Ai Petri Crimea how to get to Yalta. Mountain Ai-Petri in Crimea
There are three ways to get to one of the most famous mountain peaks of Crimea: by minibus, cable car and on foot.
Minibus
Minibuses run from the Yalta bus station. These are not scheduled routes, but finding the right minibus is not difficult. Drivers will find you themselves, and if they don’t find you, then you will definitely hear them. The fare is 350 rubles, the journey time is about 40 minutes. The road to Ai-Petri runs along a picturesque mountain serpentine. By the way, it was on this track that one of the rally races of the European Championship took place, before the imposition of sanctions.
The minibus will take you to the eastern bazaar, next to which there is a cable station and the famous teeth of Ai-Petri. But you will have to fight off local Tatars for a long time, who will invite you to eat. You can also return to Yalta by minibus, only the fare will be 300 rubles.
I like this option least of all, because the road along the mountain serpentine is very swaying, and then I leave the trip for a long time, but if you are poorly oriented on the ground, then this option is the easiest and most reliable.
cable car
You can also get to the top of Ai-Petri with the help of , which is located in the lower Miskhor, it is about 30 minutes drive from Yalta. The fare is 350 rubles, the rise time is about 12 minutes. The cable car will give you a mass unforgettable experience but only if the weather is clear. If Ai-Petri is covered by clouds, then from the cable car cabin you will not see anything but fog.
Therefore, when planning a trip, consider the weather. In order to enjoy panoramic views and see the coast, the weather must be clear and cloudless. Only in this case you will fully experience all the beauty of nature and the sharpness of the feeling of height that Ai-Petri gives to tourists.
On foot
Well, the most The best way Climbing Ai-Petri is, of course, a walking option. Only having reached Ai-Petri on foot, you can proudly say that you have conquered this peak.
Hiking will give you a lot of positive emotions, and as you climb to the top, you will see such landscapes from which you don’t want to take your eyes off, you will go to places that you want to return to again. Depending on the chosen route, you can swim in the icy waters of mountain rivers and drink the purest spring water.
In addition to all this, such trips will strengthen your health and physical fitness, and you will also be able to breathe in the mountain-forest air, which, together with physical activity, has a healing effect on the body.
For me, the best and most interesting option is hiking, but for this you need to know the routes of the trails and their names. The mountains do not tolerate a frivolous attitude towards them, and accidents are not uncommon here, so to hiking must be taken very seriously and responsibly. Options hiking trails to climb Ai-Petri
Or you can go on one of the scenic trails with us. We organize such trips. For route options and prices, please see .
But for some reason, thoughts constantly returned to Mount Ai-Petri. I decided not to resist my inner feeling and today I will share my impressions and, of course, photos of Ai-Petri.
The morning started as usual, breakfast, shower, etc. We didn't have any plans for the day. Anton and Camilla were lying on the sofa and watching TV, but the feeling that I needed to go somewhere or go somewhere did not leave me. Since we knew practically nothing about Yalta, I read on the Internet about local attractions. And my choice fell on Mount Ai-Petri. Anton was not happy with the fact that he needed to go somewhere again, that day he was too lazy and he just wanted to stay at home. But I got him convinced to pull himself together. The only thing that bothered me was that in all the reviews that I read about Ai-Petri, everyone strongly recommended taking warm clothes with us, which we by and large did not have. We thought what to do, go to the store and buy something, or not bother. As a result, we took with us a pair of socks, spare T-shirts and a jacket for our daughter.
No sooner had we left the house than suddenly it began to rain, which intensified every minute until it turned into a real downpour. We just had time to jump under the roof of the store, when before our eyes the streets were flooded with water, as in one of the children's songs "... pedestrians through puddles, and water over asphalt like a river." This is exactly what we observed. It seemed that even the weather was against our trip and we would have to return home.
But after about twenty minutes the rain began to subside, and we put on our raincoats and decided to at least walk to the store, since we had already gone outside.
On the way, on the main street of Yalta, we saw a woman selling excursions and decided to ask her more about Ai-Petri. From her, we learned that excursions to the mountain leave at three in the afternoon, so that the visibility from the mountain is better. We rejoiced because it was only one in the afternoon on the clock. This meant that the day was not yet lost and everything should work out. We were not advised to wear any particularly warm clothes, and this was also encouraging. And the weather had already improved by that time, the sky had cleared up. The price of the tour per person was 700 rubles, including a ticket for the funicular, but without food and the cost of entering the protected area. In terms of time, the tour lasts 5 hours, taking into account the round trip to Ai-Petri. Thanking, we went to the bus station, reasonably deciding that it would be cheaper to get to Ai-Petri on our own. Yes, and there will be more time to slowly examine everything. In general, as I understand it, all the sights of Yalta and the surrounding area can be reached by bus from this station. 
A small life hack: if you arrive in Yalta by bus, while at the bus station, do not rush to leave it immediately. Since everyone leaves from the same bus station commuter buses that will take you to all the sights. You need to go to the other side of the station, where the commuters leave from and find out which buses you need and how much the ticket costs.
At the bus station it turned out that to Ai-Petri there is a bus at number 102, the fare is 25 rubles. Even before Ai-Petri, there is a bus at number 32.
The journey takes about 40 minutes. You need to go to the stop "Cable Road". The only minus of traveling by bus is that it is packed with people to the eyeballs and there is no question of any air conditioners. It was for this reason that we missed one bus, which was already full, and waited for the next one, where we took seats. With a child, this is more than relevant, judge for yourself. 
While driving, through the bus window we caught a glimpse of the Swallow's Nest castle and beautiful palace in oriental style called "Dulber". Looking ahead, I’ll say that we visited the Swallow’s Nest, but, unfortunately, we didn’t visit the Dulber Palace.
But finally, here is our stop. Before we had time to get out, the voices of taxi drivers immediately fell upon us offering to take us to Mount Ai-Petri. As for me, this is not the best way to find a client. Not allowing people to even look around and offer their services so intrusively does not cause anything other than a desire to quickly get rid of them and leave. Which, in fact, we did. Entrance and ticket office cable car located right next to the bus stop. But it's hard to understand since they're closed malls with various souvenirs. The same taxi drivers showed us the right direction 🙂 A ticket for the funicular costs 250 rubles per person one way, in our case up. Child ticket 100 rubles (up to 7 years free of charge), also one way. Someone, on the contrary, goes up by taxi, and goes down by funicular or goes by funicular back and forth. 
Cabins go quite often and you will have to wait no more than 5-10 minutes. 
When our group reached the landing site, Mount Ai-Petri appeared in front of us in all its glory. 
And somewhere far, far away on its gray background, a small colored dot was moving, the cable car cabin, on which we were to go to the top of this mountain. Well, here we are in the booth, and we rise higher and higher.
And below, different species replace each other, either coniferous trees, or vineyards.
Enthusiastic and even frightened exclamations are heard in the booth. Someone is really scared at such a height. But this is only the beginning of the journey, in the middle we were waiting for a transfer to another funicular cabin. This is where the truly mesmerizing views begin. The bulk of the rock is getting closer and closer, I decided it was time to start filming the video.
Everyone, we are there! Everyone fell out of the funicular with relief and, without having time to take a breath, found themselves face to face with a magnificent panorama that took their breath away. 
Having enjoyed this view, we decided to climb even higher, to the rocks "Teeth". To do this, you need to go through the market, past many cafes, the barkers of which are trying by all means to lure you inside. But we steadfastly passed by these alluring and tantalizing aromas and views, although oh, how we salivated 🙂
In order to climb these "Teeth" one desire, as it turned out, is not enough. The rocks "Teeth" are part of the mountain-forest nature reserve and there is an entrance fee. 
For each of us they took 100 rubles, the child is free. By the way, horse owners offer their services right there, on which you can arrange a horse ride around the reserve. By the way, by this point it became cloudy, although it was still hot. I was in a T-shirt and remained in it. We started our ascent, the travel time is really 15-20 minutes, straight up. The road is quite difficult, along the way, stones and tree roots make the path difficult.
Therefore, it is imperative to be in comfortable sports shoes, which have come in handy this time more than ever. In general, it’s good there, the purest mountain air, silence, only a difficult climb prevents you from fully enjoying this place.
Finally, we are at the very top. The views are amazing, we are really very high, which even becomes a little scary. But this does not prevent us from taking pictures and being photographed.
Where the figures of people are visible, we went up. Rock "Teeth"
Suddenly Anton laughed and pointed to his daughter. Camilka's hair stood on end, literally! I have, too, though.
As it turned out, this was a harbinger of a very close thunderstorm. Meanwhile, the sky above our heads was getting darker and lower. And suddenly, it rumbled so that we almost went deaf! The people around were frightened in earnest, and so were we. Rain poured from the sky without ceasing to rumble, everyone rushed down under the saving protection of trees. On the run, we managed to hide phones with a camera in a backpack, pull raincoats over the child and ourselves, while being afraid that we would break our necks on wet and slippery stones, and that the lightning would not fry us. The adrenaline rush was not weak. But everything worked out and we continued our descent down, under the incessant rain. It was very difficult to go down. Not only were the rocks and tree roots slippery, but the ground also slid. That's where they came in handy and served us well. By the time we got down, the rain had stopped and we were tired, cold and hungry. Here we used the services of barkers and decided to relax and have lunch. 
I can't help but write about what we ate and drank on Ai-Petri. The cafe where we chose belongs to the Tatars, as well as everything on the territory of Ai-Petri, as far as we understood. Taxi drivers, traders in the market, cafes - Tatars are everywhere. I don't know why they only do it. Naturally, only oriental dishes were on the menu. We ordered shish kebab, shurpa and plov. 
It would seem that there is such a thing, in any city in Russia, in any cafe you can find the same set. But! Here the dishes were properly prepared, as they should be. I have long dreamed of a beef kebab with pieces of fat melting in my mouth, which I ate only in Tashkent. Who tried it will understand me 😉 And finally, my dream came true! This kebab was just that, mmm, lick your fingers. 
So, I remembered and salivating 🙂 Hot shurpa, pilaf, flatbread, green tea in bowls - this is exactly what we needed to warm up and relax. By the way, while our order was being prepared, we had a free tasting of homemade wines and privately produced chacha. Of course, we are not gourmets, frankly speaking, we don’t really understand wines. We liked the red dessert wine Black Commander. The cost of one bottle was 500 rubles, but after a good bargain, we bought 1.5 liters of wine for 350 rubles. Although, most likely, we were still a little cheated, who knows 🙂 And one more interesting point, we were so pleased with the good service and courteous service that we were pleasantly surprised. But everything fell into place when they brought the bill. Attention: 10% service charge was included in the total amount of the bill, be prepared for this. Nevertheless, we drank this wine with pleasure, ate delicious dishes and peace descended on us 🙂 It was so nice to sit reclining on pillows and drink tea, wine. 
I did not want to leave for a long time, but it was getting dark and it was time to pack up. When we left, Anton offered to go to the lower observation deck, where we went. The views from this site are no less impressive.
There was no way we could leave, everyone took pictures, looked, took pictures again.
At some point, we noticed that we were alone on this site. Apparently everyone went to the last funicular, which leaves the upper station at 18.00 We were only pleased, there was no one around, silence, space and breathtaking height.
But everything ends sometime, we had to say goodbye to Ai-Petri and go down. To do this, we used the services of taxi drivers and for 400 rubles, for two, we were brought to the very house. 
I must say that the road down goes along a serpentine and it is very narrow. Before leaving, we specifically agreed with the driver that he would stop at the lake and the Wuchang-Su waterfall. We visited the lake, even collected spring water not far from it. 
But they decided not to go to the waterfall. As our driver explained to us that the waterfall almost dries up at this time of the year. The peak of strength and beauty of the waterfall is gaining in spring, during the period of snow melting, and in autumn, during the rainy season.
I thought to myself that this would be a good reason to visit Mount Ai-Petri once again. This place has really sunk into my heart.
About how I wrote earlier, it was discussed in the last article, and today we are going to the sights of this chic resort. After several gloomy days on our journey through the Crimea, the first sunny morning. And we will spend this wonderful day on the same wonderful place - Mount Ai-Petri.
How to get to Mount Ai-Petri in Crimea
Having had a quick breakfast and having packed our things in a backpack, we went to the bus station in order to go by public transport to Ai-Petri.
Bus
With Yalta bus station the bus goes under № 102 (he first passes by, then stops at the cable car to Ai-Petri, and Ending station he has everything you need in one kit). Flights daily from 06:45 to 21:45, interval 35-60 min 38 rub/person.
With bus station "Clothing Market"(not far from the Yalta Embankment) there is a bus under № 132 . Flights daily from 07:00 to 21:00, interval 20-30 min, fare Yalta-Ai-Petri (lower station of the cable car) 34 rub/person.
It is very difficult to get to the right stop. In the bus, the main share of passengers is occupied by visitors, who almost every 5 minutes ask each other whether to get off soon.
Taxi
Taxi Yalta-mountain Ai-Petri (upper station of the cable car) will cost from 1200 rub/car one way.
Personal or rented car
The easiest way to get there is by car, besides, along the way you can see Swallow's Nest and Vorontsov Palace, without adjusting to the schedule public transport. If you have a driver's license but don't have a car, it's easy to get one via the Internet in Yalta upon arrival. Route map below. The serpentine on the Ai-Petri plateau passes through locality Hunting. In addition, passing sights, which are described in many excursions in the form of the Wuchang-Su waterfall and the Silver Pavilion, can only be seen if you drive along the serpentine by car. It will be about 10 km on foot from the upper station to them, and you also need to get to the village where the buses run.
You can also negotiate with the locals about a car from Miskhor ( 1000 rub).
Koreiz (Miskhor) trail
If the cable car is closed, and you do not have the desire / opportunity to rent a car, then you can walk up to the Ai-Petri plateau on foot along the Koreiz trail.
From Yalta at the bus station we take buses: 107, 128, 142 and get off at the bus stop Koreiz ( fare approx. 35 rubles).
By the way: bus number 107 after Koreiz turns towards the lower station of the cable car. You can get off at the next stop after Koreiz - "sanatorium Burevestnik" and walk another 200-300 meters to the cable car.
The Koreiz trail starts immediately after the Koreiz stop, at first it goes more gently, closer to the plateau there will be a good slope.
- You will have to overcome about 4 km.
- On you - comfortable non-slip shoes with a closed toe
- In the backpack with you - water!
- For the correct orientation in the smartphone - MapsMe map.
Excursions to Ai-Petri
Group tours from Alushta:– up to 40 people, 6 hours
Individual excursions from Yalta:– up to 3 people, 9 hours
Cableway to Mount Ai-Petri
Before we had time to dismount from the bus, a young Caucasian immediately ran up to us and began to eloquently tell how you can get to the top of Ai-Petri, and what else you can see on the way back if you don’t go down by cable car. To fish out more information, I made a very interested face, knowing full well that the young man is not crucifying in front of me for the sake of beautiful eyes. The playground was almost completely empty when I realized that there was nothing more interesting to pull out of the boy. We said goodbye to him and went to a small building with ticket offices for the cable car right there.
The cost and operating time of the cable car to Ai-Petri (2019):
Working hours cable car: from 10 to 17- lifting, and from 10 to 18- descent.
Price:
- 400 rub/adult, 250 rub/child one way.
- the passage to the teeth from the upper station of the cable car is separate 100 rub.
- attractions at the teeth: walk along the suspension bridges over the abyss ( 500 rub), trolls from the top to one of the slopes on the plateau ( 700 m., on the way 1 min, cost 1000 rubles).
Adviсe:
- take warm clothes and a raincoat with you, regardless of the weather, mountains are mountains
- It is better to wear comfortable non-slip shoes with a closed toe on your feet. Even if you are not going to walk the forest paths, there are also stones and roots on the plateau, and after the rain it is also slippery
- at the upper station of the cable car there are a lot of cafes and shops, you don’t have to carry food and water with you, but the prices are tourist, you know
- in winter, the cable car is closed, you can drive along the serpentine by car or negotiate with the locals ( 1000 rub/car)
You can’t slip through here without a ticket, because somewhere in the middle of the route of the yellow booth, passengers are transferred, and at the same time the purchased tickets are checked. The same is true on the way back. In principle, those who have a car can certainly climb the mountain for free on the road. However, I can't guarantee that some barrier with a duty has not been installed there now.
The first half we drove calmly, only about a couple of tens of meters above the ground. Moreover, I was shoved into the very center of the crowd so that even through the windows it was difficult to see anything. But it gave me a chance to almost be the first to get into the second booth when transferring and take advantageous positions at the window ahead.
The second part is more exciting with beautiful views of the sea and the rock ahead. During the trip, I heard intriguing stories that the cable car was made in such a way that in front of the top the cabin rises almost vertically for several meters and hangs at the very edge for a couple of seconds.
I have been waiting for this moment with great excitement. I will say that part of what I heard is true. The cabin at the end of the path really goes at a very large angle, rising high above the ground, but before the top it does not hang, but simply pulls it a little, which is why it no longer captures the spirit, but somehow becomes uncomfortable.
Mount Ai-Petri
At the top the views are amazing. At this height, they cannot be different. The wind here is strong.
There are plenty of shops upstairs too, you want barbecue, you want Uzbek cuisine, you want sweets, trinkets and so on. While walking from one observation deck to another, you only have time to brush off obsessive offers.
There is another one a little to the left. observation platform, previously enclosed by a fence, in which a hole made by tourists now gaped. It is apparently useless to close the hole, because the tourists are still “bursting” to the edge.
Here it’s really uncomfortable from the realization that there are no saving railings, but behind the edge there is a sharp cliff of several tens of meters.
I don't know though... haven't checked.
Where we left is not the very top. You still need to walk 700 meters to the very top to the battlements. Passes along a rocky slope, slippery and muddy after rain. Separate entrance and fee - as much as 100 rubles. In fact, everything is the same (according to local traders) you can see if you go a little to the left of the pay-per-pass booth. But curiosity is such a non-letting thing, I gave these 100 rubles. and went up. My fellow traveler was stuck at the ticket office, as he had enough dizzying views from him.
On that day, after the rains, so that the tourists would not break their necks and legs, they slightly shifted the path through the forest along drier paths to the top.
Getting out into the open space, I first looked around the neighborhood to see if it was possible to bypass this cash desk at all (sorry, hitchhiking habit). Below in the photo, if you look to the right, then from the parking lot with cars there is a wide road to the left. I think if you walk 300 meters along it, and then turn into a clearing to the place where I was standing now, you can get here for free. Anyone who wants to can try it out personal experience. But be careful, the locals say, here come across karst wells in the form of inconspicuous holes.
The first attraction is already visible from below: suspension bridges going from the main rock to a small peak with a cross. For those who don’t have enough adrenaline at the top, you can walk in equipment under the guidance of an instructor, round trip total 90 meters.
In the photo it looks harmless, but up close it is quite dizzying.
I climbed to the very top and sadly found there another limiting railing and some kind of iron stump, all hung with ribbons.
I wasn't going to climb over the fence, so I just walked to the place where it ended. There were some breathtaking views here too.
By that time, a tour group had pulled up to me. The guide publicly announced that since he understands the curiosity of tourists trying to climb over the fence, in order to maintain safety and their work. It will still allow everyone to take pictures almost at the very top. But only on his terms.
Hearing this, I decided to join the group, it was impossible to miss such an opportunity. We stopped just at the place where the iron thing was sticking out. Here the guide climbed over the fence and allowed only two of the group to go with him to take a photo. Naturally, I squeezed into one of the following pairs. Here's the proof.
And while all this was happening, someone from the crowd asked about the very iron contraption on which the guide was leaning at that moment. He said that this is another attraction. From this iron pillar down (of course, in the opposite direction from the cliff) there is a troll, along which in just 1 minute you can “lower” everyone.
I received my portion of photos and set off on my way back.
The day was in full swing and I still wanted to have time to see the Vorontsov Palace. Therefore, we cut off the idea of going down on foot along the forest paths.
Those who wish can go down faster trails directly from the plateau to Miskhor, for example (see MapsMe maps). But there, apart from the sources and views, there is nothing special. We did not waste time and returned the same way - by cable car.
As I said above, the Vorontsov Palace is the final 102 bus. Therefore, having gone to the stop at the cable car, and, having waited for the right bus, we went to, which I will talk about next time. Good weather on Ai-Petri!
Mount Ai-Petri is not only the main attraction of Big Yalta, but also one of the main record-breaking places in all Crimean peninsula. I can say this not only as a vacationing tourist, but also as a former resident of the Crimea. Boys, in the early 70s, the best vacation in the summer it was considered for us to spend a couple of weeks with a tent and leave Simferopol by train to the Sun, for Sakami, or by trolley bus, to Alushta, Gurzuf or Yalta. The beaches were not for us, we were attracted to wilder places, there were still such. It was then that I got to Ai-Petri for the first time. There was still no cable car, no cafe, no equipped entrances to the caves. The Ai-Petri area belonged to the Crimean reserve. The influx of tourists still did not smell. A visit to this beauty was an extreme hike, not a trivial excursion. How has this changed over time...
And so, in 2010, together with his wife went "military glory" of my youth. How I wanted to ride on the transport of youth - an electric train, a horned trolleybus, but an SUV purred under my ass, my wife admired nature on the right, behind, from an open window, a huge Senber was losing saliva in the wind. And I felt good and calm, but at the same time sad. It's better to meet with youth alone... But put aside the lyrics...
As I said at the beginning of the story, I will tell you how it is better for an ordinary tourist to go there. I had to go twice. The first, in full force: me, wife, dog, jeep. The last two turned out to be an absolutely useless load. I don’t know how it is now, but in the tenth year it turned out to be impossible to park a private car near the site. I was not able to prove to local taxi drivers and private cab drivers that I am not a competitor. They looked expressively at the wheels of my car, a movie about the loss of air from the wheels was visible in their eyes. In short, the first trip failed 100 percent. Although no. The serpentine of ascent and descent was impressive. Certainly not by nature. And the way local car owners famously “serpentine” with tourists, showing with all their appearance and behavior what kind of sucker is sitting in the car from the 77th region.
It was difficult to persuade the spouse to re-visit. It was easier to persuade the dog, leaving in the care of the friend with whom they were staying. A friend was convinced of the loyalty of my "calf" to him. Moreover, any St. Bernard replaces everything with immeasurable swimming in the sea: food, the owner, even the Motherland!
This time we went along the best path, I advise everyone, not even from the principles of economy, but from the ease of execution.
The foot of Ai-Petri can be reached from the city from the Central Bus Station on regular bus to the bottom station of the cable car. You can also catch a taxi, which we did, but then you have to explain to the taxi driver that you are not a miser in life, but just want to ride the cable car ... Well, of course. So, it's better not to "use" private traders to keep the mood.
The cable car (cable car) has three stations: lower, middle and upper. The ascent, like the descent, costs about 200 rubles for our money, then it cost more for hryvnias, rubles were respected more. But trust me, it's worth it. The bird's-eye view causes envy of our bat brothers, who, by the way, are not at all afraid of cable car booths. From the middle station "Sosnovy Bor" begins the most interesting and impressive part of the road - unsupported. The trailer seems to soar towards the rocks. 
I will not describe the views from the top of the mountain, words are powerless. Especially, the absence of a horizon line between the sea and the sky, the boundless blueness! Naturally, one must choose good weather. Even an average cloud cover can spoil all the impressions. 
On the top platform there are three caves available for visiting. If you are related to speleology, of course, they will not impress you. And it is difficult to compare in scale with the caves of New Athos. But for fun, I recommend it. Payment for a visit with a guide - about 150 rubles. Our choice was "Geophysical". Steep spiral staircase, really high and deep. And quite chilly. A light blouse will not hurt the ladies. Those who come with children will find it interesting to ride their city children on gentle horses. All really necessary establishments are present in abundance. Two paid toilets, one free. There are many cafes and souvenir shops, where all goods are somehow connected with Ai-Petri, the cable car and other places of the peninsula. Several cafes and a full restaurant. 
By the way, the local owners of these cultural institutions, including paid toilets, have acquired touts, in the role of which boys and girls of school age earn extra money. Apparently, the example of Egypt is contagious.
Our vacation in the Crimea has been going on for three weeks, it's time to pack up and visit Yalta. I've heard a lot about this city, but I've never been there before. We decide to change the situation and go at least for 3 days, as a result we get 3 nights and 4 days.
Since we have few days, but I want to see a lot, I prepare in advance. With the help of the Internet, I study the main sights of Yalta. I get acquainted with the advice of experienced tourists and guides.
And of course, Mount Ai Petri is mentioned everywhere. I read, look at photos and understand this tour is not for me. I'm terribly afraid of heights. Ascent and descent by cable car, for me it's not a rest, but solid nerves.
Literally before the trip, talking with a friend. I know that 15 years ago she was in Yalta and climbed the cable car to Ai Petri. I'm casually wondering:
Scary?
It's not scary - she answers, adding - in Krasnaya Polyana, in Sochi, it's worse.
Here's where I'm thinking. I was in Krasnaya Polyana, climbed, I remember my fear, but I survived, but what a beauty there.
And on the very first day of our stay in Yalta, after visiting the Fairy Tale Glade. We set off to look for the beginning of the ascent to Mount Ai-Petri. I can’t explain how I decided to do this, curiosity is to blame for everything.
Cableway to Ai Petri how to get there? We are looking for a long time, there are no signs on the road. We are trying to find it on the Internet, we have swept to 3 addresses, where we just don’t come. :) We go to the official website of the cable car. We need to look for the Lower Station. If you follow exactly as described on the site and start from the point “By car from the YuBSh, we turn down to Miskhor, next to the TES gas station”, then you will quickly be there. The description does not help us, we are lost and do not quite understand where the main road is, where the big intersection is, where the Tes gas station is. The official website has GPS coordinates of the lower station: 34.070, 44.425, we hammer them into the navigator. Do you know what he finds for us? He offers us a ride to Iraq. It's not fun anymore. My husband makes one last attempt and drives in these coordinates on the contrary without spaces 44.425, 34.070 and lo and behold, the navigator builds the route. We go, there is nothing, not hoping, and we arrive where we need to go.
Parking near the lower station of the cable car is paid, in May 2017 we are charged 200 rubles, while the time is not limited (in Yalta, the price is everywhere, wherever we leave the car). As soon as we got out of the car, a young man comes up to us and politely tells us how we can get to Ai-Petri. We were offered to climb Ai-Petri by car, with a visit to the waterfall, turtle lake, observation deck, and go down to the car by cable car. The price is the same, 350 rubles. - lifting by car, and 350 rubles. - One-way cable car ride. We agree right away, I want to see both the waterfall and the lake, but, to be honest, I’m not drawn to the cable car.
And then they take us in an old car. We practically return to Yalta along the YUBSh and begin our ascent. The road to Ai Petri is about 22 km long. The first few turns... and I start to worry about my youngest daughter, she often gets sick in the car. The car is so tough and the road is so broken that my worries are in vain, everything is going great.
We stop at the waterfall on the way to Ai Petri. We walked, looked, a beautiful sight. Wuchang-Su or Flying Water is the most high waterfall in Crimea. Streams of water break down from a height of 98 meters. We were lucky to see the waterfall in all its glory.
We return to the car, while waiting for the others, we talked with the driver.
80 I think is too much, but since I didn’t hear the first digit, I ask again.
He answers again.
180, wow. A fellow traveler who sits next clarifies:
When lifting 280 turns, 18 of them are 180 degrees.
How much is 280? Is that really true? Although everything is possible. If you look at the map, the road to Ai Petri wags like a snake.
And here we are again on the road, left, right, left, right, I hope we have already passed half. The kids are doing well and having fun. Feeling good, lucky that the car is tough. Shaking, jumping up, down, in different directions.
Stop - turtle lake. Before leaving the car, we check with the driver skeptically.
Are there turtles there?
He smiles again - we are not the first and not the last to ask him such questions.
Yes, he nods.
It looks like an ordinary lake, if we went ourselves, we drove.
We walked 10 meters ... turtle, one, two. They swim.
You can’t drag children away, but what about children, adults. This is the first time I see turtles in the wild. After walking along the lake, we return to the car. Let's go further.
Our next stop is at the observation deck, the view from above to Yalta. Among the pines opens fabulously beautiful view on the Mountain peaks, overgrown with forest, the sky with bizarre fabulous clouds, the sea leaving the horizon.
We take pictures, breathe the mountain air and continue on our way.
Only 5 kilometers left. But what, just most likely these 18 turns by 180 degrees. The road changes the forest massif is replaced by rocks. Rock on one side, cliff on the other. The road is narrow, two cars pass with difficulty. The driver did a good job - he stopped where he needed, the view is breathtaking (you won’t see it in your car, because you need to know where to stop and how to park the car, then we couldn’t repeat it in our car).
When you are already thinking, everyone is tired of these chattering and shaking, stop, I’ll go on foot. By the way, we saw such pedestrians, someone can not stand it, people are walking, the car is following them.
And when it's all, the forces are running out - the top. More like a plain. Fields, forests, people, houses - we arrived. Hooray! The road to Ai Petri by car takes about an hour of our time.
We were lucky, sunny, windless, not a single cloud. The air temperature is the same as below. Mid-May, we don’t wear T-shirts, jackets and windbreakers, we carry them with us in a bag. On the mountain they offer many excursions by car, on horseback, on foot. All you want, as they say, would be money and desire. :) In order to go through and see everything, a day is not enough. Since we are with small children, the road pretty much exhausted everyone, we decide to just relax and go down. Let's go to observation deck. The height is 1200 meters, below Yalta, Mihor, the sea…
The heart freezes. I see a cable car to Ai Petri, a trailer hanging over an abyss.
And I understand that I will not enter it. Panic begins, to hysteria inside me. I tell this to my husband. The eldest daughter rejoices that now we will go down, we will ride on the trailer, the youngest rejoices with her. What to do? Descent by car is also not an option, I feel sorry for myself and the children. I call a friend and say that I'm terribly afraid. To which she advises to calm down and not to frighten the children. And just enter, close your eyes and go down.
So I do, I go in, but I don’t close my eyes, but open them wide. And I stand at the very beginning of the trailer. As they say, beauty will save the world, admiration from what he sees takes up over fear. How beautiful it is.
I walk along the trailer from one window to another and admiringly look around. It's unforgettable.
There were ten people in the trailer with us, so it was possible to see from all windows.
Still, rest in the Crimea in May has its undeniable advantages - this good time for excursions, there are few vacationers, there are no queues.
The descent lasted no more than 10-15 minutes, I can’t say for sure, I didn’t spot it. I manage to take a few pictures. Most importantly, the children are delighted. I read in some article or review that the tour is not for the faint of heart, and if you are afraid of heights, then this is definitely not for you. I refute these words, for us! Take the first step, you won't regret it! Tested on my own experience!
