What are kurums in geography definition. Stone "rivers" and "seas"

“The Southern Urals is a hospitable mountainous region, the safest mountains on the territory of our country,” many, going on a trip, a weekend hike, a sports hike, climbing, not without reason think so.

For me, the Southern Urals is a huge open-air "exhibition / sports hall", a territory where you can safely dissolve in wild nature, train and prepare for more serious travel.

There are fewer dangers in the Southern Urals than in other mountainous regions of Russia. This is due to his geographic location and mountain structure.

Factors that provide greater security include:

– good transport accessibility of the territory Southern Urals;

– a significant and constantly increasing mobile coverage of the territory of the mountains;

– stable weather without sharp extreme fluctuations;

– low avalanche danger;

– absence of mudflows and landslides;

– absence of rockfalls;

- the animal world is not rich in representatives dangerous to humans;

– relatively insignificant fluctuations of mountain rivers during the rainy season;

- the absence of interethnic problems.

But this relative safety of the Southern Urals sometimes plays bad joke with people who were too frivolous about his visit.

Accidents happen almost every year. People get lost, fall off cliffs, get attacked by wild animals, get injured. In the vast majority of such situations, the victims themselves are to blame, who approached with insufficient responsibility to ensure their safety.

“Any mountains are a source of increased danger”

- the thought that everyone should remember when going on a trip to the South Urals.

The relevance of this work is due to the fact that the tourist flow to the mountains is constantly increasing. There are new OUTDOOR projects designed to attract groups of the population that have not previously been involved in these types of activity to active recreation and travel in the Southern Urals.

Anyone can easily find comprehensive information on the upcoming trip, everything except for data on the dangers that lie in wait for him. I have not met a single generalizing source of information on this issue, but meanwhile in the Southern Urals there are dangers that are unique to this territory.

It is in order to once again remind those who know, and tell those who are just beginning to know the beauty of the Southern Urals, that I decided to prepare this article. In it I will try to consider all the dangers that a person may face in the South Urals, because "forewarned means protected."

How the work will be built.

I need your help friends. I travel a lot in the Southern Urals, I have a lot of experience, but it is far from exhaustive, and I cannot do without you. This work will be written during the winter season 2017-2018, I hope, not without your active participation.

I plan to publish here, at this link, individual chapters as they are created and announce the next ones. I would be grateful for your opinion on the issues under consideration, criticism, personal experience, links, any other information.

As a result, by the summer season, we should receive the brochure "Dangers of the Southern Urals - imaginary and real", which will be distributed in PDF format for free. The names of all authors who took an active part in its creation will be indicated.

(organizational information will be marked in burgundy)

Classification of dangers of the Southern Urals

1. Terrain Hazards

- kurums;

– grassy slopes;

- crust and ice on the slopes of the mountains;

- avalanches;

- swamps;

- river floods.

1. Dangers of the animal world

– Brown bear;

- harvest mouse;

- Poisonous snakes;

– ixodid tick;

- animal carriers of rabies.

1. dangers flora

- high grass;

- windbreaks;

- cuttings;

- trees with sharp branches;

- cow parsnip;

- other poisonous plants and mushrooms.

1. weather factors

- blizzards;

– strong wind;

– temperature inversion.

1. Human factor

- loss of orientation on the ground;

– reassessment of opportunities;

- inadequate selection of equipment and equipment.

1. Anthropogenic hazards:

– economic activity person;

- roads;

- rural population.

1. Dangers of the relief.

It is impossible to imagine the High South Urals without kurums - stone placers. This is the calling card of the region, its distinguishing feature and one of the main causes of injury. During the years of traveling in the Urals, for many kilometers traveled along the kurums, I had a saying that, in my opinion, reflects the essence of the attitude towards them.

« Not better friend than kurum in dry weather, there is no worse enemy than kurum in the rain.

Dry kurums, if you learn to walk and climb them, are excellent stairs and roads, but as soon as the kurum gets wet, it turns into a “minefield” that awaits you with injuries at every step.

Kurum carries 2 types of dangers.

The first type, the most common, is falls. When falling, you can get bruises, craniocerebral injuries, injuries of internal organs, fractures of limbs, sprains, ligament ruptures.

Fall hazards:

- sharp corners of stones;

- height;

- jamming of limbs between stones.

Kurum is especially dangerous on the descent, when falling forward and down, with a backpack.

The second type, quite rare but also taking place, is pressing down. Kurums are not always static, there are cases when, as a result of human actions, stones begin to move. Injuries can be received absolutely any up to incompatible with life.

There are a great many types of kurums in the Southern Urals, one can say how many mountains, so many species, and each has its own characteristics. Below I will try to classify kurums according to some, in my opinion, important features, note the dangers inherent in them and talk about ways to move safely.

Kurum classification

1. by direction:

– horizontal (kurum rivers);

- inclined (mountain slopes);

2. by size (predominant size of stones):

- large (from 1.5 to 5 meters);

- medium - (from 1.5 meters to 50 cm);

- small - 50 to 20 cm;

3. according to the shape of the stones:

- voluminous;

- flat;

4. Coating stones:

- wet;

- icy;

- covered with young snow;

– covered with deep snow;

- covered with moss.

1. by direction:

Horizontal kurum (kurum rivers)

Kurum rivers are linearly elongated accumulations of stone blocks in intermountain valleys. A unique South Ural phenomenon that does not occur on such a scale in any other region of the Ural Mountains.

In the Southern Urals, 4 large stone rivers can be distinguished:

1. "Tygynskaya stone river" (6-7 km). It is located in the valley of the Tygyn River between the Big Iremel mountain and the Avalyak ridge.
2. "Big stone river" (5-6 km). located in national park Taganay in the valley between the ridges Big and Small Taganay.
3. Kurumnaya river between the peaks Small Yamantau (Kuyantau) and Shiktash (4.7 km).
4. “Wide stone placer” (4.5 km) “Flowing down” from the Kumardak ridge to the Miselya river valley.

As well as many smaller "stone streams" located on such ridges as Nurgush, Suka, Uvan, Zigalga, Nara, Mashak, etc.

All kurum rivers are located on a horizontal or slightly inclined surface and consist mainly of medium-sized stones, convenient for walking. Mobile stones are rare and well predicted. Often the stones stand vertically, with deep wide gaps narrowing to the bottom, which is more traumatic compared to the kurums located on the slopes of the mountains.

In dry weather, with proper skill, you can go quite quickly and straight along the kurum river, without wasting time and energy on overcoming windbreaks and tall grass.

In rainy, humid weather, it is not advisable to move along the Kurum River, you should cross it as carefully as possible along the shortest path.

Also, you should not linger on the kurum rivers if you are very tired. Loss of coordination, weakness in the legs significantly increase the chance of an error and, as a result, a fall.

Setting the foot on a horizontal dry kurum is carried out both on the horizontal corners of the stones (the most reliable and preferred option) and on inclined flat surfaces. Before starting the movement, I recommend checking the reliability of the grip of the shoes on an inclined surface.

With sufficient experience and good physical preparation, the movement occurs smoothly without jerks and stops, the gaze is directed 2-3 meters ahead, chooses the direction and calculates the path for several steps, peripheral vision tracks the placement of the foot on the stones.

When walking along the kurum rivers, you can use trekking sticks, but you should always take your hand out of the lanyard. The stick can get stuck between the rocks and jam while you are taking a step, which can lead to a fall.

On a wet kurum, the speed of movement drops, it is necessary to carefully choose the options for setting the foot, carefully look under your feet. Avoid sloping surfaces, put your foot only on flat areas or corners of stones.

Inclined kurum (mountain slopes)

The highest, northern part of the Southern Urals, almost entirely consists of kurum peaks. The length of the kurum slopes varies from tens of meters to 1.5 kilometers, and this is exactly the type of kurum that you have to walk on most often when traveling in the South Urals. It is very convenient to go up and down along a dry kurum of medium size, it serves as a natural staircase to the tops of the mountains.

As I noted above, there are many types and states of kurum, and each has its own characteristics. All of them will be discussed in more detail below.

Of the general moments of movement along inclined hills, it can be distinguished that the descent is always more dangerous than the ascent and ends with falls much more often. Trekking poles can be used in most cases, but it is advisable to shorten them on the ascent, and lengthen them on the descent. Always remove your hand from the lanyard. Carefully monitor the flat stones lying on top of other stones, they can be "alive". Do not pull them towards you when ascending, try not to step on them when descending, or load the edge closest to you.

The mobility of stones, in addition to their shape and size, also depends on the steepness of the slope and the frequency of people visiting it. The higher the steepness, the more likely it is to step on a “live” stone, the higher the frequency of people visiting the mountain, the less likely it is.

For example, one of the most agile medium-sized kurum elephants in the Southern Urals encountered by the author is the slope of Mount Belfry, on the Kumardak ridge. It is cool and rarely visited by people.

2. According to the size of the kurum (the predominant size of the stones).

Large kurum (from 1.5 to 5 meters).

Kurum slopes made of stones big size are not often found. They are clusters of large stones with deep dips between them.

Falling between stones, the height of the fall can reach several meters.

Pressing down with stones. In most cases, large turrets are stable and immovable, but we should not forget that sometimes a stone can come across that will move when loaded. You should carefully study the stones, pay attention to their position and what they rest on. If the stone does not inspire confidence, it is better to bypass it. Particular difficulty in predicting the behavior of large stones arises on the descent, when it is not visible from above what it lies on. In such cases, you should try to load the stone as close to the slope as possible and be ready to leave it with any movement.

In the context of this case, it is necessary to recall the tragedy that occurred on the slope of Mount Maly Iremel on 06/04/2011. As a result of the movement of a large stone, a tourist was crushed and died.

Kurum large size places the highest demands on physical form traveler. During the movement, all four limbs are involved, trekking poles are not used, they are removed in a backpack. It is very convenient to descend from large stones in a thrust, resting one hand on the stone on which you are, with the other hand on the neighboring stone. Transferring the load from your feet to your hands, smoothly go down.

Medium kurum (from 1.5 meters to 50 cm)

The most common size of kurum. By a happy coincidence, which is the most convenient for movement. Most kurum rivers and kurum slopes consist of stones of this size.

The dangers inherent in this kurum:

- falls. In most cases, falls occur on the descent for three reasons.

a) Living stones. Under load, the stone starts to move, goes forward, the person falls on his back. The depth of the fall is minimal, the risk of injury is not high.

b) Loss of balance on the descent. When stepping down, a person stumbles about something or loses balance for another reason, falls forward, the depth of the fall increases, and the risk of injury increases.

c) slip. When placing a foot on a wet icy stone, or with an incorrect assessment of the steepness of its surface, the foot slips and falls between the stones. In this situation, the risk of injury to the wedged limb is high. Especially if the fall occurs due to inertia forward.

- pressing. On a medium-sized kurum, this danger threatens primarily the legs. A moving stone on a slope can move and crush the foot.

Small kurum (50 - 20 cm)

One of the most uncomfortable kurums for movement. A large number of "live" unpredictable stones. Very often, especially on the descent, the stones go out from under the feet, causing a fall. It is advisable to use sticks.

3. according to the shape of the stones:

Volume

The most common type of kurum. The nuances of movement and danger are described above.

Flat

Quite a rare type of kurum, consists of flat stones of various sizes. Mobile and injury prone. Especially on the descent, when loaded, the stones tend to move. When moving along this type of kurum, one should carefully monitor the position of the stones, load the edge closest to the slope, if possible, choose large, densely lying stones for restoring the legs.

4. stone covering:

Wet kurum.

Movement along the kurum in rainy, wet weather is difficult and the time spent on the stones should be minimized as much as possible. Do not make sudden movements, jumps, wide steps. Carefully monitor the setting of the foot on a flat surface or sharp horizontal angles. Avoid placing your feet on inclined surfaces.

Icy kurum.

In some years in autumn and in the first half of winter, a thin crust of ice can form on the kurum. This is usually associated with something like freezing rain, or with alternating thaws and frosts. It is extremely difficult and dangerous to move around the kurum covered with ice. It is necessary to use all 4 limbs, to be as careful and precise in movements as possible.

A separate unpleasant feature of an icy kurum is often the inability to determine it, before direct contact with it. The ice crust is very thin and transparent, dry stones can suddenly change to icy ones. Or the ice on the kurum can be powdered with snow.

Kurums are extremely difficult to pass in autumn and in the first half of winter. The snow covering the stones is not deep and has not yet had time to pack into pillows between the stones. Even if kurum looks like winter, this is a deceptive impression. Any step on the snow leads to a deep sinking between the stones. Under the snow covering the stones, it is difficult to find even surfaces and horizontal angles for a secure footing.

On such a kurum, not only travelers suffer, but also their skis, the probability of their breakdown increases significantly.

Covered with deep snow, winter kurum.

This type of kurum is relatively well passable on skis with skins, worse on snowshoes, even worse on foot. In contrast to the autumn snow cover, it is distinguished by well-established relatively dense snow plugs between the stones. Using them for movement, you can partially solve the problem associated with the difficulty of finding stone surfaces under the snow that are convenient for setting your foot.

When moving along a snowy kurum, you can use trekking poles not only as additional points of support, but also to search for hard surfaces under the snow. It is also convenient to use juniper thickets on the slopes of the mountains, dense flat thickets hold the foot well.

You should be careful when descending a snow-covered kurum, when descending, the force of impact on the snow increases significantly, which leads to frequent and deep failure. This is not only traumatic, but also energy-consuming.

Kurum covered with moss.

Moss-covered kurums are found in the forest shaded zone. Almost always, even on the driest and hottest days, the moss covering the stones is wet and the surface underneath is slippery, like on an ordinary wet kurum. The main danger of this kurum, in my opinion, is the effect of surprise. The dry, well-kept stone surface unexpectedly for the walker is replaced by slippery and wet, and literally disappears from under the feet.

An additional inconvenience is created by the fact that the irregularities of the stone are hidden by moss, and it is not always possible to understand where to place your foot securely. Also, the moss itself easily breaks off and slides underfoot.

If possible, moss-covered stones should be bypassed, they usually do not occupy large areas.

General information about kurums.

So, I have tried to present the information as fully as possible on the most typical species Kurums of the Southern Urals and their inherent dangers. There is a lot of information, and it is somewhat scattered, so I think it is not superfluous to once again dwell on some of the most important theses that you need to remember when moving along the kurums of the Southern Urals.

1. Dry kurum of medium size, the safest and most convenient for movement;

2. Wet kurum is evil;

3. The movement along the kurum must be smooth and continuous. The setting of the foot should be carried out taking into account the relief of the stones and exclude its slipping;

4. Any coating that hides the microrelief of stones and makes it difficult to determine the correct positioning of the foot is dangerous;

5. The descent along the kurum is always more dangerous than the ascent and leads to falls much more often;

6. Before going out to kurum, you need to check how your shoes hold;

7. It is necessary to carefully study the stones in front of you, predict "live" and, if possible, avoid them;

8. And most importantly, no texts will teach you how to safely walk on kurums and enjoy it. Only practice will allow you to achieve this. By learning to walk and run along the Kurums, you will acquire one of the most important skills needed for traveling in the Southern Urals.

2. Rocks

Despite the fact that the predominant form of relief of the Southern Urals is gentle kurum mountains, the issues of safe location on the rocks and the dangers associated with visiting them are quite relevant. Rocky relief in one form or another can be found on almost every peak of the High Southern Urals.

For myself, I single out 4 types of rocks in the Southern Urals.

1. Rock walls;

2. Separate rock massifs and remnants;

3. Rocky ridges on the tops of the Kurum mountains.

4. Rocky peaks.

All rocks, to a greater or lesser extent, carry two hazards:

- fall of a person from a height;

- falling stones from rocks on a person (rockfalls).

Let's consider each of them separately in relation to each type of rocks.

Rock walls.

1. Rock walls in the Southern Urals are mostly located in river valleys or on mountain slopes, reach a length of 5-6 kilometers and a height of more than 100 meters, some of the most notable of the frequently visited rocks:

– Rock Mambet (river Zilim)

– Eagle Rocks, Karatash Ridge. (River Small Inzer)

– Kalim-Uskan (Sikaza River)

– Kunai (Yumaguzinsky reservoir)

– Sakaska (Yumaguzinsky reservoir)

– Caps (Confluence of the Belaya and Inzer rivers)

and many others.

These rocks usually have a gentle foot ascent from the opposite wall part of the side, they are a favorite place for tourists to stop.

Rockfalls on the walls of the Southern Urals.

"Spontaneous" occurrences of rockfalls are quite rare, but fresh traces of chips on the rocks indicate that this danger cannot be completely neglected.

Much more dangerous stones break under the action of a person or with his direct help. Without touching on the issues of mountaineering or rock climbing, in which in most cases there is a descent from the walls of "live" stones, it can be noted that being under the frequently visited rocks, you need to be careful and carefully monitor what is happening above. The easy accessibility of the tops of the rocky walls and the low culture of behavior in the mountains of the mass tourist make it reasonable to worry about the stones deliberately thrown from above. Do not make long stops or camp directly under the rocks

As noted above, most rock walls have convenient safe approaches from the back wall part of the side. On the one hand, this makes visiting them safe, on the other hand, it significantly increases the tourist flow. When visiting such places, basic safety measures must be observed. Approaching the edge of the cliff, be careful and careful, do not make sudden movements, do not drop stones from the top, when setting up a camp at the top, do it away from the edge of the cliff.

Friends, do you remember the accident about the fall of a girl on Pink Rocks, on Inzer ???. Write to me if you have information about him, I think this is a very revealing fact.

Separate rock massifs and remnants.

A common landform in the High Southern Urals, most often found on ridges in the forest zone. It consists of isolated remnant rocks in the forest, circuses, small rocky ridges with vertical walls, not exceeding 20-30 meters in height.

Typical representatives of this landform:

– Rock City (Nara Ridge);

– Valley of Fairy Tales (Big Taganay Ridge);

- Remains of the Zigalga Ridge.

And many others.

Rockfalls on separate rocky massifs and remnants.

Climbing difficulties and the likelihood of falling from a height.

In most cases, isolated rock massifs and remnants have rocks that are difficult and dangerous for climbing from all sides. In winter, the unevenness of the rocky walls is covered with extensive snow caps, under which the relief is hard to read, there is sinter ice. It is necessary to be extremely careful when climbing such rocks.

Rocky ridges and rocks on the tops of the Kurum mountains.

Most of the kurum peaks of the Southern Urals are crowned with rocks of varying degrees of destruction. Basically they have two average forms:

- detached rocks and stones;

- ridges elongated in the direction of the ridge.

The height and complexity of the rocks varies in a wide range from a few meters to tens.

Rockfalls on rocky ridges and rocks on the tops of the Kurum mountains.

These rocks usually have a well-established rock structure, and spontaneous rockfalls are extremely rare, the most dangerous is the descent of living stones on oneself in the process of climbing rocks. It is necessary to carefully and accurately choose the path of lifting, check the stones before loading them.

Climbing difficulties and the likelihood of falling from a height.

In most cases, these rocks and ridges have safe and convenient climbing routes, often one of the sides of the rock ridges is more gentle. It is necessary to carefully examine the peak from all sides and choose the appropriate path of ascent.

Rocky peaks of the Southern Urals

A rare form of relief, the peaks have a rocky shape and a considerable height.

You can select such vertices as:

Mount Otkliknoy ridge (1155 m) (Big Taganay ridge);

Mount Indian (1066) (Mayardak Range);

Friends, do you think it is necessary to single out such peaks in a separate category ??? I was able to remember two vertices “offhand”, maybe there is something else?

Rockfalls on the rocky peaks of the Southern Urals

These rocks usually have a well-established rock structure, and spontaneous rockfalls are extremely rare, the most dangerous is the descent of living stones on oneself in the process of climbing rocks. It is necessary to carefully and accurately choose the path of lifting, check the stones before loading them.

Difficulty climbing, and the likelihood of falling from a height.

Climbing to the summit may require special equipment and climbing/mountaineering skills.

General information on the dangers on the rocks of the Southern Urals

The relief and structure of the rocks in the Southern Urals determine the low probability of spontaneous rockfalls.

The main danger when climbing rocks are "live stones" that move under load. To prevent accidents related to falling stones on people, safety measures must be observed. Check stones before loading. Do not load or pull the stones if you have doubts about their reliability. On steep earthen slopes, make sure that stones do not fall from under your feet on people walking below. Don't throw rocks off rocks.

Most of the rocks of the Southern Urals, with the exception of some towers and remnants, have safe and convenient climbing routes. When choosing a route to the top, you need to soberly assess your capabilities and always remember that descending from a cliff without using climbing equipment is in most cases more dangerous and more difficult than climbing.

This type of dangerous terrain can come as a surprise to an inexperienced traveler. Everyone knows and remembers rocks, kurums, bears, but not everyone can soberly assess and predict the danger posed by a steep grassy slope that is wet or covered with a thin layer of snow.

In the dry season, such slopes are not dangerous, but in wet weather the grass becomes extremely slippery, when falling on such a slope it is difficult to stop sliding down, and if the fate is that some slopes reach hundreds of meters in length and have rock outcrops, a fall on such a slope can have the saddest consequences.

In the high part of the Southern Urals, the most dangerous and pronounced places with grassy slopes are the ridges of Kraka, Akbiik, and Surtandy.

Also, slopes of this kind are widely represented on separate peaks of the eastern and southern edges of the Southern Urals.

The Karamuruntau Ridge - the southwest of the Southern Urals

When driving on a wet grassy slope, care must be taken, if possible, avoid slope traverses, move along the ridge. Use trekking poles, in case of a fall, actively “linger on the slope”

Now I will give a small list of the peaks of the Southern Urals, when planning to climb them in winter and especially in the first half of spring cats must be taken.

Mount Big Yamantau (1640 meters);

Mount Big Shelom (1427 meters) - eastern and northern slopes;

Mount Belfry (1354 meters).

This list includes peaks that are guaranteed to be covered in winter with a dense crust, and in spring also with an ice crust, which have steep, long slopes.

When planning winter routes to these peaks, this factor must be taken into account.

However, it should be noted that the list is far from exhaustive, many peaks of the Southern Urals at different times of winter and spring have separate sections of slopes covered with dense crust and ice crust, and this should be remembered when traveling in the Southern Urals.

A characteristic feature for such slopes is an increase in the density and hardness of the crust with its subsequent transition to ice areas as the height of the rise increases.
In parallel with this, it increases with the length of the probable uncontrolled sliding down the slope in the event of a fall.

The realization that it is necessary to stop the rise often comes late, lulled by the unusual nature of this type of danger for the Southern Urals.

The descent down on an icy slope is much more difficult and dangerous than the ascent.

Using the lightest cats allows you to overcome such slopes without much difficulty. However, it should be remembered that walking in cats is a skill that must be worked out in advance.

In the case of overcoming a slope covered with crust and ice without crampons, it is necessary to monitor its density and steepness. Stop lifting immediately if a significant increase is felt. In most cases, by changing the exposure of the slope, safer climb lines can be found.

If possible, keep to the exits of stones and rocks, in case of slipping they will allow you to linger on the slope.

Remove the hands from the cracker poles, shorten their length and be ready to intercept them at the base for more effective driving into the slope.

Do not make sudden movements, do not rush, have at any moment of movement three points of support arm-arm-leg.

If possible, exclude movement to the side, beat the steps with your feet vertically upwards.

To descend from the summit, find a gentler and less dense slope, as the likelihood of slipping and uncontrolled sliding down the slope during the descent is greatly increased.

If this is not possible, descend to the elephant facing forward, using the traces of the ascent.

4. Avalanche danger in the Southern Urals

Firstly, everyone knows that there is no avalanche danger in the South Urals.

Secondly, not everyone, but many know that avalanche danger does not equal zero where 2 factors are combined:

- the presence of snow

– the presence of any extended sloping landforms.

Thirdly, rare, but from year to year in the South Urals avalanche incidents occur, and this suggests that the problem avalanche safety is relevant for our mountainous region, and it must be remembered when going to the mountains of the Southern Urals.

The opinion that the avalanche danger in the Southern Urals is low or completely absent and there is no need to be afraid of it has developed for completely understandable and logical reasons. Most tourists visiting our mountains never encounter avalanche manifestations during their active hiking life.

The factors that reduce the risk of avalanche formation in the mountains of the Southern Urals include:

one . Significant forest cover. The height of the forest cover in the Southern Urals reaches 1200 meters, which exceeds the height of the vast majority of peaks. Taiga on the slopes of the mountains reliably keeps snow masses from coming off;

2. Curum structure of bald peaks. In the high part of the Southern Urals, most of the peaks - bald mountains, are covered with kurums of various sizes. These stone placers securely hold the snow mass on the slope and are rarely completely covered with snow;

3. Stability low temperatures during the cold, winter period;

4. Unpopularity of traveling in the mountains of the Southern Urals in the spring months, when significant temperature fluctuations from plus to minus are not uncommon during the day;

5. Non-prevalence of circuses, couloirs and other relief elements accumulating snow masses.

However, in recent times, with the growing popularity of off-piste skiing, the development of ski touring, climate change and the expansion of the geography of hiking in the Southern Urals, the risk of avalanche incidents is increasing.

The places and causes of avalanches in the Southern Urals are typical - they are tied to the relief and weather.

So, to the avalanche-prone relief in the Southern Urals, first of all, it should be attributed to the area with heavily crossed open grassy slopes.

Having analyzed famous cases avalanche incidents, three regions in the Southern Urals can be distinguished, in which the occurrence of avalanche situations is most likely.

District 1

Ridges Adzhigardak, Sparrow Mountains (surroundings of the cities of Asha, Minyar, Sim)

This area is characterized by a strongly indented relief, with deep valleys, open treeless, grassy slopes. Its location on the western side of the Ural Mountains contributes to abundant snowfall.

Also of no small importance is the popularity of these territories for off-piste skiing and snowboarding, and snowmobiles. Almost every year, avalanche incidents occur in these areas.

In the area of ​​the Asha-Kropachevo railway section, 3 avalanches descended during the day. As a result of the first avalanche, the passenger train No. 73 "Novosibirsk-Voronezh".

Origin of an avalanche
Avalanche drift blocked the Sim River

Photos provided by the rescuer of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Alexei Sharipov. Full album

And they are a typical component of local landscapes. In Siberia they are called kurums. Under this name they entered the scientific literature.

A scattering of large debris moving from top to bottom down the slope at an average speed of 50 cm per year. Kurum formation processes are common for mountains composed of sandstones, granites, basalts and other hard rocks. Often kurums are found at the foot of steep rocky cliffs or in zones of tectonic faults. Outwardly, the kurum resembles a frozen stone stream, in which waves from large fragments are visible on the surface, and the hollows are composed of fine earth. Its edges are framed by low ridges consisting of medium-sized fragments.

The mechanism of movement of kurums is simple. The collapse at the foot of the rocks leads to the accumulation of slope debris. During demolition, part of the large debris is destroyed to the size of rubble. Once on the slope, the debris is quickly weathered. For example, in just 5-6 years, large rubble breaks up into small fragments. Weathered fine earth is washed off the surface of the debris and brought into the lower kurums, creating a lower horizon of "lubrication" along which large and medium-sized blocks move. In this case, the debris is erased to the state of sand.

The movement of large blocks up to several meters in size is slow and is caused by both gravitational and permafrost processes. The unstable position of swaying boulders testifies to the movement of kurums. Kurums, like glaciers, slide down from the flat tops of the ridges and often reach the bottom of the valleys.

And river valleys have always been the subject special attention researchers and builders: people settled here, dwellings were built, roads were laid. Back in 1899, Professor A. Zupan noted that the process of formation of a mountain valley is long and intermittent. The valley is formed over millions of years, and its different parts develop differently. “Mountain streams emerging from steep side valleys deposit almost all of their material in the form of alluvial fans as they enter the flatter main valley. Tributaries carrying suspended material to their mouth meet backwater here and are forced to deposit material at the confluence. In , moving along the river valley from its mouth to the upper reaches, you can see how a well-terraced and wide valley gradually narrows, and sometimes turns into a narrow canyon, behind which, even upstream, a very wide valley appears, without the slightest sign of terraces. A tiny stream flows along the bottom of the valleys, incommensurable in size with the valley through which it flows. In the mountains one can often see very ancient river valleys with an abundance of alluvial clastic material. The age of ancient alluvium in them reaches 4 - 5 million years.

Fragments of rocks slowly move towards the rivers and fall into the stream, where the conditions of their movement change dramatically. Getting into such a stream, they are transferred to tens and hundreds of kilometers. The flow sorts debris by size and weight, accumulates in some places and erodes in others. Gradually, the fragments are rounded, their surface becomes smooth. In mountain rivers, one can see well-rounded pebbles and boulders, between which sand and gravel lie, in the channels of lowland rivers - sand, gravel and clay particles. The deposits formed by the river flow are called alluvial, or - in short - alluvium.

Kurumma(ancient Turkic gorum - "rocky placers", "heaps of sharp stones", "fragments of rocks") - a term used by physical geography, geology and geomorphology; has two meanings:

1) local, limited in three-dimensional space, accumulations of stone acute-angled boulders, formed in a natural way, having the form of a closed undivided cover on the daytime surface of the earth;

2) a view of the earth's surface of a complex structure, - kurumland, which is a closed group of large boulders with sharp broken edges, located on an undivided underlying surface of various inclinations and having the ability to move. It has its own microclimate, hydrology, flora and fauna.

Distinctive features of kurum: these are usually large blocks - statistically sizes have not yet been determined, but usually from a few cm in small diameter to 1-2 m, having the appearance of freshly broken, but never rounded, in motion when colliding with each other and rubbing against the underlying surface can acquire a very slight roundness, merge with each other, forming groups ranging from several blocks to tens of thousands or more. Kurum can occupy an area from a few m² in projection onto the underlying surface to colossal "fields" or "stone seas". In some regions of the Earth, kurums completely cover the entire area with a stone cover, forming a peculiar, unlike anything, so-called "day surface".

Kurums are formed where solid rocks come to the surface. Most often these are mountainous regions or plateaus of all continents. Kurums are usually formed during the destruction of various types of limestones, crystalline schists, granites, gneisses, basalts, dolerites, sandstones, quartzites, amphibolites, diabases, porphyrites, vitroclastic tuffs.

One of the first to point out the genesis or origin of the Kurums was the Russian military geographer of Belarusian origin N.M. Przhevalsky; he believed that kurums are formed as a result of the destruction of rocky rocks due to uneven heating and cooling, where the amplitude of day and night temperatures is large. It is also obvious that kurum formation is more intense in spring and autumn for the same reasons. It is possible that cracking of rocks can occur when cold rain pours down on the heated surface of the rocks.

Initially, undivided "parent" rocks serve as the initial material for the formation of stone units or blocks. The place where kurums form is sometimes called the "nourishing area" of the kurum. Over time, the kurum can grow, increasing in size, move along the underlying surface and occupy an ever larger area. The advancing leading edge of the moving mass of closed large-clastic blocks is called the “kurum front”, its lateral margins are called “flanks”, and the area where the kurum originates and from where it began its movement is called the “kurum rear”. There are usually no kurums on the flat tops of the mountains, but their slopes are often abundantly covered with a continuous layer of large stone fragments.

A number of observations show that kurums buried earlier in the thickness of loose deposits may reappear on the day surface for various reasons.

Kurums can supply detrital stone material for moraines of various genesis, mudflows, slope screes, form rapids in rivers and streams, or generally block up their channels. The presence of kurums, their ability to move must be taken into account in the construction of various structures. Therefore, kurums and their properties are studied by engineering geology and geomorphology. In general, the process of kurum formation and the movement of kurum stone masses down the slope leads to leveling of the relief and a decrease in its absolute height. Kurums are a product of the destruction of "parent" rocks, which is a process of destruction of rock masses and leads to denudation of the relief.

Inattentive researchers sometimes confuse kurums with moraines of various origins, wasps, stopped mudflows, scree and other forms of detrital and other covers composed of stone fragments. Sometimes kurums form long ribbons on the slopes of mountains, when the width of such a "stream" is less than its length, and then such formations are called "stone rivers". The depth or thickness of the cover, consisting of blocks, is different, but not too great. Crushed stone, gruss and other small fragments are usually destroyed, washed down by water down the slope, exposing the voids between the blocks. For small animals, kurums provide shelter from more large predators. It is extremely difficult for large animals, horses and humans to move along the surface of the kurum, and sometimes it is simply impossible.

Kurumnik in winter under snow in the Urals (Taganai Ridge)

Stone River in the Falkland Islands

Swietokrzyskie mountains, Poland

Mallorca

Kurums(Old Turkic qorum"stone placers, fragments of rocks, boulders") - a term used by physical geography, geology and geomorphology; has two meanings:

1. local, limited in three-dimensional space, accumulations of stone acute-angled boulders, formed in a natural way, having the appearance of a closed undivided cover on the daytime surface of the earth;
2. a type of the earth's surface of a complex structure, - kurumland, - which is a closed group of large boulders with sharp broken edges, located on an undivided underlying surface of various slopes and having the ability to move. It has its own microclimate, hydrology, flora and fauna.

The leading scientific center for the study of kurums in the Russian Federation is Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Term

The term is widespread in many areas of Asia. Firmly entrenched in the world geographical literature and cartography in the title mountain system Karakorum or Karakurum, which means from the ancient Turkic "black stone, black rock".

The Russian geologist Ya. A. Makerov introduced the term kurum into scientific circulation in Russian to refer to vast coarse-clastic stone placers in his monograph “Upland terraces of Siberia and their origin” (1913). The term is firmly established in a number of other languages. However, in the Russian scientific literature, a large number of synonyms for the word "kurum" are used - "scree", "stone placer", "stone plume", "detrital accumulations", "blocky placer", "kurum field", "stone river", " stone sea", "stone glacier", "moving stream of rubble", "kurumnik", "collapses of stone blocks". The Russian researcher A.F. Glazovsky cites information that in a number of mountainous regions of Altai and Sayan this natural phenomenon is called "uronics".

Peculiarities

Distinctive features of kurum: these are usually large blocks - statistically sizes have not yet been determined, but usually from a few centimeters in small diameter to 1-2 m, having the appearance of freshly broken, but never rounded, in motion when colliding with each other and rubbing against the underlying surface can acquire a very slight roundness, merge with each other, forming groups ranging from several blocks to tens of thousands or more. Kurum can occupy an area from a few m² in projection onto the underlying surface to colossal "fields" or "stone seas". In some regions of the Earth, kurums completely cover the entire area with a stone cover, forming a kind of so-called "day surface" that is unlike anything else.

Kurums must be distinguished from crushed stone and gruss placers, which are composed of fine detrital material - crushed stone and gruss.

Kurums are formed where solid rocks come to the surface. Most often these are mountainous regions or plateaus of all continents. Kurums are usually formed during the destruction of various types of limestones, crystalline schists, granites, gneisses, basalts, dolerites, sandstones, quartzites, amphibolites, diabases, porphyrites, vitroclastic tuffs.

Origin

One of the first to point out the genesis of kurums was the Russian geographer N. M. Przhevalsky; he believed that kurums are formed as a result of the destruction of rocky rocks due to uneven heating and cooling where the amplitude of day and night temperatures is large. It is also obvious that kurum formation is more intense in spring and autumn for the same reasons. It is possible that cracking of rocks can occur when cold rain pours down on the heated surface of the rocks.

There are several natural areas formations of kurums, all of which have a harsh nival climate: the Arctic, the Antarctic and the polar and subpolar regions adjacent to them, the subnival and nival or “cold” belt of mountains, zones of winter anticyclones. So, in the zone of the winter Siberian anticyclone, usually from mid-autumn all winter and part of spring there is clear sunny weather with the lowest surface air temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth. This is an area of ​​wide distribution of kurums, which indicates frosty weathering of rocks protruding onto the day surface.

The distribution of kurums over the surface of the Earth is extremely uneven. There are areas where kurums are the predominant type of the earth's surface, in other places they are only "spots" in the relief, somewhere kurums are not found at all, and this is the mystery of modern geomorphology. The genesis of kurums, and hence the geography of their distribution, is obviously a consequence a large number various factors: lithology, climate, exposure of slopes, absolute height of the area and others. So in the Tien Shan and Gissar-Alai, kurums are not the predominant type of surface; in the Vitim River basin, kurums occupy extremely large areas.

The question of the genesis of kurums is the subject of scientific discussions, and the opinions of researchers differ. According to existing data, kurums can generally be classified into three groups:

• relic kurums left in the relief from past eras;
• "young" kurums formed in the era of the last continental glaciations;
• kurums that are currently being formed.

Initially undivided "parent" rocks serve as the initial material for the formation of stone units or blocks. The place where kurums form is sometimes referred to as the "nourishing area" of the kurum. Over time, kurum can grow, increasing in size, move along the underlying surface and occupy an ever larger area. The advancing leading edge of the moving mass of closed large-clastic blocks is called the “kurum front”, its lateral margins are called “flanks”, and the area where the kurum originates and from where it began its movement is called the “kurum rear”. There are usually no kurums on the flat tops of the mountains, but their slopes are often abundantly covered with a continuous layer of large stone fragments.

A number of observations show that kurums, buried earlier in the thickness of loose deposits, may reappear on the day surface for various reasons.

Kurums can supply detrital stone material for moraines of various genesis, mudflows, slope talus, form rapids in rivers and streams, or generally block up their channels. The presence of kurums, their ability to move must be taken into account in the construction of various structures. Therefore, kurums and their properties are studied by engineering geology and geomorphology.

In general, the process of kurum formation and the movement of kurum stone masses down the slope leads to leveling of the relief and a decrease in its absolute height. Kurums are a product of the destruction of "parent" rocks, which is a process of destruction of rock masses and leads to denudation of the relief.

Kurums are sometimes confused with moraines of various origins, wasps, stopped mudflows, screes and other forms of detrital and other covers composed of stone fragments. Sometimes kurums form long ribbons on the slopes of mountains, when the width of such a “stream” is less than its length, and then such formations are called “stone rivers”. The depth or thickness of the cover, consisting of blocks, is different, but not too great. Crushed stone, gruss and other small fragments are usually destroyed, washed down by water down the slope, exposing the voids between the blocks. For small animals, kurums provide shelter from larger predators. It is extremely difficult for large animals, horses and humans to move along the surface of the kurum, and sometimes it is simply impossible.

Observations and experiments show that many kurums move, usually down the slopes of mountains. Sometimes this is a slow movement, sometimes it is catastrophically fast, as, for example, during an earthquake. Cases of the movement of kurums with a terrible roar in winter in the mountains of the north of Eastern Siberia are described. In their movement, kurums can cut off the soil cover, destroy vegetation, change the living conditions of animals, the hydrological regime and atmospheric processes in the surface layer.

An immovable kurum is called "dead" or "sleeping". An immovable kurum tends to be covered with various types of vegetation and is inhabited by certain types of animals, which the kurum provides the opportunity to arrange burrows and shelters, as well as naturally protected communication passages.

Kurum has its own microclimate, which is determined by its morphometry, location, and the flora and fauna inhabiting it. According to the Russian geomorphologist Yu. G. Simonov in Eastern Siberia the depth of penetration of daily temperatures into the “body” of kurum is on average 0.4 m.

Sometimes kurums are completely covered with mosses and other vegetation, which completely masks them. By virtue of their architectonics, kurums have their own very specific properties: for example, ice and firn can be preserved year-round in the “body” of a kurum; it is obvious that they do not penetrate inside the "thick" kurum Sun rays, it is not blown inside by warm winds and is a cold accumulator. Sometimes kurums “armor” the underlying rocks, and “spots” of permafrost form under the kurums in a nival climate. From the melting of snow and firn in the "body" of the kurum, temporary, and sometimes permanent ones are formed, changing only the volume of runoff depending on the time of day and year, water flows, invisible from the surface, but clearly audible. Merging, such streams down the slopes of the mountains come to the surface and form real streams and even rivers that form their own channels. Kurums also in some regions have the ability to accumulate atmospheric moisture in their “body” and, to the surprise of travelers, one can find pools of water and streams even near the tops of mountains. Hydrogeology has not yet been able to reliably take into account the water balance, taking into account the "kurum" waters. In Buryatia and the Chita region, according to the Russian hydrogeologist N. A. Velmina, up to 20% of groundwater is formed due to condensation of atmospheric moisture in kurums. This feature of the covers, composed of clastic rocks, has been used by the civilizations of Asia since ancient times. So, in some areas, creating an artificial cover of rock fragments around trees, a person completely satisfied the plant with the necessary moisture and watering was not required! This agricultural technique was widely used by the inhabitants of the Crimea. There is also an amazing way of "creating" artificial streams in desert areas, namely: an extended trough is made on an inclined rocky or clay surface and then pyramids of stones are stacked along its entire length; atmospheric moisture passes from gaseous to liquid state on the surface of the stone, flows down and forms a real stream of fresh water.

Kurums, without using the real term, were described by many geographers and travelers of all times and peoples. One of the first kurums on the slope of the Munku-Sardyk mountain range in the Eastern Sayan mountains was marked on his map by the Russian geologist and geographer S.P. Peretolchin in his monograph “Glaciers of the Munku-Sardyk Ridge”. Since the 20th century, on Russian topographic maps and other engineering and geological documentation, kurums have been marked with a special symbol.

Kurumniki, that is, stone rivers or stone fields, many have seen, but not all comprehended, and many of you, I'm sure, more than once, to your annoyance, confused them with moraines of various origins, wasps, stopped mudflows, screes and other forms of detrital and other covers , composed of stone fragments. Among my readers, I suspect (although I don’t want to believe it), there are even those for whom kurumnik is just piled stones.

The essence of the kurumnik, according to scientists, is quite simple and is as follows: as a rule, they are large blocks (statistically the sizes are not determined in the literature, but usually from a few cm in a small diameter to 1-2 m), with sharp broken edges, but never rounded (in motion when colliding with each other and rubbing against the underlying surface, they can acquire a very slight roundness), merge with each other, forming groups ranging from several blocks to tens of thousands or more. Kurumnik can occupy an area from several square meters to colossal fields or "stone seas". In some regions of the Earth, kurumniks completely cover the entire area with a stone cover, forming a kind of day surface that is unlike anything else.

Kurumniki are usually inhabited by complexes certain types small animals to which they provide shelter from larger predators - a whole labyrinth of naturally protected communicating passages. For large animals, with some exceptions such as the wolverine, it is extremely difficult, and sometimes simply impossible, to move along the surface of the kurumnik. As for people, when they meet kurumniks, they are immediately and usually forever divided into two varieties: some deftly step from block to block, as if running along a horizontal ladder, others step between boulders, climbing over each or trying to get around - for them the kurumnik becomes a chain obstacles, and even one such cliché-legged motley in a group walking along the kurumnik is a real torment for the rest.

Kurumniki are formed where solid rocks come to the surface. Most often these are mountainous regions or plateaus of all continents. One of the first to think about the origin of kurumniks was N.M. Przhevalsky thought that they are formed as a result of the destruction of rocks due to uneven heating and cooling where the amplitude of day and night temperatures is large, and noted that kurum formation is more intense in spring and autumn for the same reasons. Perhaps, Nikolai Mikhalych continued his thought, cracking of rocks can occur when cold rain pours on the heated surface of the rocks.

We, sitting on a heap of knowledge accumulated since the time of Przhevalsky, will note from a height that the heating of rocks during the day in spring and autumn in areas of ordinary kurum formation is not so great that it hisses from rain, but the phase transition - the transformation of water into ice and vice versa - occurs in off-season regularly, sometimes several times a day. Expanding during freezing, the water that has penetrated the cracks of the rocky monolith gradually crushes it into separate blocks, but it - by millimeters and fractions of a millimeter at a time - over the years turns, moves the blocks and piles them on top of each other. All this is called frost weathering. At the same time, crushed stone, gruss and other small fragments usually fall between large blocks and are washed down the slope with water, exposing the voids between the blocks - here is a kurumnik for you.

Over time, the kurumnik can grow, increasing in size, gradually moving along the underlying surface and occupying an ever larger area. Sometimes kurumniks form long ribbons on the slopes of mountains; when the width of such "streams" is less than their length, they are called stone rivers. Such rivers can slowly (or not slowly - for example, during earthquakes) move down the slope; cases of the movement of kurumniks with a terrible roar in winter in the mountains of the north of Eastern Siberia are described. Or they may not move - such a kurumnik is called dead or sleeping.

Sleeping kurumniks are sometimes covered with vegetation: at first, the blocks are inhabited by lichens. By releasing acid, they receive minerals directly from the stone and form roughness and an organic film on it, on which moss manages to settle in favorable places. And where the moss is, the primary soil formation begins there: the green pillow allows the seeds to gain a foothold and germinate higher plants, a fertile layer accumulates and the kurumnik hides from the eyes. And sometimes, on the contrary, relic kurumniks buried for hundreds and even millions of years in the thickness of loose deposits, due to erosion or weathering, can reappear on the day surface - even in those places where today the climate is completely unsuitable for their formation.

Stone rivers and seas are not deep - the thickness of the layer of boulders is usually no more than a few meters - however, they have their own, different from the surrounding area, microclimate, hydrology, flora and fauna. According to Russian geomorphologists, in Eastern Siberia, the depth of penetration of fluctuations in daily temperatures into the body of a kurumnik does not exceed 0.5 m on average: the sun's rays do not penetrate inside, it is not blown inside warm winds and is a cold accumulator; ice and firn can be stored there all year round.

Sometimes permafrost patches form under kurumniks in temperate climates. From the melting of snow and firn in the bowels of the kurumnik, temporary or permanent ones are formed, changing only the volume of runoff depending on the time of day and year, water flows that are not visible from the surface, but clearly audible. Merging, such streams down the slopes of the mountains come to the surface and form real streams and even rivers that form their own channels. Kurumniks, even in dry regions, have the ability to accumulate atmospheric moisture in their bodies, and surprised travelers can find puddles of water and streams even near the tops of mountains.

Until now, hydrogeologists have not been able to accurately take into account the water balance, taking into account the "kurum" waters; in some places, up to 20% of groundwater is formed due to the condensation of atmospheric moisture in kurumniks. This feature has been used since ancient times by the civilizations of Asia and the inhabitants of the Crimea - in some areas, creating an artificial cover from rock fragments around trees, the gardener completely satisfied the plant with the necessary moisture and watering was not required! There is also a wonderful way to create artificial streams in desert areas: an extended trench is made on an inclined rocky or clay surface and then pyramids of stones are laid along its entire length; atmospheric moisture condenses on the surface of the stone, flows down and forms a real stream of fresh water.