Adygea. Cable car and Devil's Finger rock. Una-Koz ridge, cable car, Devil's finger rock, caves, Adygea Devil's finger rock Adygea route

How many such “fingers” are scattered across Russia, and if you follow the legend of the Devil’s Finger in Altai, everywhere the “fierce enemy” tried to get free, and everywhere only “fingers” remained from him. Many rafters are familiar with the Devil's Finger rock on the Ural River Usva, and another rocky “finger” can be seen on the Ai River (from Bashkir - lunar). There is a Devil's finger in the rocks near Feodosia, and even on Baikal they will gladly take you to the same local attraction. So maybe the legend about the mighty warrior is right, and it’s worth translating it into an epic?

What does the legend tell about the Devil's finger and its appearance?

The Devil's Finger rock in the Altai Mountains is popular thanks to the legend that old people tell to their grandchildren. Some manuscripts in the archives of the Biysk Museum of Local Lore contain early mentions of the “battle of good and evil” on the Altai land, but at least the approximate date of the appearance of the legend is not indicated anywhere.

The legend about the warrior Kuyum, the cruel Devil and the wise old man

In the Altai mountains there once lived a young warrior Kuyum. He made his living by hunting, because he was strong, like a bear, and could track game for a long time. Kuyum was brave, he was not afraid of severe frost or powerful mountain winds, so he hunted in the mountains for weeks, and brought home only skins. They said that Kuyum was cunning and savvy, like a fox, so he always found prey, no matter how the animal hid. Kuyum was an excellent archer, and each of his arrows found its target. The warrior rode far from the camp on his faithful horse, which carried him with the speed and force of the wind.

Kuyum would have lived like this, but an unexpected grief came to his native land - an enemy named Cherto. The Devil ravaged fertile lands, and took people to unknown lands and tortured them with brutal tortures. Cherto’s cruelty was so terrible that people left their homes, and if the enemy overtook them, they threw their children into the waters of mountain rivers so that they would not suffer and suffer. People fought as best they could, gathered the best warriors and shooters, hunters and farmers into a large army, but the Devil scattered this army in an instant and killed the people.

The elders gathered and went to the old man, who lived far away in the mountains, for advice. The elder’s answer amazed the people, because the whole army could not cope with the enemy, but the elder insisted on his own:

“Send one brave warrior to Cherto.
When everything suddenly becomes quiet and dark,
When the moon is eclipsed in the starry sky,
When the formidable enemy sleeps soundly,
Let the warrior hooves his horse
The monster will trample into the ground,
so that the earth will cover it forever.”

The elders thought for a long time, and meanwhile the enemy almost devastated the Altai lands. People remembered Kuyum, found him in the mountains, and began to ask for help. Kuyum, in his travels, did not know that an enemy had come to his native lands, so he immediately responded to the call for help. On the darkest night, Kuyum on his faithful steed rushed at the enemy Cherto, and they fought for not a day or two, but when it was all over, people saw that the fierce enemy was gone, only a finger sticking out of the ground remained. So the finger petrified, and over time turned into a rock above the Katun River.

There is another legend, but in it the cruel Devil was dealt with by the Moon, who descended from heaven and hit the villain on the head, and pressed him into the ground until only one finger remained.

Where is the Devil's finger in Altai

Almost all vacationers on Lake Aya or in its environs know how to get by car to the Devil’s Finger in Altai. In general, there is quite a bit of information about this attraction on the Internet, although if you are on the lake, you will definitely be offered an excursion to the rock.

Of course, compared to the Ukok plateau or the Aktru glacier, the Devil’s Finger doesn’t look small, but the point is not the height, but the beauty of the rock. The height of the Devil's Finger in Altai is only 250 meters, it's not even a mountain - a hill, but getting there by car is problematic. Getting to the base of the cliff is wonderful, but you have to climb with your feet. The rock looks like a twisted “bundle”; along the middle of the “bundle” there is a well-trodden path; it is slightly lower than the boulders surrounding it, so it is impossible to lose the path. There is a passable road to the rock, and amateurs are offered to climb on ATVs - well, whatever. Or “fly up” to the rock in 20 minutes or climb for an hour and a half, while admiring the views from all sides of the Devil’s Finger. At the very top there is a natural observation deck, from where you can take beautiful pictures, relax, and breathe in the cleanest air of Altai.

How to find the Devil's finger on the map of Altai? If you enter the name of the rock into Yandex maps, the place where the village of Souzga is visible opposite the rock, a little further the village of Aya, Manzherok, Katun will be marked.

How to get to the Devil's finger in Altai

Lake Aya is only 25 km from Gorno-Altaisk, but the transfer must be agreed upon in advance. Once again: there is no railway transport from Gorno-Altaisk, only bus or car connections.

It’s easier to get from Biysk:

You pass the bridge over the Biya - the Chuysky tract passes here, so in front of you there will be an excellent road to the village of Maima;
There are many sharp turns, so do not exceed the speed;
As soon as there are two lanes, it means that soon the village of Souzga, which must be passed directly;
Turn right onto the new Aisky Bridge, and behind it also turn right;
After 3 kilometers there will be a fork; along the roundabout, turn left to the “Crown of Katun” tourist center;
You drive past the tourist center to the village of Katun.
Next, walk with a guide to the cell phone tower along the gravel road, then along the dirt road to the top of the Devil's Finger.

It’s worth climbing the rock even in cloudy weather, as the views will be magnificent - the Altai expanses in a haze. The old people call the rock a place of power, and it is true, because according to legend, a strong warrior “heralded good” throughout Altai. You can spend a lot of time here, especially since the descent will not cause any trouble, and there are equipped tourist centers and campsites very close by.

What in Adygea might interest a tourist? There are no medieval fortifications or castles in the republic. But residents of even the most remote corners of the country come to its mountain peaks, waterfalls and foothills.

"AiF-Adygea" made a selection of bright, memorable, distant from most eyes, and in some places even mysterious places for a walk.

Ancient chapel

In the fall of 1861, Emperor Alexander II wanted to personally verify the successes of the military campaign in the Western Caucasus and visited the Kuban region. By that time, Russia had been asserting its position in the North Caucasus for more than 30 years.

The ancient chapel, founded at the end of the 19th century, is located near the village of Novosvobodnaya, Maikop district of Adygea. It was built in 1881, on the 20th anniversary of the Russian monarch Alexander II’s visit to these places.

This majestic structure rose 20 meters. Only the hill and stones from the foundation of the pedestal on which the bronze bust of the emperor stood have survived to this day.

From this place there is a beautiful view of the village itself, the St. Michael's Monastery, Mount Fiziabgo and the valley of the Fars River. The stone blocks from which the walls of the chapel were made were hewn from natural stone by hand.

Chapel. AiF/ Photo by Arthur Lautenschläger

University and Chinar waterfalls

These waterfalls are not as famous in Adygea as, for example, the famous Rufabgo. There are few people here, and this is a great opportunity to get a pleasant walking experience.

The Chinarsky waterfall is located near the village of Temnolesskaya, on the Chinarevoy gully. The waterfall is relatively small, but surrounded by a mossy amphitheater. From the Chinar waterfall, along the rock along the left bank of the ravine, a path leaves. Its main part runs along the river bed. Along the way, every now and then there are beautiful rifts and rapids that enchant you with the wild beauty of untouched nature.

Chinarsky waterfall. AiF/ Photo by Arthur Lautenschläger

After walking about a kilometer along this path, you can come to a rather powerful and beautiful waterfall. This is the University Waterfall, 60 meters high with several ledges.

University Falls. AiF/ Photo by Arthur Lautenschläger

It is surrounded by relief rocks, which are interspersed with colorful minerals everywhere. At the foot of the ledge, a falling stream has carved out a depression occupied by a small lake. The route requires caution when descending a steep slope, but specially installed cables will help even an unprepared tourist.

Photo: AiF/ Photo by Arthur Lautenschläger

Stone sea

Another amazing place is the Stone Sea ridge. It consists of layers of limestone formed more than 130 million years ago.

Ridge Stone Sea. AiF/ Photo by Arthur Lautenschläger

The highest point of the ridge is Mount Nagoy-Kosh, which rises 2050 meters above sea level.

While walking through the thick grass, you can see the stone crests of the waves, which are either completely round and smooth, or sharp and long. One of the reasons for the popularity of this place among tourists is the large mound, which is located on the top of the rocky Nagoy-Kosh mountain. According to legend, the shepherd Lago and Princess Naki, who fell in love with each other and, contrary to their parents’ will, ran away together . The lovers hidin the mountains, and when they realized that they were overtaken by the princely troops of Naka’s father, holding hands they rushed off the cliff. The Lago-Naki plateau was named in their honor.

Ridge Stone Sea AiF/ Photo by Arthur Lautenschläger

"Devil's finger"

An unusual rock rises above a mountain valley not far from the village of Dakhovskaya. In shape it resembles some kind of two-horned creature. One rocky horn was named "Devil's Finger".

Devil's Finger Rock. AiF/ Photo by Arthur Lautenschläger

On the way to the rock there are numerous caves and grottoes. Some of them are cross-cutting. Armed with a flashlight, you can go into the cave, walk around the sites of ancient people, and find the exit on a completely different side.

Grotto on the way to the rock. AiF/ Photo by Arthur Lautenschläger

It’s also amazing that you can even see Elbrus from the Devil’s Finger. True, it is noticeable only five or six days a year, when weather conditions, temperature and air humidity coincide successfully.

Bogatyrskaya Polyana

This is a funeral complex in the Maykop region of Adygea and one of the largest concentrations of Caucasian dolmens (funeral structures) - more than 150. Archaeologists say that previously there were four hundred megaliths here, but a huge part was plundered. The surviving dolmens are made of sandstone slabs and have approximately the same structure and size.

Photo by Arthur Lautenschläger

The ancient Circassians called dolmens “ispun”, which means “house of a dwarf”. And the ancient Adyghe legend says that in ancient times, very strong but tiny people lived in these places - dwarfs, who built these houses for themselves.

Dolmens of Bogatyrskaya Polyana. AiF/ Photo by Arthur Lautenschläger

Russian settlers who founded the surrounding villages: Sevastopol, Tsarskaya (Novosvobodnaya), Abadzekhskaya - after the end of the Caucasian war, called these unusual buildings “heroic huts”. Since the huts were made of huge blocks of stone, the name “Bogatyrskaya Polyana” later stuck.

Musical caves

At the source of the Aminovka River there are three mysterious caves - “Dukhan”, “Saxophone” and “Flute”. Why mysterious? Yes, because even experienced guides and local historians often confuse the caves and cannot say with certainty where each of them is located. And some consider “Flute” not a separate cave, but a second exit from “Dukhan”.

Entrance to the cave "Dukhan" AiF/ Photo by Arthur Lautenschläger

Each of the caves has an unusual acoustic effect. A small stream flows inside the “Flute”, the murmur of water echoes from the cave arches and becomes similar to the sounds of a flute. From another cave, sounds reminiscent of playing a saxophone are clearly heard.

The most desperate ones can take a separate four-hour underground journey about the cave "Dukhan" " Along the way you will encounter a large underground waterfall, huge stone halls and countless karst sinkholes. The journey is quite dangerous. TMoreover, in many places the passages are very narrow and you will need some skill to overcome some sections of the route.

When I found out that the Una-Koz ridge is more than a hundred kilometers long, I didn’t believe it! After all, as it seemed to us, we covered a large and interesting part of it in a few hours, and this is clearly not a hundred kilometers. But after carefully studying the maps, I became convinced of this information. It really does not end with the radial route that we took, but goes further towards the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia. But to get acquainted with its main beauties, you don’t need to walk the entire length of the ridge; it’s enough to cover 7-8 km. The height of the Una-Koz ridge is on average from 800 to 1000 meters above sea level. Near the village of Kamennomostsky the ridge is limited by the gorge of the same name and the Belaya River. And it is from Kamennomostsky that we are heading our way. Our route turned out to be radial, that is, from where we start it there and return, but on a slightly different road.

He took about 6 hours, and its length was 7.5 kilometers. Following this route, you can visit various grottoes, the Devil’s Finger rock, the Dakhovskaya, Pylnaya, Meandrovaya caves, and also take a ride on the cable car.

The Una-Koz ridge is a karst limestone and is therefore rich in caves and grottoes. Its name from ancient Greek means “go and be afraid,” which is associated with the fact that robbers were hiding in the caves and attacking trade caravans heading to the sea. And through Khadzhokh (Rufabgo waterfalls, Adygea), as we remember, one of the threads of the Silk Road ran. And also in some caves sites of primitive people were found.

How to get to the Una-Koz ridge

This popular daytime route can now be accessed from at least two directions. From the village of Dakhovskaya, from the old Dakhovsky bridge across the Dakh River there is a path to the ridge. She leads to the Iron rock. From the Utyug rock you can turn left and walk to the Dakhovskaya cave. And if you turn right, you can see the Pylnaya, Meandrovaya caves, and several more grottoes, climb a rocky section of the ridge and examine the Devil’s Finger rock, and then walk towards the cable car and find the grotto and site of an ancient man. The latter, by the way, we couldn’t find; we turned off too early. And the second option: get to the cable car, which is located opposite the turn to Lago-Naki, climb it and walk along the ridge to the Devil's Finger rock, go down from the ridge and visit all the attractions described above.

The second option seemed more logical to us. Firstly, a ride on the cable car is always interesting, and most importantly, if after reaching the Devil’s Finger rock, you don’t feel the strength to go down from the ridge and walk the whole way, then you can return to the cable car again and go down in comfort and a beautiful view, because you paid for the descent when you went up. And secondly, even if you don’t want to go down the cable car, your path on foot will be mostly downhill, you will spend less effort, and in the end you will come to the same cable car, if you left your car there.

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Hiking route along the Una-Koz ridge

From the parking lot we head to the cable car and pass by the chapel erected in memory of the repressed Cossacks.

The cable car was built in 2015 and its length is 1265 m. The elevation gain is about 450 m. But still, taking a ride on the cable car is like a little holiday every time, some kind of forgotten feeling from childhood, like riding on a big carousel!

This time this holiday cost 500 rubles per person for the ascent and descent. Not the cheapest holiday, but oh well. Already when climbing the cable car, a wonderful view of the Skala tract opens up, and you can also see the Lago-Naki plateau, in our case everything is still covered in snow.

I also liked that the cable car goes below the level of the tree crowns, and you get the feeling that you are moving in a tunnel of trees. In summer it will probably be a green tunnel.

We are arriving.

Immediately upon arrival we are greeted by a waypost. It seems that everything is clear, but I can’t imagine how we galloped past the site of an ancient man!

We begin our journey along the path that leads to the first observation deck, and also, as I understand, if you go down to the intermediate terrace, then to the grotto site of the ancient man.

From the observation deck a panorama opens up: the village of Dakhovskaya in the valley, a little to the right in the distance a patchy piece with snow, then snow-covered, the white peaks of Mount Oshten and the rocky, also covered with snow, the Stone Sea ridge. Well, what’s next, to the left, it’s hard for me to say. There is definitely the Black Shikhan Mountain in the middle ground, and then many ridges and mountains of the Main Caucasian Range.

Below is the beginning of the cable car and the bridge over Belaya and the road to Lago-Naki and the Skala tract is visible.

View towards Kamennomostsky, and the village itself in the distance.

We continue our path towards the Devil's Finger, the trail is marked, so it’s difficult to get lost.

While still sitting at home and looking at maps, I noted the Dakhovskaya cave for myself and for some reason I didn’t realize at all that it would be under a rocky section of the ridge. And when I started to get more or less close to it based on the coordinates, I was finally convinced of this. It must be somewhere down there.

You need to go to it from the Iron rock to the left, if you look at Una-Koz. Well, we, having realized this fact and at the same time being on top of the ridge, continued our path to the Devil's Finger. Or maybe we’ll find something else interesting along the way.

Tetis Rope Park

We reach the Tetis rope park. If you are in a hurry to get to Devil's Finger, then follow the signs, but we decided to look into the park and see what they offer. And they offer a lot of routes: trolls/zip line, via ferrata, rope routes, all of which require time and money, of course. To be honest, I wanted to fly over the trees next to the rocks along the troll route, but time was limited, and we moved on. Another time somewhere in the future somehow another time sometime later.

From the park we saw the Iron stone for the first time.

And also an almost complete panorama opens from the ridge.

On the left you can already see the Bolshoi and Maly Tkhach mountains, which are part of the Bolshoi Tkhach Natural Park. Someday I hope to visit it.

Almost close-up of Dakhovskaya village and beautiful clouds.

Well, about the Iron stone a little later, when we get closer to it. We continue our way to the Devil's finger.

Devil's finger rock

We've arrived. The rock appears among the trees. Yes, the height is decent! And you have to climb it with caution! And the views from it are gorgeous, like the Devil’s Finger rock itself; against the backdrop of the mountains it is irresistible. Although the finger, I would say, is clearly not singular, it is more likely the damn fingers. Or a damn goat!

View from the Devil's Finger rock.

A little to the left of the Devil's Finger rock there is a descent from the top of the ridge under a rocky area, where there is a path to the Utyug stone and an exit to the village of Dakhovskaya.

Meander Cave

Moving not far from the descent, we meet the first cave. The entrance to the cave is located on a hill, so you can miss it.

The cave is not very deep, but still has its winged guardians. It seemed to me that this was just the Meander Cave, so be it! It's definitely not dusty! And the ceiling is sparkling.

Next I find some kind of fault, and it looks like it has a through passage, but I didn’t want to climb there, there’s no intrigue. Let's move on, I want to find the next cave.

Dusty Cave

And here it looks like she is!
The entrance to it is quite large, as it might seem initially.

It is definitely impossible to confuse it with another one, since there really is a lot of dust there. In my opinion, it’s simply impossible to get into it and not get dirty!

The cave has a high ceiling. And you look at some of the stones above with apprehension.

The cave ends at a narrowing.

Let's go out.

Sometimes the path comes close to the rock, this makes it possible to further appreciate how large the Una-Koz ridge is.

Fortune Stone

And here is the Fortune Stone. It is not known for certain why it is named that way. Some people think because if you pass under it, good fortune awaits you. And the thought came to me, based on the size and its inclination, that fortune lies in the fact that it will remain in place while I pass under it, and I, in turn, will remain intact.

Stone Iron

We approach the Iron stone.

It didn’t seem small even from a distance, but even more so up close! Height is about 20 meters, length is about 50 meters. The stone broke off from the rock during a German shelling of the ridge from the village of Dakhovskaya in 1942. There were Russian partisans on the ridge, in fact this was the reason for the shelling; apparently the Germans were unable to reach them any other way. Now the stone is also notable for its parallel lines, the appearance of which some associate with the landings of aliens. We also wondered how they could have appeared. The water clearly does not flow in such even lines, it flows in the way that is easier for it. Otherwise there would be no proverb about water always finding its way. But the fact that this is an alternation of more and less durable geological layers is only possible on the scale of the ridge, and maybe even larger. And the grooves appeared in less durable rock layers under the influence of erosion.

Next, our path runs along the slope through the forest to the Dakhovsky Bridge.

And this delicate purple flower turned out to be very unusual. This Toothwort belongs to the popular Cruciferous family. There is a popular name - Wild Lilac. This plant is on the verge of extinction, so it is listed in the Red Book. It disappears due to trampling of the soil by livestock and due to trampling and collecting in bouquets by traveling people, since it grows on loose soils and reproduces only by seeds. An interesting feature: a new plant can bear fruit only 5 years after its birth, if during these five years no one tramples it down or picks it. But it turns out that it is also a rhizome and can also multiply if it is not trampled down.

We reached the Dakhovsky Bridge already at dusk and had almost no strength left to get around it and take a good picture. For orientation, only a silhouette through the thicket.

Further along the Kamennomostsky-Guzeripl road we reached the cable car, which by that time had already finished its work for the day. And our car was waiting for us in the parking lot.
We liked the walk along the Una-Koz ridge for its contrasts. Grottoes and caves – expanses of mountains and numerous panoramic platforms. Forest with flowers and herbs - open glades.
The varied views were pleasing to the eye and sparked interest to move further along the unexplored path.

Video: Adygea in spring

Granite Gorge, Una-Koz, Mishoko River Gorge, Khadzhokhskaya Gorge and Yavorova Glade

Near the village of Dakhovskaya there is a cable car that takes tourists to the Una-Koz ridge. From there you have a stunning view of Dakhovskaya. In good weather you can even see Mount Oshten. It’s worth coming up here not only to ride the cable car and admire the view. Tourists can find some more interesting entertainment here.

Map

The map shows the main points of interest in the area. Not far from the cable car station there is a grotto, or cave of desires. There, everyone can tie ribbons anywhere and make a wish. To be honest, this place is not for everybody.

Near the cave you can also look at the view. And in general, there are a lot of sites around, there is something to see.

A well-trodden path through the forest leads to the park. But I think it’s better not to come here after heavy rains.

The park will offer entertainment for every taste. There is a classic rope park, trolls through the gorge, and swings. It all depends on how much you are addicted to adrenaline. These entertainments did not seem interesting to us; we wanted to get to the Devil's Finger rock.

I read a lot on the Internet about "Devil's Finger". There was even information that it was very difficult to get there; to climb the rock itself you would need alpine equipment. Everything turned out to be lies. Walking one way will take no more than an hour. It is worth considering that ATV enthusiasts often ride along it. So, if you have the opportunity to grab high boots, take them!

The road is complicated by the fact that there are no signs on it. And the sign in the area of the park and the cable station says that it’s a very long walk (literally). In fact, you need to go from Tethys Park. It is best to use a navigator. By the way, I have already advised my readers. A lot has improved since I wrote this review. But he, the brute, doesn’t show the mark quite correctly. Therefore, when approaching the rock, I advise you not to turn right where the navigator leads, but to go a little further. The road will go straight and slightly up and to the right, here it’s worth turning.

In general, as I already wrote, the walk from Tethys Park is about an hour. The road is quite feasible for unprepared tourists. It is only complicated by the dirty and washed out road.

By the way, you can see birds of prey in the sky. I'm no expert, but I'm guessing it's an eagle!

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They say that gangs of robbers used to operate on the Una-Koz ridge and everyone was afraid to walk here.

So it was or not, now no one knows for sure. Only the legends and the beauties themselves remain.

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