This report is about the tour: Ghost Valley
Review of the “Water and Stones” hike from May 4 to May 9, 2009.
Only here a small piece of chocolate, divided among everyone at the next pass, can replace all the delights of the culinary dishes of modern civilization. And only here do you appreciate someone’s unnecessary cord lying around to make shoe covers for the mud, or to receive as a gift a raincoat that someone turned out to be surplus to, and your self-sewn cape simply breaks from gusts of wind
Kirill, Nastya and all the organizers of the “Water and Stones” hike - many thanks from a group of romantics who took the risk in May, despite not very favorable weather conditions, to head to the mountains and plunge into the dampness of the clouds.
But the difficulties of the first day: dank fog, piercing wind, drizzling cold rain - could not overshadow the beauty, mystery and grandeur of the caves that we saw that day. We got up for the night under a clear sky as a close-knit, friendly group that had gone through its first baptism of fire with a ten-kilometer trek.
Every day brought us unforgettable impressions and nature revealed to us, with the help of a skillful and charming guide in the form of the seemingly fragile Nastya, its fabulous secrets and unique masterpieces in the form of powerful waterfalls (Dzhurla, Dzhur-dzhur). And after overcoming the peak of Chatyr-Dag (1527 meters), everyone felt like just heroes who had almost conquered Everest. But for me, a hiker with 20 years of experience, it was surprisingly interesting and funny with these courageous guys and charming girls from different cities: Odessa, Kyiv, Moscow.
A hike is a piece of life that you live with everyone together, and these moments are unique! Only here a small piece of chocolate, divided among everyone at the next pass, can replace all the delights of the culinary dishes of modern civilization. And only here do you appreciate someone’s unnecessary cord lying around to make shoe covers for the mud, or receive as a gift a raincoat that someone turned out to be surplus to, and your self-sewn cape simply tears from the gusts of wind that blow through the mountainous expanses; and a jar of iodine becomes just a balm for feet worn down to calluses, and an extra spoonful of sugar seems tastier than any cake.
And how long, already there in the city, do you live with the sensations of the hike and remember the morning cold in the tents and drops of sweat on your face after another ten-kilometer trek.
P.S. And what is there to hide (ha-ha-ha), I would like to be all together again in a year at the same time, at the same hour and in the same place and move on... somewhere...!!!
Tatyana Zheltukhina (aka Tanya the Elder)
Balashikha.