French babugan road. Babugan-yayla

Babugan is the highest Crimean yayla. It contains almost all one and a half thousand peaks of Crimea and, of course, the “Roof of Crimea” - Roman-Kosh 1545m. All plateaus and adjacent northern spurs are located on the territory of the KPZ (Crimean Natural Reserve). Ever since the reign of the Romanovs, these places have been used for royal hunting, today's kings also like to shoot here and drink vodka, and this is one of the reasons for the commandment.

It is from the north that we are going to climb Babugan. In November, the day is short, and we have to walk quite a lot, so we persuade a friend (he did not resist very much) to take us to the border of the reserve in the village of Rozovoe. But it so happened that the gates of the bullpen turned out to be open and we impudently drove to the turn to the Ulu-Uzen cordon. While we are repacking, a “local” UAZ is passing by on the road, but, apparently, the guys have more important things to do than set the true insolent tourists on the path and the UAZ is hiding around the corner. So, at 8 am we start, from the turn to the cordon.

We go around the foresters' nesting place on the left, somewhere below, having heard us, a dog barks.

The thought flashes of going down to the riverbed and seeing the Spear waterfall, but given the upcoming long transition - today we want to climb the plateau and spend the night somewhere above - and for a short day we decide that we will return to the Spear in the spring, and today we immediately go to another Golovkinsky waterfall, called in honor of the famous geologist, hydrogeologist, explorer of the Crimean land and founder of the Professor's Corner - Nikolai Alekseevich Golovkinsky. In autumn, the waterfall, although not watery, is beautiful in its own way.

10 minutes to photograph and we move on. It's already 9-50, and we haven't actually started to climb yet, although almost all the time we were going up with a slight slope. In 10 minutes we come to another attraction of Ulu-Uzen - to the Cascades. A series of waterfalls and waterfalls over a hundred meters long. As for me, the Cascades are much more beautiful than the Golovkinsky waterfall.

The upper waterfall of the cascade is the highest

But this one - I called it "waterfall under the yew" I liked the most, there is something unusual in it

In general, yew berry is often found in these places. Soon the trail passes to the right (orographically) bank and rises up. Here it is necessary to collect water for all the upcoming two days of the journey. There will be another source a little higher, but we do not count on it - it will go down too far if it turns out to be dry. We collect 5 liters per person - this is a little with a margin, but as they say - it's better to overdo it than underdo it.

Time 11-00. Soon a really steep ascent begins along a path slightly visible in the foliage. I must say that the fallen leaves do not add to the comfort of movement when lifting. But soon the first part of the ascent was passed and we ran into a rocky wall. To the right there is a path to one of the sources of Ulu-Uzen - Ber-Ber-Bogaz-Chokrak. A murmur is heard, which means that it was possible to draw water here, but oh well. We start bypassing the cliff to the left. After 50 meters there is a gap through which you can climb the rock. In principle, nothing complicated, but a little dumb. Max climbs into the gap, and we go another 50 meters to the left. Here, too, there is a window in the rocks and you have to climb a very loose slope. Hard. You have to practically crawl, but there is no fear of falling off the cliff, as in the first version of the ascent. True, you have to dodge the stones lowered in front of you.Finallyclimbed out along the sypukha to the viewing platform. Recovered their breath. A good place for a small parking lot with a great view, you should take the coordinates. I go into my bag GPS , or rather, I’m going to climb into it and I understand that I don’t have a waist bag with a device, a telephone, money. :(I remember that the last time I filmed the branch point of the path to the source. Well, yes, most likely the bag fell off when I rowed "on four" on the loose. What to do? We must return. I leave the ryuk at the top and go down to the very sypuha. It descends quite steeply for another two hundred meters, or even more. I understand that the purse is most likely somewhere there, but first I decide to check the less likely, but simpler option, that is, carefully look at that hundred-meter section from the beginning of the bypass of the rock to the break with the loose rock. The handbag, as it should be, is of a protective color, but now I never like this protection. But in the bag there is a switched on phone and friends constantly call him, since there is a connection there. Having combed the area twice, I return to the loose-leaf, more and more clearly realizing that I will have to go down it, or rather far down, and then, of course, crawl upward along it in any outcome - after all, friends and ryuk are at the top. But suddenly I hear a subtle magic melody Nokia Tune ! The handbag lies securely hidden in the foliage and protected by its coloring. I take out my phone, thank you for the call, and get back up. It’s much easier to climb the loose-leaf without a backpack, I join my friends who, in the half hour that I spent searching, re-photographed everything that was within sight.

I hide the bag in my backpack - well, her! Moreover, Andrey promises another thirty-meter screed.

Then we crawl, clinging with our hands and feet to everything that we cling to, our feet do not hold on to the foliage.

Then it seemed to me that the path goes to the right side of the ravine, but for some reason we go to the left. However, it’s hard to climb everywhere, the legs constantly slip through the foliage, thus “lengthening the climb”, the muscles are tired, the backpack pulls back. But be that as it may, we climb the Konek ridge in a place with such a landmark

We go to the Royal glades. Time 14-10. Great place!

Here we had planned a snack, but given the fatigue and short daylight hours, a difficult decision was made to spend the night here in the clearings. And in order to compensate for the lost time, we will wake up not at the call of the heart, but at the sound of an alarm clock at 5-30 in the morning.

Knowing that there was no water in the meadows for dinner, food was prepared in advance that did not require water for cooking. Well, of course it's barbecue!

Well, very tasty!

The night was unexpectedly warm, as for the middle of November and the altitude of 1080m. The thermometer showed about + 9C, no one was cold in a single-layer tent. We wake up as planned at 5-30 and around 6 in the morning everyone is already getting out of the tent. Dawn breaks

I've never woken up so early on a hike, there's something in that, but I'd rather get another hour and a half of sleep. However, I look quite fresh.

We have a snack “what God sent”, we boil tea twice, we break camp. All this took us 1.5 hours. At 7:30 we are ready to start.

At first, the rise is quite gentle, in some places it is even a traverse

Then it becomes more steep, walking on the stones, like stairs, is much more convenient than walking on fallen leaves, like yesterday.

And already at 8-20 the rise flattens out and we reach the plateau

Sasha is our main photographer. He has the largest lens, a special bag and a kilo of spare batteries. Most of the photos in this account are his

Here, at the end of the ascent along the Konyok, there are flat clearings for tents, several fireplaces, firewood - in general, you can spend the night, although not as kosher as on Tsarskie.

Our main goal on Babugan, and, probably, the whole trip, is Roman-Kosh - the peak of the Crimea. You can go South and go to the road that crosses the plateau along and go along it to the gas distribution station (Max said some clever name for it, but I don’t remember), and it’s not far from it to the Republic of Kazakhstan. But we decided to go along the northern spurs of the yayla - it's so beautiful. In general, Babugan made the most pleasant impression on me and seemed to me the most beautiful of all Crimean yayla (Maybe because we were lucky with the weather), although each has something of its own, unique.

And here is the beginning of the descent of Gavriel-Bogaz to the Cosmo-Damianovsky Monastery - “marked” with a wooden column

Soon we climb to the top of 1506 to take a look around. From here you can see the destination of our journey.

Approximately half way from peak 1506 to peak 1512 there is a watering place.

There was no rain for two weeks, but there is still water. Previously, when cattle were grazing on the yayla, there were many such watering places (hollows), but now wild animals use those that remain.

Soon we again go out to the northern cliffs and along them along the path we continue to move towards the goal.

Machin river basin - one of the sources of Kacha.

Basman. According to one of the legends, the “Golden Cradle” is stored in its caves.

And here is Roman-Kosh in person

The last climb and we are on the "roof of Crimea"

In the distance you can see the Arbor of the Winds and near it there are 5 sightseeing buses, not counting cars.

Well, we sit down to dine and sunbathe. The sun is not warm at all in November.

Here we meet the only tourists in two days of hiking. Two guys and a girl from Kaliningrad. With them a dog - attached in the New World and so it goes. They still have to go to Laspi, and we only have to go down. We reach the gas station and further down to the Gurzuf Saddle. Ayu-Dag looms far below

Last thing group photo on the saddle

And we begin the descent, first along the road, then we cut off where possible. As a result, having dropped about 1300m of height, we leave not far from Gurzuf, although initially we wanted to go down to Krasnokamenka. Well, okay, and it worked out so well.

Well, such a short two-day hike gave the basis for such a long, as for me, photo report. We often envy those who can go to the mountains for 5-10 days, and we, the Crimeans, are envied because we can go to the mountains at least every weekend. True, there is an opinion that trips for 2-3 days are not hikes at all, but this is all garbage also from envy. Well, I don't dare to say that we weren't on a hike. The main thing is not the format, the main thing is Mood and Company.

Crimea is like a Mecca for a hiker. Some of its paths are ready to accept even children into their hospitable arms, after all, the younger generation should get used to the beautiful. And some routes require considerable skill, endurance, experience. Babugan Yayla is just such a place. Hiking there is considered difficult, you need to carefully prepare for them, choosing the right shoes and clothes, paying attention to the weight of the backpack and stocking up on everything you need in advance.

origin of name

As you might guess, the colorful name has Tatar roots, however, like many Crimean toponyms. Linguists say that the word "babugan" is translated as "wolfberry". Well, Yayla means that we are talking not about one mountain, but about a whole massif, about a huge plateau. By and large, the Yaila can be characterized as a steppe at a high altitude.

Location

Babugan Yayla is the westernmost massif of the Main Mountain Range of the Crimean Peninsula. Other massifs are located nearby, bordering each other through passes. For example, Babugan is separated from the Gurzuf yaila by the Gurzuf saddle pass, the Kibit pass from the Chatyr-Dag massif, and the Chuchelsky pass connects Babugan with the Sinap-Dag ridge.

Record numbers

Babugan Yayla (Crimea) is famous for its "one and a half thousand" peaks, the height of which exceeds one and a half kilometers. The highest of them is Mount Roman-Kosh, the top of which reaches 1545 m above sea level. This makes her not only highest mountain array, but throughout the peninsula.

Other famous peaks are no less attractive for mountain lovers: Zeytin-Kosh, Tas-Tepe, Uchurum-Kaya, Dam-Kosh. In the east of the massif there are more modest peaks: Kush-Kaya (1335 m) and Cherkez-Kosh (1395 m). 8 out of 11 Crimean mountains belong to the Babugan Yayla massif.

Nature and climate

The unique nature keeps the charm of the steppe. If you are told that in these places you can feel the breath of epochs, you can be sure that this pure truth. The steppe is beautiful and clean, as it was hundreds of years ago.

The flat plateau at the top of the yayla is covered with vegetation typical of the steppe: herbs and shrubs. And the slopes are overgrown with trees, many of which reach impressive sizes. when preparing for a trip, do not forget that it is always colder at high altitude. Even if on the coast the column exceeds +30, it will be quite cool in the mountains.

Amazing fauna

Do you think that herds of light-footed gazelles or real deer can only be seen on TV? And here it is not unique nature Babugan Yayly has become a haven for a huge number of animals and birds. You can admire them - of course, from a distance. Many tourists are attracted by the fauna that Babugan Yayla is famous for.

Photos of this place look like pictures from an adventure novel. Do not be surprised that all sorts of adventures can overtake you here. For example, experienced tourists know that in addition to beauty, the nature of yayla can also be fraught with dangers. Beware of snakes and large spiders, which are found in abundance in these parts. You should not go to Babugan in open shoes, it is inconvenient and unsafe. However, there is no reason to panic, because small living creatures are afraid of humans and will not attack first. Do not disturb the inhabitants of the Yayla in vain, especially since many of them are listed in the Red Book.

impregnable peak

Many tourists who traveled the Crimean trails far and wide call Babugan Yaila the most mysterious and inaccessible place. It's not about the steepness of the barrier rocks, not about water barriers and any other reasons natural character. It's just that these places are part of the reserve, which is under state protection. What would happen to careless roe deer or rare birds if access to such unique place like Babugan Yayla?

Not even any Crimean knows how to get to these parts. You can't call Babugan too popular. Although it is located not far from Alushta and Yalta, transport will not pass here, it will need to be left far below and most of the way to be overcome on foot. There are no tours, inns and souvenir shops here, which means there is no advertising...

However, the incredible view of the sea merging with the sky, the peak of Crimea Roman-Kosh and the unique nature still attract the most desperate daredevils to these places. If you decide to get here along the road from Gurzuf or from the side of the Yalta Yayla, you will not succeed - they simply will not let you through. Only animal trails and the Konek Ridge. There is another way, longer and more difficult. It starts in Alushta and runs near the village of Nizhnyaya Kutuzovka. On the way, you will bypass the Alushta reservoir and approach the Yaila through the Garden Cordon. This is where the protected area begins.

When planning a route, count on one day. It is forbidden to spend the night in the reserve, let alone make fires. You will also have nowhere to get water and buy food. And what is the need to admire the beauty of the Crimea in the middle of the night? Illuminated by the rays of Babugan Yayla, it is simply striking in its beauty.

GPS g. 44.627130,34.280368 (format used in online maps)
GPS g.m. 44°37.627", 34°16.822" (format used in navigators and geocaching)
GPS h.m.s. 44°37"37.67", 34°16"49.32"

Crimea is not only steppes, mountains, sea and waterfalls. Here is another hidden from prying eyes natural object- Yayla. This is a hilly steppe, located at an altitude of more than a thousand meters. And Babugan-Yayla is the largest, most beautiful and most forbidden of them.

Forbidden because it is a reserve, and only having been there, you can understand why. Babugan-yayla is located entirely in the Crimean Natural Reserve with the appropriate level of access.

The huge red steppe scorched by the summer sun hides herds of deer and roe deer behind every hill, giant birds fly there, which amaze the imagination of even non-specialists. And this is their home, harsh and unique in its own way. The sun bites from the sky and cold winds always blow, even when below, by the sea, +30 and everyone is thrilled by the southern sun. And all the springs are countless, and you need to go down to each one for a long time. For people, such transitions are difficult, but they live, their home is there.

This place is hidden where no one will look for it - has everyone seen the Crimean mountain range, hugging Yalta from all sides? There are still trails going there, but they won’t let you go to Babugan either from or along the road from Gurzuf. The animal trails remain.

You can run along it only in one day - so as not to spend the night in the very heart of the reserve, and there is, as it were, no water there. But it's worth it. It is worth climbing the Konek Ridge and touching wild nature, which used to jump only on TV screens.

Blinding sun, piercing wind, fabulous landscapes, and if you walk along the edge, you can see the northern hills or Eklizi-breaker from the east, go to the west, and see the sea in the south. The sea from above is beautiful and always merges with the sky.

On Babugan-yayla, you can lay an almost direct path to the place you are interested in, however, in some places you will have to bypass the relief.

On Babugan-yayla is the peak of the Crimea - a mountain with a height of 1545m. This is one of the reasons why you especially want to climb there.

In the central part of the Crimean Mountains (on the border of Greater Yalta and Greater Alushta), on the territory of the Crimean Natural Reserve, there is the famous Babugan-yayla, on which the highest mountain in the entire Crimean peninsula is located - Roman-Kosh (1545 m above sea level).

In addition, there are several peaks over 1500 m high on the yayla. These are Uchurum-Kaya, Tas-Tepe, Zeytin-Kosh and Dam-Kosh (1538, 1538, 1537 and 1514 m high). In the east, the peaks of Kush-Kaya rise - 1339 m and Cherkez-Kosh - 1395 m. Translated into Russian from Tatar, “babugan” means “belladonna”. This plant is one of the most common in those places.

Babugan-yayla is one of the most famous natural attractions on the Crimean peninsula. By its origin, it is a karst plateau, where leaching of limestone rocks is observed under the influence of melt waters and rains. As a result of these processes, mountain ranges are replete with pits, sinkholes, cracks, and large failures. There are also gorges, stone chaos and many rock formations.

The area is treeless. On this issue, scientists still cannot come to a consensus. Some believe that the Yayla never had forests at all, others are inclined to think that the forests were destroyed by man. Rare single trees can only be found in crevices or funnels. Some areas at the top of the plateau are completely lifeless - they are devoid of any vegetation (there is not even grass there). In these "dead zones" only among the limestone debris comes across meager "islands of life".

In the lower regions of the yayla, moisture is retained much better. The most favorable places for the growth and development of flora are deep depressions, cracks, washouts and depressions. Wind-blown remains of dried plants and other “fertile debris” accumulate there, which rots and forms a fertile soil layer. In the lowlands, for the most part, meadow and steppe grasses grow - yarrow, elecampane, bedstraw, bluebell, feather grass, primrose, oregano, veronica, etc.

The flora of Babugan-yayla is beautiful and unique in its own way. In July, when the snow has not yet completely melted, the karst fields are covered with a carpet of flowers. It is difficult to describe this spectacle in words - as if a magical sea opens up to the eye, consisting of holly grains with its small yellow flowers, fragrant white hazelnuts, tricolor pansies, violets with an azure blue tint, turquoise forget-me-nots, etc. An intoxicating floral scent fills the purest mountain air.

Yayla is not only a natural landmark of the Crimea - it plays an important role in providing fresh water settlements Crimean peninsula. Jura limestone massifs absorb all rain/melt water and filter it naturally and again "sent" to the top. Water comes to the surface different marks above sea level in the form of springs and springs that form mountain rivers- the only source fresh water on the peninsula. During the period of massive snowmelt and heavy rains, water flows directly into the rivers. At this time of the year they become full-flowing.

Babugan-yaila is surrounded on all sides by pine and beech forests. Young trees approach the slopes and Roman-Kosh - the highest Crimean mountain. It is located in the southwest of the yayla. Despite its height, the most famous peak of the Crimean Mountains is not visible from the southern coast, since its view is covered by the Kemal-Egerek mountains - 1529 m, Demir-Kapu - 1539 m and other "giants" towering at the junction of the Yalta, Gurzuf and Nikitinskaya yayla .

A photo

Lambat-Bogaz pass Road in the rocks of Babugan-Yaila
Herd of wild goats Babugan plateau in Crimea View of the Crimean mountains