{"id":37369,"date":"2016-01-29T14:38:42","date_gmt":"2016-01-29T11:38:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mountainguides.pro\/?p=37369"},"modified":"2026-09-10T16:10:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T13:10:34","slug":"dreams-are-meant-to-come-true-part-four","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mountainguides.pro\/pt\/2016\/01\/29\/dreams-are-meant-to-come-true-part-four\/","title":{"rendered":"Dreams Are Meant to Come True. Part Four"},"content":{"rendered":"

We walked a little way along the path from the waterfall itself and then went down to where the road turned left. Below us opened a view of a cleft surrounded by rock walls. At that moment we were worried that we might be faced with yet another scramble. Under our feet, however, we found rocks covered with grass. The descent was fairly steep, but it could be managed using three points of contact. Beyond the first cleft a second one came into view, and that too was passable. Below us lay the Azau meadow, and we were standing on a wall of logs that we had seen clearly from further down. Skirting the wall carefully, we descended to the Gara-Bashi river. The slope really did turn out to be quite steep, and every step had to be taken with care so as not to slip on the grass. There was about a kilometre left to go home, but a powerful torrent of water barred our way. We tried to cross the river in various ways, but realised that one way or another we would have to get through the water. We would dry everything out in our room, and that was the real advantage of a civilised holiday. Ahead of us lay ten days of walking, and all we had with us was a tent. So we tried to throw in some rocks in order to avoid crossing the river where it was too deep. We hopped across quickly and, to our surprise, found that our feet had stayed dry. By the time we were on our way home it was completely dark. It was good that we had torches. To sum up, our easy acclimatisation walk to the waterfall stretched out over the whole day. In the end we lost one trekking pole, picked up a couple of bruises and had a bit of a fright. It is safe to say that the mountains do not forgive mistakes, and that you should only attempt to cross high ridges when you really have to. It is important to carry protective equipment and the means to secure yourself. Best of all is to follow the ordinary paths, even if they are longer.<\/p>\n\n

It has to be said that you cannot get from the Azau meadow to the “Devichyi Kosy” waterfall without scrambling. Perhaps we simply failed to find the way. In that case the only remaining option is to cross the stream. Unfortunately, we had too few days at the time, and no chance to see everything we would have liked. We were lucky enough to visit the valley of the springs, though there are not many springs there. I found two, and they were an unusual rust-red colour. If you taste them, you can detect a faint hint of iron. It is worth noting that in the shoulder season the mineral water has a particularly useful property: it freezes slowly, and that is said to be very good for your health. You can also see a small fountain here that rises straight out of the ground, and in winter it freezes into a knobbly shape. The fountain is not very big, and the ice block is not large either, but it is beautiful all the same. As for the lake with the striking name of Donguzorun, many travellers say you can see it from above after the second stage of the cable car. We were turned back a little earlier, though, by a small caf\u00e9 on Cheget, next to which stands the Vizbor hut. He was very fond of resting there. I want to describe what we had hoped to see but, unfortunately, did not have time for. That is the gorge of the river Irik, the sand castles and a virtually vertical wall. The trail starts from the village of Elbrus, crosses a bridge and follows a deep and beautiful canyon to the snout of the glacier. Along the way there is a chance to drink from a mineral spring and photograph large rock faces. The trail to the glacier is ten kilometres long. What stayed in my memory was the valley of the river Terskol, where training camps and climbing competitions are often held. Here you find the rocks known as the “roches moutonn\u00e9es” and a shepherd’s kosh. Not far from the Terskol glacier there is a waterfall of the same name. Horse riding trips are often organised into the Terskol valley. If you have a couple of days that you would rather not spend in a hotel, you can walk from the Terskol valley over the Terskolak pass into the valley of the river Irik and make a short trek. In winter and spring this area is dangerous because of avalanches, so visiting the valley in those seasons is not recommended. The route is fifteen kilometres long to the Terskol waterfall and glacier and back. There is another mineral spring not far from the point where the river Terskol joins the Baksan, on the right bank. Speaking of this area, one cannot fail to mention the high-altitude lake Syltrankul, which lies at three thousand one hundred and eighty six metres. The walk to it up the Syltransu gorge takes almost a whole day. From the lake itself you can climb to several passes and continue your route. Azau is considered the highest lake in Russia.<\/p>\n\n

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What to read next<\/h2>\n

See the programme:<\/strong> A tour of Chile: from the Atacama to Tierra del Fuego<\/a><\/p>\n