Marie and Nil have been navigating through Bulgaria’s Rila National Park for the last couple of weeks. The trails have been made treacherous by thick fog and icy conditions.

The timing has not been ideal. Usually, with conditions this bad they would hunker down somewhere warm and wait out the weather, using the time to catch up on digital tasks like editing videos or posting on social media. However, their 30th guest, Tom Ejerry, had joined them for 10 days. They wanted Tom to see more than just the inside of a mountain shelter, so they pressed on.

Leaving the village of Dobarsk, the trio climbed over 4,200ft through a thick fog that chilled them to the bone. They managed to find a hut to spend the night and dry off before heading on the next day in even colder conditions. Nil found himself trying to find a difficult middle-ground. On the one hand, Tom, transplanted straight from his Parisian life, was understandably slower on the dangerously icy rocks. On the other, Marie was suffering from the extreme cold and anxious to make it to the next shelter as quickly as possible.

They made it to the next mountain refuge and were relieved to warm their feet and hands. Soon, a group of local mountain workers arrived. At first, it was a little awkward. Marie, Nil and Tom felt that they might be intruding. Fortunately, Google translate and a few glasses of rakija (fruit brandy) helped to ease the tension and they were soon fast friends.

The next couple of days did not bring better weather. More fog, cold, wind and rain meant that the trio saw little of the park itself. Fingers crossed their luck will change soon.