"Heart of the Mountains" DOMBAY. Karachayevo - Cherkessia..

Dombay (Dombay Polyana) - mountainous territory in Karachay-Cherkessia in the Teberda basin in the North Caucasus (Russia). From here in a straight line 65 km to the top of Elbrus and 65 km to the Black Sea coast. The southern border of Dombai is the Main Caucasian Range. Dombay is called the "heart of the mountains." It is surrounded by mountains covered with coniferous forests, mainly from fir. Dark coniferous forests and emerald green of alpine meadows, turbulent rivers, waterfalls, eternal snows and glaciers create the unique beauty of this area. Mountains surround the Dombay glade from all sides.

Alpine meadows in the upper reaches of the Baduk River Baduk Lakes

The word "dombai" (dommai) means "bison" in Karachai, once whole herds of mighty giants roamed in the Dombai forests. The name of the highest mountain in this area, Dombay-Yolgen, in the language of the original inhabitants of these places means “killed bison”. There is another version, according to which the Dombai glade was named after a hunter named Dommai, who, chasing the tours, killed the beast, but could not resist, fell from a high mountain into an abyss and crashed ...

The highest peak - Mount Dombay-Ulgen (Killed bison, 4046 m) is covered with eternal snows and glaciers. On the opposite side of the Dombay glade rises the tetrahedral top of the Belaly-Kaya rock (Striped Mountain, 3861 m), surrounded by wide light veins of quartz; to the left - Black Tooth Sofruju (Watershed). In the depths of the gorge, the formidable walls of Amanauz are visible. In the foreground there is the multi-headed ridge of Dzhuguturlu-Chata (Abode of tours), the pointed peak of Ine (Igla).

Dombay is one of modern centers recreation and sports, climbing, skiing and tourist Mecca of the Greater Caucasus. Throughput of existing ski slopes Dombaya allows serving up to 200 thousand people a year. The skiing area is located at an altitude of 1800-3200 m, the length of the tracks of varying degrees of difficulty is more than 20 km, the maximum height difference is 1400 m.

The descent from the top of the Mussa-Achitara ridge can be carried out on a dozen options for trails of varying degrees of steepness, complexity and speed, which allows you to satisfy the tastes of both experienced and beginner skiers. In the vicinity of Dombai, there are excellent opportunities for off-piste skiing.

Summer in Dombay is no less interesting than in the skiing season. Disperses from the meadow a large number of excursion routes through the territory of the Teberdinsky Reserve to the majestic natural monuments included in the list world heritage UNESCO.

Hiking, Nordic walking are popular in Dombay, you can also rent a mountain bike, rent an all-terrain vehicle with a driver, or go horseback riding. It also has a deltadrome...

In summer, from the Dombai glade, you can go to the Chukhchursky waterfall (Little waterfall), noisy near the entrance to the gorge of the Ptysh River. The Chukhchur stream, breaking through a deep channel, crashes down in powerful cascades from ledge to ledge and, having reached the valley, rushes furiously to the nearby Ptysh. Having merged, Chukhchur (Chuchkhur) and Ptysh form the river Dombay-Ulgen. The waterfall offers a wonderful view of the peaks and glaciers of the Main Range, which are not visible from the Dombai Valley.

Sofruju waterfall in Karachay-Cherkessia

In the depths of the harsh gorge of the stormy Amanauz River, from a glacial grotto, which you will not see even in fantasy movie(fairy tale), from a height of several tens of meters, the Sofrudzhuk waterfall (Sofrudzhinsky) collapses. The waterfall itself is a spectacle that amazes its viewer with its grandeur. Having escaped from the glacial grotto, the high-water stream with noise and roar falls into the gorge from a height of several tens of meters, scattering diamond splashes around. The mighty power of the waterfall and its wild beauty make a big impression.

One of the largest waterfalls on the territory of the Teberdinsky Reserve is located in the depths of the harsh gorge of the Amanauz River, which means “evil mouth” in translation.

Sulakhat river

Dombay (Karach-Balk. Dommai) - urban-type settlement (resort settlement).

It is located at an altitude of 1650 m in an intermountain basin (Dombay glade) at the northern foot of the Main Caucasian Range, at the confluence of the Alibek and Dombay-Ulgen rivers in Amanauz - one of the sources of the Teberda River. The distance to the administrative center of the republic is 108 km. Distance to nearest railway station- 101 km.

A flying saucer that landed in these places:

In fact, this is a famous inn called "Plate", which can be accessed through a disguised hinged hatch. There are double rooms, 1 room for 4 people, a kitchen, a shower room and a toilet. The Tarelka Hotel welcomed its guests back in 1979 for the first time. Perhaps this is the most amazing unusual hotel in the mountains of Dombay. Being at an altitude of 2,250 meters above sea level, you can feel like aliens from distant planets who are discovering a new, amazing world of the Caucasus Mountains.

Alibek waterfall

One of the largest and most spectacular waterfalls in Dombai. The height of the waterfall is over 25 meters. The waterfall is formed by the fall of the Jalovchatka river from the Alibek glacier; the stones from which water falls are called "ram's foreheads". Alibek waterfall appeared in the 20th century. A popular object of hiking. It is located on the territory of the Teberdinsky Reserve.

Baduk lakes - a cascade of three mountain lakes on the Baduk River, the left tributary of the Teberda

Due to the fact that there are other lakes upstream the Baduk River (less known and visited), these three lakes are also called the Lower Baduk Lakes. Studies have shown that these are lakes of landslide-dammed origin, and their age does not exceed 150-200 years.

Around the lakes are pine forests and birch crooked forests. The lakes are famous for their picturesqueness and are one of the natural attractions of the Teberdinsky Reserve, on the territory of which they are located.

Third Baduk Lake

The highest (1990 meters), the westernmost and the largest of the three, its area is 3.6 hectares, the maximum length is about 330 meters, and the width is 200 meters. Length coastline- 0.9 km. Depth - up to 9 meters. Sometimes it is called the Great Baduk Lake. The bluish-green water in it warms up to 10 ° C in summer. There is trout.

Teberdinsky Reserve

The Teberdinsky Reserve is located within the Karachaevsky, Zelenchuksky and Urupsky regions of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. The area of ​​the reserve is 85,064 hectares. It is located on the northern slopes of the Main Caucasian Range. It consists of two sections: Teberdinsky and Arkhyzsky.

There are 157 lakes in the reserve. Famous for their beauty, in particular, Baduk lakes. The maximum depth of the lakes is 30-50 m. Almost all lakes are located at altitudes above 2000 m. Many lakes are difficult to access. Most of them arose during the melting of glaciers. The age of the lakes is 200-1000 years, with the exception of Lake Karakol in the city of Teberda, which arose during the retreat of the ancient Teberda glacier about 8000-10000 years ago. Almost everywhere you can hear the murmur of mountain rivers, streams or the sound of waterfalls. The rivers in the reserve are fed by snow and glaciers. There are 30 of them in total.

Lake under the Khrustalny pass in the Khuty valley, a tributary of the Teberda.

Teberda river

Teberda (Karach-Balk. Teberdi) - a river in the North Caucasus in Karachay-Cherkessia, the left tributary of the Kuban. The Russian name of the river comes from the Karachai Te (y) Berdi according to the record from the first half of XIX V.

There are several translation options for this toponym. According to one of them, Teberda (Teberdi) in Karachay means “village” (literally “pushed out”). Separate farmsteads-villages in the valley, apparently, existed in the 16th-17th centuries, whence this name appeared.

It is possible that the word "Teberda" could come from "tab dzherdi", which in translation from Karachai means " comfortable spot". There is another interpretation: the origin of the name is found in the words "Teiri Berdi", which means "God's gift" (literally - "God gave").

Along the Murujinsky lakes. Dombai

The famous Muruja lakes, Blue, Black, Purple and Azure are not just names, it is the color of the water that nature has given to these amazing lakes. The fabulous beauty of mountain landscapes, colorful meadows, crystal clear air and absolute silence distract from the difficulties of a long journey.

To see all the beauty of the surroundings of Dombai, it is advisable to come here for a few days, in the warm season, preferably with the whole family. Even five-year-old children tirelessly go through long routes to the glaciers and do not want to leave these amazing, majestic and clean places later.

Dombay. Part of the Alibek glacier is visible on the right. A thunderstorm has passed, the lower clouds in the valley are illuminated through the breaks in the upper clouds. Damp, cold, but very beautiful.

The famous Swiss scientists and climbers, who are difficult to surprise with pictures of wonderful mountains, admitted at one time that "Beauty, the wealth of glaciers, the luxury of forests and vegetation, Dombai surpasses everything that can be seen in the Alps." And to the question: “What time of the year is Dombay the most beautiful?” - you just can’t help but answer:
"Dombai is always beautiful!"

Here and not only...)