Car tours in Russia: traveling to the Caucasus by car. Hiking and traveling in the Caucasus Traveling in the Caucasus mountains

It is perhaps difficult to find mountainous areas that combine both easy accessibility and picturesqueness, like the Maykop and Absheron regions.

And although one region is located on, and the other on the territory of the Krasnodar Territory, it is inappropriate to talk about borders here, since these regions are a single natural complex.

Many scenic spots are easily accessible to tourists traveling by private vehicle. There is an extensive network of good roads.

The described regions of the North Caucasus fascinate with their unique diversity. And the Republic of Adygea, which is located on the most picturesque slopes of the Caucasus Range, is currently one of the largest tourist centers in the North Caucasus.

Mineral water. This city is known as a transport hub, a gateway to the North Caucasus: the North Caucasus Railway (Rostov - Baku) and one of the longest highways (Moscow - Tbilisi) pass through it, and the country's largest airport is located here. The city has more than 60 thousand inhabitants.

In 1878, the village of Sultanovsky arose near the railway station, and in 1905 it was renamed Illarionovsky. Since 1922, the village was officially reorganized into the city of Mineralnye Vody.

Before the revolution, there were bottle factories, brick factories and a slaughterhouse in these places. And now there are two dozen industrial enterprises, transport and construction organizations in the city.

The oldest enterprise in Mineralnye Vody is the locomotive (formerly locomotive) depot named after S. M. Kirov, awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. The museum created by the depot team (it is located in the Palace of Culture of Railway Workers) contains interesting documents and exhibits telling about the glorious history of the enterprise. Of particular interest is the exhibition dedicated to revolutionary events and the Great Patriotic War. There is an extensive section introducing the working traditions of the team, which ensures the uninterrupted dispatch of 100 thousand passengers per day and the transportation of a large number of national economic goods.

The Mineralnye Vody airport, which was founded in 1925, never stops day or night. air station from where small airplanes made flights to Rostov. Nowadays, airliners such as Il-86, Tu-154, Tu-134, Yak-40 deliver passengers to Moscow, Lvov, Norilsk, Yakutsk and other cities of the Soviet Union, as well as to the countries of the Near and Middle East, to India (the airport is connected with them about 100 air routes). The airport has a museum of military and labor glory.

In 1976, another transport enterprise was created in the city - Sovavtominvody, whose drivers drive cars to many countries of the world, including the CMEA countries, Austria, France, Holland, Sweden, etc.

A large and one of the oldest enterprises in the city is the glass factory named after Andzhievsky. In the past it was a bottle factory, where until 1937 bottles were made by hand. In the post-war years, after the reconstruction of workshops here, for the first time in the country, an automatic line for the production of bottles for mineral waters and juices began to operate. The products of the reinforced concrete pressure pipe plant, the roofing felt plant and the spinning and weaving factory are in great demand. Tourists vacationing in Kavminvody are familiar with the products of the Souvenir plant.

The largest printing enterprise in the Caucasus is the printing plant. The single circulation of the central newspapers printed here is 1.5 million copies. Previously, matrices were delivered to the Ministry of Water Resources by plane from Moscow and Stavropol, but now newspaper pages from central publishing houses are received via communication channels. The printing plant produces books, albums and other printed products in large quantities.

The village is well landscaped. A significant part of its territory is occupied by individual buildings. Nice houses are surrounded by gardens and flower beds. Multi-storey buildings are also being built in Inozemtsevo for residents, the number of which exceeds 20 thousand people. The village is inhabited by winegrowers, dairy factory workers, and employees of the Russian Republican Sericulture Station (more than 200 varieties of mulberries grow in the station’s nursery). The children's sanatorium "Solnechny" and the House of Labor Veterans "Beshtau" are located here.

In Inozemtsevo, where Soviet soldiers are buried, a memorial has been opened. Of the attractions here, the most famous is the Roschke House (see section "Zheleznovodsk").

Mashuk is the second station in the united village of Inozemtsevo. Soon the windows of the train will offer a view of the Pyatigorsk television center. Tsashuk, “the giver of healing streams,” is crowned with an openwork television tower. And now the train arrives at Lermontovskaya station. Large buildings are visible against the backdrop of Mount Mashuk - this is the northwestern resort area of ​​Pyatigorsk.

Lermontovskaya station.
It was not named this way by chance - not far from it is the place of M.Yu.’s duel. Lermontov. This station has already entered the territory of the city of Pyatigorsk. The neighborhoods of the White Romashka residential area are approaching here. The train goes as if along a city street, where multi-storey residential buildings are visible towards Mashuk, and on the other side, behind the carriage windows, there are single-storey individual houses. The history of Pyatigorsk, its past and present is described in detail in the “Pyatigorsk” section.

There is a new railway station, which is reached by an underground passage. Then stop in Novopyatigorsk. It was here, not far from the place where the railway platform is now, that the Konstantinogorsk fortress was founded, which laid the foundation for Pyatigorsk.

To the right as the train moves, there is a view of Beshtau. The top of the mountain is covered with subalpine meadows; oak, hornbeam, and beech grow on the slopes. The forest not only decorates Mount Beshtau, but also restrains its destruction and protects mineral springs.

Horse racing station.
The name is explained simply - there is a hippodrome here. The first horse racing took place there in 1885. Now the area of ​​the hippodrome is 23 hectares, the length of its tracks is 2,100 m, and the stands can accommodate 3 thousand spectators. The racing season lasts from May to October.

Zolotushka station.
Even before stopping in Zolotushka, it becomes clear that they are engaged in poultry farming - the farms of the Beshtaugorets poultry farm are visible. The central estate of the factory at Zolotushka station turned into a comfortable workers' village with multi-storey residential buildings, a kindergarten, a club and a cinema.

Zolotushka is one of the stops related to the city of Essentuki, it is its eastern outskirts. The Zolotushka residential area in the city has four microdistricts (the first of which began to be built in 1962). More than 20 thousand people live here.

Essentuki.
The train approaches the resort area of ​​Essentuki, adjacent to the railway. In the eastern part of the resort, well landscaped, with straight streets, in beautiful ancient and modern buildings there are sanatoriums "Communist", named after G. G. Andzhievsky, "Soviet Miner", etc. From Semashko Street through an underground passage you can take a shortcut from the Zapolotnyanskaya part resort go to the old resort area, healing park.

From the window of the carriage on the right you can see the park named after the Lenin Komsomol, where the sanatoriums “Zori”, “Aurora”, named after the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution, a hydropathic clinic and other resort institutions are located. Near the station there is a boarding house for railway workers "Valley of Narzans", a House of Public Services and a restaurant "Olympia". A description of the main attractions of the city of Essentuki is given in the "Essentuki" section.

Departing from Essentuki station, the train goes quite high above the old part of the city, which, being the only steppe resort of Kavminvod, is located at an altitude of 600-650 m above sea level (100 meters above Pyatigorsk). The attention of those traveling by rail is attracted by the artificial Essentuki Lake, fed by the waters of the Podkumok River. There is a park on its shore, a boat station and beaches, and two restaurants. One of them is called “Zastava” and is designed as a Cossack fortification (the yard is surrounded by logs, the roof of the building is tiled, and the furnishings inside are made in the style of a Cossack tavern).

White Coal station.
This name is associated with the first state-owned hydroelectric power station built here, on the Podkumok River. The hydroelectric power station building is marked with memorial plaques, and a museum of the station’s history has been created here. In the same village there is a museum of the life of the Terek Cossacks (see section "Essentuki"),

Behind the village of Bely Ugol, in the floodplain of the river, a glass town is visible - this is a greenhouse plant of the Essentuksky dairy and vegetable state farm, which supplies the resort with fresh vegetables even in winter.

Podkumok station.
From here it is only 10 km. From Podkumok station you can see the Borgustan Range. The upper ridge line below resembles the profile of a sleeping girl. This section of the ridge is called Sleeping Beauty. At the foot of the ridge is the village of Podkumok. On the building of the old station (to the left along the train) there is a memorial plaque: “Here on December 13, 1921, the White Guard bandits brutally killed: the station manager Trishkin L.M., the station attendants Bormashev M.I., Smolyakov V., the watchman and his wife - Kalmykov Ya. G., Kalmykova M. N., wife of switchman Pogorelov E. A. with three children aged from one to five years.”

Archaeological excavations were carried out in the valley of the Podkumok River: daggers, arrowheads, mirrors, temple pendants, clay vessels, earthenware beads from Egypt were found, which were common in the Caucasus from the 1st century. BC. to the 3rd century AD

From the train window you can see, at the very foot of the Borgustan ridge, an almost round hole glows through a spur. This is Ring Mountain. The road leads past it to Honey Falls, Rim Mountain, Klin-Yar and other attractions in the vicinity of Kislovodsk.

On the right you can see the surface of the new lake with an area of ​​65 hectares. On its shores there are beaches, a boat station, and a cafe. The train passes through the territory of the northern part of the city, where there was the village of Kislovodskaya, founded in 1825 by Cossacks from Khopr. The village was merged with the city, and soon it will be built up with city buildings.

The train stops here.

This is Minutka - the name is associated with the period of construction of the railway. When the village residents found out that there was no planned stop here, they contacted the Vladikavkaz Railway administration and asked that the train stop in the village for at least one minute. The request was respected, and the stop was given the name “Minutka”.

After driving around the city for some time - from the window of the car you can see the sports complex, the city center, Verkhny Park, etc. - the train stops at the final station of Kislovodsk (at an altitude of 827 m above sea level). On Station Square, sanatorium buses and public transport are available to those arriving.

COUNTRY PEDESTRIAN TOURIST AND EXCURSION ROUTES

Kislovodsk - Honey Falls - Grishkina Balka. Length - 54 km. Duration - 2 days.

Scheme of the walking route to Honey Falls and Grishkina Balka
The route starts from the stud farm, where you can get there by regular bus (stop in the village of Krasny Kurgan).

From the stud farm village, in the alignment of the poplar alley, an emerald green mound is visible, which will serve as a landmark almost throughout the entire journey. From the factory's stables a path leads south through the meadows, leading to the road.

At the foot of the mound, on the eastern side, there is the picturesque Honey Beam. From the road you can clearly see the Bokal rock at the bottom of the ravine. This free-standing rock, 8 m high, really resembles a glass, expanding upward. There is a spring in the ravine, the water from it flows in four cascades into a small pond. Here you can make your first stop to admire the pictures of nature and adjust your equipment.

And here are Honey Falls on the ledges of the Alikonovka River bed. The largest waterfall (18 m) forms the Echki-Bash (goat's head) river, a tributary of Alikonovka. Another waterfall, smaller in height (6 m), but with more water, forms the main stream. Several small waterfalls fall from low rapids, bubble and splash.

There is a good trail upstream from Honey Falls. It passes from one bank to the other several times through floodplain open forest and leads to the mouth of the right tributary of the Alikonovka River Ak-Su. There is a kosh here. This place is convenient for lunch.

From the kosh there begins a gentle ascent through the Ak-Su valley, covered with tall-grass subalpine meadow. At the top on the left side of the beam there is another pit, near which you can stop for the night.

Grishkina Balka is famous for its karst caves, waterfalls, bizarre stone figures. An underground river emerges from under the overhanging canopy of a huge rock in a powerful stream; at the mouth of the ravine there are mineral springs.

Cross the road, go straight west, and soon you will find another road going down into the ravine. You need to walk along it a little more before the turn, and then move down the slope towards the hole at the top of the beam.

The path will cross the small valley of the upper right tributary of the Stalaktitka. Along it, moving south, you need to go down to the river, where, not far from the mouth of this tributary, there is a picturesque waterfall that closes the entrance to one of the caves. The caves here are small. They are decorated with sinter formations and deposits of the most delicate creamy-pink color of travertine with a delicate openwork pattern. You can spend the night in the caves or shelter from the rain. From the caves there is a path downstream, which, winding through the subalpine tall grass, leads to the river valley. Eshkakon.

The left bank and northern slopes here are covered with dense deciduous forests, while the southern slopes are treeless. From above, powerful limestone outcrops form cliffs of bizarre shapes. The Virgo rock is especially expressive. Near the mouth, the valley narrows sharply, forming a canyon. Climbing one of the rocks on the right side of the valley, you can admire the landscape of the wild, forested Eshkakon gorge. The subalpine meadows are picturesque with a woodland of birch and an undergrowth of azalea - yellow rhododendron.

It is better to return to Kislovodsk along the grader road from the upper reaches of Grishkina Balka to the north to the stud farm.

Kislovodsk - Narzanov Valley - Djily-Su. Length - 146 km, active means of transportation - 90 km. The duration of the trip is 6 days.

Scheme and profile of the pedestrian route to Djily-Su (segments on the profile indicate the distance between points, km)
From Kislovodsk you can get to the Karachay village of Kichi-Balyk (15 km) by regular bus. The road along the Kabardian plateau has a long, gentle climb. All summer long, grasses bloom wildly in the meadows, and the air is filled with the aroma of lilies and azaleas. From the plateau the wild rocky gorge of the river is clearly visible. Kichmalki.

From the village of Kichi-Balyk the road rises steeply and serpentinely to the Shidzhatmaz plateau. And then the road branches: it goes to the left to Baksan, to the right - to the top of Shidzhatmaz, marked by a triangulation tower, to the mountain astronomical and meteorological stations, and straight - to the Narzan Valley. Here you can stop and go on an excursion to astronomers and meteorologists -

To the south of the astronomical station is the top of Mount Shidzhatmaz, from where a 360-degree panorama opens. In the south there is a snow-covered chain of the Main Caucasian and Advanced ranges with the double-headed Elbrus. In the north are the Borgustan and Kabardinsky ranges. The Kislovodsk Basin is visible between them. In the northeast are the laccoliths of Pyatigorye. In the west rise the massifs of Small and Big Bermamyt, in the southwest - the Bechasyn plateau, in the southeast - Kinzhal. The river valley is visible below. Khasaut, where the further path lies. From Shijatmaz you need to go east. After some time there will be a headquarters for transhumance pastures. There is a canteen, a store, and a hotel. The headquarters organizes the life and work of pastoralists, monitors the condition of pastures, controls weight gain and milk yield.

From the headquarters to the Narzan Valley, you need to walk along a picturesque gorge, the southern and eastern slopes of which are covered with meadows, and the northern and western slopes are covered with birch forests.

Crossing the bridge over the river. Khasaut, you find yourself in the Narzan Valley. Here is a tourist center owned by the Kabardino-Balkarian Council for Tourism and Excursions. The base serves the planned tourist route: Nalchik - Narzanov Valley - Kislovodsk.

In the lower reaches of the river. There are 17 mineral springs in Khasaut, all of the same type in mineral composition, reminiscent of Kislovodsk Narzan.

The valley is located at an altitude of about 1000 m, but is fenced off from cold air masses from the north by ridges. It is stretched from west to east, and therefore is well illuminated by the sun. After stopping for the night in the Narzan Valley, you can go to the right tributary of the Malki - Small Lakhran, where there is a waterfall up to 20 m high.

On the second day you need to get to the river valley. Harbas. This is a 20 km journey along the Bechasyn plateau, where a road is laid among the meadows, starting from the camp site.

After a fairly steep climb through a birch forest, a plain with colorful flowers opens up. There is a good outlook ahead. After 3 km of the road there is a spring to the left of the road, you can rest and have lunch near it. Then the road forks. Here the road turned left to the southeast. Soon a steep descent into the river valley will begin. Kharbas, winding like a serpentine along the treeless southern slope.

At the bottom of the picturesque gorge flows the stormy Kharbas River, the left tributary of the Malka. Here in the forest, away from the water, it is convenient to spend the night.

The third day begins with an ascent to the Kharbas plateau (5 km). Further along the road there is a good spring, where you can have lunch. A kilometer to the south there is a fork in the road: a branch to the west - to the river. Musht and on the Bechasyn plateau, and to the south the ascent to the Kayaoshik pass begins. The road passes between the cliff of the river gorge. Malki and Mount Tuzluk. Ahead, the panorama of Elbrus is obscured by the black jagged ridge of Mount Sirkh. They go around it on the left, going up a serpentine road along the scree to a simple pass. You can pass the pass by following cattle trails to the upper reaches of the river. Malki.

Behind the pass at the confluence of the river. The Kyzyl-Kol, flowing from the west, and the nameless right tributary at an altitude of 2,500 m produce cold, well-carbonated narzans.

Moving down the Malka River, you enter a narrow canyon where the water of the Kyzyl-Su River falls from a huge lava ledge. The waterfall is called Sultan. Its height is 20 m. It is interesting to explore the Valley of Castles - the Kala-Kulak gully. The earthen pyramids formed as a result of the erosion of moraines really resemble castles.

They go around the waterfall on the left, climb up the crystalline massif, and then go down, cross the bridge to the right bank of the river. Malki. At the confluence of the rivers that form Malka, there are the Narzans of Djily-Su. Their water temperature is +22°.

Jili-Su is very popular among local residents, and there are always tents of tourists and vacationers here.

Kislovodsk - Narzanov Valley - Bermamyt. Length - 93 km. Duration - 4 days.

Scheme and profile of the walking route to Bermamyt (segments on the profile indicate the distance between points, km)
Trips to Bermamyt were made by the first vacationers on Kavminvody. M. Yu. Lermontov painted a landscape here with a view of Elbrus. A.P. Chekhov (1896) and A.M. Gorky (1903) visited here. The magnificent painting was created by N. A. Yaroshenko. You can see it before going to Bermamyt in the Kislovodsk Museum of this artist.

You can choose different ways to approach and approach Bermamyt. The shortest road leads along the Bermamyt plateau to the south from Uchkeken, but it is very monotonous and therefore unattractive. Although longer, the path through the Narzan Valley is much more interesting. The route to this valley (described above) can be completed in one day. On the second day, from the Narzan Valley you need to go west to the village of Khasaut. A good dirt road leads there with kilometer signs along the above-floodplain terrace of the left bank of the river. Hasaut.

2.5 km west of the Narzan Valley in the river. Khasaut flows into the right tributary of the river. Musht. Here is the village of Musht, where gold miners lived before the Great Patriotic War. There was a large village with up to 300 households. Now there are only seven courtyards.

There are several mineral springs in the Khasauta valley; the slopes are cut by a dense network of tributaries. To the west of Mushta the tributary is called the Old Fortress. On the ridge there are the remains of an old building - a tower or fortress. Higher up the valley near the Kamnpla gully there is an interesting old Alan burial ground.

After another 2 km there is a tributary of the Bau-Kol (there were once Karachay buildings here - bau).

Aul Khasaut is located 15 km from the Narzan Valley.

From Khasaut you can see Small and Big Bermamyt with a weather station at the top. They are impressive in size and shape. Of these, Maly Bermamyt is higher and located to the south. The recommended road to Bolshoi Bermamyt leads along the river bank. The northern slopes of the valley are wooded, the southern slopes are bare.

Around the bend, on a hill, the Kislovodsk Resort Council has built a dacha, near which you can spend the night.

And now the climb to Bolshoi Bermamyt begins. Crossing the Bermamyt River over stones, through a meadow, past a swamp, you come out to a rocky cliff up to 50 m high and more than 500 m long. Here the road turns into a path, turns left and after 300 m begins to rise steeply. Caucasian rhododendron blooms along the slopes.

The trail crosses a marshy area and the slope becomes steeper. The trail then joins the road. It will lead to the top.

Bermamyt drops steeply to the south towards Elbrus. The rocks below bristled with sharp stones. The view from Bermamyt is especially impressive at sunrise, when Elbrus is illuminated with pink light. Behind the weather station, an observation balcony has been built above the southern cliff.

On Bermamyt there is no fuel for a fire and no sources of water, so tourists who want to watch the sunrise must take water with them and have a primus stove.

The return journey is easier along a plateau slightly inclined to the north. After 4 km of descent, a gentle ascent begins along the slope of Mount Alabaster, which has a two-headed low peak. The road runs along the saddle between the peaks and goes down.

Then you have to climb Mount Abazy-Kishlak, and from there it’s not so far to the Alikonovsky cheese factory (there are many roads here, and in order not to get lost, you need to stick to those that lead to the right). You can spend the night at the plant. Not far from it is the upper reaches of Alikonovka, having descended into the valley of which, you need to go to the lower reaches of the river. Along the way, you can’t help but stop at Honey Falls, the Castle Rock, and admire the local landscapes.

ALL-UNION AND LOCAL PLANNED TOURIST ROUTES

Vouchers for planned all-Union routes are distributed by the bureau for the sale of tourist and excursion vouchers and all republican, regional and regional councils for tourism and excursions, which allocate part of the vouchers to trade union organizations of enterprises and institutions that have the opportunity to sell them to tourists on preferential terms. The other part of the vouchers is sold individually for cash. Vacation packages for local routes are distributed by local tourism and excursion boards.

All-Union routes

Military-Sukhumi road (43). " 3 days - bus - Teberda, tourist center "Azgek" 5 days - bus - Dombay, tourist complex "Dombay" 3 days - Northern shelter 1 day - crossing the Klukhorsky pass - Southern shelter 2 days - bus. - Sukhumi, tourist center named after the XV Congress of the Komsomol 6 days Duration 20 days June-September.

Foothills of the Caucasus (85). Nalchik, tourist center "Lesnaya Polyana" 7 days. - tourist center "Valley of Narzanov" 8 days. - Pyatigorsk, camp site "Romashka" 5 days. Travel by bus. Duration 20 days. May-October.

Foothills of the Caucasus (280). Pyatigorsk, camp site "Romashka" 5 days. - tourist center "Valley of Narzans" 8 days. -Nalchik, tourist center "Lesnaya Polyana" 7 days. Travel by bus. Duration 20 days. May-October.

In the resorts of the North Caucasus (310). Teberda, tourist hotel "Teberda" 6 days. - Pyatigorsk, tourist hotel "Beshtau" 6 days. - Nalchik, tourist hotel "Nart" 6 days. Travel by bus. Duration 18 days. April-December.

For the resorts of the North Caucasus (311). Nalchik, tourist hotel "Nart" 6 days. - Pyatigorsk, tourist hotel "Beshtau" 6 days. - Teberda, tourist hotel "Teberda" 6 days. Traveling by bus. Duration 18 days. April-December.

Black Sea coast - North Caucasus (330). Adler, tourist hotel "Burgas" 5 days. - and. d. 1 day auto - Stavropol, tourist hotel "Tourist" 5 days. - author - Pyatigorsk, tourist hotel "Beshtau" 4 days. - author - Nalchik, tourist hotel "Nart" 5 days. Duration 20 days. January December.

North Caucasus - Black Sea coast (331). Nalchik, tourist center "Dolinsk" 4 days. - author - Pyatigorsk, tourist hotel "Beshtau" 5 days. -auth. - Stavropol, tourist hotel "Tourist" 4 days. - author and f. d. 1 day -Adler, tourist hotel "Burgas" 6 days. Duration 20 days. January-April.

Routes for auto tourists (for parents with children over 12 years old)

Along the Georgian Military Road to the Black Sea (2). Rostov-on-Don camping 3 days. - Pyatigorsk, camp site "Romashka" 3 days. - Baydaevka, camping 3 days. - Ordzhonikidze, tourist center "Redant" 3 days. - Gori, camping 3 days. - Kutaisi, camping 3 days. - Ga-gra, camping 6 days. Duration 24 days. June-September.

To the Caspian Sea (7). Rostov-on-Don, camping 2 days. - Stavropol, camping 2 days. - Teberda, tourist center "Azgek" 4 days. - Nalchik, tourist center "Lesnaya Polyana" 4 days. - Makhachkala, camping 2 days. - Derbent, camp site 6 days. Duration 20 days. June-September.

Local routes

Pyatigorsk - Stavropol (201). Pyatigorsk, tourist complex "Ozerny" 12 days. - author - Stavropol, tourist hotel "Tourist" 6 days. Duration 18 days. April May; August-November.

Stavropol - Pyatigorsk (202). Stavropol, tourist hotel "Tourist" 6 days. - author - Pyatigorsk, tourist complex "Ozerny" 12 days. Duration 18 days. April May; August-November.

Pyatigorsk - Kuban - Teberda (203). Pyatigorsk, tourist complex "Ozerny" 6 days. - author - Karachaevsk, tourist shelter "Kuban" 6 days. - author - Teberda, tourist complex "Teberda" 6 days. Duration 18 days. May-October.

Teberda - Kuban - Pyatigorsk (204). Teberda, tourist hotel "Teberda" 6 days. - author - Karachaevok, tourist shelter "Kuban" 6 days. - author - Pyatigorsk, tourist complex "Ozerny" 6 days. Duration 18 days. May-September.

Zheleznovodsk - Teberda (260). " 9 days - bus - Teberda, tourist center "Azgek" 9 days. Duration 18 days. May-October.

Along the foothills of the Western Caucasus (272). Arkhyz, tourist center "Arkhyz" 10 days. - author - Pyatigorsk, tourist hotel "Beshtau" 10 days. Duration 20 days. April-December.

Through the picturesque places of the Western Caucasus (284). Teberda, tourist center "Azgek" 10 days. - author - Pyatigorsk, tourist complex "Ozerny" 10 days. Duration 20 days. May-October.

Pyatigorsk, camp site "Beshtau" (689). Duration 20 days. All year round.

Pyatigorsk, tourist complex "Ozerny" (697). Duration 18 days. January-April, November-January.

Zheleznovodsk-zimny, camp site "Beshtau" (1160). Duration 18 days. January-April; September-January.

Zheleznovodsk-summer (1161). Tourist base "Beshtau" 12 days. - author - Teberda, tourist center "Azgek" 6 days. Duration 18 days. April-October.

ECOTOURISM

Ecotourism and specially protected natural areas (SPNA)

2.1. Aminovskoe Gorge

The Amin Gorge is named after Naib Shamil Mohammed Amin. During the Caucasian War, he led a 4,000-strong Circassian army and held the defense in the gorge from the advancing tsarist troops. Fierce battles took place here at that time. The village, which stood on the site of the present village of Abadzekhskaya, changed hands several times. But the aul, located on the left bank of the Belaya River, now the village of Kamennomostsky, was strongly fortified and impregnable. Nature itself helped to maintain the defense. It was impossible to cross the canyon of the Belaya River without falling under a Circassian bullet. There is also a legend that says that since the time of the Caucasian War, the gold of Muhammad Amin has been hidden in the caves of Aminovka.

The route along the Aminovsky Gorge is very beautiful and equally uncrowded - tourists come here quite rarely, there is beauty of untouched nature all around. There are no traditional tourist sites, rubbish or rubbish here. The trunks of tall beech and chestnut trees are not covered with various inscriptions. The Aminovskoye Gorge, like neighboring gorges, has picturesque waterfalls, rocky outcrops, mysterious grottoes, caves, and huge rock piles.

The path to the Aminovsky Gorge begins from Khadzhokh (Kamennomostsky village), along the river bed of the same name. The banks at the beginning of the journey are densely overgrown with chestnuts. The path gradually becomes less and less noticeable, and then completely disappears - then you should go straight along the rocky bed of the Aminovka River, polished by water. Along the way there are small waterfalls and waterfalls. In total, there are fifteen large and small waterfalls in the Aminovka River gorge. Five of them are the largest and are formed by the topography of the river itself. The remaining waterfalls fall from the steep walls of the gorge. Aminovka waterfalls are unique and different from the waterfalls of other gorges. They are the most smoothed out and calm. On one of them, with a wide, full-bed water belt, the river smoothly rolls down from a height of fifteen meters. At another waterfall, water rushes down in a multi-stage cascade, grumblingly noisy and gurgling, pressing against a huge rock. On the third, like a skilled sculptor, having cut a screw chute in a rock monolith, it splashes out into a small stone bowl with a fan of splashes and foam.

2.2. Meshoko Gorge

The path to the Meshoko gorge (translated from Circassian as “Bear Valley”) begins from an abandoned limestone quarry. Here is a huge multi-tiered section of monolithic rock. At the very bottom of a deep funnel-shaped quarry, a spring lake formed. Local boys immediately adopted it, attributing medicinal properties to it. After bathing, all minor abrasions and scratches on the boys healed instantly. The lake was named Red for its pink reflection from the rock.

There are also ruined limestone kilns here. After a ten-minute walk from the outskirts of the village, tourists arrive at the confluence of the Meshoko River and the Belaya River. The Una-Koz ridge in this place is cut by a deep gorge. From a small pine forest the path rises steeply up under steep cliffs and comes out to a large grotto. It has convenient parking for tourists. The overhanging rock keeps the rain out. Around the bend of the rock on a small terrace there is a drip spring. He fills a bowl carved into the rock with life-giving moisture. This place has very convenient rocks for climbing. Rugged and blocky rock walls allow for interesting routes of varying difficulty. Climbing training and competitions are often held on these rocks. At the top of the cliff there is a flat clearing. It offers an amazing view into the depths of the gorge. You can see the narrow ribbon of the road leading to Dakhovskaya, the foamy rapids of the Belaya River, and the steep rocky belt of the Azish-Tau ridge.

Below, at the foot of the cliff, the path leads deep into the Meshoko gorge. On the gray smoothed rocks, miraculously holding on

juniper grows with its roots behind the protrusions. You can hear the sound of thundering water - these are waterfalls. But because of the trees they are not immediately visible. We need to go down to the river. And here, from a rocky ledge, a waterfall rumbles with all its might, the largest stream of water, breaking, plays with the colors of the rainbow in the rays of the sun. The aura of small splashes pleasantly refreshes and cools the face. After big waterfall in a narrow rocky chute, on a short section of the path, several picturesque low waterfalls and overflows are located one after another. Overflowing one into the other, they quickly rush down. Passing this cascade of waterfalls is somewhat difficult. There is no path here. Therefore, tourists mainly explore, first only the first waterfalls. Then they climb the clay-talus slope to a single rock and go out to the caves.
Caves in the form of small depressions in the rocks are located on terraces. They are difficult to reach. An ancient man lived here. From them you can see the Meshoko gorge. From the cave sites of primitive man, the path leads to a large overhanging rock. This is also a convenient place to relax and spend the night. From here the cascade of waterfalls begins and goes down the gorge. Above the cascade, the Meshoko River flows smoothly, slowly. Here is the small Gorka waterfall. Here the river bed is blocked by a rocky ledge. A cup-shaped natural reservoir formed under it. Water falls into the reservoir along a winding stone chute, polished to a shine. This is one of the favorite waterfalls of the children of the health camps of the Khadzhokh Gornaya tourist center. They bathe in the waterfall with delight. The water flow along the smooth surface of the rock rolls the children down the waterfall and throws them out into the middle of the deep bowl. It is illuminated by the sun all day. Here, near the waterfalls, two springs flow out of rock faults. The water in them is clean, very cold and tasty. Immediately behind the Gorka waterfall, the river is compressed into a narrow rocky vice. On the right bank there is a dark and damp grotto. The sun's rays do not reach here. On the left bank along the rocky wall there is a comfortable terrace for relaxation. Directly along the riverbed, the rock “bag” closes with a very beautiful waterfall. It falls across the entire width of the riverbed. In the summer heat, children love to swim under it. A tight and cold stream of falling water refreshes, invigorates and massages the body.

Convenient stone steps allow you to come close to the waterfall and choose from the rushing stream the falling stream that you like. The girls, having barely touched the refreshing natural shower, jump out of it with a squeal. Boys, on the contrary, choose a stronger stream, trying to stay under it longer, feel its strength on their shoulders and fight with it. If there is not much water in the river, then the path through the gorge can be continued by climbing the rock ledges running along the waterfall. If water flow is large, then you can go around the waterfall along the path running along the right bank. Walking a little further up the river, we find ourselves in a small canyon, in which three more waterfalls roar. A road approaches the last waterfall from the southeastern outskirts of Khadzhokh. Here is a cozy clearing at the edge of the forest. Locals often relax there and swim under the waterfall, which forms two large and deep stone pools. They were jokingly nicknamed “Turkish baths”.

Further, the Meshoko gorge cuts through the mountainous forest almost to the Vesely farm. It contains many individual interesting rocks and giant flake stones. The river bed is smooth and clean. It consists of a monolithic rock polished to a shine. There is a landmark on the right and left banks. These are big grottoes. They were inhabited by humans several thousand years ago. Here tourists find tools of ancient man, bone products, and the remains of fire pits. The proposed route is convenient in that it starts from the train and returns to it. During daylight hours you can explore all the sights of the gorge. The route is accessible to people of all ages, especially children. There is a full range of attractions here: caves, rocks, grottoes, waterfalls, panoramic points. It is of interest to tourists, vacationers, climbers, rock climbers, archaeologists, artists, photographers and forest harvesters.

2.3. National Park "Elbrus"

The Elbrus region National Park was created by Decree of the Government of the RSFSR No. 407 of September 22, 1986 on the territory of the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria in order to preserve the unique natural complex of the Elbrus region and create conditions for the development of organized recreation, tourism and mountaineering. Subordinate to the Forestry Department. The territory of the national park is located within two administrative districts of the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria: Zolsky and Tyrnauzsky. Within the boundaries of the park there are 6 settlements with a population of about 6 thousand people.

The national park was provided with 75.4 thousand hectares (74.5% of the total area) of forest fund lands, 25.8 thousand hectares (25.5%) of lands of other owners, holders and users entered the boundaries of the park without withdrawal from economic use. Forest lands occupy 10.3 thousand hectares (10.2%). The national park is located 90 km west of Nalchik along the high-mountainous part of the Baksan River basin and its tributaries, from the southern slopes of Elbrus to the Main Caucasus Range, and on the northern slopes of Elbrus, in the upper reaches of the Malka River.

The climatic features of individual areas of the park are determined by the mountainous terrain and large differences in elevation. Temperature contrasts are characteristic both across the seasons of the year and throughout the day. Average daily fluctuations in air temperature in the valleys are 19°-20°C. With increasing altitude, the annual sum of positive temperatures decreases by 120°-130°C for every 100 m of altitude and at a level of approximately 4000-4200 m it becomes 0°C. At an altitude of 3400 m, the duration of snow cover is 235-260 days. An increase in precipitation occurs up to the level of 3500 m, where it is about 1000 mm; above that, the amount of precipitation decreases. With altitude, the intensity of solar radiation increases, atmospheric pressure and the weight content of oxygen decrease.

The territory of the national park is located in the central Caucasus, mid-mountain and high-mountain zones (1400-5642 m above sea level), and includes part of the Main Caucasian and Side ranges. Within the boundaries of the national park, several morphological forms of relief are distinguished: high-altitude glacial, mid-altitude mountainous relief, lava flows, and lacustrine-basin.

The high-mountainous glacial (alpine) relief includes a complex of individual ridges and massifs of the Main and Side ranges: Elbrus - 6542 m and 5621 m, Ushba - 4700 m, Shkhelda - 4320 m, Irikchat - 4050 m, g Sullu-Kol-Bashek - 4424 m, Dzhan-Tugan - 4012 m, Disayly-Subashi - 4424 m, etc. Elbrus is an extinct volcano; on the eastern peak there are signs of volcanic activity that has not yet died out - the release of sulfur dioxide.

Glaciers and snow occupy 155.5 km2 or 15.3% of the entire park territory. Mountain glaciers serve as a reservoir of water resources, and melt water from glaciers takes part in feeding rivers. The river valleys are cut to a depth of 250-400 m and have a spur character, which is due to previous glacial activity and erosion processes, which also developed the modern branched network of tributaries of the main rivers. A characteristic feature of the high mountainous terrain is the presence of waterfalls (the largest are in the upper reaches of the Malka River) and large screes formed as a result of high-mountain weathering and occupying significant areas.

The territory, in conditions of medium-altitude mountainous relief, is characterized by small relative elevations (up to 1300 m), gentle and flat watersheds and a significant development of rock formations and screes.

Lava flows are widespread in the area of ​​Elbrus, from which they flowed down the valleys of the main rivers. In the river valley Malki lava flow length is 23 km.

Lake-basin relief - in small areas in the valley of the Malka River with lakes present here. In places where lake-basin relief develops, the surface is almost perfectly flat.

Modern processes and phenomena observed here are weathering, erosion-accumulation and mudflow processes (turbulent mudflows of water-rock composition, mud-stone flows in the zone of clay-shale rocks), gravitational processes (landslides on clayey deposits and shale, landslides on rocky slopes, activated by earthquakes).

The area of ​​the national park is prone to avalanches. Avalanche processes in the form of snow and snow-rock avalanches in the highlands and midlands are associated with heavy snowfalls and sudden temperature changes during the spring warming period. Avalanches are a natural phenomenon that can catastrophically change the state of ecosystems and cause enormous damage. They destroy forest over large areas, helping to reduce its upper boundaries. In places where coniferous forests are destroyed, birch forests appear. Avalanche safety is provided by the operational units of the Elbrus Council for Tourism and Excursions and the service for active influence on avalanches at the High Mountain Geophysical Institute of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic.

Soils are distributed according to altitudinal zones.

In the alpine belt there are mountain meadow turf, mostly underdeveloped gravelly soils.

In the subalpine zone there are mountain-meadow turfy loamy soils.

In the forest belt under the birch forest there are mountain-forest soddy-peaty brown soils on steep slopes of northern exposure; under the high-mountain birch forests there are brown mountain-forest podzolic, relatively more fertile (thickness of the humus horizon up to 30-40 cm) soils on less steep slopes. The soils of high-mountain pine forests are formed mainly on crystalline rocks; they are poorer and drier than under birch forests. They represent 3 subgroups: primary mountain-forest skeletal; light brown, mountain-forest sod-podzolic; dark brown mountain forest soddy-podzolic.

In the mountain-steppe belt there are mountain-meadow-steppe turf and chernozem-like mountain-steppe gravelly soils.

According to geobotanical zoning, the national park is located in the Elbrus and Terek subprovinces of the North Caucasus province.

The flora of the Elbrus region has about 400 species. Among rare plants There are many endemics of the Caucasus: Nefedov's bell (Campanula nefedovii), small chickpea (Cicer minutum), Baksan wolfberry (Daphne baksanica), lily (Lilium monadelphum), Dinnik's saxifrage (Saxifraga diimikii), amazing cinquefoil (Potentilla divina), Olympic catchment (Aquilegia olympica), Albanian lumbago (Pulsatilla albana), dolomite bellflower (Campanula dolomitica), etc. A particularly protected species of the mountain-meadow subalpine landscape is the Caucasian rhododendron (Rhododendron caucasicum) - an evergreen shrub from the heather family (Ericaceae). It can withstand a snow cover of up to 1.5 m. It blooms in early summer; its bushes with lush inflorescences of cream and pale pink color form giant flower beds.

To the Red Book Russian Federation The following plant species are included: common hop hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia), Radde birch (Betula raddeana), Dinnik saxifrage (Saxifraga dinnikii), dolomite bellflower (Campanula dolomitica), small chickpea (Cicer minutum). Birch Radde was described in 1885 by the famous naturalist of the Caucasus G. Radde; it is a winter-hardy tree with branches growing upward, pink bark and dark green leaves. This endemic relict species is found only in a few regions of the Caucasus.

Lake Tambukan

Vegetation is characterized by vertical zoning. Above 3400-3500 m there is a nival belt, consisting mainly of glaciers and eternal snow. Mosses, lichens, and some types of algae and bacteria are found on screes and steep cliffs. Below (from 3000 to 3400-3500 m) there is a subnival belt, its border is uneven in places and in the Azau valley it decreases to 2700 m. The soils are primitive, located in patches (fragments). Due to the lack of typical soils, higher flowering plants do not form closed communities. There are few lichens. The alpine belt, which occupies altitudes from 2700 to 3000-3100 m, is dominated by alpine meadows and carpets, which are dominated by sheep fescue (Festuca ovina), shady sedge (Carex umbrosa), bellflower (Campanula tridentata), Caucasian mantle (Alchemilla caucasica), Steven's dandelion (Taraxacum stevenii), multi-flowered dandelion (Luzula multiflora), etc. In the upper reaches of the river. There are also mesophilic alpine meadows: forb-grass with species of the genus Kobresia spp., fescue, fescue-sedge with Medvedev's sedge and pseudosedge (Carex medwedewii, C. micropodioides). The grass stand is low (5-20 cm). The subalpine belt (from 2100 to 2800 m above sea level) is transitional between the alpine and mountain forest belts. Subalpine meadows, quite rich in species composition, predominate here. In the upper reaches of the Malka there are subalpine swampy meadows (sedge), subalpine steppe fescue-sedge meadows (Festuca valesiaca - Carex huetiana) and cereal meadows with variegated fescue (Festuca varia). The mountain forest belt (up to 2450-2700 m) is dominated by pine (Pinus kochiana, Pinus sylvestris) and pine-birch (P. sylvestris - Betula litwinowii) forests. On the slopes of the southern exposure of the Side Range there are mountain steppes.

Only a tenth of the national park's territory is occupied by forests. Of the coniferous species, the most common is Koch pine (Pinus kochiana) - 4.2 thousand hectares (46.7%), and of deciduous species - Litvinov birch (Betula litwinowii) and Radde birch (B. raddeana) - 4.7 thousand hectares (52.6%). Other species account for less than 100 hectares (0.7%). The undergrowth contains mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia), currant (Ribes sp.), hemispherical juniper (Juniperus hemisphaerica), etc. In the forest belt, among pine forests, mesoxerophilic (71.3%) and mesophilic communities (23.3%) predominate, the driest Xerophilous pine forests account for no more than 5.4%. But the groups of planting steepness are distributed as follows: slopes with a steepness of 0°-10° occupy 4.5% of plantings, 11°-20° - 9.1%, 21°-30° - 14.7%, more than 31° - 71, 7%. On hard-to-reach slopes under the forest canopy, successful regeneration of pine occurs, resulting in the formation of a forest stand with a mixed-age structure.

The fauna of the Elbrus region is quite rich and highly endemic. It is home to 63 species of mammals, 111 species of birds, 11 species of reptiles, 8 species of amphibians, 6 species of fish and a huge number of insect species.

Here live animals of both European broad-leaved forests - the pine marten (Martes martes), European forest cat (Felis silvestris), brown bear (Ursus arctos), roe deer (Capreplus capreolus), many birds, and the steppe zone of Europe - the common mole rat (Spalax microphtalmus ), common hamster (Cricetus cricetus), steppe polecat (Mustela eversmanni), gray partridge (Perdix perdix), etc. Among the endemics of the Caucasus are the Caucasian tur (Cara caucasica), Caucasian snowcock (Tetraogallus caucasicus), Caucasian grouse (Lyrurus mlokosiewiczi), Caucasian otter (Lutra lutra meridionalis), etc. The Elbrus region is the center of distribution of the Caucasian tur. According to the 1995 census, there are 4,600 individuals of this species in the national park. One species and one subspecies of mammals are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation - the giant noctule (Nyctalus lasiopterus) and the Caucasian otter, 11 species of birds - the Caucasian grouse, saker falcon (Falco cherrug), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca), peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus), bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), vulture (Neophron percnopterus), white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), European tuvik (Accipiter soloensis), griffon vulture (Gyps fulvns), red wren (Regulus ignicapillus), 1 reptile species - Caucasian viper (Vipera kaznakowi), 1 species of amphibian - Asia Minor newt (Triturus vittatus ophryticus). Among other interesting species of mammals living in the park, the chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) should be noted, and among the fish - brook trout (Salmo trutta morpha fario). There are many endemic forms among insects. Thus, out of 63 species of diurnal butterflies, 20 species are found only in the Elbrus region.

On the territory of the national park there are several scientific institutions: a station of Moscow State University, a scientific base of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University, etc. They conduct independent scientific research programs in various directions.

The national park itself is working to accumulate information data.

A large number of natural monuments are registered on the territory of the national park. Complex natural monuments: the glades of Narzan, Cheget and Azau have health and aesthetic significance. Geomorphological: Mount Azau-Bashi, Lake Donguz-Orunkel, into which glacial rivers and streams fall like waterfalls; the northeastern slopes of Umgu-Kara with pine forests and clumps of rhododendron; the Dzhil-Su tract at the foot of Elbrus; the upper reaches of the Malka River with an area of ​​3 km2. The source of the Malka River breaks out of an ice grotto and flows through a wide valley carved out by a glacier. The spherical lavas give the landscape its originality, which is why the second name is “Moon Valley”. The left source cuts through a deep gap and falls from a height of 40 m with the Sultan waterfall. On the right bank of the Malka River there are 2 mineral springs - cold and warm. Botanical monuments - Caucasian rhododendron (slopes in the upper reaches of the Adyl-Su river, slopes of the city of Cheget).

The territory of the national park is rich in historical, archeological, and ethnographic monuments. The remains of residential, commercial and domestic buildings, villages, and burials were found here. Based on the placement of archaeological monuments, it is possible to recreate non-traditional Balkar culture with further use in the ethnographic museum complex. There are also monuments to the Great Patriotic War; at the Mir station there is a museum of the Great Patriotic War. In Azau, at the educational base of Moscow State University, there is a museum of glaciology.

2.4. Khadzhokh pillars

One of the unique monuments is the Khadzhokh pillars. Truly, when we read these stone pages of a book called Earth, we are amazed at the greatness and power of nature, which managed to create such wonders of the world.

The Khadzhokh pillars were formed as a result of a strong earthquake, faults and shifts earth's crust. In a word, two elements worked hard. Then the rains and winds gradually loosened the rocky walls of the monoliths-remnants. For thousands of years they worked, processing monumental blocks of rock. And today the pillars stand as living proof of the powerful forces of nature - a great worker, sculptor and artist, attracting attention with their mystery and unearthly beauty. Various in shape and height, outlines and fractures, overgrown with evergreen Colchis ivy and pine trees, the pillars amaze the eyes of travelers.

They are located just 30 minutes walk from the first waterfall of the Rufabgo gorge. Khadzhokh pillars are practically not visited by tourists. Only sometimes climbers and climbers pass here, returning to the train after training in their favorite rock training area, “Bear Corner”. Opposite the pillars on the bank of the Belaya River, near the road lies the famous Cossack stone. Compared to the Khadzhokh pillars, it is like a small thimble next to a jug.

The first two pillars are especially impressive. They stand apart from the rocks, striking with their gigantic rectangular shapes. Pine trees grow high on the flat tops of the pillars. Between the pillars there is a cozy stone parking lot for tourists. A little lower there are two more pillars - “Grandfather” and “Grandson”. Free-standing stone giants seem to be descending from the mountain. “Grandfather” holds “Granddaughter” - a huge rock leaning against his “thigh”. A little higher, near the very rocks, there are pillars in the form of sharp plate-like stone blades. They point to the sky with their naked tip. Between them are labyrinths and caves in the rubble of huge stones.

Man has already interfered with this pristine beauty through intensive logging. The tourist trails were cut off with a bulldozer knife, the centuries-old beeches that colorfully decorated this marvelous miracle were cut down for firewood. There are many stone piles around the pillars, deep holes and caves are visible. A little below the main rock giants there is a ridge of relatively small outcrops, not inferior in beauty and unusual shape to the rock giants.

This small page of the stone chronicle of Adygea speaks eloquently about the wonderful past of our planet, its formation, instilling in us a sense of pride in the beauty of our native land. But stone sculptures created by nature and similar to fairy-tale animal characters and ancient gods are also found in other parts of the globe. They also exist in the vastness of Russia. All its mountain ranges have their own pillars, rock outcrops, and amazing rock outcrops. By what secret formulas nature sculpted this beauty, we can only guess. Now I need to save it and show it to my children. We have something to be proud of, and this pride must be instilled in the youth, taught them to love this land, take care of it and sing its praises.

2.5. Guam Gorge
The name Guam Gorge comes from the name of the village of Guamka, which is located on the left bank of the Kurdzhips River and one of its outskirts is almost adjacent to the gate to the gorge. The small village of Guamka is surrounded by green gardens, with crooked, unkempt streets and grazing black and white semi-wild pigs. The village is not spoiled by the restless flow of tourists, apparently due to the location and poor infrastructure. Even the gorge itself has also been preserved in purity; the “culture” of unorganized tourism, which is destructive to nature, has not yet reached here.

A visit to the Guam Gorge is very interesting, exciting and educational. Having a length of 3 kilometers and a depth of 400 meters, the gorge narrows in places to 2 meters. This is a gigantic gap, which, moreover, like all Lagonaki gorges, is strongly broken in plan. Kurdzhips rushes at high speed in the winding gorge. And it’s not surprising: over 3 kilometers of the gorge’s length, the river drops 82 meters, and these drops are unevenly distributed along the riverbed. More or less gentle slopes give way to large ledges with cascading waterfalls.

On the left slope of the gorge, on the site of the Circassian horse trail, in the 30s of the 20th century, a shelf was made for a narrow-gauge railway. At the beginning, the gorge (from the village of Guamka) is flatter and wider. Near the raging river you can see grottoes and huge boulders polished by water. The water exposed dolomitized limestones of the Upper Jurassic period. Their thick layers lie horizontally from east to west, and each has its own set of colors: gray, yellow, red, green. Silvery streams of waterfalls decorate the multi-colored limestone walls of the gorge. In winter, frost dresses four-hundred-meter-high cliffs in icy crystal necklaces. And in the spring, already in May, white jasmine and yellow azalea bloom.

Nestled almost in the center of the gorge is a low, cozy restaurant. Smoke from the grill and the pleasant smell of cooking kebabs tickle your nostrils. This speaks about the life of the gorge and inspires confidence that there are still people in this world who love outdoor recreation and strive for beauty. They put aside the endless stream of urgent matters, gave up on the bustle of home, came here to relieve fatigue, get distracted, free their heads from problems, relax, take a deep breath of mountain air and enjoy the beauty to the fullest.

Walking along the sleepers, peering with delight at every fold of the relief, you suddenly begin to feel some extraordinary surge of energy and vigor. The minute-by-minute change of picturesque natural scenes gives you the feeling of visiting an art gallery with world masterpieces of painting. You want to touch some of nature’s creations again, examine them from a different angle and lighting. From time to time, the eye snatches slender pine trees from the green vertical mass of the rock giant, miraculously clinging to the rock. The giant black grotto attracts with its mystery and gloom. The rocks amaze with their grace, their height will take your breath away.

The path along the gorge continues with a greater and greater feeling of special excitement. Here is a cold green rock, under your feet there is a terrace only three steps wide, on the right there is an abyss, a canyon and narrow “cheeks” smoothed by water, in which the stream roars. Humidity, shade, lush vegetation, mossy high and bizarre rocks give the gorge grandeur and mystery, and the journey - romance and fabulousness. They awaken in a person the keenness of perception of everything beautiful. Multistage high waterfall rolls down to the edge of the road on the right side, crumbles into “blond” braids and, lingering a little on the terrace, dousing the travelers with a dense, refreshing crumb of water, breaks off into a narrow and deep canyon.

Soon you find yourself on a bridge. Here the Sukhoi stream flows into Kurdzhips, with the roar of a cascade of waterfalls. The gorge of the stream is narrow and deep, creating the impression of complete inaccessibility. The only way to view the Sukhoi Stream is along its bottom. In some places there is very deep depressions Caution is required to walk on rocks. In this formidable gorge the most unique place- a grandiose hundred-meter waterfall, which is rarely visited by tourists. The waterfall first falls in cascades, and then breaks off into one 60-meter stream. There is always a strong wind near the waterfall, like a draft. There is a plaque attached to the rock near the bridge telling about the events of the war years. Here, on September 12, 1942, a group of partisans from the Absheron detachment under the command of V.V. Stakanov, at the moment when a train with the Nazis entered the bridge, blew it up. As a result, more than 50 Nazis were killed.

There are rarely rays of sun in the gorge. The gorge presses with its enormity. The gloominess of the gorge is given by continuous high, vertically standing carpets of moss, fern and boxwood. The rock terrace along which the railway runs runs high above the water. Deep below, in a narrow gorge, clogged with huge stones, Kurdzhips hums and foams. Every meter of the gorge is a unique sight.

The gorge ends. Twilight gives way to bright sunlight. The high stone walls parted. The narrow-gauge railway goes into the distance parallel to the Kurdzhips River. Here the river is not yet as seething and formidable as in the gorge. She is having fun, playing with the rays of the sun on small rumbles. A fascinating journey through the valley of the Kurdzhips River and through the Guam Gorge can be considered complete. If your path lies further, the narrow-gauge railway will lead you to the lumberjack village of Mezmay, which has become a fashionable holiday destination in recent years. Millions of years ago, on the site of the village of Mezmay there was a large and deep lake. The rapid river Kurdzhips flowed into it. Time passed, the lake overflowed, the water pressed on the mountains, looking for a way out. She chose the softest breeds that her “teeth” could handle. It took hundreds of thousands of years to dig through the winding, deep, roofless tunnel, three kilometers long. But finally Kurdzhips, having torn the mountain range into two ridges, Lago-Naki and Guam, broke free. This is how, according to some experts, the Guam Gorge was born.

Mount Oshten

2.6. Cossack stone
The Cossack stone is a huge block, its height is 35 meters and its width is 27 meters. Once upon a time, a block of stone broke away from the rock, and, destroying everything in its path, rolled down. The Cossack stone, in size, is one of the largest in Europe. His photographs are kept in many museums around the world. Cossack Stone is located approximately between the village of Kamennomostskiy and the village of Dakhovskaya, on the Maikop - Guzeripl highway. It is impossible to drive by without noticing this miracle of nature, since it lies practically on the road. The road is laid in such a way that it goes around the boulder on both sides, dividing into passing and oncoming lanes. On both sides of the stone there are paved and fenced areas where you can stop for transport to explore the natural monument.

The huge boulder has several names: Cossack stone, Maiden stone, as well as Circassian and Shaitan stone. And each of the names has its own legend. One of the legends says that on top of the stone a mounted Cossack greeted the district chieftain when he made an inspection tour of these places.

According to another legend, the Circassians held equestrian competitions on this stone. Once the competition was held in rainy weather. The horsemen tried after attempt to climb to the top of the stone, but to no avail. And only one rider managed to reach the top. But having jumped to the top, his hat flew off his head and tight braids scattered over the rider’s shoulders. The rider turned out to be a girl. Local residents did not appreciate the fragile girl’s deed; she was cursed and expelled from the village, since women were strictly forbidden to take part in all kinds of competitions. Subsequently, the stone was called Maiden (Read the legend).

The front platform in front of the stone is usually empty. But on the other there are usually several tents. In each of them you are offered to purchase a small souvenir as a keepsake from local craftsmen. And even if a person acquires the smallest of them, it will certainly remind you of the time spent in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains and perhaps call you here again and again.

In the corner of one of the asphalt areas there is a deep cave. She wasn't always here. During several large floods, when the river filled the entire space around the boulder, with her hard work she washed away the soil from under the stone, as a result of which a cave was formed. Currently, the entrance to the cave is cluttered; many tourists do not show off their upbringing and leave behind a lot of garbage.

This can be done quite safely, especially if the sole of the shoe is not very slippery. There, at the very top, a person experiences the sensation of flying. From above it seems that this huge boulder is even larger in size than it actually is. The people below, on the platform, seem so far away. Stops at the Cossack Stone are usually short-term and therefore the person who climbed to its top does not have time to fully enjoy the impressions that he experiences; from below they are already shouting that it is time to move on. On the one hand, from the top there is a landscape of the Belaya River. On this stretch it is quite calm and shallow. The movement of water occurs on the other side of the riverbed, which seems quite far away. The path at the front deck goes down to the river and only a few people here walk all the way to the water. Several interesting landscapes open up from the top: rocky walls surrounded by green forest. The height of the ridges on both sides of the road looks enormous and against their background the Cossack stone is just a small grain of sand among the numerous and graceful creations of nature.

2.7. Ridge Engineering

A walk along the Inzhenerny ridge is interesting and exciting, especially for people who want not only to take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but also to be alone with nature. Sometimes, in order to be left alone with nature, it is necessary to go somewhere far into the mountains, where there is a greater chance of meeting some animal than a person. Inzhenerny does not attract tourists with its natural monuments; the main attraction here is silence and nature itself with its unique landscapes and contrasts of the flora. And also air, not only clean, but also undefiled by bad human thoughts.

The path to the Inzhenerny ridge begins from the bridge, before climbing to the Zholob tract. This is about a kilometer further from the Azish cave. There are paved areas in front of the bridge where you can leave your vehicle for a while. The path goes to the left, to the east, at first it is practically invisible - people rarely walk, and lush vegetation blocks its outline. Who would have thought that a narrow-gauge railway once ran here. It stretched from the village of Mezmay, along the Inzhenerny ridge and ended at Mount Cossack. It was used to transport timber. In the mid-20th century, large logging activities took place here. A lot of time has passed since then - the timber was no longer removed, the road turned out to be of no use to anyone and it was simply stolen. Only in some places the remains of rotten sleepers can remind of the former structure. A walk along the ridge follows the route of a former narrow-gauge railway, which makes it easy and full of impressions.

The first section of the path is quite damp, an abundance of small streams nourish the soil with moisture, and plants that are not afraid of dampness thrive on it. Huge burdock grows here; tall, almost human-sized nettle; moisture-loving fern; with its powerful trunk, the medicinal elecampane, and so on. A little to the side, on drier sections, there is a green carpet of coltsfoot. Such lush vegetation surrounds the trail until the first large clearing, although a couple of small clearings are encountered before. In some places, ravines form. The first obstacle on the way is the destroyed part of the road at the beginning of the Bzykha River. Bzykha is a small stream here, rolling down a steep slope, over a rocky surface. Despite its size, the stream made a large ravine on the site of the former road, changing the terrain beyond recognition. It is impossible to even think that there was once a road here. You can walk further along the stones between which a cheerful stream jumps. To get back onto the path, you need to get your bearings - where the road could go next. It's not difficult at all.

The Engineering Ridge amazes with the abundance and diversity of flora. For plants here real paradise. Such a huge accumulation of medicinal plants is amazing. On the right side, the remains of the narrow-gauge railway are constantly accompanied by an almost vertical forested ridge. On the other side, on the contrary, there is a steep slope, covered with tall grass and trees, some of which grow from somewhere below. On the same side, between the trees, a panorama of the Azish-Tau ridge with its yellowish stone walls against the backdrop of a green forest can be seen every now and then. And far below, above the forest, where the Bzykha River makes its way through the gorge, a light haze spreads. In some places, between the trunks of pine needles, you can see a panorama of Mount Trident, which is located near the village of Nikel, in the Guzeripl direction. It is interesting to consider this miracle of nature from a different, less familiar perspective.

The path continues to beckon forward. The road becomes drier and the going is easier. Then it leads to a narrow but long clearing, which suddenly widens sharply to the right, becoming huge. The feeling of space, freedom and power of nature excites the imagination. Already at the very beginning of the clearing, the first raspberries and blackberries appear. The contrast of the flora is interesting - evergreen fir trees stand along the edges of the forest, and young birch trees huddle in a group in the center of the clearing. Forbs cover the flat surface of the clearing with a soft blanket. Stretching out to the right like a huge bubble, the clearing reaches a saddle formed between two wooded hills. It seems as if a huge water flow has made a huge passage in this place somewhere further, where an amazing panorama of the Caucasus Mountains opens up. The clearing is located exactly halfway from the start to the end point of the journey and takes about an hour. and, about an hour's walk. The saddle, on the far edge of the clearing, fits very harmoniously into the landscape, overlooking the beginning of the Stone Sea ridge. On the contrary, on the other edge of the clearing you can stop and relax, enjoy the aroma of herbs, and listen to the symphony of the forest.

Further on, the path, now more like an old road, goes along the clearing to the left. The features of the old road are already clearly visible - there is a packed car track overgrown with grass. Every now and then there are small fir trees, and now on the right, on the slope, there are raspberry and blackberry trees. Moss-covered trees stand like guards over the road. Grasshoppers chirp, dragonflies scurry. You can find very beautiful species of butterflies. Landscapes are constantly changing. The beauty of nature pleases the eye. From time to time, now on the right side between the tall trees, a panorama of the Stone Sea ridge with its steep walls opens up. The forest then approaches the road, plunging it into twilight, then scatters, giving way to the bright rays of the sun. The road winds a little along the left slope, as if repeating its topography. Raspberries continue to be found in small groups.

The road makes smooth bends. On the right side of it there is a steep slope down which trees grow. Particularly impressive are the tall fir trees lined with a palisade - creating the feeling of a dense forest. The picture is complemented by a dry or semi-dry tree completely covered with moss. Soon the road is blocked by a ravine. The stream tried. Perhaps there used to be a small bridge here. Now we have to find a convenient place to overcome it. Immediately after the ravine, an old road adjoins on the left side. It can be seen that it is still used from time to time. Therefore, on this last part of the journey, the road already stands out clearly against the natural background. The track is full, in some places puddles have formed in which frogs sit basking in the sun. After a few hundred meters, another gravel road joins on the right, going uphill. About a hundred meters away there is a small clearing, once there was a transfer point here - there is some kind of crane for loading logs, several portages go up the mountain, into the thicket of the forest. Every now and then, on the right side, panoramic views of the rocky wall of the Stone Sea ridge and further, to the mountain peaks slip between the dense forest. A little more way and the road leads out to a large clearing with junctions in several directions - there is something like a T-shaped intersection here. This is the final point of the journey along the Engineering ridge, which stretches far away, towards the village of Guzeripl. The walk takes approximately two hours one way; keep in mind that the return trip will take another two hours.

A relatively good gravel road adjoins on the left, it goes from Khamyshki (about 14 kilometers) and goes to the right, apparently along the ridge, to Mount Kazachya, where the narrow-gauge railway ended. If you walk a little to the right, you can see beautiful panoramas of the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains. And if you go towards Khamyshki, you can come across blueberry fields, which are quite crowded during blueberry picking

2.8. Guzeripl

Guzeripl is a high-mountain town with a very good asphalt road leading to it. It is located at an altitude of 670 meters above sea level. The village consists of two rows of houses along one street, clinging to the base of a steep wooded ridge. The village is surrounded by mountain ranges, which have created a special microclimate here. Guzeripl in the past was a remote working village of lumberjacks, and now it is a developing tourist center with prestigious dachas. So in the future Guzeriplu is predicted to play the role of a tourism center in Adygea. Perhaps in this regard, land in the village is one of the most expensive lands in Adygea and it is considered prestigious to have a dacha in the village.

Narrow mountain gorges extend in four rays from Guzeripl to different directions of the world. The Belaya, Molchepa and Zholobnaya rivers flow through these gorges in stone beds polished by water, bubbling and boiling in rapids. The Belaya River in the village of Guzeripl is refracted almost at right angles and creates cozy corner with a mild microclimate. Guzeripl has high natural energy coming from the mountains through the gorges. Only two settlements located in this area can compare with it - Mezmay and Hadzhokh. In these villages, just like in Guzeripl, mountain gorges converge at one point in the shape of a star. People lived in Guzeripl more than 4.5 thousand years ago, as evidenced by dolmens.

The main attraction of the village of Guzeripl is the Belaya River with its crystal clear water all year round. With ideal cleanliness, the river descends to its confluence with the Kisha River, which is not always distinguished by this. Residents of the village take drinking water directly from the river. It is pure - from mountain springs, melted ice and snow. There is nothing above the village that pollutes the water. There are only untouched virgin forests of the reserve around.

At the entrance to the village, along the Zholobnaya gorge you can see a wide rocky belt of the Stone Sea ridge. A little further, first a view of the Abago and Atamazhi mountains opens up, then Mount Tyrba, one of the highest peaks of Adygea, rises in all its formidable and harsh beauty. From the central clearing of the village there is a view along the valley of the Belaya River to Mount Bzyk. It closes a narrow and deep valley with a snowy dome-shaped cap. Very steep, overgrown with rhodendron and fir forest, the peak absorbs the sea south-west winds, protecting Guzeripl.

In the center of the village there is a bridge over the Belaya River. It leads to the right bank of the river into the protected forest, to the Molchepe River, the museum of the reserve, the dolmen and the mass grave of the defenders of Guzeripl during the Great Patriotic War. On the Molchepe River you can visit a waterfall that falls from the dam of a small old hydroelectric power station that still supplies the village with electricity. A little further you can see the museum of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve with amazing exhibits of the fauna and flora of the mountainous country, and learn about the history of the restoration of the Caucasian bison. Behind the museum is the largest dolmen in Adygea. Its front side faces west, as if connected by a single straight thread with a stone lotus and a mound with a menhir, standing on top of the Nagoy-Kosh rock. Nagoy-Kosh is the highest point of the Stone Sea ridge, where it is refracted at right angles, encircling the alpine meadows of the Lago-Naki plateau with steep walls.

There are hotels in the village of Guzeripl, where you can stay if there are vacancies. There are baths and saunas. If hotel services are beyond your means, you can rent accommodation from local residents for a reasonable fee. As a last resort, if you have a tent, then you can perfectly camp right in the village on the river bank or find a place downstream of the Belaya River. Guzeripl. Guzeripl. Tourism center. Guzeripl. Guzeripl. Tourism center. Guzeripl. Guzeripl.

For lovers of active recreation, there is also something to see in Guzeripl and its surroundings: climb a rocky cliff with a green pine tree on top, there is an observation deck, from a bird's eye view Guzeripl appears in all its charm; make trips to the Goreloye tract, to the site of the accident of a Soviet plane during the war; to Mount Abago, to alpine meadows and the remains of a fascist fighter that crashed during the war, etc.

Every year in the village of Guzeripl the international raffing (river rafting) competition "Interalli - Belaya" is held. These competitions have become a kind of calling card of Adygea. Swims usually begin just above the bridge over the river and end approximately at the confluence of Belaya and Kishi. Also, in parallel with these competitions, in the village, at the “Glade of Bards”, the festival of original and amateur songs “Primrose” is taking place. Recently, the festival has become increasingly popular.

The secret of tourists’ pilgrimage to Guzeripl is not only that its surroundings are full of amazingly beautiful places and various historical attractions, but also that it is a unique corner of nature that feeds people with cosmic energy and has a special healing composition of pine air.

2.9. Stone Sea

You can get to the Stone Sea along a gravel, bumpy road that comes from the Lagonaki Highlands where the asphalt ends. It is necessary to clarify what is meant by the name Stone Sea. Firstly, this is the Stone Sea ridge, which encircles the upper reaches of the Kurdzhips River in a semicircle. The ridge is a linearly elongated hill, bounded on both sides by deep valleys. The Stone Sea ridge does not quite fit into this definition, and therefore is not quite a ridge. On the eastern side, this is the edge of the Lago-Naki plateau, ending with a rocky ledge towards the upper part of the valleys of the left tributaries of the Belaya River. The height of the ledge varies from several tens to several hundred meters. From the west, the Stone Sea ridge passes into the Lago-Naki plateau, gradually descending in the north to the sources of the Kurdzhips River and rising in the southwest to Mount Oshten.

The rock formations of the Kamenny More ridge are in some places overgrown with centuries-old fir trees. Light green moss hangs from their gnarled and rough branches in strands like cobwebs. The highest point of the Stone Sea ridge is the Nagoy-Kosh rock. In the same place, the Stone Sea ridge is refracted at a right angle and encircles the Lago-Naki plateau with a 100-meter steep dolomite rock belt. The place is amazing. From here a panorama opens to all sides of the world. In clear weather Maykop is visible, St. Michael's Monastery, Mount Fisht and the village of Guzeripl deep below. At the top of the Nagoy-Kosh rock there is an ancient mound with a large cone-shaped menhir. According to legend, Lago and Naki are buried here. The poor shepherd Lago and the beautiful princess Naki, forever united by love, gave the name to this area. Fleeing from the pursuit of the father's servants, who did not want to give his daughter to a poor shepherd, the lovers embraced and rushed from the cliff into the abyss of a deep abyss. So says the legend.

In the steep wall of the Stone Sea ridge you can visit the Ozernaya cave. It is located a 20-minute walk from the panoramic point of the Azish Pass. Its halls, decorated with hanging stalactites, are not inferior in beauty to the Tender and Beautiful caves. The openwork columns of stalagmites are somewhat reminiscent of the Great Azish Cave. Squeezing through underground labyrinths among cold and wet columns, you find yourself in an underground lake with clean and clear water. The cave is horizontal, easy to navigate, with high arches, and does not require additional equipment for inspection.

From the edge of the steep cliffs of the Kamennye More ridge, hanging over the Ozernaya cave, a panorama of the Front Range opens up. The peaks of Big and Small Tkhach, Achezhbok, Bambak, Dzhuga and Urushten are in full view. Below you can see the ribbon of the former narrow-gauge railway leading from Apsheronsk to Mount Cossack along the Inzhenerny ridge.

The Stone Sea is a strip of some width, from the rocky ledge of the Stone Sea ridge in the east to the alpine meadows in the west of the Lago-Naki plateau, on which, to a greater or lesser extent, there are extensive scatterings of stone blocks. The Stone Sea is a sea of ​​stones, blocks, remains, sometimes standing vertically in a thick grassy cover, sometimes like waves rearing and frozen in stone, sometimes sharp, like a knife blade, sometimes round, smoothed and polished by the winds to a shine. The Stone Sea is so unusual that every corner of it is different from each other and represents some kind of unearthly landscape. Underfoot there are solid stone gouges, cracks and piles, covered with moss, currant bushes and tall grass.

On the Stone Sea, dolomites and overlying Upper Jurassic limestones are exposed. The Dolomites are massive, porous and cavernous. Chaos reigns in the Dolomites. Everything is intertwined here: craters, basins, mines, karrs, karst outcrops. In layered limestones, karst forms are more ordered: ponors are clearly expressed, funnels are clearly defined, and karrs, represented mainly by fissure forms, are strictly geometric.

The stone sea is like a bathtub, which nature laid out with stone as smoothly as a person lays out tiles. Among the stones the snow turns white, forming a motley pattern. Small cozy clearings framed by rocks look like a lunar landscape with meteorite craters. Thickets of rhododendron, low creeping juniper, buttercups, forget-me-nots, valerian, purple thyme cover the ground between the blocks with luxurious patterned carpets. On the Lago-naki plateau, away from the ledge, rocky placers alternate with alpine meadows. Having been here, you understand how beautiful the wild nature is! How few places remain untouched by civilization! And that her well-being largely depends on each of us. One of the Adyghe legends is also dedicated to the Stone Sea:

Conclusion

The panorama of mountain ranges and valleys takes the traveler's breath away. From a dizzying height you can spend hours observing the beauty of wild, untamed nature. The mysterious, little-explored depths of caves and gorges lie at the feet of the traveler. The caves beckon with their unique healing climate, where there are no germs, where you can breathe easily and freely, where nature’s fantasies have no boundaries, in the creation of wonderful lacy columned halls.

Many memorable places covered in legends. And every legend contains a piece of the people’s soul, a piece of history. Stories and legends associated with natural monuments help people use and absorb the energy of these places and join the energy information channel.

The Elbrus region has long become a kind of Mecca for tourists. The territory of the national park is used as a center for mountain sports tourism, alpine skiing, an excursion center for the population of the North Caucasus and vacationers at the resorts of the Caucasian Mineral Waters, and a weekend vacation spot for residents of Kabardino-Balkaria. In total, there are 23 recreational facilities where about 5 thousand people can relax during the season.

Planned tourism is mainly carried out under the auspices of the Elbrus Council for Tourism and Excursions. Excursions are conducted along 16 thematic routes. The main objects of bus excursions are Polyana Narzanov, Cheget, Elbrus. About 300 thousand people visit them annually. Amateur tourism reaches up to 15 thousand people per year. Every year, the park hosts the traditional “Elbrusiads” - mass ascents to the eastern peak of Elbrus (up to 2000 people) over 4-5 days. The mountaineering complex includes 7 sports and mountaineering bases with a capacity of 1.5 thousand people and a control and rescue station. The season lasts from June 1 to September 15. The ski season lasts from December 26 to March 31. Delivery of skiers to the snow fields on the Cheget and Elbrus mountains is carried out by cable cars equipped with rope tows and chairlifts.

The peaks of Shepsi, Oshten, Fisht, Chugush, Pseashkho with heights from 2000 to 3255 meters stretch from South to East. The mountains are separated by the Goytkhsky, Belorechensky, Pseashkho, Aishkho passes. And the Lagonaki Highlands are a major ski resort. Snow remains here until June. The left bank of the Kurdzhips River is famous for its good skiing and toboggan runs, skating rinks, and jumps. The Maykop region is an ideal place for horse riding. There are many horse trails here. Mountain rivers attract kayaking enthusiasts. The Caucasus Mountains are convenient here for mountaineering. Rescuers from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as well as mountaineers, rock climbers, mountain tourists and speleologists conduct their exercises and competitions at rock training grounds. In the mountains of Adygea and the Krasnodar Territory there is the Caucasian State nature reserve. Its natural resources are included in the World Natural Heritage List.

The richness of the plant world delights and amazes. Only here you can find thick vines of wild rock grapes; its fruits are sweet and tart, like mountain honey. Here is a real fruit and berry paradise, which is complemented by an abundance of medicinal, environmentally friendly herbs, berries and mushrooms. The Maikop and Absheron regions are rich in forest and water resources. Most of the forests are concentrated in the foothill and mountain zones, where beech and oak predominate. There are also species such as fir, chestnut, bear walnut and others. This is a great place for hunting lovers. There are deer, wild boars, roe deer, hares, foxes, squirrels, pheasants and a number of other animals that are allowed to be hunted.

In winter, this is the kingdom of the snow queen. Bastions of ice made of huge icicles. Living giant organ. Water, pulsating in the ice labyrinths, produces divine sounds of different tones. How beautiful the foamed and frozen water in the air is, it is difficult to describe: billions of “diamonds” of frozen water crumble sparkling in the sun. They are like openwork snow-white lace studded with jewelry. The wondrous severity of winter waterfalls, elegantly dressed by nature itself in patterned ice lace, does not leave anyone indifferent.

Comfortable hotels and good roads have become integral attributes of these places. The tourism industry is developing very dynamically in the region. Favorable climatic conditions and a wealth of natural resources make these places attractive at any time of the year. On the territory of the Maykop region there is a unique mountain resort Khadzhokh. The special attractiveness of its picturesque surroundings makes thousands of people come here every year, get acquainted with the history of the land imprinted in stone in the form of fossilized sea animals that lived millions of years ago, see the divine beauty of the nature of southern Russia and enjoy all the amenities of a modern tourist center.

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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads
Guide to the North Caucasus.
V. V. Savelyeva (“Essay on nature”, “Tourist excursion routes”),
V. S. Belozerov and E. V. Gridina (“Population, economy, transport”, “Pages of history”, “Resort and tourist region”),
V.M. Apanasevich ("Tourist and excursion routes"),
http://www.skitalets.ru/
Wikipedia website.
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional ones). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
http://www.photosight.ru/

One of the most vivid memories of my childhood is a simple car trip to the mountains of the Southern Urals. I remember how my father put the whole family in the car, and we drove, knowing only the direction; no obligatory places to visit, just moving forward - towards beautiful places and pleasant sensations. Since then, I have had a dream - to grow up, get into my car and head to new places. And in 2014, a real opportunity arose to fulfill a childhood wish. As always, I wanted to see the mountains more, and Anyuta wanted to enjoy the sunsets by the sea, so we decided - we’re going to a place where there is both - to the Caucasus. We accidentally found on the Internet a wonderful travel blog by Dmitry Kovinov, in which he talks a lot about hiking around Krasnaya Polyana. After reading his reports, we were very inspired, we are going to Sochi!

First day: we get up in the dark, from Ufa we want to get as close as possible to Volgograd. We drove about 1200 km. We were very tired, and in the evening we spent a long time looking for a place to stay. We planned to spend the night in a tent on the Volgograd reservoir, but after an unsuccessful attempt to drive to the shore, we spent the night in the most inexpensive motel. But even while wandering around the field, we received our share of positive emotions: the expanses of the Volgograd steppes were illuminated for us by a huge red moon, and when we went out to look around, we saw some insect unknown to us, similar to a scorpion.

We drive further, the nature around us resembles a desert - huge and, it seems, lifeless steppes and the scorching sun. We see a reservoir - we immediately stop for lunch, and then hit the road again, heading towards the mountains and the sea from this wild heat.

We drive past Elista, the capital of Kalmykia, and stop at a roadside cafe to drink a cup of coffee. We ask the cashier about the building that can be seen from the highway in the middle of the city, and we find out that this is the largest Buddhist temple in Europe! We are surprised at our illiteracy, and we understand that in the bustle of working days, again, we were absolutely not prepared for the trip. But, however, we were very pleased with such a surprise - we turned to the city for an excursion.Not only the temple with a huge Buddha statue inside, but the whole of Elista evokes an unusually pleasant feeling. On the main square we spin a large prayer wheel and, not counting the time, we walk around this wonderful city. On this day we no longer have time to reach the mountains, but we received a large portion of impressions. It’s already dark when we stop at a motel near Armavir.

The third day turned out to be difficult: yesterday we traveled less than planned and we are approaching Tuapse in the heat of the day. We find ourselves in a big traffic jam, it starts in the city and continues along the sea along the serpentine road. At the entrance to Sochi the traffic jam is even worse. We were tired, we could barely move, and we were constantly going uphill. On a serpentine road, for the first time I feel a lack of power steering. You need to cheer up so as not to fall asleep. At some point a thought arises in your head: “Have we ever been stuck in a traffic jam overlooking the sea?” - this idea again brings back the feeling of the ongoing journey. Anyuta prepares delicious coffee right in the back seat, using a jetboil. It became more fun, we crawled further to Krasnaya Polyana.

We arrived in the evening - on this resort town OK. First of all, everyone imagines Krasnaya Polyana as a ski center, but we ended up here in July and therefore there are very few tourists here. In addition, after the Sochi Olympics there are a great many hotels here, most of them are empty. In one of these they gave us a good discount on accommodation in exchange for a promise to return after a hike in the mountains.

On the fourth day, according to the plan, we wanted to go straight to the mountains, however, today we decide to rest after the road and finally swim in the sea. And just yesterday we didn’t have time to figure out where to get a pass to the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve - without it in the mountains they could be fined and removed from the route. From Krasnaya Polyana to Sochi we travel on the ultra-modern Lastochka train. The infrastructure of post-Olympic Sochi is generally amazing in scale: many kilometers of tunnels, huge highways and incredible interchanges... but as soon as you go beyond these wonders, you immediately find yourself in a traffic jam. In search of Olympic stadiums, we first come to the center of Sochi, and already there we find out that the town with sports facilities is located in Adler - again our unpreparedness shows. Again we take the train, which takes us along the sea towards Adler. The stadiums, of course, are beautiful, but they are not allowed inside, and around them there is construction of an F1 track. Right at the Adler station we swim in the sea and take the last train back to Polyana.

Day five, finally up! We issue the pass not far from the Gazprom cable car, in the open-air cage complex. There, right by the road, we leave our car and, throwing our backpacks on our shoulders, go to the cable car. A quick takeoff, and here we are, through a very beautiful forest, rising higher on our own two feet.

The climb does not take much time, and it seems slightly tense only because of the muscles that have been sitting too long after the journey. Already halfway to the Bzerpinskie cornices, we notice that the reserve is well landscaped: there are benches and tables on the observation platforms, useful and beautiful information stands have been installed, the trail on sharp climbs generally resembles a staircase. The first “Legal” stop on the route is the Bzerpinskie cornices, here you can pitch a tent or spend the night in houses. The houses are not closed, no one guards them, but they are clean and tidy. You can’t make fires here, and there’s nothing to use. We cook lunch on the ledges, bathe in the stream and move on.

We are going towards the Pseashkho pass, with plans to stop at the Pslukh River. Of course, you can only stop in the reserve in strictly designated places, and you can only walk along certain routes, but we want to climb Mount Sugar Pseashkho. We justify to ourselves that we respect the reserve, we are not going to make fires, and certainly we will not touch wild animals and rare plants, and besides, we are not lazy to collect candy wrappers and other garbage when we walk along the trail. We successfully do not notice the path to Pslukh and pass a little further than the pass. At a rest stop we meet a group that at first scares us with stories about how evil the rangers are here, and then, when they started talking, they tell us that they themselves descended from Saharny today and say that we missed the path. Of course, we ourselves already realized that we had gone further than necessary, and were simply thinking of changing the route plan, however, after talking with the guys, we understand that it is better to leave the permitted path on a weekday, when park rangers go much less often. Today is Thursday, after some thought we run back to the river to climb tomorrow. It’s already getting dark, we’re a little alarmed by the stories about strict rules…. but then we see that a small group is already pitching their bright tents on the river. We approach the instructor and ask in surprise if he is not afraid of fines, to which he quite calmly replies that the rangers definitely don’t go out in the evening and don’t like to get up in the morning, and in general he describes the whole situation with the rangers. We calm down and stand not far from them. Buckwheat for dinner, and the murmur of the river for bed.

We get up as soon as the sky begins to lighten, pack up camp and hide our backpacks not far from the trail, in the bushes. The path ahead is considerable: first we need to overcome two tributaries of the Pslukh River, then rising, then diving into the valley again, and only then will we begin the ascent to our goal. The trail is clearly visible, only in rocky areas you can lose it. Having strayed a little from the main path, we climb up a small rock, cross the second tributary of the river - and here we are at the foot. Now only up!

The climb up the mountain is extremely picturesque, because most of the way we climb straight along the ridge. On one side there is a cliff and the valley of the Pslukha tributary with snowfields, on the other there are hundreds of kilometers of mountain range. Here it is, the Caucasus, an old dream coming true right now! The peak is already visible, we sat down to rest, and in our backpack we hear the sound of an incoming SMS. Taking this opportunity, we also send several messages to our relatives, and also write a thank you to Dmitry Kovinov for the inspiration and several travel tips received before leaving. We gather our strength for the last push, and then the treasured height appears behind the next boulder!

At the top there is that same great feeling of achieving a goal. It is not so important that this height has already been conquered by many, and in general there are a lot of higher and more difficult peaks. The main thing here is the embodiment of what you have long and very much desired. After a long immersion in ourselves and a series of photographs, we notice that the clouds from the lowland are gradually climbing up, there are more and more of them, and it seems that we will soon be covered - it’s time to go down.

And it really did. But apart from even more stunning scenery and pleasant coolness, the clouds did not cause us any inconvenience. The important point here was that we well remembered Dmitry’s advice that in poor visibility it is not easy to find the right path from the mountain here. Passing important places, such as, for example, the traverse from the western ridge to the southwestern one, we stopped and memorized the landmarks well, so even in a continuous cloud we found the right road. On the descent near the snowfield, several roe deer are frolicking right below us. The cloud periodically turns into rain. We stop at the edge where the snow melts and forms the very beginning of the stream. An amazing place - before us is water in all its glory in all states: snow crystals, a flowing stream and a cloud of molecules of the same liquid! The way back goes almost unnoticed, the head is occupied only with the awareness of what has been covered today.

We reached our backpacks, they were untouched, everything was in order. From the place where they were hidden, you still have to walk a little further to the permitted path. Remembering that it’s already Friday and the rangers might notice us, we practically run back to the legal route. That’s it, now we definitely won’t be fined, we calmly go to the Kholodny camp, having a nice lunch by the stream.

To be honest, the parking lot in Kholodnoye did not impress us much. The camp is located in the forest, the view of the mountains opens only if you go out into the clearing, although the forest itself is quite beautiful. But the impression was spoiled most of all by the fact that this place, in comparison with the entire route, was very dirty. There is scattered garbage in the forest, a broken door near one of the houses, the only source of water (a small spring near the parking lot) is so dirty that you don’t want to drink from it at all. But rangers are there very often. Okay, hopefully this isn't always the case here. We cleaned up a little where we pitched our tent and went to visit the guys we met yesterday at the pass. We drink tea together for a long time and tell each other about our adventures. It was an amazing day with a lot of impressions! We thank our new friends again for the tips about Sugar Pseashkho and for the pleasant company. Quite tired, we go to bed.

We wake up to the sound of rain, lie in the tent for a long time - today we can have a blast. We crawl out under the canopy, have breakfast and decide to move back to the parking lot on the Bzerpinskie cornices. Neighbors tell us that a bear was hanging around the camp at night, no wonder - at the edge of the campsite there is a huge pit with garbage, full of food remains. We went out to the path and, indeed, there was a fresh trace of a bear, which was walking right along the tracks where we had walked yesterday. Anyuta has a fastex with a whistle on her backpack - it turns out to be a useful thing! In general, even though there are gray clouds above us, lightning is sparkling and rain is pouring - we go tipsy: we whistle, clap our hands and sing songs. We reached an equipped rest stop with a canopy. We wait a bit for the rain and the clouds part, revealing a blue sky.

We reached a parking lot on the ledges and set up a tent. Our kopeck piece fits perfectly on a special platform. Today we walked quite a bit. We realize that now there is no desire to move, there is a desire to see how everything around moves. From below, from the valleys, clouds continually envelop us. Absolute silence reigns. It seems that we are in some kind of arthouse movie, where everything is very leisurely, and where every sound and movement has some kind of deep meaning. I don’t know what the point is, and it doesn’t matter. I brew my favorite mate, spend the whole evening cuddling with Anyuta and watching this movie.

The morning of the fourth day in the mountains and the eighth day of the entire journey. Today we decide to go down: there are a lot of impressions from the mountains, but it’s time to go for new ones, after all, this time we are going on a road trip. The drop in altitude is quick, one stop and we are already descending in the cable car cabin. A couple of unusual kilometers on asphalt to our car. The car is standing where it was left - that's nice. We are going to a hotel we already love. We spend the evening drinking wine bought from an incredibly charismatic local resident.

Ninth day. Let's go to Abkhazia! We heard many stories about this small state, read many reviews. The opinions of people who have visited this southern country are radically different, so you definitely need to go there to form your own opinion. It’s not difficult to cross the border, but it takes a long time - we, as always, didn’t think about it and crossed it in the middle of the day. A couple of hours of waiting and hurray, we are in Abkhazia! The roads are good and not congested, but we were warned that it is better to strictly follow the rules. And what's the rush? Nature becomes like the tropics, there are palm trees, sea and mountains all around, beauty! We are going to the resort town of Pitsunda, renting accommodation there for three nights. Having quickly settled in, we run to the sea.

The tenth day in a row, today it is raining. We put off sunbathing until tomorrow and go to see Abkhazia.The first excursion to New Athos - another resort town. We went there to see the New Athos Cave, which we learned about from a good tourist map bought at the market.The cave really impressed us, it’s just huge! Previously, to get into the cave, people descended into a deep crevice. And already during the times of the Soviet Union, a tunnel was dug to the cave itself and trolleys, reminiscent of a subway, were launched towards it. In the cave itself, huge bridges were erected, paths were laid and the most illuminated interesting objects. In general, if you are in Abkhazia, be sure to visit the New Athos Cave, because it is difficult to describe it in words amazing creation nature, you definitely need to see it for yourself!After the cave we go up to the ancient Anakopia fortress. She is also interesting, but not that much. The fortress is not in very good condition; only the main tower is maintained in order. Everything else is heavily littered and mutilated by our contemporaries. It is not entirely clear why they collect 150 rubles on the approach to the ruins.On the whole, satisfied, we return to Pitsunda, walk around the local shops, and buy a couple of souvenirs. In the evening we try to find good wine, but are unsuccessful. We will never be able to find real Abkhazian wine, maybe it just doesn’t exist?

We spend almost the entire eleventh day on the beach in Pitsunda. We lie on what is considered free (although no one will take money for access to the main beach if you walk along the shore). Our piece of the coast is not in a resort area, there are much fewer people here. In the evening we see off the sun with a glass of wine right on the seashore. The grape drink, of course, didn’t impress me this time either, and to hell with it, the main thing is the atmosphere.

On the twelfth day we go to look at Lake Ritsa, visiting a dozen more attractions along the way. In the photo above is one of them, called “Colored Spring”, I want to warn you and, looking ahead, tell you that we got poisoned by drinking water in it! They collected it not where Anyuta is standing in the photo, but in a special fountain, which is slightly visible in the photo on the left, behind the car. Be careful!

Overall, the road trip to Lake Ritsa is quite exciting. Of course, at the height of the season there are a lot of people here, so we mostly go to those attractions that are further away from the road. The lake itself is also pleasing to the eye, here you can rent a boat and ride on the water surface. We wanted more to go to Stalin’s dacha, which is located on the other side. For a reasonable fee, they give you a tour here and tell you about this strictly classified place during Soviet times. Quite interesting, and besides, the dacha is located in an extremely picturesque corner. We drive back along the same road, but this is even a plus - there are canyons and serpentines on the sides, you can look at them forever! Today we will spend the night in Gagra, the most famous resort of its time. Tomorrow we’ll go see why the people of the USSR dreamed of visiting this city.

A new day, we arrange another seal day for ourselves: we bask in the sun and swim in the sea so that for the year ahead. The beach has medium pebbles, is pleasant and clean, the sea water is clear and warm. Let's go to bed early, hoping to wake up in the dark and drive across the border quickly, tomorrow to our homeland. Abkhazia is a very interesting country, first of all, for its incredible natural wonders. The people of Abkhazia as a whole are also friendly, but, probably, this is due to the general poverty of the state - everyone is trying to make money from you, they collect money for everything: for walking along the path to the waterfall, for taking photographs, is it cold in the cave? - jacket 50 rubles. Of course, there is nothing terrible in this, but sometimes the situation reaches the point of absurdity, and you are treated like an inanimate wallet. Cafes are opened in ancient buildings, objects of history can be used mercilessly... I am afraid that with such treatment, the Abkhazians may soon lose all this wealth. Okay, in general Abkhazia brings a huge amount of positive emotions. We especially remember the last evening: the lights went out all over Gagra, and this was a real gift for us! Pop music, loudly screaming from all the eateries, suddenly died down, the restaurant owners lit candles and lanterns for those who were still having dinner. Walking along the dark streets, we also went into a cafe where there were candles and had a farewell dinner, it was very cozy and romantic.

We are spending the fourteenth day on the road: although we got up early, there was already a traffic jam at the border - apparently, we need to drive through at night. To think about where to spend the remaining days, we stop at fast food. We thought for a long time and decided that since we were going on a road trip, we should look at Russian auto campsites, and we’ll postpone mountain hikes in the Caucasus for the future. According to information on the Internet, the most campsites are in the Gelendzhik area, so let's go there, our goal is the Parus rock. Cheerful and inspired, we go out to the car, but it’s not there! We panicked for half a second, then we asked passers-by, they said a tow truck was working. It's good that they didn't steal it! We ask the taxi driver where to go - the young guy treats us with understanding and takes us to the parking lot for an inexpensive price. The fine is small, but the cost of evacuation is as much as three and a half thousand. In the evening we stop at a campsite not far from Dzhubga; there are really a lot of parking lots for cars and tents on this coast, and all of them look good from the outside. How could it be otherwise, because there are mountains behind us and the sea ahead! I brew myself mate using the same water from the Abkhazian spring, Anyuta also drinks tea, and we prepare food. The night was almost sleepless because of the crowd that came to celebrate something, screaming and singing all night, the owners of the campsite were unable to calm them down. But that's not so bad... the next morning doesn't start well at all.

The fifteenth morning, we feel simply terrible, we understand that we have been poisoned. The reason is clearly the water from that same spring, and the night before I drank almost two liters of it while brewing mate! With great difficulty we pack up and drive towards Gelendzhik, it’s good that it’s not so far away. Both Anyuta and I have a high fever, body aches and all other symptoms inherent in poisoning. Somehow we made it to the campsite not far from the Parus rock, but we didn’t have the strength to drive, much less walk, to it. The whole next day we lay flat, unable to go or drive anywhere. We drink a lot of water (we bought five-liter bottles at the store). They almost stopped taking photographs. We more or less came to our senses in the evening, having taken several cold showers. You have to go down a steep slope to the sea; only Anyuta decided to do this.

But the evening at this campsite still gave us a portion of positive impressions. It so happened that a group of bikers and musicians (as we later found out, the Pandora group) was located not far from us. The guys installed very high-quality equipment and turned on the most pleasant music. It was the first time I heard loud music in nature that was so pleasant! It feels like they chose it especially for us. After the introductory tracks, the guys threw a party, also selecting only pleasant compositions. It’s a pity that Anyuta and I couldn’t dance yet, but lying on a rock with the same view of the sea, we watched the sunset during this feast for the ears. That's it, the journey ends, tomorrow we go home.

The return journey also took almost three days, we were not driving fast, and the illness was still taking its toll. The first night we stayed in Elista, walking a little around the city at night. The next day, driving through Volgograd, we stop to visit Mamayev Kurgan, a place that endlessly gives me goosebumps. All the sculptures and monuments of the complex are made surprisingly realistically; taking a lot of photographs and jumping from monument to monument, it seems to me, is completely disrespectful. We silently walk around all the buildings with only one thing in our thoughts, eternal glory to these people, they saved their country for us. Now we can travel across these endless expanses completely freely, which is what we have just done. One more night in a motel near Samara, and now we are already enjoying our native Ural expanses; home is still good too!

1. In the capital of Kalmykia - beautiful Elista- located the largest in Russia and Europe Buddhist temple or, otherwise, khurul “Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni”. At the base of the temple stands the White Elder - the Kalmyk pagan god, patron of the area. We witnessed a newlywed couple approach him and bow, apparently coming for a blessing
2. Installed inside the temple Shakyamuni Buddha sculpture, 9 meters high. The statue is covered with gold leaf, and inside it are objects sacred to Buddhists - mantras, prayers, incense and earth from all over Kalmykia
3. The temple contains full monastic robe of the 14th Dalai Lama
4. In the center of the main square of Elista there is another attraction associated with Buddhism - Rotunda "Seven Days Pagoda"- by the number of tiers. A large prayer drum is fixed here, in which 30 million religious mantras are hidden (our photos with the drum were taken there)
5. In the territory Caucasian Biosphere Reserve passed some of the most popular routes of the USSR - the famous "thirty". And more than a thousand years ago, this was one of the directions of the Great Silk Road from Europe to Asia, including through the Pseashkho pass
6. On the shore Ritsa one of 20 is located (according to open data) Stalin's dachas. A very interesting place, definitely worth a visit. It was at the entrance to this dacha that Beria staged an attack on Stalin, after which he became close to power. When he advised the leader to transfer to the security car, and Stalin’s car was blown up on the bridge closest to the dacha. In the leader's residence there are several bedrooms, one in one, similar to each other, which was done because Stalin moved at night from one room to another, fearing the threat of death. The decoration of the house's rooms is done mainly in green tones, because it was the owner's favorite color. There is no office in the house - Stalin never worked here - he only came to rest. The dacha was carefully guarded under the supervision of 3,000 guards. After Stalin’s death, Khrushchev erected another building almost right next to this dacha, and Brezhnev then only united them with a common corridor
7. New Athos Cave- one of the largest caves in the world, in size it competes with the largest dungeons in the world, such as the Škocjan Cave in Slovenia and the Carlsbad Cave in the USA. The cave was opened in 1961. The pioneer of the cave was Givi Smyr, who has been the head of the New Athos caves complex since 2001. In 1975, the New Athos Cave was opened to visitors. The route inside the cave passes through 8 halls, with a length of about 2 km.
8. Gagra resort founded by the Prince of Oldenburg, a relative of Tsar Nicholas II, who wanted to turn this place into a “Russian Monte Carlo”. In 1903, the grand opening of this resort took place in the Gagripsh restaurant - perhaps the main attraction of this city. This wooden building was made in Norway and delivered in parts to Abkhazia

There is a place in the south of our country where you can enjoy the warm sun in winter and sunbathe on eternal ice in summer. The highest mountains in Europe and the most fertile valleys in Russia are located here. And this place is called the North Caucasus. In this article we will take you on a journey through the Northern Caucasus and visit 7 republics and 2 regions.

The territory of the Caucasus is rich in reserves of oil, gas, valuable wood species, reserves of industrial metal ores and uranium ores. The most delicious mineral water is produced here, and more than 70% of the territory is occupied by agricultural land.

The North Caucasus includes 7 republics and 2 territories:

1. Republic of Adygea

The Republic of Adygea is a real paradise for travelers:

• Routes through Lago-Naki,
• Rufabgo waterfalls,
• Through cave,
• Khodzhokh Gorge,
• river and gorge Meshoko,
• mount Monk,
• Sahrai waterfalls,
• Valley of the Ammonites,
• St. Michael's Monastery.

All these and many other attractions are very popular among tourists. In addition, there are many thermal and mineral springs on the territory of the republic.

2. Dagestan

Dagestan, more like an eastern state than Russia: Arab bazaars, women in headscarves, hospitable people.

Of interest to tourists are the sandy coast of the Caspian Sea, excellent cognac, local wines, architectural buildings and amazing ancient city Derbent.

Unfortunately, terrorist attacks are not uncommon in Dagestan these days, but, as a rule, they have nothing to do with tourists; rather, they are local squabbles.

3. Republic of Ingushetia

The youngest and smallest republic is Ingushetia. The territory is divided into two parts:

1. Gornaya, where the protected Dzheirakh region is located - the historical heart of the republic with its 9 inhabited and 10 abandoned ancient villages;
2. Plain, where tourists can only be attracted by the capital Magas and the ruins of the Russian fortress in Nazran.

Elbrus is an ancient dormant volcano, covered with glaciers and snow, a mountain sacred to many nations.

Travelers worship Elbrus, they come here to realize their most vivid extreme fantasies: kiteboarding, trekking, ice climbing, rock climbing, freeride, skiing - these and many other attractions of the peak.

In addition, the republic is famous for its five largest gorges of unearthly beauty, as well as delicious narzan and ayran.

5. Karachay-Cherkessia

Karachay-Cherkessia, bordering Kabardino-Balkaria, Stavropol Territory, Georgia and Abkhazia.

The republic is famous for its beautiful ski resort Dombay, alpine lakes, mountain waterfalls, rivers, natural resources, mineral and thermal springs.

On the territory of Karachay-Cherkessia there are also Teberdinsky and partly Caucasian reserves - protected natural areas rich in flora and fauna.

6. North Ossetia

North Ossetia-Alania attracts travelers with its wild mountain rivers, rocky mountains, unique cuisine, unique traditions and a complex history of development.

The events taking place in Karmadon and Beslan brought sad celebrity to the republic, but now it is already calm here.

7. Chechen Republic

The Chechen Republic, where very hospitable people live and modern cities continue to be upset.

Of interest to tourists here is not only the capital of the republic, but also

• ski resort Veduchi,
• lake Kezenoyam,
• mosques,
• amazing nature.

The population of the republic is very proud of its president Ramzan Kadyrov; on the streets of the capital you can often see posters hanging on which people thank him for his actions.

8. Krasnodar region

The Krasnodar region, first of all, is associated among vacationers with summer, sea and beach holidays. Resort towns are famous for their gentle sun and clean air, but in winter you can also relax here. For example, active recreation in Krasnaya Polyana: freeride, rafting, caving, helicopter rides, jeeping.

In addition, tourists coming to the Krasnodar region should visit an ostrich farm and Krasnodar tea plantations, taste real Kuban wine, and ride horses.

And, of course, the city of Sochi is of great interest now, where after the games you can not only get acquainted with many new construction projects, but also plunge into the world of adventures of the fabulous “Sochi Park”.

Stavropol region. The city of Stavropol is called the Gates of the Caucasus. Near the city there is a huge archaeological monument of the Ciscaucasia - the Tatar settlement.

It’s amazing how this place has been preserved, surrounded by city buildings, country houses, fields and roads. Also in Stavropol there is a state-protected natural monument - Central.

It is worth talking separately about the Caucasian Mineral Waters, which are part of the Stavropol Territory, because this territory is unique for its natural and healing resources.

And the beauty here is such that you can’t take your eyes off: beautiful valleys, vast meadows, picturesque waterfalls, clear rivers, a huge number of mineral springs. In addition, the air here is always clean, slightly tinged with resin and pine needles, and the climate is mild. At any time of the year you can have a great rest and improve your health here.

There are many sanatoriums and hotels of various classes located in Essentuki, Kislovodsk, Pyatigorsk and Zheleznovodsk.

In addition to treatment with mineral waters, here you can be treated with Tambukan mud, the natural formations of which help get rid of many diseases.

By combining balneotherapy (mineral water treatment), mud therapy, climatotherapy, physical rehabilitation and nutritional therapy, vacationers can significantly improve their health and recharge their batteries for years to come.

In addition, on the Caucasian Mineral Waters you can see such attractions as Honey Falls, the site of Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov’s duel, Blue Lakes, Narzan Valley, and the famous Kislovodsk resort park.

The geopolitical position of all these territories is important, since the North Caucasus has access to the Azov, Caspian and Black Seas, as well as territorial connections with the Transcaucasian states.

The North Caucasus is the most densely populated region of our country.

The most hospitable people live here, ancient customs are revered and the culture of the peoples is carefully protected. Ask any resident of the Caucasus about the history of his people, and he will tell it with pride.

The ethnic composition of the inhabitants of the Caucasus is extremely diverse:

• Chechens,
• Dargins,
• Lezgins,
• Ingush,
• Kabardians,
• Circassians,
• Adyghe people,
• Russians,
• Armenians,
• Ossetians.

And this is not a complete list of nationalities living here.

People of different religious views live side by side here:

• Sunni Muslims,
• Shia Muslims,
• Orthodox Christians,
• Christians of other denominations,
• Jews.

In the North Caucasus, a temperate continental climate has formed; closer to the Black Sea, the climate is subtropical. There is a lot of sun and warmth, most of the territory is provided with sufficient moisture and fertile soils.

Traveling through the North Caucasus is a favorite destination for Russian travelers. An unexpected combination of landscapes, unique natural resources, ancient architectural monuments - all this and much more awaits guests who come to the Caucasus.

And there is no doubt that they will forever remember the enchanting, breathtaking, unusual beauty of these places.

Travel to the Caucasus

“If you go to the Caucasus, the sun shines directly in...”. We were unable to verify the proverb - when we arrived on Caucasian soil, the sun was not shining anywhere. It was 2 am. In general, getting from Crimea to the Caucasus is not difficult at all. We got into the car and drove along the powerful Kuban River to its sources. Somewhere ahead the eternal Caucasian mountains were waiting. The four-hour drive passed almost unnoticed in conversations with the driver of our car. His name was Islam, the most common name among the mountain Karachais. The driver, with the accent, facial expressions and gestures typical of eastern peoples (for which he often let go of the steering wheel), explained to us how kind, hospitable and fair the mountaineers are. Only occasionally our conversation was interrupted by meetings with local traffic police at checkpoints. Our driver got out, hugged the traffic cops, and we drove on. “Our traffic police are sincere,” Islam justified his brothers, “they take money with a smile and politeness. Yes, I’ll give them cigarettes myself. He respects me - I respect him, why do we both need to draw up a protocol?”

We entered the village of Dombay with the first rays of the autumn sun. The beautiful Mount Belalakaya hanging over the village was already covered with the first snow. In Crimea, the “velvet season” is still in full swing, but here they are already gradually preparing for winter. Winter in Dombay is a breadwinner, a long-awaited time of year. Dombay is one of the most famous Russian ski resorts. The season here starts from mid-December until March.

Fans of skiing and snowboarding come in thousands and leave their money here, taking in return a portion of health, impressions of the beauty of the mountains, the taste of local food and national hospitality. There are almost no residential buildings left in the village - there are mountain hotels and inns everywhere. There are inexpensive recreation centers with a minimum of amenities, and there are also luxury hotels such as the three-star Crocus or the famous wooden tower Sunny Valley. It was here that the headquarters of the SS Edelweiss division was located during the war. For a fee you can stay in the real 5-room general's quarters. All hotels are being remodeled according to the needs of the modern tourist - there is Internet, bowling alleys, and swimming pools. And in the courtyard of one of the hotels we saw... an old armored personnel carrier adapted for household needs. Well, this is the specificity of the region - the recent military past works for a peaceful future.

These lines from Vysotsky’s song were spinning in my head as soon as the next day arrived. Today we planned a hike to the Alibek glacier. The weather was pleasant - clear skies with clearly defined snow-capped peaks. Our instructor, a Karachai mountaineer of about forty years old named Islam (what else!) had a tolerable command of the necessary knowledge of a guide - local legends, jokes, toponymy, basic knowledge of geology. And we behaved like exemplary tourists - we opened our mouths in admiration and asked questions. True, sometimes they are too smart for a mountaineer. The trail to the glacier begins a few kilometers from the village of Dombay at the Russian border guards checkpoint. Checkpoints are not uncommon here: literally ten kilometers away in the mountains, along the line of ridges, there is the border with Abkhazia, and there are already Georgia and other “restless” Russian neighbors. Border guards regularly conduct raids and monitor the passes, and also count tourists entering and exiting the border zone. Tourists are admitted upon presentation of a pass, which is issued in the village.

About 20 minutes of walking along a winding path running past birch trees fallen by winter avalanches (they now grow only on a slope) and we come out to a solid waterfall. Yes, this is not the Crimean Jur-Jur... A powerful wall of roaring water breaks off a ledge 50 meters high and gives rise to a winding river flowing through the valley. Sometimes the waterfall, according to Islam, “throws stones” - as if the hand of the spirit of the local mountains grabs a stone from a mountain stream and throws it down the slope. God forbid you end up under his flight at this time! And where the source breaks off the ledge, a rainbow shimmers with sparkling splashes against the background of a bright blue sky. The rainbow is perfect - it has a beginning and an end, let's stretch out our hands and touch this miracle. I manage to take a photo under a rainbow - the celestial arc clearly frames me.

Turning back, we freeze in surprise and gasp - in front of us is a huge, powerful glacier. Like in films, like in pictures in encyclopedias, like we were taught at school and university! A thickness of ice has spread out over a circus-shaped mountain basin and has been slowly, centimeter by centimeter, grinding away the surrounding rocks for hundreds of years, going deeper into its bed. Along the edges of the glacier, elongated hills rise from a pile of rock fragments - these are real moraines! And where the glacier has cut through granite rocks with its belly, you can see ragged deep stripes and smoothed semicircular stones - they are called “ram’s foreheads”. A huge blinding mass of snow is sandwiched between the peaks of Ertsog and Sulahat. Everything sparkles under the hot rays of the spring sun, but a cold wind blows from the glacier - the difference in pressure between the glacier and the warm rocks is very significant here. The lower part or “glacier tongue” turned into dirty ice with fragments of stones, cut by deep cracks. And from the deepest and closest crack to us, a stream of water bursts out, from which the waterfall and river we passed will soon be born. Here it is - the source of the glacial river. Having lowered our hands into the stream, we understand what truly “ice water” is. There is no colder water in the world. Unable to resist, let’s taste this miracle. The taste of melted snow, but snow that is a million years old.

We look around with glee. Pointed peaks with ice caps, silently protecting the glacier slowly devouring and destroying them from the rays of the sun. Heaps of granite rocks, free-flowing moraines, like ideal settings for science fiction films about lifeless mysterious planets. Again you remember the words of Vysotsky: “Blessed are the eternal ridges!” Suddenly our thoughts stop - in front of us, in a deep basin fed by a dozen streams from a glacier, lies a small mountain lake. An almost perfect round shape, deep greenish-blue color, with reflective icy peaks - like the eye of the Caucasian Earth.

The way back is easy, we run downhill. Along the way, Islam shows the remains of a drag lift, with the help of which the Nazis during the war raised guns and ammunition to the passes for defense against our troops. But “these are our mountains - they will help us,” and the Nazis were thrown off the passes. To the left of the path we notice a pile of stones, tin, bricks, the remains of a burnt roof - there was some kind of building here. It turns out that these are the ruins of the most famous tourist shelter throughout the USSR - the Alibek Hut. Thousands of climbers and tourists passed through its comfort; Yuri Vizbor loved to be here. They say that here he wrote his famous “My dear, forest sun” and much more. A year ago, the hut burned down due to the negligence of unfortunate tourists. In the ruins I find a burnt metal window handle and take it with me as a souvenir. Perhaps Vizbor once held on to her.

Upon returning to the village, the soul demands barbecue and killer Caucasian songs. But the kebab is not ready yet and we are offered to drink tea from the leaves of the mountain rhododendron flower. We note with surprise that our tea is made in a real pre-revolutionary Tula samovar with all the required brands and coats of arms on its golden belly. Sweet tea from an ancient Tula samovar in the very center of the Caucasus Mountains is a good conclusion to a hard day. We can’t go anywhere because we’re tired and fall asleep in the hotel room. Tomorrow we have a long road ahead to Arkhyz...

Shrines of ancient Alanya

Arkhyz is an area in the upper reaches of the Bolshoi Zelenchuk River, whose valley is located parallel to the Teberda valley, at the source of which is the beloved Dombay. Between the two villages - Dombay and Arkhyz, there are about thirty kilometers in a straight line through mountain passes, and about two hundred kilometers in a detour along the roads. I can talk about adventures along the way for a long time. We went from Dombay to Arkhyz by extreme hitchhiking. At first, we were driven around in a collapsing official “kopek” by a Dombay policeman-philosopher, who all the way explained to us his views on geopolitical processes in the world. Then we rode on a school bus, collecting children from mountain villages to school in Karachayevsk - here we were left with a feeling akin to Indiana Jones on his trips to South America. The whole bus, speaking a foreign dialect, looked at us, Europeans with backpacks, with curiosity. Then there were several more buses, rideshares and taxis.

And now we are entering the center of the scientific life of the republic - the academic town of the Special Astrophysical Observatory. Special Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) is a research institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. SAO was founded in 1966 and is currently the largest Russian astronomical center for ground-based observations of objects in the Universe. The telescopes are installed on the slopes of Pastukhov at an altitude of 2100 meters above sea level, at the foot of the mountain there is an academic town where astronomers and engineers live, about 400 people in total. It has the largest number of candidates of science per square meter in the Caucasus, the most prestigious school - it recently won a grant from the President of the Russian Federation - 1 million rubles. The local leadership elite from the surrounding villages and villages tries to send their children here.

They were already waiting for us in the town. A couple of weeks before the trip, we accidentally met Irina Glushkova, a local businesswoman, on the Internet. Irina is not just a sweet and very smart woman, but also an excellent expert on her region. Realizing that she couldn’t feed two children while studying distant planets, she opened a travel agency in this remote corner. I read specialized literature, learned the theory of tourism, and mastered the computer and the Internet perfectly. And now it successfully welcomes tourists to its region who want to experience the beauty of the Arkhyz mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and mysterious historical monuments. And there is something to see here.

2 kilometers from the village of Northern Administrative Okrug is the Nizhnearkhyz Historical and Archaeological Reserve. It is believed that in the period from the 9th to the 13th centuries the capital of the Alanian state, the legendary city of Meuse, was located here. It was the cultural, commercial and religious center of the Alans. Alans are a people genetically related to the Sarmatian tribes. Having settled in the mountains of the Central Caucasus at the beginning of our era, the Alan tribes subjugated the local population. By the way, Alan tribes also lived in Crimea and participated in the formation of the Crimean unique culture. From the end of the 9th century. Byzantine influence on the Alans increases. The turbulent nomadic life of the Alans gradually subsides, they accept Christianity and settle in the Kuban. To this day, on the territory of the ancient Alanian capital, three unique ancient temples, standing above a raging mountain river, have been preserved in perfect condition. These churches were built in the 10th century and are the oldest Christian churches in Russia! One of them was the cathedral and residence of the Bishop of Alanya. It was here that Christianity was adopted - in 916. Now this place is one of the most famous pilgrimage routes in Russia. It is interesting that the Alans, having adopted Christianity, were very tolerant of the pagan faith of their ancestors. They did not have cruel destruction of idols, like the Slavs. Still in close proximity From the temples there are several pagan menhirs - free-standing vertical anthropomorphic stones.

Having reached its heyday after taking control of the trade route from Byzantium to Khazaria, the Alan state was unable to resist in the 13th century a wave of wild Tatar-Mongol hordes that wiped out the city but failed to destroy the temples. According to local legend, some priests escaped and somewhere in the surrounding mountains, in a cave, they safely hid the treasures of the diocese and the most priceless of them - the handwritten correspondence of Byzantium and Alania.

The architecture of the temples is somewhat reminiscent of the religious buildings of our Crimean monastery of Surb Khach. The hills surrounding the Arkhyz temples are very similar to the mountains near Old Crimea. In general, the local nature very much reminded us of our native land - after all, the Crimea and the Caucasus have the same geological history and, accordingly, the formation of the relief took place under approximately the same natural conditions. Therefore, with surprise and delight, we recognized in the surrounding mountains our Bakhchisarai cuestas, the Boyka massif near Ai-Petri, the Quarantine Beam of Sevastopol, or the Chufut-Kale grottoes. And only the white bulk of the handsome Elbrus looming on the horizon reminded us that home was a thousand kilometers away...

Literally a kilometer from the Arkhyz temples, on the opposite bank of the Zelenchuk River, there is one of the newest shrines of the Christian world. In May 1999, an ancient image of the face of Christ was accidentally discovered by two local residents on a steep rocky slope of a mountain. This find was named “The Face of Arkhyz” and excited both the scientific and religious worlds. The face, measuring 140 by 80 cm, is painted with three main colors (white, brown, dark red) on a flat sandstone outcrop, and is clearly oriented facing east - towards the temples. The icon has such iconographic features as the absence of a halo above the head of Christ and his unforked beard. Such techniques in icon painting were characteristic of early images, until the 10th century. Actually, the age of this hidden miracle is determined by the 9th century AD.

Hello dear readers. We finally decided to write about our trip to the North Caucasus from March 29 to April 7, 2016. The starting point of the journey was Ivanovo, and the final point was Kislovodsk. Before the trip, we carefully studied other people’s travel experiences and decided that ours would also be useful to others. The trip took place in a low-slung Hyundai Solaris car, which we did not regret even once. In my opinion, the M4 (Don) road is ideal for travel. Almost everywhere there are multiple lanes, with the exception of small sections of the road.
We left not very early, at about 7.30, as we like to sleep. Our crew consisted exclusively of family members, this is your humble servant, my wife and 12-year-old son. True, we had another half-animate travel companion, or rather fellow traveler Irina, whom we affectionately call “Fool.” This is our navigator, with a female voice, which repeatedly led us into such nooks and crannies that there was not enough normative vocabulary to express feelings.
We took with us only the essentials: clothes for the season, food for two days (which we didn’t regret later), toiletries, two pairs of shoes, some cash (only for gasoline and food, the rest in cards for every fireman), garbage bags (required), tools (in case of breakdown), etc.
The road went through the capital of our homeland, Moscow, more precisely along the Moscow Ring Road for several tens of kilometers and further to the Tula region, Voronezh, Rostov and the Stavropol region. On the first day we were lazy and only drove 800 kilometers. We spent the night at the Novaya Usman hotel in the village of the same name. The cost of a one-room suite with three beds, shower, TV and WiFi is 2000 rubles. The room is mediocre in impressions. In principle, everything is clean and quiet (even surprisingly, despite the highway). Free parking nearby. Very friendly staff, almost no people. Of course, it was possible to find one for 1000, but there would be a lot of people there, and the conditions would be different. Next to the hotel there is a good cafe “Gramophone”, excellent service, everything is delicious and the atmosphere is nice, the price tag is average.
We slept in peace and quiet and the next morning, at exactly 7.00, we set off on the road. With a bright head, the road is always more joyful and more vividly remembered. The landscapes outside the window are simply magnificent; you pass many rivers. In contrast, after winter you find yourself in summer, where the fields are green and the trees are blooming. Along the highway you come across sellers who sell honey, condensed milk, vegetable oil and other rubbish.
I’ll say a little about toll sections of the road. The road is excellent, the speed limit is from 90 to 130 km/h, which allows you to travel along them much faster than on free roads. The fare ranges from 35 to 120 rubles per section in the daytime, and is correspondingly cheaper at night. We spent 605 rubles one way, and 360 rubles back (since we drove most of the road at night). 3,800 rubles were spent on gasoline one way, with an average Solaris consumption of 6 liters per 100 km. When we were going to Kislovodsk, we tried to drive along one free section - we didn’t like it. Firstly, one lane and trucks all the way, traffic lights at every turn and speed limits from 90 to 20 km/h. Moreover, there are many settlements with video recording. We didn’t experiment and save any more and went with the paid ones.
Now I’ll tell you about the traffic police. Thanks everyone guys, you are great guys. Despite the fact that my numbers clearly contrasted with the local ones, they stopped only once before entering Rostov. They checked the documents and released us, wishing us a good trip. Of course, we occasionally violated the speed limit, but not maliciously, you just think about it or look at it. For 4000 kilometers I did not bring a single fine. But there were checkpoints with police officers quite often, where they measured the speed limit with portable radars. At one such post we were even scolded for slowing down for too long. That is, the guys still treat you with understanding and see when you’re getting impudent and when you just didn’t have time to slow down completely. For minor violations they may be warned. Although I have no doubt that they also have a reporting system.
In general, we covered the remaining 1000 or so kilometers until deep darkness and my two navigators (my wife with a navigator) missed the junction for Mineralnye Vody, where we had originally planned to go. By a strong-willed decision in this sleepy kingdom, I pointed the way to Essentuki. And we didn’t regret it later. A beautiful, quiet town, with tasty water and a large selection of accommodation. When we set off on the road, we didn’t even bother to make inquiries about where we would be filming the corner. Yes, this is not necessary. There are offers on every corner. They say correctly that the language will take you to Kyiv, although you wouldn’t want to go there anymore. There is a lot of housing for rent there and the prices range from 1000 rubles per day and above, as agreed. We rented a two-story cottage with three rooms, with two TVs, a washing machine, WiFi, a shower, and we drove the car into the yard. We didn’t choose because it was about ten in the evening. Well, it’s a stretch to call it a cottage, since they build there “on top of each other’s heads.” This is a bunch of two-story buildings in one separate yard. True, the walk to the pump room was very close, 100-150 meters. If anyone needs it, we rented a house on the street. Frunze. I won’t name the house, as the owners may not like close attention to their yard. Find it yourself if you want. Housing is usually rented out with all necessary utensils, hot and cold water, and toilet paper. In principle, there is nothing special to worry about. It is very convenient to cook if you want. Personally, we are big lazy people and often went to eat in the city. I would also like to say something separately about their yards. They are very narrow, cars are packed in there like sprat in a jar. When I was driving out, so as not to hit the Lada car standing in the yard, I pressed close to the collar and scratched the hubcap on the wheel. It's really bullshit, but it's unpleasant. Yes, keep in mind that traffic in these cities is organized terribly. The signs are placed in such a way that even when walking past road signs and markings, you hang for 2-3 minutes, wondering how this can happen. I came across streets with such a circular traffic pattern, looking at the sign of which I spent about five minutes thinking about which road was the main one and which was the secondary one. It feels like they were drawn on with a marker out of boredom. In all civilized cities, a roundabout is organized with the main road on the ring, or a secondary road and an obstacle on the right, for ease of perception during heavy traffic. Here local drivers drive as if they are about to make their last journey. Very similar to how they drive in Egypt. But to give credit to local drivers, they are always attentive to non-residents, they will always understand and let you through, somewhere they will once again remain silent and not beep. It can be seen that it is a resort town. There were even such oddities as a “no traffic” sign, with pillars dug across the road under it. That is, as if the special services and local residents can go, but try it! And there are signs of the main road that do not hang as usual, but parallel to the ground; when you approach an intersection, you look up at the sign, otherwise you won’t be able to see it.

Such miracles of technical regulations
After resting for three days in Essentuki, we went to Pyatigorsk. Unexpectedly, it turned out that the lift to Mount Mashuk was not working and would only open on May 1st. And we …. climbed the mountain. We actually climbed because we decided to turn off the asphalt road onto a narrow path... During the climb, we were worried that the path would come to a dead end - it would be very difficult to go back down. My wife probably wouldn't have been able to handle it. We were lucky that the sun was already shining brightly and the trail was dry (the ascent was on April 1). There was a section where we climbed our own height along a steep cliff. We were the only ones so lazy, the rest walked around along the asphalt road.
The view from the mountain was pleasing. You can also see Elbrus from there, but not like from Kislovodsk. Pyatigorsk itself is a city with ancient buildings and beautiful architecture. We took the sun, mountains, clean air, and even the height of Mashuk 993 meters ourselves!
By the way, we went to Pyatigorsk on a local train. The ride takes 15-20 minutes, the cost for three is 250 rubles in both directions for three. You can take a ticket immediately for the return journey without taking into account the departure time, that is, when you wanted to then leave. The train runs almost every 20-30 minutes. You can get to Mineralnye Vody, Kislovodsk, Pyatigorsk, Essentuki. Everything is nearby.
I would especially like to mention the cafe in Essentuki on railway station"For two". For three of us we ate for 750 rubles. But we remembered this lunch throughout the trip along the CMS, in the good sense of the word. If someone had told me earlier that I would eat at the railway station and then remember, I would have laughed. My wife liked “chanakhi” and tasted it in many establishments; she even liked chanakhi in an expensive Kislovodsk restaurant much less. Basically, everywhere the food is tasty, but very spicy. If you come for treatment, then in the catering service ask again whether the dish is spicy or not. This is Caucasus.
After the trip to Pyatigorsk, we packed our things (as we had planned) and moved to Kislovodsk without any extra hassles. On the way, we found an address on the Internet (we connected a 20 gig Beeline Highway on a tablet) and agreed on housing. Since we arrived early and we didn’t really like the area, we left the car and went for a walk. Walking past the railway station, we got into a conversation with a man renting out housing and they offered us so much housing, for every taste and color, that our eyes ran wild. A very pleasant and friendly woman, Tamara, walked with us around the city and helped us choose what suited us. We are lazy people and stopped next to the Narzan gallery because we didn’t want to run far. The apartment was chosen on the second floor of an old house (the owner claims it is 150 years old), a former communal apartment. Well renovated, for 1,600 rubles per day, two beds with normal bed linen, a comfortable folding chair for a child, a wall-to-wall TV, WiFi, its own kitchen, gas heating, heated floors in the bathroom, new plumbing, and other small joys. In principle, housing there is only needed for an overnight stay, since we spent the whole day wandering and driving somewhere. The Kislovodsk resort park is huge, with fountains (alas, they weren’t working in April), flower beds, and sculptures. We bought a map with routes, plus we had a tablet and 2GIS in our smartphone, and traveled. In one day we covered 20 km (measured using a pedometer). So comfortable shoes are very important.
Our 12-year-old son was tired, of course, from long walks, and Wi-Fi and TV beckoned. Therefore, we found him entertainment: a race track on the street. Sedlogorskaya. My son drove around there in real go-karts with such pleasure that he didn’t want to go back. Before that, he didn’t even know what a go-kart looked like. Cars for every taste, regular framed and with a plastic body, for beginners. The price for a 5-minute ride is 200 rubles, which is approximately 10-14 laps. Depends on how you drive. The computer keeps track of the race time and lap time of all participants. You can also ride the same karts in the city park in the center, but the circle there is small and without turns. The city park has attractions for every taste; you can climb on the Ferris wheel.
The most memorable thing was the climb to the “Small Saddle” mountain. The height is about 1.4 km. You can see Elbrus in full view. There is also a lift there, but we got there on a preventive day. And they conquered this peak with their feet too. We were lucky with the weather, like April 1st, the 4th was also sunny.

We didn’t want to take the same route back from the mountain, but according to the reviews of the athletes we met, going down the trail would be risky, they argued that “it’s dirty and impossible to walk there.” But we took a risk and passed! We walked the whole way down the mountain alone.
We went back with reluctance, but the child had to go to school, nothing could be done. On the way back we stopped in Zheleznovodsk. I had vacationed there before and that’s why we didn’t go there specifically. The city has changed. The streets are clean, well-groomed, the springs are very healing (I tested it myself). We regretted that we did not spend at least two days in Zheleznovodsk, it is so quiet and friendly (and there are also mountains for ordinary tourists to climb).
After Zheleznovodsk everything is in reverse order, only without an overnight stay. We decided to travel more on the first day, but then we were too lazy to look for a hotel and drove without stopping. We dozed for a couple of hours at a gas station in the Voronezh region and drove on. When dawn broke, snow (its remnants) was again seen in the Tula region, Tula and Voronezh region We were met with fog and rain. During our stay in the Caucasus there were almost no cloudy days.
On the way back, the traffic police did not bother us, although immediately after our arrival home, in the Stavropol region there was an armed attack on the police department. And there they introduced the CTO regime. But during the rest there was no tension about this. I vacationed in Zheleznovodsk back in 2001, even then it was calm there, and even more so now.
We will definitely return to the Caucasus, there are many extraordinary places there (the Bermamyt plateau near Kislovodsk, hot springs, nearby Dombay and Elbrus, Arkhyz). We will assume that our “reconnaissance” was carried out by car.