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Where can you do a simple purchase of this when based in the UK? I've seen website whereby you have to send your details including tel no in order to receive the pricelist first. Strange.

I leave in Sofia. Thia year I went to Banako with my car. The roads are perfect now. In ski day i did not use the gondola but used my car to go to the parkings which are right at the chairlifts and the slopes. It takes 20 minutes with the car from the hotel to these parkings. You just need to be there before 9 oclock. The parking is 10 EUR. For foreigners I am wondering is it better just to get a rent a car for the transfer from the airport to the resort and back and use it also to skip the ques like i did.

as @joroananiew says... Bansko has about 9,000 residents, it's a town, vs about 800 for Borovets which makes it a village, so very different. I've been going to Bansko for 16 years, as I have a place, and seen improvements every year, new motorway, new road into bansko, new road up the mountain, As it hosts World Cup events it attracts lots of investment. As others have commented, it's an all year round resort, massive new spa hotels in Banya (Therme) which is 3 miles down the road. I'm yet to go to Borovets, though might take a day trip this week to have a look as it's snowing as I type...⛷🏂. Happy Skiing everyone!

Thanks

A gap between the lower edge of the face and visor lets expelled breath to condense on the inner visor surface. There no adjustment to eliminate this. Lots of fogging up. Blowing snow also ends up there. Big disappointment.

These reviews have been super helpful, especially the sizing information! Thank you!

Hire skis? lol

To say there's some red/black runs to keep people occupied on the Rila side of Borovets isn't right. You'll be down them in two minutes if you're lucky and then you'll be stuck in a long queue again not to mention dodging people who have no understanding of any behaviour on the slopes. If you ski a decent blue let alone red or black, Borovets is truly terrible. And that gondola at Borovets is a massive issue - 60+ mins even if you're up relatively early doors.

Review? More like a first impressions, no?

Adding this comment January 2024 so some time after you posted your video. I have been to Bansko 6 time previously and am writing this while sitting in the Rila Hotel in Borovets looking out onto the slopes right outside my window. I've skied for 50 years in over 30 different resorts (big small, old and new) and agree with your summary of these two friendly Bulgarian resorts. They have hiked the prices for EVERYTHING in both resorts so it is far from the budget ski holiday it once was coming to Bansko or Borovets. A few personal comments if I may. If you enjoy the company of lots of small kids stay at the Rila - they are everywhere..!! The hotel certainly encourages family skiing breaks. If you don't want to have to dodge kids running about the place then stay elsewhere. Nice rooms, good views if a tad noisy with partying people heading home in the early hours if you have a room overlooking the slopes and various pubs. If you leave your balcony door ajar for mountain fresh air when you sleep be prepared to have the smell of wood smoke permeating your room. The 6 person Gondola in Borovets is ancient, cramped, slow and badly in need of updating or better still replacing whereas the gondola in Bansko is twice as fast, way more modern and comfortable so big queues in either resort are probably tackled equally. Just head up the mountain a little later in the morning if you want to avoid queues - it usually works and is way more relaxing - remember you are on holiday after all!! Ski hire in Borovets is OK but I am biased because Bansko 360 ski hire offer outstanding service and when i say outstanding i really mean "outstanding service". I like to hire skis and change from one pair to another throughout my stay to experiment out on the slopes. This is not a problem for Bansko 360 ski hire. Modern ski hire companies should offer you bang up to date skis - this season's model or perhaps last seasons. Don't settle for beat up equipment. Enjoy skiing Bulgaria - it has a lot to offer. You'll enjoy both Bansko or Borovets but for me for the skiing Bansko is the better resort on the higher Pirin mountain.

Nail clippers might discreetly cut that cable.

Thanks for the review. I'm going to Rila next week. Do you know if they prefer Lev or Euro or take both? Thanks , Ken.

Wow, in the first 40 seconds, you already described things incorrectly….couldn’t even watch the rest of it. Please research and know your facts before posting product “knowledge” videos.

Great review. I wanted these because of the supposed field of view, specifically downward. Other reviews mention it but nobody else actually talked about just how much more you can see. Probably gonna pick these up

Tosser

Great video! Quick one on the Bansko gondola queue: what do you think it's like around 10.30/11am? Still as bad? We're late risers

Thank you for reviewing the at home features! Would be cool to know how they actually work when it matters outside though since that is where the problems with heated gloves arise...

If u think 2 hours to bansko is bad try 4 hours to pamporovo. Been going for 13 years now so done the drive 26 times, each one more painful than the last

Just looking at buying these gloves. Do you know how good the waterproofing is?

Meanwhile, it's the exact colors of the jacket you're wearing.

Atomic now does a similar design, as does Salomon, as does Oakley. And the flagship helmet of all of them including Head is in the £400 region. I'm returning to skiing in January - after a 35 year gap as a mature beginner, and will be in the market for a helmet in October, the question is which brand to go for. 🤷‍♂

You talk too much!!!

Those little LOCKING carabiners are brilliant assuming you know to flip the little black plastic piece to make the carabiner easier to open, with or without gloves. Always helps to read the package!

Very good comparison. Based on your comparison, I'll be taking my son to Boro

Had to laugh about the colour comments. The helmet has the same colours as your jacket, which looks blue with orange highlights.

Looks to big...:)

could we lurn more about the fabrics that it used outside like leather polyester or what ever and the inside if its breatheable to prevent the sweat. plaese ski shak tel us. And about the time that its belong to you, i mean if they work it as well now in 2023? How long for each of the modes of heating how many hours its last?

I like the ski jacket, what make is it?

This is not a deterrent, they can still pick up your skiis and walk away with them!!!

If someone is planning on stealing skiis they will come prepared

Bansko biggest downside is definitely the wait for gondola, just rent a car its dirt cheap and you can skip the waiting to the gondola by driving up hill (they got parking spots there)+ stuck your equipment in the car and gear up comfortably up hill.

price?

worthless

Thank you for this review

Where can I buy the batteries????

This video really cleared it up for me. Very good made me decide better.

Hey Steve! just wondering after hearing the length of these skis, how tall are you? trying to size myself correctly for a pair of the f18s

All I wanted to know was do you feel a noticeable difference in actual on mountain conditions?

Please do a review of the new Outdoor Research Prevail Heated GORE-TEX Gloves

Tnx for the video.. planning to order one..

Awesome channel man! Love the stuff. Just bought myself a micro lock for my snowboard ❤

Good to know for the size fiting. But what about the vest material? Overall quality? Is the app working fine? How long the battery last?

Pamporovo?? What about that i think it does family and expernced skiers both

Did you 'unlock' the clip? There was no mention of it? There's a small lock which needs to be turned anticlockwise before it'll open 'easily'. If you're going to demonstrate on line, maybe a bit more research before hand?

LOL dude skis like a beginner

Great review ! Thanks !

Hi, thanks for the review. Would you suggest going 1 size down if they were a little roomy for you?

Hi Steve, I saw your review about fischer rc one 72, what lenght do you recommend, 163 or 170, I am 176.

i was stuck on the gondola queue in Bansko for about 1 hour and a half the other day.. so my advice for that is to wake up as quickly as possible and be at the queue at about 8:15.. otherwise you gonna be stuck there forever xD.. or you can always wait on a much smaller queue next to the gondola queue and take a taxi or a mini bus up the mountain which it will cost you 10lv (5 euros) for each person!

Unsure if you are aware but if you stay at kempinski bansko you can purchase a vip lift pass from them and this give the option to skip the que at the gondola.