Kom Peak


Kom Peak or Golyam Kom is a peak in the western Balkan Mountains, located in western Bulgaria, not far from the Serbian border. The peak is 2,016 metres high and lies south of the town of Berkovitsa, of which it is a traditional symbol. Kom, along with the lower peaks Sreden Kom and Malak Kom to the east, form a west-east elevation with a round grassy ridge, a steep rocky northern slope and a slant grassy southern slope. Looking north, one can see Berkovitsa and the surrounding fields, as well as Montana and the Ogosta Reservoir some 30 kilometres away.
The peak inspired national writer Ivan Vazov to create the poem On Kom. In his honour, a bas-relief plaque bearing his image and excerpts from the poem has been installed on the peak. Kom also marks the start of the Bulgarian section of the European walking route E3, also known as the Kom–Emine path along the main ridge of the Balkan Mountains, as well as the eponymous off-road race.
There are several climbing routes to the summit, such as from the Kom chalet, from the Petrohan Pass, from the villages of Komshtitsa and Gintsi.
The Nishava River, a major tributary of the South Morava, originates east of Kom Peak, as does the Visochitsa. Along with Midzhur, Kom is among the highest and best known peaks of the western Balkan Mountains. A Bulgarian brand of mineral water is branded after Kom. The peak is part of the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria, together with the museum of ethnography in Berkovitsa. There are several ski pistes descending from the peak.

Honours

on Fallières Coast, Antarctica is named after the peak.

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