Bezengi wall - the beauty and grandeur of the Caucasus

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

There is no climber in Russia who hasn't heard about the Bezengi wall. One cannot look at this ridge-shaped region of the Caucasus Range without admiration. The Bezengi wall is one of the highest sections of the mountain range, apart from Elbrus and Kazbek. All conquerors of mountain peaks fall in love with him.

Description of the Bezengi wall

The widest part of the Caucasus Range is located near the village of Bezengi in Kabardino-Balkaria on the border with Georgia. From here begins a chain of the highest mountain peaks of the Caucasus - the Bezengi wall. It stretches for more than 12 km. Of the eight five-thousanders of the Caucasus, six are located on the Bezengi wall. On two of them, Shkhara and Jingitau, peaks reach heights of more than 5,000 meters. Four more peaks, Shota Rustaveli, Katyn-Tau, Lalver peak and the most beautiful Gestola peak, have a height slightly lower than 5000 meters.

Slopes of mountain peaks are covered with snow and descend to the Bezengi glacier. Along the rocky ribs there are routes along which climbing to the peaks is made from autumn to spring. In the summer, their conquest is considered dangerous due to the melting snow.

The Bezengi wall from Georgia has a very beautiful view. Hiking in the mountainsSvaneti can be done without special equipment. This route is accessible to every he althy person. The tourist trail runs through a very picturesque area, which Georgians call the pearl of the country.

Bezengi and other glaciers

One of the largest glaciers in the Caucasus is the Bezengi. It occupies an area of about 36 sq. km. The thickness of the ice in some places reaches 180 meters. Due to global warming, it is melting, and the area of the ice cover is gradually decreasing. Glaciers Shkhara, Adish, Nagebsky descend from the slopes of the mountains. They are smaller in size, their melting is more active due to the influence of the sun and rains. Among the conquerors of mountain peaks, the Bezengi wall was called the "Caucasian Himalayas".

The local population calls the huge glacier on the Ullu-Cheran wall. From the grotto, which was formed in it, the stormy river Cherek Bezengi flows out, which is fed by melting snow.

Climbing camp in Bezengi

On the slopes of the mountains there are routes with different levels of difficulty. Every year, the Bezengi wall attracts the attention of hundreds of climbers. For them, the Bezengi camp was built in the mountains. It is located on the slope of the Caucasus Range at an altitude of about 2200 meters and is open only in the summer. Gestola Peak is clearly visible from the camp.

Alpine camp "Bezengi" is designed for 220 people. The hotel has rooms with different levels of comfort. On the territory of the camp there are also houses designed for 2-4 people. For leisure activities there are tennis courts,sports grounds, a bar, a sauna with a swimming pool.

In the camp you can rent equipment, use the help of an instructor in developing and climbing the route. The base provides radio communication with groups in the mountains. The cost of staying in the camp includes medical care, organization of 3 meals a day in the canteen and on the route, issuance of passes to the border zone.

How the conquest of peaks began

The Bezengi wall, the photo of which you see in the article, has always attracted not only domestic, but also foreign climbers. The first ascent to the summit of Gestola was made in 1886 by British climbers on the Southwest slope. In 1888, the British made three expeditions and for the first time conquered the Main Shkhara and Eastern Dzhangi-Tau, following the North-Eastern ridge.

In 1903, an international expedition set off to conquer the Bezengi wall, which included climbers from Germany, England, Switzerland and Austria. They were the first to traverse the three peaks of Dzhangi-Tau, and also passed from Lyalver peak to Gestola. Soviet climbers began to conquer the peaks of the Bezengi wall from the mid-30s of the last century as part of Soviet-German cooperation. In 1928 there was an ascent to Shkhara along the North-Eastern ridge. Georgian climbers first climbed the summit of Gestola from Svaneti in 1931.

Since then, Soviet and Russian climbers have annually laid new routes of variousdifficulty level. Until now, the traverse on the Bezengi wall is considered the “path of the masters.”

Artificial stone "Bezengi Wall"

Each region of the country is distinguished by its original architecture, which emphasizes national characteristics and cultural traditions. In the Caucasus, natural stone has always been used as a building material. The towers and houses characteristic of this region have stood for many centuries and attract the attention of tourists.

With the development of building technologies, new materials for cladding houses have appeared, giving buildings a colorful look. One of them is the “Bezengi wall” – decorative stone that imitates various rock structures. Masonry from this material looks stylish and modern.

Artificial stone has a smooth texture, so it is easy to lay. It is used for cladding the facades of buildings, interior decoration of a kitchen or hallway, as well as bars and cafes in the national style. Walls lined with stone of several colors and textures at once have a particularly beautiful view.

How to get to the Bezengi wall

Many tourists and athletes with different levels of training are attracted by the Bezengi wall. How to get to the camp? This question is of particular concern to those who are going to spend their holidays in the mountains for the first time. To get to the alpine camp, you need to issue a pass to the border zone. To do this, you need to send a request to the administrator. Alpine camp "Bezengi" has a transfer in the forward and reverse direction from the railway stationsand airports of Nalchik, Pyatigorsk, Mineralnye Vody. Tourists are delivered to their destination on comfortable buses, the route is served by guides and porters.

Those who wish to drive to the camp in their own car need to know that only an SUV can pass on the road. The village of Bezengi can be reached from Nalchik by taxi, in addition, a regular bus runs to the village once a day.