Among the Great Pyramids of Giza there was a unique fourth (5 photos). Climbing Achishkho and the Black Pyramid Black Pyramid Krasnaya Polyana height
It was the fastest and most fantastic trip to the mountains. On the way to work on Monday morning, I had no idea that in just seven days, on Sunday night, I would be lying "without hind legs" thinking about what had happened after all! That's how it was...
This trip to the mountains came about unexpectedly. On Monday I go to my favorite risk.ru and see a fresh post with pictures of Krasnaya Polyana... It's damp autumn in Moscow, and there, in the sunny south, the warm sun and peaked mountains. So many times I wanted to visit these mountains in autumn, and then again I was late ... Or not? We must hurry!!! On Gismeteo, starting from Thursday, all days are adorned with a sun icon and nights with stars. Previously read reports emerge from memory, which told about periods of good weather in the fall! If you take a day off on Thursday-Friday, then you have four whole days at your disposal! My heart was beating at a hundred per minute. Chugush, Achishkho, Mzymta... Familiar names of mountains and rivers emerge from memory.
On Tuesday morning I call Natasha in Sochi. Hello, Natalka, hello! If I arrive the day after tomorrow, will you go with me to the mountains for four days? Natasha is “our man”, but I managed to surprise her too. The boss Katya (I category in mountaineering, climbing the five-thousanders of the Pamirs) cannot but let go, and the persuasion of my colleagues does not leave her a chance. In the afternoon I call Natasha in Sochi and just say that I bought tickets. She says she's coming with me. Excellent!!! In the second half, I create a post on the tourist forum of the Kuban. Topic: "where you can go for four days." At the same time, I send Natasha a list of equipment.
Climbing Achishkho (2391 m)
I'm back in the mountains. Let's leave the bustle of the Moscow rhythm, empty chatter and unnecessary words. We exhale and relax. Now only pictures...
Beech forest at the beginning of the trail on the Khmielewskie Lakes
After spending the night in a tent at an altitude of 1800, at the dawn of the next day we went to the ascent to Achishkho!
The first of the three peaks of Achishkho appeared
Quite unexpectedly, after the next turn of the path, Chugush appeared. The same mountain that we retreated in front of two years ago, during our multi-hike in the Caucasus and Abkhazia!
Chugush (3238 m.)
Nice place for bouldering!
Less than an hour later, having crossed a small spur, we find ourselves in the Achishkho circus. The waterfalls are noisy, the summit is near!
Weather whispers, time is running out. Why not make a full stop for lunch? =)
The famous Krasnopolyansk tea! =)))
Fresh snow at 2100!
A fantastic view of the sea opens from the Achishkho ridge!!!
On a wide ridge to the top!
Ruined rocks - the last meters of climbing Achishkho
At the top of Achishkho. Behind below - the village of Krasnaya Polyana.
From the last, third, peak we descend straight down the slope...
View to the north. In the distance, on the extreme left - the peaks of the Fisht-Oshtenovsky massif, in the center - Chugush.
East view. It's a pity, but Elbrus is not visible =(((
A small lake in the eastern circus of Achishkho
The day turned out to be beautiful and very eventful. Lakes, waterfalls, snow, a beautiful summit ridge, four-thousanders of the Greater Caucasus... Last hour We walked along the trail at dusk, and approached the camp in complete darkness. In such cases, GPS helps a lot - a backpack with a tent hidden in a dense forest was found without any problems!
P.S. Exactly five years later, in November 2012, I went to Achishkho in one day!
Day 3
We have a difficult day ahead of us today. First you need to go down to the village of Krasnaya Polyana, and this is a little, a lot minus 1200 meters, which is not bad for your favorite knees. But this is only half the trouble! Next, we need to get to the Alpika Service cable car, throw ourselves on it to the top of the second stage (it no longer works, prevention before the start of the winter season) and further, from a height of 1100 meters, climb as high as possible in order to climb the Black Pyramid the next day !
Morning exercise before the start of a hard day
The descent went without problems, although it took decent strength. In the first part of it, there is a very sharp drop in height. The trail is excellent, but the knees were cracking at the seams :) We go down to the village, have lunch in a cafe at the Lukoil gas station and start the second part of our program!!!
Climbing the Black Pyramid (2375 m)
ATTENTION! Unfortunately, a few years after this trip, a cable car was laid through the spur of the Black Pyramid and the route lost its former attractiveness. Now it remains to look at these photos and remember what Polyana was like before the Olympic construction .. (Note from 2012)
The famous Krasnopolyansk peaks. Black Pyramid - in the center!
Shops "Freeride" and "Salomon" in Krasnaya Polyana (now closed. Approx. 2016). But we have everything and we pass by :)
Cableway Alpika Service
The system of lifts and ski slopes, as well as the entire infrastructure at the Gorki Gorod resort, was built for the 2014 Winter Olympics. After the Winter Olympics, the resort has not ceased to be popular, having been transformed into an all-season one. All objects of the resort "Gorki Gorod" are located on four levels: "Lower City" at an altitude of 540 meters above sea level, "Upper City" at an altitude of 960 meters, at an altitude of 1500 meters and 2200 meters - viewing platforms, ski slopes, eco-routes and restaurants.
Of the 13 cable car lifts, 9 operate in excursion mode in the summer. If you have planned a one-day trip to Gorki Gorod, then it is better to arrive early in the morning in order to have time to visit more attractions in the resort.
The resort "Gorki Gorod" is located in the village of Esto-Sadok in the valley of the Mzymta River, which is 40 kilometers from international airport Sochi. You can get to the resort by bus, taxi or train "Lastochka". It is worth noting that carsharing is very popular in Sochi.
The main attraction of the resort in the summer season, of course, is the cable car. The cost of a walking ticket for the Gorki Gorod cable car in the summer of 2019:
- one ascent/descent from 540 meters to 960 meters ("Upper City")
- adult - 300 rubles,
- children's - 200 rubles;
- one ascent/descent from 540 meters to 2200 meters ("Panorama")
- adult - 1400 rubles,
- children's - 850 rubles.
Excursion climb to cable car"Gorki Gorod" to the peak of the Black Pyramid passes with transfers at the stations. To get to the destination, it is necessary to make several transfers between gondola and chair lifts: K1 - K2 - K3 - K4 - K5. So, go! To the mountains! 
Important! If you decide to visit the resorts of Krasnaya Polyana, then be sure to take warm clothes with you, because in the mountains the air temperature is lower than on the Black Sea coast. The temperature in the Alpine zone, at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level, does not rise above 15 ° C in summer.
Observation deck at an altitude of 960 meters - "Upper City"
The first K1 lift lifts from the "Lower City" from a height of 540 meters to 960 meters above sea level to the "Upper City". Gondola cabins, some with special mountings for mountain bikes. This was done because at the station "Upper City" there is a "Gorki bike park" with tracks of varying difficulty for downhill - downhill mountain biking. Also from the station "Upper City" you can take the cable car to the eco-route "Waterfall Polikarya", if you have purchased a walking ticket for all lifts.
At the station "Upper City" there is a large viewpoint, many restaurants and cafes. This is a zone of a forest mountain belt, so it is worth stopping and taking a short walk around the station to enjoy the views and clean air.
Important! If you are a guest of one of the Upper City hotels, then the ascent to K1 will be free for you.
Observation deck at an altitude of 1460 meters
The second lift K2 is part of the main excursion route on the way to the top of the Aibga ridge. Already from the cabins of this lift you can see the mountain range Pseashkho, which is located opposite the Aibga ridge, together they form the gorge of the Mzymta River. You can see the snow-covered peak in the center - Sakharny peak 3189 meters high, the peak to the left of the peak - Pseashkho Yuzhny 3251 meters high, and to the right of Sakharny peak - Kozhevnikov peak 3070 meters. And in front of these peaks is the Bzerpinsky cornice, on which a popular tourist walking route during the summer season. 
The station is located at an altitude of 1460 meters above sea level. In just a few minutes from the zone of the forest mountain belt you find yourself in the subalpine zone. The landscape and the temperature of the surrounding air are changing. It is cooler here than at the Lower City and Upper City stations. In summer, the temperature in the subalpine zone does not rise above +24 °C. Not far from the station there is a rope park and an ecological route called "Relic Forest". visit rope park paid, and the entrance to the eco-route "Relic Forest" is free. If you have time, then you should definitely take a walk along the path of the eco-route among the majestic firs. 
Observation deck at an altitude of 2200 meters - Black Pyramid peak
The third lift K3 lifts to a height of 2200 meters above sea level in the area of alpine meadows. Here, on the top of the Aibga ridge, the most colorful ecological route called "Alpine Meadows" is laid. The length of the route is 3 kilometers with a height difference of up to 150 meters, so it will take a lot of time to complete it. As a reward for determination, the tourist is waiting for stunning viewpoints on the eco-route along the mountain circus. 
But at the upper station, not only the Alpine Meadows eco-route is interesting. On the chairlift K4 and K5 you can make a dizzying descent to the neighboring mountain circus, and no less exciting ascent to the foot of the Black Pyramid. A real attraction 150 meters high awaits tourists on the K4 cable car. After a short gentle ride, the chairs of the K4 rush almost vertically downwards, exciting emotions are provided for everyone, especially those who are sensitive to height. Before transferring to the last cable car, you can take a walk to the "Bear Falls" or to the "Valley of Rhododendrons". 
The last ascent on the K5 cable car leads to the foot of the Black Pyramid - the very high peak resort "Gorki Gorod". The height of the peak is 2375 meters above sea level. An excursion climbing route has been laid to the top of the Black Pyramid, which can be passed with insurance under the supervision of an instructor.
From the upper station of the K5 lift, amazing views of another mountain circus open up. And from here you can see the Mountain Olympic Village on Rosa Plateau, built at an altitude of 1170 meters above sea level in the Rosa Khutor resort. 
A sightseeing lift on the Gorki Gorod cable car and a walk along some eco-routes of the resort can take a whole day. It will be quite difficult to have time to visit all the natural attractions of the resort in one visit. But this is a good reason to return to the resort again.
The Great Pyramids are not without reason considered a wonder of the world. The whole world admires their thousands of years of history and incredible architectural perfection, as well as the amazing secrets that these ancient monuments hide. The three main pyramids in Giza are called the Great. The tombs of the pharaohs Cheops, Mykerin and Khafre have a strict geometric shape, and their faces are oriented exactly to the cardinal points (esoreiter.ru).
However, there is evidence that the Great Pyramids actually had at least one more. Prominent Danish explorer and naval captain Frederik Norden claims in his writings that he saw the fourth of them with his own eyes. In 1737-1738, at the request of the King of Denmark, Christian VI, he went to Sudan through all of Egypt. During this journey, the captain made many notes and sketches regarding the monuments of ancient Egyptian architecture. All this information was carefully collected after his death and published posthumously in the form of a book, Travels in Egypt and Nubia.
Mystical black pyramid
According to Norden, the fourth Great Pyramid was made of black stone, which has the same high strength as granite. Frederick wrote that the main pyramids are located in the southeast and east of Giza, and there are exactly four of them. Nearby there are small pyramids in size, which mean nothing compared to the Great ones. The black pyramid, according to Norden, had a height of more than one and a half meters. There were no tombs and temples inside it, but this monument was important for its other features.
At the very top of the fourth pyramid was a colossal cube-shaped stone, which, perhaps, once served as a pedestal. However, the Dane was not sure about this and fully admitted that this stone could be a self-sufficient statue. The pyramid itself was made of some kind of black granite, but the building material for its top, supporting the mysterious cube, was a stone of a lighter, yellowish hue. The Black Great Pyramid was located to the west of the other three and formed a straight line with them.
It is noteworthy that many other researchers spoke about Great Pyramid black color. Egyptologists and representatives of official science refuse to admit this and completely deny the existence of such a monument. The world community easily believes these words, since the fourth pyramid is really nowhere to be found. There are also no fragments that must have been left of it. However, if Frederick Norden, who has never been convicted of lying, and even more so of hoaxes, does not deceive and the black pyramid really existed, then where could it have disappeared - that is the question? ..
The Black Pyramid beckoned me for a long time, but in the summer I never reached it. And then when heavy snowfalls began, I looked at her from the office window and my light bulb turned on above my head. Why not?! The snow-capped peak of one of the most beautiful Peaks of Mount Aibgi! Gorgeous! It remains to find a company. And the company itself found me - a comrade in PVD Electronic Dolphin he asked if I had any plans for Saturday. All right, let's go!
On the morning of November 14, we met at the station. Esto-sadok and moved to the mountain carousel lift. The cable car just started working after maintenance work, so we were the first to get into it already at 09:00 in the morning, from elev. 1460 to el. 2200 lift did not even have time to turn on, but literally after 3-4 minutes it still worked. So, we are at elev. 2200, here the first surprise awaited us - the helicopter is throwing cargo up the mountain! It made a great impression on me, I have never seen a helicopter so close, and the wind, along with fresh snow in the face, is very refreshing before climbing! :)
After looking at the views from the “viewing 2200”, we realized that the Circus-2 cable cars were not working and therefore carefully moved on foot, while descending to Circus-2, rescuers on skis drove past us on fresh “velveteen” ... eh ... this feeling when you yourself want to ride, and in front of you they do it, like a child was taken away a candy and eaten ... ahem ... but something I deviated from the topic. 
We got high from the mountain-climatic uniqueness of Circus-2 and moved higher to the cable car at el. 2300, from which the ascent to the Black Pyramid actually begins. There was a lot of snow, the climb was not the easiest, in places it fell almost to the waist. It is good in places where it is very difficult to stretch the rope, which you can grab onto and climb with it much easier.
Well, here's the last effort and we're at the top! An indescribable feeling, so I'll just post some of the photos and you'll understand everything! 
At the top, we decided not to linger much, the sun went down below the mountains, although we reached it very quickly and it was only about half the first day. Going down to elev. 2300, drank tea from a thermos and walked back to el. 2200. At 15:00 we were already at the lower level of the Mountain Carousel.
It turned out to be a chic walk, the first ones inherited the fresh snow at the top and got a lot of impressions!
Thanks to Zhenya "Electronic Dolphin" for the company and moral support during our short but insanely interesting trip!
P.S. A huge request, if you are not confident in your abilities, do not repeat! In such deep snow, not everyone can climb this peak. Assess the situation realistically, the mountains are not a toy!
