The road to the blue lakes of Kabardino-Balkaria. Blue lakes of Kabardino-Balkaria. Camp sites, how to get there, rest Upper Blue Lake KBR

The mystery of the Blue Lake in Kabardino-Balkaria - one of the deepest in Europe - has remained unsolved.

There are 8 million karst lakes in the world. Blue Lake is the deepest. Accurate data on the depth of the lake does not exist, and unmanned underwater vehicles were able to descend only to a depth of 365 meters. Scientists understand how it formed and what's down there.

The last time Blue Lake was explored was in the 1920s. It is known that its level can change several times a day. For what reason - scientists still do not know.

The blue lakes of Kabardino-Balkaria are located in the Cherek Gorge. There are 5 lakes in total. All of them have a karst nature of education.

Lower Blue Lake is the most interesting and unique. It is located at around 809 meters above sea level. It has a total water surface area of ​​just over two hectares, and its depth is 386 meters. But there are suggestions that the depth of the lake is much greater, because no one has yet reached its bottom. In terms of its depth, this lake ranks third in Russia after Teletskoye in Altai and Baikal. The uniqueness of the lake also lies in the fact that not a single river flows into it, and about 70 million liters of water flows out per day.

Tserik-Kel - that's what this lake is called locals, which in translation means like a rotten lake. There is a legend among the local population about the origin of this lake. Once on the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria lived the fearless hero Bataraz, who defeated the evil dragon in a duel. And when the dragon collapsed, a hole formed in the mountains, which was filled with water. The dragon to this day lies at the bottom of this lake and sheds tears, thereby filling the lake with water and an unpleasant odor.

Directly from the water's edge, you can see sheer walls that go into the depths, and from what you see, you get the impression that this is a huge well. Depending on the time of day and weather, the shades of water are constantly changing and have different colors. The water temperature in the lake in winter and summer is the same +9.3, so the lake never freezes.

Upper Blue Lakes are 2 lakes, Eastern and Western. Also, these lakes are called Communicating. A dam has been built between them, and water from the East Lake flows into the West. The East Lake is larger and deeper than the West. There are fish in these lakes.

The secret lake is located near the Upper Blue Lakes. And it is named so because it is located in a deep karst funnel, overgrown with a dense beech forest.

A dry lake, or it is also called the missing one, was formed in a large karst failure with sheer walls reaching a depth of up to 180 meters. Previously, this failure was completely filled with water, but as a result of the shuddering of the mountains, the lake disappeared and remained only at the bottom of the canyon.

One of the most interesting natural objects in Russia is the Blue Lakes (Kabardino-Balkaria), which are located among the highlands of the Cherek Gorge. They keep a lot of secrets and unsolved secrets, attracting tens of thousands of tourists from different parts of the country and the world. This beautiful place is located 50 km from Nalchik in the delta of the Cherek-Balkarsky river and consists of five lakes.

By studying the blue lakes of the CBD on the map, you can see that they include 5 separate reservoir systems. They bear the following names:

• Upper (2 lakes).
• Lower (Chirik-Kel or Cherek).
• Dry.
• Secret.

The largest body of water in the lower lake is Tserrikel, located at an altitude of 809 meters. In one day, the surface of the water is painted in 16 different shades (from azure to emerald). Color is determined by the time of day, weather conditions, and the intensity of sunlight.

The water in the Lower Lake is crystal clear and transparent. In some places, the bottom is visible at a depth of 30-50 m. In clear weather, the reservoir becomes pale blue, due to the presence of large reserves of hydrogen sulfide at the bottom. Because of the characteristic shade, the locals call Tserrikel "rotten lake".

Scientists believe that a stable water level depends on powerful underground flows, because. Several streams flow into the lake. At the same time, it gives rise to a small river, and the daily flow of water reaches 70,000,000 liters.

There are no fish in Tserrikel, and the only inhabitant is the small crustacean Gammarus. Mountain trees grow in the surroundings, such as:

• Hornbeams.
• Oak trees.
• Different breeds of alder.
• Rose hip.
• Kalina.
• Azalea.

The upper lakes include 2 large reservoirs - Western and Eastern, which are separated by a dam. The main sources of their saturation are groundwater and atmospheric precipitation. The reservoirs are full of precious fish (grass carp, trout and others), and rare species of trees and shrubs grow on the banks.

As for the Dry Lake, the local population gives it the name Kel-Ketchekhen, which translates as "the lake has flowed away." It is located in the east of the group and has the lowest water level due to seismic activity in the mountains. The secret lake is located at an altitude of 902 m above sea level, 200-300 meters from two reservoirs.

Main characteristics

The lower lake covers an area of ​​0.0216 km 2 and its depth varies from 200 to 386 m. There is no exact information.

Researchers continue to study the specifics of the bottom, relief and other features of the reservoir. They also claim that it resembles a cave with vertical steep walls. In wide places, the depth can be 1 m, and in narrow places it can break off up to 40 m.

The basin of the Dry Lake in Kabardino-Balkaria is a large depression with vertical walls of 177 m each. In the deepest places there is a small reservoir with depths of up to 5 m. Reservoirs from the upper group are shallow - up to 18 m, with gentle banks. The depth of the secret lake is 21 m.

Tourists appreciate the Blue Lakes because of the pristine nature, clean air and water. At the same time, the region has a well-developed infrastructure, comfortable tourist bases and hotels.

The purest water

A pond with magical blue water is located in the mysterious Cherek gorge, which is located in the Cherek region of the same name. By the way, it is the largest in area in Kabardino-Balkaria, but has a small population. A similar feature is associated with the mountainous terrain that covers most of the region.

In addition to the Blue Lakes, in the vicinity there are 5 of the 7 peaks of the Caucasus, with a height of more than 5,000 meters above sea level. It also has the longest glacier in the Old World and the oldest climbing camp"Bezengi", which became a training base for Soviet climbers.

The water in the lake is so clean that even in cloudy weather you can see the bottom at a depth of 20-50 meters. The exact depth of the mine is still unknown.

History of study

Despite the development of modern technologies, the Blue Lakes continue to be one of the most mysterious and little-studied natural objects. When visiting Kabardino-Balkaria, researchers tried to unravel all the secrets of these reservoirs, so the expeditions were carried out for many decades. Among the most famous are the following:

1. The first study of a group of lakes was carried out by the Russian glaciologist Nikolai Yakovlevich Dinnik at the end of the 19th century. It was he who published an article entitled "Trip to Balkaria in 1887-1890".
2. The reservoirs were also explored by I. S. Shchukin, and then by the Soviet geologist I. G. Kuznetsov in 1926-1927. For numerous works, he received a silver medal from the Russian Geographical Society.
3. In 1980, an expedition of the Institute of Geography named after Vashukhti Bagrationi was organized under the leadership of G. Gigineshvili.

Legends and secrets

There are many legends, myths and folk epics about the Blue Lakes. The most famous one says that in ancient times the brave hero Batraz lived nearby. In the battle with the mighty dragon, he won, after which the fabulous beast fell to the ground, and a hole formed under it.

The second legend tells about a sweet princess who fell in love with a common shepherd. However, the noble neighbor prince liked her, and he decided to kill the young man by throwing him off a cliff. Upon learning of the grief, the girl also jumped into the abyss, and her tears began to fill the bottomless well. This is how the lake was formed.

In the description of the lake on Wikipedia, there is a mention of a more modern story with a good ending. It happened in 2003. A young guy who is fond of diving found a mysterious find at the bottom. It was a bunch of cheap locks and a few keys tied together. The items looked like new, with no blackening or corrosion, which meant they had been in the water recently. There was a piece of paper in the holes of each lock. They were pieces of the same photo. When they were put together, they saw a picture of a young guy and an inscription in Arabic.

The diver reported the discovery to a resident of the local village, and he treated the information with all responsibility. He recognized the neighbor's young man in the picture, who had recently gone to the city and got married. But after the wedding, various troubles began to haunt him. It soon became known that a terrible curse was imposed on the guy with the help of these locks.

Residents of the surrounding villages claim that many people or objects drowned in some places, and then flared up in others. So, they say that in the depths of the lakes is:

• Cavalry of Alexander the Great with precious decorations.
• Many military vehicles different countries and peoples.
• Bronze statue of Joseph Stalin.
• Lots of modern cars.

Attractions nearby

The Cherek region in the Balkar region is famous for its many interesting sights and tourist routes. They are rich in rare artifacts, ancient monuments and mysterious places that will take your breath away. Among the most interesting are the following:

1. Ushtulu. It is a gorge and a valley of the same name, located 25 km from Upper Balkaria. The area is 30,000 m2 with incredible mountain landscapes, many trees, shrubs and flowers, as well as small streams and streams that flow down from steep cliffs. In Soviet times, the All-Union tourist route No. 87 functioned here towards the sea coast.
2. Suksan gorge - is a high mountain valley with the river Sukan-Su at the bottom. The canyon is characterized by a magical landscape with pristine nature. In the 17th century there was a road from Russia to Georgia.
3. Lake Giybashkel. It is considered one of the key treasures of the gorge with azure color and clear water.
4. Watchtower of the Amiranovs. It is placed on a giant boulder and has a height of 10 m. It is a landmark for travelers who go to the Rtsyvashki gorge.

Cherek Gorge

The road from the Blue Lakes is directed towards the Cherek Gorge. The surroundings are very cozy and fresh. Even the bright summer sun does not burn the vegetation, so it remains green all season long. Picturesque landscapes attract many tourists and leave unforgettable emotions in their hearts. There is a pleasant coolness in the gorge, and a strong wind blows from the rocks among the high steep walls, so you need to take care of warm clothes when hiking.

The path to the gorge goes up the steep slopes. By bus, you can only get to a small green meadow, and then you have to walk 5-6 kilometers.

In some places of the gorge, the walls are almost vertical, and their height reaches 500 meters. In the middle of the height there is a road where tractors and cars drive. It leads to a wide, sun-warmed valley with poor vegetation, but full-flowing streams and lush grass.

At a distance of 8-9 kilometers from the tunnel in a mountain valley, like a bowl, there is the village of Upper Balkaria. It houses stylish dwellings with a modern layout and original style.

At the end of the gorge there is a glacier of Mount Gulchi, which has a height of 4471 meters above sea level. It is this object that attracts climbers and fans of mountain tourism. But during the icing period, it is dangerous here because of the likelihood of avalanches.

Bears, aurochs, quails and partridges are found in the Rtsyvashka valley. To get to it, you need to get through the scree and a fast river.

Ways to visit

There are many ways and routes to get to the Blue Lakes in winter (CBD), summer or autumn. Going to the reservoirs from Nalchik, you need to go to the village of Babugent, but a couple of kilometers from the village, take a left turn with a sign "to the Cherek Gorge". Also, scheduled excursions from Pyatigorsk, Nalchik and other cities are carried here.

From Nalchik there are buses number 2 (three times a day) or taxis. There is also a minibus "Nalchik - Babugent", which runs hourly from 8 am. From the village to the destination, you will need to walk another 5 km. The key road is the R-217-Kavkaz federal highway, which takes you to the village of Urvan and then turn right. If you go by private transport from Nalchik, you will have to spend 5-7 liters of fuel.

Types of recreation

The list of hotels and dependencies near the Blue Lakes is quite extensive. The most popular is the complex of the same name "Blue Lakes" in the village of Babugent. This park-hotel has a good cafe with breakfasts for 150 rubles, lunches and dinners for 250 rubles. All meals are charged separately. On the street there is a well-equipped parking for vehicles. Tourists also have access to a 24-hour swimming pool, golf and billiards. There is a diving club and a conference room for 40 people.

Various meetings, conferences and seminars are held here. Local guides organize educational walking tours and trips on quad bikes, off-road vehicles or other extreme sports transport.

Next interesting object, where you can stay on the Blue Lakes, is a large sanatorium "Dolinsk". It is located in the resort area near the Atazhukinsky Garden park. Among the amenities are:

1. 2 beds.
2. Bedside tables.
3. Individual shower and toilet.
4. Closet.

Going to the Blue Lakes, you can stay in comfortable hotels. This may be the Jamila Hotel, located in the city of Nalchik. The cozy rooms have a refrigerator, hair dryer, wireless internet and other amenities.

Tourists also stay at the Korona Hotel, which is located on Balkarova Street, 6. The Rossiya Hotel is located in the central part of Nalchik. Nearby there is a fruit and vegetable market, cafes, shops and a musical theater.

There is in Kabardino-Balkaria places where it is simply necessary to visit a person who is able to appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature, enjoy amazing impressions, and remember what he saw for a long time. Of course, we will talk about five karst lakes in the Cherek region, called "Blue Lakes".

A group of lakes is located in the valley of the Cherek-Balkarsky river, which is about 30 km. from the city of Nalchik. These places are already insanely beautiful, but the Blue Lakes glorified the Cherek region of Kabardino-Balkaria to the whole world. The famous French explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau was engaged in research of five Blue Lakes, by the way, without finding out the reliable depth of several lakes.

The group of Blue Lakes in the Cherek region can be divided into the Lower Lake (Tserik-Kol) and the upper blue lakes. The upper ones include Western, Eastern, Secret and Dry, and the Blue Lake itself belongs to the lower ones.

Lower Blue Lake is flowing, has a greenish tint and is located at an altitude of 809 meters above sea level. Tserik-Kol (Cherek-Kol in other words) is such a beautiful and calm lake that the local peoples have a legend of the formation of the lake. The story, passed down from mouth to mouth, says that this blue Lake appeared when a dragon fell from the sky, defeated by the folk hero of the inhabitants of the North Caucasus.

Lower Blue Lake.

Another lake from the Blue Lakes group, called Kel Ketchhen(which means "Leaked Lake" or "Dry"), is located in a deep basin to the east of the Lower Lake. The depth of the basin is 177 meters. Just like Tserik-Kol, this lake was formed due to karst processes. Previously, this failure was completely filled with water, but as a result of the shuddering of the mountains, the lake disappeared and remained only at the bottom of the canyon. Kel-Ketchkhen is also often mentioned in various fairy tales and legends of the peoples of the North Caucasus.

Dry lake.

Upper Blue Lake is the third in a group, and is located north of Kel-Ketchkhen in the same huge depression, but the reservoir itself is shallow (18 meters). This lake has low, gently sloping shores, which makes it easier for tourists to descend. The upper blue lakes are also not deep.

The upper blue communicating lakes are Western and Eastern.

Upper Blue Lakes, and these are as many as 2 lakes - East and Western, also called Communicators. A dam has been built between them, and water from the East Lake flows into the West. The East Lake is larger and deeper than the West.

Secret lake.

The flora and fauna in these places is rich enough to get accustomed to every bush, tree or animal tracks. In the lakes themselves, in addition to the Lower, there are trout, carp, grass carp and other fish. In the Lower Lake, due to constant seasonal fluctuations in the inflow, there are no fish.

On the shores of the Lower Blue Lake there are several tourist bases and wellness centers, which will make it easier to stay in these places. Getting to the Blue Lakes is relatively easy. Various travel companies often arrange excursions to these parts to showcase the beauty of the five blue lakes. Tourist groups are recruited in Pyatigorsk, Nalchik and other cities of Kabardino-Balkaria. You can also get there on your own, using personal or route transport that runs from Nalchik.

One of the most popular and beautiful places Kabardino-Balkaria can be considered the Blue Lakes, which are located in the Cherek region of the KBR. The group of blue lakes is a natural phenomenon that is interesting not only for the KBR, but throughout the country. The lakes belong to the group of reservoirs of karst origin and are located among beautiful nature - mountain deciduous forests and flowering subalpine fields. Above and below the lakes there are sheer cliffs, and at the very bottom, at the bottom of the canyon, with noise and roar, Cherek Balkarsky carries its waters.

BLUE LAKES

The first stop is at the most popular of the reservoirs - the Lower Blue Lake. It is located right next to the highway and it is it that is of the greatest tourist interest.

The lake is called Tserik-Kol or Cherek-Kol. For a long time, the exact depth of the lake remained a mystery. Even Jacques Yves Cousteau ⛵ could not reliably determine it. It is now known that the depth of the lake is 279 meters, although there are still crevices that lead lower, but the bathyscaphe could not squeeze through there, so the final depth of the Lower Blue Lake is not yet clear. This is the second deepest karst lake in the world, only Red Lake in Croatia (281 m) is deeper. Karst is a failure in the rock, somewhat reminiscent of a well.

The color of the lake is changeable. In clear weather, soft blue, and in other weather conditions it changes to azure. The water is crystal clear, transparent, the walls of the lake can be seen to a depth of 22 m. The water surface of the lake is calm, it seems that it has frozen, frozen in its mysterious, enigmatic beauty.

The shore of the lake is a real Balkar bazaar. Here you can buy souvenirs, knitwear, jewelry, toys and other things that tourists like so much.

Time to visit: 30 minutes

Cherek Gorge

The bus goes up the serpentine to the tunnel in the Cherek gorge. A walk along the old road carved into a sheer rock is the most exciting moment of the tour. Here you can feel the grandeur of the river. Behind the tunnel begins the path to the Zylgi fortress, clinging to a sheer cliff like a swallow's nest. A whole defensive system, created in the Middle Ages, begins from the rock fortress; the tower of the Balkarovs, the tower of Amir Khan, the fortress of Kurnayat, the keshene in the villages of Kurnayat and Shkanty and many other monuments open to tourists a distant world of the past, closed in the Rocky Range.

Upper Balkaria

Upper Balkaria, near the Russian/Georgian border, about 60 km from Nalchik. The village of Upper Balkaria is a combination of the harsh beauty of the Cherek Gorge, the mountain hospitality of the Balkars and the breath of antiquity, which is felt even before entering the village. But the most amazing sensations will come over you when you find yourself at the confluence of two rivers - the Cherek Balkarsky and the Ishkirti. The tourist infrastructure in the village is not developed. However, Upper Balkaria is an attractive place for tourists. A number of sights of the republic are located here: architectural and natural monuments.

Time for inspection: 1 hour.

Hot springs Aushiger

On the way to the Blue Lakes, you can turn to the Aushiger hot spring.
The site is located on the southwestern outskirts of the village of Aushiger, on the right bank of the Kheu River, on the territory of the Aushiger sanatorium, 25 km from the city of Nalchik. The natural and climatic conditions of this area belong to the foothill part of the republic with a temperate continental climate.
The place is distinguished by the presence on the territory of the health and recreation complex unique sources nitrogen-thermal low-mineralized hot water.
When designing a health and recreation complex, the fundamental task was to attract the maximum number of vacationers, regardless of their standard of living. At the moment, there is a fairly developed infrastructure based on the Aushiger sanatorium, which includes a recreation, bathing and living area with a building for 100 people, an auxiliary farm area with greenhouses and a juice bottling workshop, and a complex of engineering and technical facilities.

Arrival time: 40 min.

Entrance to the springs is additionally paid: 100 rubles.

*Tour program and times are subject to change .

Not a single river or stream flows into one of them, the Lower Lake, although it loses up to 70 million liters of water every day, but its volume and depth do not change at all. The Lower Lake, or Tserik-Kol, is one of the deepest in the region. Some claim that the distance to the bottom here is more than 200 meters, while others add another 100 meters to this figure. Jacques-Yves Cousteau himself could not accurately determine the depth of Tserik-Kul. However, it rightfully bears the title of one of the deepest lakes in Europe.

According to legend, the lakes were called blue by travelers who once stopped here: they were struck by the unusual color of the water. And soon people from all over the world began to come here to see this miracle of nature with their own eyes. However, in all its glory, the lakes were far from every wanderer. Someone then said that the water in them was muddy green, someone claimed that these lakes in Kabardino-Balkaria are not blue, but emerald green.

Soon the mystery of the lakes was revealed. It is best to admire them, especially Tserik-Köl, in clear, sunny weather, when the water in it has a really soft blue color (it is due to the content of hydrogen sulfide). During the day, the lake can change color up to 16 times (from azure to emerald). But the water temperature in it is constant: no more than nine degrees - both in winter and in summer. By the way, the Lower Lake is the calmest, time seems to have stopped around it, and the water seems to freeze.

upper lakes

Climbing higher to the rocks, you will meet the Upper Blue Lakes on the way. They are not as deep as Tserik-Kol, they do not have such a rich blue color. True, in good weather, when the sky is reflected in the water surface, it may seem that it is really blue. First, travelers go to the Secret Lake. You can see it only by going up to the cliff. In this reservoir with a depth of about 130 meters, carp, trout and carp are found.

The largest in area, but the smallest is Upper Lake. The water is so clear that you can see the bottom. It feeds on precipitation, so the water level here fluctuates and averages about 17 meters.

One of the legends says that a folk hero used to live among these rocks. Once he saw a huge flying dragon, took out a bow and arrows, pulled the string and slew the monster. The dragon fell between the rocks, and one of the blue lakes formed in this place. And now the dragon, defeated by the folk hero, lies at the bottom, and fills the lake with its tears.