Aksaut mountain camp

The mountainous region of Aksaut is territorially located in the Caucasus, between Dombay and Arkhyz.
Nature has created beautiful lakes and waterfalls here, but curious tourists have not yet reached Aksaut. These are very quiet and peaceful places. Aksaut Mountain Camp is a wonderful tour for those who want to be quiet and admire the new lakes!
During the week of rest, we will see the azure lakes of the Malaya Marka River, the full-flowing waterfalls of Hodyuk, admire the beauty of these places - the proud peak of Kara-Kai and take a photo of Elbrus. Be sure to climb to the lakes in the form of sunglasses, we will enjoy the colors of Lake Kolchad, as well as enjoy raspberries, blueberries and lingonberries.
We recommend this tour to tourists with good physical training.

Travel area: Russian Federation, Karachay-Cherkessia, Arkhyz.
Type of rest: accommodation in tents, walking around the gorges lightly, without backpacks.
Cost: 18900 rubles.

Travel dates for 2020 (7 days):

• 28 June - 4 July
• 26 July - 1 August
• August 30 - September 5

The route thread: Mineralnye Vody - the gorge of the Aksaut River, the ancient settlement - waterfalls on the Khodyuk River - Kolchad Lake - Kyzyl-Aush Lake - the confluence of the Malaya and Big Marka rivers - the lakes of the Malaya Marka River - the valley of the Aksaut River - the city of Mineral Waters.

Day 1

11:00-11:30 (Moscow time) - group gathering at the railway station of Mineralnye Vody (near the main entrance from the city) and at the airport of Mineralnye Vody (near the main entrance).
Transfer by minibus to Kardonikskaya village (2.5 hours).
We transfer to the mountain transport and go to the valley of the river Aksaut (2 hours).

Aksaut Gorge, an ancient settlement.
Arriving at the camp, set up tents and go for a walk. Around us, as long as there are eyes, there are high mountains and coniferous forests! Nearby runs the river Aksaut, along which we will walk today. At the end of the road we will go to one of the old settlements.
Transfer from transport to camp - 1 minute.
The camp is located at an altitude of 1600 m. This place will be our camp for four nights.
Active part of the route: 4.7 km, height difference 1580-1620 m, route duration 2 hours.

Day 2

Waterfalls on the Hodyuk River.
Early in the morning we go for a walk to the waterfalls. The road today is good, smooth, almost without climbing.
The Aksaut River Gorge is a stunning, very quiet place. Our way will pass along the river, we will stop at stops in the shadow of age-old pines. It is rare to meet tourists here, so you can enjoy the peace and beauty! The road is interesting because the gorge is constantly changing, you only need to walk a couple of kilometers, and the mountains open up in front of you from a completely different angle. Gradually we will see the amazing mountain Kara-Kaya and the proud Aksaut.
In 1942-1943 it was in these places that the battle for the Caucasus took place. Today we will see one of the memorials dedicated to this event.
Closer to lunch we will come to the waterfalls, which are located on the river Hodyuk. A little lift and we are on target! The fir forest is parting, and the path leads us to the foot of the waterfall. The highlight of the first waterfall is the trunks of trees stuck in it. The second waterfall has several large cascades. We will have the opportunity to get under the waterfall itself, listen to its noise and enjoy the power of foam water flows.
The active part of the route: 23.1 km, the height difference of 1580-1810 m, the duration of the route is 6-7 hours.

Day 3

Kolchad Lake.
Kolchad is one of the most picturesque lakes of Aksauta!
The path to it goes through a coniferous forest, then leads to huge alpine meadows. After that, the path goes into the raspberries. In August, this place is very difficult to pass! The instructor has to make a huge effort to distract tourists from raspberries and continue to the lake.
A little further we will make a small stop near the river, admire the beautiful waterfall and climb higher to the ridge. On the ridge the path becomes flat, it is very pleasant to walk. The undoubted decoration of this gorge are very spectacular rocks, which form in these places like the likeness of the Grand Canyon!
At the end of the route we come to Lake Kolchad. On a sunny day, the water in the lake is incredible, bright green! You can go for a swim, or you can just lazily lie near the lake and collect lingonberry, which keeps up here in August.
Sometimes tourists come to the lake, who are fond of balancing stones. They find the center of gravity in the stones and place stones of different sizes on top of each other in the most inconceivable combinations. No available means are used! Stones are placed on the ribs, on their sharpest ends. And the stones freeze in this form. They stay here all summer and are not afraid of the wind and rain. If you are lucky, we will see this miracle!
The active part of the route: 15.3 km, the height difference of 1580-2620 m, the duration of the route is 7-8 hours.

Day 4

Lake Kyzyl-Aush.
The ridge Mystybashi is located in the middle between Teberda and Arkhyz. This ridge is very rich in picturesque lakes! Today we go to these places to admire the lakes of Kyzyl-Aush.
The trail quickly climbs up the beam. At the end of the forest zone, we will make a stop in the shadow of huge pines and admire the landscapes. Gradually, we have beautiful views of the upper reaches of the Aksaut valley, which is decorated with snow-white glaciers. Right in front of us is the Marca Bikaus Ridge with the picturesque top of Dry Mark.
After the stop, we climb even higher, to the cat of shepherds. In clear weather, Elbrus is perfectly visible from here! Also from this place there is a view of the Kyzyl-Aush pass and the rocky circus, in which our lakes are located. The harsh cliffs of the circus hide the water bodies from sunlight, so even in July, small ice caps can still be seen in the lakes.
From the height of the lake look like huge sunglasses ;). To see it, you have to go a little higher.
The active part of the route: 11.8 km, the height difference of 1650-2850 m, the duration of the route is 7-8 hours.

Day 5

Malaya Marka River Valley.
In the morning we gather camp and go to the valley of the river Malaya Marka. Our equipment and products are carried by horses on this day.
Most of the way through the forest today. On solid wooden bridges, we cross the Mark River several times. Rising higher, we see that the river runs in a narrow canyon, in some places red cliffs strongly squeeze it in their stone arms. On the shelves of the rocks grow grass, flowers and even small pines that look like Japanese bonsai.
After passing the forest, we will open a huge valley with alpine meadows, on which the mountain rivers Malaya and Big Marka merge. In this picturesque place, we will set up a camp and after lunch we will walk along the gorge of the Big Marka River.
The parking lot is located at an altitude of 2200 meters. We have two nights planned at this place.
The active part of the route: 5.9 km, the height difference of 1600-2200 m, the duration of the route is 5-6 hours.

Day 6

Lakes of the Malaya Marka River.
Morning! Sun! Breakfast!
After breakfast on schedule walk to the new lakes =)
We go to photograph a group of Small Markinsky Lakes, which give rise to the beautiful Malaya Marka River.
The way to them lies through grassy meadows, decorated with flowering mountaineers, blue forget-me-nots and rhododendrons! Nearby rises harsh mountains, in shady hollows of which hide small, white snowballs.
Four lakes, which we will see today, shimmer in the sun with bright emerald and blue colors. Some lakes are bottomless and transparent, like mountain crystal, and others have a thick chalk hue.
On the shore of one of the lakes we will have lunch, and then go back to the camp.
The active part of the route: 13.2 km, the height difference of 2200-3055 m, the duration of the route is 7-8 hours.

Day 7

Aksaut River Valley.
In the morning, we gather camp and go down to the valley of the Aksaut River. We go light, all our cargo is carried by horses.
The active part of the route: 5.9 km, the height difference of 2200-1600 m, the duration of the route is 2-2.5 hours.

Next, we are waiting for a transfer by mountain transport to the village of Kardonik and a transfer by minibus to the city of Mineralnye Vody.
18:30-19:00 – Arrival at the railway station and the airport of Mineralnye Vody, departure home.

Depending on the weather conditions, the physical condition of the participants and other factors, the route of the hike may be changed.

 

• Travel by minibus along the route
• Travel by mountain transport
• Accommodation in a paid tourist parking lot.
• Dropping along the cargo route on horses
• Conductor-instructor services
• Three meals a day.
• Rental of group equipment (bonfire equipment, boilers, awning, gas burners, group first aid kit)

The price does not include:

• Transportation costs to the beginning of the route and back (Mineralnye Vody).
• Personal equipment (tent, backpack, sleeping bag, karemat). If necessary, our club will provide rental tourist equipment.
• The first 4 nights have the opportunity to stay in the house. The room has a bed, a nightstand, a table. Shower, toilet outside. The number of rooms is limited, it is necessary to book at the time of application. The surcharge for accommodation is 1800 rubles. per person for 4 nights of stay.
• Insurance (optional)