Mount Ai-Petri in Crimea: where is and what is entertainment?

Only once having visited Mount Ai-Petri, which is not far from the Big Yalta of the Crimea Peninsula, you understand that this is the place where you want to return to enjoy the feeling of peace that the mountains and the wind give to touch the clouds; to be in the most beautiful caves, admire nature and breathe. Breathe in the air of freedom and extreme sports, Crimean wine and real barbecue, admire the Black Sea, Yalta or clouds.

More than 180 million years ago, on the site of this mountain complex, the sea raged, at the bottom of which volcanoes lived their lives. The sea has already retreated, but the remains of those volcanoes can still be seen not far from Foros. And Ai-Petri turned into the teeth of limestone, in which for millions of years mollusks and algae, hiding in corals, have grown. In 1947, these sharp mountain peaks were officially recognized as a natural monument.

Today, the ridge of the Crimean Mountains has several plagues - translated from the Turkish "plateau". So called a plateau with fertile soil, which is located in the rocky terrain. Ay-Petrinskaya Yayla is a mountain massif with an area of ​​more than 300 km2, stretching along the southern coast of the Crimea. Limestone teeth of four large and several small peaks, blown by the winds, washed by precipitation, destroyed by time, hide 218 caves and more than a thousand karst wells.

In this way, Ai-Petri is not a separate mountain, but the longest complex of hills with a vast plateau. The highest point in this plateau is Mount Roca - 1347 m. Bedene-Kyr (Quail Hill) - the second highest, 1320 m. The height of Ai-Petri, by the name of which the whole complex is named, is 1234 m above sea level.

The story of the appearance of people in this area begins in primitive times. This is evidenced by archaeological finds found on the western slope of Perepelina Mountain. But the harsh climate, high humidity forced people to descend from the mountains. In the Middle Ages, the monastery of St. Peter appeared here (according to legend) - this is how it is translated into Russian from the Greek Ai-Petri. It is believed that the remains of this monastery are now preserved at the top.

But this is one of the theories of the origin of the name. There is another, more romantic and sad, forcing one to think about male selflessness (or recklessness) and female indecision (or rationality).

History as the world is old, sung by Shakespeare: parents were not allowed to marry loving people. And in protest, the young decided to drop from the mountain top. Here are just a path to death was too narrow, it was possible to go only one by one. Peter, the hero of our story, stepped first and crashed far below. And the girl, whose name was not preserved, could not decide on this last step in her life and only sat on the edge, lamenting “Ay, Peter!”.

For a long time, local residents grazed cattle on a plateau, but now Ai-Petri is part of the Yalta mountain forest reserve, and grazing is prohibited. If you look at the place on the mountains from the sea, it seems that these are not separate peaks, but a medieval castle surrounded by fortress walls.

In the 19th century, for 30 years, an engineer, a colonel of the Russian army, S. I. Shishko, led the construction work of the mountain serpentine, which eventually connected the mountain peak to Yalta, and the city to Simferopol. Works ended in 1894.Assessing the achievements of the engineer, Emperor Alexander II, who oversaw the construction, commanded to name the "distinctive rock by Shishko rock."

In 1895 a meteorological station was founded here. Later two more stations were built: in the Ai-Dmitri and Besh-Tekny tracts. Now tourists, seeing the white silver domes in the distance, believe that these are the same weather stations, but this is not so. In the field of view gets the property of the military, treated as an object of defense.

Even before the revolution of 1917, these places were popular with the wealthy population, including the imperial family. Here was a hotel and was trading. Those who wanted to appreciate the beauty of the place climbed the mountain on foot.

In the second half of the 20th century a cable car was built.which begins almost under Ai-Petri, in the village of Miskhor, and ends in the village of Okhotnichye. And this cable car attracts no less than the mountains themselves.

The cable car is open all year round, but naturally, in the summer there is a huge number of people who want to use this transport. It should be borne in mind that organized excursion groups are out of turn, and this is a huge plus. Tourists are invited to closed cabins, where for 15–20 minutes of ascent you can stand to admire Big Yalta, grape fields, sea and cliffs.

There are 3 stops along the road: "Mishor" at 86 m above sea level; at an altitude of 304 m at the station "Sosnovy Bor" tourists move to other trailers. The distance between these two stations is 1310 m. And then another upper section of the road is 1,670 meters long to Ai-Petri station.

The last meters of the road it seems that the booths accelerate sharply and tend to crash into the mountain. This is because at this moment the cabins are traveling at an angle of 46 degrees. For people who rarely have the opportunity to throw adrenaline, this trip may seem extreme. In strong winds, the cabins swing, the transition from one support to another is accompanied by sharp jolts and creaks of metal, but do not be afraid of it.

Of course, there are accidents on the cable car, but they are not connected with a precipice or other difficult situations: in emergency situations, passengers have to wait for time while standing in the trailer (they have no seats). And in the usual routes a lot depends on the tourists (it is important that there are no alarmists in the carriage) and a guide who can reduce the degree of anxiety by distraction to the beautiful nature and interesting stories.

Also, tourists can be advised to use aero-wipes, sour lollipops during the ascent, and after leaving the booth, yawn widely to get rid of the congestion in the ears. But before you set up and make a supply of candy, know the main thing - you will find indescribable beauty. And it will be the main emotion.

With the advent of the cable car, the flow of tourists made this plateau the most iconic place in the Crimea. But there are many who want to climb the mountain on foot or by car. An overview of the cable car see below.

So, regardless of the way to the plateau (on the cable car, car, sightseeing transport or on foot), at the top you will find yourself in the area of ​​the village of Okhotnichye, where you can expect various souvenirs, sheep wool, a cafe with national cuisine of the Crimean Tatars and just delicious as well as wine. Speaking about this side of the tour, it is worth noting that:

• after 2017, the number of outlets decreased significantly for reasons unrelated to tourism;
• if you are on a mountain with a tourist group, then the guide will purposefully lead you to dine at a certain cafe, without advising you to go to the others; this does not mean that the rest is dangerous, so you decide whether to go with the group or not;
• as a rule, they will offer wine tasting and buying them here: if you want to get rid of extra money, you can buy wine and woolen clothes here, but it is much cheaper to do it below; and yet - no southerner will ever buy wine in a carton box, because it is a wine powder, diluted with alcohol;
• unfortunately, the service in this place is very primitive, and the place is completely unattractive, so it is better to go to viewing platforms away from the malls;
• even if the air temperature is below +30, then you should take warm clothes up the mountain and just need (!) non-slip shoes - even if you are lucky with the weather and there is no fog or rain - it is very easy to slip on the stones; if you have risen without warm clothes, then all this can be purchased here.

And it is possible to overcome part of the descent of the zip line, but not only in the trailer, but in the open air, fastened with a carabiner to the rope. About this, see below.

In the northeast, guests can admire the relict yew grove where you can touch the thousand-year-old berry yew. There are several sites from which the entire coast stretches before you: Yalta, Vorontsov Palace, Swallow Nest. In especially clear weather, you can even consider another famous mountain of Crimea - Ayu-Dag. Unusually beautiful views cause some sightseers to lose caution and come too close to the cliffs.

Of course, these places are designed to capture them on a photo and video camera or smartphones. This is a necessary thing in such an excursion, but hats that are not fixed on the head and umbrellas are useless things (too strong winds quickly straighten them out). The most interesting photos are obtained on a suspension bridge. Not everyone (even with insurance) will be able to venture a step into the sky, and this walk is valuable.

In the village you will be offered to ride quad bikes and jeeps, take a horse ride and even get acquainted with camels. Indeed, you should definitely appreciate the mountain landscape and get to know the flora and fauna of Ai-Petri better. Indeed, among the trees and other plants in the oak, juniper, beech-hornbeam, pine forests there are many endemics (growing only here): Pontias iglitsa, strawberry tree, shrub jasmine, Crimean bindweed, Crimean pine, Dubrovnik of Yalin.

Mammals (37 species), birds (113 species), reptiles (11 species), amphibians (4 species) are recorded on the reserve's territory. Guides proudly say that the waters in the depths of the massif supply a large part of the Crimea.

Walking along the natural paths, you can see not only rare, but also unusual trees. For example, the famous drunken grove, consisting of pines of different species, is the result of landslides and endless winds on the mountainside. Also during the tour you will be sure to show a pine tree - a plane that has spread its branches - wings.

Far from the eyes of the people there are meadows that even make no sense to compare with the Alpine ones, because only on Ay-Petrinskaya Yayla you can find a delightful floral picture painted with lilies of the valley and violets, crocuses and snowdrops, peonies and orchids.

Those who climbed the mountain by cable car, can go down on foot or by road. Departing from the summit just a little bit, in 5 minutes you will see a pointer to the Silver gazebo, which was built at the end of the construction of a horse-drawn road to the top of the mountain at the end of the 19th century. The pergola is set over a cliff, at the extreme point of Pendicule mountain.The view under your feet will confirm once again that you came here for a reason. This is one of the best panoramic locations.

After 15-20 minutes of descent from the Silver Pavilion, just behind a large restaurant, you will see another miracle of nature - the largest waterfall in Crimea and one of the largest in Europe - Uchan-Su. It is difficult to feel in the summer, because at this time there is very little water in it. But in the spring the noise of falling water is heard for several kilometers. That is why the Turks called it Flying Water - Uchan-Su.

Indeed, water from a height of 99 meters can not drain, it flies, makes noise, breaking on the stones. In winter, water flows turn into long icicles and growths, and between them thin streams of living water make their way, glistening in the sun.

This place is loved by climbers - lovers. The waterfall has its own talisman - a sculpture of an eagle. This place has the cleanest air and an amazing atmosphere, but not in summer, when Uchun-Su practically dries out.

Another stop is at Turtle Lake. Yes, on Ai-Petri red-eared turtles have their own home. It is small, but no less interesting. To bypass the lake and try to find turtles, 20-30 minutes is enough. This is a very beautiful place, but the presence in it of people who do not know that used bottles and wrappers need to be taken away with them is felt very much.

For those who have climbed a mountain for two hours, the Grand Canyon, which nature itself has created, will surely enjoy to separate Ai-Petri Ridge from the Boyka massif. This is a fault length of 3.5 km and an average depth of 320 m (but there are places reaching up to 600 m). The width of the canyon is also impressive - 187 m in the widest place (3 m - in the narrowest). The Auzun-Uzen River will be a companion of tourists along the bottom of the canyon.

It formed a special wet cool microclimate, which created a surprisingly diverse flora. This is where the orchids mentioned above hide. Tourists enjoy the beautiful waterfalls and lakes, masterpieces of nature from marble limestone and cold baths. Those who decide to enter the most famous Bath of youth can consider himself very healthy, because the temperature there is never above 11 degrees.

But no less connoisseurs of natural beauty attract caves. Rock, Pearl, Cascade, Crystal, Geophysical declared monuments of local importance. But only a few of them are open to the public. The most popular are Geophysical, Yalta and Three-eye, because only these caves are equipped to visit inexperienced travelers.

Geophysical cavers opened only in 1971. Today, it can be reached by a vertical 28-meter staircase into the mine - a well, which goes into a 100-meter horizontal gallery. Rare beauty complex wells, underground halls with stalactites, stalagmites and stalagnuts. And in time immemorial, there was a bed of an underground stream here.

Yalta was opened quite recently - in 1997. After 10 years, an excursion route was created here so that you can safely enjoy views of stalactites and stalagmites, stencils and stone flowers. Non-speleologists are allowed only in one hall. And below, through a 40-meter well, with special equipment you can get into another hall.

Three-eyed got its name for 3 holes - entrance. But this cave is also called the “refrigerator” because the temperature here does not rise above 4 degrees Celsius. Thanks to this property, in ancient times, hunters kept their reserves here, and Count Vorontsov ordered ice blocks to be delivered to his palace for the preservation of their products. Three-eyed has been known for 200 years. Its total depth is 38 meters.But in 1990, they set up a route to a depth of 25 meters. The cave entrance is 700 meters from the highest point of the cable car. Inside you can observe a 6-meter snowless net, a stalactite with stalagmites and an ice rink.

In winter, Ai-Petri also remains attractive for tourists. At the top you will find ski equipment rental centers and 6 tracks. 120-meter-long Frogger - for beginner skiers, baby-lift for children, lifts, instructors who will help to master the downhill skiing - all this is a good attempt to make this mountain resort a ski resort. This is facilitated by other routes of varying degrees of complexity.

• Kichkine 320 m long - for beginners. There are lifts, experienced instructors and the opportunity to relax in the intervals between descents.
• Laboratory differs not in length, but in complexity. The downside of this route is not work on schedule, but by prior arrangement. Yes, and you can get there only on a snowmobile. But this is a good place to train professionals.
• 26 kilometer - This is a 600-meter track without lifts. It is made popular by length and relative safety.
• 27 kilometer We love professionals for a kilometer length.
• Snowpark - a modern, well-equipped trail with lifts, places for recreation and cafes.

The general lack of rest in the Crimea is not the highest level of service. But gradually Crimeans will be able to overcome this problem, and a real ski resort will grow on the spot, for example, the Ay-Petrinsky mountain range, and beautiful trading places, cafes, and sanitary zones will appear on the site of temporary outlets. So, Mount Ai-Petri will continue to show its beauty.

Going to the mountains, you should always remember that the top is always colder. For example, on Ai-Petri, the difference with the coast is 7 degrees; in July, the average air temperature there is 17 degrees. But the feature of this complex is not it, but wind. During the development of the mountains here they tried to install wind generators twice, but they were blown away by wind, and these are multi-ton designs. This place is famous for the highest wind speed recorded in the world - 50 m / s.

But this is not just wind gusts, it is a constant state of nature: in 1949 for 125 days the wind was blowing here at a speed of 15 m / s, and similar records are frequent here. That is why before planning the ascent on the cable car, find out if it works - because of strong winds it can be closed.

In addition, climbing Ai-Petri, we look forward to a beautiful panoramic view. But the guides themselves say that if this happened, a miracle happened, because 2/3 days a year there is fog, that is, you can only see the cap of the clouds. There is also 1.5 times more precipitation than in Yalta, - 1052 mm.

In winter, the weather can also be very different. This is a snowy place with raging blizzards. Experienced tourists recommend buying a balaclava (spetsnaz cap) and ski goggles with tinted glasses.

The climate of Ai-Petri is so peculiar that in different years in the same months the average daily temperature can be very different.

The warmest month is considered July, sometimes August, very rarely - June. On average, the temperature in mid-summer is 15.6 degrees, the maximum rate is fixed at +32 degrees. And the coldest February is recognized with its average temperature of 3.8 degrees frost.

Snow falls on the mountains in early October, and melts in early May. But there were years when the snow fell in July, September or in December.

Coordinates of the top point of the cableway (Okhotnichye village) on the map: 44.451652, 34.060232. It is here that not only the cable car goes, but also public transport. It can also be reached by car. But not all year round.In winter, on the highway, the road transport service will politely but aggressively turn you back, because in the winter serpentine not every experienced driver is able to transport vehicles to the top of the mountain. The road is often littered with snow, but it is regularly cleaned for free movement of the Crimeans and guests - skiers.

Leaving your car from Yalta, you need to turn onto the South Coast Highway, which goes in the direction of Sevastopol. At the Bakhchisarai turn, a road sign to Ai-Petri is set. Here there is information about whether the road is open. Next, you need to follow the signs at low speed: this is a serpentine road with a huge number of sharp turns.

To get to public transport, you can use one of the options:

• go to the Yalta bus station, where to look for the place of departure of routes No 102 or 107 to Mishor;
• drive to the clothing market of Yalta, and then take the bus No 132 towards the mountains; the trip will take about 40 minutes along the serpentine road to Miskhor;
• from the bus station to use private shuttles, which will take directly to the top of the mountain - they do not have a timetable, but there is a loud voice with which they invite to the mountain;
• Many people choose the sanatorium “Uzbekistan” as the beginning of the route (no need to go to the bus station), and already there they catch a ride to the mountain or regular buses to Mishor.

Every way to get to the top has pros and cons. In an organized group, it is important to keep up with the transport and guide, but here you will pass the cable car out of turn. On a personal car, the main thing is to park the car, without conflicting with the local parking gates in Mishor. It is easier to climb to the top on a personal car, but then there will be no opportunity to test your nervous system on the cable car. Pedestrian uplift is not available to everyone because of health and long-term ascent, but real beauty can be seen that way - slowly.

Ai-Petri is a magnet that again and again draws to itself, inviting you to look at something new and no less beautiful.

Report on hiking climbing Ai-Petri, see below.