Stone river. Taganay stone river
The text of the article was updated: 05/29/2018
Please note that this review attractions natural park Taganay and weekend itineraries consists of two parts. So that you do not get lost in the abundance of information, let me tell you, summary articles:
1. What is Taganay National Park
This is a huge area of taiga, approximately 70 * 20 kilometers in size, located in the South Urals. Roughly, the territory of the park is limited to the cities of Miass, Zlatoust and Karabash, as well as the villages of Magnitka and Aleksandrovka. The lands in the park of the reserve belong to the Kusinsky district and the city of Zlatoust Chelyabinsk region.
You can get to the main attractions of the park from Magnitka, Karabash, Miass and Zlatoust. My friends and I went on a hike to Taganai from the checkpoint in Zlatoust, and my description of the routes is based precisely on the start from this point.
Wealth national park- its mountain ranges covered with impenetrable taiga: Big, Middle and Small Taganai, Ural and Small Urals, Big and Small Talovsky. On average, the height of the mountains is 1.0-1.1 kilometers above sea level. The highest peak is Mount Kruglitsa (height - 1178 meters); she submitted to us only the second time.
2. How to get to Taganay National Park
If you decide get to the reserve by car, you need to get to the city of Zlatoust, Chelyabinsk region. The entrance to the park is at the "Exit to Magnitka". If we enter the city from the Miass side, then first the road goes along Griboyedov Street; turning to the right we find ourselves on the street. Anosov. In general, the main goal is to get to railway station... From it there will be signs "Magnitka" (this is the name of the village in the vicinity of Zlatoust). After the station, Anosova Street will abut and turn sharply to the left. We turn off from it onto the street. Sandy to the right and drive up to a large tourist base, where, among other things, the administration house is located.
2. Driving directions through the territory of Zlatoust "How to get to the entrance to national park Taganay "
For those who have a navigator, I provide the GPS coordinates of the parking lot and the beginning of the hiking route: 55.221214, 59.731699.
Here we left the car on paid parking(60 rubles per day), registered with the Emergencies Ministry Rescue Service and received a map of the routes of weekend hikes in the Taganai National Park.
Before Zlatoust you can take the train... Local railway station trains stopping from Chelyabinsk to Moscow, from Samara to Chelyabinsk. There are two routes from Yekaterinburg (on the way - 7.5 hours).
From Chelyabinsk the train is on 2.5 hours, from Ufa - 6.5 hours, from Tyumen it will take 13 hours.
It is quite convenient to get to Taganai by bus. From Chelyabinsk to Zlatoust every half hour, from 7:00 to 21:00, minibuses leave from the Northern Bus Station.
Maybe my words will sound boring, but upon arriving at the park, we must remember that here is a real, deaf Ural taiga. I do not think that on the routes that I will describe below, you can get lost, but before the hike, you need to go through some preparation: find out the phone numbers of the administration and rescue services (), take with you maps of the area, a navigator.
All trails of the two-day route are marked. But keep in mind that in the mountains of the Southern Urals in winter snows are higher than human height - it is easy to get into trouble if a blizzard begins. In 2011, in the Zyuratkul National Park, our group had a problem: we climbed the ridge (height - 1175 meters), and there - a thunderstorm, rain, clouds touch the stones, nothing is visible at all. On the ascent, the last 100 meters is a kurumnik, the path is not noticeable. We turned the wrong way and for about half an hour wandered through the thickets of grass, which in the mountains at the end of July are also above our heads - it is impossible to navigate. When a slight panic had already begun, we finally came out onto the path ...
In the Taganay National Park there are many areas with huge stones: all the peaks are covered with them. Please note that some boulders are mobile, you may stumble and be seriously injured. That is why the park administration encourages all tourists to register their groups with the Ministry of Emergencies!
The route I describe takes two days on the road, one overnight. Therefore, unlike all other tours in the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions described on the site, you will have to carry a lot more cargo on yourself than usual. There were 5 people in our group - each of the participants carried either a 50-liter tourist backpack (sleeping bags, tents, food, change of clothes), or some other luggage.
Hiking shoes are a must: running shoes or, better, trekking boots. Personally, I walked in old shoes - it’s still a pleasure: my legs very quickly begin to hurt due to the constant jumping on stones.
You will have to cover quite long distances every day: 15-25 kilometers. Moreover, most of the way to Mount Kruglitsa, Mitkin Rocks and the Otklikny Ridge runs with an upward slope. It is advisable to actively engage in physical education for at least a month before organizing a tour of the mountains of the Southern Urals: exercises, squats, running - that is, you need to keep yourself in good physical shape.
Taganay National Park - popular place not only for tourists coming from Chelyabinsk, Tyumen and Ufa, but also for travelers from all over Russia. I call on all like-minded people, lovers active rest take the trash with you to civilization: the reserve is slowly turning into a not-so-tidy place. It is better to buy firewood from the rangers in the shelters - at least they cut it from old dry trees - if every tourist chops wood in the glades, we will soon write reports on trips to the desert, not to the taiga ... forest-tundra is already located near Kruglitsa: the trees are small, twisted, after human intervention they are restored for decades.
4. Route for a weekend hike, where you can see the main attractions of Taganay
On the official website of the park, you can find a map of the paths, a plan for the location of the main beautiful places.
With a dash-and-dot line, I've shown the trails we hiked in the summer of 2009 and 2010. Green is the first day. Yellow - the second day on the second trip. Red - a diagram of the return to the base on the first trip.
Option 1
The first day... Administration (1) - a bridge over the Bolshaya Tesma river (2) - “White key” shelter (3) - “Gremyachy key” shelter (4). We walk along this section in full ammunition: we carry heavy hiking backpacks. On the Gremyachy Klyuch we leave our luggage with the rangers and lightly “run” to the top of the Otkliknoy Ridge (6), the distance to which is 4 kilometers one way.
Second day... It was rainy and cloudy in the morning. In the mountains, clouds are a solid, impenetrable fog. We, like hedgehogs, proceeded through the clearing past the Responsive Ridge (6) to the Valley of Fairy Tales (7). There was nothing to be seen - along a very steep path (7-9) we went down to the “Taganay” shelter (9). From here, along the Old Kialim Road, we returned to the starting point of our hike, where a car was waiting for us in the parking lot.
Option 2
The first day... This time we were more fortunate with the weather - it was sunny for two days. We went from the Base (1) to the White Key parking lot (3). We left the backpacks in the care of the huntsman, and we climbed to the top of the Dvuhlavaya Sopka mountain (1034 meters above sea level). We went downstairs, ate our food and proceeded to the "Rattle Key" (4), where they set up camp again and left their things to the forester. We went lightly to the Mitka Rocks (5).
Second day... They did not carry the backpacks, they entrusted them to the owner of the "Rattling Brook" shelter. We went to the Responsive Ridge (6) and further - to the Valley of Fairy Tales (7). We rested, saw the "miracles" and climbed Mount Kruglitsa (8) - the most high summit in the Taganay National Park. Since the lower path along the Old Kialim Road is not so interesting (there is only the Bolshaya Kamennaya River), we returned to the beginning of the route in the same way that we came: 8-7-6 ... 1.
Both times went on a tour of the South Urals from Yekaterinburg on Thursday evening. We spent the night at a small lake between the cities of Miass and Zlatoust in tents. Trekking around Taganay began at 10 am on Friday. We returned to Yekaterinburg late on Saturday evening (in fact, almost on Sunday). The ride from Zlatoust to the capital of the Middle Urals takes about 5-6 hours, taking into account the rest.
5. A weekend hike in the mountains of the Taganay National Park. Report
In 2009, I photographed with a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W15 soap box. And it was only in that PVD that he first held a DSLR in his hands. It was in those days that I realized what kind of camera I needed if I wanted to bring beautiful, high-quality photographs from vacation. In general, some of the images presented in this story were shot with a compact camera, and some with a Canon EOS 400D KIT 18-55 SLR camera. We didn’t know how to take pictures, we didn’t hear about processing RAW files, so all photos were taken in JPEG format. I tried as best I could to prepare the pictures for publication, but, dear readers, don't be too strict! And one more thing: I ask you for leniency for the fact that there will be a lot of selfies in the report - in those happy days I did not know that I would blog and write recommendations for organizing a tour of the Urals.
So, we left the car in the parking lot of the park administration (the cost is 60 rubles per day), recorded the GPS coordinates of the starting point and set off on a journey.
The upper trail is marked with white-blue-white paint. It starts at the gate in front of the parking lot. First you follow a rugged road, which then turns left, the path goes right. After some time, the trail is divided into Upper and Lower. We turned to the Upper - there is a bridge across the Bolshaya Tiesma river.
5.1 Shelter "White Key" and Mount Dvukhlavaya Sopka
Both paths meet at the Bely Klyuch shelter at the foot of the Dvuglavaya Sopka Mountain. Base "White Key" is a few wooden houses, baths and pavilions for relaxation. A spring with delicious water flows directly from the mountain. There are many tourists here on summer days, since it is not very far to get from the administration (about 6.5 kilometers). Not far from here is the Big Stone River.
We leave the backpacks for storage by the huntsman, and we ourselves ascend, first along a metal ladder, and then along a very steep path to the top of the mountain.
The height of the Two-headed Sopka is 1034 meters above sea level. The views are unforgettable! I am sure that you will definitely not regret the effort spent on the ascent.
7. On one of the "feathers" of the Dvuhlavaya Sopka mountain. Taganai park in the Chelyabinsk region
After the descent, we were already pretty hungry. For 50 rubles, you can buy firewood, make a lunch and take a break.
5.2 Shelter Rattlesnake and the summit of the Responsive Ridge
We took a deep breath, let's move on. Around - a picturesque forest, on the way we cross the right tributary of the stone river - kuruma. We find ourselves in a clearing in front of the Gremyachiy Klyuch shelter. There used to be a small hut here. Now, judging by the official website of Taganay National Park, a two-story guest house has been built (the room can be booked in advance).
I recommend staying overnight at the Rattlesnake. The most important thing is that a stream with the purest mountain water flows here. It seems like there is a spring in the clearing near the Otklikny Ridge, but we have witnessed several times how tourists came to our stream for water from above - that is, they had to travel 4 kilometers down, and 4 kilometers back, from heavy burden. And on the Rattlesnake, we calmly took water to cook dinner or wash after a hard hike in the heat.
We arrive at this point on the route when the sun is still quite high. In July 2009, we left our backpacks for storage, and went to conquer the top of the Otkliknaya Ridge ourselves. It got this name because if you shout something from above, the echo will echo several times. The height of the rocks is about 100 meters, and the mountain rises 1155 meters above sea level. At the base there are kurmas made of huge boulders.
We tried to climb to the very top. But, firstly, a thundercloud, black, like the underworld itself, loomed on the horizon, and I didn't really want to build a target for Perun, standing on the top. And secondly, the stones are very large, in some places it is extremely difficult to climb without climbing equipment. And you always need to remember that going down in such places is much more dangerous! Experienced tourists do not advise to climb up if you are not sure that you will overcome the way down ... Thirdly, two people from our team, including myself, have a fear of heights. In general, we only reached the middle of the ridge at that time - and for 6 years now I have been tormented by the realization that the goal has not been achieved ... We will have to organize another weekend tour by car to the Chelyabinsk region in order to conquer this rebellious peak of Taganai.
16. In the background - the Middle Taganay ridge
Returning to the shelter "Rattlesnake", set up tents, before the storm had time to dine with the world's most delicious buckwheat porridge and tea on mountain herbs.
You cannot imagine what a happiness it is to flop into a tent after you have measured 16 kilometers of roads cutting through the mountain taiga with steps! You lie down, share your impressions of the day with your friends, breathe in the cleanest air, listen to the birdsong ...
And at night - a thunderstorm! Electric arrows did not hit from above, as in ordinary life and on the side - the parking lot Gremuchiy Klyuch located at an altitude of 822 meters above sea level. Unusual, I tell you ...
5.3 Old Kialim Road and Big Stone River in Taganay
On the first hike, in the summer of 2009, the next morning greeted us gloomily: we could not see anything at a distance of 50 meters. We took our luggage and stomped to the clearing at the Otklikny Ridge. It is completely invisible in the fog.
On the saddle between it and Mount Kruglitsa there is a section of the forest-tundra. The pines look like in the fairy tale about Baba Yaga and Koshchei the Immortal. The fog has turned this forest into a fairyland.
We reached point 7 on the route map of the national park - Valley of Fairy Tales. There are placers of white quartz sand between stunted pines, which is why the locals call this place Sand Slides. And yet - placers of bizarre stones, reminiscent fairytale characters... But the fog prevented you from admiring the beauty - we found a path (7-9) leading through the barricades of fallen trees down to the Taganay shelter (9).
If you decide to climb Mount Kruglitsa, walking along the Old Kialim Road (1-9), get ready for the fact that at the end of the path you will be assaulted by an almost sheer wall.
Trail 9-1 runs mainly on a horizontal section. It would seem that this is a relief. But without trekking boots - a real challenge! The road is strewn with stones of medium size (about the size of a fist), which painfully dig into the sole.
21. Great Kialim Road - Lower path. There are no steep inclines like on the Upper Path, but it is inconvenient to walk because of the mud and stones. Description of routes in Taganay
The main tourist attraction on the Old Kilaim Road is the Big Stone River. These are the placers of huge boulders weighing up to 10 tons in the valley between the Bolshoi and Sredny Taganai ridges. The length of the kurum is 5-6 kilometers, the width is from 25 to 250 meters.
By the way, let me remind you that we have already seen photographs of a small stone river in the report on a weekend trip to the mountains of Bashkiria. Kurumnik is located near the Otnurok farm.
For this I am finishing the first part of the review about the trip to the South Urals. Today we found out where is located nature Park Taganay, how to get there by car and public transport How to get to the starting point along Zlatoust, got acquainted with the map of the route for 2 days and saw photographs of several beautiful places: Mount Dvuhlavaya Sopka, peak Otkliknaya ridge and Bolshaya Kamennaya River. In the next part, we will see photos from the Mit'kin Rocks and from the ascent to Mount Kruglitsa.
The Big Stone River is a chaotic jumble of huge boulders lying on the slope of Mount Taganai in the South Urals (Chelyabinsk Region). The stone river with a length of 6 kilometers has an average width of 200 meters, and in some places its width reaches 700 meters.
A giant rock slide is believed to have occurred here during the last glaciation - about 10,000 years ago. Then glaciers covered the tops of the Taganai mountain ranges, reaching a height of 4800 meters. Under the immense weight of the ice, the top of the mountain shattered into millions of large boulders. 
When the flight melted, these stones began to slowly slide down the slope, forming the Great Stone River. This geological feature is called a "river" only because it resembles such, but is not really it. The stones have remained motionless for several thousand years. 
The river is made up of huge blocks of quartzite (a very strong and durable rock, mostly composed of quartz), including aventurine (a type of quartz containing mica and compounds that give a shimmery and sparkling effect), each weighing up to 9-10 tons. The layer of stones reaches 6 meters. 
Interestingly, when approaching the Big Stone River, you can hear the distinct sound of running water. This is the sound of small streams flowing under stone boulders.
The Great Stone River is not the only one on the planet. Similar rivers are found in other regions of the Ural mountains, as well as abroad. 
Outside of Russia, several similar stone rivers can be seen in Bulgaria, in the Vitosha mountain range. One of the largest stretches for 2 kilometers in length and is located on the subalpine plateau Zlatnite mostove ("Golden Bridges") in the upper reaches of the Vladayska River. Another stone one is located in the valley of the Bistritsa River (Vitoshka Bistritsa River) and reaches 300 meters in width. In addition, there are other stone formations that are even wider on the mountain peaks.
4
And these photos show a stone river in the Vitosha mountains, Bulgaria: 
Taganay National Park is a group of mountain ranges in the South Urals. Its length is 25 km, and the height rises to 1178 m. Here, between the ridges of the Bolshoy and Sredniy Taganai, there is the Bolshoi Kamennaya River - an amazing and impressive natural formation, a real miracle of nature.
In fact, this is a miracle of nature - a uniform conglomeration of huge rocky boulders that stretches for hundreds of meters and looks very much like a river. The large stone river Taganay stretches from northeast to southwest for about 6 km. The width of the river reaches from 20 to 270 m. On average, the size of the boulders is 3-4 cubic meters in volume, but there are much larger specimens - up to 30 meters and 9-10 tons of weight. According to rough estimates, we can say that about 300 blocks are located on 100 square meters. They lie at least 4.6 m deep, forming 3-4 layers.
The Stone River consists mainly of aventurine, a type of quartzite. Aventurine clumps vary in colors and patterns of lichens on them. There is no longer any vegetation on the rocks, except for lichens. Nothing can sprout through a stone conglomeration. The only exceptions are rare pines over a hundred years old. Numerous mountain streams are often buried under the "river bed" of ancient cliffs. Such an attraction would definitely not get lost in the list of the 7 wonders of Russia.
Many people mistakenly call the Stone River "kurumnik". Although Kurum (ancient Turkic kamrum - stone rivers, stone streams) even today continues to slowly slide down. But this unusual river is now almost stationary because the tilt does not exceed 2.5 degrees. This unique field is a national treasure. Something similar can be found only in India, and nowhere else in the world. The origin of such stone rivers has not been fully studied, but there are versions that the Big Stone River Taganai was formed by a glacier during its descent from the Taganai Mountains.
Locals they say that winter is the most beautiful time in Taganay, and the river itself is the pearl of the National Park. They invite all tourism lovers to visit this natural wonder. The air here is extremely clean, and only the singing of birds, the wind, the sun, the smell of fir trees and rain break the perfect silence.
It is widely renowned for its beauty thanks to its picturesque mountain ranges.
There is plenty of space for tourists. Here you can admire high mountain ranges and bizarre stone outliers, placers of kurums and an amazing stone river stretching for several kilometers, relict forests, subalpine woodlands and mountain tundras. There are also ancient mineral mines here.
Taganay National Park was established on March 5, 1991. He became the first in the Urals. The park occupies the northern part of the territory of the Zlatoust urban district and an insignificant part of the Kusinsky district of the Chelyabinsk region. Its area is 56.8 thousand hectares.
Let's talk about its most interesting sights.
Big Stone River
You can get to Taganai along the upper and lower paths. The lower trail runs along the Bolshaya Kamennaya River - a huge stone placer. Its length reaches 5-6 kilometers, width from 20 to 700 meters, and an area of about 90 hectares. More than 2.5 million boulders lie on the surface alone.
Two-headed hill
This is the southernmost peak of the Bolshoi Taganai ridge and the first Mountain peak, which is found on the way of tourists after about 7 kilometers from the beginning of the path. A metal staircase goes upstairs, then turns into an ordinary path. The two-headed hill is the most visited peak of Taganai. There are always a lot of tourists here, all year round... In winter, after a long tiring climb, tourists quickly and merrily slide down at the fifth point. But at the same time, you need to remember about precautions: there have been accidents when colliding with trees and stones.
The two-headed hill is divided into two peaks: (1034 m) and Lamb foreheads(1041 m). The trail leads to the first of them. At the top of Peryev, you can see the remains of a metal tower that once stood here. It was the first television repeater of Zlatoust, installed in 1958. He received a signal from Sverdlovsk. However, he did not work for long - until 1961.
On the one hand, the city of Zlatoust is visible, on the other - beautiful view on the Lamb's Foreheads and the grandiose wall of the Responsive Stone that appears behind them.
The southern slope of the mountain is called Climbing wall... As you might guess, climbers like to train here.
There is a spring at the foot of the two-headed hill - White key... It got its name from the white quartzite that covers the bottom. This is the most famous water source of Taganay. Its water is clear and tasty. The softness is even higher than that of melted snow. The water is very cold, even in summer its temperature does not exceed 3-4 degrees. In the past, the White Key was revered as a holy spring, there was a wooden cross near it.
Nowadays, a shelter "White Key" has been created near the spring. To the north of the Dvukhlava Hill (between it and the Otklikny Ridge), small Mitka rocks.
Responsive comb
The next peak of Bolshoy Taganai (and outwardly the most spectacular) is the Responsive Ridge (1155 m). It gets its name from its ridge-like shape and loud, multiple echoes from the sound bouncing off an almost vertical rocky wall. From a distance, depending on the angle of view, it resembles either a prehistoric lizard or frozen on takeoff sea wave, then an elongated comb. The length of the rocks is about 800 meters, the relative height from the foot is 150 meters. In the northeastern part of the Otklikny Ridge, there is a large tectonic fault, along which underground fractured waters are unloaded. There are also three springs of the ascending type. True, in the summer they often dry up.
On December 30, 1947, an airplane, en route from Chelyabinsk to Moscow, crashed against the rock wall of the Otklikny Ridge. All five people on board were killed. The body of one of them, found only a few months later, was buried right there. Even today, the wreckage of this plane can still be found between the stones.
Mount Kruglitsa
The trail from the Otklikny ridge to the next peak of the Bolshoi Taganay ridge - Kruglitsa - passes through the so-called Valley of Fairy Tales... This place is a section of a low-growing coniferous forest under the alpine, surrounded by bizarre outliers of sugar-like quartzites. Many outliers have their own names, depending on who or what they resemble. The rocks that make up this section of the mountains easily crumble under the feet of tourists and the paths here are covered with coarse-grained quartz sand. They say that when walking on quartz underfoot, a piezoelectric effect sometimes occurs in this place, and sparks can be noticed in the dark.
Mount Kruglitsa (1178 m) - highest point of the entire Taganai mountain range, which got its name for its characteristic rounded shape. Outwardly, its shape may resemble a volcano. The slopes of the mountain are covered with kurums. Interesting is the northern part of Kruglitsa peak, which is an ideal flat area.
Observing the top of Kruglitsa on a clear sunny day, sometimes you can notice the curious effect of the mountain swaying, as if it was about to break away from its foot. This phenomenon is explained by the streamlined shape of the summit and the close position of the pressurized groundwater (the foot of Kruglitsa is a continuous swamp). The sun, heating the stones, carries away moisture from the cracks with its warmth, the air becomes free-moving, creating such an illusion.
Round face, like a magnet, attracts esotericists, occultists, psychics. Various sacred signs are painted here and there on the stones. The most common is the Roerich sign. There are also many small seids made of stones. According to the beliefs of some tourists, wishes made on Kruglitsa will certainly come true.
To get to the next peak of the Bolshoi Taganai ridge - Dalny Taganai - you need to go down and go through the Taganai tourist shelter. The ascent to Dalniy Taganai is very long. Already on the way to the top, you will see a well and a sign nearby "Botanical Monument Podgoltsovye sparse forests".
Dalniy Taganai (1146 m) is the northernmost and most extensive peak of the Bolshoi Taganai ridge. It is divided by several low but beautiful ridges. Opens great view to the neighboring ridges and mountains. More than 20 kilometers from Zlatoust to Dalniy Taganai.
Here is the real tundra with its characteristic vegetation. In autumn, there are berries inherent in the north. Dal'netaganayskaya mountain tundra is unique and is a natural monument.
At the top there are houses of the Taganai-Gora weather station - the highest in the entire Urals. It opened in 1932 and closed in 1992. Now there is a tourist shelter here. Usually there are noticeably fewer tourists here than at other shelters.
Rocks Three Brothers
The rocky outcrops of the Three Brothers rise above the forest between Kruglitsa and Dalniy Taganai. These are three high stone outliers, up to 40-50 meters high. V good weather they can be clearly seen from Kruglitsa.
In the past, Old Believers hid in this place (as well as on Mount Itsyl). In the 18th-19th centuries, the Taganai forests were very popular among the Old Believers. Persecuted by the authorities, the adherents of the split found refuge here. The schismatic sketes were built underground, skillfully disguising themselves from the outside with granite boulders, moss, upturned tree roots. It was almost impossible for the uninitiated to find them. In addition, the hermits were very careful in their contacts with the world.
Among them were people who were reputed to be saints. So in the 50s 19th century Elder Zosima, who was incredibly popular, died, to whom people came thousands of miles away for a blessing. After his death, there was a popular rumor that prayer at the elder's grave (located somewhere in Taganai) heals diseases and works miracles. And in 1910, on Taganai, another Elder Ambrose departed to the world, whose relics were declared incorruptible by the schismatics.
Mount Yurma
Further north of Dalniy Taganai is Mount Yurma. This is the northernmost peak of the Taganai National Park, its height is 1003 meters. It is believed that the Southern Urals begins from here, and the area to the north belongs to the Middle Urals. The main attraction of Jurma is the picturesque Devil's Gate rock.
Interestingly, in ancient times, the Bashkirs considered Yurma a holy place. It was forbidden to visit her. Translated from the Bashkir "yurma" means "do not go". Even today, the management of the Taganai National Park has assigned a part of the mountain, which is part of the park, to a protected area. For her visit and overnight stays there can be written out a fine for a tidy sum.
Small and Middle Taganay
Parallel to Bolshoy Taganai, there are small ridges of Small and Sredniy Taganai. Unlike the main attractions of the national park, these places are rarely visited.
The length of Maly Taganai is about 11 kilometers, the maximum height is 1033 meters. The mountain slopes are covered with kurums, rocky outcrops rise.
Middle Taganai is the shortest ridge of the Taganai mountain cluster system. Its length is 2.5 kilometers. The height reaches 959 meters.
If you drive along the road to Magnitka beyond the entrance to the national park, you can get to the Black Rock. Here rocky outliers rise, from which a beautiful panorama of the Bolshoi Taganai mountain range opens. The height is 853 meters, it belongs to the Nazminsky ridge. In summer, the Black Rock festival of art songs is held here. Dedicated to the Black Rock.
Akhmatovskaya mine
Several mines and mineral mines operated in Taganai in the past. The most famous mineral in Taganay is aventurine. This is a kind of quartzite, which is a valuable ornamental stone. Taganay aventurine even got its name - taganaite. In the Hermitage you can see a vase made of Taganai aventurine.
Perhaps the most famous Taganai mineral mine is Akhmatovskaya. It is located near the road to Magnitka and has been known since 1811. Consists of two large workings and a series of shallow pits. Some minerals are not found here! ..
The city of Zlatoust
The way to Taganay starts from the city of Zlatoust - the homeland of damask steel and unique engraving on steel. Dedicated to this South Ural city. If you have time, you can get acquainted with its sights, look into a good local history museum, climb the bell tower on Krasnaya Gorka and admire the mountain park named after P.P. Bazhova. The city is surrounded picturesque mountains... This gives it its charm, although the city itself, it must be admitted, is very neglected by the city authorities.
How to get to Taganay?
Taganay National Park is located northeast of the city of Zlatoust, Chelyabinsk region.
By car from Chelyabinsk or Ufa, you need to go along the M5 highway, then turn to Zlatoust. From Yekaterinburg you need to go along the Chelyabinsk tract, then turn to Kasli. At the beginning of the city of Miass, turn right to Zlatoust. The map below will help you navigate. You can park your car in the car park near the entrance to the national park. Here you can also visit the Museum of Nature.
Also, buses and trains go to Zlatoust, and there are also electric trains from Chelyabinsk.
Entrance to the park with a passport and for a fee. You will even have to pay for an overnight stay with your own tent. There are several shelters with houses on the territory of the park, you need to book places in which in advance.
It is better to go to Taganay for at least 4-5 days. This is enough to get around its main peaks. A visit is possible at any time of the year, but it should be borne in mind that weather in the mountains it is always much tougher. Have a nice trip!
Taganay is a mountain range located in the west of the Chelyabinsk region. It occupies part of the Taganay National Park. This is a magnificent creation of nature, beauty embodied in stone.
History of the name
Translated from Bashkir Taganay means "Moon Stand". And this is very similar to the truth - on a clear night one can observe how the Moon seems to "sit" on one of the peaks. The locals know a lot beautiful legends about their land. They are happy to tell them to tourists.
For example, about the battle of the Svarog brothers with Diva, after which the Divi people were hidden under Ural mountains... The Diva kingdom sank underground and is still in captivity to this day. Almost all the legends of the local population are based on the fact that in the depths of the mountain there is a people who have been hiding from people for thousands of years.
Mount Taganay - characteristics
Taganay - mountains that surprisingly combine mountain outcrops on the tops with granite rocks, located in the middle of a century-old forest, and picturesque river channels. Mount Taganay is common name three ridges. Their total length is over 20 kilometers. Local residents call them Small, Medium and Big Taganai.
Bolshoi Taganay consists of several peaks. These are Responsive Comb, Two-headed Sopka, Kruglitsa and Dalny. The highest of them is Mount Kruglitsa (Taganay). She rose to 1178 m above sea level. Kruglitsa has a round shape, probably from which the name originated. The indigenous people call it the "Bashkir cap". It really resembles a cone-shaped Turkic headdress in outlines. According to the height of Kruglitsa, it is considered that the height of Mount Taganay is 1178 meters.
The upper sections of Taganai are formed by quartzites. The peculiarity of these places is considered to be a unique mica with interspersed sparkles that sparkle in the sun. This is taganaite, better known as aventurine. It looks great in souvenirs and jewelry.
Almost all Taganai ridges are distinguished by the steepness of slopes of 10-15 ° at the base, 15-25 ° in the middle and 25-35 ° at the top. As a rule, the peaks are inaccessible. They impress everyone who comes to see Taganay. The mountains are striking in their grandeur and beauty. Especially noteworthy is the luxurious responsive comb.
The rivers
In this mountain range, rivers originate, which then feed the great Caspian. First of all, this is the Kusa river with its tributaries Shumga, Bolshaya and Malaya Tiesma.
Natural features
On this land, two climatic zones are distinguished: one of them is located on the peaks. It is made up of subalpine forests and meadows, and the second - in the valleys and on the lower slopes of the mountains.
Various natural areas, which unite at Taganay, give this region a special originality. The northern part of the ranges is covered with spruce and fir forests of the middle taiga. On the eastern slopes, there are taiga forests, in which larch, birch, and larch trees grow. In addition, there are areas covered by the most beautiful
Mount Taganay (Zlatoust) in the highlands is covered with mountain tundra and subalpine meadows. These places are unique in that plants of Central European, Western, Eastern species, and Central Siberian flora coexist here. Arctic plants descend in the highlands far to the south, and steppe vegetation tends to the north along the foothills of the east.
Mount Taganay is an old Ural massif. Manifestations of seismic activity have been registered here. In 2002, the last earthquake with a magnitude of 3.5 was recorded.
Riddles of Taganay
On sunny and hot days, many tourists, as well as locals, observe an interesting effect - Mount Taganay seems to sway. Experts explain this phenomenon by the proximity of groundwater. Under the influence of sunlight, moisture begins to actively evaporate, and the effect of mobility of the mountain mass is created in the air ascending currents.
Mount Taganay is part of the Ural zone, which is considered anomalous. Here you can often meet expeditions of ufologists, locals manage to see traces of the "Bigfoot", tourists talk about encounters with ghosts.
Weather conditions in Taganay are amazing. In a matter of minutes, they can change dramatically. During the day, temperatures often hover around ten degrees. Local residents will not be surprised by the snow that fell in June. Tourists can experience all seasons in one day - from sultry summers to harsh and windy winters. Another feature is strong winds, their speed sometimes reaches 50 m per second.
An amazing picture of the South Urals opens from the Taganai mountains. The beauty and features of the natural complex are mesmerizing and surprising. Even in bad weather the peaks of Taganay, shrouded in a veil of fog, amaze with their grandeur. Tourists from different regions of the country tend to these places. Traditional tourist trails run here.
National park
This unique park was established in March 1991. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that in a relatively small area, a variety of animals live and plants from different geographic zones grow.
Taganay National Park is full of secrets and mysteries. Mountain range surrounded by a dense forest - the best place for the habitation of various evil spirits. Locals say that the caves of the ridge are inhabited by amazing creatures, and Mount Kruglitsa is a point of contact with extraterrestrial intelligence - Roerich himself wrote about this.
Nature has generously endowed the Taganay Park with its amazing creations. In the relict forest, among the extraordinary, stone rivers flow, petrified live, and the water from the springs is considered alive. All this splendor bewitches even the experienced traveler.
The Taganay Mountains will even conquer unprepared tourist... When going on a hike, wear comfortable shoes and keep tick and mosquito repellent. In the rainy season, travelers are unlikely to be able to do without rubber boots.
Stone river
Unique sights can be seen in this array. Taganay became famous all over the world for its amazing natural formation, which is a uniform pile of huge rocky debris. The Taganai stone river is more than six kilometers long, and its width reaches 200 meters.
The stone river "flows" between the Dvuhglavaya Sopka mountain and the Middle Taganay ridge. Its origin has not yet been determined. There is a version that the stone river was formed by a glacier that descended from the Taganai mountains.
Anomalous zone
In the Taganai forestry, which was built at the foot of the mountain, V.N. Efimova, an employee of the environmental department, confirmed the rumors about the anomalousness of these places.
As it turned out, in the mountains - on the Urenga ridge - fireballs quite often appear, more often than in other places. Not uncommon in the village of Veselovka. These objects behave rather strangely - they hit the same places, as if they deliberately loop while moving. According to experts, there is a "nest of lightning" in the classic form, with reduced soil resistance. This indicates either large deposits of metal or underground water sources.
Mysterious swamp
Abnormal Taganay is represented even more mysterious place- Bolshoy It is located between the tip of Maly Taganai in the north and the southern foothills of Itsyl. The swamp covers an area of 36 sq. kilometers and is located in a giant depression tectonic origin... It resembles an oval bowl with a long axis.
In this territory, the human psyche is changing - orientation is disturbed, because of this, even experienced foresters can get lost here. Travelers see all sorts of amazing things here that seem so real that they are taken at face value.
This is most likely due to a mixture of underground gases, which contains carbon dioxide and methane. They come out of a large deep fault and have a toxicomatic and psychotropic effect on humans.
Those who wish to wander through the marsh swamps expose themselves to intoxication and sometimes serious poisoning. This state facilitates encounters with "flying saucers", humanoids, translucent substances, kikimora.
Sound mirages also happen here. Various forest noises can be heard - rustling of foliage, as if approaching, close footsteps. In fact, no one will be around.
Tourists often stop at the Responsive Ridge. It received this name for its ridge-like outlines and a loud, multiplying echo that occurs due to the reflection of sound from each vertical rock. If you look at the crest from afar, it resembles a stegosaurus lizard, a sea wave, and an elongated crest.
In the northeast of the ridge, there is a tectonic fault. In 2002, tourists noticed several swirls of air in the form of dark pillars over Taganai. Later, the meteorological services confirmed this information. The tornado appeared when a cold front passed through Taganai. It consisted of three independent vortices, which merged together.
Sand slides
If you walk along the path leading to Kruglitsa, you can get to the "Valley of Fairy Tales" - Sand hills. This is an area of extraordinary beauty - the saddle of a stunted one. Here you can see glades with numerous original outliers.
The valley is located in a zone of intense tectonic movements of the past. Walking fog often appears between the rocks. Moreover, he also "sings" when he falls into stone cracks and rubs against grains of different strength. There are a lot of topped spruces here - they have suffered from autumn and winter windblows.
In the clearing, the batteries run out very quickly, as a result - all electronic devices (video cameras, clocks, cameras) refuse to work. Photos, as a rule, are blown out, and people see, for example, flying glowing balls.
The northern part of Kruglitsa is very attractive for ufologists. This is an ideally flat area measuring 0.2x0.4 kilometers. Particularly fanatical ufologists are sure that this is the place where energy exchange with the Cosmos takes place. There are some symbolic letters and signs made of stones. Here, like a magnet, esotericists, occultists, psychics are drawn. Judging by the ribbons hung in this place, which symbolize the made wishes, and the sacred signs inscribed on the stones, the Roerichites regularly visit here. Pilgrims are sure that such attention is paid to the summit because of the presence of a special positive energy.
Weather station
Meteorological station "Taganai Gora" is located on the top of Dalniy Taganay. The meteorological site is located at an altitude of 1108 meters.
The station was opened in August 1932. Here, observations were made of wind speed, air temperature and atmospheric pressure, cloudiness, precipitation. All information was transmitted by radio to the Office of the Ural Hydrometeorological Service (Sverdlovsk).
During its operation, the station was rebuilt twice (in 1965 and 1982). In May 1992, it was closed, and the premises were later transferred to the ownership of the city. Today the meteorological post of the Taganay Park and the rescue service are based there.
