The highest mountains of the Caucasus coordinates. The famous ski resort "Krasnaya Polyana". Central Caucasus: ridges, parameters

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

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

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

Attached to the two main panoramas additional PANORAMA-3(July 2007). It gives a view of the spurs of the Eastern Elbrus in the Subashi-Kyrtyk-Mukal sector from the pass of Russian officers (which is near the top of Kezgen, 150 m below it).

Together, these three panoramas cover the entire viewing circle.

Camera- Nikon 8800.

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

The ascent to Kezgen is beautiful, pleasant and uncomplicated. The beginning of the movement towards Kezgen, the Soviet warrior and Irikchat is common - from the floodplain of the Irikchat river on a grassy slope, along a path that is clearly visible from afar. Then the paths diverge, the Kezgen path takes to the right. Upon reaching the scree slopes, it is lost on the upper traverses, but with sufficient visibility past the take-off opening to the left to the pass of Russian officers (tourist 1B) you can’t miss. The exit from the pass saddle to the summit (along the north-eastern ridge) is also simple - 1B climbing. (Kezgen was sometimes visited by climbers as part of the traverse Kezgen - a Soviet warrior, who was known in the Adylsu camps as a kind of exile.)

Kezgen is the nearest four-thousander north of Baksan, the peaks closer to the river are much lower. This advantageous feature of its location and the unpretentiousness of the route make Kezgen an excellent observation point.

PANORAMAS, SIGNS, INTERPRETATION.

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

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

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

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

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

Accepted designations and general principles.

On the panorama are marked:

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

At passes, glaciers and gorges, the numbering is through, from right to left.

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

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

Used colors:

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

1. MOUNTAINS

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

1.1. TOPS IN GEORGIA

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

1.2. TOPS OF THE MAIN CAUCASIAN RIDGE (GKH)

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

Peaks in short spurs of the GKH

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

1.3. TOPS OF THE BEZENGI DISTRICT

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

1.4. TOPS OF ADYRSU DISTRICT

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

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

Peaks of the northwestern branch of the Adyrsu ridge:

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

Peaks of the northeastern branch of the Adyrsu ridge:

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

Peaks in the spurs of the Adyrsu ridge:

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

From Jailyk
d - Chegem, 4351 m

From the city of Tyutubashi
e - Cullumkol, 4055 m (4141)
f - Theremin, 3950 m (3921)

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

1.5. TOPS OF ADYLSU DISTRICT

(in parentheses - heights according to the Lyapin scheme, if there is a difference)

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

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

1.6. TOPS OF THE YUSENGI RIDGE

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

1.7. Peaks of the Kogutai Spur of Donguzorun

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

1.8 TOPS IN THE LINK BETWEEN GKH AND ELBRUS

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

1.9 TOPS OF THE SOUTH-EASTERN SPINK OF ELBRUS

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

1.10 THE TOP OF THE RIDGE IN THE UPPER REACH OF THE IRIK AND IRIKCHAT GORGONS

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

1.11 TOPS OF THE EASTERN SPINK OF ELBRUS

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

1.12 TOPS IN THE NORTH-EAST (ON THE SIDE OF THE MUKAL GLACIER)
Shown separately on PANORAMA-3

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

2. PASSES

1 - Hunaly Yuzh, 2B - connects the valleys of Hunalychat (tributary of Sakashilsu) and Kayarty (l. Kayart)
2 - Kayarta Zap, 2A - between the peaks of Kilar and Adzhikol
3 - Kayarta, 1B - between the peaks of Kayarta and Kilar
4 - Sternberga, 2A - between the peaks of Orel and Kayart
5 - Kilar, 1B - between the peaks of Kenchat and Orelyu
6 - Vodopadny, 1B - in the northern spur of Stal peak
7 - Sullukol, 1B - in the western spur of the peak Stal
8 - Spartakiad, 2A* - between the Tyutubashi massif and the top of the Spartakiad
9 - Kullumkol, 1B - between the Tyutubashi massif and the peak of Kullumkol
10 - Tyutyu-Dzhailik, 3A - between the top of Dzhailik and the Tyutubashi massif
11 - Chegemsky, 2B - in the shoulder of the city of Kichkidar
12 - Kichkidar, 2B - between the peaks of Yunomkara and Kichkidar
13 - Freshfield, 2B - between the peaks of Orubashi and Yunomkara
14 - Golubeva, 2A - between the peaks of Adyrsubashi and Orubashi
15 - Garnet, 1A - in the northern spur of the peak of the Navy
16 - Kurmy, 1A - in the northern spur of the peak of the Navy
17 - Dzhalovchat, 1B - between the peaks of Fizkulturnik and the Navy
18 - Mestiisky, 2A - between the peaks of Ullutau and Sarykol
19 - Churlenisa Vost, 3A * - between Yesenin peak and Gestola shoulder
20 - Svetgar, 3A - between the peaks of Svetgar and Tot
21 - Dzhantugan, 2B - between the top of Dzhantugan and the rocks of Aristov
22 - Marianna, 3A - between the peaks of Marianna and Svetgar
23 - Bashkara, 2B * - between the peaks of Bashkara and Dzhantugan
24 - Pobeda, 3B - between the peaks of Ullukar and Bashkara
25 - Kashkatash, 3A * - between the peak of Free Spain and the top of Ullukar
26 - Double, 3A - between the peak of the Caucasus Vost and the peak of Bzhedukh
27 - Saddle of the Caucasus, 3A - between the peaks of the Caucasus Gl and East
28 - Krenkelya, 3A - between the peaks of the Caucasus Gl and Zap
29 - Chalaat, 3B - between the peaks of Chatyn Zap and M. Ushba
30 - Ushbinsky, 3A - between the arrays of Ushba and Shkheldy
31 - Bivachny, 2B * - between the peaks of Athlete and Trade Unions
32 - Yusengi, 2B - between the peaks of Yusengi and Yusengi North
33 - Medium, 2B - between Malaya Shkhelda peak and Fizkulturnika peak
34 - Rodina, 2A (when moving along the buttress from the side of the Yusengi valley) - between the peaks of Yusengi and Yusengi Uzlovaya
35 - Akhsu, 2A - between the peaks of Yusengi Uzlovaya and Akhsu
36 - Becho, 1B - in the ridge of the GKH between peaks 3506 and 3728, it is also the lowest pass in the GKH section between Donguzorun and the Yusengi ridge and the closest to the top of Yusengi Uzlovaya.
37 - Becho False, 1B - in the ridge of the GKH west of peak 3506 and east of the lane. Olympian
38 - Yusengi Peremetny, 1B - glacial crossing through the short eastern spur of the Gogutai peak
39 - High Dolra, 2A - at the gathering of the GKH from the top of Vost. Donguzorun under Gogutai peak.
40 - Shepherd (Okhotsky), 1A - connects the Yusengi gorge with the upper Kogutayka
41 - Vladimir Korshunov, 1B - between the top of Big Kogutai and Baksan peak
42 - Pearl of Primorye, 1B * - between the peaks of Big and Small Kogutai
43 - Kogutai, 1B - between Interkosmos peak and Maly Kogutai peak
44 - Seven, 3B * - between the peaks of Nakra and Donguzorun West
45 - Donguzorun False, 1B - the pass closest to the top of Nakra (from the west) through the GKH
46 - Donguzorun, 1A - the easiest and lowest pass through the GKH to the west of Nakra peak, located west of the pass Donguzorun False.
47 - Suakkalar, 1B * - between the peaks of Artykkaya and Sarykolbashi
48 - Sarykol (conditional name), 1B * - between the peaks of Sarykolbashi and Terskolak
49 - Chiper, 1B * - the pass closest to the top of Chiper through the GKH between the peaks of Chiper and Chiperazau
50 - Chiperazau, 1A - the pass closest to the peak of Chiperazau through the GKH between the peaks of Chiper and Chiperazau
51 - Azau, 1A - between the peaks of Chiperazau and Azaubashi
52 - Khasankoysuryulgen, 1B - between the peaks of Azaubashi and Ullukambashi
53 - Terskolak, 1B - in the ridge under the top of Terskolak to the north of it
54 - Terskol, 1B * - between the top of Terskol and the ice slopes of Elbrus
55 - Assol, 1B - the more southern of the neighboring passes connecting the Irik glacier and a small "internal" glacial cirque between the upper reaches of the Irik and Irikchat gorges
56 - Frezi Grant, 1B - pass in the same summit circus as per. Assol (No. 55), north of it
57 - Irik-Irikchat, 2A - in the ridge between the glaciers Irik and Irikchat south of the top of Achkeryakolbashi
58 - Chat Elbrussky, 1B * - in the ridge between the glaciers Irik and Irikchat ridge to the west of the top of Achkeryakolbashi
59 - Irikchat, 1B * - between the Irikchat glacier and the peak of Chatkara

PASSES IN THE NORTH-EAST, IN THE SIDE OF THE MUKAL GLACIER (without numbering, shown separately on PANORAMA-3):

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

3. GLACIERS

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

4. RIVER BASINS (GORKS)

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

ENLARGED FRAGMENTS OF THE MAIN PANORAMAS.

a) Tyutyu-Bashi and Dzhailik.

array Tyutyu-Bashi(4460 m) on this fragment of the panorama is turned to us by the western end, so that all five of its peaks are lined up: Western(4350 m), Second Western(4420 m), Central(4430 m), home(4460 m) and Eastern(4400 m). The massif breaks off in the Tyutyu-Su gorge (left in the picture) with the Northern Wall with routes up to category 6A.

To the right of Tyutyu is located Jailyk(4533 m), the highest peak of the Adyrsu ridge and, note, the third highest in the Baksan valley and the Elbrus region, after Elbrus (5642 m) and Ushba (4710 m). On the right, from behind Dzhailik, peeks out Chegem(4351 m), famous for complex rock walls up to category 6A. Near Chegem, they usually drive through the Chegem Gorge, located between the Baksan and Bezengi Gorges parallel to the first.

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

b) Koshtantau and Dykhtau.

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

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

In the foreground of the image is an array Adyrsubashi(4370 m). To the left, to the Golubeva pass (2A, 3764 m), from it stretches Northeast ridge with many gendarmes. Climbing Adyrsubashi along this ridge is a very long "five A". The Golubeva pass itself remained to the left of the frame, it is located in a depression between the peaks of Adyrsubashi and Orubashi and connects the upper reaches of the Adyrsu and Chegem, serving faithfully as one of the popular tourist routes.

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

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

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

c) Bezengi wall.

On this fragment, approximately in profile, the entire Bezengi wall is visible, stretching in an arc from Shkhara to Lyalver. This unconventional angle can puzzle even seasoned experts in the area, it painfully "successfully" merges with the Bezengi wall of Gestol.

On the left of the image you can see the long NE-ridge of the "classical" ascent to Shkhara(5069 m) along 5A - the route of D. Kokkin (J.G. Cockin, 1888). It was first climbed by the British-Swiss troika U. Almer, J. Cockin, C. Roth as part of an expedition of the British Royal Geographical Society led by Douglas Freshfield. The photographer for this and subsequent expeditions in the 1890s was Vitorio Sella, who received the cross of St. Anna from Nicholas II for his photographs of the Caucasus mountains. The glacier and the peak of Sella (4329 m) are named after him, which is on the approach to the peak of Mizhirgi in the upper reaches of the eastern branch of the Bezengi glacier. In terms of technical complexity, Kokkin's route to Shkhara is unlikely to reach even 2B, but it is dangerous because it relaxes, although there is practically nowhere to reliably insure on a long snow ridge with cornices in one direction or the other, and there were cases of disruption of entire ligaments. In some sources (for example, A.F. Naumov, "Chegem-Adyrsu") the route is categorized as 4B. The category can be raised to the fifth, wishing to reduce the flow of climbers by cutting off those whom KSS Bezengi officially releases for "fours", but not yet for "five". Kokkin's route - in everyday life "Crab": rock outcrops resemble a crab with claws lowered down. This crab (it is not visible in the panorama) is clearly visible from the Jangi-kosh side in the lower part of the ridge, above the "cushion".

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

The most beautiful and logical route to Shkhara is perhaps the "Austrian" 5B Tomashek-Muller (1930) - head-on climb from the Bezengi glacier along the Northern Ridge (in the picture it is on the border of light and shadow). In the days of the Stalinist USSR, there should have been no foreign expeditions in our mountains, however, a small diaspora of Austrian communists found refuge with us in the early 1930s and, judging by the records of its route achievements, did not waste time in vain (look at the Caucasian routes at your leisure of that period with German surnames).

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

To the right of Western Shkhara, the ridge of the Bezengi wall gradually lowers in the direction of a small rocky peak of Shota Rustaveli peak (4860 m), hidden behind a peak closer to us Gestola(4860 m). Rustaveli Peak was first climbed by Georgians in 1937, from the south along route 4A. Recently, it has been often visited from the north, because the comparatively safe "Laletin's board" - a monotonous ice route, climbed in 1983 by A. Laletin's team from St. In the intramural class of the 1995 Russian Alpinism Championship, the deuces leaving at night managed to jump this route to the very top by 10 o'clock in the morning!

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

To get the "Star of Bezengi" badge, it is not necessary to climb the Main Dzhangi (the only route to it from the north is dangerous with ice collapses 5A), any Dzhanga peak is enough - first of all, the simpler and safer Eastern one. There are no classified routes to Western Dzhangi from the north yet (except perhaps within the traverse of the Wall), and they are unlikely to appear soon: a beautiful and logical line to this peak is not visible from this side, but objectively dangerous ice faults are visible. But from the Georgian side to the Western Dzhangi, two 5Bs are classified. I wonder when was the last time they went? ..

Approximately the same ice "gardens" looks from the north and Katyn(4974 m), from which the huge and flat Katyn plateau extends to Gestola. Katyn was also climbed for the first time in 1888 by members of a British expedition, but the simplest route to it from the north - 46 hp (G.Holder, 1888) - is objectively more dangerous and less beautiful than the northeast ridge of the Dzhangi of the same category of difficulty.

The GKH line runs along the edge of the Bezengi wall through the massifs of Shkhara and Dzhangi, Katyn, Gestola and Lyalver, and a long ridge, leaving Gestola to the southwest (in the picture to the right) and partially hiding the Katyn plateau, leads to the peak located in Georgia Tetnuld(4853 m). It is not visible on this fragment of the panorama (it is to the right), but it is on the general panorama. In the 1990s, Georgians brought a metal cross with a characteristic shape, like on the Georgian flag, to the top of Tetnuld. The easiest way to Gestola(4860 m) from the north - this is 3B through the peak Lalver(4350 m), with an ascent to Lyalver along a technically simple 2B and then a simple traverse through peak 4310 and the shoulder of Gestola. This route (completed for the first time already in 1903) is categorized as 3B, perhaps solely for its height and length. There is an option to shorten this Chinese campaign - to cut off the path to peak 4310 by climbing it not through Lyalver, but head-on from the western branch of the Bezengi glacier. This variant of the route to Gestola is categorized as 4A (A. Germogenov, 1932), although there are no technical difficulties on it even on 3A (carefully in the upper part - destroyed rocks).

The story with the name pichka in the crest of the Bezengi wall to the west of the shoulder of Gestola is quite confusing. This slight ridge rise previously “passed” as peak 4310 or Peak Nameless. The latter name haunted renaming activists, and in the 1990s, two signs were erected on this peak in the neighborhood, one in affirmation Yesenin peak, the other - peak of the 50th anniversary of the CBD. The "anniversary" version of the name, it seems, sounded more weighty than the poetic impulse of Yesenin's admirers, because the sign "50 years of the KBR" was the result of a massive ascent along 2B through Lyalver with the support of the authorities from Nalchik. But in technical descriptions, this tip, as a rule, is still passed as "4310". It is clearer: whatever you call it, the height will not change :)

Peak 4310 separates two passes in the Bezengi wall, Chiurlionis East and West. On the enlarged fragment of the panorama, Čiurlionis Vostochny is indicated, it is between peak 4310 and the shoulder of Gestola. Vertex Bashille(4257 m) - in the picture against the background of Lyalver - is located to the west of the Bezengi region and already belongs to the Chegem Gorge region.

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

All sources agree that Shkhara is the highest point of the Wall. But they determine the heights of the Bezengi peaks in different ways. So, for Shkhara Glavnaya one can meet not only the traditional value of 5068 m, but also the more "prestigious" 5203 m, and for Dzhanga Glavnaya - values ​​of 5085, 5074 and 5058 m (Lyapin's map). We rely on the data of the General Staff as more homogeneous (at least within a single area) and for the highest points Shkhara And Dzhangi take the values, respectively, 5069 m(5068.8 according to the General Staff) and 5058 m. Direct visual assessments also favor Shkhara. When looking at the Bezengi wall from northern massif, as well as when looking at Shkhara from Jangi (and vice versa), Shkhara always gives the impression of the dominant peak of the Wall.

Finally, oh curvature of the "arc" of the Bezegi Wall visible in the picture. The visual impression of its large curvature in the Shkhara - Gestola section is illusory, it is a pure effect of a large increase in the image, in which the image of a cluster of distant objects is stretched in azimuth, but does not move apart in depth. So it seems that the slender comb visible from the end wags its sides. In relation to this image: if you recalculate in kilometers the VISIBLE angular distance between Shkhara Glavnaya and Katyn (or Dzhangi Zapadnaya), then it will turn out to be six times (!) LESS than the real distance from Shkhara Glavnaya to Gestola, but it seems that they are approximately the same.

d) the mountains of Svaneti and the Dzhantugan pass.

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

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

The glacier on the rise to the Dzhantugan pass is severely torn, but in recent years there is a simple way around the bergs and cracks, leading to the pass close to the end of the Aristov rocks (red spots in the picture). The pass itself is somewhat puzzling: you do not see a clear inflection in any direction, everything is flat, and only after passing 50-70 meters to the south and burying yourself in faults, you understand that a general decline has begun towards Georgia. (At the same time, the red and white border stick sticks out only twenty meters above the cliff to our northern side.) Near the top of Gumachi there is another pass that leads to the plateau - East Dzhantugan, aka False Gumachi (3580 m, tourist 2B) . Climbing it from the side of the Adyl-su gorge is no more difficult than 1B, but to descend from it to Svaneti (along the tricky icefall, which determines the category of both passes), you have to bypass the plateau on the right and, therefore, follow the Jantugan pass. So for routes from Adyl-su to Svaneti, that one is clearly preferable. There is another option of climbing to the Dzhantugan plateau in the middle between these two passes, through the central depression in the chain of Aristov rocks.

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

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

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

Peak Jantugan(4012 m) at the right edge of the panorama fragment, a beautiful and simple route 2A leads to it from the pass. Jan is turned here to us with his north side, on which three triples-B are classified, one of them (along the NE edge) is clearly visible - this is the edge that casts a shadow. Bypassing the peak from the side of the plateau, you can climb the jumper between it and its western neighbor, the peak of Bashkar. Route 3A to Dzhan begins near this jumper (along the SW ridge), and a beautiful ridge route 3B leads to Bashkara.

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

e) from the Kashkatash pass to Ushba.

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

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

From left to right:

Pinnacle 14 - Ullukara(4302 m), located in the GKH, breaks off with a wall of complexity 5B to the upper reaches of the Kashkatash glacier.
Peak 1 against the backdrop of Ullukara - peak Germogenova(3993 m) in the spur of Ullukara. From the side of the middle reaches of the Kashkatash glacier, a ridge stretches to the top, along which route 2B passes - one of the longest "twos B" in the region (along with the "two B" to the Eastern Donguzorun along the GKH ridge). Groups of beginners usually go this route with an overnight stay.
Pass 25 - Kashkatash, 3A * - located in the GKH between the peaks of Ullukara and Free Spain.
Glacier 10 - Kashkatash glacier, belonging to the Adylsu basin, the tributary flows opposite the lower houses of the Dzhantugan alpine camp.
Pinnacle 15 - peak Free Spain(4200 m), located in the GKH. The route to the summit along the eastern ridge from the pass is category 4A. Ice route 4B along the wall to the left of the rock tower (Aleksey Osipov et al., 1995) is recommended as a winter option, it is dangerous for rocks in the warm season. Several "five Bs" have been laid along the rock tower. The rocky gendarme in the eastern ridge is sometimes called Gogol Peak, and the gendarme in the western ridge is called Lermontov Peak (I remember Yesenin Peak, mentioned in the description of Bezengi near Lyalver Peak). In climbing terms, these are still gendarmes, they do not lead independent routes, but topologically, “Lermontov’s gendarme” - whatever one may say, this is the nodal peak of the GKH. The Dollakora ridge branches off from it, which leads south to Svaneti and separates the Lekzyr and Chalaat glaciers there.
Pinnacle 16 - Bzhedukh(4270 m), located in the GKH. The snowy slopes of the bridge between the peaks of Free Spain and Bzheduha represent the simplest, but dangerous landslide route of descent from Free Spain, commonly referred to as the "Trough".
Glacier 11 - Bzhedukh, belongs to the Shkhelda basin.
Pass 26 - Double, 3A - is located in the GKH between the peak of the Caucasus East and the peak of Bzhedukh.
Pinnacle 17 - peak Caucasus East(4163 m), the key peak of the GKH. Here main ridge turns in the direction from us, to the peaks of Vuleya and Shchurovsky, and the rest of the peaks of the Caucasus are already in its spur, which descends into the Shkhelda valley.
Pass 27 - Saddle of the Caucasus, 3A - is located in the spur of the GKH between the peaks of the Caucasus Main and East.
Pinnacle 3 - peak Caucasian Western, located in a spur of the GKH.
Pass 28 - Krenkelya, 3A - is located in the spur of the GKH between the peaks of the Caucasus Western and Main.
Pinnacle 4 - peak Caucasian Chief(4037 m), located in the spur of the GKH.

From Western Chatyn to Svaneti, a short but powerful spur with the top of Chatyn Glavny protrudes. It separates two branches of the Chalaat glacier, breaking off on the Chatyn plateau - the southern circus of the main, eastern branch of the glacier - with its famous Northern wall with solid "sixes". Approach from Russia to the Chatyn Plateau under the routes to the Northern Face of Chatyn - up the Shkhelda Gorge through the Chatyn South Pass, aka Chatyn False (2B). (For more on this pass, see Catalog passes and peaks of Oleg Fomichev, a link to him at the end of the article, among others useful links.) From Georgia, it is difficult to enter the Chatyn plateau without a very strong desire, for this you need to either cross the additional Dalla-Kora pass in the southern spurs of the GKH, or go up through the difficult icefalls of the Chalaat glacier, which is extremely problematic even with equipment.

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

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

f) Shkhelda array.

Peak Heights Shkhelda massif(from left to right):

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

By the way, in 1974 the titanic traverse of Shkhelda (all peaks) - Ushba - Mazeri (G. Agranovsky, A. Vezner, V. Gritsenko and Yu. Ustinov, 14.07-5.08 1974) was passed. The obligatory set of traverses of all peaks of Shkhelda includes five of the six named above: Shkhelda Western falls out, located on the far periphery, in the isthmus already on the outskirts of the Trade Unions peak.
The remaining peaks of the Shkhelda massif are considered gendarmes. Particularly stands out the gendarme Rooster - a tall rocky phallus next to east tower Schkheldy.

g) area of ​​Malaya Shkhelda.

Not particularly noticeable, but interesting in its topology and rich in surrounding views of the mountain knot around Malaya Shkhelda(4012 m). GKH enters the frame on the left from the side of the peak adjacent to Shkhelda trade unions(3957 m) and, moving with a slight southern roll to the west through the lowering of the Bivachny pass (3820 m, 2B *), climbs the peak Athlete(3961 m, not to be confused with the peak Athlete's Day, which is in the Adyl-Su ridge), turns 90 degrees from it and in a northwestern course, bypassing the Sredny pass (3910 m), rises to the top of M. Shkhelda, the highest point of the region. Further, almost without changing course, the GKH passes along the double rocky ridge Akhsu (3916 m), which is visible from the edge from Kezgen and appears to be a front snowy slope with an easily recognizable berg at the base. Going down this slope (route 2A), the GKH turns due west and, slipping through the lane. Akhsu (2A, 3764 m), climbs a low and quite easy peak when approaching from any direction Yusengi Nodal(3846 m). Here the GKH says goodbye to us and goes beyond the right cut of the frame towards the Becho pass, and in northeast direction(to the left and towards us) the Yusengi ridge departs from Uzlovaya. For more than a kilometer, it leads along a wide and flawlessly even snow ridge (the summit exit of the Akhsu glacier), while imperceptibly slips through the Rodina pass area (2A, 3805 m) and reaches its highest point at the top. Yusengi(3870). Then it descends in a long course into the Baksan valley (in the picture along the ridge in our direction).

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

Ascent on foot to the peak Athlete from the lane. Medium - a matter of 6-8 minutes. Climbing from there to the top of Malaya Shkhelda - opposite 2A along the old fragile rocks. The rocky traverse M. Shkhelda - Akhsu is already classified as 2B, and the longer traverse in the other direction - M. Shkhelda - Fizkulturnik peak - Profsoyuzov peak - as 3A.

The peaks indicated in the picture form a chain above the cirque of the Akhsu glacier, open (not covered by moraine sediments) along its entire course from the source to the place where it flows into the Shkhelda glacier. There is no more extended section of the open glacier in the gorges from Adyrsu to Azau.

h) Donguzorun and Nakra array.

Nevertheless, it would be a great injustice - and a factual mistake - to consider Nakru not an independent peak, but just a side appendage of Donguz. The fact is that it is to her, and not to the dominant neighbor, from the south that adjoins ridge Tsalgmyl, which is very long in itself and to which, like a rod, numerous side spurs are attached, filling the vast space surrounded by the Inguri River (from the south) and its primary tributaries Nakra (from the west) and Dolroy (from the east). Only a small inner region was subjugated by Donguzorun - the one that occupies a modest and short Dolra Range, sheltered three kilometers to the GKH and adjacent to the Main peak of Donguz.

The topology of the Donguzorun-Nakra array is interesting. There is a general long and monotonous gentle ascent from the southern, Georgian side, where the multi-branched Kvish glacier freely spreads (and from where the routes of G. Merzbacher, 1891 and R. Gelbling, 1903 were laid to the peaks of Donguz at the turn of the 19-20 centuries - both 2A ), and then, upon reaching the border ridge line, everything abruptly breaks down, into Russia, by the eastern and northern walls of the massif, glorious for their difficult climbing routes(categories from 4B to 5B). And right behind the dumping of the eastern and northern walls of Donguz - greenery and the Cheget-Terskol charms of civilization.

In connection with such an extraordinary topology in the winter of 1989, the following story happened on Donguz. As part of the mountaineering championship on the Northern Face of Donguzorun (strong route 5B Khergiani), a deuce climbed from Kyiv, but soon after reaching the top they did not get in touch and disappeared. They didn’t have any food (they dropped it on the rise). Winter, February, frost, bad weather. We found them only on the 8th day ... at the Minvod airport (!). .

i) Elbrus.

On the northern (right to the viewer) slope of Elbrus, two spots of rocky outcrops are visible against the sky - approximately at 4600 and 5100 m. The upper ones are Lenz rocks, so named in honor of the expedition member General Emmanuel who reached them: "..One of the academicians - Mr. Lenz - climbed to a height of 15200 feet. The total height of Elbrus above the level of the Atlantic Ocean is determined by the value of 16800 feet"(quoted). Each of these height values ​​was obtained with more than a 10% error, but their ratio suffers from errors much less and, with reference to the currently accepted height of Elbrus (5642 m), allows us to estimate the height of the rocks reached by Lenz as 5100 m. So, we are talking about the upper rock outcrops.

A few words about the historical route of Douglas Freshfield to the Eastern peak of Elbrus (1868). The mountaintop route classifier leads Freshfield through Priyut-11, but he took a different route (described in detail in his bestselling book Exploration of the Central Caucasus). The group left the village of Urusbievs (Upper Baksan) and the first day on horseback moved along the Baksan valley, and the second day they climbed up the Terskol gorge, from where the dome of Elbrus first appeared, and reached the bivouac area near the Ice Base. The group reached the top at 3 o'clock in the morning. Stepping on the glacier, she went in bundles in a straight course to the cone and first reached a height from which the spurs opened towards the distant steppe, and then, already at the beginning of the ascent along the cone, she met the sun. By half past seven, at an altitude of 4800 m, the group reached the rocks of the upper part of the cone and at 10h40m reached the summit in the area of ​​the current obelisk.

“This peak was at the end of a horseshoe-shaped ridge crowned with three elevations and framing a snowy plateau on three sides, open to the east. We walked—or rather, ran—up the ridge to the very end, passing two significant drops and visiting all three peaks. … [At the same time] we naturally looked out to see if there was a second peak somewhere, but it was nowhere to be found. It seemed to us that western slope abruptly breaks down to Karachai and that there were no dense clouds that could hide a peak approximately the same height as ours. But we were wrong: the western, slightly higher peak was completely hidden by haze ... It must be remembered that before this ascent we had never seen Elbrus and, therefore, had only a vague idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe structure of the mountain.

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

Elbrus as a volcano was born about 2 million years ago. All the mountains of this region then rose in low hills, and powerful eruptions gas-rich magma formed first volcanic cone(its remnants in the area of ​​the Irikchat pass). After many hundreds of thousands of years the volcano is working again- almost a kilometer-long cliff speaks of its power Kyukurtlu. On the section of this wall, one can clearly see how layers of volcanic bombs, slag, tuffs and ash alternate with frozen lava flows. Explosive eruptions and outpourings of thick and viscous lavas alternated many times, and when the volcano began to subside, hot gases and solutions still penetrated through the thickness of volcanic rocks for a long time. Due to this, layers of sulfur were formed, which are now turning yellow against the dark red background of the Kyukurtlu cliffs.
Now the wall routes to Kyukyurtly are considered one of the most difficult in the Caucasus.

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

Fourth phase of activity volcano - 60-70 thousand years ago - was extremely stormy. Explosions knocked out a cork of frozen ancient rocks from the vent of the volcano, and the volcanic material spread for tens of kilometers (discovered near Tyrnyauz, in the Chegem Valley). At this time formed western peak Elbrus. The eruptions formed a loose stratum of volcanic bombs, tuffs, and other products, mainly on the western and northern slopes. When the energy of the volcano decreased, outpourings of lavas began - now to the upper reaches of the ancient Malka valley, and not to Baksan.

Elbrus area from space - on Google maps.Maps:

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

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

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

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

The authors will be grateful for constructive comments, indication of factual inaccuracies and additional information provided. All this will be taken into account with gratitude when updating the article!

The Caucasus Mountains, as if holding together the space between the Black and Caspian Seas, consist of two mountain systems - Greater Caucasus and the Lesser Caucasus. The Greater Caucasus is picturesque, majestic and famous. All major rivers of the region begin here. Passes through it state border Russia with two states at once - Georgia and Azerbaijan.

From northwest to southeast, the Greater Caucasus lies for almost 1150 km: near the Black Sea, its foothills rise in the Anapa region, and from opposite side it starts at Absheron Peninsula, not far from the capital of Azerbaijan. Near Novorossiysk, the width of this mountain system is only 32 km, near Elbrus, the Greater Caucasus is almost 6 times wider.

For ease of designation of peaks, this mountain range is traditionally divided by scientists into three sections:

The Western Caucasus (from the Black Sea coast to the foot of Elbrus) consists mainly of low mountains(up to 4000 m), the highest point - Mount Dombay-Ulgen (4046 m);

The Central Caucasus (Elbrus and the mountain range from it up to Mount Kazbek) has 15 highest peaks (5000-5500 m);

Eastern Caucasus (from Kazbek to the Caspian coast). The highest mountain in this part of the massif is Mount Tebulsomta (4493 m).

In addition, the Greater Caucasus is conditionally divided into three belts (longitudinal segments):

The axial part of the mountain system. It is based on the Main Caucasian (Vodorazdelny) ridge and next (on the left) - the Side ridge.

The northern slope belt is mainly parallel mountain ranges in the central and western parts of the Greater Caucasus. These ridges decrease to the north.

Southern slope of the mountain system. It consists mostly of echelon-shaped ridges that adjoin the GKH.

On the slopes of the Greater Caucasus lies a huge number of glaciers - more than two thousand. The glaciation area is approximately 1400 km². The largest glacier in the Greater Caucasus is Bezengi, its length is 17 km, it is located on the Bezengi wall. The record holder for the number of glaciers in the entire mountain system is Mount Elbrus. Most of all permanent ice is located in the central part of the Greater Caucasus, about 70% of all glaciers are concentrated here. Thanks to a clear structure and white peaks, the mountains of the Greater Caucasus are clearly visible on the map, this mountain range cannot be confused with any other.

The main peaks of the Greater Caucasus

Elbrus is the highest point not only in the Greater Caucasus, but throughout Russia. Its height is 5,642 m. Elbrus is located on the border of Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria, it is the Mecca of mountaineering. Several of the highest climbing shelters in Europe have been built on its slopes.

Dykhtau (5204.7 m) is the second highest mountain in the Greater Caucasus, which is part of the Bezengi wall. Like Elbrus, Dykhtau is a “two-headed” mountain. The following in the list of the highest mountains of the mountain system - Koshtantau (5152 m) and Pushkin Peak (5100 m) - are also located in the massif of the Bezengi wall.

Dzhangitau (5085 m) - the central mountain of the Bezengi wall, popular place mountaineering. Located on the border of Russia and Georgia.

How did the Greater Caucasus appear?

A huge mountain system cannot have a simple geological structure. The tectonic structure of the Greater Caucasus is complex and heterogeneous, which is associated with the history of formation mountain range. According to recent studies, the Greater Caucasus arose as a result of the interaction of the East European and Arabian lithospheric plates. Millions of years ago, this place was the bay of the ancient ocean Tethys, which united the Caspian, Black and Sea of ​​Azov. At the bottom of this ocean, active volcanic activity was going on, red-hot rock poured into the earth's crust. Gradually, mountain-like massifs were formed, which then went under water, then again rose on it, and as a result, in the middle of the Mesozoic, in those areas that became islands, sandy-clay sediments were deposited, in some troughs these deposits reached several kilometers. Gradually, several islands formed one big Island, which was located where the central part of the Greater Caucasus lies today.

At the beginning of the Quaternary period, the Arabian plate increased pressure on the East European one, the volcanoes Elbrus and Kazbek erupted - in general, the formation of the mountain range was active. The sediments on the slopes of the stone islands were compressed into complex folds, which were then subjected to faults. central part modern Greater Caucasus rose. The rock rose everywhere and unevenly, river valleys formed in the faults. At the same time, while the mountains were growing, their icing began against the background of a general cooling. The mountains were almost completely covered with ice. The movements of ice masses and frosty weathering completed the appearance of the modern mountains of the Caucasus: it was thanks to them that the relief form of the Greater Caucasus remained the way we know it now - with sharp ridges and moraine ridges.

The Greater Caucasus has long turned from a series of impregnable mountain walls into a territory completely inhabited by man. In river valleys, as well as on the slopes of mountains (sometimes quite high!) People live. There is a huge number of historical monuments dear to the people living here. Through the numerous passes of the Greater Caucasus, communication has been established between the republics within the Russian Federation, as well as with neighboring states.

The Caucasus Mountains are a mountain system between the Black and Caspian Seas. Divided into two mountain systems: Greater Caucasus and Lesser Caucasus.

The Greater Caucasus stretches for more than 1100 km from the northwest to the southeast, from the Anapa region and the Taman Peninsula to the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian coast, near Baku. Max Width The Greater Caucasus reaches in the Elbrus region (up to 180 km). In the axial part there is the Main Caucasian (or Dividing) Range, to the north of which a number of parallel ranges extend ( mountain ranges), including monoclinal (cuest) character. The southern slope of the Greater Caucasus mostly consists of echelon-shaped ridges adjacent to the Main Caucasian ridge.

Traditionally, the Greater Caucasus is divided into 3 parts: the Western Caucasus (from the Black Sea to Elbrus), the Central Caucasus (from Elbrus to Kazbek) and the Eastern Caucasus (from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea).

The Greater Caucasus is a region with a large modern glaciation. The total number of glaciers is about 2,050, and their area is approximately 1,400 km². More than half of the glaciation of the Greater Caucasus is concentrated in the Central Caucasus (50% of the number and 70% of the glaciation area). Major centers of glaciation are Mount Elbrus and the Bezengi wall. The largest glacier in the Greater Caucasus is the Bezengi glacier (about 17 km long).

The Lesser Caucasus is connected to the Greater Caucasus by the Likhi Ridge, in the west it is separated from it by the Colchis Lowland, in the east by the Kura Depression. The length is about 600 km, the height is up to 3724 m. The largest lake is Sevan.

The Western Caucasus is a part of the mountain system of the Greater Caucasus, located to the west of the meridional line passing through Mount Elbrus. The part of the Western Caucasus from Anapa to Mount Fisht is characterized by low and mid-mountain relief (the so-called North-Western Caucasus), further east to Elbrus, the mountain system acquires a typical alpine appearance with numerous glaciers and high-mountain landforms. In a narrower sense, which is followed in mountaineering and tourism literature, only part of the Main Caucasian Range from Mount Fisht to Elbrus is referred to the Western Caucasus. On the territory of the Western Caucasus - the Caucasian Reserve, the Bolshoy Thach Natural Park, the natural monument "Buyny Ridge", the natural monument "Upstream of the Tsitsa River", the natural monument "Upstream of the Pshekha and Pshekhashkha Rivers", which are under the protection of UNESCO as an example world heritage. For climbers and tourists the most popular areas are: Dombay, Arkhyz, Uzunkol

Central Caucasus

The Central Caucasus rises between the peaks of Elbrus and Kazbek and is the highest and most attractive part of the whole Caucasian ridge. All five-thousanders are located here along with their numerous glaciers, including one of the largest - the Bezengi glacier - 12.8 kilometers long. The most popular peaks are located in the Elbrus region (Ushba, Shkhelda, Chatyn-tau, Donguz-Orun, Nakra, etc.). The famous Bezengi wall with majestic surroundings (Koshtantau, Shkhara, Dzhangi-tau, Dykh-tau, etc.) is also located here. The most famous walls in the system of the Caucasus mountains are located here.

Eastern Caucasus

The Eastern Caucasus stretches for 500 km to the east from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea. It stands out: the Azerbaijan mountains, the Dagestan mountains, the Chechen-Tushet mountains and the Ingushet-Khevsuret mountains. Especially popular is the Erydag massif (3925m), located in the Dagestan mountains.

Being the border between Europe and Asia, the Caucasus has a unique culture. Concentrated in a relatively small area big variety languages. The Caucasus and the ranges adjacent to it from the north and south were in ancient times the crossroads of great civilizations. Plots related to the Caucasus occupy a significant place in Greek mythology (myths about Prometheus, the Amazons, etc.), the Bible also mentions the Caucasus as a place of salvation of mankind from the flood (in particular, Mount Ararat). The peoples who founded such civilizations as Urartu, Sumer and the Hittite state are considered by many as people from the Caucasus.

However, the image Caucasus mountains and the mythical and legendary representations connected with them received the most complete display among the Persians (Iranians). Iranian nomads brought with them a new religion - Zoroastrianism and a special worldview associated with it. Zoroastrianism has had a serious impact on world religions - Christianity, Islam, and partly Buddhism. Iranian names have been preserved, for example, by the mountains and rivers of the Caucasus (Aba River - "water", Mount Elbrus - "iron"). You can also point to the particle “stan”, popular in the East, in such country names as Dagestan, Hayastan, Pakistan, which is also of Iranian origin and translates approximately as “country”.
Iranian origin and the word "Caucasus", which is assigned mountain ranges in honor of the epic king of ancient Iran, Kavi-Kaus.

Approximately 50 peoples live in the Caucasus, which are designated as Caucasian peoples (for example: Circassians, Chechens), Russians, etc., speaking Caucasian, Indo-European, and also Altaic languages. Ethnographically and linguistically, the Caucasian region can be attributed to the most areas of interest peace. At the same time, populated areas are often not clearly separated from each other, which is partly the cause of tensions and military conflicts (for example, Nagorno-Karabakh). The picture changed significantly, primarily in the 20th century (Armenian genocide under Turkish rule, deportations of Chechens, Ingush and other ethnic groups during Stalinism).

The locals are partly Muslims, some Orthodox Christians (Russians, Ossetians, Georgians, some Kabardians), as well as Monofisites (Armenians). The Armenian Church and the Georgian Church are among the oldest Christian churches in the world. Both churches have an extremely important role in promoting and protecting the national identity of peoples who have been under foreign rule for two centuries (Turks, Persians).

In the Caucasus, there are 6350 species of flowering plants, including 1600 native species. 17 species of mountain plants originated in the Caucasus. The giant Hogweed, considered in Europe as a neophyte of predatory species, comes from this region. It was imported in 1890 as an ornamental plant to Europe.

The biodiversity of the Caucasus is declining at an alarming rate. The mountainous region is one of the 25 most vulnerable regions on Earth in terms of nature conservation.
In addition to the ubiquitous wild animals, there are wild boars, chamois, mountain goats, as well as golden eagles. In addition, there are still wild bears. Extremely rare is the Caucasian leopard (Panthera pardus ciscaucasica), which was rediscovered only in 2003. In the historical period there were also Asian lions and Caspian tigers, but soon after the birth of Christ they were completely eradicated. A subspecies of the European bison, the Caucasian bison, became extinct in 1925. The last copy of the Caucasian elk was killed in 1810.

Caucasus Mountains on the border of Russia and Georgia

Caucasian mountains

The Caucasus Mountains are located on the isthmus between the Caspian and Black Seas. The Kuma-Manych depression separates the Caucasus from the East European Plain. The territory of the Caucasus can be divided into several parts: Ciscaucasia, Greater Caucasus and Transcaucasia. On the territory of the Russian Federation, only Ciscaucasia and Northern part Greater Caucasus. The last two parts together are called the North Caucasus. However, for Russia, this part of the territory is the southernmost. Here, along the crest of the Main Range, the state border of the Russian Federation passes, behind which lies Georgia and Azerbaijan. The entire system of the Caucasus Range occupies an area of ​​approximately 2600 m2, and its northern slope occupies about 1450 m2, while the southern one is only about 1150 m2.

The North Caucasian mountains are relatively young. Their relief was created by different tectonic structures. Located in the southern part fold-block mountains and foothills of the Greater Caucasus. They were formed when deep trough zones were filled with sedimentary and volcanic rocks, which were later subjected to folding. Tectonic processes here were accompanied by significant bends, extensions, ruptures and faults of earth layers. As a result, a large number of magma (this led to the formation of significant ore deposits). The uplifts that took place here in the Neogene and Quaternary periods led to the elevation of the surface and the type of relief that exists today. The rise of the central part of the Greater Caucasus was accompanied by the lowering of the layers along the edges of the ridge being formed. Thus, the Terek-Caspian trough was formed in the east, and the Indal-Kuban trough in the west.

Often the Greater Caucasus is presented as the only ridge. In fact, this is a whole system of various ridges, which can be divided into several parts. The Western Caucasus is located from the Black Sea coast to Mount Elbrus, then (from Elbrus to Kazbek) follows the Central Caucasus, and to the east from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea - the Eastern Caucasus. In addition, two ridges can be distinguished in the longitudinal direction: Vodorazdelny (sometimes called the main one) and Lateral. On the northern slope of the Caucasus, the Rocky and Pasture Ranges, as well as the Black Mountains, are distinguished. They were formed as a result of the interbedding of layers composed of sedimentary rocks of different hardness. One slope of the ridge here is gentle, and the other breaks off rather abruptly. As you move away from the axial zone, the height of the mountain ranges decreases.

The chain of the Western Caucasus begins at the Taman Peninsula. At the very beginning, it is rather not even mountains, but hills. They begin to rise towards the east. The highest parts of the North Caucasus are covered with snow caps and glaciers. The highest peaks of the Western Caucasus are the Fisht (2870 meters) and Oshten (2810 meters) mountains. The highest part of the mountain system of the Greater Caucasus is the Central Caucasus. Even some passes at this point reach a height of 3 thousand meters, and the lowest of them (Cross) lies at an altitude of 2380 meters. Here are the highest peaks of the Caucasus. So, for example, the height of Mount Kazbek is 5033 meters, and the two-headed dormant volcano Elbrus is indeed the highest peak in Russia.

The relief here is strongly dissected: sharp ridges, steep slopes and rocky peaks prevail. The eastern part of the Greater Caucasus is mainly numerous ridges Dagestan (in translation, the name of this region means "mountainous country"). There are complex branching ridges with steep slopes and deep canyon-like river valleys. However, the height of the peaks here is less than in the central part of the mountain system, but still they exceed the height of 4 thousand meters. The uplift of the Caucasus Mountains continues in our time. Quite frequent earthquakes in this region of Russia are connected with this. To the north of the Central Caucasus, where the magma rising along the cracks did not spill onto the surface, low, so-called island mountains formed. The largest of them are Beshtau (1400 meters) and Mashuk (993 meters). At their base there are numerous sources of mineral waters.

The so-called Ciscaucasia is occupied by the Kuban and Tersko-Kuma lowlands. They are separated from each other by the Stavropol Upland, the height of which is 700-800 meters. The Stavropol Upland is dissected by wide and deeply incised valleys, gullies and ravines. At the base of this area lies a young slab. Its structure is made up of Neogene formations covered with limestone deposits - loess and loess-like loams, and in the eastern part there are also marine deposits of the Quaternary period. The climate in this area is quite favorable. Quite high mountains serve as a good obstacle to the cold air penetrating here. The proximity of the long cooling sea also has an effect. The Greater Caucasus is the border between two climatic zones - subtropical and temperate. On Russian territory The climate is still temperate, but the above factors contribute to fairly high temperatures.

Mountains of the Caucasus As a result, winters in Ciscaucasia are quite warm ( average temperature in January is about -5°С). This is facilitated by warm air masses coming from the Atlantic Ocean. On Black Sea coast the temperature rarely drops below zero (the average temperature in January is 3°C). Temperatures are naturally lower in mountainous regions. Thus, the average temperature in the plains in summer is about 25°C, and in the upper reaches of the mountains - 0°C. Precipitation in this area falls mainly due to cyclones coming from the west, as a result of which their amount gradually decreases towards the east.

Most precipitation falls on the southwestern slopes of the Greater Caucasus. Their number on the Kuban Plain is about 7 times lower. In the mountains of the North Caucasus, glaciation is developed, in terms of the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich this region ranks first among all regions of Russia. The rivers flowing here are fed by water formed during the melting of glaciers. The largest Caucasian rivers are the Kuban and Terek, as well as their numerous tributaries. mountain rivers, as usual, are fleeting, and in their lower reaches there are swampy spaces overgrown with reeds and reeds.

Our planet has the most beautiful mountain system. It is located on, or to be more precise, between two seas - the Caspian and the Black. It bears a proud name - the Caucasus Mountains. It has coordinates: 42°30′ north latitude and 45°00′ east longitude. The length of the mountain system is more than one thousand kilometers. Geographically, it belongs to six countries: Russia and the states of the Caucasus region: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, etc.

Until now, it has not been clearly stated which part of the mainland the Caucasus Mountains belong to. Elbrus and Mont Blanc are fighting for the title of the most. The latter is in the Alps. The geographical position according to the plan is easy to describe. And this article will help you.

Borders

In the days of Ancient Greece, it was the Caucasus and the Bosphorus that separated 2 continents. But the map of the world was constantly changing, peoples migrated. In the Middle Ages, the Don River was considered the border. Much later, in the 17th century, a Swedish geographer led her through the Urals, down the river. Embe to the Caspian Sea. His idea was supported by the scientists of that time and the Russian Tsar. According to this definition, mountains belong to Asia. On the other hand, in the Great Encyclopedia of Larousse, the border is designated south of Kazbek and Elbrus. Thus, both mountains are in Europe.

It is somewhat difficult to describe the geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains as accurately as possible. Opinion on territorial affiliation changed solely for political reasons. Europe was singled out as a special part of the world, linking this with the level of development of civilization. The border between the continents gradually shifted to the east. She became a moving line.

Some scholars, noting differences in geological structure massif, it is proposed to draw the border along the main ridge of the Greater Caucasus. And this is not surprising. mountains allow it. Its northern slope will refer to Europe, and the southern slope to Asia. This issue is being actively discussed by scientists from all six states. The geographers of Azerbaijan and Armenia believe that the Caucasus belongs to Asia, and the scientists of Georgia - to Europe. Many well-known authoritative people believe that the entire massif belongs to Asia, so Elbrus will not be considered the most high point Europe.

System Composition

This massif consists of 2 mountain systems: the Lesser and Greater Caucasus. Often the latter is presented as a single ridge, but this is not so. And if you study the geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains on the map, you will notice that it does not belong to those. The Greater Caucasus stretches for more than a kilometer from Anapa and the Taman Peninsula almost to Baku itself. Conventionally, it consists of the following parts: Western, Eastern and Central Caucasus. The first zone extends from the Black Sea to Elbrus, the middle one - from the highest peak to Kazbek, the last - from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea.

The western chains originate from the Taman Peninsula. And at first they look more like hills. However, the farther to the east, the higher they become. Their peaks are covered with snow and glaciers. The ranges of Dagestan are located in the east of the Greater Caucasus. These are complex systems with river valleys forming canyons. About 1.5 thousand square meters. km of the territory of the Greater Caucasus is covered with glaciers. Most of them are in the central region. The Lesser Caucasus includes nine ranges: Adjaro-Imeretinsky, Karabakh, Bazum and others. The highest of them, located in the middle and eastern parts, are Murov-Dag, Pambaksky, etc.

Climate

Analyzing the geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains, we see that they are located on the border of two climatic zones - subtropical and temperate. Transcaucasia belongs to the subtropics. The rest of the territory belongs to the temperate zone. North Caucasus- warm region. Summer there lasts almost 5 months, and in winter it never falls below -6 °C. It is short - 2-3 months. The climate is different in the highlands. There it is influenced by the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, so the weather is more humid.

Due to the complex relief in the Caucasus, there are many zones that differ from each other. This climate allows the cultivation of citrus fruits, tea, cotton and other exotic crops that are suited to the temperate nature of weather conditions. The geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains largely affects the formation temperature regime in nearby areas.

Himalayas and Caucasus mountains

Often at school, students are asked to compare the geographical location of the Himalayas and the similarity in only one thing: both systems are in Eurasia. However, they have many differences:

• The Caucasus Mountains are located on the Himalayas, but they belong only to Asia.
• The average height of the Caucasus Mountains is 4 thousand meters, the Himalayas - 5 thousand meters.
• Also, these mountain systems are located in different climatic zones. The Himalayas are mostly in the subequatorial, less - in the tropics, and the Caucasus - in the subtropical and temperate.

As you can see, these two systems are not identical. The geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains and the Himalayas is at some points similar, at others not. But both systems are quite large, beautiful, amazing.