During the May holidays of 2013, I led a simple, yet beautiful and sightseeing hike through the mountains of Kabardino-Balkaria, largely through areas little explored by mountain tourists.
We're delivering food and gas to the Bashil tourist base. The summit of Tikhtengen (4,617 m) is revealed:
As we approach, the snow has already melted in the valleys, but the high mountains are still quite wintry.
By the end of April, spring is already upon us in the Dzhungusu Valley. The altitude is only 1,300 meters. However, it's worth noting that for every vertical kilometer, the temperature drops by 6-7 degrees.
Mount Karakaya (3646 m) in the Rocky Ridge has emerged from behind the forested ridge:
As we gain altitude, the giant Karakai rises from behind the ridges:
Lha summit (2773 m) at sunset. Below is the pass into the Kestanta valley.
A rock "finger" in the Dzhungusu Valley and a man for scale.
More "fingers"
Part of the Karakaya massif in a cloudy "window":
Ascent to the Pervomaysky Pass:
A bivouac on the Kumtyube plateau, night. The snow was much smoother than the rocks. With shovels, you could dig a perfectly flat clearing.
Mount Kestanty is one of the most wonderful places in Kabardino-Balkaria! You can see the turrets at the top. From a distance, it's uninteresting. But when you get closer... More on that later.
From the Dzhilgi Pass on the way to the summit (and from the summit itself too) a vast panorama of the Bezengi and Chegem mountains opens up!
Mount Tikhtengen (4617 m) with an approach:
At the Dzhilgi Pass. Ahead lies the volcanic mountain of Kestanty:
Another photo at the Dzhilgi Pass. The pebbles are beautifully scattered. The landscape is Martian, only with snow.
And now we're almost at Mount Kestanta. Those very same towers rise up in the form of various "mushrooms" and figures:
At an altitude of almost 3,800 m, you can walk along the flat plateau of Mount Kestanty among interesting formations:
Camel?
A mushroom, a camel, and a barrel. Although everyone sees it differently, I guess.
The "Mountain Guardian" looks to the left into the gorge, to the right is a heavy figure (a troll?), and even further to the right is something like the hand of a giant:
Almost the entire route to the next pass, Narzanny, is visible. From the Bashil (Chegem) River, follow the trail along the mouth of the step in the forest, then along partially snow-covered grassy and scree slopes to a small rock glacier, covered in 1-2-3 meters of snow, which leads to the saddle.
Silhouettes against the backdrop of snowy mountains.
Waterfall and a small natural dam of the Dzhailyksu River.
A day's rest in the Bashil Valley. What air there is!
And spring is in full swing.
But in May, 1 kilometer higher than here, there is already only snow.
Source: travel.ru