What are the trees in the dombai. Golden autumn in the dombai mountains

Dombai nature

Dombai's nature is rich and unique. The mountain forests that cover the slopes are magnificent. At the bottom it is mainly a beech of a park type with an admixture of hornbeam, ash, maple, above there are powerful high-trunked beeches in several girths, a slender majestic fir, occasionally there is a relict yew more than a thousand years old - the once famous nasty tree with dark noble wood ... Above, there are moist spruce-fir forests with a special Pontic spruce, and on dry granite slopes there are forests of pine-fir composition. Even higher - thickets of mountain maples, birch, mountain ash, many shrubs - hazel, honeysuckle, azalea, barberry, dog rose, spindle tree. In the upper floor of the forest zone and in the glades, there are thickets of rhododendrons and junipers, a lot of berries - raspberries, currants, wild gooseberries, blueberries, lingonberries and strawberries.

And in subalpine meadows with grass reaching two meters in height, and low-grass alpine meadows - the kingdom of flowers. There are many hundreds of them here. Different, completely different from each other. Some species have been known since ancient times and came from afar, others were born and survived only here. There are many "true Caucasians" among the plants. The thickets of the Caucasian rhododendron are magnificent, a creeping shrub with strong glossy leaves and lush large inflorescences, with delicate shades of delicate moist petals. Herbaceous plants are innumerable. Gentian, a characteristic flower of highlands, is presented in many variations - from azure blue and ultramarine to pale lilac, pink and white.

Primroses, anemones, bright saffron, bells are numerous. The delicate crimson alpine chamomile and mountain asters, crocuses and a hazel grouse like a tulip are beautiful. Many species of saxifrage and succulent plants adorn the heated rocks. Even the stones in the forest and in the alpine meadows seem to be in bloom, colored with a variety of mosses and lichens. Dombai's fantastically colorful Alpine carpets are also one of its main treasures.

This diversity of vegetation, fauna, glaciers and peaks, the uniqueness of the nature of these places caused the creation of the Teberda State Reserve in 1936, in which a special, very important place was assigned to the Dombai site. The reserve is carrying out a great deal of nature conservation and scientific work, extensive experiments are being carried out to acclimatize new plants and animals for the region. Experiments have shown, for example, that ginseng is well established and cultivated here, and sika deer, raccoon dog and Altai squirrel have already been acclimatized from animals. Much attention is also paid to the conservation and reproduction of rare species of animals and birds.

In the forest zone of Dombai there are numerous wild boars and Caucasian deer, roe deer and lynx, stone and pine marten, squirrel, brown bear and wolf; chamois and Caucasian black grouse are kept at the upper borders of the forest; partridges, mountain turkey - snowcock and a magnificent animal of the upper belt of mountains - Caucasian tur are found among rocks and stone placers. Eagles and noisy alpine jackdaws are common here. In the rivers, piercing the tight transparent streams, a beautiful trout rapidly overcomes the rapids, and on smooth river boulders here and there a small white-breasted bird suddenly appears and disappears, fearlessly diving into the stormy stream. This dipper is foraging at the bottom of the furious mountain rivers.

The bright spring sun gives birth to thousands of sonorous streams from the granular melted snow, the young green of the first grasses clothe the slopes, awakening from winter sleep, the trees bloom, cheerful bird trills sound in the clear blue sky, the mountain peaks throw off their snow-white clothes, the holiday of spring sparkles with colors. Summer brings lush green foliage, thunder of rainbow-colored waterfalls, carpets of flowers, forest rustles, azure sunrises and regal sunsets. Life-giving air with delicate aromas spreads over the gorges, the sun's rays are crushed in the edges of rocks and turquoise blocks of icefalls. Autumn gives rise to a riot of colors and transparency of the distance. As if by magic, huge yellowed glades in one night are covered with a continuous soft lilac cover of billions of crocuses, and morning grasses sparkle with sparkles of frost. A fabulous winter forest conquers with the play of sun glare and diamond dust of falling snow caps, the crystal purity of the graying peaks fascinates the eye. Thick, silent snowfalls of myriads of large soft flakes give way to dazzling sunny days, and untouched snows light up with a scattering of diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies.

When I set off on the train across the North Caucasus, I assumed, of course, that I would get vivid impressions. But I had no idea how much this region would hook me. How beautiful these mountains, passes, gorges will turn out to be ...

And in this article I want to tell you what skiing is. Dombay resort summer.

What does an ordinary person know about Dombai? That it is somewhere in the Caucasus, that inveterate skiers are trying to get there, that it is beautiful there. We went there with about the same knowledge. And that's what came of it.

Dombay: why it is worth coming here, even if you are not a skier

Usually, when they say the words "unique nature" to me, describing a place, I begin to suspect that it is not so unique.

Well, think for yourself: will it ever occur to anyone in a travel guide to Austria to emphasize the unique nature? I doubt. For this is illogical, if only because it will be very similar in neighboring Germany and Switzerland. In general, all large mountains are somewhat similar. And the most interesting thing: having been in some big mountains, fall in love with everyone else in absentia. Have you noticed?

How to get there

By plane you can fly to the airport in Kavminvody. From the bus station of Mineralnye Vody you can take a bus to Teberda , and from there take a taxi or a bus to Dombai.

But the most pleasant option is, of course, to travel around the Caucasus, as we do in our own car. We drove from the side of Kislovodsk and drove out of the mountains onto the highway just at Cherkessk.

By car from Cherkessk (the capital of Karachay-Cherkessia) you will reach Dombay along the A-155 highway in 2-2.5 hours. And believe me - this will be one of the most beautiful roads in your life!

While we were driving, I involuntarily had associations with the same Swiss landscapes:

These paintings would be called "Alpine pastorals" if the minaret towers and rickety fences were removed. And add the bell towers of Catholic churches, coupled with the high-speed rail and autobahn.

By the way, one of the peculiarities of this region is cars without license plates. This is how local horsemen ride. The traffic police officers obviously do not touch them (wai, yes, they are all their own!), But with the camera that the federals put in and which captures everyone by state number, it is unlikely to come to an agreement.

Instead of cows with bells, lean stallions graze along the slopes along the road. Indeed, it is customary to be proud and admire horses in the Caucasus! As in, Karachay-Cherkessia has its own subject for pride.

The existence of two separate breeds, the Kabardian and the Karachai, was officially recognized in 1935 - although in the first volume of the state herd book, all Caucasian breeds were united under the general term "mountain". In 1943, after the repressions and deportation of the Karachais to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, all references to this people, including the name of the local horse breed, were cleared. Of course, the Karachai horses themselves continued to exist, but they were recorded as Kabardian. It was only possible to "rehabilitate" the breed as a separate breed in the 1980s, but the controversy continues to this day.

And we are already approaching Teberda - once the largest anti-tuberculosis resort in the USSR.

Teberda: say yes to nature

The resort is located at an altitude of 1300-1400 meters above sea level, in the picturesque valley of the Teberda river.

It is this resort that will become your transit point if you go to Dombay not by car, but fly by plane to the Caucasian Mineral Waters.

For a resident of large cities, Teberda will seem big village... But once it was with her that the tourist boom to these places began. Only then it was not skiers or lovers of trekking in the mountains who were eager to rest here. And people suffering from tuberculosis, which they called "the plague of the 19th century."

The climate of Teberda is characterized by low atmospheric pressure, low humidity and high air ionization (50 times higher than in cities and on the plain). Another point is the special wind regime. The valley receives both fresh air from the surrounding mountains and warm air from the Black Sea. At the same time, thanks to the mountains, biologically active substances, phytoncides produced by plants - relict pines and meadow grasses - are retained in the valley. So this place is one great natural inhaler.

In 1870, in these places, the wife of Captain Kuzovlev, who was the right hand of the head of this whole district, was successfully cured of consumption. To celebrate, the captain built a dacha in the local area, where his wife lived happily for another 20 years.

Another lucky man whom he helped from tuberculosis local climate, was Islam Krymshamkhalov, a Karachai artist and public figure. Having settled in Teberda, Krymshamkhalov became one of the main beautifiers of the resort. In 1910, a letter was written to the then governor of the Caucasus, Illarion Ivanovich Vorontsov-Dashkova, and the next year in Teberda, the construction of state-owned dachas, the prototypes of modern boarding houses, began.

In the same year, at the Pirogov Congress of Doctors in Moscow, Teberda was officially recognized mountain climatic resort ... So Teberda became an alternative not only to the Crimean, where domestic asthmatics and tuberculosis patients were traditionally treated, but also to expensive resorts and. Here they are, the origins of import substitution, friends :-)

The first Soviet health resorts appeared here in 1923, and in the 1930s Teberda turned into a privileged resort; large ministries and departments were building sanatoriums here.

Even now Teberda has not lost either the status of a federal resort or its main advantages. The nature here is still defiantly beautiful, as we have personally seen. And it is through Teberda, like a hundred years ago, that the only road passes - the former Military-Sukhumi, now - federal highway A-155.

It is only 25 kilometers from here to Dombai (20 minutes by car).

And the closer we get to it, the more it starts to seem to me that I am traveling again in the mountains of Switzerland ...

Because that pyramidal peak over there reminds me of the Matterhorn.

And here he is Dombay settlement... It is located at 1600 m above sea level. This place is called Dombayskoy Polyana... Three gorges converge here. And accordingly, three rivers merge together - Alibek, Dombai-Ulgen and Amanauz.

The town itself is small. Just a couple of turns - and we are already driving into the parking lot at the lower station of the cable car.

Dombay in the summer: what is worth visiting

Mount Dombai-Ulgen is the highest peak of the Western Caucasus (4046 m), which gave the name to the entire region. It is located east of the resort village of Dombai, on the border of Abkhazia and Karachay-Cherkessia.

How ski resort Dombay has been known in our country since the late 1960s. Nowadays, in terms of infrastructure, the resort lags behind more modern competitors. But the prices here are more democratic, and the atmosphere is almost homey.

Before we got out of the car, an uncle jumped up to us and, in a friendly way, offered us not to overpay for the ascent on the new cable car, but to ride the old one, 300 rubles cheaper.

We looked at it ... Maybe it's romantic, of course, but I don't want to risk it. We go to the ticket office of the new cable car.

Prices for a new lift

One climb for 3 stages costs 1050 rubles. Winter ski passes (judging by the price list at the checkout) were as follows: 1 day - 1600 rubles, 2 days - 2840, 3 - 3910 rubles. Very sincere, compared to the prices in Krasnaya Polyana.

The rise starts from the 1590 mark, which is already quite a lot. The first stage of the cable car - up to 2277 meters - is a gondola, i.e. 8-seater closed booths. And the view from them to the valley opens like this:

At 2277 meters, you can walk a little, take pictures and gather courage if you are afraid of heights - there will be a chair lift next.

If you love hand-made souvenirs, then great shopping awaits you here:

Yes, and before boarding the wheelchair, it is worthwhile to warm up - the temperature at the top will be 10 degrees lower than in the valley. So take your last chance.

We pass to the chair. Of course, there are no waiting lines for boarding.

We rise higher and higher. So a snowball appeared on the track. Snow cannons are not visible, which means that nature is a product, as they say.

As I found out later, after returning from Dombai, the artificial snowmaking system has already been purchased and will appear on ski slopes resort "Dombay" in December 2018, by the beginning of the new winter season.

In the meantime, we admire the natural beauties. The landscapes are simply breathtaking! How can this be conveyed in words?

True, the sight of people traveling in the opposite chairs is a little alarming - they are wrapped in clothes, like the Germans near Moscow:

But after Elbrus, which met us with a snowstorm, we are no longer afraid of anything.

Why is it worth taking the cable car in the summer

Dombai glade and the surrounding mountains are legendary places. For climbers, Dombay is generally a cult place. It was with them, the climbers, that the development of the region began in the pre-war years. The skiers came later. But it is for them that money is now being invested in the infrastructure of the region.

Although it is the old recognizable views that remain the hallmark of Dombai. Like, for example, that hotel in the form of a "flying saucer":

In this regard, local guides will certainly tell you the legend of how the aliens once landed on this place, and they liked it so much that they changed their minds to fly away and parked their "ship" here forever ... Well, looking at the panoramas of these mountains, willingly believe it.

Along the way, I note for myself that tracks on Dombai not difficult: rather wide and not too steep.

We are approaching 3035 meters above sea level. It's cool here, of course, and warm things save you. You can go another 200 m higher in a chairlift. But for now we decide to look around here.

First, we set off to capture an excellent view of Mount Belalakaya:

If you, like us, have seen a lot mountain resorts for its tourist century, and in your archive there are 100,500 photos with views of the mountains, then this inscription will remind you exactly where you enjoyed the panoramas of the snow-capped peaks.

There are simple cafes here, where skiers seem to dine.

Tourists with pretensions will definitely not be enthusiastic about visiting such "authentic" establishments. I'm not even talking about the toilet, which hangs over the abyss (note - the cost of a visit is 30 rubles):

There are also about a dozen different souvenir stalls here - what if, for complete happiness, you urgently need that cute hat with ears?

But this is understandable, everything is as it should be. Where there are tourists, there are souvenirs.

But what this uncle was doing at the ski resort with two machine guns in an embrace - we still did not understand:

We pass it forward and wait for the next chair. We decided not to climb another 200 meters: everything sank in a cloud, visibility was zero, and we didn’t smile at all to freeze in the chair.

On the way down, a piercing wind blows in the face. But we still manage to make a couple more beautiful shots:

Below we are overtaken by a feeling of hunger, and in search of food we go to the other side of the river, across the bridge:

How much does it cost to eat at Dombai

On the other side of the river we find stalls and a couple of cafes standing in a plump.

The prices for food in Dombai in summer and winter are almost the same and depend on the level of the establishment. Our favorite khychins cost from 100 rubles in a cafe, from 130-200 rubles in a restaurant. The main fillings are meat, potatoes, cottage cheese or soft cheese with herbs. But you can't guess with them: they can serve small ones, where the cat cried to fillings, or, on the contrary, they can bring such that one can eat up with this snack.

The main dishes include: river and lake trout (from 250 rubles per serving, usually one big fish), the same cost is mountainous and Karachai-style meat. A teapot of mountain tea with honey or jam - from 150 rubles. Lagman and shurpa usually from 150 rubles per serving. In general, you can eat in a cafe from 500 rubles for two.

What to see in the vicinity of Dombai

And we begin to desperately regret that we did not take another couple of days to visit Dombai ...

Some sights are accessible by our car - roads are paved to them. However, the bus cannot travel along the mountain roads, so there are no large groups of tourists at these sites. Some of them, as we were told, will have to walk on foot along the picturesque mountain trails.

In general, summer holidays in Dombai can turn out to be very, very diverse, there is no shortage of excursions and entertainment.

Prices for some activities: ATV rental - about 2000 rubles; horseback riding - from 1000 rubles per person; fishing - from 500 rubles

There is one caveat: many natural beauty Teberda Biosphere Reserve, in addition, the border with Abkhazia passes nearby. Therefore, the scheme here is the same as in Krasnaya Polyana: if you go on these routes, you will have to issue a pass to the border zone. Previously, it had to be done in advance (2-3 days) in Cherkessk, but now you can get it directly from the forester on the route. But you need to have your passport with you and fill out a form. This is done for free.

But the trails in the reserve are paid. The cost of the passage is 100-150 rubles. Agree, it's not much if all these lakes and waterfalls are really as beautiful as in the photos in travel brochures.

Where to stay in Dombai

There are quite a few guest houses and hotels on Dombai. All of them differ from each other in the level of accommodation, the quality of the services provided. However, all Dombai hotels are famous for their Caucasian hospitality and homeliness. The price level in the summer and winter months is of course different.

In the off-season, a double standard can be found from 1300 rubles, in winter the cost of rooms in most hotels starts from 2000 rubles. Modest apartments cost from 2 thousand rubles, a higher level - from 4 thousand. As a rule, prices go up by the New Year.

In Dombai, we rested in the off-season (May 2018) and, choosing options for ourselves, looked at the following hotels:

• Chateau Leopard
• Hotel National
• Crystal Hotel
• Meridian
• Andersen Hotel
• Hotel Gonachkhir

If you need something simpler, you can ask the price of these options:

• Hotel Sokol
• Dombai's crown
• Star
• Altair-Dombay
• Sky Hotel
• Hotel Stella

If you do not want to independently organize your vacation in Dombai, then you can buy a ready-made tour.

All hands on deck!

In general, if you plan your vacation in Dombay not in ski season(and here it lasts from December to April), get ready for breathtaking mountain trails and incredible adventures. And take at least a week to your vacation!

Because now, after returning from this region, I have already made a whole list of why I want to return there. If you are also a supporter active rest, then these places will also capture you ...

I look forward to your comments and questions.

See you on the blog!

Nature has awarded Dombay with unique attractions: mountains, lakes, glaciers, grottoes, forests. Annually unique natural monuments the resort attracts thousands of tourists from all over Russia and the world. There really is a lot to see and admire here.

Alibek glacier

One of the most popular attractions of the resort is the Alibek Glacier. This is the only accessible glacier of the Teberda Nature Reserve, which descends into a dense forest zone. And even in hot summers, there is real winter on the glacier! Almost anyone can climb the glacier, but be patient, as the journey will take about 7 hours. But it's worth it.

Regular tourists of the resort say that those who have not been to Alibek do not know what Dombay is. By car, you can drive along the road to the Alibek mountaineering base, and then move along the forest path that leads to the Uzun-Tala glade. It is there that opens scenic view to the glacier and the majestic mountains.

Mount Belalakaya

Above the Dombayskaya glade rises the "visiting card" of the resort - Mount Belalakaya or “Striped Rock”. The attraction is known for the fact that the rocks are cut by white belts of quartz, the width of which is about 50 meters. The name of the peculiar mountain comes from several words: “beli” - belt, “ala” - variegated, “kaya” - rock. The height of the mountain is 3861 meters. The uniqueness of this place is that several thousand years ago there was a plain here, and mountain formations appeared thanks to gigantic forces that raised a section of the earth's crust from the depths of the bowels. The mountain is popular with both geologists and tourists. And the image of Dombai's pride flaunts on the “Aque Minerale” label.

Semenov-Bashi ridge

The Semenov-Bashi ridge, thanks to the domed ledge of its eastern part, is an easily accessible panoramic point, from where a beautiful view of the Dombai-Ulgen river valley, the Main ridge, the Amanauz and Teberda valleys and the Dombai glade opens. They amaze with their majesty and splendor Dombai mountains... As a beautiful queen, she greets the guests of Balalakaya. He put his ideally correct Peak Ine on display for everyone, the complex of peaks Dzhuguturlyuchat. Mount Sufruju can be seen in the distance about which Eleanor Brezovskaya composed a fascinating story.

Dombai glade

Dombayskaya Polyana is located in the southern part of the Teberda nature reserve, in the upper reaches of the Teberda valley.

At the confluence of the Dombai-Ulgen, Amanauz and Alibek rivers, there are several beautiful meadows that gave the name to the entire region. From the glade, panoramic views of the peaks and glaciers of exceptional beauty open up, attracting tourists here.

Currently, a whole tourist complex is operating in the meadow, consisting of objects of hotel infrastructure, places. There are 3 lines of a new complex of cable cars, 5 lines of an old cable car, a network of tow-tow roads (200 - 600 meters long).

Mussa-Achitara ridge

The Mussa-Achitara ridge is a magnificent observation platform, from where a gorgeous view of the peaks and glaciers of the Main ridge, the Teberda and Gonachkhira valley and the mighty Elbrus opens up.

Climbers' cemetery - a memorable place in Dombai

The climbers' memorial cemetery is memorable place Dombai. The conquerors of the peaks in the post-war period are buried here. On the monuments you can see plaques with the following dates: 70s, 80s, 1995, 2000, 2003 ... Someone admires courage and heroism dead climbers, and someone asks the question: "Why did they go to the mountains?" ... Getting to the cemetery is not difficult: from the main asphalt road of Dombai to a dead end, and then along a country road.

Teberda State Natural Biosphere Reserve

Today the reserve is one of the most visited in the system of protected natural areas in Russia.

Teberda State Natural Biosphere Reserve is located in the Western Caucasus, in the basin of the Teberda River, a tributary of the Kuban, and is administratively part of the Karachay District of the Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Region. The territory of the reserve (total area - 69 535 hectares) stretches along the northern slope of the Main Caucasian ridge and its lateral spurs; it occupies the entire area of ​​the upper reaches of the Teberda River and its tributaries south of the Epchik-Dzhemagat and Mukhu rivers and is bounded by high rocky ridges.

This is not surprising, since there are many amazing and beautiful places... The Teberda and Gonachkhir rivers carry their waters through the reserve, and numerous moraine and tarn lakes revive the mountains. It takes your breath away from the grace and, at the same time, the power of the Amanauz, Alibek and Ptysh glaciers. Dense deciduous, coniferous, mixed forests, immense bright subalpine and alpine meadows, many rare plants, flowers and animals attract more than 100 thousand tourists annually.

The state has taken under special protection this area, outstanding in its natural resources and beauty. North Caucasus... Each visitor to the reserve is obliged to take care of its wonderful nature in order to preserve it in all its splendor and integrity.

Amanauz Gorge or Devil's Mill

The Devil's Mill or Amanauz gorge belongs to the open-air museum, which is famous for its waterfalls and canyons. “Aman auz” from Karachai means “evil mouth”. This place is called “gloomy”, since the slope of Belalakai and Teatralniy peak narrow the beginning of the gorge. The sun practically does not get here, and sometimes snow bridges do not melt over the Amanauz River in summer. The gloom is conveyed by the rains and fogs, which later come to the Dombai glade. And since observation deck here is small, then you should be extremely careful: the cliff is located directly above the gorge.

Turye lake

The fabulous turquoise lake got this name because when there are no people around, tours go down to it to drink. The lake acquired an unusual color due to the low water temperature - no higher than +3 degrees. Even in summer, the lake is covered with ice, as it is located between the Bilingual and Alibek glaciers. The origin of the lake is moraine. The excursion to the extraordinary place lasts about 8 hours. The main route passes through alpine meadows, through the climbers' cemetery and the Alibek camp. It should be noted that it is not worth taking the risk and heading to the lake without a guide, as it is very easy to get lost.

Azgek lakes

Azgek lakes are located in the basin of the Azgek rivers, the right tributary of the Mukhu river. In autumn and on cloudy days, the area leaves the impression of gloomy and harsh, while in summer, especially on a sunny day, soft colors and outlines come to the fore.

Muruja and Baduk lakes

Muruja lakes are a unique natural heritage of Dombai, their beauty will not leave indifferent any tourist. They are located in the valley of the Ullu-Muruju River. The most famous among them are Goluboe and Black lakes.

Baduk Lakes are a group of mountain lakes located in the middle reaches of the Baduk River, a tributary of the Khadzhibey River. These lakes, as well as the Baduk and Khadzhibey valleys themselves, are rightly considered one of the picturesque places in the reserve.

Alibek waterfall

There are many waterfalls in the Teberda mountains: Chuchkhursky, Ptyshsky, Sofrudzhinsky, Alibeksky, Shupka.

The largest and most spectacular Dombai waterfall is considered Alibek waterfall... Its raging stream flows down from a height of 25 meters. But the road to it does not take long. The first part of the path passes through a picturesque fir forest, and this section can be walked or driven by car. V winter time avalanches often come here, and in June you can see their remains. While heading towards the waterfall, tourists can also enjoy wonderful views alpine meadows and birch crooked forests.

Useful information:

Mountain taxi, Dobay excursions
Teberda: Jamagat gorge (narzan springs), Mukha gorge (Azgek lakes), Baduk lakes, Teberda nature reserve, Shumka waterfall.
: Alibek gorge (waterfall, Lake Turie, glacier), Amanauz gorge (Devil's mill canyon, waterfall, glacier), Dombay-Elgen gorge.
Gonachkhir (Trout lake), Russian glade, Chuchkhur waterfalls, Maiden spit waterfall, Ptysh glacier, Maiden tears waterfall. As well as trips to Cherkessk, Pyatigorsk and Mineral water.
Phone: 8-928-380-10-61; 8-988-716-29-85.

My article for the magazine " Russian Photo"- http://www.rosphoto.com/travel/zolotaya_osen_v_gorah_dombaya-5461

Photo: Igor Gorshkov
Text: Igor Gorshkov

Dombay is a mountain resort village in Caucasus mountains in Karachay-Cherkessia. It is known primarily as a ski resort, but it is an amazing and very beautiful place from the point of view of nature. Igor Gorshkov, a member of the Russian Photo club.

Autumn is a very beautiful time of the year, especially in the mountains. I had never been in the mountains in the fall, so I decided to go and see with my own eyes the beauty of the golden mountain autumn and Dombay, where I had not yet been.

It is quite easy to get to Dombay, and you can live in a comfortable hotel among the mountains and get by with a minimum of things for walking in the mountains. In addition, there at this time is calm and off-season and, unlike summer and especially winter, the most low prices for accommodation. And the main thing is that all the beauties of the mountainous autumn Caucasus are nearby.

Golden autumn in Dombai, almost from the hotel view of the beautiful Ine peak.

From the village you can move in any direction: the gorges lead to a variety of beautiful places - waterfalls, glaciers, the foothills of the peaks. In addition to the northern one, this is a road, but it is also interesting to walk along it, it is very picturesque.

Highway on Dombay is very picturesque, and such a picture meets those who come to this place in the midst of a golden autumn.

The weather for a little more than a week (and that is how long the trip lasted) was difficult, but interesting: both the sun and the rains, which were nevertheless a little more than we would like, and fogs, and on the last day of stay everything fell asleep first snow.

It was especially beautiful when the sun peeped out during the rain: moisture, fog, clouds on the mountain slopes and sunlight.

Mountain rivers flow in all gorges, and you can sometimes go down to them and take beautiful shots at different times of the day and weather.

Amanauz river on an autumn evening. Panorama. Shortly before the shot was taken, a mass of snow fell from the top of Sofruju (in the distance) - an avalanche. An impressive sight!

The same place the next morning: it rained at night, the water noticeably increased and turned brown. The log from the previous frame was simply washed away. Unfortunately, a couple of days later, excavators arrived at this place and raked a high ridge on the left, clearing the main channel (it is on the left), and this channel was filled up. But, apparently, it was necessary from a safety point of view, when the flow of water increases.

Sunset on the Dombai-Ulgen river.

River, peak and gorge Dombay-Ulgen. Panorama.

It was one of the darkest and most inclement days, snow and rain fell, a piercing wind blew, ripping off the golden foliage, but I really wanted to see a gap when I reached this place. And suddenly the mountains gave such a beautiful sky!
Then he was immediately addicted.

On rare sunny days, all mountain slopes and forests delighted with bright autumn outfits.

Autumn fogs in the mountains are always interesting and beautiful, however, sometimes, most often at dawn or dusk, they were so thick that you could not see the neighboring slopes, let alone the mountains.

Dombai bowl of evening fog from Alibek gorge. Panorama.

Later, this fog rose to the peaks and filled the entire space, the way back to the village was almost all in a thick haze - we had to walk through a dark forest with one flashlight for two. After that, we always took lanterns with us, even if we planned to return before dark. And, by the way, they never returned before dark, the flashlights came in handy all the time. Therefore, you will be in the mountains - the lanterns are always with you, even if the walk is planned for half a day.

Be sure to take comfortable and worn-out shoes. It so happened that for the first couple of days I felt very uncomfortable, apparently, over the summer my feet got out of the habit of boots, although they are far from new. I often remembered the words of Sebastio Salgado: no matter how good your camera is, it is important how comfortable your shoes are.

In the Dombai mountains, there are many different streams flowing along the mountain slopes or in the forests, many waterfalls, to which the main routes in the gorges go.

Alibek waterfall. A road and a trail in the Alibek gorge go to it. You can cross the river and get closer.

It should be borne in mind that all the gorges and environs of the Dombai village are the territory of the Teberda nature reserve, and there are foresters' posts on all roads, who charge a fee and give a ticket, but not always. In addition, this is also a border area, a little further there are border guards posts, and permission is required to be in this zone, rich in waterfalls, glaciers and other beautiful places. Foresters can make it with a Russian passport, but the passport must always be worn. Although in the autumn there were practically no border guards at the cordons, and we were not immediately given permission, and the first days we hoped for the strength of a Russian passport, a ticket from a forester, the absence of border guards and human understanding, if suddenly a patrol did meet.

Dogs often followed us in the village. At first there was one dog who once accompanied me on a morning shoot by the river. Then at some point there were four of them. It was funny with them, but sometimes you had to take up a twig for educational purposes, otherwise the camera with a tripod could end up in a turbulent mountain river or simply fly off onto the rocks. For some reason, the dogs liked to arrange all their games and fuss exactly in the place where I set up the tripod with the camera. One day a couple of dogs went far enough with us, despite the frequent rain and wind, and even posed for shots.

At the Devil's Mill in the gorge of the Amanauz River.

Here the river rages, sandwiched between the rocks. The animal became interested in something below, and managed to take several frames.
I had to buy sausages for the dogs upon my return - for the fact that, despite the weather, they walked with us all day in the mountains and also worked as photo models.

The ski area has cable car and slopes for skiing. You can climb in several stages to a height of 3168 m above sea level to Mount Mussa-Achitara, look around the surrounding mountain peaks and even, if you are lucky with the weather, see the top of Elbrus (we were unlucky, he was hiding in a cap of clouds).

Hello, the mountains are so high!

Clouds flow through the Ptysh pass from Abkhazia. They flow down, bursting into the valley, and then fly up the mountain: then everything is covered with fog, but not for long, the wind quickly carries them away.

Play of light, shadows, clouds and mountains.

The top of Sofruju hid in the clouds, exposing only its tooth

High in the mountains we met a domestic alpine cat. In fact, this is one of the intermediate levels of the cable car, there are many buildings - and he lives somewhere there at a cafe and "hunts" for tourists with sandwiches.

Dombai romance

The sun is hiding behind the mountains. Sunset in the mountains occurs earlier than on the plain or by the sea. And below - cloudy weather.

Lilac twilight in the mountains

Wanderer over the sea of ​​fog. Self-portrait based on the painting of the same name by the 19th century German romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich.

Making this and other shots, we were late for the cable car, although according to the schedule in the ticket it had to work for a few more minutes. It took some time to admire the mountains, illuminated by the full moon and the starry sky above the clouds, but, unfortunately, the batteries for the camera sat down and failed to capture this amazing picture.
Then, some time later, after numerous calls to the hotel and unsuccessful attempts to find cable car workers, when we had already decided to go down on foot, excavator workers appeared and helped us go down in a duty trailer.

There are many beautiful places in the vicinity of Dombai - gorges, lakes, waterfalls - but it is impossible to be in time everywhere in a short time, especially taking into account the weather.

Emerald lake Tumanly-Kol, which is also called Trout, in the Gonachkhir gorge.

The famous Military-Sukhum road with good asphalt passes through the gorge, and a lot of cars and buses with excursions and tourists come to the lake. The lake shore is equipped with a parking lot, barbecues, tables and benches, so the most beautiful view it is almost impossible to shoot against the background of snowy mountains - all these benefits of civilization fall into the frame.

Luxurious asphalt road in the Gonachkhir gorge towards the Klukhorsky pass, the former Military-Sukhum road. The former, because now another country is just around the corner, well, the road fell asleep in the pass part.

Turquoise Gonachkhir

On the last day of our stay in Dombai, the first snow fell, and it was possible, albeit not for long, to admire the view of the snow-covered autumn mountain forests.
A little about photographic equipment.
All frames were shot with a Fujifilm X-T10 camera and a small set of lenses for it. Walking in the mountains with a small and light camera and the same optics was very cool and comfortable, despite the fact that I always had a tripod and some personal belongings with me.

Despite the fact that moisture protection was not officially announced by the manufacturer, the camera completely tolerated shooting in the rain - not a downpour, of course, but several times the camera and optics had to be dried in the evenings, although I tried to protect it from water as much as possible. We were very pleased with the presence of a built-in raw-converter and wi-fi, the possibility of choosing the famous Fujian "film" profiles and other settings.

I could quickly share my impressions of what I saw with friends and in social networks. Some of the presented photos were processed with the help of the camera.

Something about the filming process (on an old phone):

Dombay is the edge untouched nature, snowy tops of mountains and forests. Athletes and lovers of walks tend to come here. The Dombai Valley, on which the resort village is located, is surrounded by mountain ranges. On the south side it is the Main Caucasian ridge, on the east - Dombai-Ulgen gorge, on the north - Amanauz gorge and Alibek gorge on the west side.

And to make it easier to navigate, below is a list of all the attractions of Dombai with photos and descriptions.

Occupies an area of ​​85 thousand hectares on the northern slope of the Caucasian ridge. The Dombai Valley, where vacationers stay, is the southern part of the Teberda Nature Reserve.

On the territory of the reserve there are many beautiful places where you should go in your free time. These are mysterious gorges, observation decks, snowy peaks, glaciers and lakes. There are about 150 lakes in the reserve, and the most famous of them is Lake Klukhorskoe. It is located at an altitude of 2676 m above sea level and is covered with ice almost all year round.

And the main river of the reserve, Teberda, is associated with legends and stories. According to one of them, the name means "God's gift".

Amanauz gorge

Translated from the Karachai language, "Aman" is evil, "aus" is a mouth. This is how the ancient inhabitants of the Dombai valley called it. The fact is that the Amanauz River flows through the entire gorge. The water crashes against the rocks and makes a loud crash. It was believed that this evil spirit and the inhabitants did not dare to go to the gorge.

The passage through the gorge is rather narrow and is surrounded by the peaks of the Belalakaya mountains and the Teatralny peak. Even in summer, light can hardly penetrate here, and there are snow islands on the rivers and slopes.

The walk along the gorge starts from resort village Dombay, goes along the river and ends on a cliff. The cliff overlooks the stormy Amanauz River, which makes its way into a narrow gorge.

Each attraction on Dombai is unique. But it is worth highlighting the Muruja lakes in the valley of the Ullu-Muruju river at an altitude of 3000 m. The lakes include 15 reservoirs, but tourists tend to see only two. You can get to the lakes only on foot, but it is better to resort to the help of a guide and set aside two days for a walk with an overnight stay.

Blue Muruja Lake differs from other lakes in its size. The diameter is 500 m, and the depth is about 52 m. It is called blue because of the color of the water.

From blue lake hiking trail leads to Black Lake. But the water in the lake is not black, but rather dark green. In the vicinity of the lakes, tourists will discover amazing landscapes and encounters with wild mountain goats.

Sentin Temple

This is a Christian temple, which is located on the territory of the village of Nizhnyaya Teberda. Although the temple dates back to 965, it is in relatively good condition. Inside the building, you can see the remains of a fresco, and a stone mausoleum is built next to it.

The temple is considered to be one of the most ancient buildings on the territory of Alanya.

Or Baduki in simple speech. They represent a cascade of three lakes on the Baduk River. You can get to the lakes in 3 hours, so the hike to them will take one day without an overnight stay. It is worth going to Baduk lakes in autumn. Pine and birch thickets grow around the lakes, which are filled with colors in autumn.

The first lake in the cascade is small. The water does not warm up above 5 ° C. To the second lake there is a trail along the left bank of the river. There is a gazebo for rest and picnic near the lake. The third lake can be reached in two ways. The third lake is the largest of the cascade and is located at an altitude of 1990 m above sea level.

Alibek glacier and waterfall

One of the most popular and must-see places. The glacier observation deck is easy to reach, and there are many trails to other attractions along the way.

The route to Alibek starts from the camp site of the same name along a forest path. The trail will lead to the Uzun-Tala glade, from which a view of the glacier and snow-capped mountains opens. Even on a hot summer day, the glacier is covered with a layer of ice and snow, like in winter. Alibek glacier is not the only one in the vicinity of Dombai, but the largest. Unfortunately, over the years, the glacier area decreases, but it never ceases to amaze tourists with its power and contrast in relation to green forests and meadows.

Coming back from the glacier, you will come across a sign to the Alibek waterfall. The trail to it is easy and will take no more than half an hour. The waterfall is 25 meters high and falls from smooth stones called "sheep's foreheads". Alibek waterfall is powerful and loud, spray from it reaches tourists a couple of kilometers from the waterfall.

Chuchkhur waterfall

This waterfall was formed from the Chuchkhur River. It descends from the Chuchkhur gorge to the Dombai-Ulgen gorge. The waterfall has three cascades that are easy to reach. The path starts from the village from the Krokus section. First you will pass Leah's glade, and then the Russian glade. The first view of the waterfall will open from it. After the Russian glade, the trail will branch out. A turn to the right leads to the gorge, and to the left leads to the Chuchkhur waterfall. The road to the waterfall will go through alpine and subalpine meadows. On the way, you will come across boulders higher than 5 meters, which were brought to the meadows by descending glaciers thousands of years ago.

The waterfall consists of three cascades. At first, the trail leads to the middle cascade, from it you can climb to the upper one, but the trail there is more difficult and in rainy weather it is not worth going. The upper cascade offers a panoramic view of the Dombai-Ulgen peak (4046 m).

Another local attraction worth visiting while on vacation in Dombai. It is better to combine a walk to the Devil's Mill with a walk to the Amanauz gorge. There are signs to the waterfall. The main thing is not to get lost with him and not go behind the signs with the designation of the border zone.

During the hike to the Devil's Mill, you will meet many small waterfalls and streams. These are all the results of melting glaciers. The waterfall itself runs along a narrow S-shaped crevice. The water falls along a steep incline, forming a mill of jets. Near the Devil's Mill there is a small observation deck on a sheer cliff. Therefore, while walking, you should be extremely careful.

The Dombai-Ulgen summit captivates the attention of tourists at any time of the year. In summer, the icy tops are bathed in the rays of the bright sun; in winter, the reflections of the sunset can be observed on the snow cover. And in autumn, when the whole forest becomes colorful, the mountain looks even brighter and more contrasting. The tops of the mountains are shrouded in snow and ice all year round. From the Ulgen glaciers, the rapid Teberda River originates, descending to the village.

You can look at the Dombai-Ulgen mountain from anywhere in the village. This mountain is the highest in the Western Caucasus. The mountain consists of three peaks with heights: 4046 m, 4036 m and 3950 m. From the main and high summit the ridge departs, which is popularly called the "Dombai saddle".

The lake is located not far between the Alibek and Bilingual glaciers. If the hike to it is combined with a walk to the waterfall, you will have to return to the Alibek tourist center and follow the signs to the lake. The trail will not be difficult, but in some places you will have to cross mountain rivers along the bridges and walk along the kurumniks. Kurumnik is a mound of stones, fragments of rocks and rocks.

Lake Turye is of glacial origin. The water in it is bright blue and is covered with a layer of ice until mid-summer. Only the most daring travelers decide to swim in Lake Turie. Mountain goats, called tours, are often found near the lake. It was they who gave the name to this lake.

What else to see in Dombai

In addition to the listed attractions, there are many more places to visit on Dombai. No one will have the question "What to do?" and "What to do?"