All about the rocks of Kush-Kai in Crimea

The Crimean peninsula has long become one of the favorite places for climbers. Of course, there is no Mont Blanc or Everest, but the local mountains are very diverse and allow you to train in any conditions. However, people without special training can also enjoy the mountains of Crimea - hiking tours are widespread, and one of the most popular routes is the ascent to the peaks of Kush-Kai.

The peculiarity of the Crimean mountains lies in the fact that namesake peaks are considered quite common here. So it happened with Kush-Kai - this name is immediately borne by 3 hills, erected by mother nature at a distance from each other, namely:

• over the Laspi valley;

• on Babugan-Yayla;

• near the Sokol peak (near the New World).

Some Crimeans also mistakenly add the Koshka Upland, which is in Simeiz, to this list, although this is fundamentally incorrect, since its Crimean Tatar name is heard more like Kosh-Kaya by ear. Kush-kaya in translation means "Bird's Mountain". Most likely, this definition is associated with a characteristic feature of such peaks - they are located near the sea coast and represent a "resting place" for flocks of migratory birds heading to hot countries.

These mountains are relatively evenly located on the territory of Crimea - in the east, as well as in the southeast and southern part of the Crimea relative to its center. The heights of the peaks are different. The highest Babuganskaya Kush-Kaya is 1339 m, just below the mountain near Laspi - its height is 664 m, and the peak in the Sokol rock rises to 476 m.

All these places are popular for tourists - they offer amazingly beautiful views of the coastline, the Black Sea and the Crimean Mountains.On Kush-kaya in Sokol and Laspi there are also climbing trails of varying degrees of difficulty - from 1B to 5A. Let's dwell on the description of each of the mountains.

The most picturesque, according to everyone's opinion, is the one that is located not far from Sudak, in the territory of the New World. It is considered a symbol of the village, it is she who is most often captured in the photo. This peak is called Sokol. A narrow rocky path leads to the upper plateau of the cliff, starting from the Devil's finger.

Kush-Kaya on Babugan-Yayla looks a little like a human ear, as if listening to the measured sound of sea waves. You can get to it along a simple path leading from Paragilmen, for this you do not need any special mountaineering training and professional equipment. It is quite possible to climb and descend to this peak in one daylight.

The most famous is Kush-Kaya near Laspi Bay, it is of medium size, but it faces the sea with its sheer wall, so the place has become the main platform for training and mountaineering competitions. In 2013, the place was shrouded in an ominous mystery - then a message appeared about the mysterious disappearance of a tourist from the slope, her body was never found.

The most unusual versions were put forward - here they mentioned aliens on flying saucers who took the girl for experiments, and the criminal Internet community, which issued a difficult task - to climb to the top. The cell phone of the disappeared was also mentioned - supposedly something was filmed on it, which ultimately led to the death of the tourist.

In a word, there were many assumptions, but experienced climbers unanimously declared that the girl herself was to blame for what happened - Do not climb steep stone slopes in beach shoes, where there are many slippery boulders. Unfortunately, accidents with such mountain-climbers happen in any mountains. Nevertheless, the bodies were never found, so the legend only acquired new details, and everyone found their own version explaining the mysterious disappearance of the tourist.

Fans of mountain tourism should pay attention to Kush-Kaya near Laspi Bay - thanks to the peculiarities of the landscape for rock climbers and mountaineers, there are many opportunities here to hone their sports skills. There are several tracks of varying degrees of difficulty, so everyone can choose the one that suits their physical capabilities and level of training. Most often, climbers practice on the rock of the lowest belt, but it should be noted that professionals are a special "brotherhood" within which all organizational issues and aspects of security are resolved fairly quickly.

For beginners, it is better to choose a route leading along the Great Sevastopol Trail - it is a rather long section of the excursion path, in which Kush Kaya is just one section of a long route. The trail originates in Sevastopol; the best way to get to it is from the Laspi pass. There are numerous pointers here, so it will be almost impossible to get lost. Nevertheless, even such a seemingly elementary path requires comfortable sports shoes, best of all sneakers, and good physical shape.

The tourist route passes by a small hunting farm. Here, wild animals live in the corral - the locals even joke that this high netting does not protect animals from people, but vice versa.On the way to the top, you can also see the ruins of an ancient building with a large wooden cross.

According to the official version, there are the remains of the Cathedral of St. Elijah, which was erected in the Middle Ages, therefore a cross was erected here. But there are also skeptics who believe that the composition of the adhesion solution directly indicates that the structure is much more modern - most likely, it previously represented a military outpost in the navy.

The summit of Kush-Kaya above the Laspi Bay has long been recognized as one of the most beautiful; from a height, a beautiful view of the amazing picturesque places opens up - Cape Aya, as well as the Batiliman tract and the bay itself. These landscapes are considered one of the most breathtaking on the entire Crimean peninsula. Many vacationers even come to these places for a couple of days with tents, so there is a camping near the foot, where you can always get water and dry firewood.

From the top of Kush-Kai along a narrow path you can walk to Cape Aya, where a military unit was located during the Soviet era - the road there will take about an hour. Even 3 decades ago, there were farm buildings and barracks here, and now there are only ruins.

In a more distant period - 600-700 years ago, Isar was located on Aya, the walls of which are quite well preserved, but in the last century the military dismantled the rocks into stones, which they later used for construction needs. Immediately behind Cape Aya, an amazing view opens up - 400-meter sheer cliffs of reddish limestone seem to fall, bristling with the sharp corners of their landslides.

Further, the trail goes past the cliff line for Balaklava itself. If you start from Kush-Kai in the morning, then by the evening it is quite possible to walk along the Balaklava embankment. But keep in mind that dThe oroga is very insidious here, it branches and often leaves in the direction of the cliff. Not knowing the trails and not having any orienteering skills, it is better not to decide on such a transition, but if the desire to overcome the route does not leave you, hire an experienced guide.

For information on which route is best for hiking on the Kush-Kaya rock in Crimea, see the next video.