Mount Golyam Kupen is situated on the Malyovitsa Ridge between the peaks Popova Kapa and Lovnitsa, and it is the highest point in the Malyovitsa section of the Rila Mountains at 2731 m. Its ascent is relatively challenging. No marked tourist trails in the Rila National Park lead directly to it. There are a few narrow paths, but they are not recommended for inexperienced hikers as they traverse steep terrain with unstable rocks, which can be slippery in wet conditions.
I will not provide a description of the route for a winter ascent of the peak—Mount Golyam Kupen is not easily accessible. If you are unsure of the best route to take, it is better to seek the services of an experienced mountain guide.
Here is a description of the summer routes to the peak:
One of the paths to Mount Golyam Kupen starts from Strashnoto Ezero Shelter. It is marked with cairns. The trail begins on the right (western) shore of the lake, with a fork not far from the shelter building. The first option goes to the right, following the ridge rising toward the peak. The ascent is steep and takes about 40–50 minutes. The other branch heads slightly left, crosses the scree fallen from the peak, and reaches the saddle between Malak Kupen and Popova Kapa. From there, continue to the right.
You can also reach Mount Golyam Kupen via the trail from Orlovets Shelter. This trail ascends Mount Lovnitsa and follows the ridge eastward. In good weather during the summer, the passage is not very difficult, but the section between Lovnitsa and Kupen includes some traverses of steep slopes. If the weather deteriorates (e.g., during a thunderstorm), there are no easy options to leave the route. The northern slopes are nearly vertical, while descending the steep southern slope would involve a long and arduous descent without a trail through difficult, slippery terrain, with a risk of serious incidents.
Another approach to Mount Golyam Kupen is from Mount Popova Kapa. The path skirts Malak and Sreden Kupen from the south and ends with a short final climb to Golyam Kupen. Popova Kapa can be reached from Kirilova Polyana, via Dry Lake and Kobilino Branishte Shelter, or from the village of Govedartsi, passing through Mechit Hut and the peaks Mechit and Lopushki. The shortest option is to ascend via the winter markings from Strashnoto Ezero Shelter.
From Mount Golyam Kupen, there is a picturesque view of the peaks Zliyat Zab, Orlovets, Malyovitsa, and the rest of the western part of Rila. To the east, you can see Rila’s highest peak, Musala, in the distance. To the south, the horizon reveals the peaks of Northern Pirin. The view is especially beautiful at sunrise and sunset in the autumn, when the colors are most vivid, but it is often windy and quite cold.
Asen Hristoforov, a Bulgarian writer (1910–1970) whose literary works are dedicated to the Rila Mountains and the Samokov region, writes about Kupenite in his historical and geographical essay Iskrovete as follows: Malak, Sreden, and Golyam Kupen (2731 m), with Lovnitsa (2695 m) to their right, and Popova Kapa (2704 m) to their left, captivate the gaze for a long time and amaze with their fantastic forms. Their ridges defy description. Perhaps at this spot, the ridge split during that distant time when the valley of the Cherni Iskar River settled. This is why these peaks have such sharp contours. Below them, nestled in the steep slopes of the cirques, are several beautiful lakes. The most marvelous is Strashnoto Ezero. These are relatively young lakes, remaining from around twenty thousand years ago when the last glaciers in Rila melted. The memory of the glaciers is hidden in the enormous stone rivers, the frequent river thresholds, and the morainic deposits. They have sculpted the Alpine appearance of the mountain. Truly, there is no other place in all of Rila with such jagged peaks, and it is likely because of the Kupenite that Vazov called this region that great piece of the Alps thrown into the heart of the Balkan Peninsula.