How to get to Ai-Petri from Yalta - description, features and recommendations. Climbing to the Ai-Petri plateau by car, for which tourists climb to the top Ai-Petri walking trail

Greetings! Not all drivers decide to climb the Ai-Petri plateau by car; there are also those for whom the trip becomes entertainment. Undoubtedly, the route is memorable and picturesque - the higher you climb, the more you admire the panorama of the southern coast of Crimea.

Dear readers! The article was written a long time ago, but is still in demand, so I constantly update it and add relevant information. Updated 08/15/2019

There are four ways to climb Ai-Petri: on foot, in your own car, by cable car or with private carriers. Each option has its pros and cons, but you should definitely use at least one. There are diagrams for walking routes on the Internet.

From August 16, 2019, MUP "Yaltagortrans" will provide transportation from Miskhor and the Yalta bus station to the Ai-Petri plateau using a licensed taxi. The price of a one-way trip is 450 rubles. per person.

“Taxis will be dispatched as they are loaded from the points of sale of subscriptions. In the area of ​​the Ai-Petri plateau, dispatch and boarding of passengers will be carried out. In the future, the directions and types of transportation by licensed taxis will expand.”

Due to the lack of snow in Crimean resorts at the beginning of January 2019, the Ai-Petri plateau became the most popular place for outdoor activities. Hundreds of tourists posted their pictures on social networks from the snow-covered mountain: some on sleds, some on skis, and some in a kilometer-long traffic jam.

On January 2, 2019, on the Ai-Petri plateau, traffic was paralyzed; there were weirdos who climbed up on summer tires (they had to be pulled out).

photo from the VK group “Weather on Ai-Petri”.

Dear people, before traveling in winter, check the weather conditions online! If you don't care about yourself, think about your children! Rescue services cannot reach some areas.

Count on capabilities of your car: 4x4, spikes or chains, full tank.

Current weather information on Ai-Petri: https://ru.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Ay-Petri/6day/mid or in the specified group on VK.

On January 4, 2019, 6 avalanches occurred, the transport could not get out on its own, they called in heavy equipment and augers to break through to the stuck people. Avalanches covered many vehicles.

Previously, there was an unspoken rule for visiting Ai-Petri: ascent to the plateau along a narrow serpentine road before 12 noon, descent - after 12 noon. Now motorists ignore this rule and create problems for themselves, others and rescue services.

Our trip to Ai-Petri took place in mid-March; we were lucky with the road - we encountered snow jams only on the northern descent.

The mountain serpentine leading to the plateau is the longest and most winding in Crimea. Depending on weather conditions, some sections or the entire road may be closed, as warned by a sign at the beginning of the path or by guards. There are landslides, landslides and avalanches here.

Road T 0117 leads to the Ai-Petri plateau, and then along the northern slope, through the Grand Canyon of Crimea, to the Bakhchisarai region. The second name is the old Yalta highway. Along the route there are springs, interesting rocks and the most famous waterfalls of Crimea: (on the southern slope) and Silver Streams (on the northern slope).

We can say with all confidence that the road to Ai-Petri is one of the most dangerous roads in Crimea, so tired drivers and beginners have nothing to do there!

We headed to the top of Ai-Petri after a walk along the Yalta embankment in the afternoon. A cold wind was blowing from the sea and I was afraid that we would freeze completely at the top, but it turned out the opposite.

For those who don’t know what the serpentine road on Ai-Petri looks like, here is a map of our route.

Halfway through the route we stopped to take a few photos; we didn’t have such an opportunity any further due to the nature of the route. There are “pockets”, but it’s better not to occupy them, you never know who will fall on your head...

Photos from the VKontakte group “Weather on Ai-Petri” were taken on December 2, 2018. From Bakhchisarai the road to Ai-Petri is much worse, there are many potholes.

Information has appeared on the Internet that in the winter of 2019 the road to Ai-Petri will not be closed.

This year, Krymavtodor specialists decided to change the rule. Weather stations will be installed on the approaches to the mountain, which will forecast the weather and the condition of the road surface. This will allow road workers to react in time, process the road and bring it into working condition.

In March, there were whole glades of snowdrops in the forest, but the phrase “oh, what flowers, let’s stop” was clearly not appropriate.

In some areas there was no fencing at all. To my question: “Why are there no bump stops?” my friend answered: “If we fly down, they won’t help us.” Thank you, I reassured you...

All we had to do was wait until we climbed Ai-Petri. In my mind I imagined what the plateau looked like, because the last time I was there was years….twenty years ago. Having driven up the mountain, we left the cars in a free area next to the administration of the meteorological station.

Then the fun began. If you go right, you will get to the observation deck. Usually, this is the name for a place that is fenced and allows you to see the immediate surroundings in full scale.

From the so-called observation deck a clear expanse opened up - a turquoise sky with glimpses of azure sank into the sea surface of the Black Sea. Evergreen bushes and trees framed Alupka and Koreiz with their thickets.

Silence and tranquility... To the right, in the distance, the teeth of Ai-Petri are clearly visible; it is there that the upper station of the cable car, the highest point of 1234 m and the Three-Eyes Cave are located.



If you go straight, you'll end up in a showdown.
This is the architectural structure left after someone's division. Until 2011, there was a ski club on this site. Apparently, now these ruins will serve as an edification to descendants.

What happened next was completely sad. Rows of cafes and trade stalls with strange souvenirs that have nothing in common with the products of Crimean craftsmen. I also didn’t notice any special flavor of the national cuisine, so I didn’t go anywhere for lunch and I can’t evaluate the dishes offered. In August 2019, nothing has changed.

There is neglect and chaos all around. Private houses, barns, cafes, shalmans, construction sites. After just 15 minutes you forget what kind of devil you came up here for.

The “highlanders” do not want to improve the territory because of unresolved land issues. Environmentalists are sounding the alarm and calling for a halt to economic activity on the territory of Ai-Petri and to limit the carrying capacity for the development of eco-tourism. But we realized it too late: many entrepreneurs have been working here for decades. The circle has closed and now all hope lies in the new government, which will make a rational decision so that “the wolves are fed and the sheep are safe”...
There is another “architectural landmark” on the edge of the cliff. It was built on a grand scale so that the mountains, sea and sun were visible from all the windows.

The faded sign says: Jolly Roger Cafe with the best recipes of oriental cuisine.

There is another viewpoint nearby.

Here you can turn to the sea and escape from reality, but only in one direction, because on other sides all the beauty of the plateau is obscured by construction and private houses.

Due to the peculiarity of the relief, Ai-Petri is called yayla - summer pasture. Since ancient times, settlements have been built on the plateau, but the biggest “contribution” was made by homo sapiens.

Back in 2014, the media reported that the Ai-Petri plateau had been put in order, all construction waste had been removed and there were no illegal buildings. Was it even more interesting...
Perhaps the only object that is in its place is the monument to the Crimean partisans of the Great Patriotic War who died in battle in December 1941.

The road to Ai-Petri was important during the Second World War. It was along this route that the Nazis transferred troops and equipment towards Sevastopol. The partisans managed to blow up a section of the road and prevent the enemy’s plans from being realized, but they all died in an unequal battle.
At the cost of incredible efforts, the soldiers were able to protect their land; their memory should be passed on from generation to generation, and not disappear under scaffolding...

Returning to the parking lot, we set off by car across the entire plain of the plateau.

The further north you went, the more snow there became. In the lowlands, where the snow had not yet melted, snowboarders were riding on the slopes. The first snow falls on Ai-Petri in October, and a stable layer remains from mid-December until March-April.

And we had a long descent ahead along the mountain serpentine towards the Bakhchisary district. At the beginning of the road there was a track of snow and ice.

Previously, in case of bad weather conditions, the road to Ai-Petri was blocked for private cars from both Yalta and Bakhchisarai. The traffic police was on duty everywhere. You can climb Ai-Petri by cable car or by transport that provides transportation.

The transfer organizers do not hide the fact that the route is actually closed. At the same time, it was not possible to find out exactly how carriers “make their way” through traffic police posts: “We have different moves. No matter how, we will get there."

About 35 km from the top of Ai-Petri, there is a parking lot and a hiking trail to the Grand Canyon of Crimea. I have already talked about this route in my report.
Of course, in March it is not as interesting there as in October.

What is happening on Ai-Petri in August 2019. Paid parking and a long queue for the cable car.

There is competition between the “highlanders” and the owners of the cable car for their client. Time will tell how events will develop. The article is updated all the time.
Thank you for attention!

Vacation in Crimea and not visit Ai-Petri? There are two classic options:

1. Go up/down on the cable car.
2. To go up, use the services of a minibus (from the Yalta bus station or from the lower cable car station), and go down by cable car.

In the spring of 2012, as far as I remember, the fare for both the cable car and the minibus was the same - 60 UAH. per person. For the active ones, which we consider ourselves to be, there is a more interesting offer - with Ai-Petri on foot. In principle, you can climb to the plateau and go down in one day - we once climbed from Yalta along, and returned along Taraktash (Taraktash trail). But Stavrikaika, firstly, is located above Yalta and leads up to the east of both Ai-Petri and Taraktash. Secondly, this is a fairly large load. Therefore, the compromise option is this: go up by cable car or minibus, and go down slowly on your own. There they are Ai-Petri trails for descent:

• Taraktashskaya (goes to the Uchan-Su waterfall, from there along the paths you can get to the Glade of Fairy Tales in Yalta);
• Koreizskaya or Miskhorskaya (located under the cable car and leads to Koreiz, Miskhor);
• Malay-Bogaz (on the western side of Ai-Petri, closer to Alupka);
• Shanghai East and West (both lead to Alupka, the West is more difficult);
• “Jewish” (will also lead to Alupka).

For the first time, it is better to use the trails for descent rather than ascent.— the beginning is easier to find from above. All of them are within the capabilities of an averagely trained person. The main thing is comfortable shoes. This time we had a child with us - Dana, who was not yet four years old. She managed the route easily.

Exit from Ai-Petri

So, if we are at the upper station of the cable car, then we overcome the Tatar shalmans, souvenir rows, taking pictures with a camel, horse riding... Here, in fact, we slow down and turn left - there is a dirt road going to the west. The Tatars laid their walking horse paths along it. We should go there too. After 300-400 m the primer bifurcates and then joins again. Let's go along the left side to see a branch to one of the above trail with Ai-Petri- Malay-Bogaz. What if someday this trail will come in handy? The fork is located a little short of the junction of the primers - a path with hoof marks goes to the left and diagonally. First she walks through a deciduous forest, then through an open area to a cliff. Malay-Bogaz begins there, but today we are not going there. We continue to move straight along the road.

A few pictures. Maybe we can persuade someone to follow us. If you walk along the dirt road a few hundred meters and turn around, you will see the following picture:

On the right (if you look at the photo) or, respectively, on the left (if along the way) you can see where people go to take pictures at the Ai-Petri cliffs. Here (I feel that Dana will often be in the frame this time. The long sleeves and tights she is wearing are protection from the unseasonably hot sun; they forgot to take a Panama hat - I had to make one from what was on hand):

The same, but with a closer look:

Well, we are right on the road to the west. Through the woods:

Landmarks - abandoned military unit, "visor"

Another kilometer and the dirt road will begin to rise. There is a military unit there, but you need to pay attention to the rocky “peak” in the distance - it will just appear in the field of view. In his direction, a path will branch off from the road to the right. We turn towards it. Its beginning is difficult to ignore, but if you suddenly manage to go further along the road and run into a military unit, the path is easy to find nearby. It goes around the buildings on the right. We follow it to the “visor”. It's impossible to get lost on foot from Ai-Petri there is only one way. At the “visor” this path will gradually begin to descend downwards - this is the beginning of Shanghai East and West.

Photos again.

And this is the fork in front of the military unit (to it - straight along the road, for us - to the right along the path):

If you look back at this place:

Behind the military unit. There is only one path, it is impossible to stray from it. In the distance there is a “visor”:

This trip also seemed to not have to happen. We had different plans: to conquer Mount Ilyas Kaya and visit the Temple of the Sun, which is located above Laspi Bay. To do this, in the morning we went through Koreiz to the Yalta-Sevastopol highway in the hope of catching a passing bus.

I can't say that we waited long. Because I had to stand like this. Right above the highway and the vineyards, the beautiful Ai-Petri beckoned with its jagged teeth. Plan B came to my mind quite quickly.

I constantly glanced sideways at the beautiful Ai-Petri and joked with my husband: “Calling!” In addition, he had not yet been to the main mountain of Crimea. However, he did not agree immediately; the Temple of the Sun attracted him very much. Only when the passing bus to Sevastopol chugged past did all the signs converge: we are going to Ai-Petri!

The Koreiz trail starts right from the Sevastopol highway, where at the exit from Koreiz there is a large concrete sign “Sevastopol 72 - Yalta 9”. The trail, or rather a wide dirt road, goes to the left right after the sign. I took this card from the Internet to make it more clear:

First we walked past some abandoned trailers and strange buildings, and then went deeper into the forest. This is where the beauty began!

The road is very wide, it is impossible to lose it, but it has many branches. There are markers and signs along the trail, but I sometimes checked my phone. In the Maps.me application, all the trails are marked, it works without the Internet, so I sometimes checked whether we had turned there. The mountain in its autumn attire sometimes appeared to us through the trees, as if confirming that we were going the right way.

The forest, of course, is incredibly beautiful here. Tall, tall pines, and among them lie huge stones that were once separated from the rock. Once upon a time they fell from above.

A short break in the forest. They say that some scenes from the Soviet film about Pinocchio were filmed here; it seems that you can even see Ai-Petri there. I need to rewatch the movie with my niece!

Sometimes the mountain teases you: it seems impossible to climb there!

The camera allows you to see everything in the smallest detail, but the peak from the outside seems inaccessible.

But the legs move, the smile does not leave the face, and along the path every now and then you meet people: on foot on bicycles and even on motorcycles. The latter ride along the bottom, where the road allows, and those on foot are a little surprised that we are going up, after all, beginners more often walk this trail from top to bottom.

And here we found ourselves right in a green sea, surrounded by young growth, which very soon would turn into the same dense forest.

Timur walks in front, and I always trail behind, because I want to capture everything down to the smallest detail.

Finally we emerge from the forest, and the first open spaces timidly open up to us.

There is a road over there, and these are vineyards, we look at the smallest details and try to see familiar places.

When most of the trees are lower, it seems that the top is very close. But this impression is deceptive. Only here does the real climb begin: the road is very steep, every 30 steps I stop to catch my breath.

We came out to the first overlooking rock; you should definitely sit here and look into the distance.

But here she is a little far away.

And once again, now she can be seen under the tree far below. We just took pictures there.

For the first time, a fellow traveler overtakes us, and now he is properly equipped: a thermal suit, Nordic walking poles. He ran upstairs cheerfully with music in his ears; they only had time to wish him a safe journey. He, of course, marveled at our “outfit”, shorts, jeans, shirts, it’s cold up there, he says.

But we are not quite at the top yet, so we continue to slowly climb, constantly stopping to take photographs.

Have you ever had lunch on the road, away from home, in the open air? I remember with joy our cozy meals during camp overnights in nature. But none of them compares to this mountain picnic.
The road went up very steeply, not a walk, but rather a sports climb. After the next march, new spaces opened up for us, as if it were just a stone’s throw from Yalta. “Get the bread,” I said to Timur, taking a breath.
It was cold, much colder than down by the sea. The wind was constantly present here, not in gusts, but in an endless stream; a flannel shirt was almost no help. The state was on the verge: some feeling of unreality prevented me from freezing. And bread. The bread was the most delicious I've ever had in my life. We just sat on a stone, tore the soft bread flesh with our hands and chewed, looking into infinity, to where the sea merged with the sky.

And then a small photo shoot on the edge of the cliff.

I wish I could fly like birds!

And then there was a rise again.

There was beautiful nature. The cone-shaped peak in the center is Mount Mogabi, 804 meters high. It is located between Yalta and Gaspra. Yalta is visible just behind the mountain, and beyond is Ayu-Dag, and we are getting higher and higher.

And there were thoughts, well, when already, when. It was getting seriously cold, every turn promised the end of the route, but we only climbed higher and higher, saw further and further. 1000 meters of ascent is serious.

I sit and look around at the surroundings. Yalta is clearly visible, and behind it is Ayu-Dag, the Bear, who drinks water straight from the sea. In a straight line, it is 25 km from here.

And here is Bear Mountain as the camera zooms in. Someday we will definitely climb it.

Up there, the idea of ​​sitting with your legs dangling over a cliff doesn't seem dangerous at all. I choose not sheer cliffs, but comfortable ledges where there is simply nowhere to fall. Of course, with the help of a good angle this is not visible; sometimes it looks scary. And then, when I lie at home on the sofa and remember these moments, somewhere something shrinks inside. But not here, not now, not on the mountain. There's only sky around here.

And then suddenly we arrived! Here is the airplane pine tree that everyone takes pictures with.

Here is the upper station of the cable car and the yellow booths scurrying back and forth.

I’m literally running to photograph everything, it’s very cold at the top, the temperature difference is 12 degrees. If below there are beautiful autumn temperatures of +20, then here the temperature is 8 degrees Celsius and the wind is simply blowing away. Smart people come up here in jackets. And we rush to the first cafe we ​​come across to finally warm up with delicious Crimean tea and flatbread with cheese. Local pussy in a cafe.

We take the cable car down home and with some incredible happiness find ourselves warm again. The walk was clearly a success, we will have something to remember for a long time!

Mount Ai-Petri is one of the most popular places in Crimea and one of its calling cards. As well as the famous cable car "Miskhor - Ai-Petri", which makes visiting the mountain easily accessible. The name of the mountain has Greek roots and means “Saint Peter”. The height of Mount Ai-Petri at 1234 m will give you the opportunity to enjoy excellent panoramas and feel the difference between the subtropical and mountain climate.

How to get to Ai-Petri

Mount Ai-Petri is one of the peaks of the Ai-Petri Yayla, located above the city of Alupka and the urban-type settlement of Koreiz (Miskhor is not a separate settlement, but is included in Koreiz).

Cable car to Ai-Petri

The official name of the cable car to Ai-Petri is “Miskhor - Ai-Petri”. The cable car can be considered a separate attraction. Opening hours are from 9:00 to 17:00 for ascent and until 18:00 for descent. No breaks or days off. Only in the spring it closes for maintenance work. Current prices and news can be found on the official website of the Miskhor – Ai-Petri cable car.
The cable car consists of three stations: "Miskhor" (located at an altitude of 86 m above sea level) - the lower station, "Sosnovy Bor" (304 m) - the middle transfer station and the upper station "Ai-Petri" (1152 m).
The cable car journey begins from the lower Miskhor station.

The name comes from the village of Miskhor of the same name, which is now not independent and is included in the urban-type settlement Koreiz. Now Koreiz, Gaspra, Alupka, Semeiz are located so close to each other that it is difficult to visually distinguish one from the other. And all of them, by the way, are part of the Yalta urban district. Therefore, when we left Alupka, it was not clear whether we had left it and entered Koreiz; there was a feeling of a single settlement. It's time to answer the question:

How to get to the cable car "Miskhor - Ai-Petri"

• By car. From the Yuzhnoberezhnoe Highway, you need to near the concrete sign “72. Sevastopol. Yalta.” and the gas station turn towards Koreiz (Miskhor) onto the branch of the road to the Sevastopol highway. Further along the ring we go out onto the Koreizskoe highway, and from there onto the Alupkinskoe highway. After driving a little, you will see the stand “Miskhor – Ai-Petri Ropeway”. Paid parking is available right next to the Miskhor lower station. It might be possible to park the car on the side of the road, but the road there is very narrow and we were afraid.
• By public transport. The “Ropeway” bus stop is located directly at the lower station “Miskhor” and territorially belongs to Koreiz. Bus routes No. 102 (Yalta Bus Station - Alupka Vorontsov Park) and No. 132 (Yalta Clothing Market - Alupka Vorontsov Palace) stop there. Movement intervals: 15-30 min.

The length of the cable car is 2980 m. The distance between the lower station “Miskhor” and the middle village “Sosnovy Bor” is 1310 m. But the distance between the middle station and the upper “Ai-Petri” is already 1670 m, and there is not a single support tower. There is often information that this is the longest unsupported span in Europe, listed in the Guinness Book of Records. There is also information (Wikipedia) that there is a Reiteralpe cable car that is ahead of the Miskhor - Ai-Petri cable car in this indicator. It was not possible to verify the information for certain regarding the Guinness Book of Records, but there really is a Reiteralpe cable car and it is located in Germany in the village of Oberjettenberg. The length of the Reiteralpe cable car is 2100 m, and the length of its unsupported span is 1980 m, and it was put into operation in 1965.

While the construction of the Miskhor - Ai-Petri cable car had just begun in 1967, the first passengers were the reception committee in 1987, and it was put into operation only in 1988. It turns out that at the time the cable car was built in Crimea, Reiteralpe already existed in Germany. Another thing is that the Reiteralpe cable car is used by the technical center of the Bundeswehr; it is a military-technical facility, so I’m not sure that ordinary tourists will be able to ride this cable car. This is probably what accounts for its obscurity. Accordingly, we can definitely say that the cable car in Crimea “Miskhor - Ai-Petri” really has one of the longest unsupported spans in Europe and is certainly in first place in terms of this indicator among those publicly available.

We arrived at the bottom station at 14:00 and boarded fairly quickly, but sometimes there are long queues, especially in high season. The ascent takes on average 15 minutes. At the Sosnovy Bor station we change to the next booth. Operators operate the cable car from here.

The cable car is of a pendulum type, 4 cabins run in antiphase. The elevation angle of the cabin near the mountain is 46 degrees. And this is one of the most exciting moments when the cabin slows down and comes close to the mountain wall.

Path to the rocks “Zubtsy”

After leaving the top station, without hesitation, we headed to the main attractions, to the top and to the “Zubtsy” rocks.

Along the way there is another attraction - Stephen's maple. This tree is about 250 years old. These trees are endemic to Crimea, that is, they are found only on the territory of the southern coast of Crimea. This species was discovered by Steven Christian Christianovich, a Russian botanist of Swedish origin, the first director of the Nikitin Botanical Garden.

The walk to the top is not far, only 500 m, periodically you come across encouraging signs.

We go to the top.

Suspension bridges on the rock “Zubtsy”

The most famous symbol of Ai-Petri is the Zubtsy rocks. This group of rocks, 60-80 meters high, is an ancient reef. The rocks are formed by the weathering of unstable limestone rocks.

Suspension bridges are built to one of the rocks in the summer, which you can cross with insurance. Naturally, this entertainment is paid - 500 rubles. In winter, suspension bridges are removed; they can simply be torn off by a gust of wind. Mount Ai-Petri is famous for its strong, gusty winds and is the windiest mountain in Crimea. The maximum recorded speed is 50 m/s.

In addition, for lovers of aerial procedures and adventures, a troll trail has been organized at the top of Ai-Petri.

The top of Mount Ai-Petri

The height of Mount Ai-Petri is 1234 m, and it is not the highest mountain of the Ai-Petri Yaila. The highest is Mount Roca (1346 m).

And of course, the most important thing why everyone climbs Mount Ai-Petri is the magnificent panoramas and views.

And the big advantage of Ai-Petri is that you don’t have to have the skills of a climber or go on a long and difficult hike for everyone, or even take an expensive excursion with a ride on an SUV (horses) in order to be at such a height with such beauties. Mount Ai-Petri is accessible to everyone. Of course, this also has its own characteristics: Ai-Petri’s attendance is very high. But without this there is no way: either one or the other. Those who are inspired by the high-altitude beauty can visit other peaks of Crimea. For example, a peak with a height of 1239 m, which we also visited as part of a short hike.

Some photographs can already be called historical. They were made in early October 2016. The space next to the upper station is cleared of shopping arcades and numerous cafes; How it will be equipped in the future - time will tell. We hope that it is beautiful and reasonable from the point of view of preserving natural objects. They also deliberately did not write about the cost of walking along the path to the battlements. This trail is included in the list of objects of the Yalta Mountain Forest Nature Reserve. Previously, the passage was paid, time will also tell how it will be organized in the future.

Ai-Petrinskaya Yayla

Turning back, we will see a panorama of the Ai-Petrinskaya Yayla.

The area of ​​Ai-Petrinskaya Yayla is about 300 km2. The climate differs sharply from the subtropical climate of Yalta. When climbing Ai-Petri, you need to take this into account, the temperature may be 6-10 degrees lower than the sea, you need to take appropriate clothing with you. Winters here are full-fledged, snowy and frosts down to -25. Accordingly, this is one of the few places in Crimea where skiing, snowboarding and other things are possible. The ski complex is located not far from the radio engineering battalion, which is impossible not to notice; these are white balls that look like an observatory.

Since Mount Ai-Petri is composed of limestone, a strong karst process is common. Simply put, there are a lot of caves, karst sinkholes and sinkholes on Ai-Petri. A kilometer from the top, and even closer from the parking lot, there are three caves equipped for visiting: Yaltinskaya, Geofizicheskaya and Trekhglazka. If you have time, we recommend visiting them. We were in a hurry and decided to visit them next time, since this time we were going to the caves located on the Chatyr-Dag plateau. But to visit them you need to go on a separate excursion, and the three mentioned above are nearby, this is their undoubted advantage. And for the first acquaintance with the beauty of the caves they will be useful.

Ai-Petri Yaila is rich in natural and historical attractions, and, in an amicable way, requires separate study and inspection. Our walk ends here. We also went down by cable car, although we could have gone down the serpentine road and seen a few more sights along the way. By the way, this is an excellent option if there is a long queue for the cable car, and it is already finishing its work (by 18:00).

Eastern Ai-Petri- one of the half-forgotten walls of Crimea. It lists 6 routes 5B kt., 5 of which were completed back in the 70-80s of the last century. Moreover, most of these routes, if repeated, were repeated only a few times. For example, Gorbenko’s route, also known as “Eye of the Devil,” climbed back in 1982, was repeated only in 2006, practically in first ascent mode. And this year, 3 new routes were laid on the Eastern Wall, two of which are 6A class.
We offer a brief overview of the routes of Eastern Ai-Petri from Michel Voloshanovsky.

Eastern Ai-Petri- second, perhaps, in terms of remoteness (after Alupka wall) in Crimea. On the left it is limited by the Western Buttress (3B 1970? - some year, length more than 500 meters). Left side: Gorbenko, Ash Wall, Eyes of the Devil, Monogarova. All of them have a long, 130-160 m., simple “base” of 3-4 k.tr., then from 70 to 120 working meters (5B - 6A k.t.). Everyone converges on a huge shelf, from which 60-70 m. 3B-4B k.tr. to a plateau. All lines were laid before 1985 and were visited extremely rarely. S. Pugachev previously described his two new lines this year in this sector in detail.

Routes of Eastern Ai-Petri. From left to right: routes of Goncharov (3B), Gorbenko (Eyes of the Devil), " , Center of the Ash Wall, Monogarov, Verba, " ,
SHARK, Festival of Disobedience, Lishaeva, Cassiopeia.
Green line - new route of M. Voloshanovsky (6A) Photo: Sergey Pugachev

The right part, more precisely to the right of the Miskhor Grottoes, is not as great a drop as the left, but is significantly superior to it in terms of sportiness and technical difficulty. The first to mark here was Yu. Lishaev (“Fantik”) in the mid-80s of the last century - 5B, the most pronounced internal corner with the beginning far to the right. It starts from the highest shelf, reached on foot, and has a drop of +-200 meters. Today – the “easiest” move in this sector.

Then in 2006, A. Rushkovsky (KSS Yalta) and I completed the “Akula”, also 5B, in three days, but, according to Rushkovsky, it was more difficult than Lishaev’s route (he had walked Fantikovskaya earlier), and longer - 240 m, i.e. To. starts from the shelf leading to the Miskhor Grotto.

In 2012, again, A. Rushkovsky, paired with K. Gostev (also KSS Yalta), walk 35-40 m to the right of Lishaev, passing the first 40-45 m “along him” - 5B with a claim to 6A (Sanya says , which is more difficult than “Sharks”), 200 m. They called it “Biostimulator”. Well, here’s what they call hot-hot: from the bottom shelf in the “Main-leading” shelf, between the “Shark” and the Fantika – my move. In this sector the walls are the longest, and the complexity is much more difficult than the “Shark”. Currently, A. Rushkovsky, again with K. Gostev, are working between Fantika and Biostimulator, also according to the forecast, not lower than 5B (this can be seen even from afar). How things are going - still silence.

Routes on the right side of Eastern Ai-Petri: On the left - SHARK (M. Voloshanovsky), on the right - Lishaev’s route (Fantika).
Photo and diagram by M.Voloshanovsky.

In general terms about the wall: in length it is comparable to Forkant, only more impressive in breadth. But when it comes to architecture, they are apparently among the leaders in Crimea. You especially notice this when you walk close to it. In terms of attendance, it is one of the outsiders along with the Alupka Wall, the Grand Canyon group, Spirada and Demerdzhi.

To successfully complete the routes on Ai-Petri, you must confidently climb in onsight mode at least 6b+ - 6c, otherwise the ascent will turn into complete aid.

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