A Bulgarian adventure - Balkan High Peaks and Monasteries
Eva Borsody Das/Silvia Zaharinova
Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form
Last Revision July 2008
The following pages contain the application to lead an AMC Major Excursion. Please complete the form with as
much detail as possible, and attach additional sheets if necessary. Also include a detailed budget/costing sheet
that clearly shows all costs associated with your planned excursion. The trip proposal form and budget are due
two weeks prior to the MEC meeting in which it will be reviewed. Deadlines will be posted on the MEC leader
website (http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/) and sent to you on the MEC leader listserv well in advance of the
meeting. The MEC will not accept late proposals unless the chair is notified in advance with a compelling reason.
Incomplete applications will be returned to you and not reviewed until complete, so please make sure to fill in all
applicable sections.
The application was created in a Microsoft Word protected document. To fill in each section click on the check
box and/or on the grey text box and start typing. The boxes will automatically get larger as you fill in text. If you
find that you need a lot of space to explain a section, please say “see additional attachment” and attach a separate
page.
In addition, the following are helpful during the review process, but need only be submitted after your proposal is
accepted:


50 and 150 word notices for the AMC Outdoors and www.outdoors.org. Please see the current rules http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/listings/ and schedule for submitting notices for the AMC Outdoors.
Trip prospectus – without the application forms attached – in Microsoft Word or PDF format
Finally, we need to have on file at Joy Street, the following documents:



A completed confidential medical form for the leader and co-leader (after approval is given)
Copies of first aid and CPR certifications for leader and co-leader (before or after approval is given)
A completed application to be a co-leader if the co-leader is new (before proposal is submitted)
We will accept snail mail applications, but electronic forms are preferred. Please save and forward your
electronic document with the following naming convention:


Leader’s last name, trip destination, year of trip and what type of document it is (application, budget,
Outdoors listing or prospectus)
For example, Smith-New Zealand-2007-Application.doc or Smith-New Zealand-2007-Budget.xls
Applications should be sent electronically to the MEC Chair, Stacia Zukroff, at mecchair@amcboston.org and to
cyout@outdoors.org. They can be mailed to: Travel Programs Coordinator, 5 Joy Street, Boston, MA 02108. If
you have any questions, please contact Stacia at: 781-648-5503 or mecchair@amcboston.org.
Revised 7/15/2016
Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 1 of 6
A Bulgarian adventure - Balkan High Peaks and Monasteries
Eva Borsody Das/Silvia Zaharinova
SUMMARY OF TRIP INFORMATION
A Bulgarian adventure - Balkan High Peaks and Monasteries
Leader Eva Borsody Das
Co-leader Silvia Zaharinova
Bulgaria
August 22 - September 1st 2009
Total # of days 11
Hiking
Downhill skiing
Kayaking
Title of trip
Leadership
Location(s)
Dates
Type of trip
check all that apply
Backpacking
Cultural
Road biking
Nordic ski
Mountain biking
Snorkeling
Other – please describe
Number of participants
(excluding leaders)
Advertised cost
Airfare range if not included
Do you wish to have your trip
listed online before it is
published in The Outdoors?
Smaller trips and leader
subsidization
Max 14
Min 10
$ 1500.00
Does it include airfare? Yes
No
$ 1100 - 1300
Yes
No If yes, please list the approximate month (max is one year in
advance of trip)
December 2008
Is this proposal for a small group trip – i.e., less than 14 participants and 2
leaders or 7 participants and 1 leader? Yes
No
If yes, why is a small group proposed?
If a participant fee increase of more than 15% is proposed, please explain
why?
LEADER AND CO-LEADER INFORMATION
Leader name
Leader address
Leader email
Leader phone
Wilderness first aid training
CPR training
Prior leading experience
Trip one
Trip two
Trip three
Other related trip experience
Co-leader name
Éva Borsody Das
59 Gosnold Street, Hull MA 02045
borsody@gmail.com
Home 781-925-9733
Work N/A
WFA
AWFA
WFR
Expiration: April 2009 (will retake in Spring 2009)
CPR
BLS
Expiration: will take before trip
Please list the last three longer (5+ day) trips you have led for the AMC including
destination, type of trip, dates and number of participants. Feel free to list additional
trips you have led, particularly if they demonstrate experience related to the trip you
are proposing.
Romania, hiking, June 2007, 7 participants
August Camp, day hiking in unfamiliar and challenging terrain, since 1998
Silvia Zaharinova

To lead a major excursion you must have current CPR and WFA at the time of your trip (or AWFA for all backcountry
trips). If you do not have the required level of certification at the time you submit your proposal or it will expire before
the date of your trip, you will need to make arrangements to recertify in a timely manner.
Revised 7/15/2016
Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 2 of 6
A Bulgarian adventure - Balkan High Peaks and Monasteries
Eva Borsody Das/Silvia Zaharinova
Co-leader address
Co-leader email
Co-leader phone
Wilderness first aid training*
CPR training*
Prior leading experience
Scouting
Have either of you led this trip
before or traveled to this
area?
Languages
Does either the co-leader or
leader speak the local
language?
Couples
Do the leader and co-leader
have a significant personal
relationship?
Private trips
Do either of you lead trips that
are private - not sponsored by
the AMC?
7 Village Falls Way, Merrimack, NH
silvia.zaharinova@fmr.com
Home 617 283 2440
Work n/a
WFA
AWFA
WFR
Expiration: April 2006 (will retake in Spring 2009)
CPR
BLS
Expiration: will take before trip
If you are a new co-leader you must submit an application to be a major excursions
leader or co-leader prior to submitting this application.
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below:
The co-leader is originally from Bulgaria. She has hiked in many of the mountain areas
described in the itinerary. She is also familiar with two of the cities included in the trip,
one of which (Sofia) is where she was born and grew up. She has visited several of the
other locations mentioned in the trip description (the city of Blagoevgrad and the Rila
Monastery).
Co-leader: Yes
No
Leader: Yes
No
Not applicable:
Yes
No
If yes, please list who has agreed to be your back-up in case one or
both of you need to drop out. This is required for approval!
Yes
No
If yes, please note that you cannot advertise AMC and private trips
together unless there is a clear distinction between the two in any marketing
materials you send out.
LOGISTICAL DETAILS OF TRIP
Executive summary
Please provide a brief
description of the trip and the
activities planned.
Accommodations
Please describe your plan for
accommodation(s)
Meals
Please describe your plan for
providing meals
Permits or permissions
Does the trip require special
permits or permissions?
(required on many U.S.
federal lands and national
parks)
Revised 7/15/2016
The trip will include 10 days of hiking and cultural exploration of Bulgaria. The country
is a safe, but little known hiking destination, and we will explore its highest summits
with the help of a local guide. We will visit the two highest mountains in Bulgaria,
including Mt. Moussala, the highest summit on the Balkan peninsula, and Pirin Mountain
National Park, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Three of the days will be
dedicated to exploring cultural sites. We will visit the Rila Monastery (also on the
UNESCO World Heritage list), Rozhen monastery near the renaissance town of Melnik,
the old town of Blagoevgrad and several ancient churches. The itinerary is set up so that
we can balance different activites and make the most of our time in the region. The 11th
day will be for touring the capital and flying back to the US. The cost includes the meals,
all local transportation, all lodging, and guide service. (see detailed itinerary attached).
We will stay mostly in small family hotels. There will also be two nights in mountain
huts, and one in the famous Rila Monastery. The local guide will make the needed
reservations based on our route. The local guide's company has done some scouting on
the hotels already based on our request to find quiet hotels with non-smoking rooms. All
accomodations are included in the price.
All meals are included in the trip, including a farewell dinner at a restaurant in Sofia on
the last night. Breakfasts and dinners will be provided at the hotels/hostels. The local
tour guide will purchase and transport the food for the lunches. Vegetarian participants
will be provided for, with several weeks advance notice regarding food preferences.
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what you will need to do to obtain them:
If no, please describe the process you went through to find out that they were not
required:
Verified with the local guide company.
Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 3 of 6
A Bulgarian adventure - Balkan High Peaks and Monasteries
Eva Borsody Das/Silvia Zaharinova
Special equipment
Does the trip require special
equipment?
Special experience
Does the trip require special
skills on the part of the
participant?
Pre-trip activities
Do you plan to get your group
together before the trip for an
activity or social event?
Conservation, education and
recreation
How will this major excursion
meet the mission of the AMC?
www.outdoors.org/about/
mission.cfm
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what type of equipment and how you
will ensure that people know how to use it:
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what type of experience? Also describe
how you will ensure that the participant has this experience?
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what you will do:
We plan to offer an easy/moderate day hike in the White Mountains for the group to get
acquainted a month or two before the trip. At the time of the hike, we will distribute an
informational packet to participants, describing Bulgaria's hstory, culture and natural
resources. We will mail the packet to participants who live too far away from the White
Mountains, or if they can not join the day hike for other reasons.
This trip will take us to superb natural reserves and world famous monasteries, including
some on the UNESCO world heritage list. Participants will also have the chance to learn
about Bulgarian history from the co-leader who is a native of the country, and from the
local guides. This is a 1300 year old country with rich history, and visiting it will
culturally enrich the participants, while providing outstanding hiking opportunities in
diverse mounatain terrain.
TOUR OPERATOR AND GUIDE SERVICE INFORMATION
Will this trip require a tour
operator or guide service
during part, or the entire
trip?
Yes
No
Please describe their services. If you are using a tour operator for the entire trip,
please describe why you will be using them rather than doing this trip on your own:
The guide provides reservations to mountain huts and small hotels that are very hard or
impossible to contact from the USA. He will arrange for our private bus transportation,
which is far preferable to the potentially difficult driving conditions in Bulgaria. Last but
not least, the local guide will help us navigate the trails, which are not always mapped or
described in a book, and thus are hard for non-locals to find.
Name of tour operator/guide
service
Tour operator website
Mountain Adventures in Bulgaria
Safety record
Please provide information
about their safety record.
Insurance
Do they have liability
insurance?
Emergency response
Please describe the outfitters’
response plan in the case of an
emergency.
http://www.bghike.com/
This is the information provided to us by the company: "All of us have licences to work
as mountain guides, issued by the agency, that is authorized by the government to make
courses and issue diplomas. We operate since the Spring of 2004, and we have had
guests from all English speaking countries, most of them Western European countries
and Israel. So far we have had no accidents with our guests." (Please see comments from
their past clients attached).
Liability? Yes
No
Maximum amt: $ 3000 lv.(Approx $1900)
for each one of these: rescue and
transportation, medical expenses, and
death or serious injury.
Are they willing to list AMC as an
Yes
No
additional insured?
All of the guides are First Aid certified. In an event of an emergency they are able to
provide immediate help on the spot and contact the Mountain Rescue
services.
RISK ASSESSMENT
Please assess the risks and hazards of your trip. Carefully consider each area of risk and how it may affect your trip.
Devise a plan to prevent each hazard and to respond to it if it becomes necessary. Please be very specific for each section
if applicable.
Revised 7/15/2016
Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 4 of 6
A Bulgarian adventure - Balkan High Peaks and Monasteries
Eva Borsody Das/Silvia Zaharinova
Climate/terrain
Potential hazards
Response
Foreign Country
Potential hazards
Response
Transportation
Potential hazards
Response
Participants
Potential hazards
Response
Other
Potential hazards
Response
Trail conditions, river crossings, weather, wildlife (bears, snakes, etc.)
Adverse weather conditions in the mountains; the exposed summit of Mt. Vihren.
Bulgaira is situated in the same geographical latitude as Boston and the White
Mountains. Thus the climate is very similar, and will pose challenges familiar to the
leaders. Participants will be asked to bring gear and warm clothes suitable for late fall early winter conditions. In addition, the guide will provide alternative destinations in
case of thunderstorms on the days we are supposed to hike above tree-line. We will also
carry emergency gear (stoves, pads, sleeping bag) and local cell phones (cell phone
coverage in Europe is generally more reliable, and it is more likely that will have
coverage up in the mountains.) During my conversation with the local guide he assured
me that he is prepared with alternative routes, and should some people find it difficult to
summit Mt. Vihren we will have sufficient number of guides/leaders to split the group in
two for that hike only.
Political concerns, crime, language translation, terrorism
The main concern is language. There are no political or terrorism concenrs, and crime
rates are generally very low.
The co-leader speaks Bulgarian. The local guide speaks English, and he has lead English
- speaking groups in the past.
Road conditions, drivers, insurance
Roads can be narrow and rough in the moutain villages.
The guide will provide an experienced local professional driver.
Level of fitness, screening concerns, experience with equipment or activity
Underprepared participants, forgotten gear, or gear lost during the air travel.
We will do thorough screening to make sure the participants understand that, although a
moderate level trip, it involves serious mountain terrian which requires a high degree of
fitness, attained only by regular prior conditioning. Our goal is to have a group of
similar level participants. We will provide a required gear list, and recommend that
essential gear for the first day hike (i.e. hiking boots) be in their carry on luggage.
Conditions unique to this type of trip
None
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
Please describe your plans for dealing with emergencies. Use as much detail as possible, and list any special
communications equipment you may need to ensure the safety of your participants. DO NOT LEAVE THIS SECTION
BLANK
We will make sure to have emergency contact for each participant, and the leaders will
Emergency communication
Phone contacts, language,
carry this information with them on the trip. We will also have local cell phones. The cell
documentation, distance from
phone connection is much more reliable in Europe, so the chance of us having signal is
emergency services
very high. The co-leader will also have a phone card that allows international phone calls
from Bulgaria. As Bulgaria is a small country, and we will never be more than a day
away from the nearest town. The co-leader is native and so the language barrier will not
be a problem. One of the guides speaks English.
We will recommend individual first aid kits as part of the required gear for each
Emergency equipment
What sort of emergency first
participant; the leaders and guides will carry additional back up first aid gear. In terms
aid or communication
of communication equipment, we will have local cell phones. For emergency gear we
equipment (satellite phone,
will carry the standard equipment to sustain an injured person should they have to spend
two-way radios) do you plan
the night outside -- foam pad, sleeping bag, backpacking stove, pot, body warmers, and
to use, if any?
warm clothes.
The guide will provide phone numbers for the local service so that we can request a
Evacuation
Please describe your plan for
helicopter should anyone need to be evacuated. Because of the size of the country we
evacuation from the
will never be more than 100 miles away from the capital, wich has high level emergency
backcountry location if
medical facilities.
applicable?
Revised 7/15/2016
Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 5 of 6
A Bulgarian adventure - Balkan High Peaks and Monasteries
Eva Borsody Das/Silvia Zaharinova
Medical care
Please describe the medical
care available in the area(s)
where you will be traveling
and list names and telephone
numbers for these facilities.
Pirogov is the main emergency medical center in the country, located in Sofia at the
intersection of Blvd Totleben and Pencho Slaveikov str. One can dial 150 from
anywhere in the country (the special phone number for medical emergencies) to be
connected to Pirogov. By dialing the same number one can be connected to emergency
medial emergency teams that provide ambulance service in the towns of Blagoevgrad
and Rila, which are on our itinerary.
Foreign currencies
For int’l trips list each foreign
currency, the current $US
dollar exchange rate and what
contingencies you have if that
rate changes. If a tour
operator or agent is being
used, what currency is the
agent to be paid in?
Deposits
What deposits will be required
by airlines, hotels, tour
operators, etc., and when?
Refunds
What is the latest date you can
cancel and still receive a full
refund?
Participant deposit
What are the initial deposit
and your schedule of
payments?
Cancellation policy
What will your cancellation
policy be for the participants?
Bulgarian Lev. The guide is to be paid in US Dollars. The tips, museum fees, and
souveniers are best paid in the local currency -- Bulgarian lev. If the exchange rate
changes drastically, the guide keeps the right to increase the price, because they will have
to convert our payments into leva to pay the restaurants and hotels we will be using.
Exchange rate for the Lev as of Dec 09 2008: $1= 1.52 lev.
COST AND BUDGET DETAILS
Minimum numbers
Will you still run the trip if you
do not get the minimum
number?
Reference web links:
MEC Home Page:
Forms:
Deadlines:
E-Mail Addresses:
Club House:
MEC Chair:
Revised 7/15/2016
The tour guide requres a deposit of 30% of the amount 45 days before the trip begins and
full payment upon arrival.
3 months before the trip -- May 21st, subject to conditions decribed below in the
cancellation policy.
$500 due with the trip application. Full amount due 90 days before the trip start -- May
21st.
Refund will be given to the extent that it will not raise the costs to the other participants.
If the person's spot can be filled, that person may be entitled to up to a full refund of any
costs (less a handling fee of $100). Participants will purchase airline tickets directly
from the airline with their own funds. Thus, refund of any cost of airline ticket will be
determined by airline policy and worked out between the participant and the airline.
Participants will be fully informed of these policies and conditions in the prospectus,
before they commit money. If their spot cannot be filled, a participant who cancels will
receive a refund for any cancellable portion of the trip (minus the handling fee) that will
not increase the costs to the other participants or leaders
Yes
No
If yes, please describe conditions:
If we have 8 participants and 2 leaders, we can still run the trip, since the guide requires
a minimum of 10 people for the agreed upon price. Otherwise the price would be higher.
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/application/
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/listings
cyout@outdoors.org
mecchair@amcboston.org
Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 6 of 6