Barite waterfall. Arkhyz. Sofia waterfalls, Arkhyz, Karachay-Cherkessia - photo travel Waterfall on the White River in Arkhyz

This time we arrived in Arkhyz spontaneously. Just pulled into the mountains, away from city noise. Stayed at a hotel. At this time of the year there are very few people here, preparations are underway for the ski season.

And on the morning of the next day they decided to take a walk to Barite Falls. Not quite imagined the distance to him. It turned out quite far and interesting. But first things first.

How to get to the waterfall.

To get to the waterfall, you need to turn onto the street Khubiev from the main street Arkhyz. If you entered the village on the highway, then turn right opposite the market. There is still a large parking lot offering tours of the mountains of Arkhyz.

At the end of Khubiev Street you can leave the car. The road uphill to Barite waterfall.

At the end of the street we left a car, there is plenty of parking space there. They took a light snack and water with them.And they went up the mountain.

Once upon a time we were in these places, but time has erased the details of those travels. Therefore, we immediately took to the right, crossed a shallow mountain river and went to the far right path.

We saw that there was a car above, that is, the road there was wide, but we did not know if there was a passage across the river.

As it turned out later, it was possible to go 300-400 meters along the road, and only then cross the river to the right on the path. It's just that the road there is much better.

I must say that all the way to the waterfall is a steep climb along a narrow path. That is, be patient.

All the way we walked slowly along the mountain path. Small stones crumbled underfoot. Sometimes streams flowed from the mountain.

  What you will see along the way.

The whole path is surrounded by greenery. And endless thickets of hazelnut bushes. The weather was great. We had a lot of time.

Bushes of nuts grow throughout the trail it really is a lot. True, it was already collected in accessible places, but we also got a few nuts. It turns out that you can go for nuts at the end of September.

Advice for those who plan to go to the waterfall. You do not have to rush. A steep climb quickly takes up strength, so “running away” to the waterfall will not work, unless you are professional athletes.We met several people who returned halfway. Just tired.

Count on a 5-6 hour walk. Our climb took 2.5 hours, the descent took an hour and a half. About an hour we rested and took pictures at the top near the waterfall.

It is impossible to get lost here, there is only one road. We met here such a beautiful waterfall. He is a little aloof on the river.

An hour and a half later, we reached a fork. Need to turn right. There is a pointer arrow on the stone. Do not go straight, there is almost vertical, steep rock. We were told about this by the guys who decided to "cut" and returned to the path - they did not pass.

And the path to the right led us into a pine forest. And who we met there!

And what air is there! Do not breathe, already dizzy.The road here is not so steep, although the rise is still felt. She made one sharp turn and soon again led us onto a narrow mountain trail.

From here begins the steepest section of the rise, but it is short-lived, and the goal is very close.

The waterfall seemed to us literally on the last meters of the road. A sheer stone rock of bizarre shape and a flowing thin stream of water, about 20 meters high.

We were rewarded with this beauty for a long and difficult journey.

Later we learned that we crossed a path of about three kilometers, and the vertical drop of about 700 meters.

The waterfall can be easily reached. In September, the flow of water is very small. So we enjoyed swimming in it, taking advantage of the lack of tourists. Non-transferable pleasure! Give it a try! Photos for obvious reasons are not exposed.

From the waterfall along the path you can climb even higher. The mountain overlooks the village of Arkhyz and the gorge, as they say, from a bird's eye view.

About an hour we rested, bathed, took pictures, had a snack. Then they began to descend.

One more tip. You will need comfortable shoes with a good sole for trekking. For your safety. Getting down in some places is slippery. Stones constantly fall under the feet.

Sticks for tracking on this route are not needed, they will only interfere, especially during the descent.

So we got a great pleasure from the walk. We hope that this year the weather will allow us to come to Arkhyz again for warmth.

Where is it better to rent a house to see more attractions.

And we made one more conclusion. For walks in the mountains of Arkhyz, in the woods, for relaxing in the warm season, it is better to rent a house in the village. Forest, rivers, everything is nearby. And in winter, during the ski season, look for places closer to the cable car.

Another advantage for a summer vacation in Arkhyz: in almost all guest houses, there is the possibility of relaxing on the street, in the gazebos, and barbecue facilities. Well, what a vacation in the Caucasus without barbecue! Can recommend guest house Sofia   . Or, for example, the Kavkaz Hotel is located right in the center of the village.

Sofia Falls is a cascade of water flows that forms from a melting glacier. And it melts almost all year round, so Sofia waterfalls are always full-flowing and beautiful. Well, in winter they turn into huge picturesque icicles, an amazing sight! Although winter, of course, is not the best time to go to the mountains.

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Sofia waterfalls 43.441453 , 41.284990 Sofia Falls is a cascade of water flows that forms from a melting glacier. And it melts almost all year round. Description (Calculate the route)

Information

Sofia Falls is the source of the Sofia mountain river. They flow down from the Sofia glacier, which in turn lies on the slopes of the Sofia mountain. The height of the mountain is 3640 m above sea level. Sofia waterfalls are the second largest in Arkhyz, located between the Kizgych and Psysh valleys. The Sofia River flows to the valley of the Psysh River, and then carries its waters to the source of the Bolshoi Zelenchuk - the main waterway of the mountain Arkhyz. In summer, the height of the jets reaches 90 m. You can come close to the waterfalls and even swim, only the water is very cold.

How to get there

An excellent asphalt road leads to Arkhyz village, so you can get here without problems and with comfort by your own car. If you are coming from the direction of Krasnodar and the Krasnodar Territory, you will pass along this section of the road. Arriving in the village of Arkhyz, you need to drive through it and move towards the ski resort "Arkhyz". On the way to it, you will notice a left turn and a pointer to the glacier. At the sight of this fork, your heart will begin to rejoice - the road is asphalted! But do not rejoice - only a short stretch of road is paved, then it spoils sharply and goes into a gouged forest road, which leads to the Taulu camp site and the Arkhyz City campground.

The hiking route starts from a wooden automobile bridge over the Psysh River, here there are tents with souvenirs, huts and other traditional dishes of Karachai cuisine. Having passed through the glade of Taulu, you must always move along the Sofia river, at first you will not see it, since the road passes through a picturesque forest. Then the road comes closer to the river, and at some point it will even be necessary to cross the rapid stream. The main thing is to go along the river all the time, so you will absolutely get to its sources, which are waterfalls.

Sofia waterfalls are waterfalls of glacial origin, flowing down from the Sofia glacier of Mount Sofia, which is a symbol of Arkhyz. To swim in the ice streams or to get a bottle of clean water, we climbed a little over an hour along the bed of a mountain river flowing from the waterfalls themselves. Moreover, the most interesting thing is that during the ascent the waterfalls are visible, and all the time it seems that they are close at hand, but, no, to go quite far and hard in places from unaccustomed (the last hundred meters is the coolest place of ascent - we already climbed there "), although the route is considered one of the easiest in Arkhyz. We got to the foot of the mountain from the village for a little less than an hour (16 km) along the mountain road and with a ferry across the Sofia river), then still entertainment !!! The most popular type of SUV in Arkhyz is “tablets” or “loaves” - remember Soviet ambulances - here they are. It shakes more than on merry-go-rounds, but it is brought as close as possible, easily overcoming the beds of mountain rivers, forest impassability, and ravines with stones and potholes.

Sofia waterfalls are the largest in Arkhyz. They are called pulsating - the water flows in them are unstable, their peak falls on the flood period of July-August, the time of the greatest snowmelt in the mountains. Locals say that if you have not been to Sophia Falls, you have not seen Arkhyz. The most powerful waterfall is the one that first meets those who climb the trail. To approach it, you need to cross the mountain river (we did not climb). In some places a loose glacier hangs overhead. Along the cliffs on wet ledges, you can approach the rest of the waterfalls. From the waterfalls opens, in full view, the entire Sofia Valley.

By the way, during the climb, we found another fan for tourists - a block of last year’s snow, next to which everyone was photographed with pleasure, broke off pieces for memory and played snowballs. And at the very beginning of the ascent, one of the trees became a “wish tree” - all people who climb the waterfalls tie ribbons, strings and other interesting things “as a keepsake” to it.

Well, a photo report ..

Under the mountain there is a small market where you can eat tasty huts or barbecue and put on a “room of thought” without a door, but “face the mountains” so that no one sees

And on the way to the waterfalls, we still drove a monument to the fallen soldiers .. Photo taken on the go, sorry ...

That's the way we rode

Stunning views of the glacier on the road.

And when we crossed the river, a cow blocked the road, and this is not uncommon in Arkhyz, we had to go around))

Our driver is resting, and under him is sobssno "tablet", she is also a "loaf"))

This is me trying to lick an ice block))

The climate of Arkhyz is milder than in the neighboring valleys. The ridge of Abishir-Akhub, having fenced off the upper part from the north with a high (3,000 m) barrier, blocked the access to cold winds. A wide valley spread along the meridian is well lit by the sun (280 sunny days). Summer in Arkhyz is not hot.
   In the vicinity of the aul, the average daily temperature in July and August is + 15.3 ° (in the afternoon, up to 25 °). Winters are mild and snowy. The average temperature in January is 5.4 °. Autumn is usually dry, warm until November. Spring is colorful, with unexpectedly changing weather. In general, the climate of the region is mountainous, moderately continental, but the higher the mountains, the colder and more rainfall.
  The nature of Arkhyz is protected by the state. In 1968, bison were brought to Kizgych from the Caucasian Reserve. In this regard, the gorge has a special reserve regime (permission is required for the passage of the Arkhyz office of the reserve).

mountains and glaciers around Arkhiz - spring 2004

The sunny valley, reliably hidden by high mountains, lush meadows, rich in game forests have long attracted people. Since ancient times (as well as the territory of Karachay-Cherkessia as a whole), it has been a zone of junction of various cultures. Bronze hatchets, daggers and jewelry made by the distant ancestors of the Abaza and Circassians were found in the Lower Arkhyz, as well as in the neighboring valleys (on Marukh, Agur and Kafar). The Kiafar treasure trove of bronze jewelry (900 BC), found near the village of Storozheva, is located in the Hermitage.

The greatest number of monuments in the upper Bolshoi Zelenchuk was left by the Alans. These nomadic tribes appeared in the Ciscaucasia at the turn of our era. In the 4th century the Huns invaded the North Caucasus. Some of the Alans were exterminated, some were taken away by the Huns to the west (the Alan-Vandal state existed for about a hundred years on the Iberian Peninsula), the remaining ones were forced to go to the mountains.

K X century. The Alan tribal union, which occupied the mountainous strip of the North Caucasus from the Bolshaya Laba River to the territory of present Chechen-Ingushetia, acquired the features of a centralized state. Georgian, Arab, Byzantine authors note the power of the Alan kings.
  In the X-XII centuries. Alanya has reached its highest peak.

Alania had close trade and political ties with Transcaucasia. Along ancient pass roads, settlements and fortresses grew. The shortest and most convenient way on the Black Sea coast and further to Byzantium passed along the Big Zelenchuk to the Sancharsky pass and through Pskha to Dioskuria (Sukhumi). On this path at the entrance to the gorge of Bolshoy Zelenchuk in the X century. a city arose (the Lower Arkhyz fort) and a number of settlements in the upper part of the valley: on the site of the present village of Arkhyz, in the gorges of Sofia, Pyshysh and Kizgych. Ruins can be seen in the thickets of the bush today.

The Lower Arkhyz fortification is located on the right bank of the Bolshoi Zelenchuk, near the town of astrophysicists. Already from the road (at the 22nd km from the village of Zelenchukskaya) two well-preserved temples are visible. The length of the settlement is 2.5 km. Three streets stand out with the ruins of houses and outbuildings. In addition to temples, traces of many chapels and burials have been discovered. It is believed that there was a religious center in Alanya in Lower Arkhyz, and its northern temple served as the cathedral of the Alanian diocese. It is known that with the assistance of Abkhazia in 921–925. the nobility of Zakuban Alanya adopted Christianity, which was accompanied by the construction of temples in the Byzantine style and the first attempts to create writing using the Greek alphabet.

Judging by the excavations, the Lower Arkhyz city in the X-XII centuries. actively traded with Byzantium, the Middle East, Russian principalities, Transcaucasia. A high level of crafts is noted. In the Caucasus, Alan iron products and weapons were famous. A workshop with a mountain unique for that time was discovered in the ancient settlement. Gold jewelry found during excavations of the northern temple is distinguished by craftsmanship (the treasure is stored in the Historical Museum in Moscow).

Located in the foothills of the northwestern Caucasus.

It consists of 10 municipal districts - Abazinsky, Adyge-Khablsky, Zelenchuksky, Karachaevsky, Malokarachaevsky, Nogaysky, Prikubansky, Urupsky, Ust-Dzhegutinsky, Khabezsky and two cities of republican subordination - Karachaevsk and Cherkessk.

The climate is moderately warm, the winters are short, the summers are warm, long, quite humid. For climate, a long duration of sunshine is indicative. The average January temperature is −3.2 ° C, July +20.6 ° C, the highest temperature +39 ° C, low −29 ° C. The average annual rainfall is from 500 to 2000 mm.

Most (about 80%) of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic are located in the mountains. Within the republic there are 3 zones: foothill plain, foothills and mountains of the Caucasus. In the north, the advanced ridges of the Greater Caucasus stretch, in the south - Watershed and Lateral, their height reaches 4000 m. Marukhsky and Kluhorsky passes lead to the Black Sea coast. The Sukhumi military road passing through the Klukhor pass connects Karachay-Cherkessia with Abkhazia. On the border with Kabardino-Balkaria is Mount Elbrus, the two peaks of which are the highest peaks in Europe.

The republic has an abundance of water resources: about 130 high-altitude lakes, many mountain waterfalls. 172 rivers flow, of which the largest are the Kuban, Bolshoi and Maly Zelenchuk, Urup, Laba; There is a Kuban reservoir. The system of the Great Stavropol Canal operating in the republic is a source of water supply for the Stavropol Territory.

The subsoil is rich in natural resources: coal, granite, marble, various ores and clays. In large reserves - healing mineral waters, there are many thermal springs.

Karachay-Cherkessia is located in the zone of mountain steppes and broad-leaved forests. The soils are mainly chernozems and gray forest soils. In the forests and highlands, rich flora and fauna have been preserved. On the territory of the republic there are a number of specially protected natural territories, including the Teberdinsky Reserve and part of the Caucasian Reserve. Arkhyz

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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
  Team Nomad

In mid-October for the weekend we managed to go to Arkhyz. We were going on this trip for a very long time, postponed several times for a variety of circumstances, and finally told ourselves that if not this time, then in the near future it will not work. We were not even embarrassed that the weather forecast was not very pleasing - it was promised rain, but we hoped for a false forecast and did not lose, although the weather was cloudy, but there was no rain, only occasionally it rained.

Trip to Arkhyz

Arkhyz is a mountainous region in Karachay-Cherkessia. Actually, this is the name of the small village of Zelenchuksky district, but in the broad sense it is called a fairly large tourist region, starting from the very village of Zelenchukskaya (named after the mountain river flowing here) and up to the Caucasus Range. That is, it begins in the foothills, and ends already high in the mountains. It is immediately noticeable that tourists want to attract tourists here - new roads all the way from the village of Zelenchukskaya to Arkhyz itself, in some places there are still repaired sections, but there were no traffic jams, roads were not loaded.

I will not be original if I say that I love the mountains madly. If I see mountains in front of me, then for me, not any inconvenience, nor weather vagaries, nor the distances covered are of particular importance. But the mountains of Arkhyz are something amazing. Terrible, powerful, majestic - it is difficult to pick up epithets for their description.

Trip to Arkhyz

You can go to Arkhyz at any time of the year: in spring, green mountains are decorated with flowers, the aroma of herbs, young vegetation; in summer it is very beautiful and much cooler than in the Black Sea resorts; in the winter, the ski season opens here - Arkhyz, by the way, is recognized as the best young ski resort in the country. But I love the mountains in the fall - this is such an amazing riot of colors! Therefore, this year I fulfilled my old dream - a weekend in Arkhyz.

Trip to Arkhyz

Trip to Arkhyz

We planned the weekend program to see both sights and natural beauty.

Travel plan to Arkhyz

On the first day, even before checking into the camp site, we stopped at Lower Arkhyz fort   by looking at what remains of the ancient capital of Alanya; then they went up to the famous Face of Christ, which is located on the other side of the road and the Zelenchuk River. These two attractions deserve to be described in a separate review, which I promise to do in the near future.

Previously, of course, I consulted with those who visited Arkhyz, read on the Internet what you can see there, so the Nizhnearkhiz settlement and the Face of Christ stood at my first place in the mandatory program. In second place, the benefit that all this is nearby was the famous observatory, which is called the "Eye of the planet."

Trip to Arkhyz

Trip to Arkhyz

Sightseeing tour of the astrophysical observatory

Founded back in the 60s, this astrophysical observatory is today the largest ground-based space observation object in our country. Even at school, as a very curious child, I attended a circle of astronomy, so I heard about it more than once, but to see it with my own eyes is fantastic.

Trip to Arkhyz

The observatory itself is located high in the mountains - an altitude of more than 2 km. above sea level. To go up to it, you need to turn left according to the signpost, this will be a race to the Nizhnearkhiz fortification (it is immediately behind the barrier), and to the road to the observatory.

Trip to Arkhyz

The road takes about 20 minutes on a mountain serpentine. Of course, there will be sharp turns, and terrible cliffs, and stuffy ears, and most importantly - stunning views. Behind one of the turns is an observation deck from where gorgeous views open: you can see not only the mountains, including the snowy ones, but also a road that repeats the bends of the Zelenchuk River. Snowy peaks are visible on the other side.

Trip to Arkhyz

Then we have to return to this road to drive to the village of Arkhyz, but this is later, and now an observatory is waiting for us. After driving a little more, we went up to the observatory. There were several more tourist buses, including schoolchildren brought on an excursion. It also offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

Trip to Arkhyz

But the main thing, of course, is the astrophysical observatory, considered the largest in Europe. Here is the tower of a large telescope (its diameter is six meters), which has a fixed shape, next to it is a large crane, which is installed on the rails leading to a large tower. All this creates some fantastically unrealistic picture. Plus, it’s just a terrible wind knocking down, and a strange silence - only the wind is buzzing and the metal structures “moan” and creak from the wind. A little creepy, the impression that you are at least on the set of a science fiction film.

Trip to Arkhyz

A special delight was caused by the optical illusion created by moving clouds. Someone from the group noticed that because of the clouds quickly escaping from us, if you stand under a huge crane, it seems that it is falling. Wow, it's breathtaking.
  A little further is two more telescopes - a smaller one, and several other objects of unknown purpose.

Trip to Arkhyz

While we walked around the observatory, a group left the building after the tour. An excursion to the tower of a large telescope costs 150 rubles, it lasts about an hour, including watching an educational film. But the guide accompanying the group said that they didn’t really like the tour, since the young man who conducted it was not particularly interested in attracting the attention of the audience, he spoke in a dry scientific language, in general, not that.

Actually, we were not going to go on a tour inside, since we didn’t have much time - they were waiting for us at the tourist base, but if anyone gets together, they might have better luck with the guide. I think, if you wish, in such a place you can make a stunningly interesting tour that will appeal not only to schoolchildren, but also to adults.

Tourist base "Arkhyz"

After a sightseeing tour of the observatory, our path lay in the village of Arkhyz. We stopped at a tourist base with an original and unexpected name - Arkhyz. It is located on the very edge of the village, by the way, very close to the reserve. We were not particularly picky when choosing a base, we listened to the advice of acquaintances who were already resting here.

This is a fairly inexpensive option, quite appropriate for the price. I was pleased with the large camp site with a large number of gazebos, barbecue facilities nearby, there are playgrounds, a lot of swings. There are several buildings. We were placed in the first two-story wooden building. There are many rooms, mainly triple and quadruple. Amenities - down the hall. On the floor there are two toilets with several cabins, there are refrigerators, a lounge, showers on the ground floor. On the ground floor there is a dining room and a single TV. In the rooms, everything is rather modest. But, in principle, we did not come here to sit in the room or watch TV. Therefore, when we returned here late at night terribly tired after a trip to the White Falls (I’m getting a bit ahead of myself), we were quite pleased with the hot water in the shower, clean bedding and warm rooms.

When we arrived to check in, we were already waiting for dinner. They really fed us very tasty: there was a delicious rich rich lagman (real), each - a large plate of hot, only from the fire, khachapuri (or maybe they are called differently) with potatoes, as well as fragrant herbal tea. The kitchen can be used at any time, there is a stove, microwave, refrigerator, several electric kettles, dishes. At any time, you can ask for their wonderful herbal tea - the hosts are very pleasant, welcoming. The next morning we were fed more traditionally - mashed potatoes, goulash and a salad of fresh vegetables. But everything is very tasty, at home. For dessert - fried crumpets with honey. Real honey, mountain. By the way, tea, honey, mushrooms collected in the mountains, even jam from cones can be bought here, from the owners, and cheaper than in retail outlets. In general, if you are not too demanding, and you do not need to provide an alpine chalet for a vacation in the mountains, then it is quite acceptable to spend the night. Tourist base - it is a tourist base, and far from bad.

But back to my story. Having settled in (or rather, leaving things in the rooms), having a delicious lunch, barely warming ourselves with tea and dressing warmer, we went on a new tour. A large military off-road vehicle GAZ-66 was ordered for our group, which already by its serious appearance suggested that the road would be extreme.

Trip to Arkhyz

Trip to the White Falls

From the hostel we drove for about an hour. For about 10 minutes it was a normal road, then a mountain road began with bumps, rises, descents, fords and other delights. The driver honestly warned us that “sausage” would be great. But no one was indignant, on the contrary, it was fun in the car, each bump was accompanied by friendly screams and laughter, yet everyone understood where we were going, and were mentally prepared for such a shake-up.
  After an hour of such a ride, shaking and happy, although having beaten off some places a bit, we stopped in a forest, in a small clearing, then we had to climb on foot. The climb is quite steep, among the trees, in some places we had to hold on to the trees and roots.

Trip to Arkhyz

Trip to Arkhyz

In several places I had to cross small streams, so the shoes here need not only comfortable and warm, but also waterproof. After a few minutes of climbing, we went to the river, then we climbed along the noisy mountain river, along the banks of which there were many fallen trees. In spring and summer, the river is more full-flowing and stormy, often uprooting old trees.

Trip to Arkhyz

Trip to Arkhyz

In general, this place, of course, impresses with its originality, even savagery. It is immediately obvious that tourists are still not very often here. The opening species is striking in its severity. A special effect was added that all this was already in the evening, at dusk.

Trip to Arkhyz

Trip to Arkhyz

We stayed at the waterfall for about half an hour, but since it was already becoming really dark and scary, we began to go down. Going down the mountain forest at night is another adventure, I will tell you. As no one has broken anything yet, this is a question, but they have fallen several times. But on the other hand, the impressions are indescribable, and the extreme has been stocked up for a long time to come.

Trip to Arkhyz

Returned already late, dark. The next day, a new excursion awaited us - in the Sofia Gorge. We agreed with the driver at 9 o’clock in the morning, but we still had to pack up and have breakfast, as a result, the rise was scheduled for 7 o’clock. So it was necessary to sleep well, rest, dry shoes and prepare for new experiences.