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Meeting your soulmate in the mountains or what is "hiking for singles"

Photo: Hiking for Singles-archive

"She is a mountain guide and he is a psychologist. Four years ago, Tsvetelina Zidarova and Viktor Zidarov decided to combine their professions for the benefit of lonely souls. As a psychologist, Tsvetelina works with clients who have difficulty communicating and finding a partner. As a mountain guide, Viktor has found that when we are in nature, we are much more natural, well-intentioned, and spontaneous. This is how ''Hiking for Singles'' was born.


"We started with mountain hikes for 24-38-year-old people. In my opinion, this is the main age for the so-called 'nesting,' when people actively seek connections and relationships. However, we have also been approached by many 40-50-60-year-olds wanting to joining in, so we started organizing trips based on the participants' age because everyone wants to communicate with someone of their age", Tsvetelina said for Radio Bulgaria.


"The are one-day and two-day routes, and the destinations include Vitosha, Pirin, Rila, Osogovo Mountain, the Balkan mountain range (Stara Planina)etc. "The idea is to spend a nice day together in the mountains, and if someone likes someone else, even better!" says Tsvetelina Zidarova.

"We already have 3 babies who are of different ages. We have couples who continue to be together, or people who are together for a few months and then separate. The result depends on many factors. For me, it's important that communication happens gradually. I just try to support it so that barriers break down."

"Each of us has a circle of friends, family and colleagues with whom we interact, but at some point, it's valuable for us to meet people outside those circles", said Viktor and added:


"The mountain itself facilitates communication. The situations there provoke you. "For instance, people communicate and help each other when they have to cross a river, a bridge, or an icy area". When we sit down to eat, everyone shares their food with others."


Tsvetelina has more:

"When we meet in the mountains, there's no room for high heels and makeup. There's no room for the masks we don in the city. Up there, there's no ''I am a doctor'', ''I am a manager''. You are just a person. The meeting is between people who are not hierarchically positioned because of their achievements. The question there is whether you have good equipment, and if you don't, who will carry your backpack and what food you have inside it. This places communication on a more equal footing."


The groups consist of 10 to 18 participants. The organizers aim for an equal number of men and women. It turns out that most men are eager to join the groups up to the age of 40-45. Apparently, when they are young, they are more open to acquaintances and romance. On the other hand, ladies intensify their search for a partner after the age of 48-49, says Tsvetelina.


The ones who formed a couple during the ''Hiking for Singles'' insist on participating in a new initiative - ''Hiking for Couples''. ''They claim that they don't have mutual friends and are looking for kindred spirits with similar interests. We have already planned walks to talk about relationships, etc." - says Tsvetelina. In the spring, Tsvetelina and Viktor are to organize "Hiking for Divorced Parents", where the children themselves will act as a catalyst for making new acquaintances and forming romantic relationships.

Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov
Photos: Hiking for Singles-archive


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