We reached Pirin after hours of driving and about five hours of sleep. It was not the most rested beginning, but Vlado and I had Vihren ahead of us, and I was happy to be there.
We reached the 2,914-metre summit in two hours and thirty minutes. The ascent covered about 4.5 kilometres, with roughly 1,129 metres of elevation gain. The way down took another hour and a half over about 3.5 kilometres.
Those are the numbers I wrote down. What I remember around them is the marble, the ridges and the feeling of standing inside a landscape I love. Pirin is my favourite mountain range in Bulgaria, and being up there did nothing to change my mind.
There was something especially nice about knowing the trip was not finished. We had a summit behind us and a whole second day to look forward to. Tomorrow would be the Todorka ridge.
For now, I was glad to have shared Vihren with Vlado. A long drive, a short sleep and a good first day in the mountains.