A cycling tour through the Vlakhina Mountain, climbing to the Komatinski Rocks via the village of Sushitsa, followed by a descent toward Sukhostrel and a ride to Debochitsa to see the blooming water lilies. Four years ago, we completed this route in the opposite direction – through Padesh, climbing to Debochitsa, then continuing to Sukhostrel and the Komatinski Rocks.
A few days ago, we heard that the water lilies near the village of Debochitsa had already started blooming, so we decided it was time for a visit. The plan quickly took shape – this time we would first ride to the Komatinski Rocks, approaching them from Sushitsa.
We gathered a solid group of eight cyclists from Blagoevgrad and one rider from Krupnik, who was joining us for the first time. At 63 years old, he was in excellent physical condition and easily kept pace with the group.
There is not much to describe about the route to the Komatinski Rocks. We have ridden there many times before. The road to Sushitsa is generally in decent condition, but the asphalt becomes increasingly damaged as you climb higher. The final 2.5 kilometers from the turnoff to the rocks are on an unpaved dirt road.
Just below the Komatinski Rocks, a small chapel has been built, and beneath it there is now a large covered shelter with tables and benches. A large white cross has also been installed on the easternmost rock. To be honest, the result is not particularly appealing. The place used to feel far more authentic, dramatic, and captivating without these additions. The shelter and chapel could easily have been built lower down near the former village shop, without disturbing the natural appearance of the rocks.
We arrived at the rocks around 1:00 PM and sat down under the shelter for lunch. At about 1:30 PM, we packed up and began our descent toward the Vraneshtitsa River. After crossing the bridge, the Chapel of St. Panteleimon stands on the left-hand side, although I once again failed to stop and take any photographs of it. From there, we began the climb toward the abandoned village of Sukhostrel.
The road to Sukhostrel was pleasant, but once we crossed the ridge and entered the territory of Debochitsa, puddles and muddy sections began to appear. Fortunately, most of them could be bypassed, although we occasionally had to push our bikes. Eventually, we reached an abandoned hamlet belonging to Debochitsa and started a short but steep climb toward the pond where the water lilies grow.
We took a longer break there and, of course, the mandatory photographs. By this point, some of us were already quite tired, but the most demanding part of the route was behind us. What remained was mostly downhill riding toward Padesh.
Unlike our trip four years earlier, this time we avoided the mistake of heading toward the Debochitsa mayor's office. Instead, from the transformer station we followed the bypass track, which led us onto the opposite ridge above the village. This saved us from a steep descent followed by an unnecessary climb. From there to Padesh, it was almost entirely downhill, and we covered the distance quickly.
After a short break in Padesh, we headed back toward Blagoevgrad, where we finished the day with a well-deserved beer.
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