About Bulgarian 56 Peaks

Our Story

For the Bulgarian 56 Peaks community, that first step was taken in May 2022, when Tony McMurray set out to climb the first of Bulgaria's 56 mountain peaks above 2,500 metres. What began as a personal challenge has since evolved into a thriving community built around adventure, friendship, wellbeing and giving back.

Tony's journey to that first mountain was anything but conventional. Originally from Bletchley, England, he graduated from Brunel University with a degree in Music and Sports Science before embarking on an international career in finance that has spanned more than three decades. Today he serves as a senior finance executive leading teams across multiple countries — but throughout his life he has believed that the greatest lessons in leadership are often learned outside the office.

His passion for the mountains has taken him around the world, including a life-changing expedition to Mount Everest in 2015. Although the devastating Nepal earthquake brought that expedition to an abrupt end, Tony found himself unexpectedly sharing his experiences with media around the world during what he often describes as his "five minutes of fame." More importantly, the experience reinforced a belief that success is not always defined by reaching the summit, but by resilience, perspective and returning home safely.

Those experiences ultimately inspired the creation of the Bulgarian 56 Peaks project. As Tony shared during his second TEDx talk, the initiative was never really about climbing mountains. It was about bringing people together.

The Mountains Are Remarkable Levellers

From the very beginning, the mountains became a place where job titles, professions and backgrounds simply disappeared. CEOs walked alongside students. Accountants climbed with engineers. Entrepreneurs shared trails with teachers. People from different countries, cultures and generations discovered that once the climb begins, everyone faces exactly the same mountain.

Mountains do not care about status, wealth, nationality, profession or experience. They reward preparation, teamwork, resilience, humility and mutual support. Every summit is earned together. That simple philosophy has become the foundation of the Bulgarian 56 Peaks community.

What We've Built Together

Since that first climb in 2022, the project has brought together more than 100 participants, introduced countless people to Bulgaria's spectacular mountains, built lifelong friendships, and raised more than 20,000 BGN for Foundation "For Our Children" (detebg.org) — helping vulnerable children and families across Bulgaria.

Our Purpose

For Tony, this project has become a powerful expression of his personal purpose: creating opportunities for people to connect, challenge themselves and discover what they are capable of achieving together. The mountains provide the setting, but the real achievement is the community that continues to grow around them.

Completing all 56 peaks was never intended to be the end of the story. Instead, it became the beginning of something bigger. The community now continues through the 6 Peak Balkans Challenge, climbing the highest mountain in each of the six Balkan countries while remaining true to the same values that inspired the very first hike — adventure, friendship, inclusion, personal growth, wellbeing and charitable giving.