Cold camp Krasnaya Polyana. Yoga tour "Krasnaya Polyana - Camp Kholodny". Crystal Pure Clarity. Ski touring equipment

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

photo of Krasnaya Polyana Mining Club

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Morning peaks of Aibga. View from the lower station of the Gazprom State Transport Center.

Psehoko. Fir glade. The start of the climb.

View from the Bear Gate.

Bzerpi Peak:

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

Aibga again:

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

Here's the diagram:

Mount Perevalnaya:

The road to the cornice. In the distance Pseashkho Sugar

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

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

On the right is Mount Tabunaya Northern:

Here it is larger:

Circus Bzerpi:

Here is his diagram with pointers:

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

Here Bzerp descends steeply from a great height.

Toilets on the cornice against the backdrop of Tabunnaya Yuzhnaya:

Observation deck:

The road to the Kholodny camp

Circus Bzerpi close-up:

Perevalnaya:

Pseashkho Sugar:

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

More on this later...

P.S. Alas, we may soon not recognize these places. Gazprom oh...l and wants

If you have a choice of where to go - to the sea or to the mountains, feel free to choose the mountains. Because mountains are the best natural creation and phenomenon. The mountains captivate with their beauty, grandeur, tranquility and power. If by the will of fate or thanks to a crazy desire you find yourself at Krasnaya Polyana in Sochi, feel free to grab your friends, backpack, sneakers and conquer one of the most beautiful and picturesque mountain routes - .

The Bzerpinsky cornice is so named because of the name of the river - Bzerb and the steep cliff (cornice), next to which the Bzerpinsky cornice is located.

So, if you have a desire to visit the Bzerpinsky cornice, there is an active company (I would not advise one person to go, since nature is unpredictable), good sneakers and a backpack, the first thing choose a suitable date. The route is available for ordinary tourists from mid-June to late October. That is, in those months when the snow has already melted and has not yet fallen.

The route to the Bzerpinsky Cornice is located in the Caucasus State Natural Biosphere Reserve. This is a safe and easily accessible route that even children can handle. Along the entire route there are signs telling you where to go and how far it is to the desired object. The paths are all neatly trodden. Elevation differences - from 1600 to 2014 meters. The total distance that needs to be walked to the Cornice and back is more than 10 km.

The route consists of points: Cable car "Alpika-Service" (560 m above sea level) - Shelter "Pikhtovy" (1600 m) - Mountain "Bear Gate" (1900 m) - Mount Tabunaya - Bzerpinsky cornice (2014 m) - Pass “Pseashkho” - Camp “Cold” and back.

WHERE TO START A HIKE TO THE BZERPA CORNICE?

1. Decide in advance on the date of your hike and the weather. You can't go in the rain - it's dangerous. On weekdays the route is empty, on weekends there are people walking along the route. Personally, for me, it’s more pleasant and safer to walk on weekends, since the people around instill confidence that you are going in the right direction)) By the way, this is one of the ways to avoid encounters with wild animals.
2. After determining the date, calculate the time before boarding the cable car. The cable car operates from 9.00 to 16.30. That is, it is during this time that you need to go through the entire route and have time to return back. If you do not have time to do this, the cable car stops, and you will have to wait until the next morning, spending the night either in the forest or on the Bzerpinsky cornice in a tent.

Be sure to purchase tickets before going to the Caucasus Nature Reserve to complete the route. A reserve is a specially protected area that is monitored and cared for, and the maintenance of which requires funds. Anyone who understands this buys tickets without question. This is done either in advance or on the day of the trip. Aviary reserve. It is located in the same place, in Krasnaya Polyana, not far from the Gazprom State Transport Center. Ticket price is 300 rubles per person.

You can get to the Aviary Reserve on foot or by taxi; public transport does not go there. We always walked, it takes about 40 minutes in both directions.

If you really like to take risks, then you can go to the Bzerpinsky cornice without buying tickets. No one will ask you about them before boarding the cable car, BUT! you may be sent back halfway through the journey. Along the entire route there are rangers on horseback who check the tickets of all tourists. And if you come across a huntsman, be prepared to pay a fine of 5,000 rubles for visiting the Caucasus Nature Reserve without permission and go home. It is the sending home that is most offensive, since you have already covered a huge distance on foot, but you still haven’t reached your goal... We have met such people in large quantities, and they were all upset. However, we also met other people along the route who did not spend money on tickets and calmly reached the desired point on the route and back without any trouble.

3. In order not to waste precious time, You need to board the cable car immediately after it opens.The Alpika-Service cable car is open from 09.00 to 16.30. Therefore, at 09.01 you should already be going up. The route starts at an altitude of 560 meters above sea level. The cost of cable car services in 2017 is 900 rubles/adult, 500 rubles/child. If you plan to go without an overnight stay, buy sightseeing tour"Piktovaya Polyana" Returned on the day of purchase. If overnight - That "Piktovaya Polyana - Pokhodny" with exact dates of ascent and descent.

4. From Pikhtovaya Polyana The hike to the Bear Gate mountain begins. This is the most difficult and uninteresting section, after which many, especially girls, give up and go back. He is not interesting because you have to constantly rise up, no plains, only upwards. All around there is a continuous forest, mushrooms, trees, beetles. That is, nothing special at all.

When I climbed for the first time, I didn’t know what awaited me ahead. I just wanted to come somewhere and relax! You need to climb 300 meters in height, and the length is about 2000 meters. The climb took me 1.5 hours - this included constant stops to rest. For experienced tourists, the climb takes an average of 20-45 minutes. The main thing during the climb is not to give up! Remember that the fun will begin next.

5. Having reached the plain, I found myself at the top of the Bear Gate.

The peak is so named because this area resembles a gate separating the forest and mountain ranges. Well, as experienced tourists said, bears often walk here)

The first halt is located at this point. There are tables, benches, beautiful views. People sit here for hours, drinking and eating the supplies they brought with them.

When I saw all this, it seemed to me that I had reached zen and it couldn’t be better.

I advise you not to linger at the Bear Gate, drink some water and move forward.

And this is where the most amazing views begin! Cliffs, alpine grasses, mountain ranges, sounds of mountain streams.

I want to inhale and touch all this! Every hundred meters I stopped to take photographs.

So you need to walk another 2300 meters.

7. And so Tiny houses begin to be seen in the distance. The cornice is near!

Here, when it’s still a 15-minute walk to the Cornice, there are huge cobblestones on which everyone takes pictures. I couldn’t pass by either)

There are small wooden houses, tables, benches, signs, gazebos, toilets, tent camp.

There are always people here.

You can talk to them and ask them about anything you are interested in.

Tents and houses can be rented for the night: everything is like at the resorts. Prices start from 1,500 rubles per tent; gas burners and warm blankets are also available for rent. I didn’t specify about food and water, but the clean Bzerb River flows nearby, meaning you definitely won’t be left without water.

Average, it takes 3 hours to get to the cornice from the Pikhtovoy Shelter. This is exactly the time that is enough to return and successfully descend on the cable car.

I really wanted to see mountain lakes, so we decided to go a little further. After another 2000 meters there should have been the first mountain lake - Maloe. That's where I hurried. And for good reason! There is flat terrain, so this section is covered much faster.

There is indescribable beauty all around! Mountain peaks, aromatic herbs, sunbeams...

I want to live there!

On the way, we met one that appeared there in memory of the terrible war years of the Great Patriotic War. It was in this mountainous area that fierce battles took place between our soldiers and the fascist paratroopers who landed in the mountains to pass from the rear.

About 200 defenders of the Caucasus died there... Correct me if anyone knows more accurate information.

The Pslukh River, one of the tributaries of the Mzymta, flowed nearby. We heard her, but didn't see her.

And then it appears before us - a mountain lake with clear water! It is no more than 25 meters in diameter, I don’t know its depth, but near the shore the depth was very small.

The lake is icy, but I was hoping to swim) And all around are mountains...

It was here that we made a stop, having a snack with our modest supplies and admiring the beauty to our heart's content. While we were sitting in silence, we heard animal screams. Either “beep” from mountain goats, or “beep” from brown bear cubs. It became scary. There was no one in sight, but we didn't want to take any chances. We packed up and went back...

Last year there was just an activation of bears in Krasnaya Polyana, and before the hike I read a lot, how to behave when meeting a bear. Firstly, clubfooted people are as afraid of us as we are of them. If a bear appears far into view, Make loud noises to scare Misha away: whistle, clap your hands, bang pots and bottles. Secondly, a bear is an unpredictable animal, so it is impossible to predict what it will do next. Don't scream or run. But if Misha greets you from behind, then I won’t even advise you anything. In general, the main thing is to remain calm and control the situation, and change diapers after meeting him.

CAMP “COLD”

If we had more time, we could go even further - to the Kholodny camp... See even more lakes and even larger ones... But the cable car would not have waited for us. This thought that there is even more to see haunts me. And I will definitely return there again with an overnight stay so that I have time to see everything))

We returned just as the cable car closed. We made it)

WHAT TO BRING FOR A DAY HIKE IN THE MOUNTAINS?

Essentials: trekking poles(with them it is much more convenient to go up and down the mountains), water in large quantities, light snack food, camera, phone, warm jacket, raincoat, sunglasses, sunscreen, wet and dry wipes, swimsuit(if you want to swim in the lakes), passport, ticket, route map(given when purchasing a ticket for the cable car), money(if you don’t make it to the cable car, you will need to look for a place to spend the night). Some take rugs for sitting, tents, and burners, but we only went for a day.

FEATURES OF THE HIKE TO THE BZERPA CORNICE

FEATURE #1

The Bzerpinsky cornice is most often used by experienced tourists as transhipment point, not the end point of the route. Having reached the Bzerpinsky cornice, you understand that if you go further, there will be even more beautiful views and even more unprecedented beauties. Further - higher mountains, further - the route is more interesting, further - mountain lakes... And so on.

Therefore, most tourists set a goal walk to the Kholodny camp, see the lake valley of Dzitaku and much more. Such routes are impossible without an overnight stay. The distance along the chosen route can be more than 50 km in both directions. In addition, you can go to the right - towards Mount Kogot, or you can go to the left - towards the lakes. And I want to see everything!

FEATURE #2

Along the entire route, ABSOLUTELY ALL tourists greeted us. This is simply something incredible! Everyone is very friendly and understanding, happy to share information about how far we still have to go and what lies ahead. It was the first time I encountered such hospitality and warmth from complete strangers. There, in the mountains, there is its own party and its own atmosphere)

FEATURE #3

Because of the rangers, there is, excuse me, horse poop all over the route. They have a specific smell and are of considerable size. And so on every 50 meters. Therefore, the main thing on the way to the Cornice is not to leave the trails and watch your step)

FEATURE #4

YOU NEED TO CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF! How frustrating it was that even there, in the mountains, there were bulls and empty plastic bottles and packaging from eaten cookies lying around. Nothing can defeat human pig nature...

For anyone who is still wondering why to go to Sochi and what to do there, I recommend coming to this wonderful place and be sure to follow the route to the Bzerpinsky cornice.

My other reviews about Krasnaya Polyana:

Thanks to everyone who read this long review about my trip to the cornice. Ask questions in the comments, I will be happy to answer them.

Our route thread:
Laura - Fir Glade - lvl. Bear Gate - Bzerpinsky cornice - Kogot town (radially) - Dzitaku lakes (radially)

This is a slightly modified part of the excursion and tourist route No. 8a “Camp Kholodny” (Another name is “Bears Gate Tract - Camp Kholodny”). We had exactly 2 days of time, so we had to make adjustments. In the original, the thread looks like this: Laura - Fir Glade - lvl. Bear Gate - Tabunaya town - Bzerpinsky cornice - lane. Pseashkha - Kholodny camp. With radial exits to the Kholodnaya River valley and the Dzitaku lake valley (Semiozerye).

There is a route passport on the official website of the reserve.

Saffron (Crocus) Sharoyan, in the background is the peak of Chugush

We made the most of our time: we went up to Pikhtovaya Polyana on the first day on the first cable car, and went down on the second on the last. If you decide to repeat our route, be sure to check the cable car schedule and fix it for yourself so that you don’t have to set up camp in the clearing again and wait for the “morning express” to civilization.

Day 1. Laura - Fir Glade - lvl. Bear Gate - Bzerpinsky cornice - Kogot town.

Yesterday evening we arrived from Krasnodar to Krasnaya Polyana, so we woke up already on the territory of the Olympic Village in the hotel (information about it is here:). Despite the fact that we were in the completely opposite part of the resort from the cable car, we reached the parking lot at the railway station in about 15-20 minutes.

A paid, conditionally guarded, walk-through parking lot awaited us here. We left the car there.
In general, there are no options where you can leave your car for free at the checkpoint, either parking is included with the paid hotel room, or you can leave your car in a multi-story indoor parking lot. The second option, at a price per day, will be approximately the same as the cost of a room + parking in a budget hotel, so we simply left the car in the open parking lot and moved towards the cable car - 3S Alpika Service / KD Laura to climb the route "A1/A2 - Pikhtovy Shelter".

Tickets for the cable car are in our hands

The reserve’s website says that in addition to the cable car, you can go up by car (SUV) - but we didn’t check this road, and judging by the review of it from the cable car cabin, we wouldn’t even go there with a crossover. It resembles the Shaumyan Pass (known to everyone who was looking for alternative roads from Krasnodar to the sea without traffic jams), only the slope is much higher.

We arrived at the upper station of the cable car. We set off along the route towards the cornice:

Having reached the cornice, we had enough time to walk to Bzerpi Peak. By the way, in clear weather, the view of the sea opens from the top.

On the way to Bzerpi Peak - sea view

Bzerpinsky cornice. In the background is the peak of Chugush

We returned back to camp at sunset. Sunset in the mountains is amazing! Especially when it’s not far from the tent. We made Dasha an avatar and slowly walked towards the camp.

Day 2. Bzerpa cornice - Dzitaku lakes (radially)

Jitaku Lakes on the map | Camp Cold

See the video to see how the route to the Jitaku lake valley and the lakes themselves look like.

For those who are preparing for the hike as scrupulously as possible, the following information will be useful. Well, by the way, she wouldn’t bother us that day either. Because we didn’t calculate the time and had to return from the lakes without stopping, quickly have lunch and pack up the camp in order to catch the last cable car.

Route information in numbers:

As we can see from the table, in the first part of the route (to the cornice) you will have to gather all your strength into a fist and at the same time think about what things you will do without next time, since you have a rather steep climb ahead of you. But, as a reward, there are a bunch of cool places to visit, without any significant elevation changes. You'll like it!

Attention: the route begins with an elevator ride!
This is a very rare case when diversity Vehicle it’s just off the scale: car - elevator - cable car. Don't know how to get to the mountains by elevator? Watch the video:

I had a dream - to go to the Bzerpinsky cornice in winter, when there is a lot of snow there!
See you in the mountains!

In the process of regular and frequent travel, fatigue began to accumulate more and more, not so much from the hikes themselves, but from the endless journeys by car. And so, for a change, I wanted to consider the option of a convenient and stress-free casting into the mountains on public transport. One was quickly found. The outskirts of Krasnaya Polyana with super-developed infrastructure ala - every whim for your money, in this regard, they simplify the task to a minimum: in the morning in Krasnodar you sit on a comfortable swallow and in the afternoon you find yourself somewhere in Rosa Khutor. After 100 meters you transfer to the cable car and after 15 minutes you are already in the mountains at an altitude of 1500 m among a centuries-old relict forest. What else do you need? True, it is not entirely clear why the swallow, instead of its characteristic swift flight, crawls along the rails like a wounded horsetail? It's a little annoying, but it's probably the way it should be.

Outside the train window is the coastal strip of the sea. There are very few people on the beach, but all the pipel present at the moment is given away water element and taking air baths to the fullest. Of course, the water is 21 degrees, gentle sun velvet season. The most fun. I can’t believe that not far from here, somewhere up there it can be really cold.

Civil, clean and cultured to the point of discomfort. AND The greens are still bright and fresh for summer.

I was kindly pleased with the initiative of the administration of our valiant State Committee for Biological Reserves to organize the sale of tickets to the territory of the reserve in the building of the Alpindustria shopping center, near the Gazprom Laura cable car. This eliminates the need to buy tickets in Adler or Krasnaya Polyana, as was previously practiced, and travel here with a transfer. As for the rest of the moments, I did not experience any special bursts of joy from the realization of my presence in the highly restricted zone of the reserve, rather the opposite. With a minimum of costs for arranging shelters, the money is pumped out here regularly, since there is an abundance of assorted people roaming along legal routes. The huntsmen are bloodthirsty and focused on unambiguous, merciless reprisals against illegal immigrants. Some specimens are so ferocious that it seems that if you give them free rein, they will shoot everyone around with their guns. Apparently, with a meager salary, all these crowds of frenzied tourists got to their core. Even in comparison with the rather conservative Lago-Naki, the order in the local diocese is almost draconian. If there, if you have a ticket for a “daytime session,” you can wander around almost anywhere, and even spend the night without much risk outside the designated areas, then a step to the left, a step to the right from the main path means execution on the spot. The tickets must indicate each individual radial, lake, and top of the head. And we also found ourselves in the active phase of the deer rut, which was the reason for the closure of some recently operating routes. This imposed additional restrictions on movement and general behavior. In addition to the basic prohibitions, in the reserve it was forbidden to smoke, breathe deeply in fresh air, take a leak in the wrong place, make faces and tease bears, pull the tails of deer, talk loudly and chase mating drunken hedgehogs through the bushes.

But at one and a half thousand meters everything looks a little different. Gradually the picture is changing.

Well, without excessive sarcasm, then the territory mentioned here is actually favorable for active family vacation and fairly safe mattress-making for poorly prepared groups and individuals. Something between the purely wild and civil levels. The well-paved trails are equipped with signs and, in some places, benches, tables and even awnings. On the Bzerpinsky cornice there is a shelter with two houses for 20 people each, common outdoor toilets and government tents, rented out along with the internal stuffing necessary for overnight accommodation. The latter is for those who prefer to walk here lightly in exchange for the determination to part with the extra cabbage in their pocket at a price of 600 rubles. from the nose overnight (cheaper than shag!) The rest of the conscientious semi-ascetics put up their own tents in the clearing free of charge, but on wooden pallets allocated for this purpose, by analogy with the Fishtin shelter.
In summer it is probably very beautiful here, since the subalpine meadow zone from Bzerpi to the Kholodny camp is represented quite extensively. Now the grass has withered, but somewhere in June-July everything blooms and smells fragrant against the backdrop of snow-capped peaks. Well, the most interesting thing, in my opinion, is the multi-peaked Pseashkha ridge, exceeding the 3000 m mark, with its glaciers on the north-eastern slopes. But the problem is that from the path between the two shelters, only the Sugarloaf peak, or Pseashkho Sugarny, is more or less visible, and all neighboring panoramic high-rises, except for the Bzerpinsky peak, are prohibited. Some for now, others not at all. True, from the Kholodnaya River valley the view of a good half of the ridge with the glacier was still pleasing. And the valley itself is very beautiful. The glades, interspersed with birch forests, were vaguely reminiscent of Myrdy. Therefore, it’s still worth walking from the Bzerpinsky cornice to the Kholodny camp for the sake of this valley with a view of Pseashkha.

So, having stocked up with tickets, we board the cable car and sail through the air to Pikhtovaya Polyana. From there to the Bzerpinsky cornice there are two or three walks, depending on the physical condition of those daring and the severity of their burden. Half of the climb is covered through the forest, half through the meadow.

Volodya was so loaded with lard that one backpack on his shoulders was not enough.

Upon exiting the forest, travelers will find tables with benches where they can catch their breath and kill a worm.

From here you can see a nice view of Chugush, Aibga, Agepsta. Bzerpinsky peak is almost nearby. But there is no water in this parking lot. Minus one star.

On the left is Mount Chugush, 3238 m, with a glacier visible at the top, on the right is the trapezoidal Mount Vorobyov, 2854 m (when did he manage to do this...?)

Bzerpinsky cornice with a shelter in a clearing. This is something like a pass leading to the hanging valley of Pseashkha. The altitude is about 2000 m. It doesn’t seem like much, but now, when people below are swimming in the sea, it’s already steadily freezing here at night. On the left is Mount Perevalnaya Yuzhnaya, 2503 m. - an excellent panoramic point. But not to our liking...

Sartire shelter near a picturesque cliff. Not for use by those suffering from bouts of sleepwalking.

The fog is creeping on your heels. There was no trace left of the recent warmth. Cold and dampness will take over the position of this high-rise now until the next morning.

Only one tenant from local Sochi settled in one of the houses. It’s approaching night, the coldest of all that we captured there, and there are no rangers in the camp. And they are unlikely to show up. This advantage is worth taking advantage of. We spent this overnight stay comfortably and for free. At dinner, the boy said that just yesterday everything here was white with snow, and at night the thermometer dropped to minus 5.
In the morning we blew up in the direction of Kholodny, but with a run into the neighboring Dzitaku valley to the lakes. Along the way, in the upper reaches of Urushten, we turned to Lake Maloye, which, in fact, turned out to be not small at all, but quite decent, of medium size.

We returned to the main path, reached the adjoining Jitaku on the left and decided to run radially there lightly, taking only lunch and gas (balloon) . In order to easily find the backpacks hidden in the wind-worn low forest upon my return, I look for a suitable sign. This was a decent-sized pile of bear droppings right on the trail. You definitely won't pass by. We boasted of our goodness against her. Another 20 minutes walk and we are at the lakes.
Among them is one Big (that’s what it’s called)

and several small ones, literally stuck together in a heap, which overall adds originality to this natural complex.

There's nowhere closer...

The shores and shallows of almost all lakes are ideal for swimming. The water is clean and warms up well in summer. Perfect place for a picnic and relaxation, there are plenty of flat and fairly trampled spots for tents, which clearly indicates their regular presence. But again: it’s too bad to officially put them here. Picnics and drinking vodka are always welcome, but while away the night, no, no.

Another small and torn one. A little further from the rest

We dined at the Bolshoi as expected.

We leave Dzitaka and return to the upper reaches of Urushten

At a noticeable bear mark we load the surviving backpacks that were not subjected to the beast’s search. Now - Cold. I hope he doesn't live up to his name too much tonight.

Holodnaya Valley. At the end is the Pseashkha ridge with the Kholodny glacier, which gives rise to the river.

We are approaching the camp.

Apparently you can’t count on a ceremonial meeting with music, gypsies and a tame bear.

Who lives in the mansion?

There are plenty of tent pallets and one guest house in Kholodny. There are no official tents provided, because this camp does not enjoy the same commercial success as the Bzerpinsky cornice. That is, many times fewer people come here to spend the night. A separate house in the forest for the caretaker of the shelter. This unpleasant and unfriendly type checked our tickets, gave us something like a brief briefing, and shocked us with the news that it was forbidden to light a fire even in an equipped fire pit. Apparently, the dude mistook us for suckers without a clan or tribe. I had to convince him of the wrongness of such an erroneous position in life. Realizing that we wouldn’t be able to hang cheap noodles on our ears, he reluctantly turned on the rear, muttering with displeasure the condition that it was inadmissible to collect firewood within a radius of 100 m from the camp. Dear, what are you talking about? Yes, at least 200! Then the huntsman warned that at night, horned males, exhausted by love-sickness, would definitely scream around us. But there is no need to be afraid of them, he assured, and tightly closed the door of his own house behind him...

Developing a morning plan to search and capture a herd of wild bison

In the morning the weather is excellent again and we, having slept tolerably and not too frightened by the night roar, move lightly into the Kholodnaya valley to the glacier of the same name.

Crossing the Kholodnaya River on the bridge

Ahead along the way, the magnificent Pseashkha with the Kholodny glacier in the center opens up more and more.

We begin to climb along the rocky bed of the stepped sloping madder. The glacier once spread here, but then crawled up a considerable distance.

However, despite our best efforts, we were never able to climb the glacier. Just before taking off on his tongue, we ran into insurmountable obstacles. The snowfields that melted over the summer made the passage in the rocks almost impregnable. Stone, ice and moisture made a dangerous explosive mixture. In an unsuccessful attempt to force this matter unceremoniously, without equipment, Vovka and I almost got stuck in some butt and barely got out again, splashing out the corresponding dose of adrenaline. Olga acted smarter, turning on the reverse at the right time.

The walk to the Kholodnaya Valley also turned out to be useful because we scouted out the route to climb one of the three-thousanders - Mount Mramornaya, with minimal probability of falling into the predatory clutches of rangers. But this is a foundation for the future.

We return, collect firewood along the way and spend the night on Kholodny again. That night the deer trumpeted somehow less intrusively. Maybe many of them have already created healthy, strong families as an example and to the envy of fussy and stupid little people? By the way, due to ignorance, their roar can easily be confused with a bear’s and can be seriously ruined, tarnishing their reputation.

On the morning of the fourth day, we collapsed our portable camp and moved back to the cornice in order to climb Perevalnaya Yuzhnaya from there and explore the rest of the upper reaches of Pseashkha.

It's nice there, but we don't need to go there...

However, Yuzhnaya, to our sincere displeasure, was also “sealed”. Actually, the idea was initially hatched to climb Sugarloaf, but two reasons stopped us: the omnipresent fierce rangers and fresh snow on the entire body of the peak. Its ridge is narrow and its slope is very steep. And if you make a noise from there, you will poke your head down until you erase yourself. Not this time. Then the Bzerpinsky peak remains.

Climbing to Bzerpi Peak. View towards the camp. On the left is the same Chugush with a glacier.

At the peak. Height 2482 m.

Sunset on the Bzerpinsky cornice.

Fifth day. Descent down, departure to Adler and swimming in the sea. In some strange way, we found ourselves in Adler only in the evening. Horseradish decided to go not by train, but by bus. In the end it took much longer. At night, the oak tree pressed on the cornice, intensified by a cold, unpleasant wind, and here the heat was 30 degrees. What a paragraph! The daily temperature difference for the body is more than 30 degrees.

Taking advantage of Vovka’s hospitality, we had lunch at home and ran to the beach. They splashed into the water already in the dark. The body felt blissful from the freshness that suddenly washed over it. The fatigue disappeared, as if the hike had never happened. My sister went home straight from the beach, and I decided to stop at Vovka’s and swim in the sea again in the morning, despite the deteriorating weather. But the storm that broke out the next day convincingly cooled my impulse.

However, there was still half a day left before the swallow to Krasnodar and we needed to do something with the time. Therefore, Vovka took me to the Adler arboretum, which I really liked. It was raining, but we managed to explore the territory of the park.

Palm alley

Banana thickets

and bamboo

Redwood Alley. Another perfect place for tent

Eucalyptus

Angel girl with the face of an old woman

Now go home. I feel like I haven’t had enough time, despite my almost week-long stay in the “south.” Apparently, this is a rare case when I didn’t rape myself to the core on a hike, but just warmed up well. Plus, Golden autumn, favorite time in the mountains. It's just a pity that it's so fleeting...

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

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

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

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

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

Day one: Pikhtovy Shelter - Kholodny Camp

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

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

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

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

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


The first meters of the journey

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Play of light and shadow. Halt at the Pseashkho pass

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

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

Valley of the Urushten River in front of the Kholodny camp

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

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

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

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

Timing of the day:

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

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

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

Day two: Kholodny camp - Krasnaya Polyana

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

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

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

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

Urushten River

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Timing of the day:

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

Technical photos from the route

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

Useful information about the hike

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

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

conclusions

General conclusions about the route:

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

Conclusions on winter trekking (ski touring):

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

A short video about the hike

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

Route to the Kholodny camp

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

Coordinates of key points:

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

Infrastructure facilities indicated on the map:

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

Additionally:

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

Trek budget

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

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

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

Ski touring equipment

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

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

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

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

My equipment for this ski touring trip

Special ski touring equipment

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

Avalanche equipment

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

Tourist equipment

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

Products

Garbage bag ("trashbag")

Casual clothing

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

Clothes for bad weather

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

Clothes for sleep

Long johns for sleep
Jumper for sleep
Warm socks for sleeping

Other

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

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