Cold camp Krasnaya Polyana. Bzerpinsky Cornice, Krasnaya Polyana, Sochi, Russia - “Bzerpinsky Cornice is one of the best mountain routes in Krasnaya Polyana. Full description of the route: where to go, what to see, how to behave when meeting a bear.” Radial

The idea of skiing in the mountains in winter is quite obvious to any tourist. There is even a type of tourism - “ski tourism”. Our fathers and grandfathers, and great-grandfathers too, walked in the mountains in winter. Recently, in the Western style, this sport has been called “ski touring”.

I'm not a big ski touring expert (I've only gone six or seven times), but I really like this sport! If you do everything correctly, then you can go on skis, in winter, in the mountains, on very beautiful hikes and at the same time, thanks to modern equipment, without spending a lot of effort. By personal experience, passing the same route on a ski tour is twice or even three times faster than, for example, on snowshoes. The secret is simple - unlike snowshoeing, when walking on a ski touring, as on any skis, you don’t need to raise your feet, you can simply move them while sliding. And, secondly, and this is a special charm - on the slope you can ski (!!), and not walk in the case of snowshoes.

Slowly but surely I am moving towards my dream - to go on real mountain hikes winter mountains. In the spring of 2012, I went on two short one-day ski touring trips in the vicinity of Krasnaya Polyana - to the Khmelevsky Lakes and from Medoveevka to Krasnaya Polyana, and last winter my friends and I made an outing to the Adylsu gorge (Elbrus region), where we tried real ski mountaineering! In short, I was ready for my first overnight trip in the vicinity of Krasnaya Polyana.

Max Kirin volunteered as a partner for this trip. Or did I volunteer to be his partner? :))

Having predicted a couple of days of good spring weather and having previously agreed on the route with the administration of the reserve (we are going on a mission - checking the walkability and timing of this route for ski tourists), we set off!

Day one: Pikhtovy Shelter - Kholodny Camp

It’s good to still be able to go to the mountains “under the forecast”! Yesterday’s weather forecast did not disappoint, and the morning greeted us with bright sun and a temperature of +12 already at 9 am.

The connection to the operating time of the cable car is perhaps the main disadvantage of this route. I would like to start ski touring with the first rays of the sun, at 6-7 am, but Gazprom cable cars start operating only at 9 am.. I have to lose two of the most beautiful morning hours, but there are no other options..

At the Alpika-Service cable car station, located directly next to railway station, we board a large trailer, which immediately takes us to an altitude of 1600 meters without transfer. The upper station of the cable car is called “Pikhtovy Shelter”. This is where our hike begins.

As in the summer, you can go up from here in two alternative ways: along a path that goes directly along the forest ridge of the spur of Mount Tabunaya or along a dirt road. Both routes converge at Bear Gate, the point where the forest ends on the ridge. The first option (along the trail) is shorter, the second (along the road) is a little longer, but flatter. The first option is more interesting for snowshoes, the second is more logical for skis. We chose the second option.

Having glued the skin to the skis, we begin the ascent. The road goes through the forest, after half an hour coming out to clearings with sparse trees and houses. Here you need to turn off the road, which further traverses the slope, and turn sharply to the left and up. Find here this turn and our new road, covered with snow, is almost impossible. We go from memory, approximately the same way we went in the summer.


The first meters of the journey

The last few hundred meters the road leaves the forest into the area of alpine meadows, traversing southern slope Tabunaya Mountains. In case of increased avalanche danger, this is a bad option for climbing the Bear Gate and it is better to follow the forest path along the ridge. But in our case, there was no snowfall for more than 10 days, and there was practically no snow left on the southern slope.

We go out to the benches at the Bear Gate. According to Max, not long ago they were completely covered in snow, but now the spring sun has melted the snow and the resting place can be seen from afar! We spend half an hour on a light snack - tea, halva, some nuts.

This is an important point! If in summer you can go from here to the Bzerpinsky cornice in two ways, then in winter the main, equipped, “lower” path is completely covered with snow and is not passable. Moreover, this trail passes through a steep rocky area. If you fall off on it, you will fly three hundred meters into an impassable canyon. In addition, the trail goes as a traverse, greatly cutting the slope, which provokes avalanches. In general, they don’t go like this in winter.

Choosing the “right” one winter option- a path going up the ridge towards the top of Mount Tabunaya directly from the benches at the Bear Gate. It is interesting that if in summer the lower part of this path goes among thickets of rhododendron, now all the vegetation is covered with a thick layer of snow.

At the top, the slope is quite steep, so we gain height by zig-zag. You have to constantly change the direction of movement by sharply turning your skis. It's quite a tedious story if you don't get used to it. With this style of lifting, the camus should have a width that corresponds as closely as possible to the width of the ski, because when moving with a traverse on a steep slope, the ski touches the slope only at the very edge and if there is no camus in this edge zone, the ski will slip and slide down. At the top of the ridge, where the slope becomes too steep, we decide to take off our skis and walk the last meters of the ridge. It's faster and more logical.

Hooray! We went to Tabunnaya! For today it's just down!

We approach the northeastern slope. I call this place “Herd View”, since it is from here that a fantastic view opens up, for which many people like to climb to this peak.

Directly ahead, in the east, in a beautiful regular pyramid, rises Sugar Pseashkho (3189 m). Now, in winter, I can’t even believe that in summer, with good weather, climbing Sugar Pseashkho does not present any technical difficulties and is feasible for any physically strong tourist-pedestrian. The direction from which we came offers the best view of Krasnaya Polyana and ski slopes resort. To the right, in the northwest, you can see the pre-summit glacier of another three-thousand-meter peak in the vicinity of Krasnaya Polyana - Mount Chugush. And finally, a view to the northeast - the beautiful valley of the Pseashkho pass, from the northern slopes of which the Urushten River originates. This is where we should go down today, but first we need to go down to the houses on the Bzerpinsky cornice...

I'm at the top of Tabunnaya. Photo: (c) Max Kirin

To gain time and at the same time have a ride, we decide to go down one of the small couloirs on the eastern slope. Go around, according to the “summer” option, through main peak The herd is long and not interesting. The main thing at the start of the descent is not to collapse the snow cornices that have formed here due to frequent south-west winds. In track number 2 (edited, the link to the track is at the end of the story) the route still goes along a long path.

The descent was not great, but positive! Just 10 minutes later we were already at the houses on the Bzerpinsky cornice. Skis have again proven their effectiveness - the descent is three times faster than on foot in the summer;)

Descent along the northeastern slope of Mount Tabunaya. Photo: (c) Max Kirin

We have a snack in one of the houses (no people, silence and bright sun) and go out in the direction of the Pseashkho pass. Once again today we choose a path different from the summer one. In order not to traverse the sun-heated southern slope of Mount Tabunaya, we simply roll straight along the bed of the stream, covered with snow. Cool! Unusual skating. And very beautiful.

Play of light and shadow. Halt at the Pseashkho pass

In just 40 minutes (15 minutes of which were spent stopping for photography) we reach the wide and flat saddle of the Pseashkho pass (2014 m), and, without stopping, following further to the northeast, in 20 minutes we reach a small booth in the form of a gable canopy with benches. Here you can wait out the sharply worsening weather, but the place is not suitable for spending the night. Having discussed the options, we decide that today we will drive directly to Kholodnoye, and we will stop at Lake Dzitaku tomorrow, on the way back.

In less than an hour, delicately maneuvering between the tops of dwarf birch thickets (most of the height of the trees is covered under snow), we descend to the bridge over the Kholodnaya River. Somewhere on the opposite bank, in a small clearing above the river, there should be houses of the Kholodny camp. We cross the bridge hugging our skis (I was still waiting for some kind of incident!) and here we are!

Valley of the Urushten River in front of the Kholodny camp

The new booths and the huntsman's house are empty. The house for tourists is excellent - the same format as on the Bzerpinsky cornice. It has two floors and can easily accommodate 15-20 tourists spending the night at the same time. We are staying in the huntsman's house, as it has a stove! In the summer, such a chance is unlikely to arise - in the summer, from June to October, when the reserve is open to tourists, it is always crowded here, and the ranger keeps order.

In between leaving the house for another portion of the snow-white reserve snow to make tea and soup, we photograph the northwestern wall of the Pseashkho massif, basking in the last rays of the setting sun. A beautiful end to a great hiking day!

PS At night it was about -5 outside, and in our flooded house it was about +5+10. We slept like the dead. I had a funny dream about time shares :)) This is truly a “miner”! Although the height is ridiculous, only 1700 meters above sea level.

IMPORTANT! Dear tourists! If you, like us, are lucky enough to spend the night in this house, remember that this house is the result of a huge effort by a number of people. Please treat the house with love and respect and it will respond to you with warmth and reliable protection in bad weather. You just need to do nothing: 1) take all the garbage with you, 2) when leaving, close the door tightly so that a bear doesn’t get in and snow doesn’t accumulate. 3) in the house you will probably find supplies of food (crackers, cookies, tea). Try not to waste them. Perhaps someday they will save someone's life!

Timing of the day:

9:10 - boarding the cable car
9:35 - Shelter Pikhtovy station
9:50 - put on the jacket, start to climb
11:00-11:30 - halt at the "Bear Gate"
12:30 - Herd show
13:10-14:40 - lunch in the houses on the Bzerpinsky cornice
15:20 - saddle of the Pseashkho pass
15:40-16:00 - stop at the booths with the sign “South Pole, North Pole, ...”
16:50 - the camp is cold

#Conclusion of the day: SKI TOURING IS FUCK!!! Sparkling snow, warm sun, ringing silence and you can ROLL DOWN!!!

#Moral of the day: I understand why ski touring is so expensive! Because if ordinary alpine skiing it's a thrill, but ordinary hiking- this is beauty, then ski touring is the thrill of beauty!! And for such a double thrill, you have to pay higher rates :))

Day two: Kholodny camp - Krasnaya Polyana

Having slept well and had a hearty breakfast, we head out into the street. The sun rose more than two hours ago, and it’s warm and sunny outside! I don’t even want to leave, but I have to. At 9:45 am we head back.

From the very beginning we are developing truly cosmic speed, despite the fact that we are going uphill! The combination of above-zero temperatures during the day and below-zero temperatures at night forms an excellent dense crust on the surface of the snow cover, called crust. This very crust is hated by freeriders (who likes to ski on the crust?), but tourists-skiers adore it - no need to trail!! Having estimated the speed of movement and the route for today, we decide to take a radial route - go into the side valley and see what the Jitaku lakes look like in winter.

We spent about an hour of extra time on this “hook.” There is white silence all around. Complete silence. Even the usual omnipresent wind in the mountains died down. The sun is hot as if you were stuck in a microwave. I think that in these two days we received as much sun vitamin D as the average Muscovite in a year;)) It’s good that they didn’t forget the cream this time. Without it, by lunchtime, we could have been served like a roast dinner for reserved bears;)))

Conclusion about the Jitaku lakes: there is nothing to do here in winter - all the lakes are hidden under a thick layer of snow (more than 3 meters now, in mid-March), and this is not yet a good snow season for you..

Urushten River

Having filmed a bunch of cool videos (I hope to post them someday), by 12 noon we set out on our yesterday’s tracks in front of the Pseashkho pass. Taking off our skis and sitting on a bench, we eat nuts, finishing them off with chocolate. It’s a pity they didn’t boil the tea in the morning! We wash it down with just water that we boiled the night before.

By lunchtime we go out to the good old Bzerpinsky cornice. I was surprised by the fact that given the current state of the snow (excellent crust, skis sink a maximum of a couple of centimeters), it is easier and faster to follow a parallel course rather than in the footsteps of your partner. And so they went for half a day - not one after another, but in parallel courses;)

Lunch in the house lasted for an hour and a half. It’s all because of the large reserves of delicious food, which I really didn’t want to take upstairs to Tabunnaya ;))

Looking at the clock (the time was exactly three o’clock in the afternoon!) I was afraid that we would be late for the cable car. This is not a funny thing. We already messed up like this once in the Alps, during acclimatization before climbing Mont Blanc. This then added a good three hours of walking down the boring road. Fortunately, Max reminded me that in winter the Gazprom cable car is open until six and we still have three whole hours of time!

Coming out of the houses, we look at the circus of Mount Tabunnaya. We estimate the avalanche danger by eye (ATTENTION! It’s better not to do this!!) as low and decide that we will climb Tabunnaya not by the long route through the saddle, but directly head-on, almost along the path of yesterday’s descent. We climb first with a long traverse along a barely noticeable shelf, and then along the ridge of one of the small circuses on the north-eastern slope of Tabunnaya.

The tactics did not disappoint. Just half an hour of sports ski touring and uphill and now we are already standing on the plateau-shaped peak of Tabunnaya. We are moose! And these were still stops - in one place the snow began to stick to the camus, I had to stop and clean it off.

IMPORTANT: Despite our success, I advise future ski tourists to still take a detour, along a safer route (indicated in the track). You'll lose a little time, no more than an hour, but you'll add significant security!

Once again checking the clock, we realize that there is plenty of time. There are still 2.5 hours before the cable car closes, and now we only have to go down! There is time to throw your backpacks into the snow, sit and look at the surrounding slopes and peaks, and come up with ideas for future hikes. The conclusion is simple: there are plenty of options for walking, but don’t cross! We need to climb Perevalnaya and finally go to Bzerpi Peak!

Before starting the descent, I “tune” my “fashionable” ski touring boots: to increase their rigidity (useful on the descent), I insert additional plastic inserts into the tongue area of the boot. The thing really works - the boot becomes significantly stiffer. Subjectively, from 30 to 70 units on the universal boot stiffness scale.

The only freeride section today is the descent from the top of Mount Tabunaya to the road (with a short stop at the Bear Gate) takes just over 10 minutes! In addition to the fun of skating, it’s amazingly effective. Pedestrians and snowshoers would have lost a lot of time on this section alone, not to mention the pleasure of skiing compared to the monotonous walk down!

As Max predicted, at exactly 17:00 we were sitting on the open veranda of the Khmeli-Suneli restaurant, looking at the route of our descent from Tabunna. From here, from the restaurant, the descent line looks cool!

While enjoying a bottle of life-giving beer (“For getting to know each other!”, “For a successful hike!”), we make plans for future joint hikes. The Caucasus is so big that a lifetime would not be enough to go around it all. And that's great!!

Timing of the day:

Get up - 7:30
Exit from Kholodny camp - 9:45
Jitaku Lakes - 11:20
Halt at the booth before the Pseashkho pass - 12:10-12:40
Lunch on the Bzerpinsky cornice - 13:40-15:00
At the top of Tabunaya -15:35-15:55 (we climbed head-on, at a sporting pace)
Bear Gate - 16:05-16:10
Shelter Pikhtovy station of the Gazprom cable car - 17:00

Technical photos from the route

The section of the route from Mount Tabunaya (vidovka) to the Pseashkho pass. Green - descent, red - ascent

Useful information about the hike

UPDATE from 12/02/2016. As of at the moment, the administration of the Caucasus State Biosphere Reserve began issuing passes for hikes along this route in winter time year (December-May). This is good news. The bad thing is that you can ONLY walk WITH GUIDES. Passes are not issued to amateur tourists unaccompanied by guides. The reserve explains this with concern for the safety of tourists. I partially agree with them (avalanches are a serious matter). But on the other hand I don’t agree. We go to other mountains at our own peril and risk, why are the rules different here?

P.S. General information about routes, weather and other nuances of hiking in the outskirts of Sochi, Krasnaya Polyana and the territory of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve - in my homemade guide to Sochi and Krasnaya Polyana for outdoor enthusiasts and hikers. Read it, I think it will be useful.

Conclusions

General conclusions about the route:

A hike along the route from the top station "Pikhtovy Shelter" of the Gazprom cable car (Krasnaya Polyana) to the Kholodny camp through the Bzerpinsky cornice and the Pseashkho pass - the most beautiful route, most accessible for any tourist, passing through the territory of the Caucasian State nature reserve. It takes two days to complete the route under favorable weather conditions with one overnight stay in tents or a house in the Kholodny camp.
Unlike most routes in the Caucasus Mountains, this route is unique in that it is, in fact, the first experience of creating a route “for people”. The length of the route one way is about 12 kilometers (24 kilometers round trip). Maximum height - 2300 meters (top of Mount Tabunaya). The route starts at the Priyut Pikhtovy cable car station (Gazprom), altitude 1600 meters. At key points along the trail there are signs and maps of the route, and along the entire trail there are four tourist parking areas with benches, canopies for shelter from bad weather, and even two parking lots with houses. All this not only increases the comfort of hiking, but also safety. In the event of a serious deterioration in the weather, in such houses you can wait out the elements with a sufficient degree of comfort.
Since the route passes through the territory of the Caucasian State Nature Reserve (site of the reserve), you must obtain a pass to pass it. Pass cost: 200 rubles per person for each day on the route. This can be done at any of the reserve's offices. The route usually opens in mid-June and closes in early November, after the first snowfalls. At this stage, the reserve does not issue passes for hiking in the winter season. We took this route as a test group. Perhaps someday the route will be opened for winter hiking!
The route is almost autonomous. Cellular communication is available only at the beginning of the route to the top of Mount Tabunaya and at the very edge at the Bzerpirsky cornice. There is no further cell service. Calculate your strength correctly!!

Conclusions on winter trekking (ski touring):

If completing the route in summer (see my story) does not present any particular difficulties, then the winter option described on this page, like any winter hike to the mountains, places increased demands on the participants of the hike. You need to know and be able to navigate the snowy mountains, independently and correctly choose the line of movement (paths and signs are often under the snow!), and have equipment appropriate to the weather conditions.
“Pikhtovy Shelter - Kholodny Camp” is a very logical, beautiful, feasible ski touring route for any group. If weather conditions will not let you down, and the physical fitness of the participants is not below average; 6-8 hours are enough to complete the route one way, taking into account an hour-long lunch stop at the Bzerpinsky Cornice. In case of a large amount of fresh snow, the time can increase significantly (up to two times!)
Ski touring in March has a lot of advantages. If you catch weather with above-zero daytime temperatures but below-zero temperatures at night, it will be crusty in the mountains! Sucks for freeride, but great for ski touring! Firstly, there is no need to trail, which makes movement easier. Secondly, thanks to the crust, you can roll even on a very slight slope, where, with thick snow, you will not only need to walk, but even trail! For example, we skied the entire 4 km section from the Pseasho pass to the Kholodny camp, despite the generally slight slope of the Urushtena valley in this place. And finally, thirdly, in March it is usually warm both at night and during the day, which means you can carry less warm clothes!
The avalanche danger on the route, in my opinion, is average. Potentially dangerous area only one - the ascent and descent from Mount Tabunaya. As always, when going on ski touring routes, the group must have a full set of avalanche equipment and have the skills to rescue when caught in an avalanche. On days of snowfall and the first two days after it, the route is not recommended due to avalanches from the fallen snow.
My personal conclusion about the ski touring set that I put together this winter: everything is awesome in terms of weight (less than 5 kg for a set of skis + boots + bindings) and convenience (walking is comfortable, the leg works naturally, you want to go and go!), but the fact The fact that the fastenings do not work in the head is annoying on serious off-piste descents. Of course I would like full-fledged work fastenings not only in the heel, but also in the toe. Alternatives - Diamir Vipec 12? Marker Kingpin? The only thing that stops us is the astronomical prices for these mounts...

A short video about the hike

And this spring, Max and his friends had a great time skiing in the area of the Bzerpinsky cornice. It's better to watch with sound!

Route to the Kholodny camp

Route from Fir Glade to the Kholodny camp begins at an altitude of 1600 meters. From the starting point to highest point route, the top of Mount Tabunaya (height 2300 meters), the route goes quite steeply uphill. The total elevation gain for the first 3.5 km of the route is 700 meters. Due to such a large elevation gain, this section may require 2 to 3 hours of time. Further, up to the Kholodny camp, go only down. First, go down to the houses on the Bzerpinsky cornice (about 30 - 40 minutes), and then, in 2-3 hours, first to the Pseashkho pass, and then down along the Urushten river, go down to the confluence of the Urushten and Kholodnaya rivers, to the end of the route.

Coordinates of key points:

(1) The beginning of the trail near the station "Priyut Pikhtovy" of the Gazprom cable car - N43°41.659" E40°21.033"
(2) Benches in the Bear Gate parking lot - N43°42.019" E40°21.850"
(3) Top of Mount Tabunaya - N43°41.967" E40°23.084"
(4) Houses on the Bzerpinsky cornice - N43°42.573" E40°22.580"
(5) Canopy, benches and sign at the Pseashkho pass - N43°44.343" E40°23.719"
(6) Bridge over the Kholodnaya River - N43°45.572" E40°25.017"
(7) House in the Kholodny camp - N43°45.764" E40°25.093"

Infrastructure facilities indicated on the map:

(A) Terminal station "Rosa Khutor" railway Adler - Krasnaya Polyana
(B) Office of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve in the Aviary complex
(C) Lower station of the Gazprom cable car
(D) Lower station of the Alpika-Service cable car
(E) Rosa Khutor (hotels, shops, restaurants, cafes, embankment)
(F) center of the village of Krasnaya Polyana

Additionally:

Routes and key points of the area for viewing in Google Earth- download
GPS track of the winter route (

Trek budget

Products for 2 days - 450 rubles
Gas cylinder - 250 rubles
Electric train "Sochi - Krasnaya Polyana" - 350 rubles (in summer - 115 rubles)
Ticket to the reserve for 2 days - 400 rubles (200 rubles per person per day)
Ascent by cable car - 850 rubles (descent included in the price)

Office addresses of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve
to get a pass for the route:

Adler, Karl Marx St., 8. Opening hours: from 9-00 to 17-00, except weekends and holidays.
Krasnaya Polyana, Aviary complex(2 km along the road from the Gazprom cable car). Working hours: from 9-00 to 17-00, without weekends and holidays.
Telephone number of the tourism department for information on routes and organization of hikes: 8-988-150-0102

Ski touring equipment

Ski touring is a fairly new sport. Unlike ski tourists, who go skiing mainly on plains or mid-mountains, ski touring involves hiking and climbing along a pronounced mountainous terrain with descents on unprepared slopes. Accordingly, the equipment used in ski touring is quite specific! A classic set of ski touring equipment includes:

skis with metal edges, similar to classic mountain skis, but lighter
boots, also similar to ski boots, but lighter and of a special design that makes walking easier in them
the mounts are, of course, lightweight (!) and have, in addition to the riding mode, several walking modes
Camus that prevents skis from slipping back when moving uphill
avalanche equipment set. At a minimum - an avalanche transceiver, a probe and a shovel

The high cost of modern ski touring equipment is, in my opinion, the main obstacle to the transition of tourists to ski tourists... The cost of a new ski touring set, including skis, boots and bindings, starts from $1,500. But just having ski touring equipment is not enough! Hiking in the mountains in winter means making a serious investment in your avalanche training. And this is not only a standard set of avalanche equipment - a shovel, a probe and a beeper, but also high-quality training in both assessing the avalanche danger of slopes and choosing a route, as well as in searching for someone caught in an avalanche. In short, ski touring is a serious thing!

Especially for the report, I got confused and took a photo of the equipment I took on this trip. Here's what happened:

My equipment for this ski touring trip

Special ski touring equipment

Boots for insurance against loss of skis (instead of skistops)
Fastenings
Kamus
Telescopic poles
Elastic safety lanyard for insurance against loss of skis (instead of ski stops)
Ski ties just in case :)

Avalanche equipment

Avalanche transducer (“beeper”) [not pictured]
Avalanche probe
Snow shovel

Travel equipment

Travel backpack
Sleeping bag
Seat
Gas burner
Gas cylinder
Bowl, cup and spoon
Drinking bottle
Sunglasses in a case
Headlamp
Folding knife with additional functions ("multitool")
Matches and matchsticks in a sealed aluminum case
Sunscreen cream
Hygienic lipstick
Documents and money
Spare batteries for flashlight and navigator
External battery for charging your phone/camera

Products

Garbage bag ("trashbag")

Casual clothing

Thermal T-shirt
Thermal pants
Ski socks
Fleece jacket
Softshell running trousers
Thin gloves
Headband
cap
Nasal tissue

Clothes for bad weather

Membrane jacket
Self-removing membrane trousers
Warm self-release pants
Puff
Membrane mittens
Spare socks, warm
Balaclava [not pictured]

Clothes for sleep

Long johns for sleep
Jumper for sleep
Warm socks for sleeping

Other

Paper map [not pictured]
GPS navigator [not pictured]
Phone/camera/notebook [not pictured] - APPLE iPhone 5
First aid kit [not pictured]
Sponsor's flag!

NOTE. We did not take a tent and rugs, since we initially planned to spend the night in a house. The final weight of the backpacks was about 8 kg, unfortunately, it was not possible to weigh more accurately.

Other ski tours in Krasnaya Polyana and the Caucasus

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Immediately after the sudden Kranopolyan snowfalls this fall, we went to the Caucasus Nature Reserve. To the "cornice", Lake Dzitaku and to the Kholodny camp. To say “beautiful” is to say nothing. A few photos and words underneath them are below.

On Bzerpinsky cornice You can go there and back in a day, thanks ski lift"Gazprom-Laura", which immediately raises you to +1100 meters relative to the level of the valley and literally within half an hour or an hour you are walking through the alpine zone.
But, if you have enthusiasm, then it’s better to go overnight.

Against the sky - Aibga ridge(from right to left: Gorki Gorod, Alpika and Rosa Khutor). Well, in the background is the Gazprom-Laura, from which you start moving.

Literally after 1.5 hours of a leisurely walk you are already on the “cornice”. The all-round panorama is good. Perhaps it is here, at the observation points of the “cornice” (Tabunnaya, Perevalnaya, Kogot) best views in Krasnaya Polyana! Although, someone might, or the GorkiGorod circuses, I admit.

The guys from the Krasnaya Polyana Mountain Club (KMC), who support camping on the ledge, wrote to me that "goes down the path".

Yes, it does. Still, 35-40 cm at above-zero temperatures is no joke. It is not surprising that on a 500-meter section of the trail we had to cross at least 4 small avalanche bodies (LS, size 1). But the period of avalanche danger has passed, the slopes have already unloaded, and you can tramp calmly.

And here is the campsite of the Krasnaya Polyana Mountain Club. This season the guys supported 2 permanent camps: at the Bzerpinsky cornice and at the Kholodny camp. That is, at the very in the right places in the reserve, from the public. For very reasonable money, you can come and spend the night here without carrying tents, mats, and sleeping bags with you (a mega option, in fact!). That is, you can make a 2-3 day trip to most beautiful places The reserve generally traveled lightly, taking only a thermos, warm clothes and snacks.

Wardroom. Here you can cook yourself, or use the prepared food option. Comfortable. Well, sit down in the evening and talk about life, of course.

From this camp on the ledge you can make radial trips to observation points (Perevalnaya, Kogot), to lakes (Small and Bolshoye Dzitaku). Well, if you want to go deeper into the mountains, look at the glacier closest to Krasnaya Polyana, then take a walk to the Kholodny camp.

Autumn is coming...

Jitaku Lakes.

There are many places along the paths (well-maintained, I must say) - signs, stands, benches. All this was installed in preparation for the Olympics, but it is in quite working order, although the 4-6 meter snow cover in winter makes itself felt... So, if you see fallen stands somewhere, etc., especially on the slopes, do not be surprised , these are not some kind of vandals, but Mother Nature. Few things can withstand such a snow load in a humid climate.

In several places there are sheds and even shelter houses (here they are called “alpeshki”). This season, the reserve has put locks on the alps, so the “accessible yard” is over (accommodation in the houses costs 500 per nose, you need to pay when purchasing a permit to visit the reserve). But the canopies, tables, benches, all this remains publicly accessible. And it really helps when you want it already "finally sit down and drink some tea" with some kind of freaky look.

Many monuments and signs about events Great Patriotic War. After all, it was here that it was possible with extremely small forces not to miss and stop the German rangers going to the Black Sea through the Caucasus. The heroism of those soldiers inspires respect. Read the information on the stands, and these are the metal books on the stones (see photo). This is not an emasculated story, but a real one, you read and see "this hill that was held by 21 people for a month".

I have never seen such a number of WWII memorial signs as here in any other place. former USSR, although noting such things is one of my regional interests. There was an unwritten tradition of installing them in large number. Every holiday home, tourist camp and construction team considered it their duty to set them up for any anniversary of some battle or feat. Therefore on one historical place 10-15 of them could easily form.

But, the most amazing thing (and, again, causing wild respect!) They continue to do this even now! For example, this stele near the Kholodny camp was erected in the early 2000s. And this is not an isolated case.

And here it is Camp Cold. This season it is already closed (winter is just around the corner), the guys have closed down their farm. So there's no one here... grace. Only bears and red deer, and restless mice, are making preparations for winter)).

And here it is Kholodny glacier in your bowl. You can walk straight to it, the walk up the valley is not very long, just enough to stretch your buns.

In general, while it is raining everywhere and general "From St. Petersburg with apathy and indifference", we have golden days here. So, those who are still thinking about how to spend the autumn should think about coming for a week to walk through the golden autumn of Krasnopolyansk)).

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Receive pass to the Caucasian Nature Reserve possible in

In the area of the Kholodny glacier - the next step in efforts to improve the accessibility of mountain hikes.

Almost everyone is attracted to the mountains. It is not for nothing that mountains are believed to be the home of the gods. They are truly divinely beautiful and attract a person on a subconscious level. But many are deterred from going to the mountains by the amount of necessary equipment that advanced tourists wear, its significant weight and actual physical tone.

What to do if civilization and everyday life push us towards a sedentary lifestyle. And many don’t imagine themselves mountain path under a multi-kilogram backpack. Forget this image! Now, after the appearance tent camp on the Bzerpinsky cornice and its brother camp Kholodny, all hikes can be done lightly, staying overnight in comfortable tents equipped with a mat and sleeping bag.

And if you go with a guide, then warm clothes for the evening, “snacks” and a camera are enough. The organization of overnight stays in the camp and meals is provided by the Krasnaya Polyana Mountain Club.

A guide is more than a mountain guide. Thanks to the guide, you don’t need to think about camping meals, arranging overnight accommodations, or organizing camping life. A mountain guide is also a guardian angel - taking care of your safety is his job; and an encyclopedia of flora and fauna; and a reference book on the history and ethnography of the region. Do not consider a guide as an additional cost - this is a guarantee of a quality trip, regardless of the location and weather.

Camp Kholodny is one of the triad of “cold” local attractions—the Kholodny glacier and the Kholodnaya River. They even say about the latter that “liquid ice” flows in it, it is so cold.

The further path north from the camp is limited - the territory of the wild animal world begins, which has the right to its secluded existence.

These places saw stubborn fighting during the Great Patriotic War. It was here that the German troops were stopped. The occasional old shell casings and mine fragments remind us of these battles. Recently on the Morometnaya hill was installed memorial sign in honor of the defenders of the Caucasus.

Dzitaku Valley - Semiozerye. The established definition is “landscape pearl”. Powerful glaciers at one time tried hard to create this valley and design it according to all the rules of Feng Shui. One can feel the hand of a divine landscape architect. It was made for the gods, but is now available to everyone.

The Kholodny Glacier is the great-grandson of global glaciation. In our age of global warming, one of the few surviving on such a relatively low altitude. The more valuable this natural phenomenon is.
We invite everyone to the camps of the Krasnaya Polyana Mountain Club. They changed the concept of tracking. Instead of overcoming physical exertion and struggling with a backpack, you can relax and enjoy the views along the entire route. And the guides will help you navigate and show you secluded corners wildlife and spice up the journey interesting facts from the history and geography of these places.

The Krasnaya Polyana Mountain Club does not stop its efforts in building camps. The next camp on Lake Kardyvach is at the launch stage. Stay tuned for more news.

At the foot of the grandiose northern wall of Pseashkho lies the Kholodny karova-valley glacier, which gives life to the stream of the same name. The view of the Kholodny glacier was captured in photographs, calendars, and albums. The Pseashkho massif is limited from the west by a trough valley with the Pseashkho pass (2014.2m, n/c). This five-kilometer valley, about 500m wide, was carved out by an ancient glacier that no longer exists. It stretched in the south-north direction. The longitudinal slope of the valley is so small that the passage of the pass point (Pseashkho Lane) may not be noticed. Two spurs extend from the peak of Northern Pseashkho (3256.9m). The short, steep northern ridge cuts deeply into the Mramorny glacier; here the glacier is divided into western and central parts. The northwestern ridge also goes down steeply, bordering the western edge of the Mramorny glacier. After the saddle, which is the upper reaches of the couloir along which stones constantly fall onto the Kholodny glacier (for which this couloir received the nickname “garbage chute”), the spur rises sharply upward with two sharp rocky teeth. These battlements are clearly visible from Kholodny’s camp. The western prong has an elevation of 2936.4 m, the eastern one is 30-40 meters lower. Further, the spur descends to the northwest, dividing the basins of the Kholodnaya and Mramornaya rivers.

The hike to the Cold Camp, located near the glacier of the same name in the vicinity of the Pseashkho massif, partially coincides with the route to the Bzerpinsky Cornice and, along with it, is one of the most successful1 solutions for exploring the mountains. The path to it does not require significant physical preparation: the trails are good and for the most part run through the gentle expanses of the hanging valley. There are a number of monuments along the route: during the Great Patriotic War, it was in the area of the Kholodny camp that fierce battles broke out for the Pseashkha Pass, as a result of which the enemy was stopped and did not reach Sochi.
The route to the Kholodny camp is designed for three days with an overnight stay in tents and radial excursions1 to the Kholodny glacier, to Mramornaya Mountain, the Stone Castle, to the Dzitaku lake valley (Semiozerye valley). During the hike you can have the maximum close range admire the glaciers and peaks of the Pseashkha massif, which are visible from the village of Krasnaya Polyana.

Route description:
Day 1
Ascent from the village of Esto-Sadok by cable car 3S from the Alpika-Service State Enterprise to the Pikhtovoy shelter (height 1660 m) at the Gazprom State Transport Center. The walking part of the route1 begins from the cable car station. We walk along a dirt road and then a well-paved mountain path to the Medvezhye Vorota tract, located on the slope of Mount Tabunaya Yuzhnaya. From here you can see the Aibga ridge (Southern Side Range), the Assara ridge and the Chugush massif - a massive three-thousander with the lowest glaciers in the Caucasus. Then the trail goes traverse (direction perpendicular to the direction of ascent or descent on the mountain) for about another hour with a gradual increase in height, until it ends up on the Bzerpinsky cornice, where we have lunch. After lunch - hiking along the Pseashkho valley to the Cold Camp itself. The length of the walking part of the route is 11 km. Overnight.

Day 2
Early rise and radial exit to the town of Mramornaya, to the Kholodny glacier, to the town of Kamenny Zamok (options). Overnight in Kholodny camp. The length of the walking part of the path is 5-9 km.

Day 3
Get enough sleep, wake up moderately early. Camp gathering. Return trip to the Jitaku Valley with swimming in the lakes (optional). Upon arrival at the Bzerpinsky cornice - lunch and rest. Descent to the cable car. Cable car delivers back to the village of Esto-Sadok. The length of the walking part of the route is 11 km.

In one of last days I decided to take a walk to the Pseashkho valley.

photo of Krasnaya Polyana Mining Club

Pseashkho — mountain range in the upper reaches of the rivers Urushten, Malaya Laba, Pslukh, on the territory of the Caucasian Natural Biosphere Reserve. Belongs to the Main Caucasus Range. The toponym “Pseashkho” is translated from Adyghe as “high-water mountain,” apparently due to the fact that several rivers fed by glaciers originate on the slopes of the massif

The Pseashkho massif is limited on the west by a trough valley with the Pseashkho pass (2014 m). This valley, about five kilometers long and about 500 m wide, was carved out by an ancient glacier.

Through this pass there is an accessible route from the north from Psebay through the Main Caucasus Range to the south. It was along this route that in 1835 the Russian officer Baron Fyodor Tornau penetrated from the northern spurs Caucasian ridge for the purpose of reconnaissance in Kbaade (the old name of the village of Krasnaya Polyana) and further south to the Black Sea in the area of the future Adler.

From the southwest, the Pseashkho massif is limited by the valley of the Pslukh River, from the east by the valleys of the Malaya Laba and Chistaya rivers, and from the north by the valleys of the Kholodnaya and Mramornaya rivers. The southern end of the massif can be considered the Aishkha pass (2401 m), the northern end is the Mramorny pass (about 2800 m).

This place is very popular among travelers and climbers. The easiest way to get here is to climb the Psehoko ridge (absolute altitude marks 1400-1600 m) on the Gazprom ski lift from Esto-Sadok. The ridge in its upper part adjoins the Bzerpi ridge, to the north of which the Pseashkho mountain range begins. To get to the Pseashkho valley, you need to take the lift to the Pikhtovaya Polyana station at an altitude of 1660 m. From here there is a road up through the Bear Gate pass (approx. 1940 m) to the Bzerpi circus and the Bzerpinsky cornice (approx. 2100 m).

On the Bzerpinsky cornice from spring to autumn there is a camp of the Krasnaya Polyana Mountain Club, where you can stay overnight. If you have a few days, I recommend stopping by. The surrounding area is full interesting peaks worthy of visiting: Bzerpi peak itself (2482 m), mountains Tabunnaya (2351 m) and Perevalnaya (2503 m). The cost of stopping at the camp is 600 (tent), 1000 (tent, gas), 1500 (tent, gas, food) rub. Yes, and, of course, you should purchase tickets to the reserve in advance for 300 rubles per day. The likelihood of meeting a huntsman, especially in the fall, is not particularly high, but I decided not to risk it.

At 8:30 the rise at Gazprom begins. Cost - 800 rub. From Pikhtovaya Polyana you will have to go down the ski slope a little, after which you will find yourself in the forest and begin the climb to the “Bear Gate”. The ascent will take a maximum of an hour.

Morning peaks of Aibga. View from the lower station of the Gazprom GTZ.

Psehoko. Fir glade. The start of the climb.

View from the Bear Gate.

Bzerpi Peak:

Below is Krasnaya Polyana, the Achishkho massif rises above it:

Aibga again:

From the pass you can go to the right and climb to Tabunnaya Yuzhnaya, and from there to Bezrpi Peak. Or you can go left along a good path and, going around Tabunnaya, come out to the cornice. So I did.

Here's the diagram:

Mount Perevalnaya:

The road to the cornice. In the distance Pseashkho Sugar

Directly - Sugar Pseashkho (3256 m), on the right is Mount Tabunnaya:

Here it is, the Bzerpinsky Cornice. If you look closely, you can see the houses on it:

On the right is Mount Tabunaya Northern:

Here it is larger:

Circus Bzerpi:

Here is his diagram with pointers:

Camp "Berpinsky Cornice" at the foot of Mount Perevanaya:

Here Bzerp steeply descends from a great height.

Toilets on the cornice against the backdrop of Tabunnaya Yuzhnaya:

Observation deck:

The road to the Kholodny camp

Circus Bzerpi close-up:

Perevalnaya:

Pseashkho Sugar:

A good trail leads from the camp straight to Kholodnoye. This will take you approximately three hours. On the way you can walk to the Jitaku Valley to the seven lakes. You will have to spend the night in the Kholodny camp. They say that some people get impudent and set up tents near the lakes, but for this, if anything happens, a fine of 5,000 rubles is imposed. Camp “Kholodny” was no longer functioning, and I didn’t have a tent with me, so I had time to do everything about everything - November daylight hours. We had to return to the last descent from Pikhtovaya Polyana at seven o'clock. There was no question of going to Kholodny. I mean, you could run away, but you would immediately have to go back, and there is a beautiful glacier there, and it would be a shame not to hang out there. So I preferred to go to Semiozerye.