Chatyr-Dag in Crimea: what is this mountain famous for and how to get there?

Crimea is rich in natural attractions. Mount Chatyr-Dag is popular with tourists for the splendor of the opening landscapes and the variety of caves.

Chatyr-Dag is located in the Crimea near the Simferopol-Alushta highway, the exact location is the village of Mramornoye. The translation from the Crimean Tatar is “tent mountain”, since Chatyr is translated as “tent”, and Dag is “mountain”. The mountain consists of 2 plateaus: the lower (northern) and upper (southern). The lower slopes gently descend to the north side, which is covered with steppe grass. At the southern end (near a steep slope), the lower plateau is covered with beech forests and juniper glades. There are many hiking trails and several beautiful caves. On the eastern side of the lower plateau is a yew grove.

The upper plateau of the mountain massif has the shape of a giant bowl, on its rim the highest peaks are marked on the map. Everything is covered with alpine meadows, the slopes are very steep and offer several routes for multi-day climbing.

The height of the highest peak of Eklizi-Burun is 1527 m above sea level.

This is not to say that Chatyr-Dag is a mountain, rather, an array that stands alone, therefore stands out. Its length to the south is 10 kilometers, and to the east from the west is 4.5 kilometers. According to the geologists who conducted the research here, the massif, when the mountains of Crimea were just being formed, represented a single whole with them. Under the influence of rivers and erosion, Chatyr-Dag separated.

The structure consists of two types of rock.Below is a harder one, which can withstand the onset of water - siltstone and sandstone. Loose limestone lies on the surface and covers an area of ​​1 kilometer in height. It was sandstone that became the reason why there are so many caves on Chatyr-Dag where ancient people even settled in the Neolithic era, and there is undeniable evidence for this in the form of archaeological finds.

Another name is known, which the Greeks gave a flat grief - Trebizond. Translated, this word means "table-mount." When the Turkic-speaking population arrived and settled on this place, they didn’t radically change anything, they simply ferried in their own way and turned out to be a “tent mountain”.

There are many hiking trails that take you to the sights. If it is too difficult, they thought up a good dirt road, along which many get to Chatyr-Dag by car. The track has been preserved since the time when the military base worked here, today they organize numerous trips here or come by car.

To get from Yalta and Alushta to the mountain stands first by public transport, which moves to Simferopol, then towards Yalta, where after 1.5 hours you have to get off at the Angarsky Pass stop. From the road there is a small forest road that goes to a tourist base of the same name. It is from here that the path starts upward. When approaching the fork, you will need to turn left. After a few minutes of the journey, the power line will be visible, followed by a fork again. Now the road goes to the right.

Once in Bukovaya Polyana, you need to go on a marked trail with marks that show the road. If you need to stock up on water, then you should do it in the spring here. The trail will get steeper and cooler until you find yourself on a plateau. There are additional signs with which you can easily reach tourist centers and caves.

This is not the only path that can lead up the mountain. You can move through Zarechnoye, then cross the village of Mramornoye, then only through the forest, but this road takes much more time, since public transport to settlements rarely runs.

Own transport facilitates the task. The roads here are run over, sprinkled with high quality gravel, quite wide so that the driver feels comfortable. You can call on the mountain when there is no snow.

At the top of the mountain, the climate is very similar to the one that St. Petersburg can boast of. Often there can be a strong wind. At the very top, snow persists until early May. Below, the mountain climate is moderately warm and rather humid, the higher, the cooler. For every 100 meters up, there is a decrease in air temperature by 0.6 C. That is why the average annual rate is + 7 C below, but at the top only + 4 C.

Here, about 1000 mm of precipitation falls annually, and 40% of them are snow. In winter, northeast winds prevail here, so sometimes the temperature can drop to the mark of 32 C, and this must be taken into account. The falling snow does not constantly lie on a plateau, but all because sometimes the warm south winds begin to blow here. If you want to go skiing, then you should find out the situation in advance. The best time for skiing is the second decade of November, in March-April, the snow begins to melt, so it becomes too little.

The worst is a blizzard, so in winter it is better not to appear on the mountain or to be as prepared for the storm as possible. Spring begins in mid-March, when air temperature begins to increase rapidly. The number of clouds in the sky decreases, green grass and first flowers appear. If in spring there is a sharp increase in temperature, then in summer its growth slows down and stops at around 16-17 C. Already at the end of August, it becomes less warm again, by the end of September, gray clouds again draw in the sky.

The first snow falls in November, the thickness of the cover is about 13 centimeters. You need to understand that in different parts of the plateau, climatic conditions may vary. Where there are ravines, light practically does not penetrate, respectively, and the air warms up minimally, in open glades it is slightly lighter and warmer. It is colder in spring than in autumn.

The flora of the area is very rich, at the upper level are:

• beech;
• hornbeam;
• oak;
• Pine;
• ash;
• maple.

Sometimes along the gorges you can find single bushes of yew. In fact, there are many fruit plants in this area, including pear, apple trees, dogwood and even sweet cherries. You can find dense thickets of dogwood. But forests are not everywhere, the lower part of the slope remains treeless, while at the top there are practically no bushes. But on the whole mountain there is a lot of meadow-steppe grass.

As for the representatives of the animal world, it is here no less diverse. Deer is one of the largest mammals that live in these places. In winter, when feed becomes scarce, these animals descend to the foot of the mountain, rarely go to the top. There are many foxes here with bright, even fiery color and an attractive silver pattern. Its main habitat are crevices in the rocks and small caves.

It is much more difficult to notice martens, which are many here, but this animal behaves more carefully. Badgers also live on the mountain, who do not hibernate, but find their food perfectly even under the thickness of snow. Squirrel was brought here from the Altai Territory. Today it is very common, because it has something to eat here. When visiting numerous caves, do not forget about the bats living inside. In winter, they sleep with their heads inside, and with the onset of spring, they begin to fatten themselves.

Mount Chatyr-Dag is famous for its mountain peak Eklizi-Burun and numerous caves that lie under the upper and lower plateaus. The Ishach trail leads to some. The most famous are the Marble Cave and Emine-Bair-Khosar. The marble cave, 68 meters deep and almost 2 km long, is a local attraction, inside of which there are strangely shaped stalactites and stalagmites named after various animals, fairy-tale characters and even buildings such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Due to its uniqueness, the Marble Cave has become famous all over the world. Cavers consider it one of the five most beautiful on the planet and one of the 7 wonders of the nature of Crimea. In 1992, it was included in the International Association of Equipped Caves. In 1987, the Simferopol team of cavers discovered a grotto with a complex system of halls and galleries between Bin Bash-Kobo and Suuk-Kobo.

The new cave is located at an altitude of 920 meters above sea level. It was called marble (the name “Afghani” was also originally used) due to the fact that it is formed by marble limestone. In 1988, the Onyx-Tour Speleological Tourism Center organized excursion tours, laid concrete walkways, and provided lighting.

Another cave - Emine-Bair-Khosar spirals down to a depth of 120 meters. Inside it are jade stalagmites and crystal flowers. This cave is notable for the fact that it has a beautiful lake. According to legend, Emine rushed to the bottom of the cave after her lover was killed by her father's family.

Vyalova Cave is located in the lower plateau of Chatyr-Dag Mountain. It is equipped with a vertical entrance with a depth of 31 m, which gradually (at a depth of about 16 m) passes into a steep, almost vertical shaft. The total depth is 124 meters.Named in honor of the Russian caver Vyalov. In addition, on the slopes of the mountain there is a system of caves Vyalova, consisting of three objects located on the lower plateau.

About Mount Chatyr-Dag in Crimea, see below.