Contents
This report is about the tour: Scarlet Sails
Review of the "Scarlet Sails" hike May 2-7, 2010.
From the Moscow ring road to Mount Klementyev - 1501 km and 22 hours drive. From Mount Klementyev to Koktebel it’s not 15 minutes in a straight line, but six days of travel over rough terrain. Time and space are relative - proven by Scarlet Sails.
The desire to go on a hike specifically in the Eastern Crimea took shape as soon as it became known that hiking in the Eastern Crimea was generally possible. Not one-day radials, not decorous and noble promenades of tourists to the grave of Max Voloshin, but full-fledged hikes, for five or six days and more than 70 km of travel.
Nature
“Scarlet Sails” was a revelation. First of all - the eastern part of the Crimean peninsula. I knew it as steppe, dry, sun-scorched and flat as a saucer. But every day nature changed noticeably. День первый: обычная среднеевропейская лесополоса, долгий путь по относительно ровной поверхности, панорама «Звездопада воспоминаний» - но разве можно сравнить ее по с видами с ай-петринской яйлы на Ялту, размахом Карадага? No, of course: everything here is flatter and somehow intimate, homely. We thought that the road would continue to be smooth and predictable - and we were wrong. Уже на второй день началось буйство цветов: одуванчиков, маленьких белых звездочек и анютиных глазок, ирисов, маков и, наконец, пионов. Крупные, сочные, малиново-красные, они беззастенчиво росли рядом с тропами и возле стоянок. But in Southern Crimea we hunted them like a miracle.
The Surb-Khach monastery stands proudly among the young beech trees. We talked with the abbot: it turned out that from this year the monastery became active. On the one hand, this is a reason for pride. On the other hand, we are annoyed that part of the group did not get inside due to uncovered knees. We collected some tasty water and moved on to the long-defunct Surb Stepanos. Along the way, thoughts come - and again about an involuntary comparison of any significant buildings in the Southern and Eastern Crimea. South Coast is commercialized and more...secular, or something. Eastern - secretive, quiet. Not everything that is of value is illuminated and is teeming with idle people.
Day three - Frank Mather and the stunning view from it. Frankly, I also thought that this was the name of a visiting, not very successful revolutionary. As for a revolutionary, it’s unlikely, but Frank still turned out to be an expat: translated from some ancient language, the name of the mountain means “foreigner’s grave.” Meanwhile, even from the location of the hole under the Taurus burial box, the terraced slopes of the mountains are visible. We are surrounded by steppe, with unsteady rocky ground, more like a mixture of sand and small pebbles. But - spaced out in heights, and therefore looking like a geography textbook come to life.
Next is Krasnokamenka and the hellish descent to it. Some parts of the body recognized the familiar Crimean landscape. At least we got to know the stones and branches closely. Participants of the “ex-Crimea” marathon caught up with us. Real universal soldiers, breathing heavily, overtook us and disappeared into the forests at a small trot. They had stages of swimming and cycling. And we have a delicious dinner.
Day four – descents and ascents, Rhinoceros Mountain, the Echki-Daga massif and people, a lot of people! Over the course of several quiet “forest and mountain” days, we completely lost the habit of seeing a large number of tourists. And here there was a full-fledged parking lot: schoolchildren, hiking enthusiasts, and aspiring hippies - you name it. Surprised, we watched the human anthill. But more - behind the horses on the slope and the bright pink sunset on the slope of Echki-Dag.
Day five – a long road along the sea and a boat ride to Koktebel. People greedily rushed to the water - and then back with other screams: the sea had not yet warmed up. However, four dared to swim and swim, while the rest symbolically washed their feet.
We exceeded the program and decided to move on to the village of Ordzhonikidze. The last stop was right on the beach, and falling asleep to the sound of the surf was just wonderful.
People
The real acquaintance took place in the evening of the first day, around the fire. We finally saw each other, and then made a snowball. This is a very simple and effective game from the arsenal of social workers: the first participant says his name and what he does. His neighbor first repeats the name and specialty of the previous person, and then says the same about himself. The next participant will have to repeat two “profiles” before his own - and so on in a circle.
It turned out that the group consists of: a circus performer balancing on a knife blade and his assistant; metrology engineer, and now a “tour guide”; AIDS fighter; high school girls; computer geek and cycling enthusiast; part-time surveyor; former rocket engine designer; light bulb purchasing manager; civil servant; zoologist; an architect and a couple of organizers of night action games in Moscow. Topics for conversation were found instantly.
The fact that during the entire hike people were pleased to talk to each other, and after the hike - to meet and set up joint plans, is worth a lot.
Adversity
By and large, there were three of them: calluses, mites and caterpillars. A quarter of the group was decidedly unlucky with shoes. Battle-tested trekking boots and light sandals chafed mercilessly, and several ladies acquired gorgeous calluses. Despite the special patches, the calluses incredibly enriched the experience of the ascents (hello, heels!) and descents (hello, toes!).
Ticks are much more primitive creatures. We met the first representatives of this genus already while descending from the gazebo (“Starfall of Memories”), the second and subsequent participants were removed from their pants or legs. No one was subjected to a brutal attack, but perhaps the ticks were just practicing their tricks on us, and the next pedestrians would have to prepare a full-fledged defense.
Caterpillars have become my personal scourge. Over most of the paths along which the group walked from the third to fifth days, tree branches hung richly. Naturally, everyone walking touched them. And no matter how many people walked in front of me - one or ten - soft-bodied green and brown troops would land on me from the branches.
Conclusions
There are several of them, they are outrageously banal, but they can still help:
- It is not the height of the mountain that is important, but the rate of gain or loss of height;
- it’s better to check your hiking shoes with a long walk ahead of time;
- trekking poles – friends of the knees;
- don’t neglect sunscreen. When the wind blows (and on the peaks it blows constantly), the skin does not feel what dose of ultraviolet radiation it has received. She doesn't feel like she's burnt. Only in the evenings did I understand that I could light a cigarette from my nose and hands;
- the personality of the group leader, the “guide,” is extremely important. We were very lucky: Kirill’s position on all controversial issues was clear from the very beginning, all the necessary information was given in portions and to the point. Even the diet, contrary to the already familiar duty system, Kirill took upon himself and strictly followed the approved menu. At the same time, anyone could come and help if they wanted;
- The composition of the group is of great importance. How pleasant and comfortable it is to be around these people, to help them, just to see their faces in the morning. We were incredibly lucky here too.
...But it is still useless to compare Eastern Crimea with Southern Crimea. He's just different. You need to realize it, accept it... and walk around it with a backpack, good company and great pleasure.
Olga Pugach with the support of Dmitry Timoshkin and Nadezhda Kuranina, Moscow