Baksan canyon

Baksan canyon is the most famous in the Central Caucasus. It leads to the foot of Elbrus Mountain. The way to it spreads, first of all, through the little afforested places of Pasture and Rocky ridges, through the Janhoteko and Lashkuty villages. And the landscape becomes especially attractive after those villages.

The vertical grey or white and yellow lime stone walls are hanging on one side and Baksan river is streaming under the precipice on another one. One of the North depression's plots - wide and full of sun valley - is situated after the Shat-Bavat narrow pass. The canyon is got squeezed just after the Byloye settlement and the surrounding mountains become more and more high and steep. The contours of mountains seem to be more severe and angular. The Baksan canyon crosses the Side Caucasian Ridge consisting of darker crystal rocks. The valley is covered with the pinewood just after Tyrnyauz town. The most impressive part of the route begins here. The road ends at Terskol village that is located at the foot of Elbrus Mountain.

The alpinist routes to Elbrus Mountain and other mountains start here. From Baksan canyon You can follow to picturesque Adyr-Su gorge which comes to main watershed ridge with Ullu-Tau-Chana (4203m), Cheget-Tau-Chana (4100m) and other mountains' peaks. These peaks have some glaciers slipping down the valley. The Gayly and Ullu-Tau alpinist camps are also situated in the Adyr-Su gorge's pinewood right near to the glaciers. There is a way leading from Baksan canyon to some other beautiful canyons such as Adyl-Su, Irik, Itkol, Usengy, Donguz-Orun, and Terskol. There is a very wonderful view of Elbrus Mountain from its peak to the foot, which opens just at Itkol canyon. There are many comfortable hotels such as "Itkol", "Cheget", "Azau" in the vicinity of Prielbrusye.

The most accessible, picturesque and often visiting canyons are Adyl-Su and Shkhelda. The picturesque mountainous peaks of these canyons are covered with the snow and their beauty attracts the visitors' attention greatly. The wood in Baksan canyon is spreading up to the Azau meadow (2300m). From the NorthWest and South Baksan canyon upper is surrounded by the chain of snow mountains with the great number of slipping down glaciers. There is a very large tourist camp in Terskol village. You can reach "Old View" (2960m) and "Peace" Station (3500m) by means of pendulum rope way from the Azau meadow. The mountain skiers can reach Cheget peak by means of two rope arm-chaired ways. The"Cheget-11" upper station is located at the altitude of 3100 meters.

Chegem canyon is the picturesque wild nature place. While travelling through the Chegem canyon you can meet with the mountainous chain of the central part in the North Caucasus. The part of canyon from Lechinkay village to Nizhniy Chegem seems to be deep and hardly afforested valley with mountainly-wood view. The canyon comes narrow there, but just in several kilometers it becomes wider and tourists find themselves in the vicinity of sunny meadow with violent plant. But the valley is coming narrow once more just in 2 kilometers. Chegem river makes a narrow chap passage here through the Rocky Ridge. Sometimes this chap is not more than 15 meters wide at the mountain altitude of 3000 meters. This narrow pass is called Su-Auzu (water from a throat). The furious stream of Chegem river is running down that Rocky Ridge chap with great noise. There are six bridges built in this narrow pass which is of 4 kilometers long. The Rocky Ridge shows here its geology and structure: seams and stratums of lime stones, dolomites and marls. This narrow pass is followed by one of the slots of Northern depression with its dry climate and scanty vegetation.

In some 3-5 kilometers the country becomes picturesque again. There are three-storey tower-castle (dated XVIII century) and many rocky mausoleums, tetrahedral burial-vaults (X-XI centuries) which are the monuments of ancient Christianity in the Verkhniy Chegem village. There is Bulungu village, which is located 6 kilometers far from Verkhniy Chegem. The canyon is divided into two branches here: Bashil-Su and Gara-Auz-Su. This country is the most beautiful and interesting part of Chegem canyon.

The valley is covered with pine and birch woods, surrounded by the Main Caucasian Ridge mountains with their eternal snow and glaciers. The alpine meadows are also covered with riotous meadow vegetation. The Bashil tourist camp is situated in the pinewood here.