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

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

Chatyr-Dag is located in the Crimea not far from the Simferopol-Alushta highway, the exact location is the village of Marmara. The translation from the Crimean Tatar is “tent mountain”, since Chatyr is translated as “tent”, and Dag “mountain”. The mountain consists of 2 plateaus: the lower (northern) and upper (southern). The lower slopes gently descend to the north side, which is covered with steppe grass. At the southern tip (near the steep slope), the lower plateau is covered with beech forests and juniper glades. There are many hiking trails and several beautiful caves. On the eastern side of the lower plateau is a yew grove.

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

The height of the highest peak of Eklizi-Burun is 1,527 m above sea level.

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

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

There is another name that the Greeks gave to the flat mountain - Trebizond. Translated, this word means "mountain-table." When the Turkic-speaking population arrived at this place and settled down, they did not drastically change anything, they just transported it in their own way and it turned out to be a “tent-mountain”.

There are many hiking trails that take you to the sights. If this is too difficult, here we have thought out a good dirt road, on which many get to Chatyr-Dag by car. The route has been preserved since the times when a military base worked here, today numerous campaigns are organized here or come by car.

To get from Yalta and Alushta to the mountain, you first need to take public transport, which moves to Simferopol, then in the direction of Yalta, where you will have to get off at the Angarsky Pass stop in 1.5 hours. From the road there is a small forest road that comes to the tourist base with the same name. It is from here that the way up starts. At the approach to the fork you will need to turn left. In a few minutes of the way, the power line will be visible, then a fork in the road again. Now the road goes to the right.

Once on Beech meadow, you need to go on a marked path with marks that show the road.If you need to stock up on water, then you should do it in a spring here. The trail will become steeper and steeper until you find yourself on a plateau. There are additional signs that can be used to easily reach tourist bases and caves.

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

Having your own transport facilitates the task. The roads here are well-trodden, quality sprinkled with rubble, rather wide, so that the driver feels comfortable. You can drive up the mountain when there is no snow.

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

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

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

The first snow falls in November, the thickness of the cover is about 13 centimeters. Need to understand that climatic conditions may vary in different parts of the plateau. Where the gorges, the light practically does not penetrate, respectively, and the air warms minimally in open glades a little lighter and warmer. Spring is colder here than in the fall.

The flora of the area is very rich, on the top level are:

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

Sometimes in the gorges can be found single bushes berry yew. In fact, there are many fruit plants in this area, including pears, apples, cornels, and even sweet cherries. You can find thick thickets of dogwood. But forests are not everywhere, the lower part of the slope remains treeless, while there are practically no shrubs above. But on the whole mountain a lot of meadow-steppe grass.

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

It is much more difficult to notice martens, of which there are many, but this animal behaves more cautiously. Badgers live on the mountain and do not hibernate, but they find food for themselves even under the thick layer of snow.Protein was brought here from the Altai Territory. Today, it is very common because it has something to eat. When visiting numerous caves do not forget about the bats living inside. In winter, they sleep, sitting inside upside down, and with the onset of spring they begin to fatten.

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

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

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

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

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

On the mountain Chatyr-Dag in the Crimea, see below.