Trip to Caucasus Mountains, July 22-30, 2007

We went to the Dombai region of the Northern Caucasus Mountains. Dombai is a small tourist village surrounded with beautiful mountains. We stopped in the Alibek tourist camp located in the Alibek-Dombai canyon.

A map of mountains near Dombai. Dombai is in the center, Alibek canyon is to the West, Amanauz canyon is to the North, Dombai-Ulgen canion is to the East.  

Alibek Glacier is located a close distance from the Alibek camp.

Alibek Glacier.

Waterfall near Alibek Glacier.

Beautiful Tur'e Lake (Mountain Goat's Lake) is located in 2-3 hours walk from the camp

Belalakaya Peak (Striped Mountain) rises high above the camp.

Sulahat Mountain is nearby. According to local legend, Sulahat sacrifised herself to rescue people of her village from cold winds blowing from the North and laid between valleys.

We went for a few days hike through the Chuchhur Saddle, which is close to the Dombai-Ulgen Mountain - the highest mountain of the region.

  Here we are crossing Gonachhir river.

Gonachhir  river has amazing, gorgeous color. 

We went along  Bulgen river with an amazing view onto the Bulgen Wall.

More views 

Richard, and the Bulgen Wall is seen on the background.

Sunrise seen from the first campsite.

On the way to the saddle.

One of evenings.

In the morning, mountains are particularly beautiful. Sunrise seen from the second campsite (near the saddle).

Early in the morning.

In the morning. The saddle Chuchhur is seen behind Richard.

View from the saddle.

Another view from the saddle.

The saddle Chuchhur is behind us, we are going down.

Great Caucasus Ridge is seen in front of us.

Great Caucasus Wall is seen in front of us.

Dombai-Ulgen and Bulgen Wall are seen on the left-hand site.

Dombai-Ulgen and Bulgen Wall are seen on the left-hand site.

One of many waterfalls along the Dombai-Ulgen Canyon.

Dombai-Ulgen peak seen from the Dombai-Ulgen Canyon.

Back to the Alibek camp.

View towards Great Caucasus Ridge on the other trip.

Great Caucasus Ridge.

Great Caucasus Ridge.

Happy me.

Trip on catamarans along the Dombai river

We went to a half-day trip along the Dombai river on the home-made catamaran.

On the way to the river. Two experienced instructors are going with us.

Water is cold. Brrr.

Richard and the owner of the catamaran.

Catamaran returned back to home.

We got new friends in the Alibek camp - driver Rustam is to the left or Richard, and cook Klich is to the right. On the way back from Dombai to Cherkessk we stopped in the house of Klich in his small village. Klich's house is on the background.

His mother (very kind woman) cooked meat pie for us which we ate in the train Cherkessk-Moscow.