Very strong winds with a speed of up to 80 km/h demolished the tent facilities at the start-finish and blocked the way to the competition area of the European Ski Orienteering Championships and U23 Ski Orienteering Championships 2022 over the Bulgarian ski resort Chepelare. The inability of the teams to reach the venue and the damaged infrastructure forced the organizers to postpone today’s starts and so the sprint relay for the continental championship plus the sprint from the World Veterans Sprint was rescheduled for Tuesday, when a day off was originally scheduled.
The competitions in the middle distance of the European Championship for men and women scheduled for tomorrow, Monday, remain unchanged for the time being. Nearly 300 athletes from 22 countries are in Chepelare these days for the continental ski orienteering championship, as the competitions in the winter pearl of the Rhodope Mountains are also valid for the World Cup, and at the same time, the world championships for veterans and youth under 23 are held.
Chepelare is a beautiful mountain town, lying in a small valley at the heart of the Rhodopi Mountain, just 10 km from Pamporovo. The ski runs vary in difficulty from black to green and the longest ski run in Bulgaria is in Chepelare. The high-speed quad lift connects the town with the Mechi Chal peak. A few smaller drag lifts are also in favour of the skiers on the slopes. Chepelare is a small ski resort, so the average prices of the hotels and the ski services are lower compared to Bansko, Borovets, and Pamporovo.
