They are no less known in the world than Cordillera, the mountain system, stretching along the western outskirts of North and South America for as much more than eighteen thousand kilometers long and width of 1600 kilometers, with the highest vertex of Denali in 6190 meters above sea level in North America, Also Akonkagua - 6963 meters above sea level in South America. Many countries - Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile border Cordillera. No less known Kordiller Mountain System of Himalayas with the highest peak of Chochi - 8,611 meters above sea level at the Border of the PRC and Pakistan and from one vertex of Lhotse, exceeding a height of eight kilometers on the border of the PRC and Nepal. On the Globe They also admire Tibet with the highest vertex in the world in Everest - 8852 meters above sea level. However, there are other mountain systems on earth on earth on different continents, attracting attention to which thousands and thousands of bold vertices conquerors seek to climb.

From the legendary taman to the gray Caspian

The Great Caucasian Mountains are essentially two mountain systems - a large and small Caucasus in Eurasia. They stretched more than 1,100 kilometers from the north-west to southeast, and even more specifically, from the Taman Peninsula in the area and along the Black Sea coast to the Absheron Peninsula at the Sea Caspian and near the capital of Azerbaijan Baku. Maximum width of the mining system of 180 kilometers. Compared to the Cordillers, it is hardly a ninth part, but nevertheless noticeable and, which is the root cause of the appearance of a subtropical zone in Russia. In which annually recover their health and fully rest over 15 million as our fellow citizens and guests from near and far abroad. Big Caucasus is divided into three parts: Western - from the Black Sea to Elbrus; Central - from Elbrus to Kazbek and finally the East Caucasus - from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea. As for height above sea level, in Everest she is equal to 5642 meters, Kazbek 5033. The total area of \u200b\u200bthe Great Caucasian Mountains is 1400 square kilometers. In part, this is the edge of eternal snow and glaciers. The area of \u200b\u200bglaciers is offset for 2050 square kilometers. Large icing center - Mount Elbrus Plus Benefic Wall - 17 kilometers.

The edge of five dozen peoples

Great Caucasian Mountains are thick inhabited. There are in mind its foothills. Abkhaza, Ingush, Ossetians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Adygi (Circassians) and many other people, united by the general name - Caucasian peoples, live here. For the most part, this is Muslims. But widespread and Christians are Ukrainians, Georgians, Russians, Armenians, as well as a noticeable part of Ossetians and Abkhazians. By the way, the Armenian and Georgian churches are the oldest in the world. Thanks to many of them, these two people of the Great Caucasus have retained their originality, morals and customs. We will add to this - Caucasian peoples for a hundred years were under a foreign department - the Turks, Persians, Russians. Now they have gained independence, steel sovereign.

Twenty-five translated vertices

It is so much that they have the Great Caucasus from Elbrus to Dombay - Ulgen - 4046 meters above sea level. Alpinists are popular: Dykhtau - 5204 meters above sea level; Pushkin's peak is 5100 m., We have already mentioned Cazbek; Shota Rustaveli - 4960m., Gulchi-Tau - 4447 meters, etc.

The Great Caucasus is abundant by rivers, lakes and waterfalls

Burnting at the mountain peaks, some fall into the Black Sea - Bzhib, Kodor, Ingur (Inguri), Rioni, Mzymt, and others. In the Azov - the largest Kuban in the Krasnodar Territory. And in the Caspian - Kura, Samur, Terek, Suna, Baksan - all of their more than two dozen. Among the majestic Caucasian Mountains are world famous Lake Sevan (Armenia). It is located at an altitude of 1900 meters above sea level. Its area is 1240 square kilometers, depth - from twenty to more than eighty meters. 28 rivers fall into the lake, but only one follows - hedded, the influx of Araks. By the way, it will notice - and the Caspian and Black Sea essence of the remainder of the Overacter Ocean Tetis. From the oldest days of the name, the Black Sea has changed - Khazar, Sugdesta, Temurun, Kimmeria, Ahshaene, Blue, Tavrichesky, Holy and Even Ocean. The current name is associated with its color to raging storms. It really looks black. In the old days he was also called not hospitable, angry. It was received by the Caspian reservoir by the name, who had once had the tribes of Konevodov - Caspis. It was called Girkansky, Gyerazhansky, Holy, Derbent - just over seven tens of names.

And about one unique water bodice of the Great Caucasus - fantastic in the natural beauty of Waterfall Zeigalan (otherwise it is also called a large Zapeelan waterfall). It is located in North Ossetia in the Midagabindon River Valley in seven kilometers south of the village of Jimar. The height of the fall is 600 meters. Translated from Ossetian - "Falling Avalanche". It is among the ten most ambitious and famous waterfalls. It is pushing a fellow gavari in France - 422 meters high and Crim in Austria - 380 meters. Takes start from a hanging glacier at a height of 650-700 meters. The most peak of the runoff falls on the summer months of July-August. In winter, it dries and marked only by ice subkears on the rocks. The waterfall area is part of the Kazbek-Jimraja mountain assembly, the largest not only in North Ossetia, but in the whole of the great Caucasus. The place is delicious in its beauties - on the slopes of the mountains of the sea of \u200b\u200bflowers, disintegration, the aromas of alpine meadows are circling their heads. But it is necessary to warn - the waterfall is dangerous for people: stonepads happen, there are slices from the melting glacier from above. Nevertheless, the waterfall is actively visiting. Tourists take off the grandiose panorama of the waterfall on the camera or a television.

Flora and the Fauna of the Great Caucasus

As for the flora, it is represented by almost six and a half thousand flowering plants. Of these, 166 are inherent in the mountains only. Subtropics are famous for dozens of palm trees. Relic juniper grow here, pistachio; Pitsundskaya pine, oaks, graphs, mimosa, tulip tree, magnolia, bamboo - all the breed of trees and do not list. Separate oaks-patriarchs aged for a thousand years. Tourists are advised to walk in the groves of juniper. Especially those who have asthma or bronchitis. Juniper's breath in minutes kills all microbes and viruses in man. Day, another, the third walk, and you were born again! It also contributes to the sea air, densely infused in the salts of bromine, calcium, potassium, etc.

As for the fauna of the Great Caucasian Mountains, it is also rich here too and diverse. Screensy on wild boars (Beware of Mamash Dapash with Young: Fangs of males is sharp, and there were cases when a meeting with boars ended with serious injuries or worse than the death!). They are found here and sulfur, mountain goats, bears. Sometimes lived and lynx, and leopards. Asian lions and tigers. Caucasian bison extinted in 1925. The last elk killed in 1810. Great many invertebrates - only spiders for a thousand species. The Great Caucasus is also the area of \u200b\u200bhabitat of the Berkuts, which poachers are mined and sell for big money by scales. Berkcats love to hunt on the Caucasus itself, and in Kazakhstan, and in Kyrgyzstan, and in Saudi Arabia, in other regions and planet countries.

Stela of "Parenting Eagle"

She appeared in 2013 near the resort villages of Sukko and Supcess, not far from the barbarization, from where the gas pipeline begins under the name "Turkish flow", and is open as races to the day of Russia. Nine kilometers from Anapa. The authors are the sculptor V. Polekov in the Commonwealth with the architect Y. Rysin.

The monument is made of their cold bronze, guaranteeing its durability and which are not terrible any changes to weather. A soaring eagle with a wide range of wings and proudly raised to the sky head means the beginning of the Great Caucasian Mountains. Before Stel, there is a platform for vehicles. Tourists, and they are here passing to other resort villages Large and Small Utris, thousands and thousands necessarily stop and photograph or remove the monument on the camcorder. By the way, from the "steaming eagle" there is a stunning view of Anapa and the bays, in which the city has been abolished (in the distant old old old old ancient Gorgippia, and the slave trade was actively conducted, their own coins were focused, and representatives of known from different regions of the Caucasus came and sailed here behind the Belolic Brides!). In good weather, the coast is viewed up to the bank of Mary Magdalen, that the village of Blagoveshchenskaya - and where divers do not only come and fly away from all over Russia, but also from abroad. So, the Great Caucasian Mountains begins with football and, in particular, with a bald mountain height of just 319 meters above sea level, other hills and even lower. The foothills are at the very beginning of the Semisam Range, which is part of the Caucasian Mountain chain. A bald mountain is called due to the absence of any vegetation at all. No, no, herbs and flowers are found there. But not more. Recall once again - from the center of Anapa to the Bald Mountain nine kilometers, and from the outskirts of the city three times less. And hand, what is called, to file to a small and big desire. And these places are well known to tourists.

Large Utrich is one of the main attractions of the beginning of the Great Caucasus - Dolphinarium in the open sea and with the theater. In the high season is given daily by several views. Artists - marine animals. Under the curtain of a peculiar play, Dolphins-Aphlegnes deftly jump on the platform and willingly take pictures with all those who wish or removed on the tool. They can be hugging them from the soul, to kiss or swim in the water area of \u200b\u200bDolphinarium. And at this time, the seal, leaning on his tail, is excitely applauding the public with its flops. On Big Utrish, according to the legends, the hero of Prometheus was chained to one of the rocks, who gave people the sacred fire and thereby called the fierce anger from the main god of Olympus Zeus-Ruzhvyz. Zeus ordered to see the breath of the rock with strong chains, and the bloodthirsty eagle flew to the martyr to torment with sharp claws his liver. True, the inhabitants of the neighboring Sochi Anapa objected, de Prometheus was chained in the Orline Rock area at the former capital of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. And even built a monument to the hero - it is worth the Prometheus on the grief with the chains broken in their hands, and he has a proud look of the winner! And yet, the statement of the Sochns causes doubts: the eagle rocks are located away from the sea, at the fast river. But in the open-air museum in the center of Anapa "Gorgippia" found a crypt with the frescoes of the features of another mythological hero - Hercules. And from myths Ancient Greece It is known for now - from the chains of Prometheus freed heracles. He and bloodthirsty eagleproogany. Who is right who is wrong - let specialists decide. But in Anapa, which no one and half of a half thousand years, persistently consider - the rock of Prometheus is still on the Big Utrish. An irrefutable, in their opinion, and another legend - de past the rocks of a big designer in search of a golden rune sailed Argonauts led by their brave captain Jason. Here are such secrets of the Great Caucasian Mountains from Anapa and steles of the "steaming eagle".

Verses from Novorossiysk to Gelendzhik

In the Krasnodar Territory today five resort zones: Sochi, Gelendzhik, Tuapse, Anapa and Taman. From each of them to another, what is called hand to hand. And they all stretched along the Black Sea coast with the exception of Tamani, which has a way out also to the Azov Sea. And the Black Sea coast is mainly protected by the mountains. In addition to Anapa, which, as we noticed, the great Caucasian mountains begin, but in general the municipality comes out from the sea to steppe spaces. And only in the Novorossiysk area, as a continuation of the Semisam Range with Bald Mountain, the foothills gradually rises, moving to the Marcoth Range or on Adyg in Marcoth, stretching from Novorossiysk towards Gelendzhik to more than ninety kilometers. The highest mountain, towering over Novorossiysk - Sugar head (558 meters above sea level). Gradually rising, the Marcoth Range in some places goes to upper than 700 meters. It consists of limestone, sandstone, clay, but its main component is Mergel, which is coming to the manufacture of cement. Novorossiysk this is especially noticeable - the production factories for this type work building materials, and dust from the column. Marcoth Range, note, goes parallel to the south of the main Caucasian ridge. Between Novorossiysk and Anapa many attractions. In particular, the Monument of Nature is the Sheshouse Juniper Parldasshe. ABOUT healing properties We were told about the relic juniper, therefore they will not be repeated, we will not emphasize that it is especially useful in the treatment of asthma and bronchi. From Anapa to Novorossiysk directly 40 kilometers, in the motorway - 52. It is possible to overcome them a little more than forty minutes. And if you drive another 14 kilometers towards Gelendzhik, then you will find yourself in the Abrauan Peninsula, in the southern end of which is a big utrety with your famous dolphinarium in the open sea and the theater. But the main chip of the peninsula is undoubtedly the place of Abrau-Durso, comfortably located among the mountains and the part of the municipality of the city resort Novorossiysk.

Specific estate of Russian sovereign

At the village of Double Name -. And this has its own reason. One village is located in the mountains, among the fantastic beauty nature. Here and the river with the same name and the largest freshwater lake in the Caucasus with the same name as the village. With a population of about three thousand living, as in paradise. Soft climate, warm winter and vineyards, vineyards, vineyards. Abrau Lake is 3100 meters long, 630 width, depth of 8 to 11 meters, by the way, there is a fish. Gorgeous embankment - with arbors, benches. In summer, the water is warm, and in the lake can be happy to swim. But you can plunge into the Black Sea. The second village of the royal estate is Durso. Today there are both the recreation centers, and the health resort, where you can relax and become.

Abrau village is known in the world with its refined taste of Russian champagne. In the origins of its production stood prince Lion Golitsyn. And the relay picked up, as it is not surprising, Joseph Stalin, who ordered to establish the release of domestic champagne in the southern regions of the country and in Abrau, in particular. And such an instruction was kept in the Government Decree of 1936. As for the production of champagne under the patronage of Golitsyn, the first of his party was produced in 1898. And two years later, in Abrau, his powerful winery appeared, from Novorossiysk to the village they laid the vehicles. Now Abrau has a museum of famous wines, as well as a corporate store in which tourists can buy Russian champagne under the brand "Abrau-Durso", dry wines and even brandy. A lot of entertainment on the coast in Durso is water attractions, "bananas", "tablets", you can rush with a breeze on the waves on water bikes. And in Abrau are popular horseback riding in local foothills, mountainous tourism, including jeep or extreme trip, but already on mountain motorcycles.

Marcoth at Gelendzhik

Until the famous no less than Anapa, the resort from Novorossiysk Distance to the Bulk Void - directly three tens of kilometers, on a tenth of kilometers more. The trip will take somewhere just over forty minutes. And now you will appear the most extended embankment in the world - 14 kilometers. With a graceful figure of a bride from a white marble, which is well visible from the height of the Marcoth Range of 762 meters above sea level. Translated from the Adygh "Marcotch" literally means "berry places", and here really delicious blackberries can be collected by buckets. Coles, however, but what is called "without difficulty caught and fish from the pond!". High vertices in the vicinity of Gelendzhik Several - Shahhan at the Zhana River (700 meters above sea level); Pshad - 741 meters by the river with the same name and 43 kilometer long, flowing into the Black Sea; Gebius - 735 meters above sea level. The Marcoth Range itself extended along the Gelendzhik Bay - charmingly beautiful from a bird's eye view, and even more so with top of the surrounding mountains. The resort is famous for its Safari Park, in which lions live in vivo, tigers, bears and other animals. Behind their lives can be observed with a chair suspended road. At the top of the Irkotkh Range - a fantastic forest - with Lesus, mermaid on the branches of a tree, Baba Yaga and other fabulous characters. From the observation deck, the yachts and other vessels in the bay, seagulls, cormorants, petrels, solving over the blue sea with white scallops of the waves.

And the mountains are all higher, and the mountains are worse!

And this is true, if you go from Gelendzhik to the large - the southern capital of Russia, stretching along the Black Sea coast for a whole hundred forty-five kilometers. In the world, only one city is the longer the former capital of the past Winter Olympic Games, in which our team won with Triumph and who struck the planet with their colorful opening and closing ceremonies - the capital Mexico Mexico - 200 kilometers. And in the native fatherland of Sochi, the length is ahead of Volgograd, stretching along the Great Volga River 90 with more than 90 kilometers. So here's about the height of the local mountains. Having overcome the distance from Gelendzhik to Sochi 246 kilometers over almost four hours (sheepskin is worth it!), You can climb, including the excursion groups, on one of the surrounding vertices. You can start with small - Mount Akhun - 663 meters above sea level. And then the height of the mountains will go on an increasing: sugar fifteen kilometers from the city - 1555 meters; PSOGISA - 2216 meters; Large weaving - 2368 meters; Achishho - 2391 meters; Peak Bazlie - 2482 meters; Turning southern - 2503 meters; Stone pillar - 2509 meters; PSHEO-SU - 2743 meters; Oshten - 2804 meters; Fisht - 2853 meters; Peak Kozhevnikova - 3070 meters; Pic needle - 3168 meters; Sugar pseashho - 3189 meters; Atheist - 3256 meters and finally the highest peak of all Cuban Tsakhvo - 3346 meters above sea level. This is not so little, if we consider that the highest peak of the great Caucasian mountains and even Europe - Elbrus height in 5642 meters above sea level.

The famous ski resort "Krasnaya Polyana"

It is located on average Mzimti mountain river that translated from Adygh - "Ramane", uncontrollable "," indomitable "- there are other interpretations. Blows into the Black Sea. 39 kilometers long. Above the gorge over it The famous pedestrian suspension bridge is the most Long in the world. From Him, extreme lovers make jumps in the abyss of the elastic cable. Here is a popular attraction - a giant swing with a sparing pendulum in Polkilometer. From the west of Mount Achishho, from the east - Aibga Ridge. Immediately in the vicinity of the top Fistt, in honor of which A stadium was named, where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in 2014 were held. Red Polyana - Ski Resort, who may well compete with his fellows in the same Switzerland or in other mountain places of the planet. A year here is resting more than a million compatriots and foreign Guests. At their disposal one hundred and more kilometers of snow tracks of different difficulty levels - 6 green, 8 blue, 16 red and 6 black. Comfortable on them m Hell feel experienced skiers and beginners and children. Among the independent ski resorts - "Rosa-Khutor", "Alpika-Service", "Gorki City" and GTC Gazprom. Day in skiing, evening disco, karaoke, pleasant evenings in cafe, restaurants, casino. Allowance placed all - hotels, hotels, guest Houses, You can remove the cottage. No problems with transport. Before Adler, forty kilometers. Fly there can be direct flights from many regions of Russia. And then railway transport with famous "swallows" or by regular buses, even faster than personal cars. The road will not seem tedious to you. Especially with such fantastic natural beauties! By the way, there are enough databases on the Red Polyana with ski rental, snowboarding, sled and so on.

Arriving in Sochi to rest and treatment (he takes more than five million tourists per year, not including those who prefer snow tracks working from November and in April inclusive, and sometimes grabbing the beginning of May), be sure to visit the Olympic Park. It is located at the Black Sea itself. With Fisht Stadium and other sports facilities built to the White Olympiad. All of them are unique architecture. The Ice Palace reminds Peking Opera - as an icing drop. And the bowl of Olympic Fire! She looks like a fire-bird from Russian folk fairy tale. In the Olympic Park - the Trus "Formula 1", and the competitions on the pilots do not leave anyone indifferent. Fans come from all parts of light and stay in a great delight. There is a "Disneyland" in the park with dozens of attractions. The souvenirs, including the mascots of games, can be purchased into local permissions. Just keep in mind - in one day the park can not get around. It covers an area almost in two hundred hectares. In Imeretin lowland. Do not go around for the day and on electric vehicles: so many attractions in it. Natural beauty Tuapse

The famous resort town is located between Gelendzhik and Sochi. From the southern capital of Russia removed by 117 kilometers - less than two hours drive. From Gelendzhik - 129 kilometers, ride just over two hours. Protecting the resort from the evil northern winds of the mountains in an average height from 1352 to 1453 meters above sea level. But there are exceptions - the peak of Shezsi ascended to the sky at 1839 meters. Among the attractions of the Mountain Semiglabia, Wolf Gorge, the rock of Alexander Kiselev, who goes into the sea and named after the artist. In the city itself - subtropical plants. In the foothills and locals and tourists with pleasure collect European blackberries. The resort area has sanatoriums, boarding houses, children's health camps. Cargo, and passenger ships are moored in the seaport. You can rent a yacht, go out on it in the open sea, to divide, swim in the purest water or sunbathe on the deck. Love tourists during maritime walks to arrange and picnics.

Republic of Adygea

It is part of the Southern Federal District with the capital of Maikop with a half-million population. Part of the North Caucasian economic Area. From all sides is surrounded by the Krasnodar Territory. In the republic, forty-five Aules, there are villages, stages, farm. From the streets of Maikop, the main Caucasian ridge is clearly visible. The sights of Adygea are popular with Lago Naki Plateau tourists. Ten waterfalls Rufabgo - each with its name. River Kuban, White, Laba. The white river is 260 kilometers long. And nourish her mountain streams and Spring Fishe, Oshden and Abago. Granite canyon with a length of four kilometers and a depth of two hundred meters. Sakhraian waterfalls. Mountain Lake Pseudona. Frequently visited by tourists of the rock of the devil finger, mountains monk, large weaver, trident, camel, Range of un-goat. The mountains are high enough, recall, the top Fistt climbed 2868 meters above sea level. This her name received the stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies and the closing of the Winter Olympic Games in 2014, so struck with their paintness and originality inherent in Russian mentality.

Dagestan - Country of Mountains

On this account there are and popular saying. Its especially often lead in speeches on December 11, when the whole world celebrates the International Day of Mountains. And the highest vertices of the Great Caucasus here - Shalbuzdag - 4150 meters above sea level. In July and August, a real pilgrimage: the grave of the righteous of Suleiman is located here. Mountain resembles a pyramid with a toothed vertex. There is a belief if you climb it - all the desires and dreams will come true. And thousands of tourists try to do it. But the capital of Dagestan Makhachkala directly stretched along Mount Tarka-Tau - a unique natural monument from mountain monolith. It is known good and because in 1722, the Army of Peter's first entered the package. The top of the Great Caucasus named Bazarduzyu is considered the southernmost point of Russia. She ascended to a height of 4466 meters above sea level. The first ascent is committed in 1935.

You can talk about the mountains of Dagestan. But he has another unique landmark - just fifteen kilometers from Makhachkala, his capitals, the seamy Caspian is splashing - the largest water-tailed reservoir, the largest lake on the planet in Europe and Asia. Its area is 371 thousand square kilometers. The depth exceeds a kilometer. It has more than 140 species of fish, of which the most famous Beluga, with which if you meet - you will be afraid: I'm not shark? There are sturgeon, giving black caviar and such species as bream, horse, bleak, river eel, sipovka, Nalim - do not list everyone! The Great Russian River Volga River 3,530 kilometers falls to the Caspian Sea (Lake), from the coast of which Stalingrad was captured by the 300 thousand Hitler's army headed by Field Marshal Paulus. For rest to the Caspian Sea, thousands and thousands of tourists of both our compatriots and foreign ones come to the Caspian Sea. In particular, near Makhachkala, there are sanatoriums, boarding houses, and children's health camps. True, the coast of the Caspian Sea is not very much mastered, but a course is taken to create another popular resort area here. What? White shallow sand, clean water - sunbathing, swim, catch fish, Warm from her on the shore of fragrant ear!

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Caucasian Mountains - Great section between Europe and Asia. The Caucasus is a narrow strip of sushi between the Black and Caspian seas. It amazes an incredible variety of climate, flora and fauna.

The pride of the Caucasus is his mountains! Without the mountains, the Caucasus is not Caucasus. Mountains are unique, majestic and impregnable. The Caucasus is amazingly beautiful. He is so different. On the mountains you can watch for hours.

The mountain range of the Grand Caucasus is a lot of pastures, forests, as well as amazing wonders of nature. More than 2 thousand glaciers are descended by narrow gorges. A large mountain chain is almost one and a half thousand kilometers from the North-West to the southeast. The main vertices exceed 5 thousand meters and significantly affect the weather in the regions. The clouds that are formed over the Black Sea are shed with rains, praising on the mountain peaks of the Caucasus. On the one hand, the ridge is severe landscape, and on the other - stormy vegetation. Here you can meet more than 6 and a half thousand species of plants, a quarter of which, not to find anywhere else in the world.

There are many legends about the origin of the Caucasian Mountains:

Long ago, when the Earth was still very young, a huge plain extended on the site of the modern territory of the Caucasus. They lived here in the world and love huge nurts narnts. They were kind and prudent, happily met and day and night, did not know any evil, nor envy, no cunning. The ruler of this people was the gray-haired Giant Elbrus, and he had a wonderful son Beshtau, and his son had a charming bride, beautiful Mashuki. But they had an evil envious - Korean. And he decided to harm nases. He prepared a terrible potion, in which the wolf teeth mixed, the kabana's tongue and the snake's eyes. On a big holiday, he poured the potion in all drinks of narts. And, having drank it, they acquired the greed of boar, the anger of the wolf and the cunning of the snake. And since that time, the happy and carefree life of narts. He decided to beat off his son with his son a young bride and sending him to hunt, wanted to marry Mashuki forcibly. But Mashuki Elbrus resisted. And in the evil battle she lost her wedding ring. I saw Ring Beshtau and hurried to the aid of the bride. And a terrible battle has not faced a not for life, but to death, and half of the nurses fought on the side of Elbrus, and the other half - on the side of Beshtau. And the battle lasted for several days and nights, and all the narts died. Elbrus pounded her son for five parts, and son, inflicting last Stick, broke the gray head of the Father into two halves. Mashuki came out after the battle on the battlefield and did not see any living soul. She approached his beloved and looked like a dagger in his heart. So the life of the Great and Old People was stopped.

And at this point now the Caucasian Mountains are now towers: the helmet from Beshtau - the Mountain of the Iron, the ring of Mashuki - the Ring Mountain, five vertices - Mount Beshtau, near the mountain Mashuk and far and far away from others - the gray-haired or just snow-free Handsome Elbrus.

Caucasian Mountains - result of convergence of two plates

Let's look at one of the most narrow seats of this grandiose mountain belt. His northern outskirts, in the predfaccise, are placed areas that belong to a solid coil, called Scythian. Next, sub-luminous (ie, stretching around the west to the east) of the Mount of the Grand Caucasus, up to 5 km high), narrow cavocal depressions - Rionian and Kurinskaya lowland - and also sub-luminous, but convex mountain ranges of the Small Caucasus in Georgia, Armenia , East Turkey and West Iran (up to 5 km high).

The south of the plains of North Arabia, which, as well as the balance of the Westerns, belong to the very strong, monolithic Arabian lithospheric plate.

Therefore, Scythian and Arabian plates - It's like two parts of giant vice, which slowly get closer, crushing everything that is located between them. It is curious that directly against the northern, relatively narrow end of the Arabian Plate, in East Turkey and West Iran, are the highest mountains compared to the mountains located west and east. They take up just in the place where the Arabian stove, as a solid wedge, the most severely squeezed fuel deposits.

1. What is the Caucasus. Geography, structure, structure.

Many are familiar with the Caucasus.

Giganish mountain ranges crowned with snow vertices ascended above the clouds. Deep gorges and abyss. Infinite steppe spaces. The subtropical vegetation of the warm banks of the Black Sea, the dry semi-desert of the Caspian Sea, the blooming alpine meadows of the mountain slopes. Stormy mountain streams with waterfalls, a serene surface of mountain lakes, and drying steppe rivers. The failed volcanoes of Pyatigora and volcanic lava highlands of Armenia. These are just some contrasts of this huge edge.

What is the Caucasus geographically?

In the direction of approximately from the north to the south, the Caucasus consists of the following parts.

The pre-Caucasus plain, which is a natural continuation of the Russian or Eastern European Plain, begins south of the KoM-Manic Wpadin. The western part of the predfabcasia crosses the flat part of the Kuban River, which flows into the Azov Sea. The eastern part of the Pre-Caucasus is irrigated by the plain portion of the Terek River, which flows into the Caspian. In the central part of the predfaccise, the Stavropol elevation with average heights from 340 to 600 meters and separate lifters up to 832 m (Mount Strizhena).

The next part is the big Caucasus. It extends about 1,500 kilometers away, from Taman to the Absheron Peninsula.

The big Caucasus form four parallel to the most part of the ridge, rising from the north to the south stage per step. The smallest pasture ridge, it is also called black mountains. Behind him grows a rocky ridge. These two ridges are kousty ridges, with a gentle northern and steep southern slope. After the rocky, the side, or an advanced ridge, is attached, the Elbrus, the breath, Tau, Koshtan-Tau, Kazbek and others are located on it.

Narrow Archyz-Zaglassnaya, Bezhetinskaya and other depressions of the side ridge separated from the main, or waterproof ridge.

The narrow southern slope of the Big Caucasus is replaced by the Transcaucasian depression, which consists of Rionic or Collid depression, and Kurinskaya depression. Between the depressions there is a narrow Surasky or Likhsky ridge.

The Transcaucasian Highlands was still south, which is part of extensive front -hasional Nagrai. In the north and northeast of Highlands are the ridges of the Small Caucasus. And to the south-west of the Small Caucasus, the lava arrays of the Armenian-Javakhetian Highlands extend.

But the Caucasus was not always like that, and not forever it will be. This, in general, quite obvious consideration serves as a convenient transition to the question of how it was the Caucasus formed. For the dry phrase "Geological History of the Caucasus" there are complete drama and impressive catastrophe stages of life live planet - Earth. Millions of years of consistent and sometimes leisurely changes end with pulses of eruptions of huge volcanoes and vice versa, outbreaks of catastrophic events respond to a subsequent time interval of millions of years. And the calm orstive bottom of the warm sea becomes the glaced mining vertex, from the edge of which stone collars are collapsed with a crash.

It is very difficult to highlight the time from which it is necessary to start a description of the history of the Caucasus. Just because for a complete understanding of the processes at a certain point in time, it is necessary to know the preceding episodes. When you talk about crumpled, the formation of the mountains in a certain moment of time, the question always arises about how and when these strata themselves are formed. And those can be products of destruction of some more ancient mountains or structures. And so for each ancient geological episode there is a clear or not very picture of previous events ...

2. The evolution of the Caucasus. From the seas to the mountains.

Weekly, albeit a very conditional period in time, starting from which it can be said that the events already have an attitude to the processes that led to the formation of the modern Caucasus is the second half and the end of the Paleozoic era (that is, a period of time from 400 to 250 million. L.N.). Then there were not only people, but also dinosaurs. Mentally look at the whole region at the time.

For a long time there is a durable and relatively calm Russian platform. It united somewhere 2 billion years ago from three blocks of crystalline foundation. These blocks have been formed even earlier - from the merger of basalt plates and further overcommodation of their jet into the granites of continental crust.

In the second half of Paleozoa, the Russian platform is part of the mainland laure. He gradually gets closer to another mainland, Gondwan.

Recall the main provisions of the concept of movable lithospheric plates. Blocks relative to rigid breeds - lithospheric plates - move along the surface of the mantle under the action of mantle convective flows - very slow on the scale of the usual time, but quite noticeable on the scale of geological time. Plates are oceanic and continental. The continental plate on the periphery includes areas with oceanic crust in its composition. Lithospheric plates float on the surface of the asthenosphere (the asthenosphere is the upper weakened layer of the mantle with reduced viscosity) and move along it. It causes this movement convective melt movement as a whole. Ground Cora is two types - continental (granite) and oceanic (basalt).

A new ocean bark is formed in the spreading zones - the mid-oceanic ridges, where the asthenosphere substance is increasing the plate, and is absorbed in the subduction areas, where the plate substance returns to the asthenosphere.

So, in the second half of Paleozoa, the rapprochement of the laurement (North America Plus Europe) and Gondwana (Africa Plus South America).

In the process of rapprochement in the south of the Russian platform, where the predfabcasis spread today, the region of folding, the movable belt associated with the existence of the subduction zone is formed when the oceanic bark is absorbed under the mainland, weakening its edge and providing volcanic activity and mobility earth crust Total region.

Globally rapprochement at that time, at the end of Paleozoa, ended with the clash of the laure and Gondwana and the formation of supermanca or supercontinent Pangea. Between the contemporary Mediterranean Sea connected in the area and the continents diverged to the East was formed by a wedge-shaped space - Ocean Tetis.

Locally, in the process of rapprochement, said mobile belt experienced his evolution, lived his story. His story is a local episode of a global picture of rapprochement of lithospheric plates.

The deformation of compression in the rolling belt, which created a folded structure, began in the middle of the visa century an early coal period, carbon (about 335 million L.N.). The cause of deformations was the pressure of the oceanic cortex on the belt in the process of rapprochement of the mainland chill. They turned the moving belt, the future Scythian platform, in the orogen, the mountain structure.

In the Perm period (its time interval from 299 to 250 million L.N.) Orogen began to test the collapse, the rapid disappearance of the mountains. The causes of the collapse is the following. Since this orogen was not clamped between the mainland arrays, and arose as a result of the departure of the ocean cooker under the continent, then with the weakening of the pressure and the dive of the oceanic plates weakened and the forces receding the mountains. Mountaining Mountains began to slide blocks down. Then crumpled, compressed, the folded folds peelled with granite intrusions (intrusions). These intrusion, as it were, reinforced and fixed folds. The pressure and temperature turned out the sedimentary and volcanic rocks into chlorite and sericite shale, which are mainly composed of the Scythian stove.

So along the northern outskirts of the Ocean Tets on the site of today's plains of the predfabcasse from the rolling belt, a young (compared to the ancient Eastern European or Russian platform) Scythian platform was formed. Its latter stretching folds and slightly still movable heterogeneous blocks store memories on the processes of compression and life of the mountain structure. Despite the fact that we can practically see them.

So, the main result of the events of that time, the end of Paleozoic, was the formation of a Scythian platform, soldered to the Russian platform along its current southern edge.

As is known to geologists, supercontinents are unstable formation. Immediately after formation, the supercontinent is a tendency to decay. The reason for this is the same mantle streams that they bought continents, faced them. Following the formation of a supercontinent of a lithosphere, leaving for it from all sides in the subduction zones, accumulates under it, and then pops up, splitting supercontinent.

Triassic period (250 - 200 million L.N., this is the first period of the Mesozoic era) was just the time of the beginning of the Pranki split. Blocks of lithospheric plates that made up Pangeja began to move away from each other. Africa and Eurasia began to move away from each other. The crushing began continental jumpers between Europe, Africa and America.

When the continental blocks are spreading from each other, there is an extension located between these blocks of the oceanic bark (actually, in this is loss). Extension occurs in the formation of a new bark in the mid-oceanic ridges.

In our case, the axis of the ocean of the Ocean Thethis accounted for the northern outskirts of the Gondwana. It is at the expense of this, due to the formation of rhyps, and the continental blocks were filing from Gondwana, starting their way towards Eurasia. Recall that Rift is the initial stage of the ocean development as structures, the Rift can later become (but it will not necessarily be!) The Mid-Ocean Range. Rift is a gap that is formed when the cortex is filtered on the side of the rising magma. So, in Late Triassa from Arabia, Iran was broken down, and, apparently, Central Turkey. At the end of the Triassa - the beginning of Yura (the Jurassic period occupies the time from 199 to 145 million tn) from Gondwana, heterogeneous blocks, subsequently those who have developed in the Transcaucasian array (in our time it shares the large and small Caucasus).

On the opposite side of the Ocean Tetis, on the southern Framing of Eurasia, the ocean bark was absorbed in the subduction zones along the edge of the plate. Apparently, the formation of a cortex exceeded the speed of extension of lithospheric plates of Eurasia and Africa.

The subduction of the oceanic cortex was the cause of the Tethis of the volcanic belt along the northern coast of the ocean. Apparently, in Triassa, it was an Andysky type belt, like a modern west coast South America.

In the Jurassic period, the second period of the Mesozoic era, the disintegration of Panga Super Materick and its parts continued. And in the time described it came a turn of the decay of Gondwana. In early-middle time Gondwan began to split into South America, Africa with Arabia, Antarctica and India. The split of South America and Africa (with Arabia) naturally led to the growing ocean lithosphere between them and, which is very important for the region, which we describe, to reduce the distance between Africa and Eurasia. Ocean Tethys began to decrease in size.

Where the ocean bowl of the ocean the ocean Tethis was impellent under the edge of the Scythian Plate, there was a weakening of this edge. This is a consequence of the fact that the ocean cooker, going down, melts, and the excess of the molten substance tries to break up.

At a weakened edge, the plate began to occur - the formation of rifts with the expansion of the split fragments of the previous base. The new bark expanded towards the ocean. The bark was generally continental, granite, but the above-handed outpacing basalts. So (at the end of the lower and beginning of the Central Yura, something about 175 million L.N.) was formed the so-called Bolshekkhaz basin. He was the regional sea. From the main ocean the Tethis, it was separated by island volcanic arc, the existence of which is also explained by the weakening of the lithosphere in the zone of subduction, the suspension, and the breakthrough of the magma to the surface with the formation of volcanoes. The Bolshevkazz basin was pulled out 1700-1800 km long and 300 km wide.

Late Yura, 145 million years ago. There is already a large-scale pool and an island arc. Note that the figures depict the structures, not the sea and land. Although often structures and pools coincide.

Almost immediately after its formation, the bark of the Biggagecan basin began to go under the continent, under the outskirts of Eurasia. The movement of the south of the cortex of the Ocean Tetis, causing weakening and stretching the outskirts, at the same time trying to close the newly formed pools.

A system of volcanic arcs was waiting for a new transformation. This time at the beginning of the next, chalk, period (it ranks 145-65 million L.N.). The crust of the arc rear occurred again, for the same reasons as before. And already stretching and the extension was so significant that the resulting deep-water Wpadin of the Southern Caspian with the oceanic bark was formed. The west of the same bark was simply drowned, forming the foundation of the extensive Blue-Black Sea basin.

At the beginning of the late chalk, about 90 million L.N., the first encounter of Gondvanian continental blocks with the Malocaucasian Island Arc. These blocks are Central Turkey, or KirShir (separated from Gondwana, as mentioned earlier, in Triassa) and Daralagise, or the South Armenian block (sang from Afro-Arabia at the end of early chalk, 110 million L.n). Closed, the northern branch of the Ocean Tetis disappeared. The remains of the bottom of this ocean, the breeds that are called doomed, are now a strip along the Sevan Lake and in a number of other places. Immediately after the collision, the subduction zone rearranged south, to the edge of the newly shown continental blocks. This campaign took off the compression tension in the volcanic arc zone and the arc rear occurred again. At the end of the late chalk, approximately 80 million L.N., as a result of this, the Western Black Sea and Eastern Black Sea deep-sea oceanic depressions were formed as a result of this smoldering spreading. It is they are the basis of the structure of the modern Black Sea, and we can assume that the Black Sea was created precisely then. To date, these depressions are completely filled with precipitation.

Sometimes, speaking of the origin of the Black and Caspian Seas, they are called the remains of the Ocean Tetis. This is not quite true, these sea, as we see, are the remnants of smoke pools that were separated from the ocean island arcs.

By the way, in the same late chalk on another coast of the Ocean Tets, southern, an interesting phenomenon occurred. Due to the compression of the oceanic cortex (as we remember, lithospheric plates, Africa and Eurasia continued to close) and cutting the space between the bonds of the plates. This ocean bark literally passed on the edge of the Arabian coast on top, and did not plunge the mainland, as it happens in most cases. This phenomenon is called abdication. The ocean bark continues to lie there, occupying large areas. These are well-known scientists Oman and others.

Thus, the main trend in the mesozoic segment of time, in relation to the region under consideration, was the formation and evolution of island volcanic arcs and smoking pools. This evolution is related to the subduction zone.

Time continued its current. The Mesozoic Era was replaced by Cenozoic.

The region, like the whole planet, entered into a new period of development. And for the planet, and new specific events were characteristic of individuals. For the planet as a whole, the margin of chalk (this is still mesozoic) and Paleogen (already by Cenozoic) is marked by a gradual extinction of dinosaurs and the advent of the mammal replacement. In the floral world, flowering plants are full of chance, the flower plants, the kneading spikes.

At the beginning of the Paleogenic period (Paleogen ranks 65 - 23 million l. And shares on Paleoocene, Eocene and Oligocene) The situation in the region, about which we speak, in principle continued to be similar to Mesozoic. The Ocean Thethis gradually declined, Africa came closer to Eurasia. The ocean bark subdued to the outskirts of Eurasia framed by island arcs.

Scientists managed to reconstruct the appearance of the region of the future of the Caucasus of the time. Of course, he was distinguished from today. But in the structures, the modern elements and parts were more clearly manifested, and sometimes they looked completely different from what we see today.

Above modern predfabcasses, above the Scythian slab (and extending much norther) lay an extensive sea pool. It was the shelf of the Eurasian continent with not too large depths. Carbonate (limestone and mergels) and clay deposits, covering the structures of the Scythian slab accumulated on its day.

In the future, this part will become a flat predfabcania and the northern slope of the Great Caucasus.

South lay a volcanic arc, separating the overall basin from the rest of the Ocean Tetis. Its north of her stripe is in the future underwater raising of the Shantshsky Vala and Curdamir Tree, as well as the Dzirul ledge. The basis of this strip is the Transcaucasian array. The southern part of the arc in the future will become the Small Caucasus.

It was still south of the extensive, but the decreasing Ocean Tetis, and the Arabian stove appeared behind him, which was still the whole integer with Africa. All this mass of the lump gradually approached the island arc.

35 million years ago, by the end of the Eocene era (the second after Paleocene of the Epoch of Paleogen), the Arabian ledge almost got close to and in touching the island arc. The pet ocean the ocean, its bottom, absorbed under the arc.

Starting from Oligocene (ranks 34-23 million ln), the collision of Arabian protrusion with island arc began. The consequence of this was the pushing of the island arc fragments to the north and the gradual reduction of the smooth basin. Especially large was to reduce the distance directly opposite the Arabian protrusion, there were 300-400 kilometers. Island volcanic arc bent north.

Oligocene, 34-23 million years ago. Start a collision and bought blocks. Start raising the Caucasus.

In Oligocene, the Big Caucasus has not yet been a mountain structure. Both big and small Caucasus were islands and underwater hills. The number of them and the area, they occupied, increased.

Finally, the entire space of the oldest largest basin, capable of decreasing, is over. There is no bark that could be absorbed. The sketched between the continental blocks between the edge of Eurasia and Afro-Arabia, the Caucasus zone became the isna of the new stage of development (or the next catastrophe, as often happens). The monstrous forces and energy again transformed the collision zone. From late Miocene (Miocene is a segment of time from 23 to 5.4 million tn), the receding increased sharply. Big Caucasus began to rise. Washed for many millennium deposits, loving and forming the seabed, began to turn into the mountains. Apparently, at the end of the late Sarmatian century, 12 million L.N. Mountain relief was formed in the Caucasus. It is assumed that the relief was then a combination of low plains in domestic depressions, deanitation and abrasive-erosion plains and rising above them for several hundred meters of grocery and residual arrays up to 700 meters high.

Fig.7 End of Miocene, 12 million years ago. The formation of the Caucasian mountains.

The continued pressure of Africa Arabia led to the weakening of the earth's crust in the area in the direction of the "Town" until the current Pyatigorsk, and 7-9 million years ago, the magmatic diapires of the Mineralodsk Group were formed (diapirations - these are folds, curved up, due to the pressure of the magma below ). The molten magma tried to get to the surface, swelling the sediment of the seas. But the viscosity of it was too high, the magma did not make his way under the open sky and the failed volcanoes are decorated with the Pre-Caucasia.

In Late Miocene, 7-6 million L.N. The volcanism of the Small Caucasus increased dramatically. Extensive volcanic covers of lava and explosive eruptions were formed.

In Late Pliocene, by time 2 million L.N. Elbrus volcano, Verkhnechemskaya caldera, there were volcanoes in Kazbek district.

Finally, in the Quaternary period (1.8 million ln) began. The relief of the Caucasus has sharply rejected due to the continuing raising in terms of compression between lithospheric plates. At the Greater Caucasus, it continued to raise the outer elements of the mountain structure, the former shelf with the crystalline base, and the conveyance of the southern slope. In the Small Caucasus, there was simply raising blocks along the lines of faults.

In the Quaternary period, the volcanism of the Small Caucasus existed only in its separate parts. But nearby, in the Armenian-Javakhetian highlands, the eruptions were very intense, forming volcanoes of Aragats and Ararat.

The main result of the events of the Cenozoic, thus there was a clash of lithospheric plates, the closure of the ocean thethis and raising on the site of the sea basins of mountain structures.

3. Traces of events. What do we see today?

Now, knowing and understanding the history of the formation of the Caucasus, let's pass again from the north to south over it and get acquainted with the traces of the past processes. It will be a very superficial acquaintance.

The plains of the predfabcasses are folded from the surface with non -ogenic and quaternary sediments. Under them, and further down under the thicknesses of mesozoic and Paleogenic lies the uneven surface of the Scythian slab.

Thanks to the pressure from Arabia, the structure of the Scythian slab is part of the part of the formation of Stavropol and Mineralovodsky vaults.

On the right and to the left of this zone are the advanced defignments of the foundation of the Teply-Caspian and West and East Kuban. Thanks to their lowering, for example, the boats of Kuban and Salty Lakes Delta Kuma are formed (due to filling the river beds).

It also begins directly the northern slope of the Big Caucasus.

The rocky ridge is complicated (comb and vertex plateau) by the limestone of the Central Yura and the Lower Chalk.

In the Labino-Malkinskaya zone, in the central part of the northern slope, the foundation of the plate simply goes to the surface in the valleys of rivers, rendered by the monstrous pressure of convergent continents. The southern end of the Labino-Malkinsk zone is an advanced ridge, its central part.

The raging waterproop and side ridges in the Central Caucasus are composed of already solid crystalline rocks. The decrease between them is made by clay shale of the early Yura.

In the West Caucasus, the waterproof ridge is composed of crystalline rocks. Lateral - sedimental paleozoic.

At the Eastern Caucasus, the ridges are composed mainly by Jurassic clay shale

The southern slope of the Big Caucasus is composed of shale strata of the lower middle Jura. These are the most deep-water sediments of the Bolshtaya Basin, which was previously stated.

The south is the Transcaucasian array. In his highest place, in the center, in the Dzirul ledge, the ancient dopaneozoic rocks are close to the surface. This is the foundation of the northern part of the former volcanic arc.

Well, then there are mountains of the small Caucasus, folded by the volcanogenic and sedimentary strata of chalk and paleogene. The strata was crushed into the folds, then broken along the blocks and put forward. This is the was the volcanic arc, its southern part. The territory of the West and the south of the Small Caucasus (Armenia, Adjara, Trialayetius) are folded in Paleogenic and chalk sediments with products of underwater and surface eruptions of volcanoes. North and East of the Small Caucasus are complicated by Jurassic sea rocks also with eruptions.

In conclusion, it is interesting to look at the region from above. It is clearly seen how the Arabian stove is pressed into the messenger of microblocks, putting pressure on the Small Caucasus and then through the Caucasus to the North Caucasus. As the chain of Pontic Mountains stretches (Turkey's Northern Coast) - the Small Caucasus - Elbecus (ridge along the southern coast of the Caspian), marking the closing line of the northern branch of the Ocean Tetis. As a south of the chain of the Mountain Taurus (South of Turkey) - Zagros (Range in the south-west of Iran) notes the southern branch of the Ocean Tetis. And between them, these chains - Central Turkey and Iran, sweeping on the sides by the protrusion of the Arabian Plate.

View of the region globally.

This is what the geological history of the Caucasus looks like. As in other places of the planet, each stone means something, each slope indicates the processes of a million and billion years ago. And small stones, and structure structures from half an end can tell their stories, intertwined and complementing each other. So as a result, the holistic history of the region in all its impressive dynamics. It is not easy to describe the life of a lithosphere. She does not know human emotions. And the witnesses of the events are also not people. And the scale of time does not fit into the usual dimension range. Only gathering together in knowledge of scientists, the events receive a literary life. But the stones do not need us. It seems that we need them and stretch them to explore and describe.

Steppe tracks

References:

The history of the Ocean Tetis. ed. A.S. Monin, L.P. Sonneshine. 1987 156 p.

Paleogeography. A.A. Soter, O.G. Sauhtin, S.A. Ushakov. 2004 448 p.

Geology of Russia and adjacent territories. N.V. Coronian. 2011 240 p.

Physical geography of the USSR. F.N. Milkov, N.A. Nailing. 1975448 p.

Poetry of the Caucasian Mountains. MG Leon. Nature. 2003 №6.

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0 m to the city center

Achishho mountain range is the most closest to the Red Polyana Ridge and the most picturesque. The highest mountain - Achishho has a height of 2391 meters above sea level. An interesting fact about the name of the ridge: "Achishho" translated from Abkhaz means "horsepower". This confirms the bottom view, from the glade to the mountain range. If you look at, you can see the outline of the horse. The most popular walking route passes through a special place located on the mountainside, approximately at an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level, where from the 30s to the 90s there was a meteorological station.

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The Mountain Ridge of Aibga is located on the territory of the Sochi National Park, from the eastern side of the Red Polyana. The ridge has a length of more than 20 kilometers, and consists of four of the highest points, called peaks. The most popular mountain peak among tourists is a black pyramid, 2375 meters high above sea level. It has an unusual form, thanks to which the climbers are extremely popular. In addition, a wonderful, breathtaking landscape opens from the top of the mountain. Conquer this mountain, you will see the Mzmitt River Valley, the tops of Chugushh and Pseashho.

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One of the most beautiful resort places of our country is Dombai. The main attractions of this city are its picturesque places. The mousse ridge - Achitar is considered the most picturesque ridge of this part of the Caucasus. In order to evaluate all the beauty surrounding the guests of the resort, you need to climb the mountainside along the cable car. From this place there is a wonderful picturesque view of the tops and glaciers of the Main Range, Teberda and Gonachiri Valley.

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Peak Inet is located near the place where the Northern Jugurlutchat glacier originates. The name of the mountain is translated as a "needle", Mountain received its name because of his pointed top, such an ordinary mountain attracts many tourists from all over the world. Top peak INE. round year It is under the snow, and although his sheer cliffs are relatively complex for conquest, the top of the peak of INE is a rather popular location in climbers. The height of the "needles" reaches 3455 meters, it is approximately 600 meters below the highest mountain of the Caucasian Waterproof Range. It is best to consider the mountain from the Moussa Achi-Tara Mountain platform, it is 400 meters below the peak of INE, but for it can be reached by the funicular.

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In the North Caucasus, among the Dombiyaya Polyana, several east of the back of the back (small) of Belarusia, a peak called Sufroju was progress. The height of the mountain is 3871 m. Wide depression separates an array into two uniform parts - southern and north. Both vertices are well visible from the Musat Cherry ski. The southern part was called tooth sufroju, which means "Klys Tiger". An array is extended to 3,600 m. And acts as the main attraction of the mountainous dombuy.

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Belalakay - Mountain, located next to the village in Dombay, since the village is the village of the mountain has become a symbol of this village and attracts a lot of tourists. Its height is 3861 meters. Although the height of this mountain is 200 meters lower than that of the highest in Abkhazia, it is no less attraction. For his fame, Belalakai is obliged to quartz. For the most part, the mountain consists of dark breeds of soil and dark granite, however, due to centuries-old geological processes on Mount there are quartz deposits. It was this quartz who created white stripes that decorate the top of this mountain, Belarus white bands are particularly clearly visible at the end of summer. Because of the beauty of local landscapes, Mounts were not mentioned in songs and verses.

0 m to the city center

Jugurvutat is a relatively small array, in a large Caucasian Range. In height, the mountain range rose by 3921 meters, it is only 120 meters less than the highest point in the Caucasian ridge. At the highest areas of the mountain range, the herd of tours are found, it was they who gave these mountains the name "Jugurluchat" - which is translated as: "Herd of Tours." Mountain array originates from Dombisk Plateau, however, the most beautiful places Opened from the place called Mousse-Achi-Tara, it is there that most tourists are going.

0 m to the city center

Cheget is one of the highest mountains of the Caucasus. Its height reaches about 3770 meters. This is a popular place for tourism among travelers. From the mountain you can enjoy the view of the highest peak of Europe - Elbrus. Another feature of Mount Chegenet is the second line of the cable car, which passes through the zone where the snow is not melting throughout the year.Total there are three queues of the cable car. The height of the first reaches about 1600 meters. It is one of the most popular for tourists who come to Chuget to enjoy the view of Elbrus.

0 m to the city center

This mountain after Elbrus is the second most popular among climbers. All because it is also high enough - 4454 meters above sea level.

You can get to the mountain in several ways via a cable car or walk. Tourists who have chosen the first way can take advantage of the Chegte cableway at the final point in which small cafes are located. The second and more complex path that takes several hours - from the Chegte Polyana for the trail already packed by tourists. However, go to the road better with an experienced guide, otherwise there is a chance to get lost in the mountains.

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The North Caucasus will captivate with its beauties and landscapes of many tourists. Located in the east of the Caucasian Range of Semenov-Bashi Mountain, this is not an exception. In fact, it is just a ledge of 3602 m. Above the Earth. Named Mountain was in honor of the Russian researcher P.P. Semenova-Tian-Shansky. This man was a traveler and was the chairman of the Russian geographical society.

0 m to the city center

Chochcha Mountain is part of the Caucasian Range that is famous for its picturesque mountains and rocks. Chochcha, in contrast to the rest of the mountains, divided into two parts, as if someone cut the mountain in the middle of two halves. In contrast to the mountains, which near the Mountain is smaller, at first glance it can be seen that the mountain has one base on which there are two rocks. The rock located in the foreground is lower than the rear it has 3637 meters in height, it is 400 meters below the highest mountain of the Caucasian ridge. The second cliff is higher than three meters above the first, it is 3640 meters at sea level.

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Mount Erzog is a list of one of the most visited places of Caucasian ridge. In the foot of the mountain, the Alibek River flows, in addition to the mountain itself, this place has a very beautiful lowland. In the gorge where the river flows down the massive slope is descended, especially beautifully becomes in the spring, when the sun illuminates the slope full of bright green vegetation. Mount Erzog is part of the Teberdinsky ridge, the ridge itself is looking for a nizin with the river and produces a very strong impression on tourists who visited him.

0 m to the city center

Mount Sulokhat is located in the Domabey district and is one of the largest points of the Caucasian Waterproof Range. The height of the mountain is 3439 meters, it is about 600 meters below the biggest mountain in the Caucasian Range. Mount Sulokhat surrounds many legends, the most popular about the origin of the name of the mountain. In the ancient times, the foot of the mountain settled the tribe of Alanov. A girl named Sulokhat lived in this tribe, she was an extraordinary beauty and courage and was the daughter of the tribe leader.

The Caucasus is a mountain system located in Eurasia between the Black and Caspian seas. The mountain range extends 1100 km from the Taman Peninsula and Anapa to the Absheron Peninsula in the city of Baku.

This territory is commonly divided into several criteria: on a large and small Caucasus, as well as on the Western (from the Black Sea to Elbrus), the central (from Elbrus to Kazbek) and the East (from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea). The mining system reaches the greatest width in the central part (180 km). The mountain peaks of the Central Caucasus are the highest ones on the main Caucasian (waterstep) ridge.

The most famous mountain peaks of the Caucasus are Mount Elbrus (5642 m) and Mount Kazbek (5033 m). Both vertices are stratululkans. What, Kazbek is considered to be extinct, which cannot be said about Elbrus. Opinions of specialists on this occasion will differ. The slopes of the two highest mountains of the Caucasus are covered with snow and glaciers. The Central Caucasus accounts for up to 70% of modern glaciation. For more than a century-old observation of the Caucasian glaciers, their area has declined significantly.

To the north of the foot of the Grand Caucasus extends the inclined plain, which ends in the Kumo Manic Wpadin. Its territory dissected lateral ridges and river valleys. The largest rivers of this territory can be considered r. Kuban and Terek. To the south of the Big Caucasus there are Colchida and Kuro-Araksinskaya lowland.

Caucasian mountains can be considered young. They were formed in the Epoch of Alpine Folding approximately 28-23 million years ago. Their education is due to movement to the north of the Arabian lithospheric slab on the Eurasian. The latter, pressed by the African slab moving on several centimeters per year.

Tectonic processes in the depths of the Caucasus continue until now. Geological structure Elbrus talks about the great activity of the volcano in the recent past. Some powerful earthquakes happened in the Caucasus in the XX century. The most destructive was an earthquake in Armenia, which occurred in 1988

Seismostans working throughout the Caucasus annually register several hundred underground jokes. Specialists argue that some of the sections of the Caucasian ridge "grow" for several centimeters per year.

Caucasus in Europe or in Asia?

This issue is worth considering more in political and historical aspects. Caucasian Mountains are located in the center of the Eurasian Plate, so division can only be conditional. The border between Europe and Asia was proposed by the Swedish officer and geographer F. Stallenberg in 1730. The border, which passed through the Ural Mountains and KuM-Manic Wpadin was adopted by many scientists.

Despite this in different time Several alternative proposals were proposed, which justified the division of Europe and Asia in the Caucasus Mountains. Despite the ongoing disputes, Elbrus and is now considered the highest point in Europe. The history of the region suggests the special position of the Caucasus at a crossroads between European and Eastern Asian cultures.

The highest mountains of the Caucasus

• Elbrus (5642 m). CBD, KCR. Highest point Russia
• Dykhtau (5204 m). CBD
• Koshtatau (5122 m). CBD
• Pushkin peak (5100 m). CBD
• Dzhangitau (5058 m). CBD
• Shhara (5201 m). CBD. Higher point of Georgia
• Kazbek (5034 m). North Ossetia
• Mihirgi Western (5022 m). CBD
• Tetnuld (4974 m). Georgia
• Katyntau (4970 m). CBD
• Peak Shota Rustaveli (4960 m). CBD
• Guestla (4860 m). CBD
• Jimar (4780 m). Georgia, North Ossetia
• UMS (4690 m). Georgia, North Ossetia
• Gulchitau (4447 m). CBD
• Tabulosha (4493 m). Higher point of Chechnya
• Bazarduzyu (4466 m). High Point of Dagestan and Azerbaijan
• Shan (4451 m). Higher point of Ingushetia
• Ada-hoh (4408 m). North Ossetia
• Diclosmt (4285 m). Chechnya
• Shahdag (4243 m). Azerbaijan
• Tuffang (4191 m). Azerbaijan
• Shalbuzdag (4142 m). Dagestan
• Aragats (4094). Higher point of Armenia
• Dombay Ulgen (4046 m). KChr.

How many five thousandths in the Caucasus?

Caucasian five thousandths are called mountains, the height of which exceeds five kilometers. From the list presented above, it is clear that on Caucasus Eight Mountains "Five Thairs«:

• Elbrus. (5642 m) - Sleeping volcano and the highest mountain of Russia. The mountain consists of two vertices of Western (5642 m) and Eastern (5621 m), connected by the saddle (5416 m).
• Dykhtau (5204 m) - Mountain peak of the Side Range of the Greater Caucasus. Mountain with two vertices (both above 5000 m) connected by a cool narrow saddler. The first ascent to the mountain took place in 1888. To date, about ten ten routes from 4a (according to Russian classification) are laid on the top of the Rohtau.
• Koshtatau (5122 m) is a mountain peak on the border of Bezeng and the Mountain District of Balkaria.
• Peak Pushkin (5100 m) - Being a part of the mountain range to the Dykhtau, is a separate vertex. Named in honor of A.S. Pushkin to the 100th anniversary of his death.
• Dzhangitau (5058 m) - mountain peak in the central part of the Greater Caucasus. In the jangitau massif, three vertices are distinguished, which everyone has a height of more than five kilometers.
• Schhara (5201 m) - The Mountain Top of the Central Caucasus is part of the Benefic Wall.
• KazBek (5034 m) - extinct stratovany, the most east five thousandth of the Caucasus. The first ascent to the mountain was committed in 1868
• Western mihirggi (5022 m) - Mountain peak as part of the Benefic Wall. The name of the mountain is translated from Karachay-Balkarsky as "connecting".