Complete the legendary thirty route without an instructor. Legendary thirty

Hi all! While new trips are just being prepared, I decided to remember the past and write about hiking through the Caucasus through the mountains to the sea. And it was back in 2008, when the creative association ProYOU went to visit relatives in Adygea with the idea of ​​making a short trip with access to the sea.

After a short stay with relatives (to whom we will return more than once ;-)), a trip to Maykop, and hikes along the surrounding waterfalls, we found a local guide, Slava. He agreed to take us through the mountains for a small fee. And he even organized a minibus directly to the house! We probably could have walked on our own, but the new location and the presence of a reserve, as well as the prospect of resolving issues with environmental authorities ourselves, prompted us to take a guide.

The legendary all-Union tourist route No. 30 or simply “thirty” starts from the checkpoint of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, passes along the Lago-Naki plateau, through the passes of the Caucasian ridge, and ends in Dagomys, already on the Black Sea coast.

What is interesting about the “thirty” route? It covers several climatic zones at once - alpine meadows, mountain peaks with eternal snow, fir forests and coastal subtropics. There is also a nature reserve here, and this has helped preserve the unique nature, rare and unique animals, birds, and plants. It is quite possible to meet bears here (in rare cases, of course) - we saw small and large tracks.

The route runs near the Oshten and Fisht mountains, from which many rivers in the region originate. You are guaranteed stunning landscapes of the Caucasus Mountains, stormy mountain rivers, the smell of herbs, a mountain bathhouse and much more!

The route through the mountains to the sea looks like this: checkpoint of the reserve - Instructor's gap - Armenian pass - Fisht shelter - Belorechensky pass - Cherkessky pass - Babuk-Aul shelter - Solokh-Aul shelter.

Transfer to the Fisht shelter

The minibus took us to the checkpoint, from where we walked along the Lago-Naki plateau. The spaces are incredible! The trail goes through alpine meadows, every now and then bumping into streams and lakes, and somewhere in the distance a herd of horses can be seen.

From the Lago-Naki plateau the trail goes to the slope of the Mount Oshten massif, the views become more and more “vertical”))

Amazing nature! The fields are simply bursting with greenery...

Caucasian mountain herbs

Our guide Slavik, a very cool dude, he has a special dialect, a mixture of Caucasian and Rostov)))

It’s hard to walk because you’re not used to it...

During the whole day we walked about 7 km, quite a bit, but the landscapes replace each other with kaleidoscopic speed! At the end of the day we crossed the Armenian Pass, the descent from which ended at the Fisht shelter. It is located at the foot of the famous mountain on the Belaya River, one might say at its source. The pass offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains!

View from the Armenian Pass to the Fisht shelter and the Belaya River valley

The shelter is lively - there are many tents, people crowd around the kitchen, where you can order something to eat. There are some bearded men here...

Radial access to the Big Fisht Glacier

The glacier is located at an altitude of more than 2800 meters above sea level. Fisht is famous for the presence of a large number of caves, grottoes, and underground rivers. The most famous of them are the Soaring Bird Cave and the deepest cave in Russia, “White Star”. Also, Fisht is the westernmost peak of the Caucasus, which has glaciers.

We headed to all these beauties the next morning. At first, the trail slowly climbs up, then you begin to encounter very steep rocky ledges that you have to climb up. With each new ledge, more and more breathtaking views open up.

Down below you can see the Fisht shelter:

We go higher and higher to Mount Fisht, views opposite

We finally reached the glacier and walked up it a little more. People generally climb Fisht, the category of such ascent is 1B, but we didn’t intend to.

Above there are only rocks, ice and gray thunderclouds

The guide Slava took with him a funny spaniel dog. It was difficult for her to go up and it was so hot that as soon as she saw the snow, she plunged into it with pleasure and let’s ride on her back! Then I swam in the sources of the Belaya River;-) So I ran around, all wet and happy.

Shelter "Fisht" - shelter "Babuk-aul"

Our path lies further - through the mountains to the Black Sea. From the very early morning we got up and with the very first walk we crossed the Belorechensky pass, where fierce battles took place during the Great Patriotic War. This is reported by the memorial obelisk installed at the top of the pass. In general, this entire area has a rich military history, there are signs here and there, the remains of trenches...

View from the Circassian Pass to the Armenian Pass. Fisht shelter in the valley

Here is another sketch map of the area of ​​our trip:

After the Circassian Pass, the trail goes through a dense southern forest, where we stopped for lunch. Here you can already feel the subtropical climate and the proximity of the sea. Completely different plants and humidity. In general, nature is of course very different from the Altai, and even more so, Omsk I’m used to.

Here the bear passed with her cub

Then begins a long descent into the valley of the Shahe River, it is also called a fun descent. Imagine 7 kilometers just down the roots and earth)) Everything is fine, but towards the end the knees begin to behave strangely, it’s not often that such a load falls on them! Anyone who went down there will understand me :-)

Main Caucasus Range

Then you need to cross the hanging bridge over the Shakhe River, and the nearest shelter is just a stone's throw away!

The “Babuk-aul” shelter is comfortably located in a large clearing among the warm southern forest. Unlike our previous place to stay, women are in charge of everything here. You know, the atmosphere is very different - calm and tranquility. Everything is neat, tables under a canopy, excellent shower, and a stream flows right behind the “dining room”))

Shelter "Babuk-aul"

The finish line - the road to the sea in the back of a truck

Yesterday there was a very long evening with wine and songs by the fire, so the morning was sleep-deprived)) But there was nothing to do, especially since right in the morning the other guys and I agreed to chip in on the associated Gas-66 towards the sea. And we had to leave right now; we didn’t even have time to have breakfast.

And yet, everything happens for a reason and not in vain! We would need the whole day. to walk along the Shakhe River to the village of Solokh-aul. And the road is not the most interesting - mud in the forest, no surrounding views.

I am amazed at the power of the Gaz-66 - the truck easily travels straight along the river, rolling over lying trees and wet stones. In the back, of course, it shakes mercilessly! But it’s interesting all the time: either a branch will hit your ear, or you’ll jump half a meter, and you also need to have time to talk to the guys from Chelyabinsk ;-)

In the village of Solokh-aul we rested for a couple of hours and waited for the bus to Dagomys. The road to Dagomys is very exciting with its views, sharp turns, it constantly goes down towards the sea. It was not possible to photograph all this beauty, since we are not the only ones who want to quickly plunge into the refreshing sea - a bus full of people!

That's all, our route through the mountains to the sea has ended, the legendary route “thirty” through the Lago-Naki plateau, Mount Fisht, several passes and climatic zones. Then I saw the sea for the first time! It’s later, every year I go to these parts, but this was the first time, yes. It’s difficult to convey this feeling... the perfection of nature and the world around, a splendor that simply cannot be imagined...

I was also surprised by the locals who hardly bathe and say “what did I forget there?” I try to appreciate what I have every day, something that can be forgotten simply out of habit. But beauty is everywhere, you just have to look from the other side. And I encourage you to do this!

Very close to Dagomys there is a wonderful place where you can put up tents thirty meters from the sea, it is open and publicly accessible. At the same time, there are very few people there, only the noise of the railway above, but after a day you get used to it. The beach here is small pebbles and has a rather steep descent into the sea, and there is a shower on the adjacent beach of the sanatorium. All conditions for life! Strictly speaking, a tent may not be needed, this is the Krasnodar region and the subtropics! I highly recommend you go to!

Older generations, those who still saw the USSR at a conscious age, may remember such a name as “The Famous Thirty”! For those who are younger, and also far from tourism, this is probably a completely incomprehensible phrase!

In fact, the “Famous Thirty” is a tourist route, I’ll even say more! This is "All-Union Tourist Route No. 30". :-)

To avoid any confusion, I will quote Wikipedia for you:

Soviettourist route in the Caucasus lasting 20 days. One of the oldest, most widespread and popular in the Soviet Union. The route was already in operation in the mid-30s.

The route begins at the Gornaya base in Adygea, ending at Dagomys.

As you move along the route, several climatic zones change and you ascend to the glacier of the mountain Fisht and the route ends with access to the Black Sea.

In Soviet times, this was a route for beginners! For many it was the first! Actually, this is probably why it is so popular, 70% of our parents walked along it in their youth, but or at least heard about it! :-) Yes, then this route was designed for 20 days!!! But at the end of the hike, the newcomers were given distinctive badges, this was a kind of standard!

Now, of course, we won’t get any badges, but that’s not the goal!!! :-)

In general, this Friday we are going to conquer the famous thirty!

There are 6 of us in total: My parents (2 people), their best friends (also 2 people) and Anton and I... Total - 6 people!

We prepared for this trip for a long time, studied the route, bought equipment! And now there are 2 days left until release!

Now we have almost everything ready. Today we are preparing all our things and trying to assemble our backpacks in different ways so that we can go comfortably!

After all, we will need to cover about 20-25 km per day.

Again, I can lie to you, because the route is prepared by “adults”, in this case I allow myself to be led, although I will still do a couple of printouts, just in case! :-)

My job is small, carry my 45 liter backpack and photograph local beauties! :-)

By the way, the big question for me was the topic of the camera! I'll definitely take the number! If I don’t take one and a half thousand pictures a day, then the battery will last me for 4 days! :-)
But I would really like to take the film with me. Try shooting at the zenith. I understand that this is extra weight, that it takes up space... And from a practical point of view, it’s absolutely not worth carrying the Zenith with you... But I want to... :-(

What else can I tell you about our plans?!

Here is our approximate route:

On Saturday early in the morning a car comes for us, we are loaded into it and taken to the checkpoint. This is the barrier at the entrance to the Lago-Naki plateau. There the driver says goodbye to us, and we pay fees for each day of the intended journey.

Just in case, we pay for 4 days.

Having received permission to enter, we set off. The goal of our first day is to cover the distance from the checkpoint to the FISHT shelter.

Here's what they write on the forums:

Hiking to the Fisht shelter, which is located in an intermountain basin at the source of the Belaya River at an altitude of 1600 meters. On this day you will conquer four small passes. You will visit the subalpine and alpine zones. Lunch on an alpine meadow near a karst lake. In the first half of summer, part of the route passes through snowfields. This is the most eventful day of the route.

Fisht shelter - radial access to the glacier of Mount Fisht (2867). On this day you will visit the nival zone (a zone of bare rocks, eternal ice and snow). Skiing on snowy slopes.

We start the first day of the hike on the Lago-Naki plateau. After some time we will see Oshten, one of the most famous mountain peaks in this area. I consider June to be the best time to hike route 30. Why? Yes, because at the end of spring in the Caucasus mountains it can still be quite cold, in some places there may even be a lot of snow. Namely, by June, mountain flowers begin to bloom, the slopes are covered with greenery. However, in some places there were still unmelted snow remains lying in the mountains. Approaching Mount Oshten, we see a fork, we turn left and further along the mountain path. Almost immediately you will be able to enjoy the stunning views of the mountains and wild plants. I think few people will doubt that along the route along the thirtieth route you can find a large number of medicinal or rare plants.

At the next stage, we are faced with the task of overcoming the Guzeriplsky and Armenian passes. At the first pass we will see a memorial inscription about the participants of the Second World War who died here in battles. After the second pass we go down and reach the Fishtinsky shelter. This is a very convenient place for our overnight and day stay; from here the Fisht-Oshtenovsky mountain range is clearly visible. The shelter consists of 2 houses in the mountains where tourists can stay, but you can also set up your own tents. Among the paid services, we can mention the bathhouse (last year the price was 500 rubles per hour). Here you can buy beer, cigarettes and even vodka! However, at about double the price. While relaxing at the shelter, you can “run away” lightly and take a photo with the small Fishtinsky glacier in the background.

Second day of the journey. We pass from FISHTA to BABUK-AULA. Forums warn:

Fisht shelter - Belorechensky pass - Babuk-aul shelter. On this day you will find two easy passes and a long fun descent through beech forests of the Colchis type.

We go up the Belorechensky pass, where memorials are also installed. Following from the southern side of the Caucasus ridge, you will notice that the mountain path gradually goes to the right. A little more and we will be at the Circassian Pass. The road from this pass has firmly won the title of “Merry” among tourists on route 30 because during the descent you will even need to grab tree branches! Next, the road to Babuk-aul awaits us. Here we set up camp for rest and overnight. There are already paid houses in this locality where you can swim.

Third day of our hike!

Shelter "Babuk-aul" - shelter "Solokh-aul". On this day, tourists find themselves in the zone of humid subtropics, the path lies along the Shakhe River gorge with many small but picturesque waterfalls, lunch on the river bank, and possible swimming.

The main task of the last day of a four-day hike along route thirty is an eighteen-kilometer hike to Salokh-aul. From here you can go to Dagomys by local bus. We are very close to the city of Sochi!

From Solokh-Aul there are buses to Dagomys several times a day!

In general, our route, as you noticed, lasts only 3 days, and we pay for 4 days. Since we have no experience of large hiking trips, we decided to leave 1 day in reserve. Maybe after the first day of the journey we’ll stay at the FISHT shelter, let our bodies rest, and at the same time we’ll climb the mountain and explore the caves! In general, I think this day will not be unnecessary! :-)

It is unlikely that I will have the opportunity to go online every day, so most likely I will write about the results of the hike from the Greater Sochi area, where after 3-4 days of travel we will warm our bodies in the sun and bathe them in salty water! :-)

Arrival dates: every Monday

Season: Summer autumn

Tour cost: 16500 rub.

All-Union pedestrian route No. 30 in the 80s of the 20th century became a kind of symbol that defines the belonging of lovers of fires and tents to the tribe of real tourists. It must be said that this route became famous thanks to Chinese traders of silk and other goods. Caravans equipped for trading in the Black Sea markets were accompanied by reliable guides who chose this route as the shortest and safest.

The length of the route is up to 80 km. The whole hike takes place in the best traditions of lovers of romance: we go with backpacks and enjoy the beauty of the mountain landscapes, sleep in tents, and have dinner by the fire. In terms of intensity, this route is accessible to any healthy person, without acute illnesses or special medical restrictions. During the hike we will pass through several alternating climatic zones: subalpine, alpine, tropics and subtropics. Throughout route 30 we will be accompanied by many endemic plants, canyons, alpine meadows, coniferous forests, and mountain rivers. This unforgettable fairy tale will remain with you forever.

"Through the mountains to the sea. The famous thirty"

Arrival dates in 2017:

June: 05.06 - 11.06; 12.06 - 18.06; 19.06 - 25.06; 26.06 - 02.07
July: 03.07 - 09.07; 10.07 - 16.07; 17.07 - 23.07; 24.07 - 30.07, 31.07 - 06.08
August: 07.08 - 13.08; 14.08 - 20.08; 21.08 - 27.08; 28.08 - 03.09
September: 04.09 - 10.09; 11.09 - 17.09

1 day. Meeting at the Krasnodar train station (for an additional fee - 500 rubles per person) Accommodation at a camp site, lunch. An easy walk to the Through Cave and the canyon of the Belaya River. After the walk, a conversation and instruction on safety precautions and rules of conduct in the mountains. Dinner. Gatherings around the fire.

Day 2. Waterfalls always enchant with the endless sound of falling water, more like music. Shum is one of the five waterfalls we will visit today in the Rufabgo Gorge. Each of the waterfalls is different from the other. Next come Cascade, Heart of Rufabgo, Maiden's Braid, Cup of Love. For complete happiness, you can swim in the waterfall and have lunch in one of the green meadows near the tourist fire. Next, we will continue our journey up the gorge, with stops at observation platforms, and return to the camp site. At the camp site we will have dinner and songs with a guitar around the evening fire.

Day 3. Today we go to the Meshoko gorge, walking along the bed of a stream surrounded by chestnut and beech forests. The gorge greets us with picturesque views: waterfalls, grottoes and caves welcome our group. During this training trip, the instructor talks about the basics of behavior as part of a tourist group. Next, we make a fire and prepare lunch. Swimming in the waterfall is not prohibited! We return to the camp site, have dinner and prepare our backpacks for the upcoming hike in the mountains. We give things that are not needed on the route to the instructor to be sent to the place of our arrival at sea.

4 day. We wake up in high spirits, have breakfast and go to the Lago-Naki plateau. We are located on the territory of the Caucasian Biosphere Nature Reserve. Our first goal is the tourist shelter "Fisht" at an altitude of 1600 m. The path to it lies along an endless mountain plateau in the alpine and subalpine zones. There are four passes ahead: Abadzeshsky, Instructor's Gap, Guzerpilsky, Armenian. We have lunch on the shore of a karst lake. We continue our journey surrounded by incredibly beautiful mountain flowers and unmelted snowfields. We arrive at the Fisht shelter at 18-19.00. There is a small store here, products to which are delivered by helicopter. Then we have dinner among the snowy mountain peaks and understand how beautiful this world is..

5 day. On this day we relax, walk, take photographs, in a word, enjoy being in the mountains. On the territory of the shelter there are grounds for playing football and volleyball. There are board games. The Fisht shelter is a unique place where numerous hiking trails intersect. Avid travelers, romantics, and interesting people often come under the roof of the shelter, and therefore you will always find a nice campaign. We will offer you to go out to the small Fisht glacier in the zone of eternal snow and ice. You will have the opportunity to play snowballs and have fun sliding down the slopes of the glacier under the bright rays of the sun.

Day 6 After breakfast, we will have a simple route to the Belorechensky and Cherkessky passes. Along the way, we will definitely visit the shepherds and try high-mountain cheese prepared according to our grandfather’s old recipes. The ascent along the trails turns into the long-awaited “Vesely” descent, which will take our group to the kingdom of a light beech forest. Walking in the forest is always noticeably easier, and very soon the Babuk-Aul shelter will open its doors. In the evening, presentation of a state award - a badge and a certificate for a tourist of Russia.

Day 7. Today we take a walk in the humid subtropics, pass a relict boxwood grove and go to sparkling waterfalls. We swim, sunbathe. Lunch at the Bzych River. Bus transfer to the village. Dagomys. Receiving personal items. That's all... We say goodbye to you until we meet again, and you are left to relax on the Black Sea according to your plan.

Note: If necessary, we will help with accommodation in local holiday homes and organize transfers.

Children under 10 years old are not allowed on the route!

Tour cost: 16,500 rubles per person.

The tour price includes:

Accommodation at camp sites and tourist shelters

3 meals a day

Instructor services

Transfer within the route

Transportation of things from the village of Kamennomostsky to Loo

Equipment rental (tents, bowlers, first aid kit, etc.)

Entrance tickets to excursion sites (except for the Khadzhoch Gorge) and stay in the reserve

Delivery of food to shelters

First aid kit for a group

Insurance

The tour price does not include:

Transfer from Krasnodar to the village of Kamennomostsky - 500 rubles

Accommodation on the coast - 700 rubles

Sleeping bag rental - 300 rubles for all days of the trip

Backpack rental - 700 rubles for all days of the hike

Route 30 Light

June: 08.06 - 13.06; 15.06 - 20.06; 22.06 - 27.06; 29.06 - 04.07
July: 06.07 - 11.07; 13.07 - 18.07; 20.07 - 25.07; 27.07 - 01.08
August: 03.08 - 08.08; 10.08 - 15.08; 17.08 - 22.08; 24.08 - 29.08; 31.08 - 05.09
September: 07.09 - 12.09; 14.09 - 19.09

This lightweight route through the mountains to the sea lasts 6 days and differs from the full 8-day route in that we will spend less time in the village of Kamennomostsky and will not take a walk to the waterfalls in the Rufabgo gorge. Without a training hike to the Meshoko gorge, on the 2nd day after accommodation we will go to the Lago-Naki plateau, from where we will begin our interesting journey through alpine meadows through the mountains to the sea along the same 30th route. The village of Solokh-Aul is famous thanks to the tea grower I.A. Koshman, who planted the first tea bushes brought from Chakva back in 1901. In the village we will visit the house-museum of tea, go for a tasting of tea and mountain honey with hot pancakes. At the end of the hike, all group members will be awarded “Tourist of Russia” badges. In conclusion, we go by bus to the village of Dagomys, where the long-awaited sea awaits you!

Tour cost: 10,300 rubles per person.

The tour price includes:

Accommodation in a tent camp

3 meals a day

Instructor services

Equipment rental (tents, awnings, bowlers)

Transfer from the village of Kamennomostsky to the Lago-Naki plateau

Entrance fees to the reserve

Visit to the tea house museum

The tour price does not include:

Transfer to the village of Kamennomostsky

Rental of personal equipment (sleeping bag and mat - 250 rubles for all days of the hike)

Hotel accommodation on the coast

Hiking in the Caucasus "Thirty" is the most popular hiking route in the former Soviet Union, stretching from Khadzhokh to Dagomys. Throughout, we will be accompanied by the stunning beauty of the Caucasus Mountains, mountain rivers with clear water, vast alpine meadows, dense forests and warm subtropics at the finish line. The route lasts 9 days and is perfect for both experienced tourists and those who are going to the Caucasus for the first time .

Duration campaign: 9 days (8 nights).

Length: 70 km.

Complexity: Average (not categorical)

Tour cost: 9000 rub.

Start location: Krasnodar until 11 am or Hadzhokh (until evening)

The hike ends: Dagomys in the morning or in Adler at 13:00 in the afternoon

Hiking dates in 2019:

• 07.07 - 15.07
• 18.07 - 26.07
• 29.07 - 06.08
• 09.08 - 17.08
• 20.08 - 28.08
• 31.08 - 08.09
• 11.09 - 19.09

Khadzhokh (Kamennomostsky) - White River - Rufabgo waterfalls - Azish Tau - Tsitsa River - Lagonaki Plateau - Lake Psedonakh - Oshten (2804 m) - Maikop Pass - Pshekho Su - Fisht - Circassian Pass - Lunnaya Polyana - Vodopadisty Stream - Dagomys.

1 day. Khadzhokh - Belaya River Canyon - Rufabgo Waterfalls

We begin our journey in the Caucasus resort town of Khadzhokh Kamenomostsky, which is located in Adygea. We will get here in the evening, and after examining the town, we will go to the canyon of the Belaya River (another name is the Khadzhokh Gorge). Here the beautiful Belaya River roars, polishing the polished stones of the canyon to a shine. This is where we will stay for the night. In the meantime, let's go for a walk to the most beautiful and revered by tourists Rufabgo (Evil Wizard) waterfalls, where we will admire the noisy Cascade, Lace and other waterfalls. And of course the tallest and most beautiful Big Lace. The waterfalls are especially beautiful after rains, when streams of water rush noisily over the rocks.

Day 2. Abadzesh Pass - Lagonaki Plateau - Chopped stream - Tsitsa River

In the morning we will move to the Abadzesh Pass, located on the territory of the Caucasus Nature Reserve, where our hike through the Caucasus Mountains begins. There is snow in the karst sinkholes here even in summer, and alpine herbs bloom wildly all around. We have to go to the mountain river Tsitsa, and along the way we will cross the Lagonaki plateau, from where we have stunning views of Mount Oshten, rising like a granite bastion above the plateau. And we will have to spend the night at the Tsitsa, which originates here.

Distance covered - 10 km

Day 3. Mount Oshten (2804 m)

Lightly, leaving our backpacks in the camp, we will make a radial exit to the beautiful Oshten, covered in places with snow. And upon your return you can swim in a cold mountain river. The water temperature here does not exceed four degrees in the hottest summer, and therefore only the bravest will be able to plunge into the water.

Radial up and back 800 meters, distance covered - 12 km

Day 4 Lake Psedonakh - Mount Pshekho-Su

The mountain lake Psedonakh, which we are about to see today, stretches from north to south like a crescent, its depth does not exceed half a meter. Scattered in the vicinity of the lake, the Oshten, Fisht and Pshekho-Su mountains look like each other like siblings, and many local legends and beliefs are associated with them. We will climb Pshekho Su and admire the stone Fisht and the white silence of the Great Glacier lying nearby.

Up - 800 meters, down - 650, distance traveled - 10 km

Day 5 Shelter Fisht

In the afternoon we will make the trek to the shelter located under Mount Fisht. From the shelter you can walk lightly to the glacier sliding down Fisht. This mountain has several glaciers encircling the rocks and slowly flowing down. Here, under Mount Fisht, there are almost half a hundred caves, which are constantly visited by speleologists.

The transition to the Fisht shelter is 8 km, the descent is 1 km.

Day 6 Moonlight Glade. Waterfall stream.

And then we have to walk along the mega-structure of the presidential ski resort, scattered on the slopes of Mount Fisht on Moon Glade. After passing the ski lifts, we will go down to the Vodopadisty stream, which gives rise to one of the highest waterfalls in the Caucasus.

Elevation gain - 300 meters, elevation loss - 700 meters, distance traveled - 9 km

Day 7 Mount Mavrikoshka, Circassian Pass. Babuk Aul

We continue our journey and by lunchtime we will reach the Cherkessky pass, from where we will admire Mount Mavrikoshka, towering above the surrounding valleys. At the pass there is a stele to those who died in the battles of the Great Patriotic War. A little lower than the Circassian Pass there are many shepherd's shelters, sometimes we spend the night in one of them in case of bad weather, but usually we go down the Vesyoly Descent towards Babuk Aul and the Shakhe River. We will be in Babuk Aul in the evening.

Ascent - 400 meters, down - 800 meters, distance - 12 km

Day 8 Dagomys. Uch Dere.

From the Babuk Aul shelter we walk down the forest road. A few kilometers along the forest road and soon we will reach the village of Solokh Aul. Here we board the bus and go to Dagomys. By evening we will arrive at a nice and cozy place - a semi-wild beach in the Uch Dere gully, where we will spend our last camping night. We will spend the night on the beach, listening to the music of the waves and the sound of the night surf.

Distance - 23 km

Day 9 Home.

Today is our final day, we get on the train and go in different directions. From our overnight stay it takes 25 minutes to get to Sochi train station. If you travel by train, take a return ticket from Sochi. If you are traveling by plane, it takes 1.5 hours to get to Adler by train. See you again!

Clarification:

Depending on the situation regarding the construction of the road to Babuk Aul (the passage and passage were closed for two years, but in August 2015 they were allowed to walk along it - for how long is unknown) therefore, there are two possible finish options for this route - the description shows a route ending in Dagomys, the backup option is Tuapse and overnight on the Kiselyov rocks. From here to Sochi it takes 3 hours by train, to Tuapse - 15 minutes, to Krasnodar 3 hours.

It's beautiful and . We carry everything we need with us. Depending on the state of the group and weather conditions, the instructor may make

The legendary "Thirty"

256-day defense of Sevastopol 1941-1942. will undoubtedly remain one of the most striking pages in the history of the 2nd World War. The defenders of the main base of the Black Sea Fleet thwarted the plans of the German command to attack the Caucasus, influencing the entire course of the war. Played a significant role in this unique coastal batteries of Sevastopol .

The enemy's confession is one of the most valuable evidence. German generals and fortifiers repeatedly admitted that "Fort Maxim Gorky"(under this name the Sevastopol coastal battery No. 30 appears in German documents) was a true masterpiece of engineering art” and what exactly "Fort Maxim Gorky" “due to his exceptional qualities, he was able to delay the fall of Sevastopol for more than six months”. Against "thirty" The German command pulled together the most powerful guns from all over Europe. On the walls of a battery that died in an unequal battle, enemy soldiers wrote: "...the strongest fortress in the world"

Back in 1905, after the war with Japan, the Russian government decided to strengthen the defenses of the naval base in Sevastopol by building two large-caliber coastal batteries on the approaches to the city.

View of Lyubimovka, area 30 of the tower coastal battery (Fort Maxim Gorky I), May 2008.

View of Lyubimovka, area 30 of the tower coastal battery (Fort Maxim Gorky I), May 2008.

Construction coastal defense batteries was started on the Alkadar hill (in the area of ​​the current village of Lyubimovka) in 1913. The battery project was developed by military engineer General N.A. Buynitsky, taking into account the recommendations of the famous Russian fortifier (also a famous composer) General Caesar Antonovich Cui, who, having studied the features of the defense of Sevastopol in 1854-1855 in a special work, proposed the most advantageous position for the battery. At the end of the last century, military engineers followed with great interest Cui's controversy in the press with the German General von Sauer, who believed that the construction of forts had become an expensive but completely useless business. The history of the 2nd defense of Sevastopol confirmed the rightness of the Russian fortifier.

It was, without exaggeration, a brilliant project. Dominance over the surrounding terrain provided two two-gun 305-mm installations, rotating 360 degrees, with all-round fire. Their firing range was 44 kilometers. Located north of Sevastopol, during the Second World War it could fire at both sea and land targets.

Almost 100 years ago, the battery was already planned to be fully electrified. All operations for loading and pointing the gun were performed by 17 electric motors. Only gun turrets with 200 mm armor were supposed to be on the surface. The remaining battery rooms were located in a reinforced concrete block 130 meters long and 50 meters wide. Inside the block, on two floors, there were ammunition cellars, a power station, residential and office premises. In the turret room there was a railway with manual trolleys in which ammunition was delivered to the charger. The battery was to be connected to the command post by a 600-meter underground corridor. Work was carried out until 1914. To this day, intercoms from the beginning of the last century have been preserved on the battery.

Construction of the battery resumed in 1928. A 6.5-kilometer line was laid from the Mekenzievy Gory station to the battery. Massive parts were unloaded from railway platforms and installed in place by a special crane. The battery turrets were equipped with 305-mm guns of the 1913 model (battleship caliber).

In 1934, after test artillery firing at sea targets, the battery became part of the coastal defense units of the Black Sea Fleet with the assignment of No. 30. The first commander of the thirtieth battery was the capital Ermil Donets.

In 1936, the main command post of the battery was built, as well as a system of fire correction posts (at Cape Lukull, at the mouths of the Alma and Kachi rivers, at Capes Khersones and Fiolent, as well as over the western coast

Balaklava Bay). Such a network of observation posts was necessary due to the colossal range of the battery - 44 kilometers. In other words, the battery reached Nikolaevka or Pochtovoy, and Bakhchisarai could be covered with any shell. The Thirty controlled an area of ​​over 5 thousand square kilometers.

In the conning tower of tower battery No. 30: battery commander Captain G.A. Alexander (left) and the battery military commissar, senior political instructor E.K. Solovyov. 1941

In the conning tower of tower battery No. 30: battery commander Captain G.A. Alexander (left) and the battery military commissar, senior political instructor E.K. Solovyov. 1941

In 1937, Captain Georgy Aleksandrovich Alexander took command of the 30th batteries.

By the beginning of World War 2, there were two batteries of this caliber in Sevastopol. In addition to the one located near the village of Lyubimovka "thirty", the fleet base was covered by battery No. 35 at Cape Khersones. Both of them were part of the 1st separate coastal defense artillery division of the Main Base of the Black Sea Fleet. Both batteries were initially built as coastal ones, that is, they were intended to fight enemy ships: the 30th battery covered the area north of Cape Lucullus, the 35th battery was supposed to fire at the sector from Cape Chersonesus to Cape Fiolent. But when German troops broke into Crimea in October 1941, coastal batteries, designed to protect Sevastopol from the sea, became the main caliber of the city’s defense from land.

Sevastopol, Cossack Bay, 35th coastal battery, central entrance to the artillery block (Fort Maxim Gorky 2). May 2008 360 degree panorama

Sevastopol, Cossack Bay, 35th coastal battery, central entrance to the artillery block (Fort Maxim Gorky 2). May 2008 360 degree panorama

It should be noted that the 35th battery was located too far from the German offensive area and only reached the Mekenziev Hills station, and therefore it was the “thirty” that was destined to play such a prominent role in the defense of Sevastopol.

On October 30, 1941, the German 11th Army launched an attack on Sevastopol. The first to enter the battle were the artillerymen of the 54th coastal artillery battery, located 40 km from Sevastopol near the village of Nikolaevka. On November 1, the 30th battery opened fire on the motorized infantry column. The first live firing was carried out by units of Ziegler's mobile group in the area of ​​Alma station (now Pochtovoye).

From entries in the Battery's Combat Log:

With the help of observation points deployed in advance at dominant heights, the battery hit columns of German troops and trains at the Alma and Biyuk-Suren stations. Arriving in Sevastopol, the commander of the Primorsky Army, Major General I.E. Petrov, carefully studied the situation and appreciated the exceptionally successful location of Alexander’s battery. The importance of the 30th battery is evidenced by the fact that the Germans conducted one of the main attacks of their December offensive in the area of ​​the Belbek River and the Mackenzie Mountains precisely with the goal of destroying the 30th battery. During the offensive, about 12 enemy tanks approached the battery command post at a distance of 300 meters. The battery opened direct fire on German tanks.

« The situation has become quite difficult, - recalled combat participant D.I. Piskunov, - But then the ground beneath us shook, and there was a nearby explosion of enormous power. Looking out of the trench, I saw that there was nothing there where the tank had just stood and fired! Only clods of earth and some debris fell. It turned out that Alexander's coastal battery hit the tanks with direct fire.».

At the German command 30th battery got the name Fort "Maxim Gorky I" (Battery No. 35 was number two). It was the fighting qualities of the fort that the commander of the German army that stormed Sevastopol, Erich Manstein, justified to the Fuhrer the failures in the storming of Sevastopol.

Poster from 1942

Poster from 1942

Over two months, the 30th battery fired 1,238 rounds at German troops. When fully charged, the battery barrels had to withstand 300 shots - then they needed to be replaced. Therefore the command "thirty" fired with half charges. And yet, by the beginning of 1942, the barrel channels were completely worn out.

Spare 50-ton barrels were removed from a secret storage facility in Sevastopol. On a January night they were transported to the battery and camouflaged. According to the instructions, in peacetime, battery barrels could be replaced in 60 days using a 75-ton crane. The battery personnel, together with specialists from the Leningrad Bolshevik plant and the Artillery Repair Plant of the Black Sea Fleet No. 1127, replaced the barrels in 16 days manually using a small crane and jacks. Moreover, the front line by that time was 1.5 kilometers from the battery.

In May 1942, the German command launched a new offensive against Sevastopol , under the code name "Störfang"(Sturgeon fishing). Understanding the importance "Fort Maxim Gorky -1" In the city's defense system, the enemy deployed a powerful group of heavy artillery near Sevastopol.

305-mm mortar from the Skoda company, model 1917. The Germans near Sevastopol had 16 such mortars, which fired 4922 shells during the 3rd assault.

305-mm mortar from the Skoda company, model 1917. The Germans near Sevastopol had 16 such mortars, which fired 4922 shells during the 3rd assault.

210-mm mortar Mrs 18 mod. 1918/36

210-mm mortar Mrs 18 mod. 1918/36

It had cannons of up to 194 mm caliber, a division of 210 mm mortars, two divisions of 240 mm heavy howitzers, four batteries of 280 mm howitzers, two divisions of 305 mm mortars, and a battery of two 356 mm mortars. The 624th division was deployed near Sevastopol (each of its three batteries had two 305-mm mortars and three 210-mm Moerzer 18), a battery of 420-mm howitzers, a battery of 420-mm Gamma mortars (installation weight 140 tons , projectile weight 1020 kg; firing range 14 kilometers) and a battery of 280 mm railway gun mounts.

420-mm Gamma-Geraet mortar in position near Sevastopol. Summer 1942

420-mm Gamma-Geraet mortar in position near Sevastopol. Summer 1942

280-mm railway gun "Bruno" in positions near Sevastopol

280-mm railway gun "Bruno" in positions near Sevastopol

In addition, there were 2 special 600 mm caliber guns "Charles" and 800 mm supercannon "Dora".

Siege mortars "Karl" moving on caterpillar tracks, they fired 600-mm concrete-piercing shells weighing over two tons (i.e., twice the caliber of the “thirty” and three times the weight of the projectile). Thus, "Charles" became the largest-caliber and heaviest self-propelled artillery unit. However, the tracks were used only for limited maneuvering in the firing position. Due to the large recoil force, the vehicle lowered its bottom to the ground before firing. According to the designers, the projectile "Carla" penetrated a concrete slab up to 3.5 m thick or 450 mm armor. The low speed of the projectile made it possible to observe it in the air.

Besides two "Karlov" under Sevastopol transferred 800 mm Dora gun . It was the largest weapon in the world used in wars. The gun was transported by 60 trains. The gun barrel had a length of 30 m, and the carriage was the height of a 3-story building. The gun served 5 thousand people, it was commanded by a major general. Guidance along the horizontal plane was carried out by moving the gun along a specially constructed curved section of a three-track railway. The monster fired projectiles from 4 to 7 tons, which pierced armor 1 meter thick or an 8-meter layer of concrete. "Dora" did not have time to storm the Maginot Line, so Sevastopol was to be its first baptism of fire.

800 mm Dora gun

800 mm Dora gun

Firing position for "Dora" chose 2 km east of Bakhchisarai. It took 4 weeks to equip it. On May 26, 1942, the gun was installed in position.

On June 5, 1942 at 5.35 the first concrete-piercing shell was fired at the northern part Sevastopol . The next 8 shells flew into the area of ​​battery No. 30. Columns of smoke from the explosions rose to a height of 160 m, but not a single hit was achieved in the armored turrets; the firing accuracy of the monster gun from a distance of almost 30 km turned out to be, as one would expect, very low .

But it was not “Dora”, but “Karly” that turned out to be the most dangerous enemy of the 30th battery.

From the 30th battery the entire front near Sevastopol was clearly visible, and Alexander organized instrumental reconnaissance. This paid off: “Karlov”, in order to maximize the firing simultaneously with other German batteries, produced particularly bright flashes when fired and a characteristic coughing sound. An artillery duel ensued between the “monsters” and Alexander’s battery.

600-mm mortar of the "Karl" type (Karl-Geraet) at a firing position near Sevastopol. Summer 1942

600-mm mortar of the "Karl" type (Karl-Geraet) at a firing position near Sevastopol. Summer 1942

From 5 to 14 June "Carls" released on "thirty" 172 concrete-piercing and 25 high-explosive 600-mm shells, damaging the concrete mass of the battery. On June 14, one of the 600 mm shells hit the gun turret of the 30th battery. Part of the crew was killed, but the damaged tower could fire. According to some reports, one of "Karlov" was also badly damaged by the fire of Alexander's battery, and was taken to Germany. “Dora” was discovered by a reconnaissance group and called aircraft from the Caucasus. The pilots hit the position "Dora" a short but noticeable blow, disabling power trains, special escort trains, service platforms and ammunition wagons. The major general in command of "Dora" considered it best to ask for an urgent relocation outside the Crimea...

Luftwaffe bombs Sevastopol, June 1942

30th battery , fired until the last shell. Understanding perfectly the importance of the 30th battery in the defense system of Sevastopol, the Germans did not stop attacks with tanks and infantry on the battery position. By June 17, the battery had used up all its ammunition, and when a new series of attacks followed, the batteries fought back with practice blanks. A hit from such a blank tore off the turret of a German tank that tried to fire at the battery from the area of ​​the estate of the state farm plant named after Sofia Perovskaya. But the battle was unequal - by that time the Germans had completely surrounded the battery and were already fighting to capture the Northern Side and Mikhailovsky Ravelin. "Thirty" did not give up even when it became clear that the battery was completely surrounded and German machine gunners had already infiltrated the towers. The approaching machine gunners were fired at with powder charges - a stream of powder gases with a temperature of 3000°C literally wiped out the German infantry from the face of the earth.

On June 24, a German infantry regiment and three sapper battalions surrounded the battery and broke into its territory. Enemy sappers used flamethrowers, poured gasoline into cracks, and used demolition charges.

German flamethrower. Sevastopol, summer 1942

German flamethrower. Sevastopol, summer 1942

Alexander decided to blow up the towers, all diesel engines and the power station, and destroy the latest firing devices, which was carried out on June 21. There was no longer any food or water at the battery; the wounded were dying from the smoke pumped in by the Germans. Trying to break the resistance of the battery defenders, German sappers fired several powerful explosions inside the already destroyed towers. A fire started in the gun block.

The battery is on fire. The photo shows tower No. 2 (western).

The battery is on fire. The photo shows tower No. 2 (western).

The last decision of the battery command was to break out of the battery location, but not to the city, but to the partisans in the mountains. The battery was already completely surrounded by the enemy and Alexander understood that the Northern side had already been captured by the Germans.

On June 26, the Germans broke through into the battery and captured the surviving artillerymen. Battery commander Alexander and several sailors escaped from the concrete block through a drain. The group tried to break through to the partisans, but the next day, in near the village of Duvankoy (now Verkhnesadovoe) was discovered and captured by the enemy. Alexander was in civilian clothes, but he was captured because a traitor from the local population identified him and handed him over to the Nazis. Alexander was sent to prison in Simferopol, where he was shot, apparently for refusing to provide information on the 30th battery that interested the Germans. The banner of the 30th battery never fell into the hands of the Germans; most likely it was destroyed by the last defenders of the battery, although there is a legend that the banner was walled up in a wall in the battery’s dungeons. On the other hand, the absence of a banner was the reason that Alexander did not posthumously receive the Hero of the Soviet Union.

At the very end of the war, secret secrets fell into the hands of the Soviet command. archives of the "third Reich" . They contained drawings and technical documentation about “monster” weapons already known to us, about unrealized projects of all kinds "miracle weapons". But what a surprise it was when, among these papers, descriptions and drawings of the 30th battery made by German engineers were discovered. This was a genuine study, which included calculations of the strength of the artillery system, barrel wear, analysis of gunpowder and a number of other issues. At the end, a conclusion was attached that the Russian “fort” was a true masterpiece of engineering art and that it was he who, due to its exceptional qualities, was able to delay the fall Sevastopol for more than six months.

In one of the trophy photographs on the ruins of the battery it is written in paint: “ ...And that was the end of the strongest fortress in the world».

During the war, the battery's fortifications did not suffer serious damage. Only the turret installations, internal mechanical equipment of the battery and fire control devices were disabled. When restoring the 30th battery in the post-war period, it was decided to make maximum use of the surviving objects.

Towers and guns were taken from Baltic battleship "Frunze" (former Poltava) and modernized. Now the battery no longer consisted of 4, but 6 MB-3-12-FM guns with a caliber of 305 millimeters. At the command post, they installed the most advanced fire control system for that time, “Bereg”, with a radar station and heat direction finders. According to the specifications, the battery was capable of withstanding a 10-hour chemical attack, or bombardment with 2000-kilogram landmines, or an airborne nuclear explosion...

Until the mid-1990s, as part of the 778th artillery, and then the 51st missile and 632nd missile and artillery regiments, the division provided coastal defense of the Main Base of the Black Sea Fleet. The last time the battery fired was in 1958. The film “Sea on Fire” was filmed. The guns were turned towards the Mekenzi Mountains. As a result, glass flew out of many houses in nearby villages, and the roofs of some houses were even torn off. In 1997, the personnel of the 30th was transferred to the Caucasian coast, and the fortifications were transferred to the conservation platoon. However, within 72 hours the battery can be put into combat readiness.

Before the Second World War, several were built in the USSR 305 mm turret batteries . Among them Fort Krasnaya Gorka in the Baltic and famous Voroshilovskaya battery I'm in the Far East. Today, only “ thirty" thanks to the efforts of veterans of the Black Sea Fleet. Today it is not only a unique military facility, but also a monument to the sailors who heroically fought and died here defending their Fatherland.

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Film "30th battery of Sevastopol". Director: Yuri Fedorov. Year of manufacture: 2002.