Alanya Digor gorge. Digoria. Useful information: how to get there

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After 10 minutes drive, the next stop is at the foot of Daldzagati Kubus Mountain, along which there is another mountain village Makhchesk.

The main local attraction is the battle tower of the Abisalovs, about 30 meters high. These are certainly not the Great Pyramids in Giza, but you must admit that building a building the size of a good 10-story house on a hill in the Middle Ages was not an easy task.

This tower was built by the descendants of the famous warrior Badel, who came to Digoria from Majar in the Golden Horde time and, possessing then outlandish firearms, hired to protect the locals from enemies. Later, however, Badel himself became a local feudal lord.

There are several more towers here. This new building.

Bashi and crypts flash past, the ruins of the Belgian plant built in 1893, Fasnalskaya GRES.

Closer to noon, our minibus climbed a 2-kilometer height and we drove into Kamunta, the highest mountain village in North Ossetia. The first settlements appeared here in the XIII century BC, now the number is 16 people. The aul is located on a mountain, although in comparison with the mountains surrounding it, this is not a mountain, but a mound.

From here, to the south, the Tsey Range rises like a wall. This grandiose eight-kilometer wall with a height of more than 4000 m bears a number of pointed peaks.

On the left, Tseykhokh is hiding in the clouds, the beauty Wilpata, covered with snow, is on the far right, one of the three highest peaks in the territory of North Ossetia, only Kazbek and are higher than it.

Here it is Wilpata (4648 m) on the right, Songuti (4460 m) on the left.

The eastern branch of the Songuti Glacier is located in the center, Ularg (4320 m) on the right, Oniani Peak (4200 m) on the left.

Tsei-khokh (4260 m.) and Tur-khokh (4110 m.)

Songutidon gorge. There are still a lot of peaks and peaks, I won’t even try to guess them))

At the bottom at the confluence of Songutidon and Dargon-Kom is the mountain village of Dunta.

And this, perhaps, is Sadonkhokh and Spartak-Tseysky

On these roads you can get to the passes leading to the Tsei Gorge.

The village is not located on the very top of the mountain, above the village there are still some ruins, roofing felts of ruins of houses, roofing felts of an ancient cemetery.

A communication complex was installed at the very top a few years ago. The climb here is a bit steep, but easy enough, but not everyone goes to the top. In this light, I don’t understand people who travel for many hours, it’s not known where, and then they are afraid to tear off their ass, move away from the minibus to enjoy all the beauties, and there is something to enjoy!

In the east, the great wall of China is the Kion chain of the Rocky Range, with heights up to 3.5 km above sea level.

Below, on the slopes of the ridge, Galiat is located, or rather, what remains of the once largest settlement in these places.

Even from here, from Kamunta, you can see how majestic the village once was. Today, surprisingly, a few residential buildings remain among all these ruins.

In the west, another ridge is Sturfars, whose peaks are not so rocky.

Here, too, there are ruins, this is Khonsar. If you look closely in the lower left corner, you can see 2 crypts of the Kulaev family. In comparison, the rest of the ruins look just gigantic.

At the top at the very edge, or rather, even beyond the edge, a small rock stands alone, like a wall made of bricks. This is Kuydzapparan - "Dog Rock".

From here, those condemned to death were thrown down by close relatives, it was considered more humane than execution, and besides, the presence of an executioner was not required.

It is quite easy to get to the middle tier, although it is already behind a cliff, you can climb to the top, but I did not try, there was not much time.

Here the top is exactly what breaks down. The edge of the cliff is so densely overgrown with grass that you have to approach very carefully, because. it is not at all clear where the solid surface is, and where the free flight zone is.

View to the north - Eastern Digoria in all its glory.

You can even see the tower in Makhchesk.

This is Wallagkom, Fasnal-Galiat Gorge.

When I first saw the inscription "Wallagcom" I did not really like the name. "UalLagCom" seemed to be very similar in structure to "Gulag", but no, these words have absolutely nothing in common with each other. In translation, Wallagcom means the upper distant gorge.

After spending an hour in Kamunta, we set off on the return journey. Before reaching Matsuta, we turn right into the mountains to make another stop in the village of Nizhny Zadalesk.

Here is the house-museum of Zadaleski Nana. During the campaign of Tamerlane, she gathered orphaned children, took them from the deserted plains of Alanya to the mountains, and here, in Zadalesk, she raised and educated the future of Digoria. According to local patterns, she is equated with a saint.

Inside the museum.

The purpose of the trip to Upper Digoria in one day: visiting the natural beauties of the Urukh river basin, the southwestern part of the Republic of North Ossetia - Alania - Upper Digoria.

Our small company of four "girls" of different ages and a driver left the city of Essentuki (we live there) for North Ossetia early in the morning. We ordered a car with a driver-guide for the whole day (the cost is 10,000 rubles for 6 people, but at the last moment two could not go, therefore, the amount had to be divided by 4 people).

Uastirdzhi

Upon entering the territory of North Ossetia, we immediately saw a sculpture carved in the rock of the patron saint of warriors and travelers, St. George the Victorious (Uastyrzhi). The Ossetian name Uastirdzhi came to us from the epos of the Narts - the progenitors of modern Ossetians (Alans). Later, during the era of the adoption of Christianity in the second century, Uastirdzhi became associated with the Christian Saint George. At present, this is a favorite Ostetinian patron.

Zadalesk

Further, our way on a trip to Upper Digoria in one day lay in Zadalesk - a small high-altitude village in a gorge on the banks of the Urukh River. At the entrance to the village is guarded by a snow leopard. Zadalesk is famous for the house-museum of Nana Zadaleski. The story goes that in the 14th century, when the armies of Tamerlane (Timur) the lame-footed during jihad destroyed civilians, including women and children, one miraculously surviving Ossetian woman found children and took them to a secret gorge where enemies could not penetrate. Thus, Nana was able to save and raise several dozen orphans, for which she was canonized as a Saint.

That terrible time for the Alans was reflected in folk songs and poems:

Leaders of Tapan Digori,
Their courageous youth, one better than the other,
Drowning in blood at the hands of the enemy
Thinning in the realm of the dead are sent.
Even though they fight to the last man.

The museum recreates the life of the Ossetians of that time, national clothes, kitchen utensils, and there is also a stand with photographs of ordinary Ossetian women - mothers of many children of our days. Every year, at the beginning of August, the Nana holiday is celebrated in Zadalesk, which attracts pilgrims from all over Alanya and some other countries of the so-called ethnic camp of the “Alan trace” (Ossetian diasporas from different parts of the world). Entrance to the Nana House Museum is free.

Further, on a trip to Upper Digoria, we passed by the mima of the village of Dzenag, where there is a monument to the soldiers who died in the Second World War. By the way, 37 Ossetians were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for their exploits during the Great Patriotic War.

We passed the Urukh River - not wide, but like all mountain rivers, very restless.

Our path lay to Galiat. On the way, we met the remains (more precisely, only the walls) of a stone and ore processing plant, which was devastated back in the days of the USSR. Pay attention, the inscriptions of 1932 (!!!) of the year. It reminded me a little of the Palace of Winds in the Indian city of Jaipur (there is only one wall). Now, in the ruins of this plant, locals are engaged in agriculture.

Galiat and Kumyldon waterfall

And here we are in Galiata, a famous medieval settlement. When it was one of the richest and cleanest villages in North Ossetia (one of the first here had water supply, sewerage); an interesting way to build houses - longline, when often the roof of one house served as the porch of another; settlement of petroglyphs - ancient writings and images of people and animals. Now it is almost a dying settlement with a dozen local residents. Some Ossetians living in other cities have dachas here and come here to relax (to fry kebabs, to drink).

These are the Ossetians we came across when we wanted to go to the most beautiful observation deck, which turned out to be a dacha. There, the locals fried barbecue and did not let us go anywhere until we ate with them. 🙂 Such Ossetian hospitality. By the way, Ossetian women, whom we met in Zadalesk, and who traveled along the same route as we did, also happened to be with us.
Having eaten a lot (and we couldn’t “get off” or get off with one piece of meat), we wandered around the village, looked at the high stone watchtowers with loopholes and, at the exit, stumbled upon such a miracle. Piggy mother with children. 🙂

Having taken probably a hundred photos (and maybe more ...).

By the way, the pig did not react to us in any way - she enjoyed maternal happiness 🙂, we went to the final destination of our trip to Upper Digoria - the Kumyldon waterfall. The waterfall is small but very picturesque, and then we moved home.

So, in short, our trip to Upper Digoria in North Ossetia took place along the following route:
Essentuki - Zadalesk - Dzenag - Galiat - Kumyldon.

Useful information: how to get there

Nearest airports:

• Vladikavkaz (the capital of North Ossetia) - about 130 km;
• Nalchik (the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria);
• Mineralnye Vody.

These cities can also be reached by train.

You can stay both in numerous hotels of different levels, and in sanatoriums (in addition to accommodation and meals, treatment is also included). Local rent and apartments for rent.

Advice: At any airport at the exit (but not leaving it!) There are official round-the-clock taxi stands with fixed rates. It is necessary to order a car there. If you have already left the airport, then you will immediately fall into the clutches of rather arrogant private traders who charge visitors 3-4 times more than an official taxi.

Or you can leave the airport by public transport (daytime only).

I remember well when we returned home (to the Mineralnye Vody airport) from Egypt, where we got tired of the annoying attention of the locals who wanted to sell something, a taxi driver approached us (we were already waiting for the bus to the city). He walked around in circles for a very long time and insistently offered to leave with him. In my hearts I said: “My God, I'm already in Russia! Well, you stuck to me! I was given a brilliant answer: "You are not in Russia, you are in the Caucasus." So keep that in mind.

As for the trip itself to Upper Digoria in North Ossetia: you can rent a car and go on your own. You can (if you are a group) order a whole car - an SUV with a driver, who, most often, will also turn out to be a guide.

Advice: Dress in layers (that is, so that you can undress if it is very hot). Be sure to bring a raincoat, sunscreen, and a cap. The weather in the mountains is very changeable. During our trip to Upper Digoria in North Ossetia, it rained twice, heavy fog descended, and then the sun shone.

Nutrition:
There are no cafes on this route. It is better to take food with you.

• Most residents of North Ossetia are Christians;
• Guests are always served 3 pies as a sign of respect - with Kadyndzdzhin cheese, Fydzhin meat and Tsakharadzhin greens (more precisely, with beet tops).
• Now there are Ossetian pies with cherries and dozens of other fillings, but the original national ones are those mentioned above.
• Strong dark homemade beer is very popular among Ossetians. It stands on a table in the courtyard, and the guest can drink it to their heart's content.
• When you pass by the monument to Uastirdzhi, you need to get up to show your respect. The driver does the same.
• Ossetians have a very strict table etiquette.

Almost all the houses of the Alans are surrounded by high stone fences (that is, the yard is not visible from the street at all). The fact is that legends were made about the beauty of white-skinned and dark-haired Ossetians, which is why they built such fences to protect women living in the house from the attention of men.

The Digorsky Gorge in North Ossetia is one of the most beautiful and wild in the North Caucasus. It appeared under the influence of the waters of the Urukh River in the Rocky Range. The Urukh still flows below, and above the river, along a narrow ledge among the rocks, a road is carved out along which cars drive.

Conditions for recreation in the Digorsky Gorge are diverse. At different heights above sea level there are dry mountain steppes, humid forests, alpine meadows, forest-steppe zone, lakes, glaciers, streams, waterfalls.

There are opportunities for hiking along ecological trails, you can go in for educational tourism, making excursions to different landscapes with their historical, cultural and architectural monuments, and go in for water slalom.

Who needs to be closer to the benefits of civilization, it may make sense to consider

Currently, you can relax here mainly in the warm months. In winter, during the season of heavy snowfalls, the recreation areas do not function, but the landscapes here are beautiful in their own way at this time of the year, and it will be interesting to see these places also in the winter months.

This is just a small part of what is possible to visit and see in one of the wild gorges of the Caucasus.

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Entry

When entering the Digorskoye Gorge, the main thing is not to slip through the Urukh Canyon Akhsinta (also called the Digorskaya Gorge). There is a major road bridge (in the common people Chertov). The bridge offers a stunning view - a height of 80 meters above the Urukh River, stop if it's not scary. Akhsinta canyon is the main entrance to mountainous Digoria. Good asphalt has been laid to the village of Matsuta, but further on there is a dirt road.

There are many beautiful places here. Here and there old buildings or ruins. It can be seen that people have been living in these remote places for a long time. One can note the Three Sisters waterfalls, which look especially spectacular from afar. Three streams fall from rocks at a distance of 150-200 meters from each other. The source of the waterfall is on the Taimazi glacier. Therefore, their official name is "Taymazinsky waterfalls".

They make an unforgettable impression of the fall height and beauty. Below, streams of water break on ledge stone pyramids. Over the years, water has carved many depressions in the stones, which are a real decoration of each of the waterfalls. Water falls into these recesses and in a moment splashes out of them in fountains. There is an excellent hiking trail leading to the falls. But the waterfalls freeze during the cold season.

Photo: Alania National Park

One of the most beautiful corners of the Caucasus is the Digorsky Gorge in North Ossetia. People come here to learn mountaineering. In addition to natural hits, there are castles-fortresses and ancient burial grounds. In these parts you can engage in skiing, water and bicycle tourism.

Reserved Alanya

In North Ossetia there is a historical region called Digoria. It is located in the west of the republic, on the northern slope of the Main Caucasian Range. The area along the banks of the Urukh River has been inhabited since ancient times. It got its name from the ethnic group of Ossetians, who called themselves Digorians. It is in these places that the Alania National Park is located. The Digor Gorge can be called one of its hits.

The protected area appeared in 1998. It includes not only beautiful mountain landscapes, but also man-made sights - sites of an ancient man and battle towers. Since the whole territory is surrounded by mountain ranges, you can get here by a single road. She goes along the valley of the river Urukh. Mount Wilpata is considered the highest point of the reserve. Its height is 4646 meters.

A dense hydrographic network is formed by over 70 rivers and streams. The area is famous for its waterfalls. Some are over a hundred meters high! In Digoria there are many lakes of glacial origin with the purest water. The most famous include Fastagskoye, Mikelay, Gular and Donisar lakes. There are also those that appear in the summer during the melting of glaciers, and then disappear without a trace.

The climate in these parts is quite comfortable. It is caused by mountains that protect from the wind. Winter is mild. The average January temperature is only -3.2°C. Summer is long and not hot. The average July temperature is +20.4°. During this period, heavy rains with thunderstorms are possible. Precipitation in this area is mainly supplied by the Caspian Sea. The mild climate has attracted people here for a long time.

A visit to the past

Many historical monuments have been preserved in the valley of the Urukh River. The mountain village of Galiat is considered a man-made miracle. The houses here are built on flat mountain tops with sheer cliffs. They are very reminiscent of medieval castles in the mountainous part of Europe. Small fortresses, crypts, towers and rocks with petroglyphs have been preserved on the territory of the Alania National Park. Entire mountain villages are under protection. The famous "city of the dead" - Donifars - is located in the Digorsky Gorge.

In the villages of Matsuta, Dzinaga and Fasnal there are medieval above-ground crypts-tombs. They are towers. Alanian catacomb burial grounds are known in the village of Kumbulta. These burials are stone niches lined with cobblestones. In the village of Dunta, the circus monuments, which were installed in cemeteries, are interesting. Some have well-preserved images of people and drawings. And the highest residential, watch and battle towers can be seen in the villages of Galiat, Makhchesk, Kamata and Wakats.

On the territory of the reserve "Alania" many sanctuaries associated with pagan cults have been preserved. These include Lezgor, Sattay-obau, Gabon, Faron and others. The most famous sanctuary is Digori Izad. It is located in a rocky grotto near the village of Zadalesk. Archaeologists have found aurochs, deer, bison and chamois in Nemrog, which people once sacrificed to the gods.

Photo: Watchtower in the village of Donifars

Among the remarkable natural objects of Digoria, it is worth noting the mineral springs. The water in them is completely transparent and highly saturated with carbon dioxide. In fact, this is a natural soda. There is even an alpine swamp in the national park! It sounds very unusual, because swamps are associated with lowlands. Of the beautiful places, Akhsinta Canyon should be noted. A bridge is thrown over it, which was nicknamed "Devil's". The crossing offers a magnificent view of the Urukh River.

How to get there

By train or plane, you should drive or fly to Vladikavkaz or Mineralnye Vody. Minibuses go from here to the village of Chikola. Travels around Digoria usually begin from it.

Travel plan

Arrival in the morning at the airport (railway station) in Mineralnye Vody. Group transfer at 11.30 to the Digorsky Gorge of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (3 hours to the border). Lunch (on your own). In the national cafe of the village of Chikola you will be offered dishes of Ossetian cuisine. In the company of a guide, you will drive to the main gate of the mountainous Digoria - Akhsinta Canyon.
It is in this place that the canyon narrows so much that it turns into a stone gutter, and it becomes clear how the Urukh River beats among the rocks at a depth of seventy meters. The canyon is striking in its grandeur. Its sheer walls are formed by cliffs of gray layered Jurassic limestone. Several karst springs effectively fall into the abyss.
On the way, you will be met and taken on a good journey by the sculpture of the most revered saint in Ossetia - St. George (Ossetian Uastirdzhi). You will also visit the village of Matsuta, located at the confluence of the Aigomugidon and Urukh rivers. "There is no further way" - this is how its name is translated.
Arrival at the hotel "Tana Park" ***, which is comfortably located in the farthest picturesque corner of the Digorsky Gorge on the left bank of the Khares River in the "horseshoe" of natural attractions: Metelaska waterfall, Mount Kubus, spurs of Laboda and Sugansky ridge. In the evening discussion of the tour program. Dinner on your own in the hotel restaurant.

Breakfast in the hotel. Meeting with the guide, departure on an off-road vehicle to the auto-walking route to the Karaugom gorge (the length of the walk in both directions is 10-12 km.)
Before going on the route, you will issue a pass to the border zone. Trekking to the Karaugom glacier. The river Karaugomdon originates from under the tongue of the glacier. The very name "Karaugom" in translation from Ossetian means "blind gorge" or "gorge that has no way out". It received this name due to the fact that earlier it was possible to get into the gorge only through a high icefall. The length of the Karaugomsky glacier is just over 13 kilometers, the area is 27 square kilometers, the glacier descends to a height of 1820 meters. The glacier has two icefalls. The upper one, the most powerful, breaks out through the narrow "gates" of the Karaugomsky ridge and flows out from a height of 3500 meters, the tongue of the glacier reaches a length of 800 meters. The lower icefall is smaller, about 500 meters. Lunch on the way (dry ration). Return to the hotel, rest. Dinner on your own in the hotel restaurant.

Breakfast in the hotel. Today you will climb to the top of Mount Kubus and walk to the Taimazinsky waterfalls. Climbing Mount Kubus will delight you with beautiful panoramas and virgin forests that cover its slopes. Having descended from the mountain, you will continue your walk around the foot of Kubus to the Taimazinsky waterfalls. The waterfalls look especially spectacular from afar. Three snow-white streams fall at a distance of 150-200 meters from each other. The waterfalls originate on the Taimazi glacier, in the Khares Gorge. Below, the streams break on the ledge stone pyramids. Over the years, in the pyramids, water has hollowed out many recesses, which are a real decoration of each of the waterfalls. Water, falling into these recesses, splashes out of them in fountains. Lunch at the waterfalls dry rations.
Return to the hotel, rest. Free time at the resort. Dinner on your own.

Breakfast in the hotel. Today you will go on a journey through the medieval Ossetian villages of Kumbulta (visiting Bagayt Castle), Lezgor, Donifars.
The route runs along the spur of the Rocky Range, to be more precise, along the spur of the Uazakhokh massif. Here is the highest point of the Rocky Range in North Ossetia - the mythological peak - Uazakhoh, reminiscent of a dilapidated fortress (3,529 m) in its outlines.
Moving to the villages of Lezgor and Donifars, which in the Middle Ages were independent communities, where a democratic form of self-government was preserved, which was different from governance in other communities of Digoria. Today, these villages are abandoned by people and represent an ancient open-air ethnographic museum with numerous remnants of monuments of mountain architecture: towers, crypts, castles, sanctuaries... Lunch (dry rations).
On a huge clearing between the villages of Lezgor and Donifars, there is the second largest in North Ossetia, after Dargavsky, a unique early medieval Lezgorsko-Donifarssky crypt burial ground. Here are concentrated 64 tombs of various types and 7 tsyrts - memorial pillars. There is also the temple of Sataya-Obau (the second half of the 15th - the beginning of the 16th century).
You will devote most of the program to acquaintance with the necropolis and the remaining monuments of mountain medieval architectural architecture.
You will visit the medieval settlement of Zadalesk, where you will visit the museum of the mother - the savior of Alanian children - Zadaleskoynan.
After that, you will go to the settlement of Khanaz, in the past one of the largest settlements of mountainous Digoria. The settlement is famous for the castle of the Tsallaev family, which is called "Frigate". There is no second such architectural structure in the entire North Caucasus. Indeed, it is not clear to a person who came here for the first time what rises on a high rocky ledge at an altitude of 2000 m above sea level. m. - a sailing frigate or a medieval castle, cutting the air waves with a sharp stone nose. This unique example of medieval mountain architecture dates back to the 14th-16th centuries. After the tour, you will visit an Ossetian house, where hospitable hosts will treat you to homemade Ossetian pies and tea with herbs collected in the mountains.
During the meeting, you will learn about the lifestyle and customs of the locals. Return to the hotel. Dinner on your own in the hotel restaurant.

Breakfast in the hotel. Group gathering in the hotel lobby. Exit to the route. Today you will hike through the Tana-dona gorge to the Tana-tsete glaciers. The length of the walk in both directions is 10-12 km. During the walk you will find yourself in captivity of the unique intricate vegetation: juniper, dwarf perennial deciduous trees. Leaving the vegetation zone, you will find yourself in the amphitheater of mountains: Taimazi Main, Chashura, Tsiteli, Digoria Peak, the peaks of the Western and Main towers of Laboda.
At the end of the path you will see the Tanatsete glacier. Lunch on the way (dry ration). Return to the hotel. Dinner on your own in the hotel restaurant.

The village of Galiat is located in the Wallagkom Gorge. This is a unique medieval architectural complex. Houses here used to be built in tiers. The roof of one house served as a yard for another, so the Galiatians could safely visit each other without leaving their own yard. Typical Ossetian towers, consisting of four floors, have also been preserved in Galiata.
Lunch on your own.
At 14.00 departure from the gorge to Mineralnye Vody airport (5 hours on the way) for evening flights after 12.00 hours.