What is the name of the mountain in the Caucasus. Big caucasus

Caucasian mountains- the great division between Europe and Asia. The Caucasus is a narrow strip of land between the Black and Caspian Seas. It strikes with an incredible variety of climate, flora and fauna.

The pride of the Caucasus is its mountains! The Caucasus is not the Caucasus without mountains. The mountains are unique, majestic and impregnable. The Caucasus is amazingly beautiful. He is so different. You can look at the mountains for hours.

The mountain range of the Greater Caucasus is a lot of pastures, forests, as well as amazing natural wonders. More than 2 thousand glaciers descend through narrow gorges. The chain of large mountains stretched for almost one and a half thousand kilometers from the northwest to the southeast. The main peaks exceed 5 thousand meters and significantly affect the weather in the regions. The clouds that form over the Black Sea are pouring rain, running into the mountain peaks of the Caucasus. On one side of the ridge there is a harsh landscape, and on the other - rough vegetation. Here you can find more than 6 and a half thousand plant species, a quarter of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

There are many legends about the origin Caucasus mountains:

A long time ago, when the earth was still very young, a huge plain stretched on the site of the modern territory of the Caucasus. Lived here in peace and love huge heroes sled. They were kind and prudent, they met with joy both day and night, they knew neither evil, nor envy, nor deceit. The ruler of this people was the gray-haired giant Elbrus, and he had a beautiful son, Beshtau, and his son had a charming bride, the beautiful Mashuki. But they had an evil envious - Kite. And he decided to harm the Narts. He prepared a terrible potion in which he mixed the teeth of a wolf, the tongue of a boar and the eyes of a snake. At a big feast, he poured a potion into all the drinks of the Narts. And, having drunk it, they acquired the greed of a boar, the anger of a wolf, and the deceit of a snake. And from that time on, the happy and carefree life of the Narts ended. The father decided to take the young bride away from his son and, sending him on a hunt, wanted to forcefully marry Mashuki. But Mashuki resisted Elbrus. And in an evil battle she lost her wedding ring. I saw the Beshtau ring and hurried to help the bride. And a terrible battle began not for life, but for death, and half of the Narts fought on the side of Elbrus, and the other half on the side of Beshtau. And the battle lasted for several days and nights, and all the sledges perished. Elbrus chopped his son into five parts, and the son, inflicting the last blow, dismembered the gray head of his father into two halves. Mashuki came out after the battle on the battlefield and did not see a single living soul. She approached her lover and plunged the dagger into her heart. So the life of a great and old people stopped.

And now the Caucasian mountains rise in this place: the helmet from the head of Beshtau is Mount Zheleznaya, the Mashuk ring is Mount Koltso, five peaks are Mount Beshtau, nearby is Mount Mashuk and far, far from the others - gray-haired or simply snow-covered handsome Elbrus.

The Caucasus Mountains are the result of the convergence of two plates

Let's look at one of the narrowest places in this grandiose mountain belt. At its northern outskirts, in Ciscaucasia, there are flat areas that belong to a solid plate called the Scythian. Further to the south are the sublatitudinal (that is, stretching approximately from west to east) mountains of the Greater Caucasus up to 5 km high, the narrow depressions of Transcaucasia - the Rionskaya and Kura lowlands - and also the sublatitudinal, but convex to the north mountain ranges of the Lesser Caucasus in Georgia, Armenia , Eastern Turkey and Western Iran (up to 5 km high).

To the south are the plains of Northern Arabia, which, like the plains of Ciscaucasia, belong to a very strong, monolithic Arabian lithospheric plate.

Therefore, the Scythian and Arabian plates- it's like two parts of a giant vise, which are slowly approaching, crushing everything that is between them. It is curious that directly opposite the northern, relatively narrow end of the Arabian Plate, in Eastern Turkey and Western Iran, there are the highest mountains in comparison with the mountains located to the west and east. They rise just in the place where the Arabian plate, like some kind of solid wedge, squeezed the pliable deposits most strongly.

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The Achishkho mountain range is the closest range to Krasnaya Polyana and the most picturesque. The highest mountain - Achishkho has a height of 2391 meters above sea level. Interesting fact about the name of the ridge: "Achishkho" in translation from the Abkhazian means "horse". This confirms the view from below, from Polyana to the mountain range. If you look closely, you can see the outline of a horse. The most popular hiking route passes through a special place located on the side of the mountain, approximately 1800 meters above sea level, where there was a weather station from the 30s to the 90s.

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The Aibga mountain range is located on the territory of Sochi national park, from the east side of Krasnaya Polyana. The ridge has a length of more than 20 kilometers, and consists of four highest points, called peaks. The most popular mountain peak among tourists is the Black Pyramid, 2375 meters above sea level. She has unusual shape which makes it very popular with climbers. In addition, a wonderful, breathtaking landscape opens up from the top of the mountain. Having conquered this mountain, you will see the valley of the Mzymta River, the peaks of Chugush and Pseashkho.

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One of the most beautiful resort places in our country is Dombay. The main attractions of this city are its scenic spots. Mussa Ridge - Achitara is considered the most picturesque ridge of this part of the Caucasus. In order to appreciate all the beauty that surrounds the guests of the resort, you need to climb the slope of the mountain along cable car. This place offers a wonderful scenic view peaks and glaciers of the Main Range, Teberda and Gonachkhiri valleys.

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Peak Ine is located near the place where the northern Dzhugurlutchat glacier originates. The name of the mountain is translated as "Needle", the mountain got its name because of its pointed top, this unusual view of mountains attracts many tourists from all over the world. The top of Ine Peak is covered with snow all year round, and although its sheer cliffs are relatively difficult to conquer, the top of Ine Peak is quite a popular destination for climbers. The height of the "needle" reaches 3455 meters, which is about 600 meters below the highest mountain of the Caucasus Dividing Range. It is best to view the mountain from the site of Mount Mussa-Achi-Tara, it is 400 meters lower than Ine Peak, but for that it can be reached by funicular.

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In the North Caucasus, among the Dombai glade, somewhat east of the mountain of the Back (Small) Belalakai, a peak called Sufruju spread out. The height of the mountain is 3871 m. A wide depression divides the massif into two equal parts - Southern and Northern. Both peaks are clearly visible from the ski Musat-Cheri. The southern part was called Sufruju's Tooth, which means "Tiger's Fang". The massif stretches for 3600 m and acts as the main attraction of the mountain Dombay.

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Belalakai is a mountain located near the village in Dombay, since the village is a resort mountain has become a symbol of this village and attracts a lot of tourists. Its height is 3861 meters. Although the height of this mountain is 200 meters lower than the highest in Abkhazia, it is no less an attraction. Belalakai owes its fame to quartz. For the most part, the mountain consists of dark rocks of soil and dark granite, however, due to centuries-old geological processes there are deposits of quartz on the mountain. It is this quartz that has created the white streaks that adorn the top of this mountain, the white streaks of Belalakai are especially visible at the end of summer. Because of the beauty of the local landscapes, the mountain was mentioned more than once in songs and poems.

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Dzhuguturluchat is a relatively small massif, in the large Caucasian ridge. The mountain range rose to a height of 3921 meters, which is only 120 meters less than the most high point on the Caucasian ridge. Herds of tours are found in the highest regions of the mountain range, it was they who gave these mountains the name "Dzhugurluchat" - which translates as: "herd of tours". The mountain range originates from the Dombai plateau, however, the most Beautiful places open from a place called "Mussa-Achi-Tara" is where most tourists gather.

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Cheget is one of the highest mountains in the Caucasus. Its height reaches about 3770 meters. It is a popular tourism destination among travelers. From the mountain you can enjoy the view of the highest peak in Europe - Elbrus. Another feature of Mount Cheget is the second line of the cable car, which passes through the area where the snow lies, which does not melt throughout the year.There are three lines of the cable car in total. The height of the first reaches about 1600 meters. It is one of the most popular for tourists who come to Cheget to enjoy the view of Elbrus.

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This mountain after Elbrus is the second most popular among climbers. All because it is also quite high - 4454 meters above sea level.

There are several ways to get to the mountain by cable car or on foot. Tourists who have chosen the first method can use the Cheget cable car at the final point, where small cafes are located. The second and more difficult path, which takes several hours, is from the Cheget glade along a path already full of tourists. However, it is better to go on a journey with an experienced guide, otherwise there is a chance to get lost in the mountains.

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North Caucasus will captivate many tourists with its beauties and landscapes. Mount Semyonov-Bashi, located in the east of the Caucasus Range, is no exception. In reality, this is just a ledge 3602 m above the ground. The mountain was named after the Russian explorer P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky. This person was a traveler and was chairman of the Russian Geographical Society.

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Mount Chotcha is part of the Caucasian ridge, which is famous for its picturesque mountains and rocks. Chotcha, unlike other mountains, is divided into two parts, as if someone cut the mountain in the middle into two halves. Unlike the mountains, which have just a smaller mountain nearby, at first glance it is clear that the mountain has one base on which there are two rocks. The rock in the foreground is lower than the back one, it has 3637 meters in height, it is 400 meters lower than the highest mountain of the Caucasian ridge. The second rock is only three meters higher than the first one, it is 3640 meters above sea level.

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Mount Ertsog is included in the list of one of the most visited places of the Caucasian ridge. At the foot of the mountain, the Alibek River flows, in addition to the mountain itself, this place has a very beautiful lowland. In the gorge where the river flows, a massive slope descends, it becomes especially beautiful in spring, when the sun illuminates the slope full of bright green vegetation. Mount Ertsog is part of the Teberdinsky ridge, the ridge itself encircles a lowland with a river and makes a very strong impression on tourists who visit it.

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Mount Sulohat is located in the Dombay region and is one of the largest points of the Caucasian watershed. The height of the mountain is 3439 meters, which is about 600 meters lower than the largest mountain on the Caucasian ridge. Mount Sulohat is surrounded by many legends, the most popular one is about the origin of the name of the mountain. In ancient times, the foot of the mountain was inhabited by the Alans tribe. In this tribe lived a girl named Sulohat, she was of extraordinary beauty and courage and was the daughter of the leader of the tribe.

It is divided into two mountain systems: the Greater Caucasus and the Lesser Caucasus. The Caucasus is often divided into the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia, the border between which is drawn along the Main, or Watershed, ridge of the Greater Caucasus, which occupies a central position in the mountain system. The Greater Caucasus stretches for more than 1100 km from the northwest to the southeast, from the Anapa region and the Taman Peninsula to the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian coast, near Baku. The Greater Caucasus reaches its maximum width in the region of the Elbrus meridian (up to 180 km). In the axial part is located the Main Caucasian (or Dividing) Range, to the north of which a number of parallel ranges (mountain ranges) extend, including a monoclinal (kuest) character (see Greater Caucasus). The southern slope of the Greater Caucasus mostly consists of echelon-shaped ridges adjacent to the Main Caucasian ridge. Traditionally, the Greater Caucasus is divided into 3 parts: the Western Caucasus (from the Black Sea to Elbrus), the Central Caucasus (from Elbrus to Kazbek) and the Eastern Caucasus (from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea).

The most famous peaks - Mt. Elbrus (5642 m) and Mt. Kazbek (5033 m) are covered with eternal snow and glaciers. The Greater Caucasus is a region with a large modern glaciation. The total number of glaciers is about 2050, their area is approximately 1400 km 2 . More than half of the glaciation of the Greater Caucasus is concentrated in the Central Caucasus (50% of the number and 70% of the glaciation area). major centers glaciations are Mount Elbrus and the Bezengi wall (with the Bezengi glacier, 17 km). From the northern foot of the Greater Caucasus to the Kuma-Manych depression, Ciscaucasia extends with vast plains and uplands. To the south of the Greater Caucasus are the Colchis and Kura-Araks lowlands, the Inner Kartli plain and the Alazan-Avtoran valley [the Kura depression, within which the Alazan-Avtoran valley and the Kura-Araks lowland are located]. In the southeastern part of the Caucasus - the Talysh mountains (up to 2477 m high) with the adjacent Lankaran lowland. In the middle and in the west of the southern part of the Caucasus is the Transcaucasian Highlands, which consists of the ranges of the Lesser Caucasus and the Armenian Highlands (Aragats, 4090 m). The Lesser Caucasus is connected to the Greater Caucasus by the Likhi Ridge, in the west it is separated from it by the Colchis Lowland, in the east by the Kura Depression. The length is about 600 km, the height is up to 3724 m. The mountains near Sochi - Achishkho, Aibga, Chigush (Chugush, 3238 m), Pseashkho and others (Krasnaya Polyana resort area) - will host participants in winter Olympic Games 2014.

Geology The Caucasus is folded mountains with some volcanic activity that formed as the Alps in the Tertiary period (approximately 28.49-23.8 million years ago). The mountains are composed of, among other things, granite and gneiss, and contain deposits of oil and natural gas. Estimated reserves: up to 200 billion barrels oil. (For comparison: in Saudi Arabia- the country with the world's largest oil reserves - an estimated 260 billion barrels.) From a geophysical point of view, the Caucasus forms a wide deformation zone, which is part of the continental plate collision belt from the Alps to the Himalayas. The architectonics of the region was formed by the movement of the Arabian Plate to the north to the Eurasian Plate. Pressed by the African Plate, it moves every year by about a few centimeters. Therefore, at the end of the 20th century, large earthquakes with an intensity of 6.5 to 7 points occurred in the Caucasus, which had catastrophic consequences for the population and economy in the region. More than 25 thousand people died in Spitak in Armenia on December 7, 1988, about 20 thousand were injured and about 515 thousand were left homeless. The Greater Caucasus is a grandiose folded mountainous region that occurred on the site of the Mesozoic geosyncline due to Alpine folding. Precambrian, Paleozoic and Triassic rocks lie in its core, which are successively surrounded by Jurassic, Cretaceous, Paleogene and Neogene deposits. In the middle part of the Caucasus, ancient rocks come to the surface.

Geographical affiliation There is no clear agreement on whether the Caucasus Mountains are part of Europe or Asia. Depending on the approach, high mountain Europe is considered respectively either Mount Elbrus (5642 m) or Mont Blanc (4810 m) in the Alps, on the Italian-French border. The Caucasus Mountains are located in the center of the Eurasian Plate between Europe and Asia. The ancient Greeks saw the Bosphorus and the Caucasus Mountains as the border of Europe. Later this opinion was changed several times for political reasons. During the Migration Period and the Middle Ages, the Bosphorus and the Don River separated the two continents. The border was defined by the Swedish officer and geographer Philipp Johann von Stralenberg, who proposed a border running through the peaks of the Urals and then down the Emba River to the coast of the Caspian Sea, before passing through the Kumo-Manych depression, which is 300 km north of the Caucasus Mountains. . In 1730, this course was approved by the Russian Tsar, and has since been adopted by many scholars. According to this definition, mountains are part of Asia and, according to this view, the highest mountain in Europe is Mont Blanc. On the other hand, La Grande Encyclopedie explicitly defines the border between Europe and Asia, south of both Caucasian ranges. Elbrus and Kazbek are European mountains by this definition. Fauna and flora In addition to the ubiquitous wild animals, there are wild boars, chamois, mountain goats, as well as golden eagles. In addition, there are still wild bears. Extremely rare is the Caucasian leopard (Panthera pardus ciscaucasica), which was rediscovered only in 2003. IN historical period there were also Asian lions and Caspian tigers, but soon after the birth of Christ they were completely eradicated. A subspecies of the European bison, the Caucasian bison, became extinct in 1925. The last copy of the Caucasian elk was killed in 1810. There are a lot of invertebrate species in the Caucasus, for example, about 1000 species of spiders have been confirmed there so far. In the Caucasus, there are 6350 species of flowering plants, including 1600 native species. 17 species of mountain plants originated in the Caucasus. The giant Hogweed, considered in Europe as a neophyte of predatory species, comes from this region. It was imported in 1890 as an ornamental plant to Europe. The biodiversity of the Caucasus is declining at an alarming rate. The mountainous region is one of the 25 most vulnerable regions on Earth in terms of nature conservation.

Landscape The Caucasus Mountains have a varied landscape, which mostly varies vertically and depends on the distance from large bodies of water. The region contains biomes ranging from subtropical low-level swamps and glacier forests (Western and Central Caucasus) to high mountain semi-deserts, steppes and alpine grasslands in the south (mainly Armenia and Azerbaijan). Oak, hornbeam, maple and ash are common on the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus at lower altitudes, and birch and pine forests. Some of the lowest areas and slopes are covered with steppes and meadows. On the slopes of the Northwestern Greater Caucasus (Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, etc.) they also contain spruce and fir forests. In the highland zone (about 2000 meters above sea level), forests predominate. Permafrost (glacier) usually starts at about 2800-3000 meters. On the southeastern slope of the Greater Caucasus, beech, oak, maple, hornbeam and ash are common. Beech forests tend to dominate at higher altitudes. On the southwestern slope of the Greater Caucasus, oak, beech, chestnut, hornbeam and elm are common at lower altitudes, coniferous and mixed forests (spruce, fir and beech) at higher altitudes. Permafrost begins at an altitude of 3000-3500 meters.

In the ridge of the Caucasus Mountains is Elbrus. It is also considered the whole of Europe. Its location is such that several peoples live around it, who call it differently. Therefore, if you hear such names as Alberis, Oshkhomakho, Mingitau or Yalbuz, know that they mean the same thing.

In this article, we will introduce you closer to the highest mountain in the Caucasus - Elbrus, which was once an active volcano, and occupies the fifth place on the planet, among the mountains formed in the same way.

The height of the Elbrus peaks in the Caucasus

As already mentioned, the highest mountain in Russia is an extinct volcano. This is precisely the reason why its top does not have a pointed shape, but looks like a two-peak cone, between which there is a saddle at an altitude of 5 km 200 m. Two peaks located at a distance of 3 km from each other are different: the eastern one is 5621 m, and the western one is 5642 m. The reference always indicates a great value.

Like all former volcanoes, Elbrus consists of two parts: a rock pedestal, in this case it is 700 m, and an artificial cone formed after eruptions (1942 m).

Starting from a height of 3500 m, the surface of the mountain is covered with snow. First, mixed with scatterings of stones, and then turning into a uniform white cover. The most famous Elbrus glaciers are Terskop, Big and Small Azau.

The temperature at the top of Elbrus practically does not change and is -1.4°C. A large amount of precipitation falls here, but due to such a temperature regime, it is almost always snow, so the glaciers do not melt. Since the snow cap of Elbrus is visible all year round for many kilometers, the mountain is also called "Small Antakrtida".

Glaciers located on the top of the mountain feed the largest rivers of these places - the Kuban and the Terek.

Climbing Elbrus

To see the beautiful view from the top of Elbrus, you need to climb it. It is quite simple to do this, since you can get to a height of 3750 m along the southern slope on a pendulum or chairlift. Here is a shelter for travelers "Barrels". It consists of 12 insulated trailers for 6 people and a stationary kitchen. They are equipped so that they can wait out any bad weather, even for a long time.

The next stop is usually made at an altitude of 4100 m in the Shelter of Eleven Hotel. The parking lot here was established in the 20th century, but was destroyed by fire. Then a new building was built in its place.

For the first time, the peaks of Elbrus were conquered in 1829 on the east and in 1874 on the west.

Now the Donguzorun and Ushba massifs, as well as the Adylsu, Adyrsu and Shkheldy gorges are popular with climbers. Increasingly, mass ascents to the peaks are organized. Located on the south side ski resort Elbrus Azau. It consists of 7 tracks, total length 11 km. They are suitable for both beginners and advanced skiers. A distinctive black of this resort is freedom of movement. On all routes there is a minimum number of fences and dividers. It is recommended to visit it from October to May during this period there is the strongest snow.

Elbrus, at the same time, is a very beautiful and dangerous mountain. Indeed, according to scientists, there is a possibility that in the next 100 years the volcano will wake up, and then all nearby regions (Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia) will suffer.