This report is about the tour: March to the East
Review of the hike during the May holidays 2012 along the route "Water and Stones XL"
There are many ways to go. See almost everything that Crimea is rich in, but leave something for dessert. Climb the mountains and go down to the sea. And relax on the sand all day. Do you really have any other options for how to spend the May holidays?
When a country wants to face the world and show off the best it has, a press trip is organized. Journalists from the most respected or simply promoted publications are invited to participate. Journalists drive, walk, climb, take photographs, write and publish reports. Form an image. Then a stream of tourists rushes into the country, who drive, walk, climb, film, help local craftsmen and the country’s economy with their money - and also form an image. And although Crimea, even with a big stretch, cannot be called an unpromoted or little-known region, the “Water and Stones XL” route would be ideal for the role of a press trip. It has almost everything worth seeing and doing...
1) Witness how summer comes
Our hike began at the end of April. Throughout April we monitored the weather in Crimea like military reports: has it gotten warmer? Is it possible not to take a down jacket or is it still worth taking? But it all worked out: without a break for spring, summer came, and instead of a puff, shorts went into the dry bag.
From the Angarsk Pass we go up the familiar path. It's easier than climbing the first day of the 6-day Water and Rocks hike. We pass by the monument to the partisans. We laugh at the names “Curly Masha” and “Bald Vanya”. We make our first photo stop at the Funa Pass. Photos from this site are convenient to impress acquaintances who do not go hiking: a person dominates the Alushta valley, small houses and clouds of greenery. We are all still awkward, white, chubby and do not quite imagine what awaits us.
We find ourselves in Northern Demerdzhi in the afternoon. It immediately becomes clear that it is not summer yet: a cold wind is blowing, large tongues of snow lie in the depressions. Everyone is insulated. But these are not all the surprises of the past winter. The entire site of our first camp is covered with snowdrops.
But it’s hot in the Valley of Ghosts. There are crowds of people around us: light and with backpacks, on motorcycles, ATVs, jeeps. It’s even a shame: it’s as if we were specially choosing a day to go to the museum - and there was the event of the century and there was a line for a couple of hours. The entire third day we are fried on one side or the other. The route leaves room for maneuver: you can go faster or slower, stop at this parking lot or walk to the next one. We are able to go faster. We arrange a swim at the Chigenitra spring. After the “dump,” we accelerate and set up camp earlier than planned. Mount Kurguch bristles with a fish ridge (or fence). So we stand on a pedestal as flat and smooth as a balcony to look at it from all angles. A bonus to the parking lot is the Alakat-cherak spring and a full-fledged river from it.
The next morning we get up at 6 o’clock and start climbing at 8. This was the right decision: it’s not hot yet, I have a lot of strength, and therefore it’s easy to walk. It's viewpoint day. One of the best is Sugarloaf Mountain.
On the fifth day, catharsis occurs. We march along the ridge all day. On Tulip Ridge the trail turns into a path that winds haphazardly and crumbles underfoot. It’s not easy for everyone to go, the group is stretched. And so, when I lay flat on the next stone, a question comes from somewhere above: “How to get to the library” / “Have you seen the source?” Well... yes... Once upon a time.
We share the parking lot with cyclists who are just about to climb the ridge. Important! At the Raven site there is very little firewood (only thorns) and a weak source.
The sixth day is a fun descent to the village of Vesele. In short, this is an attraction for those who did not have enough extreme sports in the previous days.
But at the end of the journey we make the most of the “Bakhchisarai Fountain” - the Su-Chaptyran waterfall - and go out into civilization. Having refueled with kvass, beer, ice cream, fresh fruits and vegetables and chicken legs for a diet barbecue, we go to the sea. We set up camp right on the beach and go swimming.
Instructor Seryozha prepared a surprise for us - either a cake or sherbet. The recipe is a terrible secret. The result is incredibly tasty and incredibly satisfying.
There is very little left: swimming, jumping on the hot sand, falling asleep to the whisper of the waves, a radial foray to the nearest mountains and access to civilization through the Karaul-Oba nature reserve.
2) Capture alien landscapes
As you move, the landscape changes incredibly. You have just climbed the next Gray Hair Trail - and now you are standing on a yayla as flat as a table. The sun has just been hot - and now in the sunset rays the dream grass flowers are glowing and shaking their heads. A couple of hours from the camp you can swim in a waterfall - and in the camp itself the fireplace is set between majestic beech trees. Just now you were stomping along an absolutely bald ridge and heroically overcoming the loose snow - and now you are making your way through thickets of young apple trees, cherry trees, dogwoods and some other ugly branchy thing. Now it’s a plateau, now it’s a rise, now you look only at your feet – then the panoramic view takes your breath away. Either you are watching a little owl or an owl, then an absolutely unafraid lizard runs at you.
A surefire way to catch Alice in Wonderland syndrome without using any excipients.
3) Go up and go down
...And understand that this is good. The climbs of the first, fourth and fifth days are steep, but short-lived. But there are long “pseudo-rises”. Or the path begins to twist up and down. Or, cutting off a wide and boring road, we climb up, drowning in old foliage. Crimea does not skimp on options.
4) Make friends with the instructor
A lot depends on the personality of the guide: what is the routine in the camp? How are decisions made? What is possible and what is not? At first, he is the only one who holds the group together. Then everyone will find common topics, and conversations will begin around the fire. But, again, the Big Leader will set the tone for these conversations. Our Big Leader had an artifact - a laser pointer. And on the second day he showed his class - he gave a tour of the starry sky. It was very cool to look at the constellations and remember who Orion was and for what merits he was placed in the sky along with the hounds.
5) Collect edible plants and see living creatures
Many people know what thyme and lemongrass look like. With them, and also with mint and last year’s rose hips, you get excellent tea. We will miss this tea for a long time.
We managed to collect sorrel in the Sugarloaf area. He added a spicy note to the buckwheat. But the guerrilla carrot topped the list of unexpected plants. Among the living creatures you can easily see and hear owls, little owls or barn owls, large black ravens and young stupid lizards. But spotting a roe deer is more difficult. But we did it.
6) Go to the sea
The joy of meeting big water is greater, the more difficult the road to it was. It’s one thing to get off the bus or walk leisurely from the boarding house. It’s another thing to make your way along the trails for 6-7 days in order to finally run out onto the beach, throw off your backpack, become a couple of tons lighter - and go into the water!
I didn’t want to leave in the New World. There was a feeling that we didn’t finish something, didn’t see, weren’t as tired as we should be. Maybe we can continue? If you have pate, take out two jars!
Olga Pugach, Dmitry Timoshkin, Irina Ryzhkova. Moscow