Mount Zmeyka is considered one of the most beautiful landscape natural monuments in Russia. It is located in the North Caucasus, in the historical region of Pyatigorye. 5 km from the mountain there is a special ecological resort region of the Russian Federation - Caucasian Mineralnye Vody.
This region is quite visited. It is worth noting that many tourists like the picturesque landscapes and stunning surroundings that open from this mountain. Some people come here year after year to renew their emotions and experiences in the area. Before you go here, you need to find out more about the area and about the mountain itself. This article will help with this.
Short description
The origin of the town of Zmeiki is magmatic. This is the second largest mountain of this type in the region. The total area is about 194 hectares. The height of Mount Zmeyka is 994 m. Its entire surface is covered with dense forest vegetation. According to its outline, the Serpent has an oval shape without a pronounced peak, slightly inclined to the northeast. At the top of the mountain, you can see a clear rocky ledge, composed of a subvolcanic intrusion. top partcollapses, which leads to frequent collapse of stones in this area.
At the southern foot of Mount Zmeyka there are sources of underground water, which amaze with their beneficial mineral composition. The deposit is named after the mountain - Zmeykinskoye. Carbonic-calcium-sodium waters are extracted at a depth of almost 1,500 m. At the outlet, the water is hot, the temperature can reach 70 °С.
Slopes
Mount Zmeyka from the northern and eastern side is heavily collapsed. The violation of the slopes occurred due to the fact that in the 30-70s. the last century there was a quarry for the extraction of building materials. After it was closed, constant collapses occur from these sides. At present, the depth of the quarry is 200 m, and the width is about 2 km. Basically, stone was mined here, but in the mid-80s. beshtaunites were discovered there - rare breeds of minerals that are very important in the scientific field. Now they are not being mined.
Forests
Mount Snake, the photo of which is in the article, in places where it is covered with forest, is part of the Beshtaugorye massif. This cover serves as a special protection for the mineral waters of the Caucasus. The main tree species are oak and hornbeam. The first is most often found in the lower zone of the mountain, the second - in the upper. In addition to these trees, there are also ash, beech, etc. In total - about 60 species. Forests grow on foothill black earth and gray-brown soils of varying acidity.
The Beshtaugorsky forest area is part of the state nature reserve. On its territory you can meet representatives of the flora, whichare listed in the Red Book (dwarf euonymus, monofraternal lily, Caucasian ash tree, Nefedov's cotoneaster, etc.).
Name
Hydronym Mountain Snake received a long time ago, but it was assigned to it only a few years ago. For a long time it had a Turkic name - Zhlak Tau, which means "serpent mountain".
There are two versions explaining the origin of such a beautiful name. According to one of them, this place used to be a favorite for all kinds of snakes, there were a lot of them here. According to another, on one of the slopes of the mountain, winding cracks in outline resembled a snake during movement. However, these gaps are now impossible to see, since most of the surface has undergone significant anthropogenic interference.
Excavations
Thanks to archaeological excavations, it has been found out that in the period from the 7th to the 9th centuries. n. e. (Khazar period) people lived on the eastern slope of the mountain. This is evidenced by finds in the form of fragments of pottery in large quantities. Also, above the excavation site, you can find a mound of stones resembling an ancient altar in its shape.
Tourism & Attractions
At present, Mount Zmeyka is a special tourist attraction, which annually gathers a large number of tourists at its foot. People who come to this area can see many interesting objects. In addition to water deposits (Holy Spring, St. Theodosius Spring), a stone processing plant is located on the territory, a closed adit, in whichbeshtaunites, quarry, monument to quarry workers who died during the war, dam. Also on the rise you can see stones of a bizarre shape. Mount Zmeyka, whose history is described above, has them in sufficient quantities. Some of them even have their own name. For example: a stone-finger, a stone with a hole, a stone-cross, etc.
There are also climbs to the top of the mountain. And since the Snake is one of the most dangerous Caucasian structures of nature, the ascents are carried out exclusively with a guide. If you climb without it, then you need to be prepared for injuries and all other ensuing consequences (and a fatal outcome is also possible). Therefore, if you value your life, then listen to the advice of professionals.
