Sochi to Krasnaya Polyana

Black Sea subtropics rising quickly into the western Caucasus.

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Why this ride

Black Sea subtropics rising quickly into the western Caucasus. The road: A148 and mountain roads. Distance and riding time are estimates from the checkpoints until the road is measured on this page.

Roadbook

1. Sochi start

   Sochi is a palm-lined resort squeezed between the Black Sea and the mountains of the western Caucasus, and it is the only place in Russia where you can swim in the morning and ski in the afternoon, at least in theory. The city stretches along the coast for about a hundred and forty kilometres, a long ribbon of sanatoriums, hotels and apartment blocks, with pebble beaches, subtropical gardens and a promenade. The climate is the mildest in Russia, with warm, humid summers and rarely freezing winters, and the vegetation includes palm trees, magnolias and bamboo. Tea is grown on plantations near Dagomys, farther north than anywhere else in the world.

   The city gained international attention in 2014, when it hosted the Winter Olympics. The coastal cluster held the ice events, while the mountain events took place at Krasnaya Polyana, a resort inland up a river valley, where gondolas and ski runs now climb the steep slopes. Joseph Stalin used to holiday here, and his dacha, a dark green house in the forest, is open to visitors, preserved with its original furniture. The seafront has Soviet-era buildings with columns and mosaics, and the old railway station is a fine example of that architecture.

   For riders, the roads leading inland offer a dramatic change of scene. The route up the Mzymta valley to Krasnaya Polyana passes through deep gorges, waterfalls and forest, with the road running next to the river and climbing steadily, and the mountain scenery is impressive. The Western Caucasus, a protected area listed by UNESCO, holds some of the last large areas of mountain forest in Europe, home to bison, bears and lynx. Roads are generally in good condition, but the coastal highway is heavily congested in summer, with traffic crawling along the seafront.

   Sochi has plenty of fuel stations and workshops. The food is varied, with grilled meat and cheese pastries in the Caucasian style, and the local wine and tea. The best months for riding are May, June and September, when the water is warm and the crowds thin. Rain can be heavy in autumn and winter.

2. Matsesta stop

   You will probably smell Matsesta before you see it. The valley, a short way inland from the Black Sea in the southern part of Greater Sochi, is famous for its hydrogen sulphide springs, which rise warm from deep underground and carry a strong whiff of rotten eggs. The name is often translated from the local Ubykh or Circassian language as fire water. For more than a century, these springs have been used for therapeutic baths, and in the Soviet era Matsesta became one of the best known spas in the country, with sanatoriums built for workers, officials and the party elite.

   Stalin himself came to take the waters, and his summer dacha, set in green woods on a hill not far away, is still preserved, with dark green walls designed to blend into the forest. The bathhouses in the valley, some grand and columned, others utilitarian, still operate, and people come for treatments for skin, joints and circulation. The valley itself is lush and subtropical, with dense forest of oak, hornbeam, chestnut, and climbing vines, and the humidity in summer can be heavy.

   For riders, Matsesta is a stop on the road from the coast up toward the mountains. The coastal highway through Sochi is busy, often congested and full of impatient drivers, but once you turn inland the roads become narrower and more winding, climbing through forest with tight bends and steep gradients. The surface is generally good but can be slippery after rain, which is frequent on this coast. The best time to ride is spring or autumn, when the temperature is pleasant and the crowds thinner.

   There are cafes and shops in Matsesta, and fuel is easy to find in nearby Khosta and Sochi. If you have time, try a short sulphur bath, which is said to be relaxing after a day in the saddle, though the smell lingers. Nearby, the Agura gorge has a series of waterfalls reached by a walking path, a cool, green escape from the heat of the coast. Matsesta is a strange place, half spa, half time capsule, and well worth a pause on the way up into the hills.

3. Akhun Mountain stop · 663 m

   Akhun is the highest point close to the coast in Sochi, a forested mountain that rises to 663 metres just inland from the Black Sea, and on its summit stands a stone observation tower built in the 1930s in a vaguely medieval style. Climb the stairs to the top and the whole coast is laid out below you: Sochi and its suburbs stretching along the shore, the sea glittering to the horizon, and inland, ridge upon ridge of forested hills rising to the snowy peaks of the Caucasus. On a clear day the view is enormous.

   The mountain was sacred long before the tower. Akhyn was the name of a deity of the Ubykh and Circassian peoples who lived on this coast until the Russian conquest of the 1860s, when most were expelled to the Ottoman Empire. The forest on its slopes is dense and subtropical, with oak, beech, chestnut, boxwood and yew, and the Khosta grove of ancient yew and boxwood lies nearby. In the gorges below, the Agura River tumbles over a series of waterfalls, with cliffs known as the Eagle Rocks above them, linked in legend to Prometheus.

   The road up Akhun is a short, steep serpentine, climbing through the forest with tight hairpins, narrow sections and a surface that can be slippery when wet or covered in leaves. It is a fun ride on a light bike, but be careful of cars and buses coming down, and watch for pedestrians and cyclists. Go early in the morning, when the air is clear and the light soft, or late afternoon, when the sun goes down over the sea. Summer haze can spoil the view, and the mountain is often covered in cloud in winter.

   At the summit there is a cafe, though opening times vary, and a small entry fee for the tower. Fuel and other services are easy to find in nearby Khosta and Sochi. Bring water, especially in summer, and take time to wander the forest paths around the top. The air smells of resin and damp earth, and the view from the tower is one of the best on the whole Black Sea coast.

4. Krasnaya Polyana stop

   Krasnaya Polyana means Red Meadow, and before 2014 it was a quiet mountain village in the upper valley of the Mzymta River, settled in the late nineteenth century by Greeks and Estonians after the expulsion of the Circassians who had lived here before. The site has a darker history too: in 1864, Russian forces celebrated the end of the long Caucasian War at a place nearby called Kbaade, and for Circassians it remains a place of mourning. Then came the Winter Olympics, and the village was transformed almost overnight into a sprawling resort.

   Today Krasnaya Polyana is the gateway to the mountain cluster of the Sochi Olympics, with ski resorts, hotels, apartment blocks, restaurants and shops spreading along the valley. The surrounding mountains are spectacular, with steep forested slopes, rocky peaks and snowfields lingering well into summer. In the warmer months, gondolas carry hikers and mountain bikers up to high meadows and viewpoints, and the forests around the village are full of waterfalls, walking trails and wild flowers.

   The ride from Adler and the coast follows the Mzymta valley, on a modern road built for the Olympics, with tunnels, bridges and long, sweeping bends. The old road, narrower and more winding, still runs alongside in places, and is more fun if you can find it. The surface is generally excellent, but traffic can be heavy, especially at weekends and during holidays. Set off before nine and you will have the valley mostly to yourself. Watch for buses, taxis and impatient drivers.

   Krasnaya Polyana has all the services a rider needs: fuel, shops, cafes, restaurants and hotels of every kind. The village has some good places to eat, from simple Caucasian grills to more upscale restaurants. Try khachapuri, the cheese-filled bread popular across the Caucasus, or grilled trout from the mountain rivers. Take a stroll along the river, look up at the peaks, and remember that, behind the shiny resort, there is a much older and more complex story in these mountains.

5. Rosa Khutor finish

   Rosa Khutor is the end of the road, quite literally. The valley of the Mzymta narrows here, high in the mountains above Krasnaya Polyana, and the resort that hosted the alpine skiing events of the 2014 Winter Olympics fills the floor with hotels, chalets and a riverside promenade designed to look like an Alpine village. Beyond it, the road stops, and the only ways onward are on foot, by mountain bike, or by gondola up to the ridges, where the peaks rise to over two thousand metres and the border with Abkhazia lies just beyond.

   The resort itself can feel a little artificial, with its clock tower, neat squares and tidy shopfronts, but the setting is magnificent. The river runs fast and green between the buildings, the mountains rise steeply on all sides, and the forests are thick with beech, fir and chestnut. In summer the high meadows above the resort burst with wildflowers, and the lifts carry walkers up to viewpoints, hiking trails and lakes. In winter the slopes are covered in snow, and the resort is busy with skiers and snowboarders.

   As the finish of a ride up from Sochi, Rosa Khutor offers a satisfying conclusion. The road up the valley from Krasnaya Polyana is short but scenic, with bends along the river, bridges and tunnels, and views of the mountains ahead. The surface is excellent, built to Olympic standards, though traffic can be heavy during the holiday season. Parking is available near the resort, and it is easy to walk around once you arrive. Shoulder months, June and late September, give mild weather without the holiday crush.

   There are plenty of hotels, cafes and restaurants at Rosa Khutor, catering to every budget, and fuel is available in Krasnaya Polyana, a few kilometres back down the valley. Take a gondola up to the top if you can; the view across the Caucasus, ridge upon ridge, is extraordinary, and the air is cool even in summer. Afterwards, find a terrace by the river, order something warm, and watch the light fade on the peaks above.

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