Mount Shaan-Kaya in Crimea: what is remarkable and how to get there?

Mountain tourism is a rather interesting and extreme pastime. All the risks associated with this are taken only by courageous people with a set of certain character traits. However, as a reward for their unusual choice and their bold deeds, tourists, jumpers and travelers find unforgettable impressions that remain with them for a lifetime.

One of the most favorite places for such a pastime is the Crimea peninsula. Every lover of active recreation and various tourist hobbies will find something interesting here for themselves.

This is a unique rock that has gained well-deserved popularity among tourists and all kinds of scouting travelers. This mountain has been rightly compared to El Capitan from the United States, since with their slope in the opposite direction, these two peaks are quite similar to each other. In addition, the name of this mountain is often shortened for simplicity to one more understandable and familiar word for everyone - Shanghai.

At all times, climbing this mountain was considered a difficult task, especially if we talk about its southern part - this is where the cliff is located. For a successful expedition completed by the climbers, they were even awarded gold medals as the best athletes in their field. This was the first ascent, and it lasted 7 days, but today the mountain has been "settled", and now there are a lot of routes, all of them of varying degrees of difficulty.

Thanks to the ledge, which, due to the whim of nature, slopes over the rest of the rock, Mount Shaan-Kaya has become a desirable destination for rope jumping enthusiasts. This is the name for jumping down from a great height. As a safety net, fans of this hobby use an elastic stretching rope.

It turns out that a person fixes a rope on a ledge, from which he jumps, prepares and spends a few seconds in free flight, enjoying a breathtaking view and the feeling of free fall. When the rope is fully stretched along its length, the ropejumper pulls it with its weight, and after that it jumps back a little and hangs on the rope until the people on the top of the mountain lift the athlete back. This activity is for extreme lovers.

These jumps are a very interesting activity that throws a considerable amount of adrenaline into the blood. However, there are also hiking trails to the mountain, they are better suited for people who like long hikes. There are routes of the most varied difficulty and the required amount of time. That is, for tourist mountaineering, this same mountain can be used by both beginners and professionals and seasoned tourists.

There are indeed several routes, and the variability is so great that you can get to each of them from different settlements. The first of them starts from the stop "Pitomnik". Another one of the most popular routes is at the Pozharka stop. If you want to get from one station to another, from one route to another, you can use the minibus.

These paths lead on different sides of the rock, moreover, they go on opposite sides of the mountain, but they are not very difficult for a trained person. That is, these routes can be used by amateurs. If you search, you can find a whole map with the designations of a variety of trails - both convenient and simple, and very difficult. One of the most popular is called "Jewess", short for "Jewish path". It is marked on the map with a special color and is considered the main unpaved road suitable for trekking.

There are large lakes, and there are small ones so much that they don't even get their own name, but they look no less wonderful than their older brothers. However, some sources report an existing name for the Crimean landmark we are talking about. The name of this reservoir is Kasimovsky.

One of the main features of this lake, which is located near the cliff, is a beautiful view. It opens up with a panoramic view from the mountain. Due to the fact that the lake is located in the zone of a nature reserve, which means it is protected by the state, pollution and changes in the biosphere are minimal there.

At first glance, it may seem that the mountain does not break any records with its height parameters. It is believed to be about 250 meters high. But do not forget that we are talking about a specific rock, about a block among the mountains, which does not exist separately from the rest. Of course, Shaan-Kaya stands on a considerable hill among the mountainous terrain. From the very top to the sea surface there will be as much as 871 meters. Almost a kilometer in height, and more than a hundred kilometers of visibility into the distance in clear weather!

Since we are dealing with a warm and humid climate, as well as a decent altitude, it is useful to remember some rules. Do not visit these places during cold seasons. You should not climb the mountain earlier than May or in autumn later than mid-October.In this case, you will not only freeze - after all, the wind on the mountain is incredibly strong, but you also run the risk of being hit by heavy snowfall or not avoiding its consequences.

In the cold season, the snow cover is collected on the mountain up to 3 meters. And it lies there until the hottest days, until it thaws completely under the warm sun. Take warm clothes with you, even in summer. This is definitely a necessary thing for you when trekking to Shaan-Kaya. The winds are strong and quite cool there.

An overview of Mount Shaan-Kaya awaits you in the video below.