The so-called “marking brigades” made a big part of the tourist marking. Mario Ivanov, active participant in the marking process explains “What is a Marking Brigade?”. Most active were the students from the Physical Faculty in the University of Sofia.

           At present no new tourist routes are marked. The marking made some years ago is still used. Separate tourist associations try to mark new routes themselves or just to refresh the existing marking, but the problem as a whole remains. The problem with some ridge routes is very big, because lots of means are necessary for it. The marking brigades do not exist any more, but the marking made by the student-markers still remains. Let’s keep it!

What is a Marking Brigade?

         The marking brigades were organized by the Main Council of Bulgarian Tourist Association during our time as students. Mainly students participated in them, because the remuneration was small and the type of work required good physical training, knowing the mountains, the rules for orientation and on the first place – loving the nature and the mountain. We marked tourist paths with signs and oil. Depending on the weather conditions on certain places and the tree/rock type where the marking is painted, it has to be refreshed in 2-3 up to 5 years. The same is valid for the winter marking rods as well. After the Democracy period came, for this activity as well as for many others there are no means… The most active markers were the students from the University of Sofia, as 90 % were the physicians, then came the lawyers, biologists etc.

        The sign "ФзФ" may still be seen on many places in the mountains. This is a modest memory of the voluntary work of the students-physicians, who marked hundreds of winter and summer routes.

The marks looked like this with dimensions 10 x 10 cm.:

The red marking usually is used for ridge routes.