Horizon view from kush kaya. Mount Sokol (Kush-Kaya): features, climbing, interesting facts

In addition to lovers of beaches and cultural attractions, Crimean peninsula It has long been a favorite of climbers. There are no Everests or Mont Blancs here, but the peaks here are very diverse, so they allow you to train in almost any conditions. Mount Kush-Kaya in Crimea belongs precisely to the list of such. Fans of mountain walks who do not have special sports training will be able to conquer it along fairly convenient paths.

Where is Kush-Kaya located in Crimea?

It would seem that it would be easier to indicate the location of the rock. But the task will not seem elementary to a person who knows Crimea well. Mount Kush-Kaya is located there in three places at the same time. Today we will talk about everything, but we will dwell in detail on visiting the one near.

Object on the map of Crimea

Features of the origin of the name

The answer to the fact that finding a peak can be difficult is quite prosaic. The fact is that the namesake peaks in Crimea are quite common. “Kush-Kaya” means “Bird Mountain”. This name is given to three different hills, quite distant from each other.

The most picturesque of them is the one located in, not far from Sudak. It is often captured in photographs and is considered a symbol of the village. Its Russian name is . The dimensions are more than usual - 446 m above sea level.

The highest is Kush-Kaya on. Her “height” is 1339 m. In appearance, she looks like an ear listening to the sound of the waves. You can get here through a path that is accessible to tourists without mountaineering training.

The most famous mountain is Kush-Kaya near, and we will talk about visiting it today. Its height is average - 664 m, but there is a steep wall facing the sea, where training and mountaineering competitions take place.

Crimean conspiracy theory

In 2013, this hill was shrouded in a veil of ominous mystery - there were reports of the disappearance of a certain tourist on its slopes. Her body was not found. Everyone familiar with the news tried their best to invent different versions of what happened. It involved both aliens and certain criminal Internet communities, who gave the girl an impossible task as a dedication - to climb.

The missing person’s phone was also present in the case, where something was taken. There were stories of her strange behavior and instability.

However, more experienced mountain tourists reasonably stated that there is no need to look for aliens in places where there are slippery rocks, a high incline and unsuitable beach shoes. Unfortunately, accidents with such would-be climbers happen in any mountains. But no body - no business. Over time, the “mystery of Kush-Kai” lost its relevance, but everyone who came up with their own version of its solution remained unconvinced.

Excursions and routes to Mount Kush-Kaya

For lovers mountain tourism Kush-Kaya near Laspi provides many opportunities. Since there are routes of different difficulty levels here (according to the professional classification - from 1B to 5B), all potential conquerors choose routes according to their capabilities and plans. In total, 18 different routes lead here, some of which are not even worth attempting without good climbing equipment and climber training.

Rock of the bottom mountain belt – favorite place training and competitions for experienced climbers. But they are a special brethren, resolving organizational issues and security problems “among themselves.” Unprepared tourists usually get to the top along the so-called Great Sevastopol Trail. It is a very long excursion section, where Kush-Kaya is only one of its elements.

The trail starts in, but you can get to it in order to get to Kush-Kaya from the Laspi pass. The path here is well marked, with numerous signposts - it’s difficult to get lost. But even this “simple” route requires comfortable sportswear, good shoes (to avoid slipping) and decent physical shape (the climb is steep and difficult,
although quite accessible to non-professionals).

The trail passes by a corral for wild animals - a kind of hunting ground. Locals joke that the answer to the question of who is protected from whom by a high mesh fence is ambiguous. On the way up you will see some ruins where a wooden cross is installed. The official version says that the ruins are the remains of the Cathedral of St. Elijah, which stood here in the era late Middle Ages. That is why the cross was erected. But there are skeptics who claim that the condition of the stones and the composition of the mortar that holds them together, the technology of this period is little consistent with this period, and the ruins are the remains of a naval outpost.

Holidaymakers strive to climb to the top of Kush-Kaya for the views that open from there. From above you can admire the nature reserve in Laspi Bay. These landscapes are rightly ranked among the most beautiful in Crimea. People often come here for several days with tents. At the foot of the campsite there is a campsite for vacationers, where it is easier both with firewood and with drinking water. But some “savages” manage to find accommodation outside this housing complex.

How to get there (get there)?

As already mentioned, you can get to Mount Kush-Kaya different ways, but tourists often choose the route along the Great Sevastopol Road. If yours starts in the Laspinsky Pass area, then this is what the further path looks like:

Note to tourists

• Address: Orlinovsky municipal district, Sevastopol, Crimea, Russia.
• GPS coordinates: 44.425131, 33.679880.

If it occurs to someone to test the loyalty of their friend using Vysotsky’s method, it is not necessary to go to the Caucasus - they can go to Crimea. Mount Kush-Kaya is perfect for such a check, and the friendly Crimean cities and the villages will then help to adequately celebrate the common victory! In conclusion, we offer a video report about the hike to the hill.

This mountain looks like Chomolungma from Alushta. Its gray pointed peak (1339 m)* stands out well against the backdrop of the wooded Uraga and Chamnysh; it teases the dismounted motorist lying on the beach: “Is it hard for you to conquer me? And not from the Yalta highway, but straight from Alushta - practically from the zero level? ". And the day before yesterday, this challenge was accepted - I decided to stretch my legs, almost completely atrophied from city life, and encouraged my childhood friend Alexei to take on this adventure. Once upon a time, we almost ran up this mountain, albeit from the direction of Maly Mayak. What about now? Is there still gunpowder left in the flasks?
Among the aggravating circumstances were age, heat, an easel backpack that was foolishly overloaded (for me), a severe bruise on my toe from a battery standing on a charger the night before (again for me) and a fairly strong climb in the second half of the route, but the most terrible thing were the vile creatures, which will be discussed further.

Route plan for Kush-Kaya. The dotted line indicates the return route to the Yalta highway in the area of ​​the gas station near the village of Vinogradny.
Kush-Kaya looks distant and inaccessible from the beach.

But as soon as we climbed up the hill from the Alushta bus station, the Kush-Kai peak moved to the side and became lower. On the left is the wooded Uraga, on the right is Chamnysh, below it is the gray rock from which we looked at Alushta last September.

This time we will go to the right along the forest road, as we did in previous years. In order not to miss, you should not enter the motodrome, you must stay to the right of it and enter the forest. A well-fed hare darting past confirmed to us that we had chosen the right path.

It is better to walk along this road than on a motorcycle track. At first it is quite flat, but after crossing the river it turns into a wide path and begins to climb up the mountain. Moreover, when approaching the river, every time you get the feeling that you have reached a dead end, because... the path is no longer visible.

It is quite comfortable to walk along the path with compacted pebbles. This is still an unremarkable oak forest; above us a beech forest awaits.

Seraus is already flashing through the trees. Now there will be a clearly visible tree with a hollow in which we hid the treasure last September. I wonder if anyone found it or not?

We hid the treasure not in the hollow, but on the opposite side. We need to compare it with last year’s photo (it’s below).

No treasure! So someone found our bracelet. Sorry I didn't tell you.

Altitude 530 m, no fatigue. Now let's rest on a furnished bivouac next to a tree with a hollow and go ahead to storm Kush-Kai!

If we had gone to very close Seraus (photo from, in the previous photo he is behind Alexey), we would have seen the Kush-Kai peak. But its proximity is deceptive. To get to it, you need to climb to the saddle between Uraga and Chamnysh, and then to the height of Chamnysh, i.e. practically climb onto its wooded head (right mountain).

Oh, did you get Seraus easily? Well, then you get an obstacle course. And these are still flowers, berries will be ahead...

But we bravely overcame it. Skill (in this case, military skill) cannot be wasted, or, as they say, an old horse can’t ruin a tree felling, or something like that...

We go out onto a wide forest road coming from Vinogradny and follow it to the right. It's not far to go, soon there will be a fork - to Seraus and Chamnysh. And here is a stone familiar from last year with a crack.

The trail to Kush-Kaya, or rather, to the saddle between Uraga and Chamnysh-burun, after a fork, sharply starts upward.

Let's look back. However, the photo does not convey this quite decent rise.

Suddenly, from the abyss of beeches (which means we are at an altitude of 600 m), a forest whale swung its powerful tail.

There are quite a few fallen beech trees along the trail.

Placers of stones.

The stones are larger and then there is a “cartload of brushwood”.

And these scatterings of stones look like frozen streams descending from the slopes.

A short smoke break on the path going up. We didn’t know then that this was the last peaceful stop. This is about to start!

Suddenly we were attacked by deer (elk) flies. Compared to their single representatives last year on Seraus, there was something unimaginable here.

Apparently, these vile creatures* received information via their phone that two deer were walking along the trail, and there was no other meat in sight for the next few kilometers...

*deer bloodsucker, moose fly, moose louse, moose tick- the creature is still the same. It looks like a fly (in the photo it is greatly enlarged and without wings), but when it lands on you or an elk, it casts off its wings and turns into a “spider mouse” with tenacious legs. - If you tear it off a T-shirt or body, you won’t crush it. She tries to get into her hair or under her clothes and starts drinking blood. Not afraid of hand waves. Likes to attack walking people and for some reason mostly only adults. It’s good that it’s not a louse or a tick, and it only flies during the day. But it’s not pleasant enough. Because this infection (however, one of the most intelligent acquaintances, who was subjected to their attack, gave them a more capacious definition in her hearts - it’s a pity I can’t give it here), can be the causative agent of Lyme disease.

We had no time for landscapes anymore, however, it would be more correct to call these places a windfall.

In the lowlands the attacks were most terrible. We ran like a bullet to the heights.

But even there these creatures did not give rest. Alexei fanned himself away from them with a towel, and the speed of his hand would be the envy of a fan. And I had to take something with long sleeves stored for such an occasion out of my backpack and put on this armor in the heat, which was completed with thick jeans tucked into socks (after last September, no shorts when going into the forest!) and a T-shirt wrapped around my neck a la cowboy scarf. What kind of fitness can compare with such masochism? Even the sauna is relaxing! Indeed, on these very days, weather forecasters promised forty-degree heat for South Coast Crimea.

Yes, in this case, like grumbling old men, we can state that life was better before. Well, these creatures weren’t in the mountains. And not only in our childhood and youth, even in the relatively recent year of 2008, we don’t remember anything like this in these places.

And again military everyday life. Apparently, the enemy's reconnaissance was well established. Even on the hill, a massive attack awaited us.

Alexey rotated the towel like the blades of a helicopter, but it didn’t help much.

But even in such a military situation, we tried to notice interesting objects. For example, someone put two small ones on a large stone, and it turned out to be a forest frog. The angle for the photo was not very good, but the flies did not allow me to choose a better position. These creatures even tried to cover the camera lens; I had to hold the “soap box” with one hand and drive away the crazed insects with the other. I didn’t even think about getting a DSLR out of my backpack. For this reason, it was not possible to leave new treasures. Sorry.

This is not a sign that we are giving up. It is Alexey who is using his last strength to fight off enemy aircraft.

This is not our job. We behaved well in the forest. Here we had to take off our T-shirts, turn them inside out and crush these bastards. And it wasn't easy. There were many of them, they held on tenaciously with their paws, moved quickly... Sorry for the details. But it’s better to know about them in order to be properly equipped. Maybe take some sprays with you, or maybe a mosquito net.

The path turned into a forest road and gradually began to straighten.

This means that we will soon find ourselves in the saddle between Uraga and Chamnysh. From here the trail goes up to Kush-Kaya.

As soon as the trail turned into something like a forest road, felled trees immediately appeared. The forest's price for being close to civilization.

And here is a familiar tree at the fork. To the left of it the path to Kush-Kaya rises, to the right the path goes to Seraus, Alushta (where we came from).

A little higher is a spring. Despite the unassuming appearance of the pipe, the water is tasty and cold. Here we replenished her supplies. By the way, this was the first source of water on our way - everything or almost everything had dried up. For statistics, during this hike we drank 2 liters of water per brother. Now we know how much to take with us and that in this place you can always replenish your reserves, even in the heat.

Well then. We rested a little. It's time to climb Kush-Kaya. We are at its foot. Soon it will be visible through the crowns of tall beeches.
P.S.
*There is more than one Kush-Kaya in Crimea. For example, above the Batiliman tract in the Laspi-Sevastopol region there is its own Kush-Kaya. And although its height is only 664 m, the view of this almost vertical cliff is impressive.

In Crimea there are three mountains with the same name - Kush-Kaya. One is located in the New World, the second is on Babugan-yayla, and the third is above Laspi. I suggest you go to the last peak - one of the most picturesque - this coming weekend. This mountain has many advantages: it is not high, the climb is relatively easy, and the view from the mountain is unforgettable.

Kush-Kaya is translated from Crimean Tatar as “bird mountain”. The peak is at a bird's eye height - 664 meters. Kush-Kaya seems to hang over Batiliman and protects it from cold winds and creates a special microclimate. They say that the air temperature under the mountain is always a couple of degrees higher than throughout the entire South Coast.

It should be immediately noted that climbing Kush-Kaya is still more hiking trip than a normal walk. Therefore, I recommend getting ready - putting on comfortable clothes and shoes, take food with you and more water. If you take these nuances into account, the hike will be quite comfortable and uncomplicated. The ascent will take about two hours, the descent - much less.

The path to the top will not be boring. You will see the ruins of the Church of St. Elijah from the 11th to 15th centuries, old trees, as well as dozens of species of Crimean herbs and flowers. Now the flowering season is beginning, so the walk will be incredibly beautiful.

By the way, the trail passes by an enclosure for wild animals. Deer, roe deer and wild boar live here. The area of ​​the hunting area is almost 500 hectares and anyone can enter the territory. If you're lucky, you'll meet animals. The foresters say they are friendly. We were only able to see deer that were kept in quarantine in a small pen.

Most of the way to Kush-Kai runs through the forest. Only at the end of the climb the road becomes steep. In several areas it is very difficult to walk due to the large angle of inclination. Many people have the idea of ​​turning off the path and giving up the idea of ​​going on a hike. But I assure you that all the difficulties will be worth the view from the top of Kush-Kaya. And remember - the descent will be much easier.

The trail leads out to a rocky plateau with incredible views. From a bird's eye view you can see the Baydar Valley, Laspi Bay and Cape Aya.

One of the attractions of the Kush-Kaya peak is the ledge directly above the cliff. The bravest tourists climb to its edge to take a couple of photos. However, I do not recommend following their example. IN last years the metal structure was severely deteriorated and became unreliable. In addition, strong winds often blow at the top.

To conquer Kush-Kai, you must first get to the Laspi pass by car or by any bus going to Yalta. Travel time from Sevastopol is about half an hour. The car can be parked near the stop " Observation deck Laspi." From there you need to walk along the highway 100-200 meters towards Sevastopol until you turn onto a dirt road with a green barrier and enter the Great Sevastopol Trail. Next, follow these orange signs.

These landmarks will not let you go astray and will always tell you how many kilometers and time are left to your goal. I wish you a great weekend! Conquer new heights!

My previous travels: Chufut-Kale and the ancient Karaite cemetery ,

The Crimean peninsula has long become one of favorite places for climbers. Of course, there is neither Mont Blanc nor Everest here, but the local mountains are also very diverse and allow you to train in any conditions. However, people without special training can also enjoy the mountains of Crimea - walking tours are widespread, and one of the most popular routes is the climb to the peaks of Kush-Kai.

Peculiarities

• on Babugan-Yayla;

• near the Sokol peak (near the New World).

Some Crimeans also mistakenly add the Koshka hill in Simeiz to this list, although this is fundamentally incorrect, since its Crimean Tatar name sounds more like Kosh-Kaya. Kush-kaya translated means “Bird Mountain”. Most likely, this definition is related to characteristic feature similar peaks - they are located next to sea ​​coast and represent a “resting place” for flocks of migratory birds heading to hot countries.

These mountains are located relatively evenly on the territory of Crimea - in the east, as well as in the southeast and southern part of Crimea relative to its center. The heights of the peaks are different. The highest is Babuganskaya Kush-Kaya - 1339 m, just below the mountain near Laspi - its height is 664 m, and the peak in the Sokol rock rises to 476 m.

All these places are popular for travelers to visit - they offer amazingly beautiful views of the coastline, the Black Sea and Crimean mountains. On Kush-kaya in Sokol and Laspi there are also climbing trails of varying degrees of difficulty - from 1B to 5A. Let us dwell in more detail on the description of each of the mountains.

Peaks

The most picturesque, according to everyone, is the one located near Sudak, on the territory of the New World. It is considered the symbol of the village; it is the one most often captured in photographs. This peak is called Sokol. A narrow rocky path leading from the Devil's Finger leads to the upper plateau of the rock.

It is noteworthy that in the light of ultraviolet rays this hill begins to flicker, shimmer and sparkle in different colors and even change its hue. By the way, from the top of Sokol you can see the namesake of this mountain, located on Babugan-yayla.

Kush-Kaya on Babugan-Yayla looks a little like a human ear, as if listening to the measured sound of sea waves. You can get to it along a simple path leading from Paragilmen; this does not require any special mountaineering training or professional equipment. It is quite possible to climb and descend to this peak in one daylight.

The most famous was Kush-Kaya near Laspi Bay, it has medium dimensions, but it faces the sea with its steep wall, so the place has become the main site for training and mountaineering competitions. In 2013, the place was shrouded in an ominous mystery - then a message appeared about the mysterious disappearance of a tourist from the slope; her body was never found.

The most unusual versions were put forward - they mentioned aliens on flying saucers who took the girl for experiments, and a criminal Internet community that issued a difficult task - to rise to the top. The mobile phone of the missing woman was also mentioned - supposedly something was filmed on it, which ultimately led to the death of the tourist.

In short, there were many assumptions, but experienced climbers unanimously declared that the girl herself was to blame for what happened - You should not wear beach shoes to climb steep rocky slopes, where there are many slippery boulders. Unfortunately, accidents with such would-be climbers happen in any mountains. Nevertheless, the body was never found, so the legend only acquired new details, and everyone found their own version explaining mysterious disappearance tourists.

Popular routes

Fans of mountain tourism should best pay attention to Kush-Kaya near Laspi Bay - thanks to the landscape features, there are many opportunities for rock climbers and mountaineers to hone their sports skills. There are several trails of varying degrees of difficulty, so everyone can choose the one that suits them, taking into account their physical capabilities and level of training. Most often, climbers practice on the rock of the lowest zone, but it should be taken into account that professionals are a special “brotherhood”, within which all organizational issues and safety aspects are resolved quite quickly.

For beginners, it is better to choose a route leading along the Great Sevastopol Trail– it represents a rather long section of the excursion route, in which Kush Kaya is only one section of a long route. The trail originates in Sevastopol, and it is best to get to it from the Laspi pass. There are numerous signs here, so it will be almost impossible to get lost. Nevertheless, even such a seemingly elementary path requires comfortable sports shoes, preferably sneakers, and good physical shape.

Although the climb is quite accessible for non-professionals, it is still steep, so it will be difficult for weakened people or those suffering from chronic heart and musculoskeletal diseases to climb.

The tourist route passes by a small hunting farm. Wild animals live in a pen here - locals even joke that this high net does not protect animals from people, but vice versa. On the way to the top you can also see ruins ancient building with a large wooden cross.

According to official version here are the remains of the Cathedral of St. Elijah, which was built in the Middle Ages, which is why the cross was erected here. But there are also skeptics who believe that the composition of the adhesive solution directly indicates that the structure is much more modern - most likely, it formerly served as a military guard post in the navy.

The peak of Kush-Kaya above Laspi Bay has long been recognized as one of the most beautiful; beautiful view to amazing picturesque places - Cape Aya, as well as the Batiliman tract and the bay itself. These landscapes are considered one of the most breathtaking on the entire Crimean peninsula. Many vacationers even come to these places for a couple of days with tents, so there is a campsite near the foot, where you can always get water and dry firewood.

From the top of Kush-Kaya you can walk along a narrow path to Cape Aya, where a military unit was located during Soviet times - the journey there will take about an hour. Just 3 decades ago there were outbuildings and barracks here, but now there are only ruins.

In a more distant period - 600-700 years ago, Isar was located on Aya, the walls of which were quite well preserved, but in the last century the military dismantled the rocks into stones, which were then used for construction needs. Just beyond Cape Aya, an amazing view opens up - 400-meter sheer cliffs of reddish limestone seem to be falling, bristling with the sharp angles of their collapses.

Below them you can see a cozy white beach - but don’t try to go down to it, there is no path there and you can only get there with climbing equipment - it’s not for nothing that this corner of nature is called a lost world.

Then the trail goes past the line of cliffs to Balaklava itself. If you start from Kush-Kaya in the morning, then by evening it is quite possible to walk along the Balaklava embankment. But keep in mind that d The path here is very treacherous, it branches and often goes towards the cliff. Without knowing the trails and having no orienteering skills, it is better not to decide on such a transition, but if the desire to overcome the route does not leave you, hire an experienced guide.

To find out which route is best for hiking along the Kush-Kaya rock in Crimea, see the following video.