At the junction of Europe and Asia, a majestic mountain range stretches for 1100 km, formed by massifs and ridges of the Greater Caucasus. Passing through the territory of Russia, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, this system begins at the Black Sea coast in the resort town of Anapa and ends on the Absheron Peninsula of the Caspian Sea (the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan). The Main Caucasian Ridge (GKH) runs along the axial part of the Greater Caucasus, which is also called the Water Dividing Range, because it serves as a conditional topographic line dividing in its southern part the basins of the Inguri, Rioni, Kura rivers and in the northern part of the Kuban, Terek, Sulak, Samur.
The westernmost point of the GKH and the entire Caucasus is the famous Mount Fisht, 2867 m high - the highest of the three peaks of the Fisht-Oshten massif, formed by Fisht together with Oshten, Pshekho-Su. Their distinguishing feature is their geographical location. These are the first mountains in the Caucasus (from west to east) with alpine-type peaks, going up much higher than the extreme border of the forest with characteristic zones of alpine and subalpine meadows.
Fisht Mountain is administratively located on the territory of the Republic of Adygea. Its name is translated from the loc althe adverb sounds like "White Head". This is due to the presence of glaciers on its slopes. Thanks to this feature and a significant elevation above sea level, Mount Fisht with its snow-white peak is visible far beyond the borders of Adygea. Residents and guests of a number of cities in the Krasnodar Territory, such as Sochi, Armavir, Krasnodar, Timashevsk, can admire its beauty from afar.
In the melting place of the Fisht glaciers, three mountain rivers originate: Pshekha and Belaya, which are left tributaries of the river. Kuban, and Shahe, which flows into the Black Sea.
Climatic conditions in the region of this mountain are not characterized by mild disposition and stability. On the contrary, these places are characterized by sharp temperature drops and changes in wind direction and speed. During the off-season, strong snowstorms and heavy snowfalls are possible here, so climbing Fisht is usually planned for July-September, and ski tours for February-April. The relatively gentle slopes of the Lagonaki highlands and the presence of a forest zone minimize the avalanche danger in the area and make it easier for tourists to hike in the mountains, which is carried out along the classic route 1B and does not require special skills and the use of sophisticated equipment.
Mount Fisht is an incubator for more than 120 endemic plant species. Those. the only place on Earth where these representatives of the plant world grow. Therefore, Fisht, like other mountains of Lago-Naki, which have a unique composition of flora and fauna, is part of the territory of the Caucasian State Reserve and has the status of a specially protected natural monument,included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here are rare endangered species of animals that live exclusively in these places. 25 of them are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, and 8 species are listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
