The greatness of the karst caves attracts many speleologists. However, lovers of beauty and amazing sensations, too, only after seeing the Pinega caves in the photo, tend to visit there. The reserve is a state-protected zone, and therefore its we alth and nature have not yet been destroyed, but beautifully ennobled. Realizing that to forbid those who wish to visit it is to provoke them into illegal entry, an excursion was organized. What is included in the tour? Why are the caves so beautiful? What else does the reserve keep in itself?
Rich Pinezhye
This region has a special beauty because of the forest. About 505 species of pines, deciduous trees and spruces grow in it. In addition, about 40 types of edible mushrooms can be found here! Aphyllophoraceae are of particular beauty - they grow from the bark of a tree and hang from it. They give the impression that a tourist who has wandered here has found himself in a fairy tale.
Flora and fauna of the Pinezhsky Reserve is distinguished by its history. Researchers are especially looking at Sotka, namely the area of deciduous trees next to the reservoir, which at this point is approximately 200-300 years old. The age of the trees allows us to trace which years were especially dry and unfavorable for the vegetation of this region, and which were fruitful.
The Sotka River is also distinguished by its inhabitants: salmon, grayling, whitefish and many more common fish species have found their homes here. Thus, the fauna helps to preserve the unique conditions for the growth of endangered plant species. Among the vascular plants, and there are 213 endangered species, in the reserve you can find 30% of plants that quietly exist next to each other.
Caves - the pearls of the Pinega region
Pinezhsky caves can be considered the pride of the reserve, going deep underground and forming a twisted network of galleries and narrow passages. In total, there are 467 of them in this region, and 91 in the reserve itself. Ten of them have a length of 1 km and are both independent units and interconnected, forming a network of exits and transitions.
Exits are most often located on the side plots of land near the coast of Sotka, they have a horizontal arrangement. Vertical happens, but rarely. Tunnels are also located more often horizontally, sometimes going diagonally down. The depth ranges from 10 to 30 meters. Here you can find in abundance tunnels connected into labyrinths, galleries and halls, which have their names according to external signs orhistorical events.
The age of some Pinega caves reaches 8 thousand years. Almost all of them are formed in tectonic cracks, periodically filled with water. Thus, spring floods contributed to the formation of underground passages, flooding entire halls, lakes inside the cave, underground streams and even several waterfalls.
Golubinsky failure
The longest, but at the same time, safe, is the Golubinsky failure - a cave located on the territory of the Golbinsky karst massif. It reaches 1620 m, showing its beauties to tourists in tunnels of various heights and widths throughout its length. The beauty and uniqueness of each cave is formed by deposits, which are available in large quantities: carbonate deposits, stalagmites, crusts, stalactites, stalagmates (connecting growths of stalactites and stalagmites).
Ice formations can be called especially beautiful: through a transparent screen you can see the intricately distorted relief of the cave. Ice ridges and crusts hang from the vaults of the halls along with stalactites, and the icefall reminds that there was a real waterfall in its place, frozen due to the cold temperature. Above the head almost all the time there are crystals, whimsically shining under the rays of light.
Diversity of the Pinega cave system
The next most frequently asked question, after where the Pinega caves are located, is the question of which are the most beautiful. The most impressiveare:
- Ice wave.
- Kumichevka-Vizborovskaya.
- The Palace of the Snow Queen.
- Crystal.
- Constitutional.
- Winter's Tale.
- Refrigerators (Large and Small).
- Pekhorovsky failure (Golubinskaya).
- Severyanka.
- Geographic Society.
Location of large caves
This is not all the underground labyrinths included in the system of Pinega caves. Among them, Bolshaya Pekhorovskaya, Severyanka and Leningradskaya are the largest, located on the territory of the reserve. The Kulogorodskaya cave is also located in the reserve, but is located under the village of Kologora itself. It is horizontal and contains several lakes deep enough to impress inexperienced adventurers.
The Leningrad cave is also horizontal, but you will have to work hard to find its location yourself. However, you can’t climb there unprepared - after about 1600 meters there will be flooded areas.
How to get there by yourself?
You can visit the reserve with a guide, but there are tourists who want to make an independent trip to the Pinega caves. How to get to them is of interest to many who have not been to these parts, but who dream of seeing their beauty.
Pinega of the Arkhangelsk region (Russia) can be found on almost all maps. Therefore, road trips to the Pinega caves are real and feasible. An asph alt road goes to Pinega, on which both buses andpassenger car.
There are two ways to go:
- First - turning from Arkhangelsk, get to the village of Pinega, then Golubino, and in Krasnaya Gorka there is a guest house where you can stay.
- The second way is bypassing Arkhangelsk, through the M8 highway towards the village of Kholmogory. You don’t need to drive up to the village itself, but you need to turn towards the village of Ust-Pinega. It is across the river. Ferries run in summer, and ice crossings in winter. From there you can already get to the village of Pinega, Golubino and Krasnaya Gorka.
General tips for "beginner cavers"
The caves are humid and not the cleanest places - you should wear clothes that no one will mourn if they accidentally get torn or dirty. In addition, the temperature in the Pinega caves remains at 2 ° C all year round, and therefore you should have a scarf, a warm hat and gloves with you. It is best if a second pair of warm clothes is prepared nearby at the base. After long hours of traveling, you will want to wash and warm up.
Flashlights are an important piece of equipment for cavers. They must be powerful and reliable. It's a good idea to bring spare batteries. Boots should be waterproof, because if they get wet in a cave, the risk of freezing increases faster, and the victim will still have to wait for the road back, covered with snow.
It is best to visit the cave in winter and the first month of spring - the stalactites are impressive in their size, while the rest of the time the ice melts, and such magnificence is no longer observed. Latespring and summer are fraught with the fact that many caves will be flooded and most of the colorful places can simply not be seen.
Pinezhsky caves. Excursion from Arkhangelsk
However, you can get there not only by car, getting there on your own and studying the nature of the region. There is an excursion to the Pinezhsky caves, which is organized by tourist centers. So, the tourist center of Victoria Bulatova offers a whole program:
- Tea drinking, where the treat includes Pinega cheesecakes - shanezhki.
- Visit the Golubinsky failure - a cave in the reserve.
- Lunch.
- Return through the forest through the "Holy Spring" - an awe-inspiring waterfall.
- Krasnogorsk Bogoroditsky Monastery, currently inactive.
Departure is organized at 7:00, and departure at 17:00 to Arkhangelsk. The excursion will be suitable for children of preschool and early school age, as for them these beautiful places will be a real fairy tale in reality. The cost of trips will vary depending on the composition of the group: you can contact the tourist center with an already formed group of 20-30 people or wait until there are people who want to. In the latter case, you cannot count on a specific date - you should wait for a message about when the excursion will be scheduled. The most expensive option is an individual trip or a mini-group trip of up to 10 people.
Beautiful homeland
The fact that Russia is a beautiful country,no doubt. Places protected by the state and having the status of a reserve can often compete with well-known resorts in Turkey, Egypt or European countries. And the comfort of the Russian hinterland is able to transfer many in time: there are no more debts, problems and work. It seems as if grandma's pies will be baked soon, and she will call home again for dinner.
With such warm feelings, many leave the reserve. And the caves, which physically exhaust even a specialist trained for them, impress with crystals, bizarre shapes and their history. Sometimes a homebody who has been in caves for the first time can become an avid speleologist who does not see the meaning of life without the realm of underground labyrinths, landslide halls and cramped tunnels.
