Basic information about the Caucasus mountains. Main Caucasus Range: description, parameters, peaks

Few people are indifferent to the mountain landscape of the Black Sea coast Caucasus. After all, the coast is a narrow strip of land between the sea and the mountains. Wherever you are, the mountains, one way or another, appear in your field of vision. Caucasus is a mountainous country with an area of ​​440 thousand sq. km., which stretches for 1100 km. from the Sea of ​​Azov to the Caspian. And it is located at the foot of this huge country. Big Caucasus As a mountain system along its length, it is customary to divide it into 3 regions:

West Caucasus: from the Sea of ​​Azov to (mountain peak height 5642 m);

Central Caucasus: From Elbrus to Kazbek (mountain peak 5033 m high);

Oriental Caucasus: From Kazbek to the Caspian Sea.

In the longitudinal direction, the following ridges are distinguished:

Main or Watershed Ridge;

Side ridges.

Northern slopes Caucasus formed by the ridges: Skalisty, Pastbishchensky and Black Mountains.

Caucasus Mountains is a young mountain range that was formed during the Tertiary period (about 28 - 23 million years ago). Its formation is not completed; it continues to this day. The mountains are growing, and the seismic activity of the area is evidence of this. Residents of the Western Caucasus sometimes they feel slight vibrations, hear the dishes clinking in the cupboard, and see the chandelier sway. Most often, earth tremors are so weak that they are detected only by ultra-sensitive equipment of seismological stations in this region.

Residents of Central Caucasus More than once we had to survive large earthquakes with an intensity of 6.5 to 7 on the Richter scale. An example is one of the most terrible earthquakes at the end of the 20th century. on Caucasus- earthquake in (Armenia) December 7, 1988. This day became a day of national tragedy for Armenia, the city was destroyed to the ground, more than 25 thousand people died, about 20 thousand were injured.

Growth continues because Caucasus Mountains are folded mountains formed by the movement of the earth's crust, which was folded into folds and rose under the influence of powerful underground forces. This giant fold was formed due to the movement of the Arabian geological platform to the north, which, under the influence of this movement, began to deform, which led to the formation of the Caucasus Mountains. The movement of these platforms, which began millions of years ago, continues to this day, which entails seismic activity in the Caucasus region.

One of the structural features Caucasus Mountains, which is typical for Caucasus and is not repeated in the structure of any mountain ranges in the world, there is a correct gradual decrease in height from the center to the ends of the mountain range. And the higher the mountains, the wider the mountain range. Accordingly, the lower the mountains, the narrower the mountain range.

So, if in the region, whose height is 5,642 m, and the height of the surrounding ridges fluctuates in the region of 4000–5000 m above sea level, the width of the mountain range is over 160 km, then in the region, with mountain heights up to 550 m above sea level sea, the width of the mountain range from north to south is 50–60 km.

Also a characteristic feature Caucasus Mountains is the presence of mountain ranges running parallel to it on the Main Range (Black Mountains). Sometimes these ridges run strictly parallel and are separated from the Main Range by wide valleys. Sometimes these ridges are connected to each other or to the Main Range by mountain junctions.

The valleys that are located between the Main Caucasus Range and parallel ridges are called longitudinal. They are quite wide and flat, their formation occurred together with the formation of mountain ranges.

But there are valleys that are formed by the flow of rivers coming from the peaks Caucasus Mountains and directed perpendicular to mountain ranges. These valleys are called transverse. Mountain rivers, with their frantic flow, seem to break through the mountains, forming in some places deep and narrow gorges, in other places, spilling over flatter terrain, leading to the formation of valleys with high steep sides.

Over the millions of years of its existence, mountains Caucasus were exposed to the sun, water and air currents. Their appearance was changed by the movements of glaciers and the activity of volcanoes, which led to the creation of a mountainous country of unique beauty that attracts lovers of active recreation at any time of the year.

A report about the Caucasus Mountains, a majestic landmark and highlight of the Caucasus, is presented in this article.

Message about the Caucasus Mountains

Caucasus Mountains geographical location

They are spread between Asia and Europe, the Middle and Near East. The mountains of the Caucasus region are divided into 2 systems - the Lesser and Greater Caucasus. The Greater Caucasus is located almost to Baku from Taman and includes the Western, Central and Eastern Caucasus. But the Lesser Caucasus is a mountain range near the Black Sea. They are located between the Black Sea and Caspian coasts, covering the territories of such countries as South Ossetia, Russia, Abkhazia, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Translated, their name means “mountains hold up the sky.” The length of the Caucasus Mountains is 1100 km, and their width is 180 km. The most famous and highest peaks of the system are Mount Elbrus and Kazbek.

How old are the Caucasus Mountains?

The Caucasian mountain system is the same age as the Alps and has a 30-million-year history, inscribed in Greek myths and biblical lines. According to legend, when Noah released a dove from the ark in search of dry land, it brought Noah a twig from the mountains of the Caucasus system. And the myths indicate that Prometheus, the man who gave fire to people, is chained here.

What do the Caucasus Mountains look like?

The mountains are fraught with many unusual things. On their peaks you can find preserved glaciers. Earthquakes are still observed here, since the Caucasus Mountains are young from a geological point of view.

Their appearance is determined by the relief, which is represented by different shapes. Mountain peaks with sharp peaks shot up into the sky. With their outlines, they are similar either to the walls of a castle with towers, or to Egyptian pyramids. In the mountains there are also glaciers, rivers and areas with surfaces heavily damaged by wind erosion.

Climate

The climate of the Caucasus mountain system is quite diverse. These places are characterized by pronounced zonality. These mountains are a natural barrier that prevents the movement of air masses, thereby determining the diversity of the climate. The southern and western slopes receive much more precipitation than the northern and eastern slopes. The Caucasus Mountains are located in almost all climatic zones: from humid subtropics with wet and warm winters, dry hot summers to a dry continental climate, turning into semi-desert in the east.

Near the foothills there are snowy, cold winters with dry summers, and the higher you go in the mountains, the lower the temperature. At an altitude of 3.5 thousand km. it reaches -4 0 C.

Flora and fauna

The Caucasus Mountains are inhabited by unique animals. Among them are chamois, wild boars, mountain goats, foxes and bears, the mountain jerboa and ground squirrel, and in remote places bears and leopards live. On the way from the foot to the top, high-mountain meadow grasses and coniferous forests grow, which are “fed” by rivers, lakes, waterfalls, and mineral springs.

• For the first time, a person climbed the highest peak of the Caucasus Mountains system on July 22, 1829.
• There are a lot of species of invertebrate animals in the Caucasus; for example, approximately 1000 species of spiders still live there.

  In the Caucasus 6349 species of flowering plants, including 1600 native species.

  In the Caucasus many endemic representatives– slightly less than 1,600 species of flora, 32 species of mammals and 3 species of birds.

• Permafrost begins at altitude 3000-3500 m.

We hope that the report about the Caucasus Mountains helped you prepare for the lesson. And you can leave your message about the Caucasus Mountains using the comment form below.

The Caucasus Mountains, born in the collision of the Eurasian and Arabian plates, are like a symbol of the mentality of the peoples living next to them. Proud and tall, they stand as a miraculous wall between the Asian and European parts of our continent on land. Humanity has not yet decided whether to classify them as Europe or Asia.

Height of the Caucasus Mountains: 5642 m (Greater Caucasus) and 3724 m (Lesser Caucasus).

Length of the Greater Caucasus: 1100 km. small - 600 km.

See the geographical location of the Caucasus Mountains or where they are located and how they are located on the map. To enlarge the map of the Caucasus mountains, just click on it.

The Caucasian ranges, not crossed by rivers, are called watersheds. The Caucasus mountain system, the same age as the Alps, with a thirty-million-year history, is firmly inscribed in the memory of mankind through biblical lines and Greek myths. It was on one of the mountains of the system that the dove released from Noah’s Ark found a twig, on the top of Ararat. The legendary Prometheus, who gave fire to people, was chained to one of the Caucasian rocks.

The Caucasus is divided into two parts, which are called the Greater and Lesser Caucasus. The first extends from Taman almost to Baku and consists of the Western, Central and Eastern Caucasus. One and a half thousand square kilometers of ice, the highest point of Eurasia - Elbrus (the top of the Caucasus Mountains), Iron Mountain, and six mountain peaks five thousand kilometers high - this is what the Greater Caucasus is.

The Lesser Caucasus is a mountain range near the Black Sea, with peaks up to four kilometers high.

The Caucasus Mountains are located between the Caspian and Black Sea coasts and at the same time on the territory of several countries. These are Russia, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.

The climate of the Caucasus is varied: from typically maritime in Abkhazia, it changes to sharply continental in Armenia.

The Caucasus is inhabited by unique animals - chamois, mountain goats, wild boars; in particularly remote and inaccessible places you can find a leopard or bear.

Alpine meadow grasses, coniferous forests climbing up from the foothills, wild rivers, lakes, waterfalls, mineral water springs, clean air.

It is thanks to this successful combination of values ​​for human health that there are a huge number of sanatorium and resort establishments in the region.

Rock climbing lovers are attracted by the royal Elbrus and its neighbors - Shkhara, Kazbek, Dzhangitau, Dykhtau and Koshnantau. Among the snows of the Caucasus there is a place for skiers and snowboarders, lovers of hiking and thrills, rafting enthusiasts, as well as all those who value their health. The Caucasus offers health paths, Norwegian walking, rock climbing, river rafting, skiing and many other types of active recreation.

Once you have visited the mountains sung by the “genius of Lermontov”, you will remember them for the rest of your life.

Video: Wildlife of Russia 4 of 6 Caucasus Mountains.

Video: Hiking in the Caucasus Mountains.

The Main Caucasian (Water Dividing) Range is a continuous mountain chain stretching more than 1,100 km from northwest to southeast from the Black Sea (Anapa region) to the Caspian Sea (Mount Ilkhydag northwest of Baku). The Caucasus Range divides the Caucasus into two parts: Ciscaucasia (North Caucasus) and Transcaucasia (South Caucasus).

The Main Caucasus Range separates the basins of the Kuban, Terek, Sulak and Samur rivers in the north and the Inguri, Rioni and Kura rivers in the south.

The mountain system that includes the Main Caucasus Range is called the Greater Caucasus (or Greater Caucasus Range), in contrast to the Lesser Caucasus, a vast highland located south of the Rioni and Kura valleys and connected directly with the highlands of Western Asia.

For a more convenient overview, the Caucasus ridge can be divided along its length from west to east into seven parts:

Black Sea Caucasus (from the Anapa meridian to the Fisht - Oshten mountain group - approx. 265 km),

Kuban Caucasus (from Oshten to the source of the Kuban) - 160 km,

Elbrus Caucasus, or western (Karachay-Circassian) Elbrus region (from the source of the Kuban to the peak of Adai-Khokh) - 170 km,

Terek (Kazbek) Caucasus (from Adai-Khokh to Barbalo) - 125 km,

Dagestan Caucasus (from Barbalo to the top of Sari-dag) - 130 km,

Samur Caucasus (from Sari-dag to Baba-dag) - approx. 130 km,

Caspian Caucasus (from Baba-dag to the peak of Ilkhydag) - approx. 170 km.

A more enlarged division is also accepted:

Western Caucasus (bounded from the east by Elbrus);

Central Caucasus;

Eastern Caucasus (bounded from the west by Kazbek).

The entire system of the Main Caucasus Range occupies approximately 2,600 km². The northern slope occupies about 1450 km², and the southern slope - about 1150 km².

The width of the Caucasus Range in the western (slightly west of Elbrus, and including the Elbrus mountain range) and eastern (Dagestan) parts is about 160...180 km, in the central - about 100 km; both ends taper greatly and are (especially the western) insignificant in width.

The highest is the middle part of the ridge, between Elbrus and Kazbek (average heights about 3,400 - 3,500 m above sea level); Its highest peaks are concentrated here, the highest of which - Elbrus - reaches an altitude of 5,642 m above sea level. m.; East of Kazbek and west of Elbrus, the ridge decreases, more significantly in the second direction than in the first.

In general, in height, the Caucasus Range significantly exceeds the Alps; it has no less than 15 peaks exceeding 5,000 m, and more than 20 peaks higher than Mont Blanc, the highest peak in all of Western Europe. The advanced elevations accompanying the Main Range, in most cases, do not have the character of continuous chains, but represent short ridges or mountain groups connected to the watershed ridge by spurs and broken in many places by deep river gorges, which, starting in the Main Range and breaking through the advanced elevations, descend to the foothills and emerge onto the plains.

Mount Elbrus from the air - the roof of Europe

Thus, almost along its entire length (in the west - from the south, in the east - from the north) the watershed ridge is adjacent to a number of high basins, in most cases of lake origin, closed on one side by the heights of the watershed, as well as its spurs, and on the other - separate groups and short ridges of advanced hills, which in some places exceed the main chain in height.

On the northern side of the watershed, transverse basins predominate, and on the southern side, except for its western end, longitudinal basins predominate. It is also characteristic of the Caucasus Range that many of the primary peaks lie not on the Vodorazdelny ridge, but at the ends of its short spurs heading north (this is the position of the peaks Elbrus, Koshtan, Adai-Khokh, etc.). This is the so-called Lateral Caucasian Ridge, which stretches in the vast majority of cases (in many places) even below the Skalisty.

Northern slope of the Caucasus ridge

The northern, more developed slope of the Caucasus Range, formed by many spurs, generally adjacent almost perpendicular to the Main Range and separated by deep transverse valleys, reaches very significant development in the vicinity of Elbrus (Elbrus ledge). The most significant rise [Elbrus-Mineralovodskaya fault zone] is directed from this peak directly to the north, serves as a watershed between the waters of the Kuban (Azov) and Terek (Caspian Sea) and, descending with ledges further, spreads into the island mountains of Pyatigorye and the vast Stavropol Upland (the main rise forward ledges reaches the Pastbishchny ridge, bordering the horseshoe Kislovodsk basin, turns south (of Kislovodsk) to the east, along with gorges and river valleys, stretches to the Tersko-Sunzhensky interfluve - forming the Tersko-Sunzhensky upland, and further - up to the Andean ridge).

The northern slope is even more developed in the eastern part of the Caucasus ridge, where numerous, and very significant in height and length, its spurs form the vast mountainous country of Dagestan (Dagestan ledge) - a large mountainous region, closed by the high Andean, Sala-Tau and Gimryn (2334 m ) ridges. Gradually descending to the north, the northern slope is formed by many advanced hills, which in some places appear in the form of ridges and mountain spurs; These mountain ranges include the so-called Black Mountains (see) (Pasture Range), located north of the Main Range, at a distance of 65 km from it. The Black Mountains form gentle and long slopes, in most areas covered with dense forests (hence the name), and fall into steep cliffs to the south. Rivers flowing from the Main Range break through the Black Mountains through deep and narrow, very picturesque gorges (the Sulak Canyon is up to 1800 m deep); the height of this advanced chain, in general, is insignificant, although (in the west of the Dagestan ledge) in the upper reaches of the Ardon and Urukh, some of their peaks reach an altitude of more than 3,300 m above sea level (Kion-Khokh - 3,423 m, Kargu-Khokh - 3 350 m, Vaza-Khokh - 3,529 m (Rocky and Side ridges)).

view of the Caucasus Range from the Rosa Khutor base

The southern slope is particularly poorly developed in the western and eastern parts of the ridge, reaching quite significant orographic development in the middle, where it is adjacent to parallel hills that form the longitudinal valleys of the upper reaches of the Rioni, Enguri and Tskhenis-tskhali, and long spurs extending to the south, separating the Alazani basins , Iori and Kura.

The steepest and least developed section of the southern slope is where it falls towards the Alazani valley; The city of Zagatala, located at an altitude of 355 m at the southern foot of the Caucasus Range, is located in a straight line only 20 km from its crest, which here reaches an altitude of more than 3,300 m above sea level. The Caucasus Range is not particularly passable; Only at its western and eastern extremities are there convenient and low passes that are fully accessible all year round for communication.

Throughout the rest of the length, with the exception of the Mamison and Cross passes (see Georgian Military Road), the paths through the ridge in most cases are pack paths or even pedestrian paths, partly completely inaccessible for use in the winter season. Of all the passes, the most important is Krestovy (2,379 m), through which the Georgian Military Road passes.

Central Caucasus

Glaciers of the Caucasus

In terms of the number of glaciers, their area and size, the Caucasus Range is almost as good as the Alps. The largest number of significant glaciers is located in the Elbrus and Terek parts of the ridge, and there are about 183 glaciers of the first category in the Kuban, Terek, Liakhva, Rioni and Inguri basins, and 679 of the second category. In total in the Greater Caucasus, according to the “Catalog of Glaciers of the USSR” (1967 —1978), 2,050 glaciers with a total area of ​​1,424 km². The size of the Caucasian glaciers is very diverse, and some of them (for example, Bezengi) are almost as large as the Aletsch glacier in the Alps. The Caucasian glaciers nowhere descend as low as, for example, the glaciers of the Alps, and in this respect they present great diversity; Thus, the end of the Karaugom glacier descends to an altitude of 1,830 m above sea level, and the Shah-Dag glacier (ShahDag (4243 m), in the Bazar-Dyuzu region) - to an altitude of 3,320 m above sea level. The most famous glaciers of the Caucasus Range are:

Mount Fisht, Caucasus

Name of the glacier (Mountain from which it descends)

Bezengi (bass by Cherek Bezengisky) Shota Rustaveli peak, Shkhara

Dykh-Su [Dykh-Kotyu-BugoySu]

Karaugom (Urukh, bass. Terek) Adai-khoh

Tsaneri [Tsanner] (bass. Inguri) Tetnuld

Devdoraki (bass Amali) Kazbek

Big Azau (Baksan, Terek basin) Elbrus, southern shoulder

Snow Valley Jikiugankez

Malka and Baksan Elbrus, eastern shoulder

Tsey (Ardon, bass. Terek)

Lekhzyr [Lekzyr, Lekziri] (bass Inguri)

Ezengi (Yusengi)

Donguzorun-Cheget-Karabashi (west), Yusengi ridge (east)

Shkheldy glacier (Adylsu, Baksan basin)

Shhelda (4368 m),

Chatyntau (4411 m)

panorama of the Caucasus ridge

During the Ice Age, the glaciers of the Caucasus Range were much more numerous and extensive than now; from the numerous traces of their existence, found far from modern glaciers, we can conclude that the ancient glaciers extended in length for 53, 64 and even up to 106.7 or more kilometers, descending into valleys to heights of 244...274 meters above sea level. Currently, most of the glaciers of the Caucasus Range are in a period of retreat, which has lasted for several decades.

Main Caucasus Range - Abkhazia

MAIN PEAKS AND GLACIERS OF THE CAUCASUS RIDGE

Bezengi is a mountainous region of Kabardino-Balkaria, the central, highest part of the Caucasus Mountains, including the Bezengi wall of the main Caucasus ridge and the side ridges adjacent to the north that form the Cherek Bezengi river basin.

Bezengi wall

The Bezengi Wall is a 42-kilometer mountain range, the highest section of the main Caucasus ridge. Usually the boundaries of the wall are considered to be the peaks Lyalver (in the west) and Shkhara (in the east).

To the north, the wall drops steeply to 3000 m to the Bezengi glacier (Ullu-Chiran). To the south, to Georgia, the terrain is complex, there are wall sections and high-altitude glacial plateaus.

Tops of the area

Bezengi wall

Lyalver (4350)

Yesenin Peak (4310)

Gestola (4860)

Katyntau (4974)

Dzhangitau (5085)

Sh. Rustaveli Peak (4960)

Shkhara (5068)

Mount Dykhtau, Side Range

Side ridge

Koshtantau (5152)

Krumkol (4676)

Tikhonov Peak (4670)

Mizhirgi (5025)

Pushkin Peak (5033)

Dykhtau (5204)

Warm corner

Gidan (4167)

Archimedes Peak (4100)

Georgia, Trinity Monastery near Mount Kazbek

Salynan-bashi (4348)

Ortokara (4250)

Peak Ryazan

Peak Brno (4100)

Misses-tau (4427)

Peak Cadets (3850)

Mount Shkhara

THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN OF GEORGIA

Shkhara (Georgian: შხარა) is a mountain peak in the central part of the Main Caucasus (Watershed) Range, the highest point in Georgia. Elevation 5,068 m above sea level, some sources estimate 5,201 m. Located in Svaneti from the south and Bezengi in Kabardino-Balkaria from the north, on the border with Russia, approximately 90 km north of the city of Kutaisi. It is part of a unique 12-kilometer mountain range known as the Bezengi Wall.

It is composed of granites and crystalline schists. The slopes are covered with glaciers, on the northern slope there is the Bezengi glacier, on the southern slope there is the Shkhara glacier, from which the Inguri River partially originates. Popular mountaineering spot. Soviet climbers first climbed Shkhara in 1933.

At the foot of the southern slopes of Shkhara, at an altitude of 2,200 m above sea level, there is the village of Ushguli in the Mestia region of Svaneti, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

MOUNT TETNULD Main Caucasus Range

Tetnuld (Georgian: თეთნულდი “white mountain”) is a peak in the spur of the Bezengi Wall, the Main Caucasus Range in the Upper Svaneti region, Georgia, 2 km south of the peak of Gestola and the border of the Russian Federation (Kabardino-Balkaria).

Height - 4,869 m.

The peak is two-headed, composed of ancient crystalline rocks. The glaciers Oish, Nageb, (headwaters of the Inguri), Adish and others flow down from Tetnuld. The total area of ​​glaciers is 46 km².

The regional center of Mestia is located 22 km west of the peak.

Mount Gestola

TSEISKY GLACIER

The Tsey glacier (Ossetian: Tsyæy tsiti) is a valley glacier on the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus, one of the largest and lowest-lying glaciers in the Caucasus.

The Tseysky glacier is located in North Ossetia and is fed mainly by the snow of Mount Adai-Khokh (4,408 m). The Tseysky glacier descends to a height of 2,200 m above sea level, that is, below the vast majority of glaciers in the Caucasus. Its length, together with the firn fields, is about 9 km, the area is 9.7 km². At the very bottom it is quite narrow, and above it it widens greatly, reaching 1 km in width. Constrained by rocks at an altitude of 2,500 m above sea level, it forms countless cracks and has several icefalls, but higher up its surface becomes smoother again.

The Tseysky glacier is formed from 2 large and 2 smaller branches. From the ice arch of the Tseya glacier flows the beautiful Tseya (Tseydon) river, which flows from west to east through a deep, picturesque gorge covered with pine forest. It flows into the Ardon on the left side.

Near the Tseysky glacier there are mountaineering camps and the Ossetia tourist center, as well as the Goryanka hotel, the SKGMI scientific station and a weather station. There are two cable cars leading to the glacier. Mountain climatic resort area - Tsey.

Many poems by both famous authors (for example, “Tseyskaya” by Yuri Vizbor) and folk ones are dedicated to the Tseysky glacier and gorge:

What a wonderful camp Tsey, /

I have many friends here. /

And the mountains are nearby - I won’t hide that. /

As soon as you step outside the threshold, /

Before the eyes of Adai-Khokh, /

And the gray block “Monk” overhead...

Mount Adai-Khokh

Friend, give thanks for the cup,

I hold the sky in my hand

Mountain air of the state

Drinking on the Tseysky glacier.

Nature itself keeps here

A clear trace of bygone times -

nineteenth year

Cleansing ozone.

And below from the pipes of Sadon

Gray smoke stretches out,

So that when it comes to me

This cold didn’t carry me away.

There under the roofs, like a net,

The rain breathes and trembles,

And along the line a trolley

Runs like a black bead.

I am present at the meeting

Two times and two heights,

And prickly snow on your shoulders

Old Tsei gives it to me.

Moscow, 1983. Arseny Tarkovsky

Mount Monk

MOUNTAIN Donguzorun-Cheget

Donguzorun-Cheget-Karabashi or Donguz-Orun is the top of the Main (or Watershed) Ridge of the Greater Caucasus, in the Elbrus region. Located in the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria of the Russian Federation. Height - 4454 m.

Nearby, at an altitude of 3203 m, there is the Donguzorun mountain pass across the Main Range between the valleys of the Baksan (Russia) and Inguri (Georgia) rivers. At the foot of the Donguzorun-Cheget-Karabashi flows one of the tributaries of the Baksan - the Donguz-Orun River.

MOUNTAIN ACHISHKHO

Achishkho (Adyghe goat mountain: Achi - “goat”, shkho - “height”, “peak”.) (Nedezhui-Kushkh) is a mountain range in the Western Caucasus, located on the territory of the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation. Height up to 2391 m (Mount Achishkho, 10 km northwest of Krasnaya Polyana).

The ridge is composed of clayey shales and volcanic (tuffaceous) rocks. The landscapes of the Achishkho ridge are characterized by ancient glacial landforms and ridge lakes (including karst ones), and there are waterfalls.

The ridge is located in a humid climate zone - the annual precipitation is up to 3000 mm (the highest value in Russia), the thickness of the snow cover reaches 10 m. The number of sunny days does not exceed 60-70 days a year.

The slopes of Achishkho are covered with broad-leaved, mainly beech, fir forests in the north, and mountain meadows on the tops.

The ridge is popular among hikers. There are dolmens.

Caucasian State Natural

biosphere reserve

The reserve is the legal successor of the Caucasian bison reserve, established on May 12, 1924, and is located in the Western Caucasus, on the border of the temperate and subtropical climatic zones. The total area of ​​the reserve is more than 280 thousand hectares, of which 177.3 thousand hectares are in the Krasnodar Territory.

On February 19, 1979, by decision of UNESCO, the Caucasian Nature Reserve was given biosphere status, and in January 2008 it was named after Kh. G. Shaposhnikov. In 1999, the territory of the Caucasian State Natural Biosphere Reserve was included in the World Heritage List

Kuban hunting

In 1888, on behalf of the Grand Dukes Peter Nikolaevich and Georgiy Mikhailovich, about 80 thousand acres of land in the Greater Caucasus Range were leased from the forest dachas of the Ministry of State Property and the Kuban Regional Military Administration. An agreement was concluded with the Kuban Rada for the exclusive right of hunting in these territories for the grand dukes. Subsequently, the territory became known as the Grand Ducal Kuban Hunt.

A few years later, the princes stopped traveling to Kuban for health reasons, and then in 1892 they transferred the right to hunt to Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, who began actively developing the territory.

Bison Reserve

In 1906, the expiring lease period for the Kuban hunting territory was extended for another three years, after which it was planned to divide these lands between the villages of the Kuban Cossacks. In 1909, Kh. G. Shaposhnikov, who worked as a forester of the Belorechensky forestry of the Kuban Army, sent a letter to the Russian Academy of Sciences justifying the need to reserve the territory leased from the Kuban Army. The main reason for creating the reserve was the protection of the endangered Caucasian bison. The letter also outlined the boundaries of the reserve. Based on this letter, Academician N. Nasonov made a report, and the Academy of Sciences created a commission. As a military forester, Shaposhnikov participated in her work to organize the reserve. However, for a number of reasons related to the division of land by the Kuban Cossacks, the matter did not progress significantly.

Repeated attempts to create a reserve were made in 1913 and 1916. Finally, in 1919, a positive decision was made.

With the establishment of Soviet power in the region, the issue of the reserve had to be resolved anew. Only in May 1924 was the state Caucasian bison reserve established.

Cross Pass - the highest point of the Georgian Military Road

DEFENSE OF THE CAUCASIAN RIDGE

Fighting on the passes.

In mid-August 1942, the 1st and 4th divisions of the 49th German Mountain Rifle Corps, concentrated in the area of ​​​​Nevinnomyssk and Cherkessk, began to move freely to the passes of the Main Caucasus Range, since there were no our troops in this direction, but 46 The I Army, which was entrusted with organizing the defense, did not even have time to approach the southern slopes of the passes. There were no engineering structures at the passes.

By August 14, the 1st German Mountain Rifle Division reached the Verkhnyaya Teberda, Zelenchukskaya, Storozhevaya areas, and the 4th German Mountain Rifle Division reached the Akhmetovskaya area. Strong groups of specially trained enemy climbers, who had experienced guides, forestalled our units and, from August 17 to October 9, occupied all the passes in the area from Mount Elbrus to the Umpyrsky Pass. In the Klukhor and Sanchar directions, the Nazis, having overcome the Main Caucasus Range, reached its southern slopes, moving forward 10-25 km. There was a threat of the capture of Sukhumi and the disruption of supplies along the communications route along the Black Sea coast.

On August 20, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command demanded that the commander of the Transcaucasian Front, along with the creation of a strong defense in the main operational directions, immediately strengthen the defense of the Main Caucasian Ridge, especially the Georgian Military, Ossetian Military and Sukhumi Military roads. The headquarters ordered to blow up and fill up all passes and paths, mountain passes on which no defensive structures had been created, and to prepare the areas defended by the troops for explosion in case of withdrawal. It was proposed to appoint commandants on all roads and directions, giving them full responsibility for the defense and condition of the roads.

Following the instructions of the Headquarters, the command of the Transcaucasian Front began to deploy forces to stop the advance of the Nazi troops on the passes of the Main Caucasus Ridge.

In the Elbrus direction, units of the 1st German Mountain Rifle Division, taking advantage of the absence of our troops, on August 18 occupied the Khotyu-Tau and Chiper-Azau passes, the Krugozor and Shelter of Eleven tourist bases on the southern slopes of Mount Elbrus. Units of the 8th Motorized Regiment of the NKVD and the 63rd Cavalry Division that arrived here threw the enemy back from these passes to the “Shelter of Eleven”, where he was held until January 1943.

The Klukhorsky pass was covered by a company of the 815th regiment. On August 15, the enemy threw a regiment here. Unable to withstand the strong blow, the defenders of the pass began to retreat to the southern slopes, where two more companies were located. The fighting was fierce. Having learned about them on August 17, the command of the 46th Army sent two battalions and an NKVD detachment to help the units of the 816th Regiment, which, upon approaching the battle area on August 22, stopped the further advance of the Nazis. On September 8, enemy units were thrown back to the Klukhor Pass, where they remained until January 1943.

On September 5, the enemy regiment, after a concentrated air strike and a fire attack by artillery and mortars, began an attack on the Marukh Pass, which was defended by two battalions. After stubborn fighting, the defenders were forced to leave the pass on September 7. Further German advance here was stopped by arriving reinforcements, but it was not possible to reset them from the pass until January 1943. The Sanchar Pass was defended by one company and a combined detachment of the NKVD. The fascist German command sent a regiment against them on August 25. The Nazis managed to drive our units out of the pass and almost unhindered to reach the area, which is 25 km from Gudauta and Sukhumi. An urgently created Sanchar group of troops was sent to meet the enemy, consisting of one rifle regiment, two rifle battalions, two NKVD regiments and a detachment of cadets from the 1st Tbilisi Infantry School. On August 29, the group came into contact with German units, stopped them, and on August 6, with the support of aviation, went on the offensive.

Two days later, she captured the village of Pskhu, which served as the enemy’s main base on the southern slopes of the Main Caucasus Range. Now the Nazis did not have a single settlement left in this area. By October 20, our troops in the Sanchar direction, with the support of the Black Sea Fleet aviation, pushed them back to the northern slopes of the Main Caucasus Range.

The role of the Black Sea Fleet aviation in the defeat of the enemy group in the Sanchar direction is enormous. DB-3, SB, Pe-2 and R-10 aircraft, based at the airfields of Gudauta and Babushery at a distance of 25-35 km from the front line, made 6-10 sorties daily to carry out bombing strikes on enemy troops, and on days of intense fighting - up to 40 sorties. In total, in September 1942, Black Sea Fleet aviation dropped about a thousand FAB-100s onto the Sancharsky and Marukhsky passes.

Thus, our troops, having almost no artillery and mortars, received the greatest and only support from naval aviation.

The fascist German command also tried to capture the Umpyrsky and Belorechensky passes. On August 28, the Nazis sent two reinforced battalions to the Umpyrsky Pass, which was defended by two companies. However, thanks to a well-organized defense and the brave actions of Soviet soldiers, numerous enemy attacks were repulsed. The Belorechensky Pass was stormed by an infantry regiment and several squadrons of enemy cavalry with artillery support. Thanks to the energetic actions of our forces and arriving reserves, the enemy was stopped and then thrown back far to the north.

So, by the actions of units of the 46th Army and the aviation of the Black Sea Fleet, the offensive of the German 49th Mountain Rifle Corps, specially prepared for combat operations in the mountains, was thwarted. By the end of October 1942, a stable defense of the Main Caucasus Ridge was created.

Anti-landing defense of the Poti naval base. In July - December, the defense of the Black Sea coast from the Soviet-Turkish border to Lazarevskaya was carried out by the forces of the Poti naval base together with the 46th Army of the Transcaucasian Front. In the second half of August, when Nazi troops approached the passes of the Main Caucasus Range, the 46th Army was redirected to repel this main danger; coastal defense became the sole task of the Poti naval base.

The composition of the base forces changed with the situation. The enemy intensified reconnaissance of the main fleet base and began bombing the base and ships. By the end of December, the base air defense area was replenished with a regiment and thus included three anti-aircraft regiments and a separate anti-aircraft artillery division. The base's rifle units also increased by one battalion and two platoons of Marines. But these forces were clearly not enough to organize a reliable defense of the coast, so it was built on the principle of creating separate resistance centers that covered the main directions. Between the nodes of resistance, blockages and abatis were built, separate machine-gun points were installed, and anti-personnel minefields were set up.

The strongest defense from land was created in the region of Poti and Batumi, where it was decided to equip four lines: forward, main, rear and internal. The forward line of defense was supposed to be 35 - 45 km from the base, the main line - 25 - 30 km, the rear line - 10 - 20 km from Poti and Batumi, the internal line - directly on the outskirts and in the depths of the vegetable gardens. To conduct street fighting, the construction of barricades and anti-tank obstacles was envisaged.

However, the planned engineering defensive structures were not built. The forward and main lines of defense were not equipped at all due to the lack of manpower, and on the rear line, work on the rear line was only 75% completed by October 25.

The entire land defense area of ​​Poti was divided into three sectors. The first sector was defended by a battalion of marines supported by eleven coastal artillery guns, the second sector by a coastal defense school and a border detachment (343 people and seven guns), the third sector by personnel of the 1st torpedo boat brigade and a border detachment (105 people and eight guns). ). There were about 500 people in the reserve of the commander of the Poti naval base. In addition, all sectors were supported by naval artillery.

In order to better use forces in the defense of the coast, a manual for the anti-landing defense of the Poti naval base was developed.

However, there were also significant shortcomings in the organization of coastal defense. The engineering structures created at the beginning of 1942, due to the long time frame for their construction, had fallen into disrepair by 30-40% and required extensive repairs. Coastal artillery was poorly prepared to repel the enemy from land. Batteries No. 716 and 881 had no shrapnel shells at all. Over 50% of the personnel of the 164th separate artillery battalion did not have rifles.

There were also major shortcomings in the organization of the air defense of the base, which were revealed during an enemy air raid on Poti on July 16. First of all, the surveillance and warning system was poorly developed. Thus, due to the location of patrol boats near the base, the command of the base air defense area did not have the opportunity to detect the enemy in time and raise fighter aircraft, and some anti-aircraft batteries were not even notified of the approach of enemy aircraft.

However, despite all these shortcomings, formations and units of the Poti naval base provided reliable basing for the fleet and created favorable conditions for the operations of units of the 46th Army on the passes of the Main Caucasus Ridge.

Conclusions on the actions of the Black Sea Fleet in the defense of bases and coasts

As a result of a five-month offensive in the second half of 1942, fascist German troops achieved significant successes. They captured the North Caucasus and the Taman Peninsula, reached the foothills of the Main Caucasus Range and the Terek River and captured the passes. The enemy managed to occupy economically important areas and create a difficult situation for our troops in the Caucasus, but he was unable to overcome the defenses of our troops and achieve strategic success.

During fierce defensive battles, Soviet troops and the Black Sea Fleet bled the enemy dry, stopped his advance in the foothills and at the turn of the Terek River, and thus thwarted Hitler’s plans to capture the entire Caucasus and the Soviet Black Sea Fleet.

The Black Sea Fleet and the Azov Military Flotilla, operationally subordinate to the command of the North Caucasus Front and then the Transcaucasian Front, closely interacting with these fronts, provided them with great assistance in the defense and defeat of the Nazi troops in the Caucasus. The Black Sea Fleet and the Azov Flotilla reliably covered the coastal flank of our ground forces, organizing an anti-landing defense of the Azov and Black Sea coasts, allocating for this purpose about 40 thousand people from marine units, coastal and anti-aircraft artillery units, 200 anti-aircraft guns, 150 coastal artillery guns, 250 warships, vessels and watercraft and up to 250 aircraft.

Units of the marine corps, coastal artillery and aviation operating on land showed resilience, high moral and political spirit, mass heroism and an unyielding will to defeat the enemy.

Although the anti-landing defense of the coast by the Black Sea Fleet was organized in accordance with the situation and fully justified itself, it should be admitted that it was poorly saturated with rifle units, which gave the enemy the opportunity to land troops on the Taman Peninsula on September 2, 1942 and attempt to land on the night of October 30 landing on the eastern shore of Tsemes Bay.

The experience of the defense of Novorossiysk and Tuapse showed that the delay in organizing forces for defense, the shallow depth of defense and the dispersion of forces led to significant losses in manpower and equipment and the loss of Novorossiysk, and the timely creation of the Tuapse defensive region made it possible to organize a deep, strong defense of the base from land and not allow the enemy into the defended area. The experience of base defense also showed that one of the main reasons for their rapid decline was the lack of reserves at the base command, which did not allow them to repel enemy attacks in a timely manner.

The experience of base defense confirmed the need to organize interaction and unite all forces under a single command. The best form of such an organization was a fully justified defensive area, divided into sectors and combat areas.

The heroic defense of the Caucasus was a good combat school for units of the Soviet Army and the Black Sea Fleet. In the course of it, they accumulated enormous combat experience and mastered the tactics of action in the mountains. Soviet troops were re-equipped with light weapons, rifle units were reinforced with engineering units, commanders mastered the art of command and control in difficult conditions, the rear organized supply for troops in mountainous conditions, using aviation and all types of transport, including pack transport.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:

Team Nomads.

B.A. Garf. Bezengi Gorge. - Moscow: State Publishing House of Geographical Literature, 1952.
A.F. Naumov. Central Caucasus. — Moscow: “PHYSICAL CULTURE AND SPORTS”, 1967.

http://www.sk-greta.ru/

Bush I. A. Glaciers of the Western Caucasus. Notes of the Russian Geographical Society on general geography. T. XXXIII. No. 4, 1905,

Dictionary of modern geographical names / Under the general editorship of academician. V. M. Kotlyakova. - Ekaterinburg: U-Factoria, 2006.

Around Elbrus. Tourist route map (M. 1:100,000). Pyatigorsk: North-Kav. AGP. 1992. Roscartography 1992, 1999 (with a more detailed description)

http://www.anapacity.com/bitva-za-kavkaz/glavnyj-kavkazskiy-hrebet.html

Topographic map K-38-13. - GUGK USSR, 1984.

Wikipedia website.

Opryshko O. L. Sky-high front of the Elbrus region. - M.: Voenizdat, 1976. - 152 p. — (The heroic past of our Motherland). — 65,000 copies.

Beroev B. M. Elbrus region: Essay on nature. Chronicle of the conquest of Elbrus. Tourist routes. - M.: Profizdat, 1984. - 208 p. - (One hundred paths - one hundred roads). — 97,500 copies.

http://ii1.photocentra.ru/

http://photosight.ru/

The source material for this publication is photographs taken from the top of the mountain. Kezgen in July 2007 and July 2009. They formed the basis two basic panoramas.

PANORAMA-1:– evening panorama (July 2007). Covers the GKH sector from the Bezengi wall to Chatyn, as well as the areas of the spurs of the Main Ridge descending towards the Russian side - Chegem, Adyrsu and Adylsu.

PANORAMA-2:– morning panorama (July 2009). Partially covering Panorama-1, it represents the GKH sector from the wall of Bezengi to Azau, the Russian spurs of the GKH - Adyrsu, Adylsu, Yusengi, Kogutai and Cheget, the Azau-Elbrus jumper, as well as the South-Eastern (with the Terskolak peak) and Eastern (with the Irikchat peak ) spurs of Elbrus.

The two main panoramas are accompanied by additional PANORAMA-3(July 2007). It gives a view of the spurs of Eastern Elbrus in the Subashi-Kyrtyk-Mukal sector from the Russian Officers Pass (which is near the Kezgen peak 150 m below it).

Together these three panoramas cover the entire viewing circle.

Camera- Nikon 8800.

Read more about Kezgen peak.
Kezgen is located in the highest of the eastern spurs of Elbrus - the one that stretches from the peak hanging over its ice fields Chatkara(3898 m) to the villages of Elbrus and Neutrino in the Baksan Valley. The spur has a number of left branches towards the Subashi, Kyrtyk and Syltransu rivers, while it itself borders on the left side the valley of the Irikchat River and - after its confluence with Irik - the Irik Valley. The main peak in this spur is Irikchat(4054 m), slightly inferior to it Subashi(3968 m) in the northwest and the equally high Kezgen duo - Soviet warrior(4011 m) in the southeast.

The climb to Kezgen is beautiful, pleasant and easy. The beginning of the movement towards Kezgen, Soviet Warrior and Irikchat is common - from the floodplain of the Irikchat River along a grassy slope, along a path clearly visible from afar. Then the paths diverge, the Kezgen trail takes to the right. Upon reaching the scree slopes, it gets lost on the upper traverses, but with sufficient visibility, you can’t miss the takeoff opening on the left to the Russian Officers Pass (tourist 1B). The way out from the pass saddle to the summit (along the north-eastern ridge) is also simple - 1B climbing route. (Kezgen was sometimes visited by climbers as part of the Kezgen - Soviet Warrior traverse, which was known in the Adylsu mountain camps as a kind of exile.)

Kezgen is the closest four-thousander north of Baksan; all peaks closer to the river are significantly lower. This advantageous feature of its location and the simplicity of the route make Kezgen an excellent viewing point.

PANORAMAS, DESIGNATIONS, DECODING.

PANORAMA-1 (more than 800 Kb, 8682 x 850 pixels) in its original form:

PANORAMA-1 with peaks, passes, glaciers and gorges marked on it:

PANORAMA-2 (more than 1.2 MB, 10364 x 1200 pixels) in its original form:

PANORAMA-2 with peaks, passes, glaciers and gorges marked on it:

Additional PANORAMA-3 - view to the northeast into the valley of the Mukal glacier:

Accepted notations and general principles.

Marked on the panorama:

Mountain peaks- colored circles,
passes- crosses,
glaciers- rectangles,
gorges (river valleys)– double wave.

Passes, glaciers and gorges are numbered through, from right to left.

All signs glaciers And gorges blue. Signs passes And peaks painted in different colors, depending on their belonging to a particular mountain region.

The color differentiation of the icons helps to more clearly visualize and trace the location of the various mountain regions visible in the panorama, especially where they overlap.

Colors used:

– thick green: for objects outside the State border of the Russian Federation,
- red: for the peaks and passes of the GKH,
– light purple: for the peaks of the Bezengi region outside the GKH,
- orange: for peaks and passes in the Adyrsu ridge,
– pure yellow: for peaks and passes in the Adylsu ridge,
– dirty yellow: for peaks and passes in the Yusengi ridge,
– dark purple: for peaks and passes in the Kogutai spur of Donguzorun,
– pale green: for the peaks and passes of the South-Eastern spur of Elbrus,
– pale plum: for the peaks and passes of the Elbrus-Azau jumper,
– light brown: for the peaks and passes of the ridge in the upper reaches of Irik and Irikchat,
- white: for the peaks and passes of the Eastern spur of Elbrus,
– blue: for peaks and passes in the short spurs of the GKH (summit circles in a red rim), as well as in the spurs of the Adyrsu ridges (summit circles in an orange rim) and Adylsu (summit circles in a yellow rim).

1. MOUNTAINS

Note. The heights of the peaks indicated below in some cases differ from those given in the “Classification of routes to mountain peaks” (hereinafter "Classifier"). These heights are given mainly from General Staff maps (hereinafter "General Staff"), constructed based on the results of methodically homogeneous measurements within the framework of a unified topographic program of Soviet times. The General Staff provides altitude data with an accuracy of 0.1 meters, but it should, of course, be borne in mind that such enviable accuracy could only claim to cover random measurement errors, and not systematic errors of the measurement technique itself.

1.1. PEAKS LOCATED IN GEORGIA

1 – Tetnuld, 4853 m
2 – Svetgar, 4117 m
3 – Asmashi, 4082 m
4 – Marianna (Maryanna), 3584 m
5 – Lekzyr (Dzhantugansky), 3890 m
6 – Chatyn Main, 4412 m
7 – Ushba North, 4694 m
8 – Ushba South, 4710 m
9 – Cherinda, 3579 m
10 – Dolra, 3832 m
11 – Shtavleri, 3994 m

1.2. PEAKS OF THE MAIN CAUCASIAN RIDGE (GKR)

1 - Bezengi Wall (details on an enlarged fragment of the panorama)
2 - Gestola, 4860 m
3 – Lyalver, 4366 m
4 - Tichtengen, 4618 m
5 - Bodorku, 4233 m
6 - Bashiltau, 4257 m
7 – Sarykol, 4058 m
8 - Ullutau massif, 4277 m
9 - Latsga, 3976 m
10 – Chegettau, 4049 m
11 - Aristov rocks (3619 m - Kaluga peak)
12 – Dzhantugan, 4012 m
13 – Bashkara, 4162 m
14 – Ullukara, 4302 m
15 - Free Spain, 4200 m
16 – Bzhedukh, 4280 m
17 - Eastern Caucasus, 4163 m
18 - Shchurovsky, 4277 m
19 - Chatyn West, 4347
20 – Ushba Malaya, 4254 m
21 - Shhelda Eastern, 4368 m
22 – Shhelda Central, 4238 m
23 – Aristov (Shkhelda 3rd Western), 4229
24 – Shhelda 2nd Western, 4233 m
25 – Shhelda Western, 3976 m
26 – Trade unions, 3957 m
27 – Sportsman, 3961 m
28 – Shkhelda Malaya, 4012 m
29 – Akhsu, 3916 m
30 – Yusengi Uzlovaya, 3846 m
31 – Gogutai, 3801 m
32 – Donguzorun East, 4442 m
33 – Donguzorun Main, 4454 m
34 – Donguzorun Western, 4429 m
35 – Nakratau, 4269 m
36 – Chiper, 3785 m
37 – Ciperazau, 3512 m

Peaks in the short spurs of the GKH

1 - Germogenov, 3993 m
2 - Chegetkara, 3667 m
3 - Main Caucasus, 4109 m
4 - Western Caucasus, 4034 m
5 - Donguzorun Maly, 3769 m
6 - Cheget, 3461 m

1.3. THE TOP OF THE BEZENGI DISTRICT

1 - Dykhtau, 5205 m (5204.7 according to the General Staff map, 5204 according to the Classifier and Lyapin’s scheme)
2 - Koshtantau, 5152 m (5152.4 according to the General Staff map, 5150 according to the Classifier, 5152 according to Lyapin’s scheme)
3 - Ulluauz, 4682 m (4681.6 according to the General Staff map, 4675 according to the Classifier, 4676 according to Lyapin’s map)
4 - I thought, 4677 m (4676.6 according to the General Staff map, 4557 according to the Classifier, 4681 according to Lyapin’s scheme)

1.4. TOP OF THE ADYRSU DISTRICT

1 - Adyrsubashi, 4370 m (4346)
2 - Orubashi, 4369 m (4259)
3 - Yunomkara, 4226 m
4 - Kichkidar, 4360 m (4269)
5 - Dzhailyk, 4533 m (4424)

From the Dzhailyk massif, the Adyrsu ridge is divided into two branches:
(a) northwestern branch,
(b) northeast branch.

Peaks of the northwestern branch of the Adyrsu ridge:

6a – Tyutyubashi, 4460 m (4404)
7a – Sullukol, 4259 m (4251)
8a - Steel, 3985 m

Peaks of the northeastern branch of the Adyrsu ridge:

6b – Kenchat, 4142 m
7b – Orel, 4056 m (4064)
8b – Kayarta, 4082 m (4121)
9b – Kilar, 4000 m (4087)
10b – Sakashil, 4054 m (4149)

Peaks in the spurs of the Adyrsu ridge:

from Adyrsubashi
a - Khimik, 4087 m
b - Moskovsky Komsomolets, 3925 m
c - Triangle, 3830 m

From Dzhailyk
d - Chegem, 4351 m

From Tyutyubashi
e - Kullumkol, 4055 m (4141)
f - Theremin, 3950 m (3921)

From Kilar
g - Adzhikol (Adzhikolbashi, Adzhikolchatbashi), 3848 m (4126).

1.5. THE TOP OF THE ADILSU DISTRICT

(in parentheses are heights according to Lyapin’s scheme, if there is a difference)

1 – Kurmychi, 4045 m
2 – Andyrchi Uzlovaya, 3872 m
3 – Andyrtau (Andyrchi), 3937 m
4 – MPR (peaks of the Mongolian People's Republic): Northeast 3830 m (3838), Central 3830 m (3849), Southwestern 3810 m (3870).

Peaks in the spurs of the Adylsu ridge towards the Adyrsu valley:

1.6. PEAKS OF THE YUSENGI RIDGE

1 - Yusengi, 3870 m
2 - Yusengi North, 3421 m. According to tradition, apparently dating back to the General Staff map, the names of these two peaks are confused with each other

1.7. THE TOP OF THE KOGUTAI STORGE OF DONGUZORUN

1 - Interkosmos, 3731 m
2 - Maly Kogutai, 3732 m
3 - Big Kogutai, 3819 m
4 - Baksan, 3545 m
5 - Kahiani (Donguzorungitchechatbashi), 3367 m
6 - Dining room, 3206 m.

1.8 PEAKS IN THE JUMPER BETWEEN GKKH AND ELBRUS

1 - Azaubashi, 3695 m
2 - Ullukambashi, 3762 m

1.9 PEAKS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN ELBRUSS Spur

1 - Terskol, 3721 m
2 - Terskolak, 3790 m
3 - Sarykolbashi, 3776 m
4 - Artykkaya, 3584 m
5 - Tegeneklibashi, 3502 m

1.10 TOP OF THE RIDGE IN THE UPPER REACH OF THE IRIKA AND IRIKCHATA GORVES

1 - Achkeryakolbashi (Askerkolbashi), 3928 m
2 - Red Hill, 3730 m

1.11 THE TOP OF THE EASTERN Spur of Elbrus

1 - Irikchat West, 4046 m
2 - Irikchat Central, 4030 m
3 - Irikchat East, 4020 m
4 - Soviet warrior, 4012 m

1.12 PEAKS IN THE NORTHEAST (IN THE SIDE OF THE MUKAL GLACIER)
Shown separately on PANORAMA-3

Islamchat (3680 m)
Shukambashi (3631 m)
Jaurgen (3777 m)
Suaryk (3712 m)
Kyrtyk (3571 m)
Mukal (3899 m)

2. PASSES

1 – Khunaly Yuzh, 2B - connects the valleys of Khunalychat (tributary of the Sakashilsu) and Kayarty (Kayarta lake)
2 – Kayarta Zap, 2A - between the peaks of Kilar and Adzhikol
3 – Kayarta, 1B - between the peaks of Kayarta and Kilar
4 – Sternberg, 2A - between the peaks of Orelu and Kayarta
5 – Kilar, 1B - between the peaks of Kenchat and Orel
6 – Vodopadny, 1B - in the northern spur of Peak Steel
7 – Sullukol, 1B - in the western spur of Peak Steel
8 – Spartakiada, 2A* - between the Tyutyubashi massif and the top of the Spartakiada
9 – Kullumkol, 1B - between the Tyutyubashi massif and the Kullumkol peak
10 – Tyutyu-Dzhailyk, 3A - between the peak of Dzhailyk and the Tyutyubashi massif
11 – Chegemsky, 2B - in the shoulder of the city of Kichkidar
12 – Kichkidar, 2B - between the peaks of Yunomkara and Kichkidar
13 – Freshfield, 2B - between the peaks of Orubashi and Yunomkar
14 – Golubeva, 2A - between the peaks of Adyrsubashi and Orubashi
15 – Granatovy, 1A - in the northern spur of the VMF peak
16 – Kurmy, 1A - in the northern spur of the Navy peak
17 – Dzhalovchat, 1B - between the peaks of Fizkulturnika and VMF
18 – Mestian, 2A - between the peaks of Ullutau and Sarykol
19 – Churlenisa Vost, 3A* - between Yesenin Peak and Gestola Shoulder
20 – Svetgar, 3A - between the peaks of Svetgar and Tot
21 – Dzhantugan, 2B - between the peak of Dzhantugan and the Aristov rocks
22 – Marianna, 3A - between the peaks Marianna and Svetgar
23 – Bashkara, 2B* - between the peaks of Bashkara and Dzhantugan
24 – Pobeda, 3B - between the peaks of Ullukar and Bashkar
25 – Kashkatash, 3A* - between the peak of Free Spain and the peak of Ullukar
26 – Double, 3A - between the peak of the Caucasus Vost and the peak of Bzhedukh
27 – Saddle of the Caucasus, 3A - between the peaks of the Caucasus Gl and Vost
28 – Krenkel, 3A - between the peaks of the Caucasus Gl and Zap
29 – Chalaat, 3B - between the peaks of Chatyn Zap and M. Ushba
30 – Ushbinsky, 3A - between the Ushba and Shkheldy massifs
31 – Bivachny, 2B* - between the peaks of Fizkulturnika and Trade Unions
32 – Yusengi, 2B – between the peaks of Yusengi and Yusengi North
33 – Middle, 2B – between the peak of Malaya Shkhelda and the peak of Fizkulturnika
34 – Rodina, 2A (when moving along the buttress from the Yusengi valley) – between the peaks of Yusengi and Yusengi Uzlovaya
35 – Akhsu, 2A – between the peaks of Yusengi Uzlovaya and Akhsu
36 – Becho, 1B – in the ridge of the GKH between peaks 3506 and 3728, it is also the lowest pass on the section of the GKH between Donguzorun and the Yusengi ridge and the closest to the Yusengi peak Uzlovaya.
37 – Becho Lozhny, 1B – in the ridge of the GKH to the west of peak 3506 and to the east of the lane. Olympian
38 – Yusengi Peremetny, 1B – glacial crossing through the short eastern spur of the Gogutai peak
39 – Vysoka Dolra, 2A – at the GKH exit from the top of Vost. Donguzorun under Gogutai peak.
40 – Pastushy (Okhotsky), 1A – connects the Yusengi gorge with the upper reaches of the Kogutayka
41 – Vladimir Korshunov, 1B – between the peak of Bolshoi Kogutai and the peak of Baksan
42 – Pearl of Primorye, 1B* – between the peaks of Big and Small Kogutai
43 – Kogutai, 1B – between Interkosmos peak and Maly Kogutai peak
44 – Semerka, 3B* - between the peaks of Nakra and Donguzorun Western
45 – Donguzorun False, 1B – the pass closest to the top of Nakra (from the west) through the GKH
46 – Donguzorun, 1A – the simplest and lowest pass through the GKH to the west of the Nakra peak, located west of the Donguzorun False pass.
47 – Suakkalar, 1B* - between the peaks of Artykkaya and Sarykolbashi
48 – Sarykol (conventional name), 1B* - between the peaks of Sarykolbashi and Terskolak
49 – Chiper, 1B* - the pass closest to the top of Chiper through the GKH between the peaks of Chiper and Chiperazau
50 – Chiperazau, 1A - the pass closest to the top of Chiperazau through the GKH between the peaks of Chiper and Chiperazau
51 – Azau, 1A – between the peaks of Chiperazau and Azaubashi
52 – Hasankoysyuryulgen, 1B – between the peaks of Azaubashi and Ullukambashi
53 – Terskolak, 1B – in the ridge under the Terskolak peak to the north of it
54 – Terskol, 1B* - between the peak of Terskol and the ice slopes of Elbrus
55 – Assol, 1B – the more southern of the neighboring passes connecting the Irik glacier and the small “internal” glacial cirque between the upper reaches of the Irik and Irikchata gorges
56 – Frezi Grant, 1B – pass in the same summit circus as the lane. Assol (No. 55), north of it
57 – Irik-Irikchat, 2A – in the ridge between the Irik and Irikchat glaciers south of the peak of Achkeryakolbashi
58 – Chat Elbrussky, 1B* - in the ridge between the Irik and Irikchat glaciers on the ridge west of the peak of Achkeryakolbashi
59 – Irikchat, 1B* - between the Irikchat glacier and the peak of Chatkara

PASSES IN THE NORTHEAST, NEAR THE MUKAL GLACIER (without numbering, shown separately on PANORAMA-3):

Mukal-Mkyara, 1B
Mukal-Mkyara false, 3A
Voruta, 1A
Ritenok, 1B
Baumanets, 2A
Khibiny, 1B
Zemleprokhodtsev, 1B

3. GLACIERS

1 – Kayarta West (No. 485-b)
2 – Orel (No. 485-a)
3 – Sullukol (No. 491)
4 – Yunom Northern (No. 487-d)
5 – Yunom (No. 487-b)
6 – Nitrogen (No. 492-b)
7 – Kurmy East (No. 498)
8 – Adyrsu East (No. 493)
9 – Bashkara (No. 505)
10 – Kashkatash (No. 508)
11 – Bzhedukh (No. 509)
12 – Ushba Icefall
13 – Shkheldinsky (No. 511)
14 – Akhsu (No. 511-b)
15 – No. 511-a
16 – Yusengi (No. 514)
17 – No. 515-b
18 – Ozengi (No. 515-a)
19 – No. 517-b
20 – Kogutai East (No. 517-a)
21 – Kogutai West
22 – № 518
23 – № 519
24 – № 520
25 – № 538
26 – No. 537-b
27 – No. 537-a
28 – № 536
29 – Big Azau (No. 529)
30 – Garabashi
31 – Terskol
32 – Irik (No. 533)
33 – Irikchat
Mukal Glacier - see Additional PANORAMA-3

4. RIVER BASINS (GORGHES)

1 – Kullumkol
2 – Sullukol
3 – Vodopadnaya (these three rivers: 1, 2, 3 are the right tributaries of the Adyrsu River)
4 – Shkhelda (tributary of the Adylsu)
5 – Yusengi
6 – Kogutayka (these two rivers: 5 and 6 are the right tributaries of Baksan)
7 – Irik
8 – Irikchat (the last two rivers - 7 and 8 - left tributaries of Baksan)

ENLARGEED FRAGMENTS OF THE MAIN PANORAMAS.

a) Tyutyu-Bashi and Dzhailyk.

Array Tyutyu-Bashi(4460 m) in this fragment of the panorama is turned towards us with its western end, so that all five of its peaks are lined up in one line: Western(4350 m), Second Western(4420 m), Central(4430 m), home(4460 m) and Eastern(4400 m). The massif ends in the Tyutyu-Su gorge (to the left in the photo) with the Northern wall with routes up to category 6A.

To the right of Tyutya is located Dzhailyk(4533 m), the highest peak of the Adyrsu ridge and, note, the third highest in the Baksan Valley and the Elbrus region, after Elbrus (5642 m) and Ushba (4710 m). On the right, looking out from behind Dzhailyk Chegem(4351 m), famous for its complex rock walls up to category 6A. Near Chegem one usually enters through the Chegem Gorge, located between the Baksan and Bezengi gorges parallel to the first.

In the foreground, in the center, is the Sullukol glacier. In the picture you can also see the Tyutyu-Dzhailyk (3A) passes, it is between the peaks of Dzhailyk and Tyutyu-Bashi, and Kullumkol (1B), between the peaks of Tyutyu-Bashi and Kullumkol(4055 m), the latter is visible under Dzhailyk against its background. All of them are marked on the general panorama.

b) Koshtantau and Dykhtau.

Pictured on the left in front of us Koshtantau(5152 m), or simply Koshtan. This is the top of the “technical Caucasus” - the highest mountain in the Caucasus with a route of the sixth category of difficulty, 6A along the left side of the central buttress of the Northern Wall. The route was first traversed in 1961 by a team of Baumanians (MVTU, Moscow, leader Arnold Simonik), who dedicated it to the flight of German Titov, “cosmonaut number two.” The “sixes” are not classified on the slightly higher peak of Dykhtau. Traverse Dykhtau-Koshtan used to be a “six”, but at times he was stripped. The Koshtan-Dykh traverse with an ascent to Koshtan along 6A is completely illogical, and to the roof of the Caucasus - Elbrus - there are no “sixes”, unless we talk about climbing to the top after passing the Kyukurtlyu wall - which, you see, is also an illogical option.

On the left, “British” ridge 4B (G. Wooley, 1889) leads to Koshtan along the Northern ridge; this is the easiest way to the top. (A peak in the GKH north of Shchurovsky Peak is named after Wooley. It is curious that Hermann Wooley, in some sources Woolley, came to mountaineering, being already a football player and boxer). At the bottom of the ridge, a characteristic hump is visible - the ice gendarme. The lower, most difficult part of the route - the ascent from the Mizhirgi glacier to the Northern ridge of Koshtan - is hidden behind the peak Panoramic(4176 m), which is in the spur Ullouaza(4682 m). Approaches to Koshtan from this side are extremely dreary; you have to go through all the steps of the Mizhirgi icefall, of which there are three just before the overnight stops “3900”, and there is also a zone of cracks located higher up. The first two steps go along the moraine and then along the ice, adhering to the left (along the way) side of the glacier, and the third goes around the scree on the left and goes out to the overnight camp “3900”, the highest in the area.

In the foreground of the photo is an array Adyrsubashi(4370 m). To the left, to the Golubeva Pass (2A, 3764 m), the North-Eastern ridge with many gendarmes stretches from it. The climb to Adyrsubashi along this ridge is a very long “five A”. The Golubeva Pass itself remains to the left behind the scenes; it is located in the depression between the peaks of Adyrsubashi and Orubashi and connects the upper reaches of Adyrsu and Chegem, serving faithfully as one of the popular tourist routes.

Adyrsubashi is the nodal peak of the Adyr ridge. Its western spur asserts itself with peaks Chemist(4087 m), Ozernaya(4080 m), Moscow's comsomolets(3925 m) and Triangle(3830 m), behind this peak there is a descent towards the Ullutau alpine camp. The peaks of Khimik and Ozernaya are two snowy humps with rocky outcrops; in the picture they are to the left and below Adyrsubashi. From Ozernaya (to the right of Khimik and closer to us) a small Azot glacier flows into the Kullumkola valley (to the left). He received this “chemical” name from the name of the mountain camp, which operated (since 1936) from the eponymous DSO of chemical industry workers. In 1939, eight (!) alpine camps operated in the Adyrsu Gorge. The fate of "Azot" was most successful; now it is the "Ullutau" mountain camp.

To the north-west of the Ozernaya peak, a spur extends in our direction, bordering the Azot glacier, in which the peak can be traced Panoramic, aka peak Winter(3466 m), which received this name in the everyday life of the Ullutau alpine camp as an object of low ascents during the winter camp shifts. Another ridge branch of the Ozernaya peak (to the right in the photo) leads to the Moskovsky Komsomolets peak, the peak of which falls exactly on the right cut of this fragment. In the background is an array Mizhirgi with distinguishable Eastern peak (4927 m). Western Mizhirgi(5025 m) and the Second Western Mizhirgi, better known as the peak Borovikova(4888 m), are almost indistinguishable in the ridge running from Eastern Mizhirga to Dykhtau.

On the right photo before us is an array Dykhtau(5205 m), or simply Dykh. In the foreground, near the left cut of the fragment, is the Moskovsky Komsomolets peak, from which the crest of the ridge stretches to the low Triangle peak below in the center of the frame (both peaks were mentioned above in the commentary on Koshtantau). In the distance are two peaks, most often attributed to the Chegem region: a huge Tichtengen(4618 m), standing in the GKH between the peaks of Ortokar and Kitlod, and - a little closer, against its background - the peak facing us with a snowy slope Bodorka(4233 m), also located in GKH.

c) Bezengi wall.

In this fragment, approximately in profile, the entire Bezengi wall is visible, stretching in an arc from Shkhara to Lyalver. This unconventional perspective can puzzle even experienced experts in the area; it too “successfully” merges with the Bezengi wall of Gestol.

On the left in the photo you can see the long NE ridge of the “classical” climb to Shkhara(5069 m) along 5A - route of D. Cockin (J. G. Cockin, 1888). It was first climbed by the British-Swiss trio U. Almer, J. Cockin, C. Roth as part of an expedition of the British Royal Geographical Society led by Douglas Freshfield. The photographer on this and subsequent expeditions in the 1890s was Vitorio Sella, who received the Cross of St. Anne from Nicholas II for his photographs of the Caucasus Mountains. The glacier and Sella peak (4329 m), which is on the approach to the Mizhirgi peak in the upper reaches of the eastern branch of the Bezengi glacier, are named after him. In terms of technical complexity, Kokkin’s route to Shkhara is unlikely to reach even 2B, but it is dangerous because it is relaxing, although there is practically no place to reliably insure yourself on a long snow ridge with cornices in one direction or the other, and there have been cases of entire ligaments being torn off. In some sources (for example, A.F. Naumov, “Chegem-Adyrsu”) the route is categorized as 4B. The category can be raised to the fifth, wanting to reduce the flow of climbers by cutting off those whom KSS Bezengi officially graduates to “four”, but not yet to “five”. The Kokkina route is commonly known as “Crab”: rocky outcrops resemble a crab with its claws down. This crab (it is not visible in the panorama) is clearly visible from the side of Dzhangi-kosha in the lower part of the ridge, above the “cushion”.

The ice gendarme and the Eastern peak of Shkhara are clearly visible on the ridge. There are no classified routes for it; it is covered practically on foot on the way to the Main Peak of Shkhara. From Eastern Shkhara, the GKH leaves us to the southeast, even closer to the south, and passes through the peak Ushguli(4632 m), also known as South-Eastern Shkhara. The peak is named after the ancient village of Ushguli. Located in the Svan valley at an altitude of 2200 m, it is considered the highest European village of permanent residence (that is, excluding ski resorts and weather stations). There are several “fives” to the top of Ushguli from the Georgian side, as well as an extra-long 2A, the technical simplicity of which is compensated by the length of the approaches: two days from the Bezengi mountain camp here or from the Ailama mountain camp in Svaneti.

The most beautiful and logical route to Shkhara is perhaps the “Austrian” 5B Tomashek-Muller (1930) - ascent from the Bezengi glacier head-on along the Northern Ridge (in the picture it is on the border of light and shadow). During the times of the Stalinist USSR, there should not have been any foreign expeditions in our mountains, but a small diaspora of Austrian communists found refuge in our country in the early 1930s and, judging by the records of its route achievements, did not waste time in vain (check out the Caucasian routes at your leisure of that period with German surnames).

An inconspicuous peak Western Shkhara(5057 m) is worthy of mention because there are only two routes to it from the north (Anatoly Blankovsky, 1980 and Yuri Razumov, 1981), and both are very strong and objectively dangerous, rarely visited “sixes”. They appeared in the early 1980s, thanks to progress in ice equipment - first of all, the appearance in the USSR of crampons-platforms for ice and ice drills (previously they were secured with ice carrot hooks, which had to be hammered into the ice for a long time).

To the right of Western Shkhara, the ridge of the Bezengi wall gradually decreases towards the small rocky peak of the Shota Rustaveli peak (4860 m), hidden behind the peak closer to us Gestola(4860 m). Rustaveli Peak was first climbed by Georgians in 1937, from the south along route 4A. Recently, it is often visited from the north, since the relatively safe “Laletin’s board” leads to the depression of the Wall at the peak site - a monotonous ice route completed in 1983 by the St. Petersburg team of A. Laletin. In the full-time class of the 1995 Russian Mountain Climbing Championship, doubles leaving at night managed to jump this route to the very top by 10 o’clock in the morning!

Even further to the left in the panorama you can see the Dzhangi-Tau massif half-turned: Dzhangi Eastern(5038 m), home(5058 m) and Western(5054 m). The route to Eastern Dzhangi along the NE ridge is the easiest on the Bezengi Wall; the only easier routes are to the extreme mountains of the Wall, Shkhara (technically easy 5A) and Gestola (4A with a climb through peak 4310). In addition, the NE ridge (buttress) of Eastern Dzhangi is objectively the least dangerous option for climbing the Wall from the north, and it is often used as a descent route after climbing the Dzhangi massif (including the Main Dzhangi), Western Shkhara or Rustaveli Peak. Eastern Dzhangi, like Shkhara, was unsealed in 1888 by Kokkin’s group.

To receive the “Star of Bezengi” badge, it is not necessary to climb the Main Dzhangi (the only route to it from the north is 5A, which is dangerous due to ice avalanches); any peak of Dzhangi is enough – first of all, the simpler and safer Eastern one. There are no classified routes from the north to Western Dzhangi yet (except perhaps within the traverse of the Wall), and they are unlikely to appear soon: a beautiful and logical line to this peak is not visible from this side, but objectively dangerous ice faults are visible. But on the Georgian side, two 5B are classified in Western Dzhangi. I wonder when they were last seen?..

Looks about the same ice “vegetable gardens” from the north and Katyn(4974 m), from which the huge and flat Katyn Plateau stretches to Gestola. Katyn was also first climbed in 1888 by members of the British expedition, but the simplest route to it from the north - 4B hp (G. Holder, 1888) - is objectively more dangerous and less beautiful than the NE edge of Dzhangi of the same category of difficulty.

The GKH line runs along the edge of the Bezengi wall through the Shkhara and Dzhangi, Katyn, Gestola and Lyalver massifs, and a long ridge running from Gestola to the southwest (to the right in the photo) and partially hiding the Katyn Plateau leads to the peak located in Georgia Tetnuld(4853 m). It is not visible in this fragment of the panorama (it is to the right), but in the general panorama it is there. In the 1990s, Georgians brought a metal cross with a characteristic shape similar to the Georgian flag to the top of Tetnulda. The easiest way to Gestola(4860 m) from the north - this is 3B through the peak Lyalver(4350 m), with an ascent to Lyalver along the technically simple 2B and a subsequent simple traverse through peak 4310 and the Gestola shoulder. This route (first climbed all the way back in 1903) is categorized as 3B, perhaps solely for its height and length. There is an option to shorten this Chinese hike - take a shortcut to peak 4310 by climbing it not through Lyalver, but head-on from the western branch of the Bezengi glacier. This version of the route to Gestola is categorized as 4A (A. Germogenov, 1932), although it will not have any technical difficulties even at 3A (be careful in the upper part - destroyed rocks).

The story with the name of the peak in the crest of the Bezengi wall west of the Gestola shoulder is very complicated. This slight increase in the ridge previously “passed” as peak 4310 or Bezymyanny Peak. The last name haunted renaming activists, and in the 1990s, two signs were erected on this peak in the neighborhood, one stating Yesenin peak, the other - peak 50th anniversary of CBD. The “anniversary” version of the name, it seems, sounded more significant than the poetic impulse of Yesenin’s admirers, for the sign “50 years of the Kabardino-Balkaria” was the result of a massive ascent along 2B through Lyalver with the support of the authorities from Nalchik. But in technical descriptions this tip, as a rule, is still referred to as “4310”. It’s clearer: no matter what you call it, the height will not change :)

Peak 4310 separates two passes in the Bezengi wall, Ciurlionis East and West. On the enlarged fragment of the panorama, Ciurlionis East is indicated, it is between peak 4310 and the Gestola shoulder. Vertex Bashil(4257 m) - in the picture against the backdrop of Lyalvera - is located to the west of the Bezengi region and already belongs to the Chegem Gorge area.

A few words about height of the peaks of the Bezengi wall and her highest point.

All sources agree that Shkhara is the highest point of the Wall. But they determine the heights of the Bezengi peaks in different ways. Thus, for Shkhara Main you can find not only the traditional value of 5068 m, but also the more “prestigious” 5203 m, and for Dzhanga Main - values ​​5085, 5074 and 5058 m (Lyapin’s map). We rely on the data of the General Staff as more homogeneous (at least within a single region) and for higher points Shkhara And Jangi we take the values ​​accordingly 5069 m(5068.8 according to the General Staff) and 5058 m. Direct visual assessments also give preference to Shkhara. When looking at the Bezengi Wall from the Northern Massif, as well as when looking at Shkhara from Dzhangi (and vice versa), Shkhara always gives the impression of the dominant peak of the Wall.

Finally, about curvature of the "arc" of the Bezegi Wall, visible in the photo. The visual impression of its great curvature in the Shkhara-Gestola section is illusory; it is the pure effect of a large magnification of the image, in which the picture of a bunch of distant objects is stretched in azimuth, but does not expand in depth. So it seems that the slender ridge visible from the end is wagging its sides. In relation to this image: if you convert the VISIBLE angular distance between Shkhara Glavnaya and Katyn (or Dzhangi Western) into kilometers, then it will turn out to be six times (!) LESS than the real distance from Shkhara Glavnaya to Gestola, but it seems that they are approximately the same.

d) Svaneti mountains and Jantugan pass.

The main characters of this fragment are the dominant Svetgar(4117 m) and, to the right, modest Marianne(3584 m), in a pair of two, completing the Svetgar ridge stretching from the east (on the left). In the soft evening light of the sun, their rocky slopes amaze with a variety of color shades. Peaks lined up behind Marianna Asmashi ridge, which are identified very uncertainly at a given end angle. This entire mountain complex would be of great interest to mountain tourists and climbers if it were open to visitors from the Russian side. Suffice it to say that most of the passes in the region - Asmashi, Marianna, Svetgar, Tot - are of category 3A.

A few words about the Dzhantugan plateau and the Dzhantugan pass (3483 m, tourist 2B), which dominate the middle plan of the fragment. The Dzhantugan plateau is one of the western branches of the huge Lekzyr (Lekziri) glacial complex, the largest on the southern side of the GKH. It is formed by a system of glaciers framing the GKH in the area from the Kashkatash Pass in the west to the area of ​​the Bashiltau peak in the upper reaches of the Chegem Gorge in the east. These glaciers are adjacent to the passes connecting the regions of Adylsu, Adyrsu and Chegem with Svaneti. The Dzhantugan plateau resembles an apple rotten from the inside: its entire interior is broken by wide bottomless cracks, and only the narrow outer rim is edible. Any reasonable movements on the line Lekzyr - Bashkara - Dzhantugan - Aristova rocks - Gumachi - Chegettau - Latsga are possible only near the slopes of these peaks.

The glacier on the take-off to the Dzhantugan pass is severely torn, but in recent years there has been a path to simply bypass the bergs and cracks, leading to the pass close to the end of the Aristov rocks (red spots in the photo). The pass itself is somewhat puzzling: you don’t see a clear bend in any direction, everything is flat, and only after walking 50-70 meters to the south and bumping into the faults, you understand that there has been a general decline towards Georgia. (At the same time, the red and white border stick sticks out only about twenty meters above the cliff in our northern direction.) Near the top of Gumachi there is another pass leading to the plateau - Eastern Dzhantugan, also known as False Gumachi (3580 m, tourist 2B) . The ascent to it from the Adyl-su gorge is no more difficult than 1B, but to descend from it to Svaneti (via a tricky icefall, which determines the category of both passes) you have to go around the plateau on the right and, therefore, follow the Dzhantugan pass. So for routes from Adyl-su to Svaneti, this one is clearly preferable. There is also the option of climbing to the Dzhantugan plateau in the middle between these two passes, through the central depression in the chain of Aristov rocks.

Aristov Rocks named in memory of Oleg Dmitrievich Aristov, who stood at the origins of Soviet mountaineering. In 1935, his group was one of the first to “climb” the peaks above the Dzhantugan plateau along the simplest routes and made several first ascents - Dzhantugan along 2A, Gadyl along 3A, the Gadyl-Bashkar traverse (4A). That summer, the 1st All-Union Alpiniad of Trade Unions worked in the Adyl-Su gorge, and 24-year-old Aristov led the School of Instructors there. Oleg died at the peak of Communism on September 13, 1937. He was appointed leader of the assault group, which had the order to bring the bust of Stalin to Communism Peak (then Stalin Peak). Oleg walked with frostbitten feet and slipped, falling off at the very top.

The ascent to the Dzhantugan plateau from Adyl-Su passes along the Dzhankuat glacier, which was chosen by glaciologists to study the processes occurring in valley glaciers. The thickness of this typical valley glacier is 40-50 meters in icefalls and 70-100 meters in flattened areas. Like other glaciers in the Caucasus, Dzhankuat has been rapidly retreating in recent decades. At its tip, in a clearing with a seductive name with the seductive name “Green Hotel”, are the houses of the Glaciological Station of Moscow State University. In early June, a backcountry camp is sometimes held here, aimed at beginners and advanced riders. In the summer there are students at the station. In winter, the houses are convenient to use for overnight accommodation; they protect you from the winds from the pass, which make you more playful when descending into the wide flat part of the gorge below the Dzhankuat glacier.

From the Dzhantugan plateau it is convenient to make radial ascents to the surrounding peaks. In the eastern direction they are simple - to the peaks Gumachi(3826 m) along 1B (on foot) and Chegettau(4049 m) along 2B. This deuce-B is the oldest route in the region and the entire Elbrus region (excluding Elbrus itself) - Douglas Freshfield, 1888. In the western direction from the Dzhantugan plateau, it is convenient to climb Dzhantugan along 2A and 3A, as well as to Bashkara along 3B, Gadyl along 3A and Lekzyr Dzhantugansky (1B).

Peak Jantugan(4012 m) at the right edge of the panorama fragment, a beautiful and simple route 2A leads to it from the pass. Jan is facing us here with its northern side, on which three triple-Bs are classified, one of them (along the NE edge) is clearly visible - this is the edge casting a shadow. By going around the peak from the side of the plateau, you can climb to the bridge between it and its western neighbor, the peak of Bashkar. Near this crossing, route 3A to Dzhan begins (along the SW ridge), and a beautiful ridge route 3B leads to Bashkara.

The Bashkara-Gadil massif borders the Dzhantugana plateau from the west. From the plateau it is clearly visible that the peaks Bashkara(4162 m) and Gadyl(4120 m) – ends of one massif. It is simply turned to Svaneti with the “Gadyl” side, and to Balkaria with the “Bashkar” side, which is why it received different names from the corresponding observers. The Bashkara-Gadyl traverse (4A) is one of the oldest routes in the area (K. Egger, 1914). In the panoramic photo from Kezgen, the Gadil peak is not visible, it is closed by Bashkara, which is presented in all its severity in the enlarged fragment (photo on the left). Bashkara breaks off towards the glacier of the same name with its northern wall, along which there are two routes 6A, technically the most difficult in Adyl-Su. The snow “pillow” to the right of Bashkara is the Pobeda Pass, one of the most difficult in the area (3B according to the tourist classification). The Bashkara pass, between Bashkara and Dzhantugan, is much easier. The Bashkara glacier descends from the northern slopes of Bashkara, from the melting of which Lake Bashkarinskoye was formed, threatening a breakthrough and mudflow down the Adylsu gorge.

e) from the Kashkatash pass to Ushba.

The same section with markings of peaks, passes and glaciers.

(Remember, the peaks of the GKH are marked with solid red circles, the passes of the GKH are marked with red crosses).

From left to right:

Top 14 - Ullukara(4302 m), located in the GKH, ends with a wall of difficulty 5B to the upper reaches of the Kashkatash glacier.
Peak 1 against the backdrop of Ullukara - peak Germogenova(3993 m) in the Ullukara spur. From the middle reaches of the Kashkatash glacier, a ridge stretches to the top along which route 2B runs - one of the longest “double B” in the area (along with “double B” to Eastern Donguzorun along the GKH ridge). Groups of beginners usually walk this route overnight.
Pass 25 - Kashkatash, 3A* - located in the GKH between the peaks of Ullukara and Free Spain.
Glacier 10 - Kashkatash glacier, belonging to the Adylsu basin, the tributary flows opposite the lower houses of the Jantugan mountain camp.
Peak 15 - Peak Free Spain(4200 m), located in GKH. The route to the top along the eastern ridge from the pass is category 4A. Ice route 4B along the wall to the left of the rock tower (Alexey Osipov and his comrades, 1995) is recommended as a winter option; it is dangerous for rocks in the warm season. There are several “five B” routes along the rocky tower. The rock gendarme in the eastern ridge is sometimes called Gogol Peak, and the gendarme in the western ridge is Lermontov Peak (I remember Yesenin Peak, mentioned in the description of Bezengi near the Lyalver peak). In mountaineering terms, these are still gendarmes; there are no independent routes leading to them, but topologically, “Lermontov’s gendarme” – whatever one may say, this is the junction peak of the GKH. The Dollakora ridge branches off from it, which leads south to Svaneti and separates the Lekzyr and Chalaat glaciers there.
Top 16 - Bzhedukh(4270 m), located in GKH. The snowy slopes of the bridge between the peaks of Free Spain and Bzhedukha represent the simplest, but dangerous by landslides, route of descent from Free Spain, commonly referred to as the “Trough”.
Glacier 11 - Bzhedukh, belongs to the Shkhelda basin.
Pass 26 - Double, 3A - is located in the GKH between the East Caucasus Peak and the Bzhedukh Peak.
Peak 17 - Peak Caucasus Eastern(4163 m), the nodal peak of the GKH. Here the Main Range turns away from us, towards the peaks of Vuleya and Shchurovsky, and the remaining peaks of the Caucasus are already in its spur, which descends into the Shkhelda valley.
Pass 27 - Caucasus Saddle, 3A - is located in the GKH spur between the Main and Eastern peaks of the Caucasus.
Peak 3 - Peak Caucasus Western, located in the spur of the GKH.
Pass 28 - Krenkelya, 3A - is located in the spur of the GKH between the Western and Main peaks of the Caucasus.
Peak 4 - Peak Caucasus Chief(4037 m), located in the spur of the GKH.

A short but powerful spur with the peak Chatyn Glavny extends from Western Chatyn to Svaneti. It separates the two branches of the Chalaat glacier, ending on the Chatyn plateau - the southern cirque of the main, eastern branch of the glacier - with its famous Northern wall with solid “sixes”. Approach from Russia to the Chatyn Plateau under the routes to the Northern Wall of Chatyn - up the Shkheldy gorge through the Chatyn South pass, also known as Chatyn Lozhny (2B). (For more information about this pass, see Catalog passes and peaks of Oleg Fomichev, a link to him at the end of the article among other useful links.) From the Georgian side, it is difficult to enter the Chatyn Plateau without a very strong desire; for this you need to either cross the additional Dalla-Cora pass in the southern spurs of the GKH, or go up through the complex icefalls of the Chalaat glacier, which is extremely problematic even with the equipment.

Near Malaya Ushba, an even more impressive short spur departs from the GKH to Svaneti with the pearl of the Caucasus - the Ushba massif and its peaks Northern Ushba(4694 m) and South Ushba(4710 m).

The main GKH passes in this junction:
Pass 29 - Chalaat, 3B - between the peaks of Chatyn Western and Malaya Ushba, the Academician Alexandrov Pass is projected onto the same pass, 3B - between Chatyn and Shchurovsky Peak
Pass 30 - Ushbinsky, 3A - between the Ushba and Shkheldy massifs.

f) Shhelda massif.

Peak heights Shkheldinsky massif(from left to right):

Eastern- 4368 m
Central- 4238 m
peak Aristova- 4229 m
peak The science- 4159 m
2nd Western- 4231 m
Western- 3976 m

By the way, in 1974 the titanic traverse Shhelda (all peaks) - Ushba - Mazeri was completed (G. Agranovsky, A. Vezner, V. Gritsenko and Yu. Ustinov, 14.07-5.08 1974). The mandatory set of traverses for all Shkhelda peaks includes five of the six named above: Western Shkhelda, located on the distant periphery, in the isthmus already on the approaches to the peak of the Trade Unions, falls out.
The remaining peaks of the Shhelda massif are considered gendarmes. The gendarme Rooster stands out especially - a tall rocky phallus next to the Eastern Tower of Shkhelda.

g) Malaya Shkhelda area.

Not particularly noticeable, but interesting for its topology and rich in surrounding views, the mountain cluster around Malaya Shkhelda(4012 m). GKH enters the frame from the left from the side of the peak adjacent to Shkhelda Trade unions(3957 m) and, moving with a slight southern roll to the west through the depression of the Bivachny pass (3820 m, 2B*), climbs the peak Sportsman(3961 m, not to be confused with the peak Day of the Athlete, which is in the Adyl-Su ridge), turns 90 degrees from it and, going north-west, bypassing the Sredniy pass (3910 m), rises to the top of M. Shkhelda, the highest point of the region. Further, almost without changing course, the GKH passes along the double rocky ridge of Akhsu (3916 m), which is visible from the edge from Kezgen and appears to be an end snow slope with an easily recognizable berg at the base. Having gone down this slope (route 2A), the GKH turns strictly west and, passing the lane. Akhsu (2A, 3764 m), climbs to a low peak that is completely easy to approach from any side Yusengi Uzlovaya(3846 m). Here the GKH says goodbye to us and goes beyond the right edge of the frame towards the Becho Pass, and in the north-east direction (to the left and towards us) the Yusengi ridge departs from Uzlovaya. For more than a kilometer it leads along a wide and impeccably smooth snow ridge (the summit outlet of the Akhsu glacier), while imperceptibly passing the area of ​​the Rodina pass (2A, 3805 m) and reaching its highest point at the top Yusengi(3870). Then it goes down a long way into the Baksan Valley (in the photo along the ridge in our direction).

Both peaks of Yusengi and the Rodina pass provide gorgeous views towards Elbrus and Donguz; no other observation point will give you greater views of the Elbrus-Donguz expanse. The peak of Malaya Shkhelda is an excellent vantage point for the entire adjacent Georgian sector, and the Fizkulturnik peak gives an amazing close view of the Shkhelda - Ushba - Mazeri link and the Ushba glacier in the pit between them.

Ascent on foot to the peak Fizkulturnik from the lane. Average is 6-8 minutes. The climb from there to the top of Malaya Shkhelda is a nasty 2A climb along old fragile rocks. The rock traverse M. Shkhelda - Akhsu is already classified as 2B, and a more extended traverse in the other direction - M. Shkhelda - Fizkulturnik peak - Trade Unions peak - as 3A.

The peaks indicated in the picture form a chain above the cirque of the Akhsu glacier, which is open (not covered by moraine sediments) along its entire course from its sources to the place of its confluence with the Shkhelda glacier. There is no longer section of open glacier in the gorges from Adyrsu to Azau.

h) Donguzorun and Nakra massifs.

And yet, it would be a great injustice - and a factual error - to consider Nakra not an independent peak, but just a side appendage of Donguz. The fact is that it is adjacent to it, and not to its dominant neighbor, from the south. Tsalgmyl ridge, which is very long in itself and to which, like a rod, numerous side spurs are attached, filling the vast space surrounded by the Inguri River (from the south) and its primary tributaries Nakra (from the west) and Dolra (from the east). Only a small internal area was subjugated by Donguzorun - the one occupied by the modest and short Dolra ridge, nestled three kilometers to the GKH and adjacent to the Main Peak of Donguz.

The topology of the Donguzorun-Nakra massif is interesting. There is a general long and monotonous, non-steep ascent from the southern, Georgian side, where the multi-armed Kvish glacier stretches freely (and from where the routes of G. Merzbacher, 1891 and R. Gelbling, 1903 - both 2A) were laid to the peaks of Donguz at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries ), and then, upon reaching the border ridge line, everything abruptly ends down into Russia, with the eastern and northern walls of the massif, famous for their difficult climbing routes (categories from 4B to 5B). And immediately beyond the reset of the eastern and northern walls of Donguz there are greenery and the Cheget-Terskol delights of civilization.

In connection with such an extraordinary topology, in the winter of 1989, the following story happened on Donguz. As part of the mountaineering championship on the Northern Face of Donguzorun (strong route 5B Khergiani), a team of two from Kyiv climbed, but soon after reaching the summit they did not get in touch and disappeared. They had no food (they dropped it while still on the rise). Winter, February, frost, bad weather. They were found only on the 8th day...at the Minvod airport (!). .

i) Elbrus.

On the northern (right to the viewer) slope of Elbrus, two spots of rocky outcrops are visible against the sky - approximately at 4600 and 5100 m. The upper ones are Lenz rocks, named after the member of the expedition, General Emmanuel, who reached them: "..One of the academicians - Mr. Lenz - rose to a height of 15,200 feet. The full height of Elbrus above the level of the Atlantic Ocean is determined to be 16,800 feet"(quoted). Each of these altitude values ​​was obtained with more than a 10% error, but their ratio suffers from errors much less and, when linked to the currently accepted height of Elbrus (5642 m), allows us to estimate the height of the cliffs reached by Lenz at 5100 m. This means that we are talking about the upper rocky outcrops.

A few words about the historical route of Douglas Freshfield to the Eastern peak of Elbrus (1868). The mountain route classifier leads Freshfield through Shelter 11, but he took a different route (described in detail in his best-selling book, Exploration of the Central Caucasus). The group left the village of Urusbievs (Upper Baksan) and the first day on horseback advanced along the Baksan valley, and the second day they climbed up the Terskol gorge, from where the dome of Elbrus first appeared, and reached the bivouac site near the “Ice Base”. The group reached the summit at three o'clock in the morning. Having stepped onto the glacier, she walked in a straight line towards the cone and first reached a height from which spurs opened towards the distant steppe, and then, already at the beginning of the ascent along the cone, she met the sun. By half past eight, at an altitude of 4800 m, the group reached the rocks of the upper part of the cone and at 10h40m reached the top in the area of ​​​​the current obelisk.

“This peak was at the end of a horseshoe-shaped ridge, crowned by three elevations and framed on three sides by a snow plateau, open to the east. We walked - rather, ran - along the ridge to the very end, passing two significant depressions and visiting all three peaks. … [At the same time] we naturally looked out to see if there was a second peak somewhere, but it was nowhere to be found. It seemed to us that the western slope abruptly dropped down to Karachay and that there were no dense clouds that could hide a peak approximately the same height as ours. But we were wrong: the western, slightly higher peak was completely hidden by haze... We must remember that before this ascent we had never seen Elbrus and, therefore, had only a vague idea of ​​the structure of the mountain.”

Routes are routes, but in the case of Elbrus one cannot remain silent about his own biography. Why does the Main Caucasian Range seem to be the main one, and its iconic peaks - Elbrus and Kazbek - somewhere on the side? Because they are volcanoes. In the Greater Caucasus, volcanism is associated with the fragmentation of the earth's crust at the late stage of mountain building. The Elbrus volcano formed in the Side Range on the watershed of the Malka, Baksan and Kuban rivers, and it is confined to the intersection of the longitudinal Tyrnyauz fault zone and the transverse Elbrus fault. In the southwestern part of the mountain, the remains of an ancient crater are preserved in the form of the Khotyutau-Azau rocks. Nowadays, the two-headed volcano is planted on the upper part of the ancient crater - a highly raised pedestal (base) made of ancient rocks of granite and crystalline schist.

Elbrus as a volcano was born about 2 million years ago. All the mountains of this region then rose in low hills, and powerful eruptions of gas-rich magma formed first volcanic cone(its remains in the area of ​​the Irikchat pass). After many hundreds of thousands of years the volcano started working again– an almost kilometer-long cliff speaks about its power Kükurtlyu. A cross-section of this wall clearly shows how layers of volcanic bombs, slag, tuff and ashes alternate with frozen lava flows. Explosive eruptions and outpourings of thick and viscous lava alternated many times, and when the volcano began to calm down, hot gases and solutions continued to penetrate through the thickness of the volcanic rocks for a long time. Thanks to this, layers of sulfur were formed, now turning yellow against the dark red background of the Kükurtlu cliffs.
Now the wall routes to Kyukurtlu are considered one of the most difficult in the Caucasus.

Third phase of activity volcano, about 200 thousand years ago, was restrained. Lava outpourings descended over and over again into the Baksan valley. The slowly cooling lava contracted in volume and cracked, and remarkable columnar structures were formed in it, which we see on the walls rising above the road from the village. Terskol to the observatory, as well as forming the left side of the gloomy Azau gorge.

Fourth phase of activity volcano - 60-70 thousand years ago - was extremely stormy. The explosions knocked out a plug of frozen ancient rocks from the crater of the volcano, and the volcanic material spread over tens of kilometers (discovered near Tyrnyauz, in the Chegem Valley). At this time it was formed Western peak Elbrus. The eruptions formed a loose layer of volcanic bombs, tuffs and other products, mainly on the western and northern slopes. When the energy of the volcano decreased, lava outpourings began - now in the upper reaches of the ancient Malki valley, and not towards Baksan.

Elbrus area from space - on Google Maps:

Topology of the Western and Eastern peaks of Elbrus close-up.
The highest point of the Eastern Peak is visible, located in the southern part of the summit dome. Being on the Eastern peak, it is not always obvious where the highest point is...

The Kezgen campaign of 2007, in which photographic materials for PANORAMA-1 were obtained, is described in the 2nd part of Igor Pasha’s article.. The photographic materials themselves are also presented there, in a significantly larger volume..

We also provide a number of basic links on the topic of publication:

http://caucatalog.narod.ru- Database of passes, peaks, valleys, glaciers and other objects of the Caucasus with photographs (more than 2200 objects and 7400 photographs as of January 2010), reports on mountain hikes. The author of the caucatalog website is Mikhail Golubev (Moscow).

The authors will be grateful for constructive comments, pointing out any factual inaccuracies and providing additional information. All this will be taken into account with gratitude when updating the article!