In mid-September, we decided to go on a cycling trip in memory of Vesko from Petrich. The idea was to cycle to Malina hut and then descend the next day to Skoko waterfall above the village of Kashina.
We started from the village of Lyubovishte, leaving our cars in the widened area in front of the town hall, opposite which there is a gazebo and a fountain. We gathered a group of 12 people and took a group photo in front of the town hall.
Video:Our bike trip began, and we had a day of climbing on dirt roads ahead of us. First, we headed towards the village of Kashina. With gradual climbs and gentle descents, we reached the last hill before the final descent to the village.
However, we did not head towards the village, but took the left turn and continued climbing through a beech forest until we reached the main dirt road that comes from the village of Pirin and continues to Sugarevo.
Once we reached this road, we headed north for a short while, then took the right turn and continued east. The road winds along the Lopovska River. We reached something like a canton, where we took a short break.
Then we continued towards Lopovo, and the terrain gradually became steeper. The climb from Lopovo to Gorno Lopovo was already difficult. There, on the meadow of Gorno Lopovo, there are usually great views of Kuklite, Zaba, and Yalovarnika, but not on that day; the peaks were shrouded in fog.
Luckily, the sun came out from time to time, because I was drenched from all the climbing. We had a light meal at a table there to recharge our batteries and wait for the group to gather. We couldn't help but take a group photo there..
This was followed by a short descent to the Trite Reki hut, where I ordered the famous veal tongue soup with morels. It's great, especially when accompanied by a cold beer. We rested there contentedly, as one last push awaited us to the Malina hut.
From Trite Reki, we took a dirt road until we reached a left turn over a wooden bridge. From there, we began the last climb of a few kilometers before reaching a little above the Malina hut and finally arriving at it.
We settled into the hut, took a hot shower, and sat down to drink beer and have dinner. Two more members of the group arrived from the village of Pirin. The evening was fun and boozy.
Day 2: Malina Hut – Pirin Village – Skoko Waterfall – Kashina Village – Lyubovishte
On Sunday morning, we got up around 8, had breakfast, settled our accounts with the hut keeper, and started getting ready to descend to the village of Pirin. Everyone descended at their own pace. I didn't dare to go too fast, as I was still dizzy from the alcohol the night before.
In the center of Pirin village, we met up with other people from the Petrich group who had been transported to the village and were going to ride with us only on Sunday. While we were resting in the village, we had an early beer and lined up in front of the sign for a group photo. By then, the group had grown to about 20 people.
From the village of Pirin, we took the road that leads to the village of Sugarevo. I mentioned this dirt road earlier in the text. It winds up and down the southwestern slopes of Pirin. It is about 18-19 km to the Skoko waterfall, with a 400 m elevation gain and a 250 m elevation loss.
Somewhere along the way, we passed the Holy Trinity Church, where we stopped to take a look. Then, just before the turnoff for the village of Kashina, we got a little confused because the road we were using led to the mountains in the middle of nowhere, apparently there had been logging. But we quickly realized our mistake and got back on the right track.
Shortly after noon, we arrived at Skoko Waterfall—a truly impressive waterfall with a height of 20 meters and a fairly good water flow. It is surrounded by a beech forest, so even on the hottest days it is cool there, and you can dive into the pools.
After a very long break, a hearty meal, and drinking whatever we had brought with us (beer and rakia), it was time for the last few kilometers to the car. We decided to go through the village of Kashina. There is a steep sandy descent to the village, which must be descended carefully. Then you cross the river and descend briefly towards the village.
We already knew the road from Kashina to Lyubovishte, having traveled it several times before. We stopped at the fountain, changed clothes, loaded the bikes onto the cars, and went to a tavern in Rozen to drink a beer or two before the group split up and everyone returned home.
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