Rest in Kabardino-Balkaria: Shadkhurei lake and Gedmishkh waterfall

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

The terrain of Kabardino-Balkaria is amazing. The ridges of the Greater Caucasus pass through the territory of the republic. In the northwestern side is the beautiful lake Shadhurey. And to be more precise, there are two of these reservoirs. The first is most often called the Upper or, given its size, the Big. The second is a little lower, and that is why it is called Lower or Small, since its area is less than 0.2 square meters. km. It should be said that earlier these lakes included one more, but for unknown reasons at the beginning of the 20th century it completely became shallow. Currently, only a basin remains in its place.

The Shadhurey Lakes are a popular tourist attraction. Currently, a large number of tourists come here to admire the unearthly landscapes. It is also worth noting that this area was used for filming the popular film Sannikov Land. The lower lake can be recognized in the scene of the deer sacrifice, andnear the Upper in the film, the shaman performs his rituals.

Description

There are several options for the names of these lakes: Shanthurei, Chan Khurei and others. The reason for their occurrence was the difficulties with transcription when translating into Russian. So, "Shadhurei" means "round pool". If we take the literal translation, then "round stagnant water." But this is completely true, since not a single river flows into or flows out of water bodies.

The only source of their food is groundwater. And when the inhabitants of the local areas dug a canal to irrigate the fields, literally the next day the level in the upper reservoir dropped significantly, which is why it was decided to fill it up.

Lake Shadhurey is located at an altitude of more than 1000 m above sea level. Five kilometers away is the village of Kamennomostskoye, Zolsky district.

Short description

The sights described are very deep. The basins are deepened up to 180 m. The reservoirs are of karst origin. The water is stagnant but crystal clear. Unfortunately, they are little studied, and the reason for this was powerful underwater whirlpools.

Upper Lake Shadhurei is larger than Lower Lake. In terms of area, it occupies an area of 0.54 km². It has an almost perfect oval shape. The length of the reservoir is 350 m, and its width is 120 m. The banks are steep, overgrown with forest, which makes it quite problematic to go to the water. This is best done withwestern side. There is a path that leads directly to the shore.

Lower Lake Shadhurei is surrounded on all sides by mountain formations. Its area is 0.35 km². The slopes of the coastline are very steep. The lake is located in a deep depression, and according to some sources, its depth reaches 200 m. You can only approach the water from the southeast. However, hikers should be extremely careful, as the steep slope is overgrown with grass, and when it is covered with dew, the road becomes very slippery.

Flora and fauna

On the steep slopes that surround these reservoirs, there are beautiful alpine meadows. But from the west you can see low forest plantings. Wild animals such as fox, wolf, bear, wild boar and even deer can be found here. And of the birds, this area was chosen by pheasants, tits, quails and others.

You can see traces of fishermen near the Big Lake. After all, this is not surprising, since there are a lot of fish in the reservoir (amour, silver carp, etc.). The lakes contain several types of algae that fill the water with oxygen, creating favorable conditions for underwater animals.

Shadhurei Lake: how to get there?

In order to get to a local attraction, you need to take the direction to the village of Kamennomostskoye. You can overcome this distance both by private car and by bus. If you follow from Pyatigorsk, then you need to get to Nalchik and already there transfer to any minibus that moves in the requireddirection.

For example, you can take a flight to Khabaz. This bus passes through Kamennomostskoye. And from here it is already very easy to get to the lakes of Shadhurey. How to get to them, you can ask any local resident. Moreover, if necessary, you will be happy to be taken to your destination. The path lies along a dirt road, which means that it is very important to take into account the weather conditions, as sometimes it is very washed out and it can be difficult to overcome this distance even on an SUV.

King's Crown Waterfall

Shadhurey lakes are not the only attraction of this region. A beautiful waterfall is located 16 km away. It is called Gedmishkh. However, for tourists it is better known as the "Royal Crown", "Royal Waterfalls" or "70 Jets".

Looking at him, you can immediately say that he 100% justifies these names. The purest water breaks down from a height of about 60 m in stormy streams, it consists of several thousand different streams that flow down from a semicircular sheer cliff. On sunny days, by the way, here you can see how the surrounding picturesque nature is reflected in the water.

The waterfall originates from a small stream. It is of karst origin and is located in the upper reaches of the tributary of the river. Gedmysh.

The closest village from the attraction is Khabaz. A dirt road has been laid from it to the waterfall, but only high-traffic vehicles can drive along it. Therefore, those who wish to climb to the cascade overcome the distance on foot, since the road in this place is most oftenvery blurry.