Trekking in Dombai — 7 Days with the Murudzhu Lakes

The programme shows the different sides of Dombai without constantly moving between bases. From the hotel the group makes there-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 organisational questions, 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. Route length 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. Route length 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. Route length 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. Route length 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. Route length 13 km.

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

• Guides
• Hotel accommodation in twin or triple rooms, for the number of nights set out in the programme
• Tent accommodation, for the number of nights set out in the programme
• All transfers according to the programme
• Three meals a day throughout the programme, with dinner on the first day and breakfast on the last
• Permits and registrations for the route, with the exact scope and the responsibility of each side confirmed before booking
• 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 deviation from the programme
• Any costs arising from a change to the programme

Documentos:

• Passaporte
• Passagens de avião/trem
• Seguro médico

Equipamento pessoal:

• Mochila 50-60 litros
• Mochila de ataque 15-20 litros
• Saco de dormir, temperatura de conforto de 0°C a -7°C
• Isolante térmico (colchonete)
• Bastões de trekking
• Botas de trekking
• Calçado extra para o acampamento (sandálias de trekking ou tênis)
• Camada impermeável – Jaqueta + calça
• Conjunto de fleece para dormir
• Roupa térmica (parte superior e inferior)
• Jaqueta de plumas com capuz ou colete de plumas
• Luvas leves
• Bandana, buff, boné ou chapéu à escolha
• Gorro de fleece
• Meias quentes para dormir
• Meias de trekking

Diversos:

• Lanterna de cabeça LED com autonomia mínima de 12 horas + pilhas extras
• Óculos de sol com fator de proteção mínimo 3
• Garrafa térmica – 1 litro
• Protetor solar, batom hidratante com filtro
• Kit de primeiros socorros pessoal
• Bandagem elástica e/ou suporte ortopédico
• KLMN