The mountains of the Caucasus, born in the collision of the Eurasian and Arabian plates, are like a symbol of the mentality of the peoples living next to them. Proud and tall, they stand like a miraculous wall between the Asian and European parts of our continent on land. Humanity has not yet decided on whether to include them in Europe or Asia.
The height of the Caucasus Mountains: 5642 m (Greater Caucasus) and 3724 m (Lesser Caucasus).
Length of the Greater Caucasus: 1100 km. small - 600 km.
See the geographic location of the Caucasus Mountains or where they are and how they are located on a map. To enlarge the map of the Caucasus Mountains, just click on it.
Not crossed by rivers, the Caucasian ridges are called the dividing line. The mountain system of the Caucasus, the same age as the Alps, with a history of thirty million, is firmly inscribed in the memory of mankind through biblical lines and Greek myths. It was on one of the mountains of the system that a pigeon released from Noah's ark found a twig, on the top of Mount Ararat. The legendary Prometheus was chained to one of the Caucasian rocks, giving people fire.
The Caucasus is divided into two parts, which are called the Greater and Lesser Caucasus. The first one stretches from Taman almost to Baku and consists of the Western, Central and Eastern Caucasus. One and a half thousand square kilometers of ice, the highest point of Eurasia - Elbrus (the summit of the Caucasus Mountains), an iron mountain, and six mountain peaks, five thousand kilometers high - this is what the Greater Caucasus is.
The Lesser Caucasus is a mountain range near the Black Sea, with peaks up to four kilometers high.
The Caucasus Mountains are located between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea coasts and simultaneously in several countries. These are Russia, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
The climate of the Caucasus is diverse: from a typically maritime climate in Abkhazia, it changes to a sharply continental climate in Armenia.
The Caucasus is inhabited by unique animals - chamois, mountain goats, wild boars, in especially remote and inaccessible places you can meet a leopard or a bear.
Alpine meadow grasses, coniferous forests climbing up from the foothills, turbulent rivers, lakes, waterfalls, mineral water springs, the purest air.
It is thanks to such a successful combination of values \u200b\u200bfor human health that there is a huge number of sanatorium and resort establishments in the region.
Climbing fans are attracted by the regal Elbrus and its neighbors - Shkhara, Kazbek, Dzhangitau, Dykhtau and Koshnantau. Among the snows of the Caucasus, there is a place for downhill skiers and snowboarders, lovers of hiking and thrills, adherents of rafting, as well as all those who value their health. Terrenkur, Norwegian walking, rock climbing, river rafting, skiing and many other types of outdoor activities are offered by the Caucasus.
Once having visited the mountains, praised by the "genius of Lermontov", you will remember them for life.
Video: Wildlife of Russia 4 of 6 Caucasus Mountains.
Video: Hike to the Caucasus Mountains.
Unlike the Lesser Caucasus, which fills the entire southwestern part of the Caucasian Territory with its highlands and chains.
The entire system of the Caucasus Range covers an area of \u200b\u200bapproximately 2,600 sq. m, and its northern slope occupies about 1450 sq. m, while the southern one is only about 1150 sq. m.
The main ridge at its western end approaches Anapa on the Black Sea coast, and at the eastern end it ends with the Ilkhi-dag mountain (1073 f.), To the northwest of Baku.
The distance in the forward direction between these points is about 1100 versts, but due to the meanders and bends, the Main Ridge extends, in the form of a continuous high watershed, for almost 1420 versts.
The width of the Caucasian ridge in the western (somewhat west of Elbrus) and eastern (Dagestan) parts is about 200 versts, in the central - about 90 versts; both extremities are strongly narrowed and present (especially the western) insignificant width.
The highest is the middle part of the ridge, between Elbrus and Kazbek (average height 11,600 ft.), Where its highest peaks are concentrated, of which Elbrus reaches 18,470 ft. above ur. seas; east of Kazbek and west of Elbrus, the ridge decreases, and more significantly in the second direction than in the first.
In general, in terms of height, the Caucasian ridge significantly exceeds the Alps; it has no fewer than 15 peaks over 12,000 feet and more than 20 peaks above Mont Blanc, the highest peak in all of Europe. The forward heights accompanying the Main Ridge, in most cases, do not have the character of continuous chains, but represent short ridges or mountain groups associated with the divide ridge by spurs and cut through in many places by deep river gorges, which, starting in the Main Ridge and breaking through the forward heights, descend to the foothills and out onto the plains.
Thus, almost along the entire length (in W from S, E to C), a series of high basins, in most cases of lacustrine origin, are adjacent to the watershed ridge, closed on one side by the heights of the watershed, as well as by its spurs, and on the other by separate groups and short ridges of forward heights, which in some places exceed the main chain in height.
On the northern side of the watershed, transverse basins predominate, and on the southern, except for its western end, longitudinal ones. It is also characteristic of the Caucasian ridge that many of the primary peaks do not lie on the watershed ridge, but at the ends of its short spurs heading to the north (this is the position of the peaks: Elbrus, Koshtan-tau, Adai-khokh, etc.).
The northern, more developed slope of the Caucasian ridge, formed by many spurs, adjoining generally almost perpendicular to the Main ridge and separated by transverse deep valleys, reaches a very significant development in the vicinity of Elbrus (Elbrus ledge). The most significant uplift goes from this summit directly to the north, serves as a watershed between the waters of the Kuban and Terek and, lowering in ledges further, spreads into the vast Stavropol Upland (see the Caucasus Territory).
The northern slope in the eastern part of the Caucasian ridge is even more developed, where its numerous, and very significant in height and length, its spurs form the vast mountainous country of Dagestan (Dagestan ledge). Gradually descending to the north, the northern slope is formed by many advanced elevations, which in places are in the form of ridges; these include the so-called Black Mountains, which run north of the Main Range at a distance of 17-60 c. Towards the north, the Black Mountains form gentle and long slopes, in most areas covered with dense forests (hence the name), and to the south they fall by steep cliffs. The rivers flowing down from the Main Ridge break through the Black Mountains along deep and narrow, very picturesque gorges; the height of this forward chain is generally insignificant, although in the upper reaches of the Ardon and Urukh some of their peaks reach more than 11 tons. h. (Kion-hoh 11,230 ft., Kargu-hoh 11164 ft.).
The southern slope is especially poorly developed in the western and eastern parts of the ridge, reaching a rather significant orographic development in the middle, where it is adjoined by parallel elevations that form the longitudinal valleys of the upper reaches of the Rion, Ingur and Tskhenis-tskhali, and long spurs that separate the Alazani basins extend to the South , Yory and Kura.
This slope is distinguished by its remarkable steepness and small development where it falls to the Alazani valley; the city of Zagatala, located at an altitude of 1783 ft. at the south. the soles of the Caucasian ridge, located in a straight line by only 18 c. from its ridge, which here reaches more than 11,000 feet. height above sea level. The Caucasian ridge is not easily passable; only on the west. and east. its extremities have comfortable and low passes, quite accessible all year round for communication.
On the rest of the length, with the exception of Mamison and Krestovy (see. Georgian Military Road), the paths across the ridge in most cases represent pack or even footpaths, partly completely inaccessible for use in the winter season. Of all the passes, the most important is the Cross (7977 ft.), Through which the most significant movement along the Georgian Military Highway is made along the entire length of the ridge.
Seven parts
For a more convenient view, the Caucasian ridge can be divided in length from W to E into seven parts: 1) the Black Sea Caucasus (from the Anapa meridian to the Oshten mountain group - about 250 c.), 2) Kuban Caucasus (from Oshten to the source of the Kuban - 150 c.), 3) Elbrus Caucasus (from the source of the Kuban to the top of Adai-Khokh - 160 c.), 4) Tersk Caucasus (from Adai-Khokh to Barbalo - 120 c.), 5) Dagestan Caucasus (from Barbalo to Sari-Dag peaks - 140 c.), 6) Samur Caucasus (from Sari-Dag to Baba-Dag - about 120 c.) and 7) Caspian Caucasus (from Baba-Dag to Ilkhi-Dag peak - about 160 in.).
Black Sea Caucasus
The entire length of the Black Sea Caucasus runs almost parallel to the coast of the Black Sea, and the distance of the watershed from the sea does not exceed 40 e. (at Oshten); without reaching the snow line anywhere, the Black Sea Caucasus only in the southern part rises here and there up to 6 t. ft .; between the passes are remarkable Novorossiysk - 1225 ft. and Goythsky - 1,343 ft. (between Tuapse and Maykop), designed for wheeled traffic.
Steep south. the slope falling to the Black Sea is divided by short buttresses of the ridge into a series of transverse valleys and gorges, along which rivers flow into the sea.
The northern, much more developed slope is formed by spurs gradually lowering to the Kuban plane, between which the lion valleys are located. tributaries of the Kuban (Psekups, Pshish) and Belaya (Pshekha) rivers.
Kuban Caucasus
The Kuban Caucasus begins with the Oshten mountain group (Fisht peak - 9360 ft. Above sea level), on the top of which eternal snow appears for the first time, differs, in comparison with the Black Sea, in greater height and width, snow covering its most prominent peaks, significant height and the difficulty of the passes, and, finally, the appearance of glaciers, first encountered in the upper reaches of the Laba; at the same time, the height of the watershed ridge gradually increases from NE to SW.
Of the peaks, except Fishta, are remarkable: Shugus (10642) and Psysh (12427). Of the passes that rise quite significantly in this part of the ridge and represent pack paths, Pseashkho is remarkable - 6,870 ft. (from the Mzymta basin to the upper Laba), Marukhsky - 11,000 feet, Klukhorsky - 9,075 feet. and Naharsky - 9617 ft. (the last two are from the Kodor basin to the upper Kuban).
The penultimate of the passes is the most convenient way to connect Sukhum with Batalpashinskiy. The southern slope of the Kuban Caucasus is more developed than in the previous part of the ridge; between its numerous spurs, descending to the Black Sea, there is a series of deep basins enclosing small river basins, the upper part of which is sometimes located almost parallel to the watershed ridge; such are the basins of Mzymta, Bzybi and Kodor. The northern slope is highly developed and has up to 100 e. in length; between its huge buttresses, of which the largest departs to the northwest from the Psysh summit, there are deep, wild and picturesque, forested transverse valleys and gorges of the upper reaches of the Kuban system (pp. Belaya, Laba, Urup, Zelenchuk, Teberda and Kuban); of such valleys, the valley of the upper Laba - Zagdan (see) is the most famous.
Elbrus Caucasus
Elbrus Caucasus, stretching from the sources of the Kuban to the top of Adai-Khokh or to the headwaters of the river. Ardona, is the highest part of the Caucasian ridge, rich in snow and glaciers. The average height of the Elbrus Caucasus reaches 11-12 tons feet; hard-to-reach passes go down a little lower, and a lot. its high peaks, bearing masses of snow and ice, rise above 16 t. ft.
Short and powerful spurs, in which the highest peaks of the Caucasus are located, extend from the Main Ridge to the NE; in the most significant of these spurs, in the 20th century. to the N of the watershed ridge, Elbrus, or Mingi-tau (18470 ft.) rises, the highest peak in the system of the Caucasian ridge and within the Caucasian region. South of the Main Range, at a short distance, almost along the entire length of the Elbrus Caucasus, runs parallel to the Main Range, the Svaneti Range (Summit Shoda 11128 ft.), Which, being about 3000 ft. on average, below the Main, still goes far beyond the eternal snow.
Between the Svaneti and the watershed ridges there are high, parallel to the uplift axis of the latter, the Ingur and Tskhenis-Tskhali valleys, and the same valley of the upper reaches of the Rion adjoins the eastern end of the Elbrus Caucasus from the south; these valleys, as well as the Ingura valley from the Kodor valley, are separated by high spurs of the Main ridge. Between the peaks of the Elbrus Caucasus, apart from Elbrus, are remarkable: Dykh-tau (17054 ft.), Koshtan-tau (16881 ft.), Shkhara (17049 ft.), Dzhangi-tau (16564 ft.), Tetnuld (15914 ft.) , Ushba (15445 ft.), Adish (16291 ft.), Adai-khokh (15244 ft.), Etc.
Through passes that rise up to 12 t. Ft. the heights, partly over snow and glaciers, lead to dangerous footpaths, along which the inhabitants of the upper reaches of the Rion, Ingur and Tskhenis-Tskhali communicate with the northern slope. This latter, significantly developed in the western part, where the spurs of the Elbrus buttress slightly do not reach the line of the Vladikavkaz railway, is greatly shortened to the southeast, as it approaches the peak of Adai-khokh, where it is three times shorter than in the west. All spurs and buttresses of the northern slope are directed to the NE and between us, in deep gorges and valleys, the rivers of the Terek system (Baksan, Chegem, Cherek, Urukh) flow in the same direction, originating in the vast glaciers of the Caucasian ridge.
Tersk Caucasus
The Tersk Caucasus, embracing part of the ridge from Adai-Khokh to Mount Barbalo (10807 ft.), Is characterized by many features. The entire Caucasian ridge narrows here, its slopes, and especially the northern one, become short and, in addition, the watershed ridge, which slopes here in the upper reaches of the Terek and Ardon to the south, is significantly inferior in height to the forward ridge located somewhat north of it, with its peaks almost reaching the heights of the Elbrus Caucasus and in essence being, as it were, a direct continuation of the latter. The main peaks of the watershed, except for Barbalo: Zilga-khokh (12,645 ft.), Zikari (12,563 ft.), Chouhi (12,107 ft.), While in the front: Tepli (14,510 ft.), Dzhimarai-khokh (15673 ft.) .), Tsmiakom-khokh (13567 ft.) And finally Kazbek (16546 ft.). Between the passes in this part of the Caucasian ridge, which drops significantly towards E, there are remarkable: Mamisonsky (9390 ft.), Along which the Ossetian Military Highway runs, connecting Kutaisi with Vladikavkaz; Roksky (9870 ft.) - leading from the Ardon basin to the Big Liakhvi basin, and especially the Cross (7977 ft.), Through which the Georgian Military Road is laid.
The number of glaciers and snows in the Tersk Caucasus, although less than in the Elbrus one, is still very significant. The watershed ridge in the Terek Caucasus is adjoined by four high, separated from one another by high spurs, transverse basins: Ardonskaya, Terskaya, Assinskaya and Argunskaya, in which, partly from glaciers, the rivers of the Terek system originate: From the rivers arising in them, Ardon and Terek break through to the N through the front ridge along the grandiose gorges, of which the Daryalskoe, through which the Terek flows, is especially remarkable. To the E of the Georgian Military Highway, the northern slope of the Caucasian ridge is again becoming wider, reaching a very significant development on the Barbalo meridian. The southern slope of the Tersky Caucasus is more developed than in other parts of the Caucasian ridge; it is formed by many long, low spurs and buttresses gradually lowering to the south, some of which go to the connection with the Lesser Caucasus (Suram ridge from the Zikari summits), while others go far to the southeast, separating the Iora and Alazani valleys and merging with the eastern steppes. Transcaucasia to the southeast of Tiflis. From the southern slope of the Tersk Caucasus flow down: Iori, Bolshaya Liakhvi, Aragvi and other left tributaries of the Kura, forming deep transverse valleys in their upper reaches.
Dagestan Caucasus
Dagestan Caucasus, stretching from Barbalo to the top. Sari-Dag (12008 ft.), Is characterized by an unusually complex developed northern slope, which is made up of many high and long spurs extending from the Main Ridge to the NE and forming a mountainous country - Dagestan, and a remarkably short, steep and undeveloped southern slope, which, however , the same character continues to the southeast in the Samur and Caspian Caucasus. The height of the watershed ridge of the Caucasian ridge in the Dagestan Caucasus is lower than in the Tersk, and it presents few peaks above the ridge; glaciers and eternal snows are found on it only in small quantities. Powerful sowing is much higher and more abundant with glaciers and snow. spurs and forward chains of the K. ridge, which fill Dagestan. The most app. the spur is the Sulako-Terskiy (Perikitelskiy) ridge, which serves as a watershed between the Terek and Sulak, Bogosskiy, between the Andean and Avar Koisu and Naukat, which separates the last river from the Kara-Koisu.
Narrow and deep transverse valleys, closed by these spurs, adjoin the watershed ridge of the Caucasian ridge in the C: Tushinskaya, Didoiskaya and Ankratlskaya. In the first two, the Andian Koisu originates, and in the latter, the Avar, which breaks through the advanced heights of the Caucasian ridge and carries its waters to the N - to Sulak pp. Kazikumukhskoe and Kara-Koisu, flowing from the north. the slope of the spur separating the Samur and Sulak basins and heading to E from the top. Sari dag. A set of high ridges, with countless spurs and buttresses, forming in some places vast plateaus, mostly rocky and devoid of forests, the predominance of broken lines and grayish-yellow flowers in the landscape, deep gorges with fast-moving koisu (river), and poor communication routes are features of Dagestan. More remarkable peaks besides Barbado and Sari-dag: Ninikos-tsikhe (10251 ft.), Anzal (11,742 ft.), Shavi-klde (11,314 ft.), And others in the watershed ridge, Tebulos-mta (14781 ft.) , Donos-mta (13736 ft.), Bolshoi Kachu (14 0 27 ft.) In Sulako-Tersk and Balakuri (12323 ft.) In the Bogos ridge. Between the passes the most common are the Kodori (9,300 ft.) And Satskhenisi, leading from Kakheti to Dagestan. The southern short slope of the Caucasus Range drops steeply to the Alazani Valley.
Samur Caucasus
The Samur Caucasus, stretching from Sari-Dag to Baba-Dag (11934 ft.), Is similar to the Dagestan in the development of its slopes, but the height of the watershed ridge in it is greater than in the latter, and the amount of snow on the ridge is increasing again. The most remarkable of the spurs is the one that goes from Sari-Dag to B and serves as a watershed between Sulak and Samur, and of the advanced heights of the Shah-Dag (13951 ft.), On which there are the last, in the direction of B, eternal snows and glaciers of the Caucasian ridge ... Outstanding tops of the watershed ridge are Gudur-dag (11,075 ft.), Salavat-dag (11,943 ft.), Thfan-dag (13,764 ft.) And Bazar-duz, or Kichen-dag (14,722 ft.). Passes: Gudurskiy (10118 ft.), Leading from Zagatal to the upper reaches of the Samur, and Salavat (9283 ft.), Along which the Akhtinskaya Military Road runs. North. the slope of the Samur Caucasus, which by nature has much in common with Dagestan, of which it forms part, belongs to the Samur basin, the upper part of which forms a vast longitudinal valley adjacent to the watershed ridge from the north. The southern slope falls to the Alazani valley and is partly irrigated by small steppe rivers flowing through the Nukhinsky district of the Elisavetpol province.
Caspian Caucasus
The Caspian Caucasus - the last link of the Caucasian ridge - embraces its east. extremity from Baba-dag to Ilkhi-dag. Its highest points do not exceed 9,000 feet. and completely devoid of snow cover. The Alty-Agach pass, on the road from Shemakha to Cuba, has no more than 4354 ft. heights. The southern slope of the Caspian Caucasus is somewhat more developed than in the Samur and Dagestan, but here it is inferior in this respect to the north; however, barely noticeable heights are visible even at 40 ° N. sh., much to the south of Baku.
Snow
The height of the snow line on the Caucasian ridge is not the same everywhere; depending on climatic conditions, different for the app. and the eastern parts, as well as in the north. and south. the slope of this mountain system, the position of the snow boundary n. lvl. m. changes a lot. The first snow peak on the west is Oshten (Fishta), on which the eternal snow line is no higher than 9,000 ft., And to the south. downhill, it even drops to 8,900 feet; further to B, under the influence of a decrease in precipitation and air humidity, the snow line gradually rises; on Elbrus it is at an altitude of about 10,700 feet. (west and east slope) - 11,700 ft. (north slope). East of the Kazbek meridian, due to a significant rise in the snow line and a decrease in the height of the ridge, only a few mountain peaks remain covered with eternal snow. Its limit on Shah Dagh is on average 12,200 feet. above sea level (N slope 11,900 feet, S slope 12,500 feet). Thus, the difference in the height of snow on the west. and east. at the extremities of the snowy region of the Caucasus Range reaches approximately 3,200 ft. (South slope up to 3600 ft.). Snow to the north. the slope of the Caucasian Range, with a few exceptions, rise 1000-1500 ft. higher than in the south, which can be explained by the fact that sowing. the slope faces the dry open steppe areas of the Ciscaucasia. It is believed that of the entire length of the watershed ridge, it is covered with eternal snow for no more than 300 centuries. In addition to the watershed ridge, significant masses of snow are found on the forward ridges and ridges closest to it and the spurs departing from it (the front ridge in the Terek Caucasus, the Svaneti ridge, Sulako-Terskiy, Bogosskiy, etc.).
Glaciers
The study of the glaciers of the Caucasian Ridge, which has greatly advanced in recent years, is far from complete; about many of them there is only scant information, and the number of all glaciers, their distribution, area and other data are almost unknown. Nevertheless, it turned out that the previous opinion about the extremely insignificant glaciation of the Caucasus was incorrect, and that in terms of the number of glaciers, their area, and size, the Caucasus ridge is almost as good as the Alps. The largest number of significant glaciers is located in the Elbrus and Terek parts of the ridge, and the number of glaciers of the 1st category in the basins of the Kuban, Terek, Liakhva, Rion and Ingur is determined, according to some data, in 183, and 2 categories - in 679. The number of all glaciers in the Caucasus system , in all likelihood, at least 900-1000. The size of the Caucasian glaciers is very diverse and some of them (Bizings) are not inferior in size to the Aletsch Glacier (Alps). Nowhere do the Caucasian glaciers descend so low as, for example, the Alpine glaciers, and in this respect they represent a great variety; so the Karagom glacier is released with its lower end up to 5702 ft., and the Shah-Dag glacier up to 10374 ft. The most famous glaciers of the Caucasian ridge are:
| Glacier name | The mountain from which it descends | Height of the lower end of the glacier, in m | Glacier length, in km Total | Glacier length, in km Without firn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bizings (bass. Cherek) | Shkhara, Dykh-tau | 1993m | 19.6km | 16.1km |
| Breathe-su | Shkhara, Dykh-tau | 2027m | 14.3km | 10.1km |
| Karagom (bass Urukh) | Adai hoh | 1764m | 15.5km | 9.6km |
| Zanner (bass Ingura) | Tetnuld | 2084m | 13.1km | 10.0km |
| Devdorak (bass Terek) | Kazbek | 2296m | 5.7km | 3.4km |
During the Ice Age, the glaciers of the Caucasus Range were incomparably more numerous and extensive than they are today; from the numerous traces of their existence, found far from modern glaciers, it can be concluded that ancient glaciers extended in lengths of 50, 60, and even up to a hundred or more versts, descending into valleys up to 800-900 ft. above sea level. At present, most of the glaciers of the Caucasus Range are in a period of retreat, which has lasted for several decades.
Geology
Geologically, the Caucasian Ridge (according to Suess) represents two different parts: the western and the eastern; in the first of them, the crystalline base, on which the Jurassic, Cretaceous and Paleozoic deposits were located, is a fold overturned to the south, while in the second part the crystalline base sank and is hidden under the Kura lowland. On the southern slope of the east. part of the Caucasian ridge, there is a number of parallel faults, while in the north. Mesozoic and Miocene strata show folding, decreasing towards C.
Crystalline schists and granites, of which the crest of the ridge in the west is composed, serve as the basis for the volcanic massifs of Elbrus and Kazbek, around which basalts, trachytes and other igneous rocks are developed over an enormous extent.
The Black Sea Caucasus is composed mainly of rocks of the Cretaceous and part of the Jurassic systems;
Geographical position
The Caucasus Mountains, stretching between the Black and Caspian Seas, are the natural border between Asia and Europe. They also separate the Near and Middle East. Because of their vast territory, they can be safely called "the country of ridges and uplands." There are two versions of the origin of the word "Caucasus". According to the first, that was the name of the epic king from the poem "Shahnameh" - Kavi-Kaus. The second hypothesis ascribes a name to the translation: "Supporting Heaven." Geographically, the Caucasus is divided into two mountain systems: Big and Small. In turn, they also have subdivisions into ridges, chains, and highlands.
Height of the Caucasus Mountains
The Caucasus is often included in the list of the "best". For example, the highest permanent village of Ushguli (Georgia) is located here. It lies on the slope of Shkhara (5068 m above sea level) and is included in the UNESCO list. Ushba has acquired a gloomy fame among climbers as the most difficult summit to conquer - "four-thousander". The mysterious Ararat is surrounded by biblical legends. There are also alpine lakes here - Ritsa, for example. And the Zeigalan waterfall (North Ossetia) is the largest in Russia (600 m). This attracts many climbers, sportsmen and tourists to the region. The highest snow-capped peaks, glaciers shining in the sun, hard-to-reach passes, narrow gorges, waterfalls and rough, bubbling rivers - all these are the Caucasus Mountains. The height of the highest peaks - Elbrus (5642) and Kazbek (5034) - surpasses Mont Blanc (4810), which is considered the culmination point of Western Europe.
Myths and legends
The Caucasus is mentioned in the Bible. In the Book of Genesis, the ark of the righteous Noah stuck to Mount Ararat during the great flood, and from there a dove brought an olive branch. Jason sailed to the land of sorcerers Colchis (the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus) for the golden fleece. Here the eagle of Zeus punished Prometheus for giving people fire. The Caucasus Mountains also have their own regional legends. Every nation living on the slopes of this majestic country of glaciers and snowy peaks - and there are about fifty of them - composes legends and myths about them.
Geology
The Caucasus is a young mountain system. It was formed relatively recently - about 25 million years ago, in the Tertiary period. Thus, the Caucasus Mountains belong to the Alpine folding, but with insignificant volcanic activity. Eruptions have not been observed for a long time, but earthquakes are frequent. The biggest one last happened in 1988. In Spitak (Armenia) 25 thousand people died then. The main geological wealth of the mountains is oil. The reserves are estimated at 200 billion barrels.
Flora and fauna
The Caucasus Mountains are home to many species of wild animals. Bears live in the gorges, golden eagles, chamois, wild boars, and argali are also found. There are also endemic species - species that, except for the Caucasus, cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. These include the local species of leopard, lynx. Before the beginning of our era, manuscripts mention the presence of Caspian tigers and Asiatic lions. The biological diversity of this region is falling rapidly. The last Caucasian bison died out in 1926, the local subspecies - in 1810. In this region of subtropical forests, alpine meadows and alpine lichens, 6,350 plant species were recorded. More than one and a half thousand of them are endemic.
Here is a detailed map of the Caucasus Mountains with the names of cities and towns in Russian. Move the map by holding it with the left mouse button. You can move around the map by clicking on one of the four arrows in the upper left corner. You can change the scale using the scale on the right side of the map or by turning the mouse wheel.
In which country is the Caucasus Mountains
Caucasus Mountains are located in Russia. This is a wonderful, beautiful place with its own history and traditions. Coordinates of the Caucasus Mountains: north latitude and east longitude (show on a large map).
Virtual walk
The figurine of the "little man" above the scale will help you make a virtual walk through the cities of the Caucasus Mountains. By clicking and holding the left mouse button, drag it to any place on the map and you will go for a walk, while inscriptions with the approximate address of the area will appear in the upper left corner. Choose the direction of movement by clicking on the arrows in the center of the screen. The Satellite option at the top left allows you to see a relief image of the surface. In the "Map" mode, you will get the opportunity to familiarize yourself in detail with the roads of the Caucasus Mountains and the main attractions.
In clear weather, the top of the mountain Kezgen (4011 m) gives a unique opportunity to observe the rich and cheerful picture of the Central Caucasus from the side. Almost all major and minor mountain ranges of the Main Caucasian Ridge are visible, regions Tyutyusu, Adyrsu, Chegema, Bezengi, Adylsu, Yusengi and upper Baksan gorge, and over the passes and less high peaks of the GKH, distant mountain vistas open up Svaneti... On the opposite side of the horizon, the Caucasian monarch Elbrus shows a strictly end symmetrical view of its Eastern peak.
The source material of the publication is photographs taken from the top of the mountain Kezgen in July 2007 and July 2009. They formed the basis two basic panoramas.
PANORAMA-1: - evening panorama (July 2007). It covers the GKH sector from the Bezenga wall to Chatyn, as well as the regions of the spurs of the Main ridge - Chegem, Adyrsu and Adylsu, descending to the Russian side.
PANORAMA-2: - morning panorama (July 2009). Partially overlapping Panorama-1, it represents the GKH sector from the Bezenga wall to Azau, the Russian spurs of the GKH - Adyrsu, Adylsu, Yusengi, Kogutai and Cheget, the Azau-Elbrus jumper, as well as South-Eastern (with Terskolak peak) and Vostochny (with Irikchat peak) ) spurs of Elbrus.
The two main panoramas come with additional PANORAMA-3 (July 2007). It gives a view of the spurs of East Elbrus in the Subashi-Kyrtyk-Mukal sector from the pass of the Russian officers (which is near the Kezgen peak, 150 m below it).
Together, these three panoramas cover the entire field of view.
Camera - Nikon 8800.
More about Kezgen peak.
Kezgen is located in the highest of the eastern spurs of Elbrus - the one that stretches from the peak hanging over its ice fields Chatkara (3898 m) to the villages of Elbrus and Neutrino in the Baksan Valley. The spur has a number of left branches in the direction of the Subashi, Kyrtyk and Syltransu rivers, while it itself borders the Irikchat river valley with its left side and - after its confluence with Irik - the Irik valley. The main peak in this spur is Irikchat (4054 m), slightly inferior to her Subashi (3968 m) in the north-west and the equal-height duet Kezgen - Soviet warrior (4011 m) in the southeast.
The ascent to Kezgen is beautiful, pleasant and easy. The beginning of the movement towards Kezgen, the Soviet warrior and Irikchat is common - from the floodplain of the Irikchat river, a grassy slope, along a path that is well visible from a distance. Then the paths diverge, the Kezgen path takes to the right. Upon reaching the talus slopes, it is lost on the upper traverses, but with sufficient visibility, one cannot miss the takeoff opening to the left to the pass of Russian officers (tourist 1B). The exit from the saddle to the top (along the northeastern ridge) is also simple - 1B mountaineering. (Kezgen was sometimes visited by climbers as part of the Kezgen traverse, a Soviet warrior, who was reputed in the Adylsu alpine camps as a kind of exile.)
Kezgen is the nearest four-thousanders to the north of Baksan, the peaks, which are closer to the river, are much lower. This advantageous feature of its location and its route simplicity make Kezgen an excellent observation point.
PANORAMAS, DESIGNATIONS, INTERPRETATION.
PANORAMA-1 (over 800 KB, 8682 x 850 pixels) in its original form:
PANORAMA-1 with marked peaks, passes, glaciers and gorges:
PANORAMA-2 (more than 1.2 Mb, 10364 x 1200 pixels) in its original form:
PANORAMA-2 with marked peaks, passes, glaciers and gorges:
Additional PANORAMA-3 - view to the north-east into the valley of the Mukal glacier:
Accepted designations and general principles.
Marked on the panorama:
Mountain peaks - colored circles,
passes - crosses,
glaciers - rectangles,
gorges (river valleys) - double wave.
At passes, glaciers and gorges, the numbering is through, from right to left.
All signs glaciers and gorges blue. Signs passes and peaks painted in different colors, depending on their belonging to a particular mountain region.
Color differentiation of icons helps to more clearly represent and trace the location of the various mountain areas visible in the panorama, especially where they overlap.
Colors used:
- green dense: for objects outside the State Border of the Russian Federation,
- red: for the peaks and passes of the GKH,
- purple light: for the peaks of the Bezengi area outside the GKH,
- Orange: for peaks and passes in the Adyrsu ridge,
- yellow pure: for peaks and passes in the Adylsu ridge,
- yellow dirty: for peaks and passes in the Yusengi ridge,
- dark purple: for the peaks and passes in the Kogutai spur of Donguzorun,
- pale green: for the peaks and passes of the South-Eastern spur of Elbrus,
- pale plum: for the peaks and passes of the Elbrus-Azau jumper,
- light brown: for the peaks and passes of the ridge in the upper reaches of the Irik and Irikchat,
- white: for the peaks and passes of the Eastern Spur of Elbrus,
- blue: for peaks and passes in short spurs of the GKH (summit circles in this case are in a red rim), as well as in the spurs of the Adyrsu ridges (summit circles in an orange rim) and Adylsu (summit circles in a yellow rim).
1. MOUNTAINS
Note. The heights of the peaks indicated below in some cases differ from those given by the "Classification of routes to mountain peaks" (hereinafter "Classifier"). These heights are given mainly from the maps of the General Staff (hereinafter "General Staff") constructed from the results of methodically homogeneous measurements within the framework of a unified topographic program of the Soviet era. The General Staff cites altitude data with an accuracy of 0.1 meters, but it should, of course, be borne in mind that such an enviable accuracy could claim to cover only random measurement errors, and not systematic errors of the measuring technique itself.
1.1. POTS LOCATED IN GEORGIA
1 - Tetnuld, 4853 m
2 - Svetgar, 4117 m
3 - Asmashi, 4082 m
4 - Marianna (Marianna), 3584 m
5 - Lekzyr (Dzhantugan), 3890 m
6 - Chatyn Glavny, 4412 m
7 - Ushba Severnaya, 4694 m
8 - Ushba Yuzhnaya, 4710 m
9 - Cherinda, 3579 m
10 - Dolra, 3832 m
11 - Shtavleri, 3994 m
1.2. TOP OF THE MAIN CAUCASIAN RIDGE (GKH)
1 - Bezengi Wall (details on the enlarged fragment of the panorama)
2 - Gestola, 4860 m
3 - Lyalver, 4366 m
4 - Tichtengen, 4618 m
5 - Bodorka, 4233 m
6 - Bashiltau, 4257 m
7 - Sarykol, 4058 m
8 - Ullutau massif, 4277 m
9 - Latsga, 3976 m
10 - Chegettau, 4049 m
11 - Aristov rocks (3619 m - Kaluga peak)
12 - Dzhantugan, 4012 m
13 - Bashkara, 4162 m
14 - Ullukara, 4302 m
15 - Free Spain, 4200 m
16 - Bzhedukh, 4280 m
17 - Eastern Caucasus, 4163 m
18 - Shchurovsky, 4277 m
19 - Chatyn West, 4347
20 - Ushba Malaya, 4254 m
21 - East Shkhelda, 4368 m
22 - Shkhelda Central, 4238 m
23 - Aristov (Shkhelda 3rd Western), 4229
24 - Shkhelda 2nd Western, 4233 m
25 - Western Shkhelda, 3976 m
26 - Trade unions, 3957 m
27 - Sportsman, 3961 m
28 - Shkhelda Malaya, 4012 m
29 - Akhsu, 3916 m
30 - Yusengi Uzlovaya, 3846 m
31 - Gogutai, 3801 m
32 - Eastern Donguzorun, 4442 m
33 - Donguzorun Main, 4454 m
34 - Donguzorun West, 4429 m
35 - Nakratau, 4269 m
36 - Chiper, 3785 m
37 - Chiperazau, 3512 m
Summits in short spurs of the GKH
1 - Germogenov, 3993 m
2 - Chegetkara, 3667 m
3 - Caucasus Main, 4109 m
4 - Western Caucasus, 4034 m
5 - Donguzorun Small, 3769 m
6 - Cheget, 3461 m
1.3. TOP OF BEZENGI DISTRICT
1 - Dykhtau, 5205 m (5204.7 according to the General Staff map, 5204 according to the Classifier and Lyapin's scheme)
2 - Koshtantau, 5152 m (5152.4 according to the General Staff map, 5150 according to the Classifier, 5152 according to the Lyapin scheme)
3 - Ulluaus, 4682 m (4681.6 according to the General Staff map, 4675 according to the Classifier, 4676 according to the Lyapin scheme)
4 - Thought, 4677 m (4676.6 according to the General Staff map, 4557 according to the Classifier, 4681 according to the Lyapin scheme)
1.4. TOP OF ADYRSU DISTRICT
1 - Adyrsubashi, 4370 m (4346)
2 - Orubashi, 4369 m (4259)
3 - Yunomkara, 4226 m
4 - Kichkidar, 4360 m (4269)
5 - Jailik, 4533 m (4424)
From the Jailik massif, the Adyrsu ridge divides into two branches:
(a) the northwest branch,
(b) the northeastern branch.
Peaks of the north-western branch of the Adyrsu ridge:
6а - Tyutyubashi, 4460 m (4404)
7а - Sullukol, 4259 m (4251)
8а - Steel, 3985 m
Peaks of the northeastern branch of the Adyrsu ridge:
6b - Kenchech, 4142 m
7b - Orel, 4056 m (4064)
8b - Kayarta, 4082 m (4121)
9b - Kilar, 4000 m (4087)
10b - Sakashil, 4054 m (4149)
Peaks in the spurs of the Adyrsu ridge:
from the town of Adyrsubashi
a - Chemist, 4087 m
b - Moskovsky Komsomolets, 3925 m
c - Triangle, 3830 m
From Jailik
d - Chegem, 4351 m
From Tyutyubashi
e - Kullumkol, 4055 m (4141)
f - Theremin, 3950 m (3921)
From Kilar
g - Adjikol (Adjikolbashi, Adjikolchatbashi), 3848 m (4126).
1.5. TOP OF ADYLSU DISTRICT
(in brackets - heights according to Lyapin's scheme, if there is a difference)
1 - Kurmychi, 4045 m
2 - Andyrchi Uzlovaya, 3872 m
3 - Andyrtau (Andyrchi), 3937 m
4 - Mongolia (peaks of the Mongolian People's Republic): North-East 3830 m (3838), Central 3830 m (3849), South-West 3810 m (3870).
Peaks in the spurs of the Adylsu ridge towards the Adyrsu valley:
1.6. THE TOP OF THE YUSENGI RIDGE
1 - Yusengi, 3870 m
2 - Yusengi Severnaya, 3421 m.According to tradition, which apparently goes back to the map of the General Staff, the names of these two peaks are confused with each other
1.7. TOP OF THE KOGUTAY SPRAY OF DONGUZORUN
1 - Interkosmos, 3731 m
2 - Small Kogutai, 3732 m
3 - Big Kogutai, 3819 m
4 - Baksan, 3545 m
5 - Kakhiani (Donguzorungitchechatbashi), 3367 m
6 - Dining room, 3206 sq.
1.8 TOP IN THE LINK BETWEEN GKH AND ELBRUS
1 - Azaubashi, 3695 m
2 - Ullukambashi, 3762 m
1.9 TOP OF THE SOUTH-EASTERN ELBRUS ROOM
1 - Terskol, 3721 m
2 - Terskolak, 3790 m
3 - Sarykolbashi, 3776 m
4 - Artykkaya, 3584 m
5 - Tegeneklibashi, 3502 m
1.10 THE TOP OF THE RIDGE IN THE UPPER GORGE OF IRIK AND IRIKCHAT
1 - Achkeryakolbashi (Askerkolbashi), 3928 m
2 - Red Hill, 3730 m
1.11 TOP OF EASTERN ROOM ELBRUS
1 - Irikchat Western, 4046 m
2 - Irikchat Central, 4030 m
3 - Irikchat Vostochny, 4020 m
4 - Soviet warrior, 4012 m
1.12 PEAKS IN THE NORTH-EAST (ON THE SIDE OF THE MUKAL GLACIER)
Shown separately on PANORAMA-3
Islamchat (3680 m)
Shukambashi (3631 m)
Jaurgen (3777 m)
Suaryk (3712 m)
Kyrtyk (3571 m)
Mukal (3899 m)
2. PASSES
1 - Khunaly Yuzh, 2B - connects the valleys of Khunalychat (Sakashilsu tributary) and Kayarty (Kayarta river)
2 - Kayarta Zap, 2A - between the peaks of Kilar and Adjikol
3 - Kayarta, 1B - between the peaks of Kayarta and Kilar
4 - Sternberg, 2A - between the peaks of Orelyu and Kayart
5 - Kilar, 1B - between the peaks of Kenchech and Orel
6 - Vodopadny, 1B - in the northern spur of the Stal peak
7 - Sullukol, 1B - in the western spur of Stal peak
8 - Spartakiad, 2A * - between Tyutyubashi massif and the summit of the Spartakiad
9 - Kullumkol, 1B - between Tyutyubashi massif and Kullumkol peak
10 - Tyutyu-Dzhailyk, 3A - between the Dzhailik peak and the Tyutyubashi massif
11 - Chegemsky, 2B - in the shoulder of Kichkidar
12 - Kichkidar, 2B - between the peaks of Yunomkara and Kichkidar
13 - Freshfield, 2B - between the peaks of Orubashi and Yunomkara
14 - Golubeva, 2A - between the peaks of Adyrsubashi and Orubashi
15 - Garnet, 1A - in the northern spur of the peak of the Navy
16 - Kurma, 1A - in the northern spur of the peak of the Navy
17 - Dzhalovchat, 1B - between the peaks of the Fizkulturnik and the Navy
18 - Mestia, 2A - between the peaks of Ullutau and Sarykol
19 - Churlionisa Vost, 3A * - between Yesenin peak and Gestola's shoulder
20 - Svetgar, 3A - between the peaks Svetgar and Thoth
21 - Dzhantugan, 2B - between Dzhantugan peak and Aristov rocks
22 - Marianna, 3A - between the peaks Marianna and Svetgar
23 - Bashkara, 2B * - between the peaks of Bashkar and Dzhantugan
24 - Pobeda, 3B - between the peaks of Ullukar and Bashkar
25 - Kashkatash, 3A * - between the peak of Free Spain and the peak of Ullucara
26 - Double, 3A - between the peak of the Caucasus Vost and peak Bzhedukh
27 - Saddle of the Caucasus, 3A - between the peaks of the Caucasus Gl and Vost
28 - Krenkel, 3A - between the peaks of the Caucasus Gl and Zap
29 - Chalaat, 3B - between the peaks Chatyn Zap and M. Ushba
30 - Ushbinsky, 3A - between the Ushba and Shkhelda massifs
31 - Bivachny, 2B * - between the peaks of the Fizkulturnik and the Trade Unions
32 - Yusengi, 2B - between the peaks Yusenga and Yusengi Severnaya
33 - Medium, 2B - between Malaya Shkhelda peak and Fizkulturnik peak
34 - Rodina, 2A (when moving along the buttress from the side of the Yusenga valley) - between the peaks of Yusenga and Yusenga Uzlovaya
35 - Akhsu, 2A - between the peaks of Yusengi Uzlovaya and Akhsu
36 - Becho, 1B - in the ridge of the GKH between peaks 3506 and 3728, it is the lowest pass on the GKKh section between Donguzorun and the Yusengi ridge and the closest to the Yusengi Uzlovaya peak.
37 - Becho False, 1B - in the ridge of the GKH to the west of summit 3506 and east of the lane. Olympian
38 - Yusengi Peremetny, 1B - glacial crossing over the short eastern spur of Gogutai peak
39 - High Dolra, 2A - at the GKH descent from the Vost peak. Donguzorun under the Gogutai peak.
40 - Shepherd (Okhotsk), 1A - connects the Yusengi gorge with the upper reaches of the Kogutayka
41 - Vladimir Korshunov, 1B - between the Bolshoi Kogutai peak and Baksan peak
42 - Pearl of Primorye, 1B * - between the peaks Big and Small Kogutai
43 - Kogutai, 1B - between Interkosmos peak and Maly Kogutai peak
44 - Seven, 3B * - between the peaks Nakra and Donguzorun West
45 - Donguzorun False, 1B - the pass closest to the Nakra peak (from the west) across the GKH
46 - Donguzorun, 1A - the simplest and lowest pass across the GKH to the west of the Nakra peak, located west of the Donguzorun False pass.
47 - Suakkalar, 1B * - between the peaks of Artykkaya and Sarykolbashi
48 - Sarykol (conventional name), 1B * - between the peaks of Sarykolbashi and Terskolak
49 - Chiper, 1B * - the closest to the Chiper peak through the GKH between the Chiper and Chiperazau peaks
50 - Chiperazau, 1A - the closest to the top of the Chiperazau pass through the GKH between the peaks of Chiperazau and Chiperazau
51 - Azau, 1A - between the peaks of Chiperazau and Azaubashi
52 - Hasankoysyurulgen, 1B - between the peaks of Azaubashi and Ullukambashi
53 - Terskolak, 1B - in the ridge under the Terskolak peak to the north of it
54 - Terskol, 1B * - between Terskol peak and ice slopes of Elbrus
55 - Assol, 1B - the more southern of the neighboring passes connecting the Irik glacier and a small "internal" glacial circus between the upper reaches of the Irik and Irikchata gorges
56 - Frezi Grant, 1B - pass in the same summit circus as per. Assol (# 55), north of it
57 - Irik-Irikchat, 2A - in the ridge between the Irik and Irikchat glaciers to the south of the peak of Achkeryakolbashi
58 - Chat Elbrussky, 1B * - in the ridge between the Irik and Irikchat glaciers, the ridge west of the peak of Achkeryakolbashi
59 - Irikchat, 1B * - between Irikchat glacier and Chatkara peak
PASSES IN THE NORTH-EAST, ON THE SIDE OF THE MUKAL GLACIER (without numbering, shown separately on PANORAMA-3):
Mukal-Mkyara, 1B
Mukal-Mkyara false, 3A
Voruta, 1A
Ritenok, 1B
Baumanets, 2A
Khibiny, 1B
Pathfinder, 1B
3. GLACIERS
1 - Kayarta West (No. 485-b)
2 - Orel (No. 485-a)
3 - Sullukol (No. 491)
4 - Young Severny (No. 487-d)
5 - Yunom (No. 487-b)
6 - Nitrogen (No. 492-b)
7 - Kurmy East (No. 498)
8 - Adyrsu Vostochny (No. 493-e)
9 - Bashkara (No. 505)
10 - Kashkatash (No. 508)
11 - Bzhedukh (No. 509)
12 - Ushbinsky icefall
13 - Shkheldinsky (No. 511)
14 - Akhsu (No. 511-b)
15 - No. 511-a
16 - Yusengi (No. 514)
17 - No. 515-b
18 - Ozengi (No. 515-a)
19 - No. 517-b
20 - Kogutai East (No. 517-a)
21 - Western Kogutai
22 – № 518
23 – № 519
24 – № 520
25 – № 538
26 - No. 537-b
27 - No. 537-a
28 – № 536
29 - Big Azau (No. 529)
30 - Garabashi
31 - Terskol
32 - Irik (No. 533)
33 - Irikchat
Mukal Glacier - see Additional PANORAMA-3
4. RIVER BASINS (GORGES)
1 - Kullumkol
2 - Sullukol
3 - Waterfall (these three rivers: 1, 2, 3 - right tributaries of the Adyrsu river)
4 - Shkhelda (Adylsu tributary)
5 - Yusengi
6 - Kogutayka (these two rivers: 5 and 6 are the right tributaries of the Baksan)
7 - Irik
8 - Irikchat (the last two rivers - 7 and 8 - left tributaries of the Baksan)
ENLARGED FRAGMENTS OF BASIC PANORAMAS.
a) Tyutyu-Bashi and Jailik.
Array Tyutyu-Bashi (4460 m) in this fragment of the panorama is turned towards us by the western end, so that all five of its peaks are lined up in one line: Western (4350 m), Second Western (4420 m), Central (4430 m), home (4460 m) and Eastern (4400 m). The massif ends in the Tyutyu-Su gorge (on the photo to the left) by the Northern Wall with routes up to category 6A.
To the right of Tyutyu is located Jailik (4533 m), the highest peak of the Adyrsu ridge and, note, the third highest in the Baksan Valley and Elbrus region, after Elbrus (5642 m) and Ushba (4710 m). On the right, from behind Jailik, peeps Chegem (4351 m), famous for its intricate rock walls up to category 6A. Near Chegem, they usually drive through the Chegem gorge, located between the Baksan and Bezengi gorges parallel to the first.
In the foreground, in the center, is the Sullukol glacier. You can also see the Tyutyu-Dzhailyk (3A) passes in the picture, it is between the peaks of Dzhailik and Tyutyu-Bashi, and Kullumkol (1B), between the peaks of Tyutyu-Bashi and Kullumkol (4055 m), the latter is visible under Jailik against its background. All of them are marked in the general panorama.
b) Koshtantau and Dykhtau.
In the picture on the left before us Koshtantau (5152 m), or simply Koshtan. This is the peak of the "technical Caucasus" - the highest mountain in the Caucasus with a route of the sixth category of difficulty, 6A on the left side of the central buttress of the Northern Wall. The route was first completed in 1961 by a team from Bauman (MVTU, Moscow, head Arnold Simonik), who dedicated it to the flight of German Titov, "cosmonaut number two". The "sixes" are not classified for a slightly higher peak in Dykhtau. Travers Dykhtau-Koshtan used to be a "six", but at times he was undressed. The traverse Koshtan-Dykh with the ascent to Koshtan by 6A is completely illogical, and there are no "sixes" on the roof of the Caucasus - Elbrus, if not to talk about the ascent to the top after passing the Kukurtlu wall - which, you see, is also an illogical option.
On the left to Koshtan along the Northern ridge, there is a “British” ridge 4B (G. Wuley, 1889), this is the easiest way to the top. (The peak in the GKH north of Shchurovsky peak is named after Wuley. It is curious that Herman Wooley - Hermann Wooley, in some sources Woolley - came to mountaineering, being already a football player and boxer). In the lower part of the ridge, a characteristic hump is visible - an ice gendarme. The lower, most difficult part of the route - the ascent from the Mizhirgi glacier to the Northern ridge of Koshtan - is hidden behind the peak Panoramic (4176 m), which is in the spur Ulluausa (4682 m). The approaches to Koshtan from this side are extremely dreary, you have to go through all the steps of the Mizhirgi icefall, of which there are three only before the overnight stays "3900", and there is also a zone of cracks located above. The first two steps pass along the moraine and then over the ice, adhering to the left (along the course) side of the glacier, and the third one bypasses along the talus on the left and go to the overnight stays "3900", the highest in the region.
In the foreground of the image is an array Adyrsubashi (4370 m). To the left, to the Golubev Pass (2A, 3764 m), from it stretches the North-Eastern ridge with many gendarmes. The ascent to Adyrsubashi along this ridge is a very long "five A". The Golubev pass itself remained behind the scenes to the left, it is located in a depression between the peaks of Adyrsubashi and Orubashi and connects the upper reaches of Adyrsu and Chegem, serving faithfully one of the popular tourist routes.
Adyrsubashi is the nodal peak of the Adyr ridge. Its western spur asserts itself as peaks Chemist (4087 m), Ozernaya (4080 m), Moscow's comsomolets (3925 m) and Triangle (3830 m), behind this peak - descent towards the alpine camp "Ullutau". The Khimik and Ozernaya peaks are two snowy ridges with rock outcrops, in the picture they are to the left and below Adyrsubasha. From Ozernaya (to the right of Khimik and closer to us) into the Kullumkol valley (to the left) flows a small glacier Azot. This "chemical" name he received from the name of the alpine camp, which operated (since 1936) from the same name DSO of workers in the chemical industry. In 1939, there were eight (!) Alpine camps in the Adyrsu gorge. The fate of "Azot" was the most successful, now it is the alpine camp "Ullutau".
To the north-west of the Ozernaya peak in our direction, bordering the Azot glacier, a spur departs, in which the peak Panoramic, he's a peak Winter (3466 m), which received such a name in the everyday life of the alpine camp "Ullutau" as an object of low ascents during the winter camp shifts. Another ridge branch of the Ozernaya peak (to the right in the image) leads to the Moskovsky Komsomolets peak, the peak of which falls exactly on the right slice of this fragment. In the background an array Mizhirgi with distinguishable Eastern summit (4927 m). Western Mizhirgi (5025 m) and the Second Western Mizhirgi, better known as the peak Borovikova (4888 m), are almost indistinguishable in the ridge going from East Mizhirga to Dykhtau.
On the right picture before us is an array Dykhtau (5205 m), or simply Dykh. In the foreground, near the left slice of the fragment, there is Moskovsky Komsomolets Peak, from which the crest of the ridge extends to the low Triangle Peak in the lower center of the frame (both peaks were mentioned above in the commentary on Koshtantau). In the distance there are two peaks, often attributed to the Chegem region: a huge Tichtengen (4618 m), standing in the GKH between the peaks of Ortokara and Kitlod, and - a little closer, against its background - the summit facing us with a snowy slope Bodorka (4233 m), also located in the GKH.
c) Bezengi wall.
In this fragment, approximately in profile, the entire Bezengi wall is visible, stretching out in an arc from Shkhara to Lyalver. This unconventional perspective may baffle even experienced experts in the area, it painfully "successfully" merges with the Bezengi wall of Gestola.
On the left in the picture you can see a long NE ridge of the "classic" Shkhara (5069 m) along 5A - D. Kokkin's route (J.G.Cockin, 1888). For the first time it was passed by the British-Swiss troika U. Almer, J. Cockin, C. Roth as part of the expedition of the British Royal Geographical Society under the leadership of Douglas Freshfield. The photographer for this and subsequent expeditions of the 1890s was Vitorio Sella, who received the Cross of St. Anne from Nicholas II for his photographs of the Caucasus mountains. The glacier and the Sella peak (4329 m) are named after him, which is on the way to the Mizhirga peak in the upper reaches of the eastern branch of the Bezengi glacier. In terms of technical complexity, the Kokkin route to Shkhara is unlikely to pull even by 2B, but it is dangerous because it relaxes, although there is practically nowhere to be reliably insured on a long snow ridge with cornices in one direction or the other, and there have been cases of breakdown of whole ligaments. In some sources (for example, A.F. Naumov, "Chegem-Adyrsu") the route is categorized as 4B. The category can be raised to the fifth, wishing to reduce the flow of climbers by cutting off those whom KSS Bezengi officially graduates to "four", but not to "five" yet. Kokkin's route is used as a "Crab": rocky outcrops resemble a crab with pincers down. This crab (in the panorama it is not readable) is clearly distinguishable from the side of Jangi-kosha in the lower part of the ridge, above the "pillow".
The ice gendarme and the Eastern summit of Shkhara are clearly visible on the ridge. There are no classified routes to it, it is almost walked on the way to the Main peak of Shkhara. From Eastern Shkhara, the GKH leaves us to the southeast, even closer to the south, and passes through the peak Ushguli (4632 m), also known as South-Eastern Shkhara. The peak is named after the ancient village of Ushguli. Located in the Svan valley at an altitude of 2200 m, it is considered the highest mountainous European settlement of permanent residence (i.e., excluding ski resorts and weather stations). To the top of Ushguli there are several "fives" from the Georgian side, as well as an extra-long 2A, the technical simplicity of which is compensated by the length of the approaches: two days from the Bezengi alpine camp in our country or from the Ailama alpine camp in Svaneti.
The most beautiful and logical route to Shkhara is, perhaps, the "Austrian" 5B Tomashek-Muller (1930) - a head-on climb from the Bezengi glacier along the Northern ridge (in the picture it is at the border of light and shadow). In the days of the Stalinist USSR, foreign expeditions in our mountains should not have been, however, a small diaspora of Austrian communists in the early 1930s found refuge with us and, judging by the records of its route achievements, did not waste time in vain (look at the Caucasian routes at your leisure of that period with German surnames).
Inconspicuous peak Western Shkhara (5057 m) is worthy of mention because only two routes go to it from the north (Anatoly Blankovsky, 1980 and Yury Razumov, 1981), both of which are very strong and objectively dangerous, rarely visited "six". They appeared in the early 1980s, thanks to the progress in ice equipment - first of all, the appearance in the USSR of platform crampons for ice and ice augers (previously they were insured with ice hooks-carrots, which had to be hammered into the ice for a long time).
To the right of Western Shkhara, the ridge of the Bezengi wall gradually lowers towards a small rocky summit of Shota Rustaveli peak (4860 m), hidden behind a peak closer to us Gestola (4860 m). The Georgians first ascended Rustaveli Peak in 1937, from the south along route 4A. Recently, it has been frequently visited from the north, since a relatively safe "Laletin board" - a monotonous ice route traversed in 1983 by the St. Petersburg team of A. Laletin, leads to the depression of the Wall at the peak. In the full-time class of the 1995 Russian Mountaineering Championship, the twos leaving at night managed to slip this route to the very top by 10 o'clock in the morning!
Even more to the left in the panorama, you can see the Dzhangi-Tau massif half-turned: Dzhangi East (5038 m), home (5058 m) and Western (5054 m). The route to the Eastern Dzhangi along the NE ridge is the easiest on the Bezengi Wall, only the routes to the extreme mountains of the Wall, Shkhara (technically easy 5A) and Gestolu (4A with an ascent through peak 4310) are easier. In addition, the NE ridge (buttress) of Eastern Dzhangi is objectively the least dangerous option for climbing the Wall from the north, and it is often used as a descent route after climbing the Dzhangi massif (including the Main Dzhangi), Western Shkhara or Rustaveli peak. Eastern Dzhangi, like Shkhara, was printed in 1888 by Kokkin's group.
To get the Bezengi Star badge, it is not necessary to climb the Main Dzhangi (the only route to it from the north is dangerous by ice collapses 5A), any Dzhangi peak is enough - first of all, the simpler and safer Eastern one. There are no classified routes to Western Dzhangi from the north (except perhaps within the Wall traverse), and they are unlikely to appear soon: a beautiful and logical line to this peak from this side is not visible, but objectively dangerous ice faults are visible. But from the Georgian side, two 5B are classified to Western Dzhangi. I wonder when they went last? ..
Approximately the same ice "gardens" looks from the north and Katyn (4974 m), from which the huge and flat Katyn plateau extends to Gestola. Katyn was also first passed in 1888 by members of the British expedition, but the simplest route to it from the north - 4B hp (G. Holder, 1888) - is objectively more dangerous and less beautiful than the NE ridge of Dzhangi of the same category of difficulty.
The GKH line runs along the edge of the Bezengi wall through the Shkhara and Dzhangi, Katyn, Gestola and Lyalver massifs, and a long ridge extending from Gestola to the southwest (in the picture to the right) and partially hiding the Katyn plateau leads to the peak located in Georgia Tetnuld (4853 m). In this fragment of the panorama it is not visible (it is to the right), but in the general panorama it is. In the 1990s, Georgians brought a metal cross to the top of Tetnulda with a characteristic shape, like on the Georgian flag. The easiest way to go Gestolu (4860 m) from the north is 3B across the peak Lyalver (4350 m), with an ascent to Lyalver along a technically simple 2B and then a simple traverse over peak 4310 and the Gestola shoulder. This route (taken for the first time already in 1903) is categorized as 3B, perhaps solely for its height and length. There is an option to shorten this Chinese campaign - to cut the path to peak 4310 by ascending it not through Lyalver, but head-on from the western branch of the Bezengi glacier. This route to Gestola is categorized as 4A (A. Germogenov, 1932), although there are no technical difficulties on it even at 3A (carefully in the upper part - destroyed rocks).
The story with the name of the spike in the ridge of the Bezengi wall west of the shoulder of Gestola is quite confusing. This slight rise in the ridge previously "passed" as peak 4310 or bezymyanny peak... The last name haunted the renaming activists, and in the 1990s, at this peak, two plaques were hoisted in the neighborhood, one in the statement yesenin peak, the other is the peak of the 50th anniversary of the KBR... The "jubilee" version of the name, it seems, sounded more weighty than the poetic impulse of Yesenin's admirers, for the plate "50 years of the KBR" was the result of a massive ascent of 2B through Lyalver with the support of the authorities from Nalchik. But in datasheets, this top is usually still referred to as "4310". It is more understandable: whatever you call it, the height will not change :)
Peak 4310 separates two passes in the Bezengi wall, Čiurlionis East and West. In the enlarged fragment of the panorama Čiurlionis Vostochny is indicated, it is between peak 4310 and the Gestola shoulder. Vertex Bashil (4257 m) - in the picture against the background of Lyalver - is located to the west of the Bezengi region and belongs to the Chegem gorge region.
A few words about the height of the peaks of the Bezengi wall and her highest point.
All sources agree that Shkhara is the highest point of the Wall. But they determine the heights of the Bezengi peaks in different ways. So, for Shkhara Glavnaya one can find not only the traditional value of 5068 m, but also the more "prestigious" 5203 m, and for Dzhanga Glavnaya - the values \u200b\u200bof 5085, 5074 and 5058 m (Lyapin's map). We rely on the data of the General Staff as more homogeneous (at least within a single region) and for the highest points Shkhary and Jangi take values, respectively, 5069 m (5068.8 on the General Staff) and 5058 m... Direct visual assessments also favor Shkhara. When looking at the Bezengi wall from the Northern massif, as well as when looking at Shkhara from Dzhangi (and vice versa), Shkhara always gives the impression of the dominant peak of the Wall.
Finally, oh curvature of the "arc" of the Bezegian Wallvisible in the picture. The visual impression of its large curvature in the Shkhara - Gestola section is illusory, it is the pure effect of a large magnification of the image, in which the picture of a bunch of distant objects is stretched in azimuth, but does not move in depth. So it seems that the slender ridge visible from the end is wagging its sides. With regard to this image: if we recalculate the VISIBLE angular distance between Shkhara Glavnaya and Katyn (or Dzhangi Zapadnaya) into kilometers, then it will be six times (!) LESS than the real distance from Shkhara Glavnaya to Gestola, but it seems that they are approximately the same.
d) Svaneti mountains and Dzhantugan pass.
The main characters of this fragment are dominant Svetgar (4117 m) and, to the right, modest Marianne (3584 m), completing the Svetgar ridge stretching from the east (on the left) in a pair of two. In the soft evening light of the sun, their rocky slopes amaze with a variety of colors. Behind Marianne, the peaks lined up ridge Asmashi, which are identified very uncertainly at a given end view. This entire mountain complex would be of great interest to mountain tourists and climbers, if it were open to the public from the Russian side. Suffice it to say that most of the passes of the region - Asmashi, Marianna, Svetgar, Tot - are of category 3A.
A few words about the Dzhantugan plateau and the Dzhantugan pass (3483 m, tourist 2B), which dominate the middle plan of the fragment. The Dzhantugan plateau is one of the western branches of the huge Lekzyr (Lekziri) glacial complex, the largest on the southern side of the GKH. It is formed by a system of glaciers framing the GKH in the section from the Kashkatash pass in the west to the area of \u200b\u200bthe Bashiltau peak in the upper reaches of the Chegem gorge in the east. These glaciers are adjacent to the passes connecting the Adylsu, Adyrsu and Chegem regions with Svaneti. The Dzhantugan plateau resembles an apple that has rotted from the inside: its entire interior is interrupted by wide bottomless cracks, and only the narrow outer rim is edible. Any reasonable movement on the line Lekzyr - Bashkara - Dzhantugan - Aristov rocks - Gumachi - Chegettau - Latsga is possible only near the slopes of these peaks.
The glacier on takeoff to the Dzhantugan pass is severely ruptured, but in recent years there is a path of a simple bypass of the bergs and cracks, leading to the pass very close to the end descent of the Aristov rocks (red spots in the picture). The pass itself is somewhat puzzling: you do not see an obvious bend in any direction, everything is flat, and only after walking 50-70 meters to the south and buried in the faults, you understand that there is a general decline in the direction of Georgia. (At the same time, the red and white border stick sticks out only twenty meters above the cliff in our, northern side.) Near the top of Gumachi there is another pass leading to the plateau - Eastern Dzhantugan, aka False Gumachi (3580 m, tourist 2B) ... The ascent to it from the side of the Adyl-su gorge is not more difficult than 1B, but to descend from it to Svaneti (along the tricky icefall, which determines the category of both passes), you have to bypass the plateau on the right and, therefore, follow the Dzhantugan pass. So for routes from Adyl-su to Svaneti, that is clearly preferable. There is also a variant of climbing the Dzhantugan plateau in the middle between these two passes, through the central depression in the Aristov Rocks chain.
Aristov Rocks named in memory of Oleg Dmitrievich Aristove, who stood at the origins of Soviet mountaineering. In 1935, his group was one of the first to "huddle" the peaks over the Dzhantugan plateau along the simplest routes and made several first ascents - Dzhantugan along 2A, Gadyl along 3A, traverse Gadyl-Bashkar (4A). That summer, the 1st All-Union Alpiniad of Trade Unions worked in the Adyl-Su gorge, and 24-year-old Aristov led the School of Instructors there. Oleg died at the peak of Communism on September 13, 1937. He was appointed head of the assault group, which had the order to bring the bust of Stalin to the peak of Communism (then the peak of Stalin). Oleg walked with frostbitten legs and slipped, having already fallen off at the very top.
The ascent to the Dzhantugan plateau from the Adyl-Su side passes along the Dzhankuat glacier, which was chosen by glaciologists to study the processes occurring in the valley glaciers. The thickness of this typical valley glacier is 40-50 meters in icefalls and 70-100 meters in flat areas. Like other glaciers in the Caucasus, Djankuat has been rapidly retreating in recent decades. At its tip, in a clearing with a seductive name with a seductive name "Green Hotel" - houses of the Glaciological Station of Moscow State University. In early June, a backcountry camp is sometimes held here, focused on beginners and advanced riders. Students visit the station in summer. In winter, the houses are convenient to use for overnight stays; they save from the winds from the side of the pass, which increase their speed while descending into the wide flat part of the gorge below the Djankuat glacier.
From the Dzhantugan plateau, it is convenient to make radial ascents to the surrounding peaks. Eastward they are simple - to the peaks Gumachi (3826 m) by 1B (on foot) and Chegettau (4049 m) 2B. This two-B is the oldest route of the region and the entire Elbrus region (excluding Elbrus itself) - Douglas Freshfield, 1888. In the western direction from the Dzhantugan plateau, it is convenient to ascend Dzhantugan by 2A and 3A, as well as to Bashkara by 3B, Gadyl by 3A and Lekzyr Dzhantugan (1B).
Peak Dzhantugan (4012 m) at the right edge of a fragment of the panorama, a beautiful and simple route 2A leads to it from the pass. Jan is facing us here with its northern side, on which three triples-B are classified, one of them (along the NE edge) is clearly visible - this is an edge casting a shadow. Bypassing the peak from the side of the plateau, you can climb the jumper between it and its western neighbor, the peak of Bashkar. Near this jumper, route 3A to Dzhan begins (along the southwest ridge), and a beautiful ridge route 3B leads to Bashkara.
The Bashkar-Gadyl massif borders the Dzhantugan plateau from the west. It is clearly seen from the plateau that the peaks Bashkara (4162 m) and Gadyl (4120 m) - the ends of one massif. The latter simply faces Svaneti with the “Gadyl” side, and towards Balkaria with the “Bashkar” side, which is why it received different names from the respective observers. Traverse Bashkara-Gadyl (4A) is one of the oldest routes in the region (K. Egger, 1914). In a panoramic photo from Kezgen, the Gadyl peak is not visible, it is closed by Bashkara, which in all its severity is presented in an enlarged fragment (photo on the left). Bashkara breaks off towards the glacier of the same name with its northern wall, along which two routes 6A pass, which are technically the most difficult in Adyl-Su. Snow "pillow" to the right of Bashkara - Pobeda pass, one of the most difficult in the region (3B according to tourist classification). The Bashkara pass, which is between Bashkara and Dzhantugan, is much easier. The Bashkara glacier descends from the northern slopes of Bashkara, from the melting of which the Bashkara lake was formed, threatening to break through and mudflow down the Adylsu gorge.
e) from the Kashkatash pass to Ushba.
The same section with the designations of peaks, passes and glaciers.
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(Recall that the GKH peaks are marked with solid red circles, the GKH passes are marked with red crosses).
From left to right:
Vertex 14 - Ullukara (4302 m), located in the GKH, is cut off by a wall of complexity 5B to the upper reaches of the Kashkatash glacier.
Peak 1 with Ullucara in the background - peak Germogenova (3993 m) in the Ullucara spur. From the side of the middle course of the Kashkatash glacier, a ridge stretches to the top, along which route 2B passes - one of the longest "two B" in the region (along with the "two B" to the Eastern Donguzorun along the GKH ridge). Groups of beginners usually walk this route with an overnight stay.
Pass 25 - Kashkatash, 3A * - is located in the GKH between the peaks of Ullucara and Free Spain.
Glacier 10 - Kashkatash glacier, belonging to the Adylsu basin, the tributary flows into the opposite of the lower houses of the Dzhantugan alpine camp.
Peak 15 - Peak Free Spain (4200 m), located in the GKH. The route to the top along the eastern ridge from the pass - category 4A. Ice route 4B along the wall to the left of the rocky tower (Alexey Osipov companions, 1995) is recommended as a winter option, it is rocky in the warm season. Several "fives B" have been laid along the rocky tower. The rocky gendarme in the eastern ridge is sometimes called Gogol's peak, and the gendarme in the western ridge is called Lermontov's peak (I remember the Yesenin peak, mentioned in the description of Bezenga near the Lyalver peak). In terms of mountaineering, these are still gendarmes, they do not have independent routes, but topologically "Lermontov's gendarme" - whatever one may say, this is the nodal summit of the GKH. The Dollakor ridge branches off from it, which leads south to Svaneti and separates the Lekzyr and Chalaat glaciers there.
Vertex 16 - Bzhedukh (4270 m), located in the GKH. The snowy slopes of the cofferdam between the peaks of Free Spain and Bzhedukh represent the simplest, but dangerous, landslide path of descent from Free Spain, commonly called "Koryto".
Glacier 11 - Bzhedukh, belongs to the Shkhelda basin.
Pass 26 - Double, 3A - is located in the GKH between the peak of the Caucasus Vostochny and the peak of Bzhedukh.
Peak 17 - Peak Caucasus East (4163 m), the nodal peak of the GKH. Here the Main ridge turns in the direction from us, towards the peaks of Vulei and Shchurovsky, and the rest of the peaks of the Caucasus are already in its spur, which descends into the valley of Shkhelda.
Pass 27 - Saddle of the Caucasus, 3A - is located in the spur of the GKH between the peaks of the Caucasus, Glavny and Vostochny.
Peak 3 - Peak Caucasus Western, located in the spur of the GKH.
Pass 28 - Krenkel, 3A - is located in the spur of the GKKh between the peaks of the Caucasus West and Glavny.
Peak 4 - Peak Caucasus Chief (4037 m), located in the spur of the GKH.
A short but powerful spur with the Chatyn Glavniy peak protrudes from Western Chatyn to Svaneti. It separates two branches of the Chalaat glacier, breaking off at the Chatyn plateau - the southern circus of the main, eastern branch of the glacier - with its famous Northern wall with solid "sixes". Approach from Russia to the Chatyn plateau under the routes to the North Face of Chatyn - up the Shkhelda gorge through the Chatyn South Pass, aka Chatyn Lozhny (2B). (For more on this pass, see Catalog passes and peaks of Oleg Fomichev, a link to him at the end of the article is among other useful links.) From the Georgian side, it is difficult to enter the Chatyn plateau without a very strong desire, for this you need to either cross the additional Dalla-Kora pass in the southern spurs of the GKH, or go up through the difficult icefalls of the Chalaat glacier, which is extremely problematic even with equipment.
Near Malaya Ushba, an even more impressive short spur with the pearl of the Caucasus - the Ushba massif and its peaks departs from the GKH to Svaneti North Ushba (4694 m) and South Ushba (4710 m).
The main passes of the GKH in this node:
Pass 29 - Chalaat, 3B - between the peaks of Chatyn Zapadny and Malaya Ushba, the Academician Alexandrov pass is projected onto the same pass, 3B - between Chatyn and Shchurovsky peak
Pass 30 - Ushbinsky, 3A - between the Ushba and Shkhelda massifs.
f) Shkhelda array.
Peak heights Shkheldinsky massif (from left to right):
Eastern - 4368 m
Central - 4238 m
peak Aristova - 4229 m
peak The science - 4159 m
2nd Western - 4231 m
Western - 3976 m
By the way, in 1974 the titanic traverse of Shkhelda (all peaks) - Ushba - Mazeri (G. Agranovsky, A. Vezner, V. Gritsenko and Y. Ustinov, 14.07-5.08 1974) was passed. The obligatory set of traverse for all the peaks of Shkhelda includes five of the six named above: the Western Shkhelda falls, located on the distant periphery, in the isthmus already on the outskirts of the Peak of Trade Unions.
The remaining peaks of the Shkhelda massif are considered gendarmes. The gendarme Rooster stands out in particular - a tall rocky phallus near the East Tower of Shkhelda.
g) Malaya Shkhelda area.
Not particularly noticeable, but interesting for its topology and rich in surrounding views, the mountain knot around Malaya Shkhelda (4012 m). The GKH enters the frame to the left from the side of the peak adjacent to the Shkhelda Trade unions (3957 m) and, advancing with a slight south bank to the west through the lowering of the Bivachny pass (3820 m, 2B *), climbs the peak Sportsman (3961 m, not to be confused with the Fizkulturnik Day peak, which is in the Adyl-Su ridge), turns from it by 90 degrees and by a north-western course, bypassing the Middle Pass (3910 m), rises to the summit of M. Shkhelda, the highest point of the region. Further, almost without changing the course, the GKH passes along the double rocky ridge of Akhsu (3916 m), which is seen from the edge from Kezgen and appears as an end snow slope with an easily recognizable berg at the base. Going down this slope (route 2A), the GKH turns strictly to the west and, skipping lane. Akhsu (2А, 3764 m), enters a low and completely simple peak when approaching from any side Yusengi Uzlovaya (3846 m). Here the GKH says goodbye to us and goes beyond the right shot towards the Becho pass, and in the northeast direction (to the left and towards us) the Yusengi ridge departs from Uzlovaya. It leads more than a kilometer with a wide and impeccably flat snow ridge (the summit of the Akhsu glacier), while imperceptibly slips the area of \u200b\u200bthe Rodina pass (2A, 3805 m) and reaches its highest point at the summit Yusengi (3870). Then he goes down to the Baksan valley (in the picture along the ridge in our direction).
Both peaks of Yusenga and the Rodina Pass give gorgeous views towards Elbrus and Donguz, no other observation point will give you a larger view of the Elbrus-Donguz expanse. The summit of Malaya Shkhelda is an excellent point of view of the entire adjacent Georgian sector, and Peak Fizkulturnik gives an amazing close view of the Shkhelda - Ushba - Mazeri link and the Ushba glacier in the pit between them.
Ascent on foot to Peak Fizkulturnik from lane. Medium - it takes 6-8 minutes. The ascent from the same place to the top of Malaya Shkhelda - opposite 2A along old fragile rocks. The rocky traverse M. Shkhelda - Akhsu is already classified as 2B, and the longer traverse in the other direction - M. Shkhelda - Peak Fizkulturnik - Peak Trade Union - as 3A.
The peaks indicated in the picture form a chain over the circus of the Akhsu glacier, which is open (not covered by moraine sediments) along its entire course from the source to the place where it flows into the Shkhelda glacier. There is no longer section of the open glacier in the gorges from Adyrsu to Azau.
h) Donguzorun and Nakra array.
When you look at the Donguzorun massif from Cover (4269 m) from Terskol, you wonder: why was this Nakra called Nakra and generally called, if it is nothing more than an appendage of the really serious and defining mountain Donguzorun? When you stand in the upper reaches of the Yusengi gorge and look up at the monumental eastern wall of Donguz under the age-old glacial shell, you are even more surprised: and where is Nakra in general and where is she, this dependent baby? But when you look at the Donguz massif from Kezgen, the global picture becomes clear. The western peak of Donguz is the center of a regular three-pointed star. From it to the southeast (to the left in the picture) stretches the Donguz ridge, it is he who makes up the main part of the complex - the Donguzorun massif itself with its three adjacent peaks: Donguzorun East (4442 m), Main (4454 m) and West (4429 m). From the western peak, the northeastern spur of Donguz descends directly towards us, which at an intermediate peak Intercosmos (3731 m, in the photo from Kezgen it is a gently sloping snow-covered pyramid) is divided into two branches, a very short northern one, which descends gracefully to the Donguzorun River above the Cheget Polyana, and the one that is more authentic - the eastern one, Kogutai (we see a shallow flat the snow bowl of the western circus Kogutai). In this branch above the glacial cirque, two similar triangular peaks are clearly visible - Big Kogutai (3819 m), it is to the left, and Small Kogutai (3732 m). The Main Ridge itself from the western peak of Donguz goes to the west (to the right), immediately runs into the Nakry tower and then gracefully descends to the hospitable Donguzorun pass (1A, 2302).
And nevertheless, it would be a great injustice - and a factual mistake - to consider Nakra not an independent peak, but just a side appendage of Donguz. The fact is that it is to her, and not to the dominant neighbor, that adjoins tsalgmyl ridge, which is very long in itself and to which, like a rod, numerous side spurs are attached, filling the vast space surrounded by the Inguri River (from the south) and its primary tributaries, the Nakra (from the west) and Dolroy (from the east). Only a small inner area was subdued by Donguzorun - the one that occupies a modest and short dolra ridge, nestled three kilometers away from the GKH and adjacent to the main peak of Donguz.
The topology of the Donguzorun-Nakra array is interesting. There is a general long and monotonous non-steep ascent from the southern, Georgian side, where the multi-armed Kvish glacier spread freely (and from where the routes of G. Merzbacher, 1891 and R. Gelbling, 1903 - both 2A were laid to the peaks of Donguz at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries ), and then, upon reaching the border ridge line, everything drops abruptly down to Russia, by the eastern and northern walls of the massif, famous for their difficult climbing routes (categories from 4B to 5B). And right after the discharge of the eastern and northern walls of Donguz - greenery and Cheget-Terskol delights of civilization.
In connection with such an extraordinary topology in the winter of 1989, the following story happened on Donguz. As part of the mountaineering championship on the North Face of Donguzorun (strong route 5B Khergiani), a two climbed from Kiev, but soon after reaching the summit they did not get in touch and disappeared. They had no food (they dropped it on the rise). Winter, February, frost, bad weather. They were found only on the 8th day ... at the Minvod airport (!). ...
i) Elbrus.
To the observer at the top of Kezgen Elbrus addressed to his Eastern peak (5621 m), moreover, as symmetrically as possible in terms of the central centerline and lateral exits. The western peak of the mountain (5642 m) is completely closed by the eastern one.
On the eastern summit, in its right part against the background of the sky, rocks are distinguishable; they border the summit crater with a 20-meter wall. The highest point of the dome is at the southern (left in the picture) edge of the crater. This summit crater is open to the east, in the direction towards us, and on a slope half a kilometer below it, a side crater gapes, and below it, the Achkyeryakol lava flow (ALP) stretches further down - a chain of talus rocks of volcanic origin. This stream descends to the ice fields of East Elbrus, giving rise to the Irik and Irikchat rivers.
On the northern (right to the viewer) slope of Elbrus against the background of the sky, two spots of rocky outcrops are visible - at about 4600 and 5100 m. The upper ones are lenz rocks, named after the expedition member General Emmanuel who reached them: ".. One of the academicians - Mr. Lenz - rose to an altitude of 15200 feet. The total height of Elbrus above the level of the Atlantic Ocean is determined as 16800 feet." (cited). Each of these altitude values \u200b\u200bwas obtained with more than a 10% error, but their ratio suffers from errors much less and with reference to the currently accepted height of Elbrus (5642 m) allows us to estimate the height of the rocks reached by Lenz as 5100 m. This means that we are talking about the upper rocky outcrops.
A few words about the historical route of Douglas Freshfield to the Eastern Summit of Elbrus (1868). The mountain top route classifier leads Freshfield through Shelter-11, but he followed a different path (described in detail in his best-selling book "Exploration of the Central Caucasus"). The group left the village of Urusbievs (Verkhniy Baksan) and the first day on horseback moved along the Baksan valley, and on the second day climbed up the Terskol gorge, from where the Elbrus dome appeared for the first time, and reached the bivouac area near the Ice Base. The group reached the summit at three o'clock in the morning. Having stepped onto the glacier, I went in bundles in a direct course to the cone and first reached the height from which the spurs opened towards the distant steppe, and then, already at the beginning of the ascent along the cone, I met the sun. By half past seven, at an altitude of 4800 m, the group reached the rocks of the upper part of the cone and at 10h40m reached the summit in the area of \u200b\u200bthe present obelisk.
“This summit was at the end of a horseshoe-shaped ridge, crowned with three elevations and framing a snowy plateau on three sides, open to the east. We went - or rather even ran - along the ridge to the very end, passing two significant drops and visiting all three peaks. … [At the same time] we naturally looked out for where the second peak was, but it was nowhere to be found. It seemed to us that the western slope drops abruptly down to Karachay and that there were no dense clouds that could hide the summit about the same height as ours. But we were wrong: the western, slightly higher peak was completely hidden by the haze ... It must be remembered that before this ascent we had never seen Elbrus and, therefore, had only a vague idea of \u200b\u200bthe structure of the mountain. "
Having built a "stone man" on the top, the group at the beginning of the twelfth began the descent along the ascent path, in the evening went down to the valley and the next day returned to the Urusbievs, where they were greeted with greetings and treats.
“We got caught in the crossfire of questions about how there, at the top, and we had to report with sorrow that we did not see a giant rooster there, which lives in the sky and greets the sunrise with a cry and flapping its wings, and greets uninvited guests with its beak and claws, wanting to protect the treasure from people. "
Routes are routes, but in the case of Elbrus one cannot remain silent about his own biography. Why is the Main Caucasian ridge like the main one, and its iconic peaks - Elbrus and Kazbek - somewhere on the side? Because they are volcanoes. In the Greater Caucasus, volcanism is associated with crushing of the earth's crust at a late stage of mountain building. The Elbrus volcano was formed in the Lateral Ridge on the watershed of the Malka, Baksan and Kuban rivers, and it is confined to the intersection of the longitudinal Tyrnyauz fault zone and the transverse Elbrus fault. In the southwestern part of the mountain, the remains of an ancient crater have been preserved in the form of the Khotutau-Azau rocks. Nowadays, the two-headed volcano is planted on the upper part of the ancient crater - a high-rise pedestal (base) of ancient granite and crystalline shale rocks.
Elbrus as a volcano was born about 2 million years ago. All the mountains in this area then rose in low hills, and powerful eruptions of gas-rich magma formed first volcanic cone (its remains in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Irikchat pass). After many hundreds of thousands of years the volcano started working again - its power is indicated by an almost kilometer cliff Kukurtlu... The section of this wall clearly shows how layers of volcanic bombs, slag, tuff and ash alternate with solidified lava flows. Explosive eruptions and outpourings of thick and viscous lavas alternated many times, and when the volcano began to calm down, hot gases and solutions still penetrated through the volcanic rocks for a long time. Thanks to this, layers of sulfur were formed, which are now turning yellow against the dark red background of the Kukurtlu cliffs.
Now the wall routes to Kukurtlu are considered one of the most difficult in the Caucasus.
Third phase of activity volcano, about 200 thousand years ago, was restrained. The outpouring of lava over and over again descended into the Baksan valley. The slowly cooling lava shrank in volume and cracked, and remarkable columnar structures were formed in it, which we see on the walls rising above the road from the village. Terskol to the observatory, as well as forming the left side of the gloomy gorge Azau.
Fourth phase of activity volcano - 60-70 thousand years ago - was extremely stormy. The explosions knocked out a plug of frozen ancient rocks from the volcano's mouth, and volcanic material spread for tens of kilometers (discovered near Tyrnyauz, in the Chegem valley). At this time, Western peak Elbrus. The eruptions formed a loose mass of volcanic bombs, tuffs and other products, mainly on the western and northern slopes. When the energy of the volcano decreased, the outpouring of lava began - now to the upper reaches of the ancient valley of Malka, and not to Baksan.
Elbrus region from space - on Google maps.Maps:
Topology of the Western and Eastern peaks of Elbrus close-up.
The highest point of the Eastern Summit is visible, located in the southern part of the summit dome. Being on the Eastern Summit, it is not always obvious where the highest point is ...
The Kezgen campaign of 2007, in which photographic materials for PANORAMA-1 were obtained, is described in the second part of Igor Pasha's article .. The photographic materials themselves are also presented there, in a significantly larger volume ..
Here are some basic links on the topic of the publication:
http://caucatalog.narod.ru - Base of passes, peaks, valleys, glaciers and other objects of the Caucasus with photographs (more than 2200 objects and 7400 photographs as of January 2010), reports on mountain hikes. The author of the caucatalog website is Mikhail Golubev (Moscow).
The authors will be grateful for constructive comments, indication of the factual inaccuracies and additional information provided. All this will be taken into account with gratitude when updating the article!