Some of the most famous names in mountain running and climbing will be attending the Challenge Days festival opening in Sofia on 1 December. The festival is dedicated to extreme sports, the environment and alternative tourism.

The idea to organize such an event came up 11 years ago when a close-knit group of environmentalists and travelers met to discuss new challenges. So, one year after it was launched, from a minor, closed forum, the festival escalated to an event, frequented by more than 2,000 people, bringing together athletes from all over the world, showcasing the latest Bulgarian achievements.

Alongside the traditional screening of adventure and extreme films, lectures and presentations by athletes and travelers, the festival now features practical training and open discussions, as well as an exposition - in Hall No. 3 of the National Palace of Culture - of sports equipment, tourist services, specialized products and food, tailored to the needs of alternative and extreme sports.

Mountain running which is extremely popular among fans of mountain and extreme sports in Bulgaria, is the highlight of the event. The guests coming to Sofia include Julien Chorier, a trail runner of world renown and holder of many awards from prestigious races. The Bulgarian participants include foremost mountain runner Kiril Nikolov a.k.a. Diesel, who set a high-speed record for the Kom to Emine trail, as well as famous climber Boyan Petrov, the first Bulgarian to have scaled the 8th highest peak on the planet, Manaslu in the Himalayas.

“Every day there is a challenge in store: how to overcome your fears, problems, stereotypes, prejudices,” says Ivan Popov, chief organizer of the Challenge Days in Sofia.

“The best thing of all is when these athletes meet the public, the messages they convey in a frank and informal atmosphere. At these meetings people can see that the record-breakers are actually down-to-earth people and that the only thing that makes them any different is their enthusiasm and their ambition to attain the goals they have set themselves. We shall organize a short mountain running race between Julien Chorier, France and the Bulgarian athlete Kiril Nikolov. Other events we have lined up include mountain climbing, paragliding, skiing and snowboarding. Our aim is to bring alternative kinds of sports which have been gaining in popularity, to the attention of the public. During Challenge Days we shall offer visitors free training courses. For example, our First Aid Academy is all about mountain sports safety rules; the lectures on composting waste in urban conditions will go a long way towards a more healthy way of life in cities. But the festival has a fun side to it too. We are organizing different contests and quizzes, similar to what we see in TV reality shows. We have lined up lots of fun and games and prizes for all age groups. Our aim is to help popularize sports and an active outdoor lifestyle. Our appeal in organizing this extreme sports and alternative tourism festival is: cherish nature, never stop looking for new challenges in the world that surrounds us!”

English version: Milena Daynova