Trekking in Dombai — 7 Days with the Murudzhu Lakes

The trip shows the different sides of Dombai without constantly moving between bases. From the hotel the group makes out-and-back walks into the Alibek gorge, to Lake Turye and the waterfalls, into the Amanauz gorge and to the cascade of the Baduk lakes. The route then changes character: participants carry a full set of kit up to the Murudzhu lakes, spend the night in tents and return to Dombai the next day.

That combination works well as a first acquaintance with multi-day trekking. In the first days you can test footwear, clothing and your own pace on walks made light, and then take a short spell of self-sufficient camp life. No technical mountaineering equipment is required, but mountain trail, rocks, roots and long climbs all call for steady physical condition.

All the main routes lie inside the Teberda National Park. Whether a particular trail is open is determined not by a promise in a piece of marketing copy but by the park’s orders in force, by the state of the route and by the weather. Before each outing the guide checks the current information and chooses safe tactics.

To prepare, read our material on trekking footwear, our overview of guided treks and the entry level of our mountain training plan.

Day 1. Arrival at Mineralnye Vody airport. Transfer to the hotel in Dombai, with a lunch stop at a canteen in Cherkessk on the way. On arrival the group registers at the hotel. General gathering, introductions and the practical arrangements, followed by a briefing with the guide after dinner. Night at the hotel.

Day 2. Up at 07:30, breakfast at 09:00, departure at 10:00. The first day in Dombai is given to a walk to Lake Turye, in the valley of the Alibek river. Off-road vehicles take the group up to the lake, and from there the descent is on foot. On the way the route passes the Alibek waterfalls and the climbers’ cemetery. Participants carry a light pack, a flask of tea, lunch and snacks for the day. Lunch is taken with a view of the Alibek waterfall. The return follows the same line as the drive up, but on foot. General gathering at dinner in the evening. Free time. Night at the hotel. Distance: 9 km.

Day 3. Up at 07:30, breakfast at 09:00, departure at 10:00. Ahead lies the Amanauz gorge, with its fast water, the Devil’s Mill and the fine Sofrudzhu waterfalls. Participants carry a light pack, a flask of tea, lunch and snacks for the day. Lunch is taken with a view of the Lesser Sofrudzhu waterfall. The return follows the same line. General gathering at dinner in the evening. Free time. Night at the hotel. Distance: 9 km.

Day 4. Up at 07:30, breakfast at 09:00, departure at 10:00. Transfer from the hotel to the Baduk lakes, more precisely to the checkpoint at the start of the climb to the lakes. The Baduk lakes are the real pride of the Teberda reserve. There are three of them, and today the group visits all three. Their beauty is hard to convey in words; they are different in every season and equally fine in each. Participants carry a light pack, a flask of tea, lunch and snacks for the day. Lunch is taken at the highest lake, with a view over the Khadzhibey river valley. The return follows the same line. General gathering at dinner in the evening. Free time. Night at the hotel. Distance: 8 km.

Day 5. Up at 07:30, breakfast at 08:00, departure at 08:30. Transfer to the start of the climb to the Murudzhu lakes. Today the group climbs to the lakes and sets up a tented camp. The walking pattern is 40 minutes on the move, 20 minutes’ rest. The Murudzhu lakes lie in the valley of the Ullu-Murudzhu river, at a little under 3000 metres above sea level. They were formed by ancient glaciers, which left behind basins that later filled with meltwater. After camp is pitched there is time to walk in the surrounding area. Dinner. Night in tents. Distance: 13 km.

Day 6. Up at 07:30, breakfast at 08:00, departure at 08:30. The group strikes camp and returns to the hotel in Dombai by the same line. The walking pattern is 40 minutes on the move, 20 minutes’ rest. In the evening there is a general gathering for the farewell dinner. Free time. Night at the hotel. Distance: 13 km.

Day 7. Transfer to Mineralnye Vody airport or railway station. End of the trip.

• Guides
• Hotel accommodation in twin or triple rooms, for the number of nights set out in the itinerary
• Tent accommodation, for the number of nights set out in the itinerary
• All transfers according to the itinerary
• Three meals a day throughout the trip, with dinner on the first day and breakfast on the last
• All the necessary permits and registrations
• Group equipment: satellite navigator, first-aid kit, tents and shared kitchen equipment

• Single occupancy
• Personal equipment
• Travel from your own region to Mineralnye Vody and back
• Any departure from the itinerary
• Any costs arising from a change to the itinerary

The trip can be arranged for a family, a group of friends, a club or a corporate group on its own dates, subject to a guide being free and the national park routes being open.

A private group can discuss a different standard of hotel, an extra rest day, a photographer, or a gentler trip of out-and-back outings. The camping section at the Murudzhu lakes can be changed only after assessing the season, the group’s preparation and the visiting arrangements permitted for the area.

For a child aged 2 or over you need a carrier pack and an adult prepared to carry the extra weight. Deuter child carriers can be reserved in advance from Rock and Rent. If a family particularly needs a trip without camping, we will rebuild the out-and-back outings and quote a private tour separately; that will no longer be the standard seven-day product.

To join this trip you will need:

• A valid passport
• Tickets to Mineralnye Vody and back
• Medical insurance covering mountain trekking and the maximum altitude of the trip
• The details needed to arrange access to the routes in Teberda National Park
• Digital copies of your main documents, saved on your phone and in cloud storage

The visiting rules and the fees in force are checked before every departure. The current fee and how to pay it are given to participants before the trip begins.

The main season for this trip is summer and early autumn, once the high trails have opened. The exact dates depend on the snow cover, the state of the routes and decisions taken by Teberda National Park.

In June, patches of snow can remain on the upper sections. July and August are usually warmer, but thunderstorms and heavy downpours are possible even after a clear morning. September brings fewer people, colder nights and a greater chance of short-lived snow.

The park administration may close an individual trail because of snow, damage, flooding or another hazard. If that happens, your guide acts according to the situation on the ground; safety matters more than keeping a named point on the schedule.

The group spends most nights in a hotel in Dombai, in twin or triple rooms, as set out in the itinerary. On the fifth day there is a tented camp by the Murudzhu lakes; on the sixth the group returns to the hotel.

The price includes three meals a day: dinner on the first day, meals throughout the trip and breakfast on the day you leave. On the out-and-back days participants carry a packed lunch and snacks, and at the tented camp the food is cooked in a group kitchen.

Tell us about food allergies and other dietary restrictions in advance. The choice of food is wider at the hotel than at the Murudzhu lakes, so any special camp diet must be agreed before the start.

The hotel offers the usual facilities for resting, showering and charging your devices. Most of the outings are out-and-back, so anything you do not need can stay in your room.

The night under canvas has none of the hotel’s comforts and no mains electricity. You need a sleeping bag, a sleeping mat, a head torch, a power bank, your own toiletries and rain protection for your kit.

There is usually a better signal in Dombai than in the upper gorges, but it can disappear out on the routes. Do not count on continuous internet during a walking day.

Documents:

• Passport
• Air or rail tickets
• Medical insurance

Personal equipment:

• Rucksack, 50-60 litres
• Summit pack, 15-20 litres
• Sleeping bag with a comfort rating of 0 to -7 °C
• Foam sleeping mat
• Trekking poles
• Trekking boots
• Spare footwear for around camp (trekking sandals or trainers)
• Waterproof shell: jacket and trousers
• Fleece set for sleeping in
• Base layer, top and bottoms
• Down jacket with a hood, or a down gilet
• Lightweight gloves
• Bandana, buff, cap or sun hat, as you prefer
• Fleece hat
• Warm socks for sleeping in
• Trekking socks for walking days

Other items:

• LED head torch with at least 12 hours of battery life, plus spare batteries
• Sunglasses, category 3 protection or higher
• Vacuum flask, 1 litre
• Sun cream and lip balm
• Personal first-aid kit
• Elastic bandage and/or a support brace
• Mug, spoon, bowl and knife