site.btaBulgarian Climber Dedicates His Ascents to Disabled People

When he was born 46 years ago, Hristo Makrelov was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a bad left leg and left arm. That did not stop him from becoming a climber. Now he makes sure to dedicate all his climbs to people with cerebral palsy and Down syndrome, to raise awareness of these conditions.

In 2019, Hristo Makrelov conquered Europe's highest Mount Elbrus and two years later, in 2021, he was part of an expedition to Mount Lenin, also known as Abu Ali ibn Sina, in the Pamir (7,134 m). Due to adverse weather conditions, the expedition reached 6,500 metres and had to return. 

At the beginning of 2024, Makrelov and two other Bulgarian climbers scaled Aconcagua in the Andes (6,960.8 m).

Makrelov told BTA that the Aconcagua scale was a major success for him personally because it was the highest place he has been at. "Nine of us started from Bulgaria. Everything was going great but then problems appeared in the expedition related to the place and the altitude. Unfortunately, some people had to stay back and only Krum Mushev, Milena Stoeva and myself reached the top. Because of its geographical position, the strain on the body is felt by a person as on a peak 1,000 meters higher," explained Makrelov.

"Climbing chose me - I didn't choose it. It's not something one chooses. Naturally, such experiences come with a risk - it can be successful, it can be unsuccessful," says Makrelov.

When he reaches a summit, it is not only his success, but also for people with Dawn and cerebral palsy, he told BTA. "There is a societal perception that people with disabilities are doomed to a boring, indoor and sedentary life, but the reality is that many of them manage to achieve things that at first seem impossible or extremely difficult," he said. 

All three expeditions that Christo has completed so far have been almost entirely self-funded and he has not sought help from the State.

He practices for the climbs in Bulgaria's Rhodope Mountains, the Balkan Range, Rila and Pirin.

He says a climber scales a summit when the mountain lets them. "One needs to have very good judgment, to be able to say to themselves, 'I've come this far, I'll go farther some other time'."