Canyon in Crimea how to get there. Stop #2. Apple ford. Grand Canyon of Crimea: how to get to observation points

14.12.2016

The Crimean peninsula is a real treasure trove for lovers of tourist trips.

Here you can lie on the beach and soak up the gentle rays of the sun, see cultural attractions or go hiking.

One of the most beautiful natural places peninsula is the Grand Canyon. It is a gorge, which is located on the northern slope of a mountain called Ai-Petri. Getting to this picturesque and untouched by civilization corner is not so difficult if you know the main routes.

The beginning of the route - the village of Sokolinoye

The road to the Grand Canyon lies through the village of Sokolinoe, which can be safely called the first point of the route. This settlement is located in the Bakhchisaray district. Those who travel by train should choose the Sevastopol direction. You need to get off at the Bakhchisaray station. Sokolinoe can be reached by bus or minibus. They go from Yalta, Simferopol and Sevastopol.

Tourists who travel by car should stick to the Sevastopol highway. They should go to Bakhchisaray, but they do not need to enter the city. You have to use the bypass. After the village of Zheleznodorozhnoye is left behind, use the sign to find the turn to Yalta. After twenty-three kilometers, the village of Sokolinoye will appear before the vacationers.

From the village of Sokolinoye to the Grand Canyon

Tourists who are poorly oriented in the area or are afraid of getting lost can always seek help from local guide. It will not only help you get to the reserve, but also point out all the main sights that deserve attention. Of course, this option is not suitable for everyone, because many people prefer to travel exclusively on their own. In this case, you should use the services of a taxi, where you can get to the bridge that spans the river called Kokkozka.

This section of the path is not difficult to overcome on foot, as it is only five kilometers long, which for experienced tourists, accustomed to large transitions, is not a particular problem. You will have to go along the river to the pillar on which "30-42" is written. The bridge must be crossed. It is there that travelers will find a forester. You will have to pay for the entrance, after which you will be given a pass to the reserve.

grand canyon

When the pass is received, and the forester is left behind, the fun begins. Way forward runs along the banks of the Kokkozka River. You have to go against the current. It's almost impossible to get lost. Numerous arrows and signs point the way to tourists. On the way, the traveler is waiting for a stump, which remained on the site of the former Postal Oak, Apple Ford and Blue Lake. Here you can do beautiful photos and just enjoy the beauty of nature.

It is essential to reach the destination route. They are the so-called Youth Baths. They were formed at the site of the fall of a large stream of water and represent an erosive cauldron formed in the rocks.

Depth small lake is about 5 meters. Its water is very cold. You will have to walk 6 kilometers to the place. All along the way, tourists will find yellow markers that point in the right direction.

Today, the Grand Canyon of Crimea has become one of the main attractions of the peninsula. 300-meter sheer cliffs, formed under the influence of erosion over 2 million years, hang over the channel, the width of which in some places narrows to three meters.

The length of the canyon is about 3.5 km, the most popular among tourists is its first half upstream to the "Bath of Youth". Most of the sights are concentrated on this segment of the route, the inspection of which takes no more than two hours.

Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the canyon itself in the usual sense begins a little further and it is more difficult to get there. The paths traveled by tourists end, and on the way there are often obstacles from fallen trees, stones and dams, which in spring and early summer can only be overcome by swimming.

lovers active rest this, however, does not stop them, there is a special route for them, which includes a passage through the entire canyon and the way back along the capes hanging over the abyss.

Grand Canyon of Crimea - Postal Oak stop

The first point of the route is Post Oak. This tree is known, perhaps, to every visitor to the canyon since the middle of the 20th century. Travelers have long left wishes and messages for other tourists in the hollow of a huge old oak tree. The good tradition continued until the 1980s, when lightning struck the tree. Although some argue that the tree caught fire due to arson.

Grand Canyon of Crimea - Blue Lake stop

The well-trodden path then leads to blue lake- the largest reservoir filled with transparent, mirror clean water. Its depth does not exceed one and a half meters, but in hot summer days there are many who want to swim.

Grand Canyon of Crimea - stop "Source Pania"

The next stop is one of the largest karst springs in the Crimea, Pania. Every second, 370 liters of water escapes from the rocks. This source has been known since the Middle Ages. There used to be a chapel dedicated to the Mother of God nearby. It was called "Panagia", which in Greek means "All Saints".

Grand Canyon of Crimea - stop "Bath of Youth"

Upstream from the source, the most picturesque section of the route begins, running along the stone bottom of the Auzun-Uzen stream, which cuts through the canyon. The trail ends at the final point of the route - "Bath of Youth" - a reservoir created by nature in the channel of the canyon and remarkable for a constant water temperature of 9-11 degrees even on the hottest days.

You can get to the Grand Canyon of Crimea by regular buses or minibuses, which regularly run from the railway station of Bakhchisarai to the village of Sokolinoe. By car, you can get much closer, almost to the entrance to the mouth of the Grand Canyon of Crimea. Another road to the Grand Canyon of Crimea goes from Yalta through the Ai-Petri plateau.

Among the natural attractions of Crimea, the Grand Canyon occupies a very special place. This grand canyon about 1.5 - 2 million years ago, to the site of a huge tectonic fault.

In the very deep place the depth of the canyon exceeds 320 m, and it itself stretches for 3.5 km. Perfect place trekking and hiking. But you should not go to the canyon alone and on your own, it is better to go as part of a tourist group or take a tour at a specialized agency.

Grand Canyon Crimea is one of many such places in the world. There are stunning mountains, gorges and canyons, for example, in Iceland. Norway is incredibly rich in such natural attractions. And if you want to get closer - a lot mountain routes different levels There are difficulties in Georgia. Look interesting routes you can go to the mountains on the page tourist club www.marshrutclub.com.

The Grand Canyon of Crimea has been forming for millions of years. Today it is a deep channel, somewhere wider, somewhere narrower. Along the channel there are about 150 erosive cauldrons with waterfalls, the so-called baths. Some are very tiny, and some reach a depth of about 2.5 m and a length of up to 10 m. The Blue Lake is the largest cauldron, the bath of youth is also a similar formation.

The canyon is fed by a huge number of streams, springs, mountain rivers, which come out of the gorge and flow into the river Azun-Uzen. It's pure cold river. Throughout its length, even in the baths, the water temperature does not exceed 11 degrees.

When to go to the Grand Canyon

It is safe enough to be in the canyon only from the second half of summer to the beginning of autumn. During this period, when rains are rare, the canyon is drained. And routes for trekking and hiking become available.

During the rainy season, the canyon is dangerous. Not only that, a mountain stream with mud and stones rushes along the channel. Due to the rains, the slopes of the canyon become less stable and rockfalls are increasingly occurring. By the way, in the dry season, because of the danger of falling stones, you should not come close to the slopes.

Keep in mind that the canyon has its own microclimate. It is always a few degrees cooler here than outside. And yet, quite humid.

How to get to the Grand Canyon of Crimea

The Grand Canyon starts at 5 km. from the village of Sokolinoe. If you are going to hike on your own, you will have to take a taxi from Falcon or walk, no public transport does not run to the canyon. You can get to the village of Sokolinoye by bus from Simferopol, Sevastopol and Bakhchisarai.

If you are going on a hike with tourist group, such a tour usually includes a transfer to the canyon.

If you are traveling by car, you need to go through Ai-Petri. On the way to the plateau, approximately in the middle of the way, there will be a sign "Grand Canyon".

What to take on a hike

The minimum duration of a walk through the Grand Canyon is 2.5-3 hours. Therefore, be sure to bring enough water with you and, if necessary, a light snack.

Definitely comfortable shoes. The route itself is not too difficult, but you will need to jump over somewhere, cross streams, puddles, stones somewhere.

The entrance to the Grand Canyon is paid, because it is a nature reserve. So, you need to take money with you. In the 2017 season, the entrance ticket costs 100 rubles.

The Grand Canyon of Crimea popular route something akin to a novel by a Russian classic, in which some see just a curious everyday story, while others see a deep philosophical subtext, finding, behind the interweaving of phrases, a second, third, and even fourth meaning. The Grand Canyon of Crimea is a seemingly canonical place, worn almost “to holes” by the feet of a whole stream of tourists, while most of them do not even realize that they see only a small fraction of its breathtaking beauties.

In order to fully enjoy the impressive views of the most famous Crimean gorge, you need a certain physical, and ideally, climbing, preparation, comfortable trekking shoes, and, most importantly, the willingness to spend the whole day traveling along the bottom, shores and capes of the Grand Canyon of Crimea . And only then, convinced of the seriousness of your intentions, he will open all his hidden corners before you.

Grand opening of the Grand Canyon of Crimea

Until the 20s of the last century, this giant crevasse was known only to scientists, and there was not a word about it in guidebooks around the Crimea. He told the world about this unique canyon in his books, and, in fact, gave him the name Professor Puzanov. But the real popularity of the Grand Canyon of Crimea was brought documentary, taken about him in 1925 and today, alas, lost.

After the picture was released, the Grand Canyon of Crimea, a hitherto unknown route, became a place of pilgrimage for tourists.

Its length is 3.5 km, the height of the walls is 320 m. Usually the canyon goes upstream. The most popular section is from Postal Oak to the Bath of Youth, which is located approximately in the center of the gorge. What goes beyond its borders usually escapes the sight of organized tourists.

The hard-to-reach Grand Canyon of Crimea, the Bath of Youth, as it were, cuts off from inexperienced tourists. This section of the path almost always passes through the dry bottom of the gorge. Its length of 2 km, trained hikers pass in the summer for 3-4 hours. This low speed is due big amount obstacles that you mainly have to climb around.

During the spring flood and after heavy rains, this area is almost impossible to overcome.

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Grand Canyon of Crimea: route "Great Around the World"

The ring route, when travelers go along the channel of the Grand Canyon of Crimea upstream of the Auzun-Uzen River, and then return along the upper path, admiring the gorge from numerous capes, is called the "Big Around the World".

It starts from the Yew Cascade, which is located a little further downstream than the "classic path" that starts from the Postal Oak (or rather, the remains of a tree where tourists leave notes).

Along this route, there are many interesting objects which are definitely worth paying attention to.

Yew cascade. A waterfall under old yews, which flows to huge stones, overgrown with moss and braided with plants. If you walk from it along the right bank, then on the way you will meet a narrow gap between huge boulders. An old tourist tale says that unfaithful spouses get stuck in it.

Blue Lake. It is an extension of the channel. Its emerald water, but only in early spring. In summer there are many bathers, so it becomes cloudy and turns greenish.

Apple Ford (near the descent of the path leading from the Postal Oak). This is the name of the place opposite the mouth of the first left tributary of the Auzun-Uzen River - Almachuk (translated from Tatar as Apple). In autumn, it brings many wild apples into the mainstream, which fall into its waters from apple trees growing upstream. Here the fruits accumulate, and this gave the place its name.

Source Pania (from "Panagia" - "All Saint"). He was one of the holy springs that were worshiped here in the Middle Ages. Today it is included in the TOP-20 Crimean springs, spewing 370 liters of water every second.

Bath of youth. This is one of the eurosive cauldrons, "drilled" in the bottom of the canyon by stones rotated by a turbulent spring stream. Decorating the Grand Canyon of Crimea, the Bath of Youth or Kara-Gol attracts hordes of tourists who take its name too literally. But it appeared quite recently - in the 60s. The people who plunged into it jumped out of this black lake too fast, because the water temperature here, even in the heat, is about + 9 degrees.

The depth of this “trough”, as the Crimean Tatars simply called the baths, is no more than 5 meters. It is fed by an ever-living spring located 150 m upstream.

Yohagan-su tributary (missing water), right, flows upstream. In summer it dries up, exposing a steep slope with a suite of smooth-walled baths. It is chosen by canyoning fans who climb up it to get to the right wall of the canyon.

If immediately after the Bath of Youth the Grand Canyon of Crimea is still full of water, then, literally, after a few hundred meters, its channel completely dries up. Nature has prepared natural barriers for travelers here in the form of heaps of huge boulders and smooth-walled baths, narrow corridors where you can hardly stand up with your arms outstretched.

There are only four such restrictions. The largest corridor is the first, 200 m long, the smallest is the last. But even between them, the channel does not expand to more than 6 m.

Having conquered the extreme Grand Canyon of Crimea, the route can be laid in two directions - either continue it, returning to the starting point along the upper trails, or go to Ai-Petri.

Grand Canyon of Crimea: how to get to observation points

Capes from which you can view the Grand Canyon of Crimea from above are located on both sides of it. They are numbered, marked with numbers, although there are also "nominal" ones.

It is not difficult to reach them - numerous paths lead to them, they are marked on the map.

Especially impressive view opens from Watchtower Cape, aka the First, which literally reigns over the canyon.

An excellent observation point is the Fourth Cape, next to which the Cow Grotto (Taur-Koba) blackens. According to the stories of tourists who had to stop here for the night, the wind extracts absolutely incredible sounds from the grotto, turning it into an Aeolian harp, all the rustles here are amplified many times over. It got its name cow because the shepherds hid their cattle here in bad weather.

A breathtaking panorama also opens from Cape Trapis (from the Greek "trapezus" - table), but only in spring and autumn, because in summer it is covered with green thickets.

A hike through the Grand Canyon of Crimea in the summer will take only one day and will be a wonderful family adventure. And those who are ready for more severe tests can try to overcome the canyon in the off-season or become a pioneer of their own climbing route.

The cleft is located next to the Bakhchisarai-Yalta highway. Therefore, the answer to the question: “The Grand Canyon of Crimea, how to get there on your own?” uncomplicated. Between these settlements There are many buses and minibuses.

Regular Shuttle Buses go from Bakhchisarai to the village. Falcon, from there to the entrance to the Grand Canyon 5 km towards Yalta. It is impossible to pass by - a landmark parking lot and an abundance of sightseeing buses.