Tre Cime di Rila Mountain—that’s how I decided to name the reflection in the lowest Malyovitsa Lake of the three most famous Rila mountain peaks. The peaks, from left to right, are as follows: Orlovets (2,686 m), shrouded in clouds; Little Malyovitsa (2,620 m); and Big Malyovitsa (2,729 m). They are emblematic of the most alpine part of the Rila Mountains. Highly famous among climbers, they are attractive for climbing both in summer and winter because of the views that open from the top.
Malyovitsa is a peak in the northwestern part of the mountain, associated with Malyo Voivoda—a fighter against the enslavers—who, according to legend, died somewhere in the Malyovitsa Valley. Another assumption is that the name comes from the Small Lakes, as mountaineers call the lakes at the northeastern foot of the peak. On the oldest maps, the peak is marked with the name Malevitsa. On the inaccessible northern and eastern slopes of Malyovitsa Peak are some of the most visited rock faces in Bulgaria by climbers.
The northern sheer wall of Malyovitsa is 124 meters high and is a symbol of Bulgarian mountaineering. Its first ascent was on August 23, 1938. North of the peak, on the Malyovo Pole ridge plain, are the three Malyovitsa Lakes. Southeast of Malyovitsa, in a deep cirque, are the two Elenski Lakes. The area around the peak, along with the Malyovitsa resort, is one of the most visited areas in Rila. This part of the mountain also offers excellent conditions for freestyle skiing and snowboarding, with many diverse routes for extreme descents.
