Mahar is love at first sight! He will forever remain in our hearts! Mahar holidays or the best place for a mountain holiday with children Where is the Mahar Valley.
Inspired by our last August trip, not later than two months later we again treacherously invaded these parts. Then, from the Uchkulan fork, we headed to Uzunkol, and further to the valleys of its tributaries, the Myrda and Kichkinekol ( a report on where it is described in general terms what the Gvandra region is like). Now the idea was inciting to slip along the second branch of the upper reaches of the Kuban River, equivalent in scale: Uchkulan-Mahar-Gondaray. The weather and climatic conditions for the implementation of the plan were simply fabulous. Between two cold, rainy cyclones, a window of perfect sunshine fell as if on cue. In the midst of golden autumn. A kind of lightning-fast flash of a bright, but very short Indian summer. To see the snow caps of the peaks with a colorful forest at their foot is my old dream, which for a long time could not come true due to various reasons and inconsistencies. I would not allow myself to waste such a chance again, being on a two-week vacation, under any circumstances. My fellow travelers had similar desires and opportunities. So fate itself kicked our restless brew towards the desired goal.
In general, I liked everything very much. In addition to the expected phytodiversity, I was impressed by the purity and blueness of the water of both the Kuban itself and its nearest satellites. In summer, these arteries look different: turbulent due to the active melting of glaciers inexorably retreating into oblivion, and muddy for the same reason. However, bearing in mind the recent reconnaissance sorties to Uzunkol, I nevertheless caught some points of comparative characterization. For those whose plans include a walking-contemplative style of relaxation without much tension and encroachment on the passes, alpine lakes and the upper panoramic points, I note that the local valleys do not look as impressive as in Uzunkol. I did not notice the rising peaks in the likeness of the local Kichkinekol horseshoe, Brick and Pyramid. Slightly annoying local abundance of trash from the activities of lumberjacks in the form of abandoned black stumps, branches and logs. The Mahara Valley is studded along its length with giant metal poles of a power transmission line stretching through the Nakhar Pass to Abkhazia. It is necessary to decently dodge so as not to hook hanging wires or poles into the lens when shooting landscapes. Also, with a high probability, I assume that due to the location of mineral springs in Mahara, it is quite a travel road from the village. Uchkulan, and the optional presence of a border pass within the stay of the Kert-Meli glade (the confluence of Gondarai and Mahara), there are quite a few people here at the bases and campsites in the summer. For some, the last factor may seem favorable, but not for cynical types like me. For the totality of the above reasons, the conditions wildlife such a reality can be called a stretch. And therefore, I definitely give the palm to Uzunkol in terms of the external condition and the general dignity of the main valleys. As for the alpine panoramas, there are no complaints. I liked that small fraction of nishtyakov that we managed to catch. But of course, this is another level of plowing.
It is worth highlighting lake Ullu-Kol. This topic is so self-sufficient that it deserves a separate visit to Uchkulan, and is able to satisfy, perhaps, any taste.
And so several times. Another hard to predict obstacle on the road.
Like last time, the whole first day was completely spent on the road and arrangement. Light time has been significantly reduced since summer and this played against us. Having become adept at overcoming the Uzunkol road pits and potholes, Vorobey this time completely spoiled us: he brought us deep into the gorges as far as possible, and to the sights of interest, respectively, as close as possible. At the same time, we chose glades for the camp, one steeper than the other, naturally within walking distance from the side of the car. Both of these factors, as well as fears of more intense nighttime cold above 2000 m, led to a collegial decision again in favor of radial daytime exits with a return to the "base".
So, having stocked up with a Koshkin pass in the village of Uchkulan, in the late afternoon we slowly crawl towards the Globus shopping mall. Halfway along the path, a half-rotted wooden suspension bridge over the Uchkulan River, swinging like a simulator for sea swimmers. On the opposite bank there is a spring with a source of tasty and slightly hydrogen sulfide narzan.
At least, a badge-fly, do not fail!
For 150 and tomorrow we will not go to school?
Around the spring is a mess of mud and cattle manure. Apparently, the local thinness is not a fool and is also not averse to making a pilgrimage here to improve their health. That is why the specific background reigning within a radius of 20 m, reminiscent of the smell of the beloved Motherland in childhood, does not add aesthetics to the source, but rather, on the contrary, causes discomfort.
Then we pass the Globus tourist center and move along Mahar. The road after the fork becomes even more military. But this does not stop Sparrow in any way. Carried away by the process of light road extreme, we manage to slip past the main deposits Mahar Narzan and moor to the gates of the border post. Here, "in time" it turns out that instead of her pass, Lucy took from home the pass of her husband, who is currently absent from our courageous ranks for good reasons. If we were now standing at the checkpoint on the way to Uunkol, then her journey would have ended successfully. But thank heavens, the local order is more loyal. To everyone's jubilation, it turned out that, upon presentation of a passport, she could walk around Mahar up to the next border post under the Nakhar Pass, go to Ullu-Kol and infiltrate up to half of the Gondarai Gorge, but up to the first border post. For some reason, the servicemen refused to provide the distinguished guests with decent shelter and a festive dinner, but they advised them to drive a little further than their post and camp 100 meters behind the mouth river Trekhozernaya in Mahar. The green guardsman turned out to be right: the clearing here is what you need. Firewood around in bulk. Near river and stream. We fall beautifully. For this, another 150 narzan.
This is what the field looks like in the morning.
And no neighbors. Such happiness and free of charge!
The culmination of autumn colors opposite our meadow
In the morning, special-purpose pensioners almost bludgeoned me for getting up early. After breakfast, we climb along the Trekhozernaya River to the Dautsky Range. The goal is to climb one of the Ullu-Kol passes, look at least from above the lake of the same name and visit the upper reaches of the Trekhozernaya. Well, it is desirable to return to the camp today. For the first running day, the plans are somewhat ambitious. Moreover, some of us have not been in the mountains for a couple of months, and the Cat even more. But for him I am calm. Easier than new , who came off the assembly line, the terminator to stumble to death than this pillar with an innate nuclear reactor. As we climbed, the panoramas began to change significantly. For the walker we reach the upper kosh.
Koshara bottom left
Further, the felts of the demon beguiled, the felts of the shepherds confused. Despite the presence of a navigator with a track, we did not rush to the left of the cat, as it was desirable, but to the right. So it seemed more logical and convenient. And cattle breeders with genuine enthusiasm assured that both options are basically equivalent. Plus, again, a packed path ... In general, nothing terrible happened. It's just that this mistake subsequently had to be cut into a clumsy extra hook and hide about an hour of extra time. In the meantime, we storm one tier after another. The panoramas are getting bigger.
In the center are the teeth of Nahara, 3784 m. and the Klych ridge
To the left of us floats a medium-sized blue lake.
Acclimatization on the go. Above Lucy's head is the same lake. Rather left behind at the bottom. On the right, the shoulders of the Gvandra peak, 3984 m, are opening more and more. At any time of the year, a heavily snow-covered, powerful and very beautiful mountain.
It seems that the main lake is already nearby. The last bend and ... the complete absence of the desired reservoir below. Zugunder spent the night there! A roll to the right brought our glorious quartet to the saddle of the Lower Ullu-Kol Pass, adjacent to the East Ullu-Kol Pass. And the lake rested to the left, on the upper tier of sheep's foreheads, cut by a large waterfall flowing just from it. The waterfall can be seen quite clearly from here, but the lake is not at all. Realizing that they had gone astray, they began to quite quickly traverse the summit over the stones, which separates the Lower and Eastern Ullu-Kol passes. Then, having replenished the supply of exhausted forces with chocolates, we quickly climbed Vostochny.
Eastern Ullu-Kol pass, 3050 m. Behind the top of Ryndzhi-Age, 3731 m in the Dauta ridge. Hi Petrovich!
The slope of the pass opposite to our ascent is completely covered in snow.
At the top left is the top that had to be bypassed from the saddle located in the middle. To the right on the horizon is Elbrus. IN good weather it is visible from many places in Gvandra.
Here he is, eared, closer
Custom hide-and-seek is over. It's clearly visible below...
Lake Ullu-Kol, 2844 m. a.s.l. m. (Big lakes - from Turk.). The water surface area is 16 hectares. One of the largest in the Western Caucasus and dominant in the Kuban basin.
Boom going down to the lake, or how?
In fact, going down to the shore is not an option. Fresh snow on the steep slopes of the passes from the side of the reservoir quickly brought clarity to this issue. We are not so constrained, although we must strive for this.
Who pulled the rope with colored flags? Can you walk around here?
You do what you want, but I went ...
The second part of the program provided for an exit to the neighboring circus of the upper Trekhozerka. Here again an unpleasant surprise worse than the saddle awaited us. The fact is that the East Ullu-Kol pass is separated from the Trekhozerka circus by a descending ridge, which must somehow be climbed over. The incident was that from the side of the Eastern Ullu-Kol the ridge looked sanely passable, but from the side of Trekhozerka, it exposed another unpleasant side in the form of steep rocks. Without suspecting anything, we quickly fluttered at him, but then we began to scratch our turnips, how is it now on the other side fall down. And here you should make a wise decision: to look around from where you are standing in the general panorama of Trekhozerka, and turn the horses back. So no, they flooded to look for a descent.
The upper reaches of the Trekhozernaya river valley. From here, only the lower blue Lake. To the left, on the upper tiers, there are one more, not counting the small ones. To the right exit to the West Ullu-Kol pass. Now it is obvious that the most logical thread of the route to Lake Ullu-Kol is through the circus of the valley past the lakes Trekhozerka. So you can hook all three lakes and then freely climb the pass.
Like mountain goats we jump along the back of the ridge in search of options for descent to the lakes. Below they felt something that looked like a path, but they did not climb down it to the end and fell into an intermediate gutter separating th spur into two parts and consisting of loose gravel and creeping boulders. On it, they threw another 200 meters of height, until they finally jumped out of there. As a result, we nevertheless got into the neighboring valley, but to no avail: the lakes, in fact, now turned out to be much higher than us. All this hemorrhoids is nothing but down the drain. Who is our scapegoat today?
The junction of two valleys. Mahar flows like a thin thread below. Us there.
A little earlier, on the descent along the loose sea, I provoked a rockfall. He didn’t hit the guys, but he killed a mountain partridge. But having come to her senses, she fluttered, depriving us of an easy hope of feasting on game with narzan. We managed to return home before dark. From this one-day epic, I concluded that with a more rational route, a strong group and a long daylight hours, the tasks set are realistically feasible. And even down to the lake. At the same time, you can return back through the Lower Ullu-Kol and get off at Mahar in the Globus region.
The next day, the people did not show much zeal for an early rise. Yes, and there is no hurry, the program for today is more benign than yesterday's race: take a walk to the end of the Mahara Valley and wonder what else it can surprise us with.
Valley of the Mahar-Su river. View towards the meadow Kert Meli
To the right, an openwork, very beautiful long waterfall appears along the way. An unexpected and pleasant surprise.
We come closer.
The weather just whispers! The beginning of October, and we are on high-rises of two and three thousand walking in the sun in T-shirts. Although it freezes at night. Temperature fluctuations are enormous. At this time, there is no heat and light here for a long time and the cold air envelops you instantly, as soon as a shadow covers you.
Having gone a little further, we again find an awesome waterfall on the right, but of a completely different psychotype. This wild one hides from above in a canyon-like crevice on a steep slope of the ridge and, breaking on the rocks, then flows down to the bottom in an ordinary stream. To get close to it, you should not frailly sway up right along the channel, littered with wet boulders. Something to me after yesterday somehow in the bastard to strain. Yes, and the mood in the morning walking. We decided to split up: the Cat and Lucy, as the youngest, climb to the waterfall, and Sparrow and I, like the more dilapidated days, stomp further along the gorge.
Another bridge
Clear waters of Mahara.
Along the way, it turned out that Sparrow forgot his passport in a backpack left by the glorious aces of canyoning, storming the waterfall right now, and we couldn’t advance further than the checkpoint under the pass. But, to be honest, we are not very upset and upset about this. Firstly, the passage to the Nahar pass is closed even with a pass and the maximum is allowed to advance to the Mahar lake. And secondly, there is not much time. Time to shed Mahar today and move to Gondarai. A little good.
Upper Mahar-Su. View towards the passes Nakhar, Bulgar, Chaullu-Chat. Behind the supports, which cannot be avoided here, is the border post.
In general, today's walk frankly did not cause an explosion of emotions. We returned to the guys. And they are just super-satisfied, the waterfall pleased from the heart. They didn't guess.
Still, a classy and powerful spillway
Do you happen to have an extra umbrella with you?
View from the waterfall to the opposite fanged side of the gorge. Young beautiful mountains!
Ay, well done! They descended just in time for our arrival. It's time for tea.
We are moving. On the way to the fork of the tributaries of the Uchkulan, we still taxi to the Narzans. You have to be thorough!
Similar bridge
Unlike the Uchkulan source of semi-bestial use, I really liked this fertile place. And the taste of water is awesome, it gives iron with an admixture of organic matter. Fresh, carbonated, cold. You can't buy this in a store.
The orange-brown color on the surface of the soil and stones is given by iron oxides.
The mouth of the Narzan stream with Mahar. So much goodness right in the river...
The source literally gurgles and bubbles on the surface of the exit of underground springs. It seems to be boiling. Shooting with flash gives the effect of the presence of golden sand at the bottom.
There is no fresh. From the depths of the underworld straight into the neck
The road along Gondarai turned out to be as shabby as in Mahara. Nevertheless, Sparrow threw us not a lot, not a little, to the confluence with Jalpakol. For the next temporary shelter, we chose a wonderful clearing in the forest near the river, which was previously thoroughly equipped by someone. And by all indications, the previous owners used it for a long time. Next to the traditional fire pit with stumps and benches, there is a wooden shelf with shelves for dishes and food, steps of an earthen staircase on a hillock, the remains of a bathhouse in the form of a frame covered with black polyethylene, and even a dug-out bucket lined with stones. It turns out early, we mourned the beloved glade on Mahara. This one is no worse.
Lucy completed the picture by erecting a kind of totem near the benches and the fire.
Is it an attempt to speak to your own shadow? "Tell me, uncle, it was not for nothing that the fathers were poisoned by Solntsedar?" Behind the tent is a nursery of a young spruce forest
The only ambush is the abundance of mice fed and insolent to the extreme. One of them tasted Russian cheese in a package, the other climbed into a pack of napkins, enriching them with lace. And another little gray bastard climbed into my tent. But the consequences caught up later, a day later.
In the morning we walk around Gondarai. Lucy accompanies us to half of the gorge, namely to the border post, and returns back, arranging a half-day for herself
Branches of ripe barberry. Although seized by frost, it is still sour to the point of impossibility
Good fellow between the breeches of our smaller ones
The valley of Gondarai turned out to be more interesting and picturesque than the Maharskaya, although in some places it also got from the lumberjacks. More wild and sparsely populated, with a view of rather beautiful, slender peaks. An abundance of cool glades like Uzunkol.
No way this is one of the Gondarai brothers
On the left along the way, at the top of the wooded side of the gorge, in a clearing of rocks big waterfall, 40--50 meters offhand. But Lucy had already turned back, so neither he nor all subsequent interesting things were covered by her. And not a soul on the post. The law of meanness has worked.
The end of the gorge is crowned with a luxurious circus with the Gondarai glacier.
At the foot of the glacier there is a huge rocky glade similar to the Green Hotel in the Elbrus region
And a whole herd of hungry horses, as if lost, or abandoned by someone here. They approached closely in the hope of getting a treat, but apart from unconvincing attempts at moral support, they found nothing.
The long-awaited autumn marafet
Oh those blueberries! Sluggish, frozen, but still does not give rest.
That's okay. It's noon, but it's time to go back. On the way back, you need to turn to the Indrikoy, another tributary of the Gondarai, in order to rummage around there as well.
We have a snack near the mouth of the Indrikoy and at the same time hold a staff meeting, during which plans suddenly change. The idea arises to return to the camp, weigh anchor and move to a new place: to the confluence of Kichkinekol with Uchkulan (not the Kichkinekol in Uzunkol, but another. There are several rivers with the same name in the KChR, I know three). From there, the classic route to Ullu-Kol Lake begins, which we saw from the pass. Now it was possible to come close to him, to the very shore. With the exception of the absent Lyuda, the proposal was adopted unanimously. Let's leave Indrikoy and Jalpakol for later. Moreover, we recently saw the latter from the Coursho ridge, and so far we have lost our appetite. In conclusion, I wanted to choose a more guaranteed option in terms of emotional impact.
We are approaching the camp. Smoke billows from the forest. Luda, ignorant of our plans, brought firewood and kindled a fire. She doesn’t know that it’s not destiny for us to spend the night here. At the pace, we are going forward (that is, back) to Uchkulan. On the way, we tarry once more with Narzan. Having moved across big bridge Uchkulan finds ourselves in a huge clearing the size of several football fields. Closer to the mouth of Kichkinekol, the clearing began to be divided by copses into a whole bunch of separate clearings, on one of which we stopped. And again the royal place for the camp among the birches. Third in a row. This is one of the main charms of Gvandra.
At night, he woke up from a rustle and mistook it for the external noise of an animal rummaging through the camp. But when I felt that someone ran over my head three times, I realized that a night hunt for a saboteur could not be avoided. By the light of the lantern, he began to rake things scattered around the tent. The cat at that time was sleeping like a gopher, buried himself in the sleeping bag with his head and sniffed loudly. There, even with a gun. Not like a mouse, a raccoon will not hear next to him. Unless as a result of an attempt of direct violence. A game of hide-and-seek forced upon me began, alternating with a short-distance chase. with obstacles. During the next attack, with his own shorts gathered in a lump, the pest rodent was nevertheless eliminated and thrown into the external environment. The special operation was completed without outside help, but after that the dream flew off for a long time. In the morning I found a hole on the mesh wall of the tent, and quite high above the ground. Apparently, when folding the tent in Gondarai, I grabbed a mouse hiding in its depths. Being wrapped up and trying to find freedom, she gnawed through my mesh. Still got off easy. Could make a hole in the outer cover, or the bottom. Science: You should never leave your tent open. It is necessary to fasten at least the mesh on the doors.
New cool morning. We leave late, at 8.00. They brought flashlights just in case. For we do not know how long it will take for this radial. We won't be back after dark. The fears turned out to be unfounded. The running process took 7 hours in both directions, plus an hour hanging out on the lake. At five o'clock we returned to the camp. We ploughed hard, but the pleasure was awesome. Perhaps this is the highlight of this trip.
Valley of the Kichkinekol River (according to other sources, KichkinAkol). We are already in the alpine, the forest zone is left behind. The height will have to gain about the same as on the first running day. Directly on the course of Rynji-Age.
Here, too, there is a source of narzan on a stream-tributary of brown stones. But there is no desire and time to go upstream the stream bed. Let's not spray.
Omitting all sorts of details, I will move on to the final phase. After a long ascent, we go to the lake Gitche-Köl (Small Lake) - the harbinger of Ullu-Köl. But by the last one you need to overcome another tier with a waterfall
We climb along the waterfall on the right, nibbling ripe lingonberries. The forces are running out, it is clearly time to refresh, but it was decided to make the lunch procedure on the lake itself. Not so much in pursuit of more aesthetic conditions for a meal and a smoke break, but because of the fear of missing out on optimal lighting. Otherwise, all the work is in vain. Finally we reach the shore.
In the middle of the saddle, on which we three days ago
kicked out of the Mahara Valley
when you first try to see the lake. From here it is even clearer why we did not succeed. Gitche-Köl was not visible from there either, although it is located directly under the saddle.
Ullu-Kol in color and transparency of water looks like Semitsvetnoe in Arkhyz, but much larger than it. And the surrounding mountain circus is incomparably richer. This is one of the largest and most beautiful lakes that I have ever seen. That's right, they came here. From the pass, it does not make such an impression. And you can’t determine the size from there, the lake is like a lake. However, in order to take a good look at it and shoot it successfully, you need to run around thoroughly. It's better to come with an overnight stay. There are parking lots on the coast. Although lower, by a small lake, there are more of them. And better places.
Here and now it appeared before us in all its splendor.
Before dinner, Lucy decided to swim and without any doubts, and with overclocking preludes gurgled into the water. According to her, the water turned out to be warmer than the air temperature. Brr! Winter is on the nose, the wind and altitude are under 3000, and she arranged a beach here, extreme!
The final resounding note has been inserted in this short but euphonious composition. Tomorrow you can go home.
Strange, but where are the cows?
Over the years of my excursion practice, I often heard from tourists questions like: “I want to go to the mountains, but I’m afraid of them” or “Is there any unusual place-power in the Caucasus, otherwise I’m a psychic” or “Where can I take a blind a non-walking grandmother”, “What if I want to go on vacation with a cat” and so on. There is absolutely nothing funny about the fact that people choose places to stay according to their specific, sometimes not always standard views and preferences. Here, as they say, "there is a product for any buyer." Caucasian mountains are so diverse that they combine the miniature Alps, Pyrenees, Himalayas and even the Andes.
And if we carry out such a classification and really choose places for specific types of recreation, it would be quite obvious to me that the Makharskoye Gorge in the Karachevsky District of the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia is ideal for children or family vacation. Why? That's what this post is about.
Mahar (translated from Turkic - “warrior”) is both a river and a gorge, and even the common name of a resort located just a few kilometers from the village of Uchkulan. Located at an altitude of 1600 meters above sea level, it has a unique microclimate, composed of the combined influence of vegetation, atmospheric pressure and the location of mountain peaks. Here, on a small piece of land, almost everything that is needed for a worthy replacement of expensive sanatoriums and newfangled resorts is concentrated: there is the purest drinking water, medicinal narzans, natural health paths and, most importantly, the absence of anthropogenic activity.
At the very beginning of the post, I called Mahar - a children's resort. The fact is that the mild, almost windless climate of the valley, and the special properties of the most ordinary river water at one time they saved this area from a plague epidemic (the only one in the entire North Caucasus). Even according to statistics, it has always been the most big number centenarians and animals got sick less often than in other mountainous areas. Believe it or not. The old spies, Akhmad and Roza (who, by the way, have as many as eleven children), who look after the local Soviet recreation center Globus, said that back in the USSR, when the base of the Kiev Institute was located here, there was fame about the favorable influence of the Mahar climate on babies. So how many people then poured into these parts! Then everything was slowly forgotten. On, as they say, gold, it glitters even in a bag.
So, the village of Uchkulan is located about 20 km from the Mahara Gorge. This last place with a working cell phone. And good. Only nature, nothing more. Having punctured tires and fumbling for several hours changing them, we decided to spend the night right in the middle of the road, not risking further driving along the dark, rocky road.
Well, the next day, having a quick bite to eat, we safely reached the first local attraction - the source of the Shamanov family, also known as the Narzan Shamanlans.
The source is very easy to miss. Approximately 17 kilometers from Uchkulan, a rickety log bridge can be seen on the right side of the road. Once all these lands were fairly divided between different Karachay families or clans. This is how the different names of tracts, springs and mountain ranges. Having tasted the prickly water, sprinkled all around with glandular ocher, we move on.
At the entrance to Mahar there are no identification marks or signs with the name of the area. On the left side, the word "Bilal" is inscribed in clumsy letters. This is the host name of perhaps the most popular local base. Bilyal Tambiev is a kind of marketing brand. He is a cook, he is a landscaper, an animator and many more. It's always crowded here. On the right side is another base, "Forest Glade", a former frontier post. Less noisy companies like to gather here. Farther away are the bases "Globus", "At Mahmud" and the summer Kid `s camp on the basis of Karachaev University. Now, however, other bases are being built, but in general, until the road is asphalted, you should not worry about the influx of tourists.
We settled down on one of the spacious and picturesque glades: we set up tents, found a fire pit from former tourists and brought firewood.
One of the main advantages of Mahar is the presence of gentle walking routes, which allow moms or dads in ergo backpacks not to be exhausted and enjoy the surrounding landscape with everyone. The rest, originally planned as a recreational one, assumed a clear, almost sanatorium-like observance of the instructions: an early rise (our kids woke up no later than 6-00), an hour walk to the Narzan springs with a climb of 250 m, breakfast, another walk, lunchtime sleep, and again a trip to the narzans. Longing, you say. Maybe, but you have to go through it. And adding to everything the collection of strawberries or wild raspberries, swimming in mountain rivers and going to waterfalls, it turns out to be quite a good rest)
By the way, about swimming in mountain rivers. Who would have thought, but our kids splashed in the icy water (not for long, though) no worse than two small trout. And then they slept for four whole hours in the shade of sprawling green branches. This experience is not for the faint of heart.
The area that will be discussed today cannot be seen in the price lists travel companies offering tours of the North Caucasus. Most locals will be surprised to ask her name again and try to clarify where it is. In response, you will have to dryly answer that this is one of the gorges neighboring Dombai. Today we will talk about Mahara.
Mahar is a mountain river, one of the tributaries of the Uchkulan, which flows into the Kuban. The road to the Mahara Gorge begins in the village of Uchkulan. In the spring of 2018, after heavy rains, the bridge over the Kuban was destroyed in the village. Restoration work is underway now. At this time, a temporary detour through the village of Khurzuk was organized (+6 km along an asphalt road and +6 km along the right bank of the river along a dirt road). From here to Elbrus - about 30 km. In good weather, its western snow-covered slopes can be seen among the peaks of the gorge of the Ulluhurzuk River.
The road along a narrow bridge crosses the Kuban and then goes along the left bank of the river along a dirt road. Vintage settlements in this area deserve a separate description. They are considered the birthplace of the Karachai people, have long history. There are many historical monuments and interesting natural objects. For the passing traveler, these places will be remembered in the form of cabbage fields, cows grazing on the slopes, and countless wooden fences and stone fences.
From Uchkulan to the Mahara Gorge, about 20 km of a dirt road of satisfactory quality. On the right, the slopes of the gorge are mostly grassy. On the left, mountain slopes overgrown with coniferous forests rise to a height of about 3 km. One and a half kilometers from the Upper Uchkulan (+4 km from Uchkulan), the traveler finds himself in a wide tract of Duluzen. During spring floods, this area is often flooded. The Uchkulan River is divided into several branches, forming islands. Local cows grazing along the entire gorge like to rest on these islands.
After the Duluzen tract, the valley narrows, and now the slopes on both sides are covered with old coniferous forests. For a long time they were engaged in logging. Legally, and not really, coniferous trees two girths thick were taken along the roads into the gorge to local sawmills. Judging by the presence of sawmills in the villages, locals They are still engaged in this trade, but not in large volumes.
Approximately 20 km from the village of Uchkulan, the road leads to the sources of the Uchkulan River. This river is formed by the confluence of two turbulent mountain rivers - Mahara and Gondarai. At the foot of the Chirpy-Bashi mountain (3051 m), several tourist bases have been located since Soviet times. Here many travelers stop for the night. In the clearing of Kort-Mala, we also stopped.
Former recreation center of the low-voltage equipment plant IN last years The number of recreation centers is growing, which adversely affects the environment. It should be noted that on weekends the territories of recreation centers and roads through the gorges become so crowded that the feeling of wildlife disappears. There is no opportunity to communicate with nature, and wide glades in the gorges turn into parking lots for cars.
For a cursory inspection of the main attractions of the area, two days are hardly enough. For unprepared tourists hiking is available along the gorge of the river Mahar (about 3 km one way) and Gondarai (about 4 km one way). Walk along the rivers to their upper reaches and slopes of the Main Caucasian ridge will not work. There is a border zone where the passage is carried out with special passes. Signs along the road will warn you about approaching the restricted area.
Mahar river gorge The road along the gorge of the Mahar River begins in the area of tourist bases and goes high along the left slope of the river. A distinctive feature of the Makhar Gorge is a huge power line that runs along the gorge to Abkhazia. Metal supports, three in a row, greatly spoil the natural views. You can't do without wires and supports in the photographs.
Pool with Narzan About half a kilometer from the tourist bases is the source of Narzan. Its temperature is +8 degrees, the water is saturated with iron, which settles on the stones and leaves a bright rusty residue. Narzan is located on the right bank of the river, where a suspension bridge leads. The source itself is located a few meters from the river in a natural depression between the stones. From under the ground beats several powerful keys. Others come to the surface in the same pool mineral springs, which are very different in chemical composition from the main one.
The river Mahar rages below Not far from the source in the Gidzhe tract are "primitive" narzan baths. On the stone near the pool there is a container, which in the past was the drum of a washing machine. A rotten pipe extends from it into the forest, from which fountains flow in different places. The pipe leads to a metal container, under which a fire is made. Within two hours, the water of Narzan is heated to a temperature that allows a person to be in it. After heating, the water enters the wooden shed, where two enameled bathtubs are installed. The entire procedure from water intake to the end of the procedures takes at least three hours. The distance of the journey, the lack of any amenities, unsanitary conditions do not frighten holidaymakers. The clearing opposite the spring is always inhabited by the suffering of healing.
Road to Mahara Gorge The Ullu-Tala tract is one of the last places accessible to the traveler in the Mahara gorge. These places are less visited by tourists, so there is a chance to get enough of raspberries even at the end of August.
Coniferous thickets The gorge of the Gondarai River is of greater interest for photography. There are also plenty of parking spaces. As a result, the number of vacationers on weekends is not inferior to the popular mountain resorts of the Caucasus. Gondaraya Gorge has interesting feature. In addition to the natural increase in height to the upper reaches, several terraces have to be overcome along the way. They are probably formed by glaciers that polished the slopes of the mountains and the bottom of the gorge tens of thousands of years ago. Today, the streams of Gondarai, cascading over the stones of the terraces, will impress any traveler.
Gondarai River The vegetation of the Gondaraya gorge is similar to the Maharsky one, but it also has its own peculiarities. In the glades of Gondarai in wet places colchicum grows. Due to the similarity of flowers, it is often confused with crocus. However, Colchicum has a large inflorescence and blooms in August.
Colchicum in the gorge of the river Gondarai On the right bank of the Gondarai River in the Zhanly-Kolayagy tract is located beautiful waterfall. Its stream breaks down from a height of more than two kilometers and vertically (about 50 m) falls into a narrow valley, from where the water cascades down into Gondarai.
Waterfall in the gorge of the river Gondarai Prepared tourists are not limited to hiking along rivers and to waterfalls. From the Mahara Gorge they go up to the lakes. One of them - Ullu-Kol, is considered one of the largest in the Western Caucasus. Once upon a time hiking trails from Makhar through the Nakhar Pass they led to the Military Sukhum road. Today, many hiking and climbing routes Mountain peaks closed.
Against the background of the Gondarai River in the tract of Zhanly-Kolayagy In our region, there is no mobile connection, no electricity and no communications. The radio receiver that we took on the trip found many interesting stations near the Kort-Mala glade that broadcast in Georgian or Abkhazian. I managed to catch Chinese radio stations, including those in Russian. Of the entertainment, there are only observations of the starry sky and the Moon through a telescope, which we also had in stock.
The slopes of the Gondaraya Gorge Mahara district will not leave anyone indifferent. Mountain air interspersed with the smell of coniferous forests, lush meadows, blue rivers, huge waterfalls - all this will delight even a seasoned tourist.
Mountains North Caucasus it is impossible to travel around everything, but we try, and almost every weekend in the summer we get out into nature.
A trip to the Mahar Gorge was planned with an overnight stay, in order to capture a visit to the ancient Alanian temple along the way, drink narzan and walk along the Mahar itself to the waterfalls (and the path there is long).
The Makhar Gorge is located in the southwestern part of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic at an altitude of about 1600 meters above sea level, a few kilometers from the Georgian border.
The trip to the Mahara Gorge started from the city of Essentuki. Essentuki is a small resort town of the Caucasian Mineralnye Vody with a population of just over 108 thousand people. On the Borgustan highway (Brick town of the city of Essentuki) we immediately made a stop near the Peter and Paul temple complex with the Sculpture of Christ. temple complex, whose foundation was laid in 1999, was built in the image of the shrines of Jerusalem. On the territory of the complex, which has not yet been fully equipped, there are 3 chapels, a baptismal, a dining room, a church shop, a Sunday school and a playground for kids at the entrance.
The statue of the Risen Christ "Jesus Christ - the Savior of the World", built in 2013 at the expense of a local resident-businessman, a Greek by nationality Pavel Aleksov, is currently the highest in Russia (height - 22 meters) and is located on highest point Essentukov. The statue itself is similar to the statue of Christ the Redeemer on Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro. Entrance to the territory of the complex is free.
After walking and taking photos, we are on our way.
Village "Red East". KChR
The next stop is in the Malokarachaevsky district of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic in the village of Krasny Vostok to pick up a local narzan. The aul itself (more precisely, in 2004 it received the status of a village), located on the banks of the Kuma River, is not particularly remarkable. Only in February of this year a new sports complex"Alashara" with an area of more than 1000 m 2.
10th century Shaonin Temple
Next stop - Alanian Shaonin temple of the X century - the oldest christian temple in Russia, located on the left bank of the Kuban. The temple was consecrated in honor of St. George the Victorious (naturally, this is an Alanian temple).
In his early essay on I wrote a little about St. George Uastrji - the most revered by the Alans.
Inside the temple, the decoration does not shine with luxury, but there are icons and surviving frescoes on the walls. Lizards of various shapes and sizes scurry over the stones.
From above, a panorama of the village of Kosta Khetagurova, which is located in the vicinity, and a mountain with a cross opens. The village, named after the famous poet Kosta Levanovich Khetagurov, was founded in 1868 by visiting Ossetians and was previously called Georgievsko-Ossetian.
We are passing the Karachaevsky district - southeast of the industrial Karachaevsk in the upper reaches of the Kuban there is a rather large village of Uchkulan with beautiful mosques. By the way, as we later determined, this was the last place where the mobile network caught. Here, a whole three-liter jar of fresh ayran was bought from the locals.
At 17 km from Uchkulan there is a slightly "shabby" wooden bridge, crossing which you get to the Narzan source.
Mahar Gorge
We drank water and went to the recreation center in the Mahar Gorge itself (in the Turkic language, the word "mahar" means warrior). On the threshold of our guest house we were met by such a beauty-toad).
After lunch, we went to explore the beauty in the surroundings. By the way, the border is already behind the power poles. You can ride horses.
Room in guest house was for 6 people (just our company); in the center is a cast-iron potbelly stove). Despite the fact that it was rather cold, we were afraid to drown it. It was the most a budget option overnight stay - 100 rubles per person. These places are for lovers of "unions" with nature, so there is no electricity, all the amenities are on the street.
If you do not book accommodation in advance, you will still not be left without a roof over your head. There are a lot of similar camp sites and guest houses in the district. Some tourists put up tents, fry shish kebabs.
Early in the morning the next day - a walk to the clearing to the river Uchkulan and to the waterfalls in the valley of the Mahar-Su river.
We were lucky, it was just the azalea flowering season, which lasts less than a month (in another way, the azalea is called the yellow rhodendron). These bright yellow plants perfectly complemented the emerald green, blue sky and off-white snow... It should be borne in mind that the azalea is a very poisonous plant and you should not enjoy its sweetish aroma for a long time. In some places there were wild purple irises.
We walked, then returned to the car, said goodbye to our recreation center and drove back.
We made a stop in a small village, bought a circle of freshly made sweet homemade cheese, talked to a local black and white cat.
A trip to the Mahara Gorge: what you need to take
Useful information: It is MANDATORY to have a passport with you on a trip to the Mahara Gorge, as there is a border outpost nearby. Since we did not go far, at the checkpoint the border guards only copied our passport data.
Interesting Facts:
- In 2016, a three-ruble silver coin with the image of the Shaonin Temple was issued in Russia.
- More than 80% of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic is occupied by mountains.
- The meat of the Karachai black lamb, which has gained popularity since the middle of the 19th century, is considered the most delicious in the Caucasus.
Although it is winter outside, today is a hot summer post. And it’s hot not even because it’s summer, but because the degree of emotions, the tension of human strength and technology was higher than ever during all our trips to the mountains.
I don't like to write, so it's very short.
So, we are again in Karachay-Cherkessia. We pass Karachaevsk.By the way, landscapes of unreal beauty begin after Karachaevsk and become more beautiful with every kilometer.
In the upper reaches of the Kuban River, at its confluence with the Uchkulan River, there is a valley of the same name. There are the ancient Karachay villages of Kart-Dzhurt, Khurzuk and Uchkulan, inhabited hundreds of years ago. It seems that life here is the same as it was a hundred years ago. In a good way. Measured, calm, untouched by civilization, the life of a mountain village. Rarely passing cars return to reality.
From the villages further along the valley to the mountains there is a wide and very long grader road. This road will lead to a few and sparsely populated tourist bases. In this place there is a branching into the Mahar Gorge with the Mahar River and the Gondarai Gorge with the Gondarai River. Further off-road.
We turned to Mahar. Ahead of the frontier posts and access control (we took care of obtaining a pass in advance).
The plan was to drive our UAZ as high as we could, but preferably to the second frontier post (we tick the box, but most likely we won’t go there by car, ha ha). And then on foot higher and higher up to mountain lake(but here, unfortunately, there is nothing to brag about, pedestrian travelers among us are useless; we excuse ourselves by the fact that a thunderstorm began, and we had to go down, although there was absolutely nothing left to the goal).
So, steep climbs, large stones on the road, cliffs, seven fords (impassable in full-flowing rivers) and breathtaking views!!!
Speaking of fords. They pulled out some daredevil on a regular Oise from the river. He didn't start his engine again. This means that you always need to evaluate your strengths in advance and think about where and why you are going.
I'm done with writing. Look!
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And we swam in this waterfall. 
Mountain cows graze freely on the slopes, chewing juicy environmentally friendly grass, washing it down with the purest river water. 
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And here we are on foot. 
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Glacier water. 
Why not alpine meadows?! 
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It was here that we were forced to interrupt our journey due to a thunderstorm. And then - a lower descent, help to a sinking UAZ, a long-awaited halt.
The next day we return back by the same route. We pass villages Kart-Jurt, Khurzuk, Uchkulan.
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