Route map to Sofia lakes in Arkhyz. Sofia Lakes. Excursion to Sofia Falls

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Sofia Lakes - pearls of the Caucasus in the Arkhyz region

One of the amazing places in the Caucasus is the Arkhyz mountain region, located between the spurs of the Main Range of the Western Caucasus. To the north of the ridge rises Mount Sofia, 3637 m high, and even further north stretches the Sofia ridge with the peaks of Kush-Kaya and Kara-Dzyash-Kaya (3226 - 3354 m). It is behind this ridge that the Sofia Lakes are located.

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Natural features

Sofia lakes include three large and several small lakes located near Mount Kel-Bashi, at an altitude of 2830 meters above sea level. During the hot season, small lakes can dry up due to lack of moisture, so in summer you can only see a large and two small lakes.

The lake receives its nutrition from the Sofia Glacier and from a waterfall flowing from the mountain of the same name. Thanks to this, the water in them is clean and transparent, having a beautiful azure, turquoise and black marble colors. The maximum depth is 17 m. The lakes are not suitable for swimming; the water temperature is about 10 degrees Celsius, and there can be snow along the shores of the lakes even in summer.

The shores of the lakes are rocky, but the Sofia Valley itself, through which many tourist routes pass, blooms with the onset of spring.

Before traveling to the Sofia Lakes, you should consider some features:

It’s better to plan for at least two to three days to explore the area in detail;

time to visit from June to August, when the snow and ice on the surface of the lakes has almost completely melted;

It’s better to take a gas stove or burner with you; there’s no way to collect wood for the fire;

Prepare warm clothes (jacket, hat, gloves) and shoes, as well as an insulated sleeping bag and a tent.

There are several different routes to the Sofia Lakes. The most popular are:

Along the valley of the Ak-Ayra River (the left tributary of the Sofia River), through the Irkiz Pass. From the pass you can see the three Sofia lakes, which you can see up close by going down 150 meters.

Along the valley of the Pshysh River, through the Kara-Jash pass past Lake Nizhnyaya Comma. The path also passes by Mount Psysh (3489 m).

The path through the valley of the Kashkha-Echkichat river also passes through the Sofia valley, but you need to cross the river and then follow the mountain path.

All routes pass through picturesque places with views of mountain landscapes, snow-capped peaks and glaciers. You can choose any place for a tent, and take drinking water directly from the lakes. A vacation in such places will definitely be unforgettable.

“Unforgettable landscapes are what opens up on the way to the Sofia Lakes. And when you go up to them, you become an incorrigible romantic.” Today Marusya Borisova will tell you about his climb to the lakes: how to get there, where is the best place to start the route, what things to take with you and what to do upon your return.

Sofia Lakes are located in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, in the Arkhyz region. These three beautiful reservoirs are located at an altitude of 2830 meters above sea level. They are called Sofia because they are located in close proximity to Mount Sofia - one of the highest peaks of Arkhyz (3637 m).

To get to the Sofia Lakes, you must first come to the village of Arkhyz. From Moscow by plane to Mineralnye Vody, then 2.5-3 hours by car to the village, where you can stay overnight in a hotel for acclimatization. You can also drive to the Taulu clearing, which is a little further from the village of Arkhyza, and spend the night there in a guest house or put up tents in the camping area. And in the morning go to the beautiful lakes.

It is best to start the ascent to the Sofia Lakes from the Glacier Farm, since the path from the Taulu clearing to the starting point passes through a valley, the route along which is long and will soon get boring, and cars will constantly drive past you, kicking up dust. Therefore, the best option would be to cover this distance in special “tablet” vehicles (local SUVs). There are quite a lot of them in the clearing, approach any driver and negotiate. Be sure to bargain, Caucasians love this business. Great price - 3000 rubles round trip.

You can visit the Sofia Lakes in one day. The ascent takes on average 3.5-4 hours and the descent 2.5-3 to the Glacier Farm, where an SUV will be waiting for you, with the driver of which you have previously agreed. Or go overnight with backpacks and go down the next day. We chose the second option. Well, since we are trained people, the climb took us only 2.5 hours.

Be sure to take trekking poles with you, which will make it easier to climb and especially descend steep slopes, and a bottle of water. The path runs along a small river, where you can replenish your supplies - the water is drinkable. Also bring sandwiches or energy bars for snacks. We recommend not to eat too much before climbing, otherwise there is a high risk that you will not reach your final goal.

While climbing to the Sofia Lakes, do not forget to raise your head and look around, as the path passes through a picturesque valley where you can meet real “Milka” - cows grazing in the flooded alpine meadows. Then the most interesting thing begins, a steep climb to the Irkiz pass (2880 m), from where an indescribable view of the Caucasus mountains and lakes opens.

If you still chose the second option of visiting the Sofia Lakes, like we did, then you will have the opportunity to enjoy the sunset (if you’re lucky with the weather, but it’s better to know the forecast in advance), see mountain goats and watch the stars.

In the morning, don’t be lazy to wake up at 5 o’clock to see the golden sunrise in the mountains. After that, leaving your things in the tents, go to Lake Verkhnyaya Pyataya. The round trip will take about an hour. Upon return, if there are brave souls among you, you can cool off by swimming in a high-mountain lake (the temperature of the reservoir does not exceed 5 degrees). It feels like dipping into cold water after a bath.

As for food, in Arkhyz there are cafes and shops where you can eat and buy groceries. If you are going overnight to the Sofia Lakes, then you need to calculate the amount of food for each participant in the hike so as not to carry excess up the mountain. Also, do not forget to take a tourist burner with a gas cylinder - you will be in the alpine geobotanical zone, where there are no trees that could serve as firewood. The source of water will be lakes.

And one more tip - before the hike, arrange at some cafe so that when you return from the lakes, they will prepare khichina and tea from mountain herbs. This is something you should definitely try in the North Caucasus, even if you are on a diet...

Sofia Waterfalls are a rapid stream of water falling from the mountainside of Mount Sofia, the second highest in the region, its height is 3637 meters. The first peak of Arkhyz is Mount Pshish, its height is 3790 meters. Not to be confused with Mount Psysh (3489 m). In the area of the village of Arkhyz, the confluence of four mountain rivers: Psysh, Arkhyz, Kizgych and Sofia, forms the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River - the deepest in the Zelenchuk region. And all these beauties of mountains, mountain rivers and green valleys are an integral part of the beautiful nature of Karachay-Cherkessia.

The Sofia River originates on the Sofia Glacier, from which it flows like a stormy stream into the valley along the steep slopes of the mountains. The village of Arkhyz is the closest settlement to the Sofia Falls, but also, quite recently, the Romantic ski resort grew next to it in Solnechnaya Polyana. Of course, first of all, Arkhyz is a ski resort and the main flow of tourists falls precisely in the winter months, but in the summer, tourists are primarily attracted to Arkhyz by the Sofia Falls. And since the Sofia Falls are the most visited attraction in Arkhyz, that’s where we’ll start.

How to get to Sofia Falls

If you have a car. Along the regional route R-265 Cherkessk - Zelenchukskaya - Arkhyz 111 km long drive to the village of Arkhyz. You can get to Cherkessk by turning off the highway R-217 Caucasus in the area of Mineralnye Vody or Nevinnomyssk. Behind the village of Arkhyz you need to turn left following the sign and cross the bridge over the Arkhyz River, after which the asphalt road will change to a dirt road and very soon you will find yourself in the Taulu clearing.
If you are traveling independently without a vehicle. By train you can get to Nevinnomyssk or Kislovodsk. From Kislovodsk it’s further to go to Arkhyz, but there are more transfer options. From Kislovodsk ( from the bus station at 7.55) there is a minibus to Arkhyz, the fare costs 430 rubles, and it takes 5 hours. From Nevinnomysk to Arkhyz the minibus takes 4 hours 20 minutes and the fare costs 390 rubles. These options entail many inconsistencies between the arrival time of the train and the departure time of the minibuses. Therefore, there are several more options.
Transfer. As a transfer, you can use the services of any taxi. As a proven means, you can use the services of a taxi recommended by the official website of the Arkhyz Ski Resort. In addition, you can use the excursion bus as a regular bus and get to Arkhyz from any city of the KMS. The cost of such an excursion will be up to 1500 rubles. per person, although it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to save that much on transfers.

If you are going to Arkhyz on a hike, do not forget that the Sofia Falls, like the Sofia Lakes, are located near the border with Abkhazia, so be sure to have your passport with you. One of the popular routes among tourists looks like this: Transfer to the Glacier Farm - Sofia Lakes - Upper Comma Lake - Lower Comma Lake - exit to the Taulu clearing.

Excursion to Sofia Falls

The route to the Sofia Falls is the most visited attraction in Arkhyz and, without exaggeration, the most spectacular. However, visiting the Sofia Falls poses some difficulties. The waterfalls are located in 15 km from the village of Arkhyz, so only those tourists who plan to spend the night in the mountains dare to walk. Otherwise, you will need transport, and not just any kind, but preferably all-wheel drive and with high ground clearance, since in one place you will have to cross the river.

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UAZ 4x4 - this is the car you can easily find along the entire route from Arkhyz to Sofia Falls. Local private owners will offer you an excursion in a UAZ. This pleasure costs 650 rubles per person, provided that the excursion takes 6 people, otherwise you will be asked to divide the cost of renting a car (4000 rubles) by the number of people gathered. As a rule, there is no shortage of travel companions only on Saturday and Sunday; on any other day, a problem may arise with the search for people willing to attend this or that excursion, which, by the way, no one will solve for you. The hard work of the tourist is to bring all six people to the guide, so that the cost of the tour does not hit the pocket too much.

There is one more nuance. On Saturday and Sunday, excursions start at 9-10 a.m. from a stop on Lenin Street in the village of Arkhyz, here you can make arrangements with them; on any other day, all cars are based at the Taulu clearing, located in 5 km from the village. The exit to the Taulu clearing is located between the village of Arkhyz and the resort village of Romantik. From the Taulu glade to the Sofia Falls is 10 km. It won’t be difficult to find the guides’ phone numbers; literally everyone in the village either knows them or is related to them. You can go to any cafe or any trade tent and ask the guide’s phone number.

Glade Taulu, Arkhyz

For those who have been to Elbrus or Cheget, it can be explained simply. The Taulu clearing for Arkhyz is the same as the Azau clearing for Elbrus. This is where the main tourist life of those who come to Arkhyz takes place. There is a market here with delicacies and souvenirs for every taste. Here you can easily find a guide; they are here for this reason and stand on their all-wheel drive horses. Around the Taulu clearing there are countless houses and tent camps, the places in which are for sale. Coming here for the weekend and pitching a tent will cost 150 rubles. per person. The Psysh River flows through the clearing. It is the Taulu glade, which is sometimes called the Sofia glade, where the route to the Sofia Falls, as well as to the Sofia Lakes, starts, but that’s another story.

Road to Sofia Falls

Looking back, we can say with confidence that the road to the Sofia Falls itself looks no less picturesque than the waterfalls themselves. It passes through the Sofia Gorge, which turns into the Sofia Valley. On the left side rises the Chaget-Chat ridge. You can stop at least every hundred meters and each time you will see different views that will take your breath away. If the weather is favorable and the mountain peaks open, then you can easily notice that the Sofia Glacier and the nearby mountain peaks are very similar to a throne, for which Mount Sofia is also called Mount Tron. And if you count the third peak on the left, you can see the silhouette of a stone eagle.

In Arkhyz, on the slopes of the hills and in the valleys, horses of the famous Karachay breed graze, you can meet the Karachay lamb, and meet buffalos.

The place where we met the buffaloes is called Glacier Farm. Here is the fork of two routes: Sofia Falls and Sofia Lakes.

It's tempting to visit both of these routes in one day, but here are the hard numbers. From the glacier farm to the Sofia Falls it is 2 km and the elevation gain is 300 meters. From the Lendikova farm to the Sofia Lakes there are 4 km and 900 meters of elevation gain. Thus, during daylight hours you will have to cover 12 km of path and gain an altitude of 1200 meters. In absolute terms, this is the difficulty of the pass of category A1 - difficult, but surmountable. The only question will be: will you have time to get down from the mountains before dark? As practice shows, it gets dark unexpectedly quickly in the mountains and night closes in on many people right in the mountains, where it is easy to lose the path. Therefore, be careful, if you are going to visit both attractions in one day, it is advisable to first go to the Sofia Lakes, since the road there is more difficult, although you risk later being left without the Sofia Falls altogether.

Before starting the walking route to the Sofia Falls, our guide took us to the opposite slope, from where we could see both the waterfalls themselves and the Sofia Valley.

As mentioned above, the hiking trail from the clearing, not far from the Glacier Farm, takes 2 km and 300 meters up. There is only one path here, it is well trodden, but you need to walk along the river all the time, because this is the same Sofia River, which originates on the glacier. So it’s simply impossible to get lost on this route. The first kilometer is easy and carefree, the sun is shining, the streams are babbling, the weather is excellent.

The second kilometer, along with the ascent, also brings difficulties. Even in mid-June, which is when we visited Arkhyz, there was still snow on the slopes of Sofia. The waterfalls themselves open only at the end of May. Icy water and snow affect air temperatures, which begin to drop. The higher we go, the lower the temperature. On average, the temperature difference between the Sofia Falls and the Glacier Farm is 5-7 degrees. In addition, in some places you will have to walk through the snow, and at some point you will have to cross the river; it will be good if the flow is not strong and you can cross over the rocks. Here are some tips regarding clothing. Dress appropriately. These are mountains, take a windbreaker with you, wear sneakers or boots, do not wear slippers or flip-flops. Don't forget sunscreen, the sun is merciless in the mountains. Comfortable shoes will help you safely cross snowfields and protect you from sharp rocks.

A long climb leads straight to the waterfalls; along the way you will have to cross a stormy mountain stream. Depending on the season, it ranges from a weak stream to a stormy river. And the situation is exactly the same with the waterfalls themselves. The Sofia waterfalls become the fullest at the height of summer (July, August), when the glacier is actively melting. Having reached the waterfalls, the traveler will be fully rewarded for his efforts with a beautiful view of the Sofia Valley, opening from the wall of the waterfalls. And the Sofia waterfalls themselves, roaring at arm's length, awaken real admiration for nature.

From the foot of the Sofia Falls, a breathtakingly beautiful view of the Abishir Akhub ridge opens up. And the saddle on the ridge is the Fedoseev Pass, behind which there are mountain lakes, also a favorite route for tourists, and now also simplified due to the appearance of a cable car at the Romantic ski resort.

If you look closely, you can even see the turquoise tongue of the glacier up close.

On mountain slopes it is not uncommon, and the higher you go, the more often you can find the beautiful flower Rhododendron montane or Caucasian. This frost-resistant plant is very good for health; in the village you can buy mountain tea with its leaves.

The entire walk from the parking lot to the Sofia Falls will take approximately 2 hours to ascend and 1 hour to descend, so by setting a time interval of 4 hours you will have time to climb to the waterfalls and admire them and go back down. The price of the excursion also includes a return transfer, so do not be afraid to be left without transport, although all the guides do not go with you to the waterfalls, they are waiting for you below. Here in the cafe you can try national Karachay cuisine. Shorpa soup - broth with lamb and potatoes, lamb kebab, khychin with meat or cheese and delicious mountain tea.

Ismail became our guide to the Sofia Falls; he stopped the car at our first request and patiently waited while we walked around the Sofia Falls. Everyone in the village knows him, so if you want to take our advice, just ask anyone in the village for his phone number.

Video report from Sofia Falls

In addition to photographs and our review from Arkhyz and Sofia Falls, we brought a refreshing video with which you can get a more detailed idea of the area. Because whatever you say, it’s easy to navigate only in a place where you’ve already been.

I was in Arkhyz almost 3 weeks ago, and I only just got to the pictures. There was too much in between. :)
I found myself there for the second time in a row in a week; last time I drove, now I picked up my well-rested relatives from there.
They took a rest, but I left unsatisfied, I had to fix it.
To correct this, a completely standard route along the Sofia Lakes was chosen, as a result of a walk along which you can see 6 original lakes at once without much straining and without dying and, if you wish, swim in all of them at once, even if only in those that particularly appeal to you.
Let's go for a walk?

Due to yesterday's rather late arrival, the rise was not too early, because while we were getting ready, waking up, leaving, arriving, the sun was already high and warming well. We cross the river log. Sofia and begin to climb along the Gammesh-Chat stream to the lake. Lower comma.

The path, without any branches, leads quite steeply upward, periodically leveling out and giving a little rest.

My father went with me and at first I waited for him several times, but then I realized that at his pace I couldn’t gallop through everything and ran ahead like a pig.

While you are walking through the forest, the sun is not shining, as soon as you go out into the open, you begin to understand that it is real August. The face and exposed parts of the body should be smeared with cream quite liberally.

I get out into the valley to the lake. The peaks (from those that I know and have been personally) of 60 years of KChAO, Kel-Bashi, Batak become clearly visible.

I naively believe that this is the whole lake :)

For some reason I take pictures of all sorts of “grass”. In fact, I’m just resting after getting up and waiting for my father.

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I thought that the lake had dried up, but it simply hid from me a little; as soon as I walked 200 m, I saw its clear waters, into which I immediately wanted to plunge.

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To get it completely into the frame, I had to rise a little. From here we can already understand the justification of its name “Upper Comma”.

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What I like about the mountains are waterfalls. In the vicinity of the GK or the nearest small mountains, people climb over waterfalls one and a half, two meters high, but here this one is tall and no one will give a name or specifically go to it :)

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I gained a little air over the lake, so I can catch my breath.

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Along the way, I had the feeling that I didn’t have to take water with me at all. Almost all the time you walk along some streams.

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With such beauty on the sides, the height gains imperceptibly. In total, you need to gain about 1000 m to the lake. In fact, it’s nonsense :)

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Who loves the forest there - let's pass by! I love jumping on the stones, everything is visible, nothing blocks the view and it’s not dirty!

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If you are afraid of losing the path in the stones, look carefully, the place is well-trodden by tourists.

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Almost a “wild stone”, take layers and drag it down, cover it with whatever you want. It’s good if you don’t come across them on the route up the mountain, otherwise when you do come across them, you won’t know what to do. Somewhere around here there were such people, you try to climb, and they fall out on you. :)

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Lake Upper Comma. You can relax and swim!
It’s pleasant to swim; although the water is quite cold, it is perceived adequately by a hot body; you can wash off the “work” sweat.
In principle, almost all the height has already been gained today; there will be a total of 100 meters left to climb.

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You can't really notice his backwardness from such a height. We need to climb higher.
I was here once in May when it was 100% covered with snow and it was generally unclear where the lake was and where the rocks were.
We stood somewhere just above it and walked along it to conquer the peak for 60 years in the KChAO. Here it rises above the lake on the right. The ascent was a training exercise and we struggled for a long time on the ridge, blown by the wind and showered with snow.

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Flower break.

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Sofia. The highest mountain of the massif, it also has the most powerful glacier, from which the famous Sofia waterfalls flow.

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This trail is very easy to walk in sneakers; once again I was glad for myself that I didn’t go in boots. Yes, sneakers suffer more, but walking on trails and such mountains is much easier in them, your legs thank you.

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The Sofia Lakes appeared. I probably didn’t look at them from a very characteristic angle. More often I saw photos from the lane. Irkiz. Then you can see 3 lakes at once, but here they opened up to me one by one.

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The place is mega popular, there are people like in Dzhubga on the beach, but there are not many swimmers, the water is still not Black Sea in temperature, but the transparency is exceptional :)

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It is transparent only in one lake out of 3. In the other two, it has a distinct turquoise tint due to the minerals dissolved in it.

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It would be a sin not to swim in such a lake. The water is incredibly invigorating. At first you think that it’s very cold and you can’t sail far, but then you get used to it a little and the second time you act more boldly, although the fuse doesn’t last long.

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Irkiz pass is the way to the lakes from the valley of the Ak-Ayry stream.

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The third lake is the smallest and lowest. The clouds are hinting to me that it’s time to move if I don’t want to get caught in the rain and go down the wet stones.

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But while the clouds are far away, and the bright sun is above us, I want to shoot something.

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Filmed and forward down! At first it seems that it is not clear how to go here, but the path confidently goes traverse along the slope and you feel that it will not give up.
We move to Lake Aimatly-Jagaly along the Ashkha-Echkichat stream on which it is strung.

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Unnamed waterfall.

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Here is the 6th lake today. My legs already feel a little like they are walking, but they still walk quite vigorously.

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It’s worth choosing a place for swimming in advance, today there will be no more lakes, it’s worth swimming!

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After swimming in a body of water that is slightly warmer than the upper lakes, you can move on. The clouds are no longer scary, and you can move slowly.
Calls from relatives make their way into the radio from below, I answer them, but they don’t hear, they have the volume turned down to minimum :) From here I need to drop another 400 meters in altitude.

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That's where I came from above.

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And I'm going down there.

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Along the way, people begin to come across people who don’t know where or what time they came from and where they are trying to get to at such a pace. Mostly people with small children. Fiends in short! :)

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Pines on such a slope try to grow evenly, but it doesn’t work out very well.

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More flowers.
Last weekend people were carrying armfuls of them from the waterfall, why?

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If only I had a paraglider, it would take off and in 5 minutes I would be down, and then it would take another 20-30 minutes to stomp around.

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I enter the forest area and the path begins to wind steeply along the stream.

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Came down. You can breathe out. It only remains to walk a couple of kilometers to the car and you can start relaxing.
I cross the Sofia log again and go out onto the road.

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The view hasn't changed at all since last time. Even the clouds seem to remain the same :)

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Rostov cyclists bravely storm the swampy area of the meadow in the place where the main road runs along the river.

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A road laboratory car with Voronezh license plates has clearly gotten lost, the road here is mostly on the map, but there are brave souls on puzoterki, but they don’t poke their noses into the river, there are sixes and sevens standing in front of the ford, and there are a couple of sub-jeeps to be afraid of :)

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Having reached the car, I make sure that everyone is okay and after 20 minutes we are already in the Taulu clearing. You can eat fresh borscht, cooked by those who stayed in the camp, and relax. Part of the plan to explore easily accessible Arkhyz has been completed. Covered 15 km in 5 hours with a total climb of 1140 meters. Here

The Sofia Lakes are a group of three large and a number of small lakes located in the circus of the Kel-Bashi massif. They are located at an altitude of 2830 meters, in the Kashkha Eki Chat ravine.

The highest of them is the Northern Lake, to the south of it is the Big Lake, surrounded by the Kel-Bashi rocks, below and east of the Big Lake lies the Lower Lake.

The name “Big” speaks for itself. It is both the largest, with a diameter of about 300 meters, and the deepest, according to rumors, its depth is about 17 meters. The water in the Big Lake is azure blue.

The second lake is much smaller, the water in it is the color of pure heavenly blue, and the third is like polished black marble. They break up from the ice in July; individual ice floes do not melt all summer.

On the bridge between the Northern and Big lakes there are several microscopic lakes, there are many prepared places for sites. Arkhyz is considered the land of lakes, the Sofia lakes are especially beautiful. They are so transparent and clean that in clear weather they reflect the sky and mountains around.

Not far from Sofia there are several more lakes: Lake Craternoe, Lake Aimatly-Dzhagaly, Comma, Upper Comma.

ROUTE:
Arkhyz – Glacier farm – Irkiz village – Sofia lakes – Aymatly lake – Dzhagaly – Kraternoe lake – Verkhnyaya Zyapataya lake – Lower Zyapataya lake – Arkhyz village

On a hike along the Sofia Lakes you:
You will walk through one of the most picturesque and wild corners of the Caucasus;
Enjoy the unique landscapes of pristine nature;
You will climb several passes with a height of 2 to 3 thousand meters;
You will see a huge variety of mountain lakes - large and small, deep and not very deep;
You will meet mountain goats (Caucasian aurochs) along the way;
Meet mountain shepherds and their grazing flocks

Detailed description
Day 1
Nevinnomysk - Arkhyz - Glacier farm
Gathering of participants at the Nevinomyssk station no later than 10.00 am, transfer to the village of Arkhyz, where we can taste delicious khychin, after which we pack our backpacks and set off. Today we have to walk about 7 km along a dirt road. For the night we stop at the confluence of the Sofia and Ak-Ayra rivers.

Day 2
Glacier farm - Sofia waterfalls - Sofia sedlo village
Today we will have two radial exits - we are walking lightly. We will visit the Sofia waterfalls, which originate from the glacier, and visit the Sofia Saddle pass, which offers a beautiful view of the valley of the Sofia River and the valley of the Kizgych River. Today we have an early break, tomorrow we have to take the Irkiz pass.

Day 3
Glacier farm - Irkiz village - Sofia Lakes
Today we have an early rise, and we set out on the route; today we have to walk about 10 km and gain 800 m vertically. All our efforts and efforts will be rewarded with beautiful views of the Sofia Lakes. Sofia lakes will become our home for several days, from where we will go on radial trips.

Day 4
Sofia Lakes – Lake Aimatly Dzhagaly Kel
Today we have a radial access to Lake Aimatly Dzhagaly Kol. In about 5 hours we will go there and back, after which there will be free time. We relax and enjoy the scenery.

Day 5
Sofia Lakes – Kraternoe Lake
Today we have another radial exit to the lakes, we will go for a walk for the whole day, climb the Kara-Jash pass at an altitude of 3024, visit the Zhva lakes - the lake on the balcony, and Lake Kraternoe. From the pass we will have views of the Psysh River valley. Along the way, we will have the opportunity to meet the inhabitants of the mountains - the Caucasian Turs (mountain goats).

Day 6
Sofia Lakes – Upper Comma Lake - Lower Comma Lake
Today we pack up our camp and head out to the track. Today our goal is Lake Lower Comma, along the way we will also see Lake Upper Comma. The overnight stay will be near Lake Nizhnyaya Pyataya in the subalpine zone. Evening gatherings around the fire

Day 7
Lake Lower Comma - Arkhyz
Today we say goodbye to the mountains and lakes, and go to the village of Arkhyz. Today we will walk about 8 km, in the village there will be an opportunity to taste national cuisine, and we will also be able to visit the hot springs in Kazminka.

This is a full-fledged hiking trip. We carry tents, food and other equipment in backpacks.
Depending on the weather and the condition of the group, the instructor may make changes to the route.
The improvement of the camp (installation of tents, cooking) is carried out by all participants of the hike.