Road to the blue lakes of the CBD. The road to the blue lakes of Kabardino-Balkaria. Travel company "KavkazSkiTour"

Lake Chirik-Kel, which is located in Kabardino-Balkaria, is considered one of the deepest lakes of karst origin. Many tales about this fishless lake can be heard from local residents. For example, that in the 1930s a truck loaded with alcohol drowned in it. Many tourists are attracted by Kabardino-Balkaria. Blue lakes are a special attraction of the region.

The purest water

A lake with blue water can be found in the beautiful Cherek Gorge, adjacent to the area of ​​the same name. Chereksky district is the largest in area in Kabardino-Balkaria, but has the smallest population. This is explained by the fact that the main part of the territory is occupied by mountains. Here are:

• five of the seven peaks of the Caucasus, having a height of more than 5000 meters;
• the longest glacier in the Old World;
• one of the oldest climbing camps “Bezengi”, where many Soviet climbers started.

Blue Lake is a unique natural monument. It is the second deepest in the world and looks like a mine in karst rocks. The dimensions of the lake on the surface are 235 by 130 meters. The depth of the mine bottom is from 179 to 235 meters. At the surface, the lake expands, and in this zone its depth is up to 40 meters. No rivers or streams flow into the lake, but it feeds a small river. The water has a temperature of 9 degrees Celsius all year round. But, despite this, thousands of travelers flock to the Blue Lakes (Kabardino-Balkaria). You can spend your vacation with friends or family.

In any weather, you can see what is happening underwater at a depth of 20 and even 50 meters. It is possible that the mine has greater depth, but this has not yet been proven by research.

Lake exploration

The first descriptions of Blue Lake were made by the scientist I. Dinnik at the end of the 19th century. I. Shchukin continued this work at the beginning of the 20th century. The lake was also studied by Professor I.G. Kuznetsov, who graduated from the Petrograd Mining Institute. He was awarded a silver medal of the Russian Geographical Society. In the summer of 1980, representatives of the Institute of Geography from the Georgian SSR began studying. The mineral content of the water is low. Of the inhabitants, only algae were found.

A very hospitable region of Kabardino-Balkaria. Blue lakes are a good reason to visit this area.

More than one record-breaking dive into the Blue Lakes (Kabardino-Balkaria) was made in this area. How to get to this wonderful reservoir can be found below.

All lakes

The Blue Lakes are five bodies of water. The most interesting is the Lower Lake. It is located 809 meters above sea level. The depth of the reservoir is 386 meters. Not a single river flows into it, but about 65 million liters of water flows out. Local residents call it Tserik-Kel. It is inhabited only by a crustacean that is not afraid of hydrogen sulfide. The Upper Lakes include two reservoirs. They contain fish, and between them there is a connecting dam. There is also a secret lake, located deep in the forest zone. Not all tourists find it. Dry Lake is especially popular. The depth of the depression is about 180 meters; there is water only at the very bottom.

Athletes are attracted by the Blue Lakes of Kabardino-Balkaria, the depth of which allows them to set records.

Notable places

If you move along the gorge, you can get to the Circassian tunnels and the ancient road. It starts at a small waterfall and lies on the edge of a 150-meter cliff. Standing on it, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the valley and snowy mountain peaks. Driving further, you can get to the village of Upper Balkaria. At the edge of the village there is a suspension bridge leading to the old village. During Stalin's time, the village was destroyed, only parts of houses and the outlines of former streets remained.

The Abai-Kala tower is incredibly beautiful, famous for the apricots growing near it. A few kilometers away there is a preserved watchtower. It is built on a huge 10-meter stone, and it is impossible to get into it without the appropriate equipment. Kabardino-Balkaria is famous for its natural landscapes. Blue lakes are perfect bodies of water with clear water.

Fifteen kilometers from the lakes there is a spring with mineral hot water. It is called Aushiger, and the water in it rises from a depth of about 4 kilometers. It was discovered in the middle of the 20th century during oil exploration. Philologists believe that the word “Aushiger” can be translated as “Saint George” or “Jesus the Greek.” This indicates the early spread of Christianity in these lands.

Legends of the Blue Lakes

Local residents consider the Blue Lakes to be bottomless, as are most similar lakes. You can hear many stories from the population about those who drowned in lakes and surfaced in other places. The bottom of the lakes is rumored to contain:

• the cavalry of Tamerlane or Alexander the Great (possibly both) with all the decorations made of precious metals and stones;
• a large number of military vehicles of the Germans and Romanians, who abandoned them while retreating;
• a statue of Joseph Stalin himself, cast in bronze;
• many cars of our time;
• truck with port wine.

The bottom of the lakes is now a legendary unique museum that preserves the history of many centuries. The whole of Kabardino-Balkaria is full of myths and legends. Blue lakes are directly related to mysticism and secrets.

How to get to the lakes?

In the Blue Lakes area, all the infrastructure for vacationers and travelers has been created.

The water in these lakes is truly blue. Anyone can come to this place and scuba dive, having previously completed training. It remains to find out where the Blue Lakes are located in Kabardino-Balkaria.

Getting to the Blue Lakes is not difficult. Not far from them there are a significant number of tourist centers that are open to tourists. Also, systematic excursions from Pyatigorsk, Nalchik and other settlements of Kabardino-Balkaria are organized to this place.

You can get to the Blue Lakes by personal transport. From Nalchik you need to go to the village of Babugent (via Urvan and Sovetskoye). At the same time, a little before reaching Babugent, at the fork you need to turn left - to the Cherek Gorge.

Eat in Kabardino-Balkaria places that simply need to be visited by 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 away. from the city of Nalchik. These places are already incredibly beautiful, but the Blue Lakes have made the Chereksky region of Kabardino-Balkaria famous throughout the world. The famous French explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau studied the 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 Sukhoye, and the lower ones include the Blue Lake itself.

Lower Blue Lake It is flowing, has a greenish tint and is located at an altitude of 809 meters above sea level. Tserik-Kol (otherwise known as Cherek-Kol) is such a beautiful and calm lake that local peoples have a legend about 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-Ketchchen(which means “Leaking Lake” or “Dry”), is located in a deep basin 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 gap was completely filled with water, but as a result of the shaking 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 the group, and is located north of Kel-Ketchchen in the same huge depression, but the reservoir itself is shallow (18 meters). This lake has low, gently sloping shores, which makes the descent easier for tourists. The upper blue lakes are also not deep.

The upper blue connected lakes are Western and Eastern.

Upper Blue Lakes, and these are 2 lakes - Eastern And Western, also called Communicators. A dam was built between them, and water from the Eastern Lake flows into the Western Lake. The Eastern lake is larger and deeper than the Western one.

Secret lake.

The flora and fauna in these places is rich enough to look closely at every bush, tree or animal trace. In the lakes themselves, except Nizhny, there are trout, carp, grass carp and other fish. Due to constant seasonal fluctuations in inflow, there are no fish in the Lower Lake.

On the shores of the Lower Blue Lake there are several tourist centers and health centers, which will make your stay in these places easier. Getting to the Blue Lakes is relatively easy. Various travel companies often organize excursions to these areas to demonstrate 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 shuttle transport that runs from Nalchik.

The highest peak in Europe, the main ridge of Kavakaz, mysterious gorges, the transparency of the waters of mountain rivers, flowery plains, snowy peaks - all these are the most beautiful places in Kabardino-Balkaria. Traveling to this fascinating region offers a rich selection of attractions and interesting sightseeing tours. Photos and videos taken in these places will leave this breathtaking trip in your memory for a long time.

In this region you can admire the mysterious Baksan and Chegem gorges, enjoy the strength and beauty of the Djily-Su tract, marvel at the scale of the towers in the village of Kunnyum and visit many other equally interesting places.

Mountain Elbrus

This is the real pride of the local region, capricious, rebellious and so majestic - a queen among the Caucasian mountain peaks. Its name translates as “eternal mountain”; some call it “mountain of happiness”.

The height of Elbrus is more than 5000 meters above sea level, they tried to climb to its peak for many years, and only at the beginning of 1829, a group of climbers led by the military leader G. A. Emmanuel climbed to the very peak. The mountain is shrouded in snow, at the top there are a large number of glaciers that do not melt even in summer.

A large number of climbers come to this place every day, dreaming of conquering the peak. For those who do not want to climb the peak on their own, a cable car has been built.

Mount Cheget

One of the highest mountains in the Caucasus, its height is about 3700 meters. From the mountain you can admire the view of the highest peak in Europe – Elbrus. Another feature of Mount Cheget is the second line of the cable car, which passes through an area where there is snow throughout the year.

There are 3 stages of the cableway in total. The first is one of the most popular among tourists, its height is 1500-1600 meters. The second one starts from an altitude of 2700 meters. The third one starts at an altitude of 3100 meters, but the subscription does not apply to it and you can only get there for a fee. The best period for skiing on Cheget is from late November to mid-May; at other times of the year there is a danger of avalanches.

Chegem waterfalls

The real pearl of the Chegem Gorge is the Chegem Waterfalls. Streams of water fall from a height of 55 meters, rushing off the cliff and flowing out of numerous crevices. The water falls down in a powerful stream, and a rainbow appears in the cloud of scattering drops. If you look closely at the rocks, you can see unusual images; all this was done by water over many years.

Chegem waterfalls are very beautiful and spectacular not only in summer, but also in winter: a large number of icicles hang from above, impressive blocks of ice rise from below, covering the entire rock.

Waterfall Maiden's Braids

On the rocks of Baranya foreheads, not far from the southern slopes of the Terskol peak, there is the most powerful waterfall in Kabardino-Balkaria, Maiden Spit. It did not get its name by chance - the streams of water flowing down small gutters are very reminiscent of the hair of a mountain girl.

Here the water flows in a rapid stream from the melting Gara-Bashi glacier; the height of the Maiden Spit is 25 meters, the width at the very bottom is about 14-15 meters. Up close, the waterfall seems huge and very noisy.

In this place, in 1967, one of the scenes of the movie “Vertical” was filmed with Vladimir Vysotsky in the title role.

Gedmishkh waterfalls

In the Zolsky district of Kabardino-Balkaria, 11 kilometers from the village of Khabaz, there is a beautiful cascade of Gedmishkh waterfalls.

Waterfalls fall from a cliff more than 55 meters high; it seems that the rocks and trees hang overhead like a huge umbrella, along the edges of which water flows. The waterfall is especially beautiful in clear weather; it is filled with sunlight and reflections of colorful greenery, and many rainbows appear in the cloud of spray.

A special feature of Gedmishkh is that the water in this place is clean and suitable for drinking, since its sources are the purest springs. Scientists are still studying them, trying to identify the healing properties of this water.

Blue Lakes (Chirik-Kel)

The lakes are a network of 5 karst reservoirs, one of which is considered the second deepest karst spring in the world and is a water-bearing karst mine with steep walls. On the surface, the length of the Blue Lake reaches 230 meters, the width is 125 meters, while its depth is precisely unknown. The maximum depth of the shaft is 258 meters, in the extended upper part the water depth varies from 0 to 35 meters.

The Blue Pond is a mysterious place that holds many secrets. One of the main questions is where the lake, located 800 meters above sea level, is replenished from. Neither streams nor rivers flow into it, but a river flows out with a daily volume of more than 70,000 cubic meters of water. Scientists suggest that there are underground springs in this place.

Lake Donguz Orun-Kel

It is located surrounded by two peaks - Nakra-tau and Donguz-orun-towers, whose height is 4228 meters and 4450 meters respectively. Orun-Kel is located at an altitude of just over 3000 meters. Translated by Donguz Orun-Kel means “next to the pig pen.”

A special feature of Lake Donguz is its unusually beautiful color, which it received thanks to glaciers: along with melting water, minerals from mountain deposits enter the reservoir, which color the amazing lake in 3 colors.

The lake is flowing, on one side the Donguzorun River and the Bear Creek flow into it, and the Donguz-Orun Baksan River flows out.

Lake Syltran-kel

It is considered one of the most delightful alpine lakes in the Caucasus region. It is located at an altitude of about 3000 meters between the mountain peaks of Mukal and Syltran, its area is more than 9 hectares. It is located in a deep pit of a rock-talus circus. Translated from Turkic, the name Syltran-kel sounds like “beautiful lake”.

This place has a unique rugged charm thanks to the rocky shores of Syltran-kel, the proximity of snow-capped peaks, colorful plants in rocky crevices and the remains of icebergs floating in the reservoir in the summer.

Valley of Narzans

Not far from the village of Baidevo is the famous Narzan Valley. This is the only convenient and accessible source of Narzan for tourists. The meadow has an area of ​​about 3 square kilometers and is equipped for the convenience of visitors.

In a clearing surrounded by a pine grove, several Narzan mineral springs gush out from under the ground, coloring everything around in a bright orange color - the water here is rich in calcium, iron, sodium, magnesium and potassium.

Since ancient times, Narzan has been famous as water of extraordinary healing power. According to legend, the water from this source strengthened the strength of warriors, healed mortal wounds and raised the hopelessly sick to their feet. The healing liquid should be drunk only from the source, since when you put narzan into a container, a “rusty” sediment appears after a short time.

Baksan Gorge

The most famous gorge in the Central Caucasus. The Baksan Gorge originates near two ridges (Pasture and Skalisty), in an area with sparse forests that lead to the foot of Elbrus.

The ridges stretch through the villages of Zhankhoteko and Lakshuty. On one side of the gorge you can see yellowish limestone steep walls, on the other - a cliff to the Baksan River.

The Baksan Gorge is quite wide; it begins to narrow just beyond the village. Outside the city of Tyrnauz, the gorge is covered with a picturesque pine forest, which stretches to the Azau clearing, located at an altitude of 2300 meters. At this point, the gorge road ends at the village of Terskol and the route to Elbrus and other Caucasus Mountains begins.

Cherek Gorge

A very picturesque place that has become very popular among tourists. In the gorge there are Blue Lakes and ancient historical monuments of the Balkar people. According to legends, it is the original place of settlement of the local people - the Balkars.

The main attractions of the gorge are Kurnoyat Castle, Andemirkana Mound, Zylgi Fortress, City of the Dead, Amirkhan Tower, Hot Lake, and small waterfalls. The rapid river Cherek flows along the bottom of the canyon. The most interesting section is the place where the old road to Upper Balkaria passes.

The walls of the Cherek Gorge are almost vertical, their height reaches 500 meters. They are vertical, and at some points they converge to a distance of 30 meters. The majestic canyon of the gorge is Tesnina, so deep that sunlight rarely reaches here.

Chegem Gorge

The Chegem River gorge, which divides the Kabardino-Balkarian mountain zone into northern and southern parts. Rocks rise above the waters of a winding and deep river, as if artificially decorated with the greenery of trees and bushes. Noisy, beautiful waterfalls fall from the rocks. All this creates a unique flavor of the Chegem Gorge.

The narrowest part of the gorge is the Chegem Gorge, in which the main part of the waterfalls is concentrated. Up the gorge there is a watchtower from the 17th century, and next to the bridge lies the “stone of shame”, according to legend, criminals were tied to it.

Walking along the Dzhilgi-su river you can see destroyed ancient Greek sanctuaries carved into the rocks. This beautiful place also has lakes with crystal clear water and mineral springs.

Adyr-Su Gorge

A picturesque place located on the territory of the Elbrus National Park. At the beginning of the gorge you can admire the mesmerizing waterfall, which is formed by the stormy waters of the Adyr-Su River. There are many mountain peaks here (Dzhailyk, Sullukol, Tyutyu-bashi, Kayarta, Sakashil, Killar and others), to which routes of varying difficulty levels have been laid.

In Adyr-Su, the reserve regime is observed, there are few casual visitors and tourists. Aurochs live in these places, and bears live in the berry patches and thickets of undergrowth. Among the screes and rock walls live mountain turkeys - snowcocks. However, this bird is rarely seen, but often in the silence of the mountains you can hear its melodic singing.

The lowlands of the gorge are covered with forests, but with height they thin out, giving way to alpine meadows, and behind them are snowy peaks, inaccessible cliffs, and glaciers.

Dzhil-Su tract

This is a place where you can admire waterfalls, mountain ranges, wild rivers with crystal clear water, alpine meadows and mineral springs.

The mineral springs of the tract were formed in layers of frozen volcanic magma and are located at a peak 2350 kilometers above sea level. Scientists have found that the substances contained in mineral water can treat many diseases, including cancer.

Also in this area flows the large Malka River, along which there are pastures. In the Jil-Su tract you can admire the Sultan waterfall, the height of which falls is more than 35 meters.

National Park "Elbrus"

The territory of the national park is located in the central Caucasus and includes part of the Side and Main Caucasus ranges. Within the Elbrus region, several relief forms are distinguished: mid-altitude mountain, high-mountain-glacial, lake-basin and lava flows.

The beautiful nature of the park attracts many tourists here. Here you can enjoy the view of the majestic Mount Elbrus, the picturesque gorges of the North Caucasus, and snow-capped mountain peaks.

Also in the park you can visit many wonderful places, for example, the Narzan Glade, the upper reaches of the Malka River, the Dzhil-Su tract, and numerous lakes. One of the most interesting is Syltran-Kel, located at the source of the Syltran River.

The rivers of the national park are famous for their exceptionally beautiful waterfalls. These are Sultan, Maiden Braids and others. Monuments of archaeology, history and ethnography are represented in this place by the remains of economic and residential buildings and burials.

Archaeological and tourist complex "Upper Balkaria"

The final point of the popular excursion route through Aushiger and the Blue Lakes. The complex is located in the village of Verkhnyaya Balkariya, in the southeast of the Chereksky district.

The territory of the archaeological and tourist complex is rich in various attractions. Here you can admire the cultural heritage of the indigenous people of the late Middle Ages: watchtowers and battle towers, feudal residences, underground and above-ground mausoleums - tomb crypts, fortifications of Malkar-kala, Zylgy-kala, Bolat-kala, Karcha-kala, Kurnayat-bashi castle , ruins of ancient Balkar villages.

On the day we visited the Chegem waterfalls, we also visited two interesting places. The Caucasus is full of secrets and wonders...

We are driving through Kabardino-Balkaria from the Chegem Gorge to Blue Lake.

There are five karst lakes in Kabardino-Balkaria, but we saw the largest and most beautiful - Blue Lake.

It looks much smaller than Lake Ritsa in Abkhazia, but its maximum depth is 368 meters! It is the second deepest karst lake in the world.

The water of the lake is crystal clear, and you can see the bottom at a distance of more than 20m. The color of the water is variable. In clear weather it is pale blue, and in other weather conditions it changes to azure. The water surface of the lake is calm, it seems to have frozen, frozen in its mysterious, enigmatic beauty.

Cherek-Kol - translated from local means “rotten lake”, as there is a slightly faint smell of hydrogen sulfide. Despite the crystal clear water, there are no fish in the lake, but only a small crustacean, Gammarus, and some algae.

It’s a pity, the foliage wasn’t very autumnal yet... it would have been more beautiful.

People do not swim in the lake; even in the hottest season, the water temperature in it does not rise above 10 degrees, and usually it is 9 degrees.

Not a single river flows into it; the lake is fed only by underground springs. However, the water slowly flows out of the lake, forming a small pond nearby, and from there it flows into the river Cherek.

“The record-breaking dive to depth continued for about nine hours. Robson emerged safely from the depth, recording a mark of 209 m. However, in the evening and at night he became ill, he was hospitalized in the Republican Clinical Hospital in Nalchik,” said a representative of the diving center. http:// www.newsru.com/sport/20jan2012/diver.html

3January, a scuba diver died while diving into the lake Andrey Rodionov, who was part of the group of famous diver Martin Robson. A Russian diver became ill after diving to a depth of 60 meters. When the diver was taken to the hospital, he was no longer breathing.

And below the Blue Lake, 16 km along the road, on the banks of the Cherek River, into which water flows from the Blue Lake, there is the Kabardian village of Aushiger with a thermal iodine-bromine spring...

The village is famous for its hot springs, which flow from a depth of about 4,000 meters. The springs were discovered in the 1950s during an expedition to search for oil.

Sodium chloride water of low mineralization, weak alkaline reaction and high temperature - 50 degrees or more. The gas saturation of mineral water allows it to be classified as nitrogen-carbon dioxide water, and it can be drunk.

We arrived in the evening. A visit costs 100 rubles. We changed clothes in the changing room and went into the water!

There were already quite a lot of people in the large pool... We talked with one girl. She has been coming here for about the tenth time - apparently the problem is serious, but it didn’t help right away... She rents an apartment in the village and goes swimming every day. In total you need to take 10 baths, and the session lasts 15-20 minutes.

Done more or less, but without invention. This is not Hungary with its famous resorts, or at least Poland...

The pool is very shallow. At the bottom there were stones covered with something slippery, it was unpleasant, I swam more...

I wish we could make this pool in the form of a Jacuzzi bath, or at least some part of it. And so we ONLY have a large diameter pipe from which water flows. There are especially many people in this place, everyone is warming up.

But it’s impossible to get closer under the jets of water - local young horsemen stand in a semicircle and stare at the women... They have already taken root there, because I was in the water for 20 minutes, and they had no intention of coming out.

In the area around the pool there are shops selling souvenirs and selling mud, and there are also places to eat.

You can take baths in the indoor pool for several people, but the payment is different. You will also get a massage there.

A good place to improve your health. I would really like to have such a source in my Crimea...I would visit it.

Scientists have measured the deepest karst lake in Russia. The main discovery that scientists were able to make is that the depth of the unique natural monument is 21 meters greater than expected. However, according to researchers,this is clearly not the limitand the figure is far from final .

No one here has done such detailed research work that we have done before. For example, we discovered a niche going towards a mountain range that has yet to be explored,” said Nikolay Maksimovich, Deputy Director for Research, Natural Science Institute, Perm State National Research University.

Last fall, divers dived into the emerald blue depths (the color of the lake is due to the high content of hydrogen sulfide) about 400 times. During the visual inspection, they were able to discover three previously unknown caves. During a detailed inspection of one of them, the Marlin-350 underwater robot reached the lowest point. Thus, it was possible to prove that Tserik-Kel is another 21 meters deeper.

The fact is that the lake “lives”; the landscape of its bottom and side slopes is constantly changing. The depth that the robot showed this time is far from the final result. If research continues, it may increase further. I fully admit that Tserik-Kel will be officially recognized as the deepest karst lake in the world,” said the executive director of the Center for Underwater Research of the Russian Geographical Society Sergey Fokin.

In addition, RGS scientists were able to confirm the source of “food” of Tserik-Kel, into which not a single river flows. By creating a 3D model based on sonar, they found that water had been making its way out of the ground for many years.

Blue Lake (Tserik-Kel, Cherek-Kel)- a unique natural monument, the second deepest freshwater body of water in Russia after Lake Baikal. Located surrounded by mountains in the picturesque Cherek Gorge at an altitude of 809 m above sea level. Here are five of the seven 5,000-meter peaks in the Caucasus and the longest glacier in Europe. One of the oldest alpine camps in Russia, “Bezengi,” is also located here, where the legendary Soviet mountaineering originated.