There has been plenty of media attention recently given to the Ambaritsa mountain chalet in the Central Balkan Range. Alpine climbers, photographers and many volunteers have joined forces to raise charities and help rescue the famous mountain hostel. This ongoing effort to regain the past glory of the Balkan Range pearl has been inspired and led by a young woman with an incredibly strong spirit who is determined not to give up despite hardships.

Ema Gateva, a resident of the mountain town of Troyan, is dedicated to sport, caving and mountain climbing. She comments she knows how to survive in wild nature. Her home in Troyan is fatefully found in Ambaritsa St. And because she does not believe in coincidence, she came up with a plan to save the famous mountain rest-house of the same name. At that point the chalet had already started to show signs of critical damage.

Fortunately, things have been going well. About 200 volunteers from all corners of Bulgaria have supported Ambaritsa with their work. “The state has always been short of money where mountain chalets are concerned, so they survive thanks to civil society and above all to tourists”, Ema Gateva tells us.

“Being part of the history of this place is inspiring. Ambaritsa rest-house was built in 1958 with the hard work of many volunteers. The building was completed for about three months and volunteers worked in shifts around the clock. Ambaritsa has three floors, 14 bedrooms, a large dining hall and a library. It is large but because it sits right on the mountain ridge, bringing any luggage or materials to it is a veritable challenge. During construction tons of stone, timber and other material was brought to the chalet. The nearby rope line did not reach its location but in a bid to make transportation of material more effective volunteers laid a rail track for a trolley. It could be that it is the only track in Bulgaria found in such a high mountain location. Back then it was the only solution possible for transportation of material. The building sports thick stone walls and a deeply set foundation telltale of that many people took part in construction. The architectural project was quite good as well. Everything had been planned with precision and was aimed to achieve both comfort and an aesthetic design. The interior is lined with wood creating a feeling of snugness and warmth. It brings me great satisfaction that I manage to restore its former appearance and to be a part of the history of this lovely chalet,” Ema Gateva says.

To Ema Gateva being a manager of a mountain chalet is a cause. There is a lot of work to be done for the repair, maintenance and furnishing of this mountain home, but the young chalet manager prefers viewing this as an adventure:

„The mountain chalet manager should have diverse knowledge and skills, especially when the chalet is high in the mountain. Some mountain huts are close to towns or villages or to asphalt roads. So, if there is a problem, external help is more easily obtained. When the chalet has a location that is hard to access, its manager must have knowledge in different areas. He or she should be able to remove quickly any damage to the mains and the water supply system; to fix a problem with the steam installation or any other emergency, and emergencies here are not rare. Moreover, chalet hosts have to know the mountain well, so as to give accurate instructions to tourists and when needed, provide first aid to injured tourists. There are situations that need urgent action that could at times be life-saving. For this reason the job of a mountain chalet manager is extraordinary: I would compare a chalet host to a castaway on a desert island where he or she has to survive despite adversity and circumstances. There is not a single day that I do not feel great admiration for the people who built and managed this chalet in its early years. This gives me hope and motivation to deal with all hardships. It is worth restoring and keeping what has been done by others before us. Moreover, we are going to try and revive the spirit that Ambaritsa mountain chalet had”, Ema Gateva says in conclusion.

English Daniela Konstantinova