Trekking on the route № 30: through the mountains to the sea, Oshten

Thirty” or All-Union Tourist Route No. 30 is a legendary route that leads through the mountains to the Black Sea and attracts hundreds of travelers every year. In the past, the route started in the mountain village of Kamennomostsky and took two weeks. However, now its length has been significantly reduced and it takes from 3 to 5 days to complete it. The trail passes through the Caucasus Reserve, bypassing the green Oshten and snow-white Fisht. The peculiarity of this route is that it starts in the foothills of Adygea, passes through several different climatic zones and ends on the Black Sea coast. In just a few days travelers can see beech groves and coniferous forests, turbulent mountain rivers and blossoming meadows, eternal snows and tropical vegetation. No wonder that this route was one of the most popular and mass in the Soviet Union, and it is still in demand!

The name “thirty” is not related to the length of the route, as many people think. During the trip, tourists will overcome much more than 30 kilometers. In fact, the hiking part of the route takes 8 days, during which the participants walk about 10 kilometers per day (including breaks). This is quite a lift, even for hikers with no trekking experience. If you are going hiking for the first time and want to get the most out of your trip, you should definitely choose the All-Union Thirty through the mountains to the sea. This route has been in existence for almost a hundred years. The exact date of its launch is unknown, but it became popular back in the 1930s.

This program can be combined with the program of trekking to the lake “Kardyvach” and pass a real nine-day trek.

Day 1. Gathering of participants at the hotel in Krasnodar. Equipment check. Dinner and instructing the group. Overnight in the hotel. Optionally you can join the group in Maikop or Guzeriple.
Day 2. Early departure. We will go to the beginning of the route – to Yavorovaya glade, which is located 100 kilometers from Maikop. On the way we will be able to enjoy the beautiful views outside the window, and the time will fly by unnoticed. Today we have to overcome 10 kilometers. At the beginning we are waiting for a rather long but gentle ascent to the Guzeriplsky Pass, which is located at an altitude of 2043 meters above sea level. From this pass you can see a breathtaking view: the Stone Sea ridge rises, on the right you can see the impregnable walls of Mount Oshten, and a little to the left you can see the main Caucasus ridge and Mount Fisht. Then the trail goes down along the walls of Oshten to the Armenian Pass, located at an altitude of 1865 meters above sea level. From this pass there is no less beautiful view of Mount Fisht and adjacent ridges. From the pass you can see Fisht shelter, which is located on a picturesque clearing at the foot of the mountain. It takes us only 30 minutes to reach the shelter. After arrival we will choose a convenient place for camp, put up tents and spend time for dinner and rest. Overnight in the tent.
Day 3. Early ascent. On this day we plan to make a radial ascent to the top of Oshten mountain, 2804 meters high. Early in the morning we will rise, have breakfast and take some food for a snack. Then we will set off on our way. Climbing Oshten mountain does not require special skills and can be done on foot. The route will start with overcoming the alpine slopes of Mount Blam, which is located next to Oshten. Climbing to the top of Blam, a beautiful panorama of the area opens up and we can clearly see the further path to the top of the mountain. At different times of the year here you can see different shades and changes of relief under your feet. In early summer there are still snow covers here, which eventually melt by mid and sometimes late summer. Grassy slopes of Oshten, as well as the whole surrounding area, impress with the diversity of local flora. Climbing up to the pre-vertex ridge, the first thing that attracts attention is the main peak of the whole massif – Mount Fisht, 2868 meters high. Then, coming to the pre-top plateau, the horizon widens. We can already clearly see the Fisht massif, the slopes of Pshekha-Su mountain, the valley of Belaya river and Fishtinsky shelter. Having reached the very top, the panorama of the whole Lago-Naki Plateau opens before us.
Day 4. In the morning we head to the shepherd’s huts, which are located near the Cherkessky Pass. Leaving the shelter, we start to climb gently uphill. The trail leads us to the Belorechensky Pass, which is located at an altitude of 1782 meters above sea level. Most of the way up to the pass we will pass in the forest zone, but closer to the top the forest will gradually change to curvilinear forest and then completely disappear. When we reach the pass we will be able to enjoy a beautiful panorama of the Belaya River valley, the slopes of Mount Oshten, the Armenian ridge and Mount Fisht. Then we will walk along the walls of Fisht to the Cherkessky Pass, which is located at an altitude of 1836 meters above sea level. Then we will start the most “fun” part of the route – 4 kilometers of very steep descent, which is known in the tourist community as “fun descent”. After overcoming it, we will get to the dirt road, which will lead us to the shelter Babuk-Aul, from where we will move by truck to Solokh-Aul, and then we will take a comfortable transfer to Sochi (Adler district).

• Accommodation in two or three-bed rooms in a hotel in Krasnodar. 1 night.
• Guide work.
• Transfer Krasnodar-Yavorovaya Polyana.
• Transfer Solokh-Aul-Sochi.
• Pass to the reserve.
• Three meals a day on the route from day 2 to day 4.
• Group equipment (tents, navigator, cooking utensils, gas, first aid kit, etc.).

• Road from Sochi.
• Personal equipment.
• Any deviations from the program.
• Accommodation and dinner in Sochi
• Any expenses related to changes in the program

Documents:

• Passport
• Plane/train tickets
• Medical insurance

Personal gear:

• 50-60л.
• Sleeping bag, comfort temperature from 0C to -7C
• Karemat
• Trekking poles.
• Ice axe. Classic.
• Mountaineering system.
• Carabiners – 2 pcs.
• Self-insurance whiskers.
• Mountain or high-altitude boots
• Sneakers
• Waterproof layer – Jacket + pants. The industry offers a range of products from simple membranes
• 5000/5000 to Gore-Tex products.
• Fleece suit.
• Thermal underwear top + bottom.
• Fleece gloves.
• Bandana (besides protection from the sun in the valley you can use it to insulate your throat or face in the cold).
• frost)
• Socks
• Helmet

Miscellaneous:

• Diode head flashlight
• Sunglasses
• Thermos – 1 liter. Preferably without a button in the lid.
• Windproof mask on the lower part of the face (with some success can be replaced by a scarf).
• leggings
• Sunscreen, hygienic lipstick
• Chemical warmers (not necessary, but can be very useful).
• Personal first aid kit
• Elastic bandage and/or support bandage
• CLMN