Taraktash is one of the most amazing and beautiful places in Crimea. But for those who want to look at its charm, there is a difficult test ahead - the Taraktash trail, the route from the Uchan-Su waterfall to the Ai-Petrinsky yayla. However, travelers who dare to make this trip will be duly rewarded for their courage. All the way they will be accompanied by unusual and amazing landscapes of the peninsula, which they have never seen before.
General information
Taraktash trail (Crimea) is a mountain trail from Y alta to Ai-Petri, named after the rocky ridge Taraktash, along which it runs. According to various sources, the length of the route varies from 8 to 11 kilometers, and in some parts of the trail there are difficult climbs, reaching 700 m.
Therefore, only with good physical preparation, the route will be available in both directions: both for descent and forlift. The descent is suitable even for unprepared tourists who travel along mountain paths for the first time.
The average time it takes to cover a one-way trip is about 4-5 hours from the starting point.
Historical background
The Taraktash trail (Crimea, Big Y alta) was created at the end of the nineteenth century at the suggestion of Vladimir Nikolaevich Dmitriev, a talented doctor and chairman of the Y alta branch of the Crimean Mountain Club. Hiking along this route, Dr. Dmitriev cured his lungs. He believed that the unique Crimean air and leisurely walks along the mountain paths are extremely useful for heart and lung diseases.
Over time, the Taraktash trail ceased to be a mountain pass, as it became difficult to access and almost impassable. Only in the second half of the twentieth century it was brought back to life by teachers and students of the mountain club of one of the Y alta schools.
Today the trail is equipped, and in its most difficult places for the convenience of tourists, original steps and railings have been erected. To exclude the slightest possibility of getting lost here, the road is marked almost along its entire length. Based on the marks, even inexperienced tourists will overcome this route in one direction.
Taraktash trail: how to get to the start of the route
For unprepared travelers, the ideal option would be to choose the starting point of the route at the top - Ai-Petri - and prefer the descent. Ascent to the top of Ai-Petrican be done not on foot along a mountain path, but by cable car Miskhor - Ai-Petri (or by car, which, of course, is not so exciting and interesting).
It is not difficult to get to the lower station of the cable car on your own, as a shuttle bus from the Y alta bus station will take you directly to it.
For experienced tourists, the starting point of the ascent to Ai-Petri along the Taraktash trail will be the foot of the Uchan-Su waterfall. You can get to it by regular bus from the same Y alta station.
Main landmarks of the Taraktash trail (route map)
If, after evaluating your strength, you choose to go uphill, then you need to take a transport to its lower point (Wuchang-Su waterfall) and go a little up the highway. Here the Taraktash trail will begin. The itinerary is as follows:
- Wuchang-Su waterfall;
- rock Eagle zalet;
- source 1904;
- Taraktash;
- pine grove;
- weather station.
In order not to deviate from the route, tourists should be guided by white and red marks.
Wuchang-Su Waterfall
The Wuchang-Su Waterfall is the silver threads of the river of the same name, falling from a huge height of 98.5 meters along two ledges, splitting into smaller waterfalls below. The full flow of the waterfall and the spectacle that appears before the eyes of tourists depend on the time of year. In the spring it is at its most full-flowing. In summer, the flow of water is so depleted that Wuchang-Su is called a “waterfall” at this time of the year. And in winter, it representsa mesmerizing cascade of ice jets that tend to fall to the ground under the force of their gravity.
Eagle Fly Rock
Following the signs from the waterfall, in 20-30 minutes tourists will reach the observation deck on the Orliny Zalet rock, which in its outlines resembles a proud bird preparing to fly.
This place is associated with a sad legend from the time of the Principality of Theodoro about the inhabitants who rebelled against the unbearable Tatar taxes, about the atrocities of the invaders and young men who rushed down the cliff from hopelessness and turned into beautiful eagles.
Source 1904
Further, the Taraktash trail leads tourists to an unusual structure that looks like a stone crypt with an iron door. This hydraulic structure "Source of 1904" is the next landmark of the mountain route ascending to the top of Ai-Petri. It was built for the largest collection of clean water from the spring for the Y alta water pipeline.
Taraktash and pine grove
Further, along the eaves of the rock mass, the main part of the Crimean journey called the Taraktash trail will pass. This is the steepest and most difficult part of the route to climb, but the magnificent views that open up to the eyes more than compensate for the fatigue of travelers.
Rocks surrounded by centuries-old trees, pine aroma, fallen needles underfoot - all this will certainly accompany tourists all the way to the observation platform on the Shishko rock, named after the Russian colonel engineer and head of the construction of the Y alta road -Bakhchisarai.
The area along the mountain path is so beautiful, the panoramas are so magnificent that many travelers compare it to Saxon Switzerland, and almost everyone takes hour-long photo sessions here as a keepsake.
Weather station
On the Ai-Petri plateau, near the Shishko rock, in 1895 a stone weather station building was built. Here, on the site for meteorological observations, the ascent of tourists along the Taraktash trail ends. It is recommended to have a rest after the ascent, as it is still 40-50 minutes to walk along a fairly flat road to the cable car, which will take tired travelers from the top of Ai-Petri to the lower station of Miskhor.
Recommendations for intrepid travelers
Tourists who dare to climb the Taraktash trail should follow certain rules:
- Climbing to the top of Ai-Petri is best to start before 12 noon, as the cable car runs until 17-00.
- The lower station of the cable car starts working from 10-00, but it is better to come here in advance, as there may be a long wait in line.
- For a trip, you must choose dry and cloudy weather, you should travel only during daylight hours.
- Shoes should be comfortable, with good non-slip soles. Clothes - with some reserve for warmth, as it can be cooler at the top of Ai-Petri.
- Water required (0.5L/person), food optional.
Taraktash trail - extremelya picturesque and memorable walking route connecting Ai-Petri and Y alta.
