"Pumba" cycle track in Lulin mountain
GPS
42.6498812, 23.192081
Level of physical exertion: Average | Duration: About 1 hour
Water: 0.5-1 л
Food: not necessary
Outreach
Trails and broken asphalt (dirt in places) road on the climb.
Status
October 2023 - The bike path is officially complete, marked and open, in good riding condition, though still soft and loose in places.
April 2024 - The cycle route has been extended and now starts from Mt. Dupevitsa, which necessitated updating the current route.
"Pumba" is a cycle track in Lulin Mountain, above the hut "Bonsov Meadows", built by TD "Boeritsa" with the help of Dobromir Dobrev from Bike Ventures and many volunteers in 2022-2024. Initially, the lower part of the route was built, which was quite short, but still won the approval of hundreds of cyclists from Sofia who rode on it regularly. In the summer and autumn of 2023, the upper part of the trail was built, making it much longer, starting from the abandoned military unit to Mt. Dupevitsa. In addition, this upper section includes many more and more fun elements to ride - switchbacks, berms, small jump edges, etc. In the spring of 2024, a "starter section" was added from Mt. Dupevitsa, which increased the length and fun a bit more, and added the possibility of a short break with a nice view of Vitosha and Sofia from Mt. Dupevitsa. In the lower part an alternative line was built with 2-3 high turns and two bigger jumps of trapezoid type, which is not reflected in the current GPS track, but you will easily recognize and see it on the spot.
Overall, the trail is of moderate technical difficulty, but is designed and built to be accessible to those with less experience. While the gradient is steep enough in places to make it difficult for beginners, the trail is still suitable for anyone who already dares to ride trails and is looking for a relatively easy one.
Apart from riding it alone, you can include "Pumba" in longer rides - for example from Vladaja to Mt. Dupevitsa and then through Knyazhevo back to Vladaya, or in combination with "The Lullaby". These are just two of many possibilities.
I guess most of you will find it interesting to know why the route is named after the cartoon character Pumba from the movie "The Lion King". The name came by itself after the first stage of work on the trail was completed. Going to try it out and assess what else there is to do on it, members of the Boerica TA found that two of the switchbacks had been dug up and destroyed by... wild pigs. And while they were rebuilding them, they decided to name the trail that.
The beginning of the trail is from Mt. Dupevitsa, right next to one table with benches (т.01). You can get there by the circular route from the hut "Bonsovi Meadows". The trail starts in a southerly direction and is relatively flat at the beginning, with a few fun bubbles to pump or bounce. After a bit in т.02 we join the road to Mt. Dupevitsa, but in the opposite direction and in т.03 we go to the plaza of the abandoned military unit. Here we continue along a dirt road slightly left and then slightly right (т.04) to a repeater (т.05), where the real part of the cycle route to the Bonsovi Polyani hut begins. In many places, the track runs parallel to the asphalt road on which the climb is made. В t.06 (1.8 km) cross another path and continue along the lower part of "Pumba". With a small slope and many turns the trail leads us to the hut "Bonsovi Meadows" (т.07), where it ends.