Cave of Dukhan Adygea. Caves of Adygea. Mysterious caves of Adygea – Dukhan, Saxophone and Flute

The cave is located at the source of the Aminovka River, near the village of Kamennomostsky (Khadzhokh). The Dukhan cave is through, as evidenced by the oncoming flow of cold air. There is a waterfall inside the Dukhan cave, which is difficult to overcome during the snowmelt period or during rains.

The main entrance to the cave is a large deep grotto, up to 10 meters wide and up to 8 meters high. A waterfall falls from a high well above the entrance.

Further, the cross-section of the passages becomes narrower, and at the same time the height of the slots increases. Multiple old tiers appear, along which For further passage, you have to constantly choose the desired level: many of them end in plumbs, others are littered with boulders, and others narrow to impassable sizes. There is a good air flow in the cave.


The second entrance to the cave is a shallow hole under big stones on which a large tree grows.

To go down into the cave, turn your back to the tree and jump down onto a soft substrate of earth and leaves. Immediately after descending into the cave, there is a fairly narrow manhole, after which a long gallery opens; you shouldn’t walk far along it, since its walls gradually narrow and turn the gallery into a narrow manhole, which will take quite a long time to crawl along to the other entrance (exit).

Small Aminovka river when flows into White. Along the shaggy gorge 9 km up to the source - and we are at Dukhan Cave. Actually, the river flows from this cave. You can ride a horse from, past, through. It is possible through. There is also an available one. The place is rarely visited.

Dukhan- oriental club-cafe. Who was served green tea in this secluded grotto? There is nothing to do in a cave without a sweater, a windbreaker and a good spirit. This means that they were drinking green tea, hiding from the curious, strong, difficult people. Lives underground river, There is big waterfall and an old staircase to go up next to it to a long through passage. How can strong green tea lovers not have a second option?

Here, as elsewhere in difficult caves The more lanterns, the more beautiful. It is better not to meddle in numerous skinners without a guide. We take pictures, fill up with water and head back to the Sun. In the evening there will be tea with robber water from Dukhan. The world is so arranged that in Adygea there are many not only dazzling peaks, but also reliable caves. Beauty and mystery in everything. Take it, friend, and give it to others.

I continue the story about Khadzhokh. Today I will share information about the famous natural attractions of Adygea - waterfalls and caves of Khadzhokha.

Rubfago Falls

The most famous and popular among the waterfalls of Adygea, which are located on the left tributary of the Belaya River. There is a fee for access to the waterfalls, but the amount is relatively small. The entire route is equipped with comfortable stairs, handrails, and bridges that make the path through mountainous terrain easier.

But if you really want to, then you can go to the waterfalls for free, from the village of Kamennomostsky itself: to do this, you need to cross the road bridge in the village and walk a couple of kilometers along the Khadzhokhskaya gorge (also a very beautiful place, but we will talk about it a little lower) to the first The waterfall is relatively small, about four meters high.

If you walk a few hundred meters further, you will reach a waterfall with the poetic name “Heart of Rufabgo”. This name goes back to the ancient Adyghe legend about the evil giant sorcerer Rufabgo, who once lived in these mountains. No one could defeat him: as soon as Rufabgo’s arm or leg was cut off, a new limb immediately grew in its place. This continued until a brave young man named Khadzhokh found a way to defeat the evil sorcerer: he tore out his heart and threw it far into the mountains. The huge heart of Rufabgo blocked the riverbed, and a waterfall of the same name was formed in this place.

A little further there is a waterfall with the funny name Lace: the water in it falls from a layer of rock located at a height of 15 meters and forms a deep transparent lake in which you can swim if you wish. The remaining waterfalls are located a little further, but since the equipped trail ends here, you will have to go to them along rather steep and winding mountain paths.
There are ten Rufabgo waterfalls in total, but they are all located higher.

Mezmay waterfalls

The waterfalls of the Mezmaysky stream are slightly less known. What is surprising: after all, many tourists who head to the Rufabgo waterfalls cross this stream along the way, not even realizing that it also has beautiful waterfalls - just a few hundred meters above the path leading to Rufabgo. The first waterfall that you encounter if you walk along the Mezmaysky stream is the most beautiful; its height is about three meters, and the water falls into a natural stone bowl formed under the influence of powerful jets. A little higher there are two more waterfalls, also 2-3 meters high, but there the stream bed narrows so much that you have to walk on water.

Khadzhokh Gorge

The Khadzhokh Gorge is another miracle of the nature of these places, in the full sense of the word. The Belaya River here cuts its bed straight through the rock, carving a narrow canyon with rather high banks in it. It all looks very impressive, you can admire the surrounding beauty to your heart’s content and take great pictures as a souvenir. Only one thing slightly spoils the pristine beauty of the gorge: bridges, steps and barriers made to prevent tourists from going to the Rufabgo waterfalls without first paying for the visit.

Mishoko Gorge in Adygea

Another wonderful place, located in the same place, just three kilometers from Rufabgo - (sometimes incorrectly called “The Bag”). Few tourists know about it either (Rufabgo’s fame overshadows everything else). If you climb up a steep path from the highway, you will soon reach a fork: the upper path leads to the plateau, and the lower one goes down to beautiful waterfall. From here you can climb the Unakoz ridge and view the surrounding area from above.

Khadzhokh caves

In the vicinity of the village of Kamennomostsky there are many beautiful and amazing caves. You can explore them on your own, or you can take a tour and listen to a guide tell stories about each of these caves. It should be noted that many excursions are generally held in these places - to caves, to waterfalls, and simply to the most beautiful places Hadjoha.

The Through Cave is, according to legend, the same one in which the giant sorcerer Rufabgo lived, defeated by Khadzhokh. This cave narrows upward, forming a gap through which daylight penetrates.

More than two kilometers from the mouth of the Dakh River there is another interesting cave, which got its name from the river - Dakhovskaya. The entrance to the cave is low, less than human height; Next comes a spacious and long hall, and behind it a second one, in which there are stalactites. In this cave, archaeologists discovered traces of a site primitive man: arrowheads, fragments of guns and other objects.

Mysterious caves of Adygea – Dukhan, Saxophone and Flute

At the source of another river, Aminovka, there are three mysterious caves - Dukhan, Saxophone and Flute. Why mysterious? Yes, because even experienced guides and local historians often confuse the Dukhan and Saxophone caves and cannot say with certainty where which one is located. And some consider the Flute not a separate cave, but a second exit from Dukhan.

I won’t argue with anyone about this, I’ll just say why two of these caves are named after musical instruments. The fact is that each of them has an unusual acoustic effect. A small stream flows inside the Flute Cave, and the murmur of water in it, echoing from the cave arches, becomes similar to the sounds of a flute. From the Saxophone Cave, accordingly, sounds are sometimes heard reminiscent of playing a saxophone - an underground river flows inside the cave and there is a small waterfall.

The cave is located in the upper reaches of the river. Aminovka, flowing into the river. Belaya near Hadzhokh. You can get to it either along the beam itself or “along the top”.

The preferable and more interesting option is to approach through the Rufabgo waterfalls, then to the fork on the ridge (it’s less than 1.5 km to the cave), where you turn right along the old marking. After 200-300 meters, the marking leads off the road to the left, down to the Dukhan cave, and then down to the left - to the Saxophone cave.

The cave begins with a grotto, at the end of which there is a small waterfall; next to it, as a rule, there is a knocked-down staircase, along which you can climb to the main passage, along the bottom of which a stream flows. We didn’t make it to the end due to the abundance of water in May. But the presence of a counter-flow of air suggests that this cave may be through.
This cave is marked on most maps, and very accurately. It is located at the source of the Aminovka River, near Khadzhokh.

Further, the height and width of the stroke constantly decreases. There are several ramifications. But they all end after 100-150 m in impassable narrows, almost completely filled with water. Perhaps during periods of low water and with a wetsuit, someone will be able to pass them. In some places, a weak air current is felt, which allows us to hope that the cave is through.

The total length of the passages I traveled does not exceed 250 meters. The cave is one of the sources of the Aminovka River and is flooded.
About 10 years ago, the Dukhan cave was not so popular and under the waterfall there was still a human skull (judging by its size, a child’s).

Currently, jeepers and frame cyclists have paved the way to the cave. Above Dukhan there are a lot of good parking lots with plenty of firewood. Go to the cave itself for water.

There is a long-standing dispute regarding the names of the caves Dukhan and Saxaphone, or rather which of the two cavities belongs to the corresponding name. The surveyors who marked Dukhan, apparently, will no longer be seen alive, so we cannot ask their version.

Personally, I think that Dukhan is the upper cave, the one with a waterfall at the entrance and stairs. I think it was named so because of the profile of the entrance grotto, similar to the entrances to eastern “cafes” - dukhans. And the main argument is still the presence of a mark on the maps. Therefore, in order to avoid misunderstandings between people new to tourism and elders (who, for the most part, adhere to the opposite version of mine), I am inclined to the official, mapped version.

á Description - admin.

Comments: Message from:
Kuznetsov Dmitry

Comments: The cave with a waterfall and stairs is SKSAPHON, DUKHAN - a through cave, 1.5 km long, no special equipment is required for passage. It takes from 1 hour 20 minutes to 6 hours (depending on the number and experience of participants).
Kovalenko Dmitry.
Not true.

Comments: With a waterfall and stairs - the Dukhan cave and it is through. The saxophone also has a ladder, but no waterfall. In general, many caves have stairs, so this is not an indicator.
Bobrov Alexander Kovalenko Dmitry, listen knowledgeable people
and don't write if you don't know :)

Comments: Kuznetsov said everything correctly. I can only add that, depending on the experience of the participants, the rope in the dukhan should probably be taken, because... The cave ends with a well and basic rock climbing skills are needed there.
I agree with the author of the article. Although until recently, to my shame, I had a different opinion. In my opinion, the Saxophone is a through cave-skinner, reminiscent of the musical instrument alto saxophone, which is a pipe in one plane, having a narrow inlet and a wide outlet. All of the above characteristics are inherent in a through karst cavity. There is no doubt that toponyms were assigned correctly, reflecting the distinctive features and individual characteristics of objects. So Dukhan - an oriental cafe, a small restaurant in the Caucasus had an original shape, which speleologists of the past saw at the entrance to another cave, not through, with a waterfall and stairs. They put this cave on the map, giving it the name Dukhan. I believe that there should be no confusion at this time. P.S. Indeed, the skinner begins (ends) with a many-meter well, which is not possible to overcome without equipment.

Comments: Victor
I absolutely agree with Kuznetsov. Those who have actually been to the Dukhan Cave have a peculiar difference: cruciform passages. The cave is very difficult to get through - it requires physical training. Those who write that it took five hours to go through the cave there and back are simply lying. If anyone has any doubts, we can talk.... Reports, unlike some, are available for all standing caves.

The idea to lay a cache in the area of ​​​​the sources of the Aminovka River arose in August 2011, when, in search of the Aminovka Gorge cache, we walked along the entire river, from the mouth to the sources, which originate in the Dukhan and Saxophone caves.

And so on May 20, 2012, a mini-expedition was organized to lay the cache and visit the caves. The plan was to go through (where possible) three caves. Several years ago, another Flute cave was discovered in this area, the entrance to which is still known to few tourists. So, led by the famous traveler Maxim Bogatyrev in Adygea, we went out in search of caves on a fine May day.

But the result of our research was extremely unexpected!

First, let's turn to the official sources that were found in my library.

“The sources of the Aminovka River are especially picturesque. The central source is in the form of a huge rocky cauldron, cluttered with large stones, into which a waterfall falls.

The right middle source flows out of the arched Dukhan cave. This cave is the most popular among tourists. She walks along the underground river bed. Sandstone rock walls form very narrow, difficult-to-climb places - “skinners”. Even if you have strong canvas clothing, when going through the cave you come out in rags. Inside the cave there are multi-tiered dry halls and a large underground waterfall. The exit from the Dukhan cave is on a forest ridge. The karst sinkhole, as huge as a stadium, has a small hole at the very bottom where precipitation water collects.

The right extreme source of the Aminovka River also flows out of the cave. It is located in a rock, and a waterfall falls from there. This is the Saxophone Cave. To get into it, you need to build a ladder.

One more cave has been added to the caves discovered by tourists and already explored. One summer, children from the health camp of the Gornaya tourist center, traveling to the gorge, stopped for lunch at a small stream. They wanted to know where it came from. We walked up the stream to the cliff. There was a cave in the rock, and from there flowed an unusual cold water. Taking a flashlight, the children and their teachers entered the cave. She turned out to be very cold. The draft literally permeated the entire body. It was difficult for a lightly dressed person to endure more than five minutes. The fact that there is a very strong air flow in the cave indicates that it is through. The children gave the name to this cave Flute.”

Ivan Bormotov. "Mountain Adygea".

The shortest and easiest way to the caves is to drive along the road to Lago-Naki until the turn to the Golden Deer hunting lodges. Having driven along a good dirt road to these hunting lodges, you can safely leave the car in the clearing and continue on foot.

From the houses we go out onto an old overgrown road that goes to the left and up from the houses, along the old grid that fenced the deer nursery. When the rather long climb ends, we need to follow the road, keeping to the right, and then we find ourselves on a more traveled road. Soon a fork of three roads will appear on the road.

The right one continues to lead us along the grid, but then this road is gradually lost, and we will have to climb the mountain along a barely noticeable path or even through the forest, first to a rocky slope, and then to a vast clearing.

The left road is practically invisible, it is so overgrown. But this road is on navigators. This road is the longest and quite dirty in some places, but in the end it leads to the same clearing.

The middle road, or rather even the path, leads sharply upward at a fork. Having overcome a rather steep climb, we first find ourselves at a rocky rock, in which a “passage” has been cut for logging trucks, and then onto a fairly good road that leads us along the ridge of the mountain. Don't miss the vantage points from which you can see the road to Lago-Naki, as well as distant and nearby mountains. Further this road also leads to a clearing. Therefore, no matter which way you go, in any case, ending up in a large clearing is inevitable.

Having walked along a long clearing, we again find ourselves on the road.

At point 44°15.187’, 40°06.225’ we come to the intersection of forest roads. We go left. This road will lead us to the cave system of the Aminovsky Gorge.

The entire walking route at a slow pace takes 1.5-2 hours.

First we approach a noticeable tourist stop. Coordinates 44°15.156’, 40°05.801’. From this parking lot you can go straight to the entrances of three caves.

You can also get to the caves by walking along the canyon of the Aminovka River from Khadzhokh, along the way taking another cache “Aminovskoye Gorge”.

You can also reach the caves along logging roads from Khadzhokh, but it will take much more time and effort, and it’s not a fact that walking along dirty, rutted roads will bring any pleasure.

If we immediately start descending from the parking lot, we will get to the entrance to the Saxophone Cave. Coordinates 44°15.170’, 40°05.776’.

In my personal opinion, out of three famous caves this is the most interesting cave. If you look from the inside of the cave at its exit, the outline of the exit looks like a sitting man. The entrance to the cave is very large, but soon the huge hall narrows, and at a certain height the cave passages begin. There is a homemade ladder attached to the rock, along which we boldly climb up and move forward.

The passages of the cave either narrow or widen. From time to time, quite large halls and forks appear along the way. A stream flows along the bottom of the cave, which can rise during periods of rain or melting snow. The passage through the cave is safe, there is absolutely nowhere to fall, and it is impossible to get lost. So put on a light jacket and thick clothes to protect your knees and elbows from sharp rocks - and go!

The cave is quite young, so there are practically no deposits (stalactites, etc.) there.

If you cross the road from the parking lot and go deeper into the forest, you can find the entrance (or exit?) of the Dukhan cave. Coordinates 44°15.053’, 40°05.696’.

The entrance to the cave is a shallow hole under large stones on which a large tree grows. You need to lower your feet into the hole, turning your back to the tree, slide down a little, resting your hands on the edges of the hole, like on beams, and meanwhile feel with your feet for support in the form of stone ledges. Right foot forward, left foot backward. When the stop is found, just slide down, there are about 30 centimeters left, no more, and you will have to jump onto a soft substrate of earth and leaves.

Immediately after the descent we need to climb into a rather narrow hole, after which a rather long narrow gallery unfolds in front of us. You shouldn't walk far through the gallery, because... it narrows more and more and turns into a narrow hole, along which it will take at least 5 hours to crawl to the main entrance, and then only with a certain skill. We didn't try.

From the parking lot you can get to the new, fourth cave, which was opened by us on May 20, 2012! I will post the coordinates a little later, after the registration procedure for the new cave begins.

Our daughter Olya walked and walked, and then said - what is that hole there? Our guide Maxim Bogatyrev decided to check it out and climbed into this hole. Then he called us, and we found ourselves in an absolutely wonderful cave, which is not yet known to anyone!

The cave is relatively spacious. After the narrow entrance, a gallery begins, along which in many places you can safely walk at full height. Only occasionally does the arch of the gallery drop so low that you have to crawl a couple of meters on all fours. But there are few such places.

The cave has halls and numerous young deposits. According to the guide, we walked about 500 meters, but at the end of the path a rather deep well awaited us, into which we decided not to go down without equipment. Be careful in this area! It’s not worth flying at least 8 meters down!

The cave turned out to be no less interesting than the Saxophone Cave! And personally, it seemed to me that it had even more variety and interesting places!

Since the cave is not listed in any directory, we decided to register it as expected and give it the working name Olgina Cave. After all, it was Olya who discovered her!

Parking coordinates: 44°15.345’, 40°05.523’.

Dukhan coordinates: 44°15.387’, 40°05.505’.

This entrance is very large and opens into a huge hall, which, however, ends quite soon and turns into a hole, through which, accordingly, you can get to the exit we have already found in 5 hours. We haven’t checked it, and we don’t really recommend it to you. This cave is more interesting for sports people, because... To overcome it you need good athletic training and a fair amount of endurance, but there is nothing to see in this hole for 5 hours.

So, after examining 3 caves (one on both sides), you can approach another Flute cave. Coordinates: 44°15.331’, 40°05.463’.

If you look to the left and down into the river canyon from the parking lot above the Dukhan cave, you will see that on the other side of the canyon a stream flows into the river. We follow this stream up and see the entrance to the cave.

Now it’s clear why the cave was called Flute.

Firstly, it really has the shape of a pipe - it is a long narrow gallery along which you can only move squatting.

Secondly, the wind really blows in it.

And thirdly, it has amazing acoustics. If there is a man among you with a deep voice, ask him to talk, and you will hear his voice hum loudly at very low frequencies. They say that the acoustics in the cave change and produce very interesting variations in the echo of our voices.

Since you can’t go far by squatting, we didn’t explore the cave deeply.

 

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