peninsula, is in the running for the prestigious Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival Books Awards. Out of 171 titles reviewed in six categories, Skiing the Balkans was selected as one of five finalists in the guidebook category.
Known for its proximity to wine, beaches and rose gardens, Bulgaria remains one of the best-kept secrets in the world of downhill snowsports. Just north of the Mediterranean, Bulgaria is home to the sixth highest mountain in Europe, and the region often sees stormcycles dropping over two feet of snow per day.
Author Dimitar Dimitrov reveals the mountainous Balkan Peninsula as a backcountry skiing Mecca. Drawing on ten years of self-guided exploration in the region, Dimitrov shares the secrets to fifty backcountry ski descents ranging from a moderate 2000 vertical feet to leg-burning 4,000’ lines over complex terrain. Comprehensive route descriptions fill the book’s 250 pages, including 148 high-resolution, color photographs and 46 topo maps.
Written for skiers and snowboarders looking to maximize their time in the backcountry, the book includes descriptions to over 60 backcountry huts, 20 bivouacs and every hot spring in between. The first and only backcountry guide for the area, Skiing the Balkans provides an open invitation and inside look at an untapped set of mountains, from easily accessible to far reaching and remote, and notably missing crowds.
“It is amazing to have ‘Skiing the Balkans’ in the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival finalists list,” notes author Dimitar Dimitrov. “As a project originating in Eastern Europe, there were a lot of hurdles to overcome. “I’m thrilled with the results, and the nomination is a praise to the entire local ski community in Bulgaria.”
As a key program of The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival, the Book Competition is an internationally recognized literary competition that celebrates mountain literature in all its forms. Winners of the 42nd Annual Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival will be announced in mid-October 2017. The Grand Prize will be revealed at the Book Awards Presentation, Thursday November 2nd.
For more information regarding Skiing the Balkans or the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival, visit https://www.skiingthebalkans.com or https://www.banffcentre.ca/banff-mountain-book-competition.
About Skiing the Balkans
After ten years of self-guided exploration and research in the Bulgarian backcountry, author Dimitar Dimitrov is renowned as one of the foremost experts of the area. Featuring fifty radical backcountry descents, 148 high-resolution photographs and 46 maps over 3 mountain ranges, Dimitrov leaves nothing to mystery. From ski huts and bivoaucs to nearby hotels and every hot spring in between, readers learn how to make the best of every single moment in the Balkan wilderness. Check out https://www.skiingthebalkans.com to learn more.
About Banff Mountain Film and Book
The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival celebrates mountain literature and film, bringing together filmmakers, writers, publishers, editors, photographers, athletes, adventurers, and readers. Featuring film screenings, guest speakers, readings, seminars and book signings, the Festival offers a wide spectrum of experiences for the mountain film and book-loving audience. For more information, visit https://www.banffcentre.ca.
