South Ural waterfall Atysh (how to get there, written below) is located in the Beloretsky district of Bashkiria and is considered perhaps the most beautiful place in this region.
From the Bashkir language "atish" means "beating", "shooting". This name is appropriate for the waterfall, because it really hits with a powerful stream right from the rock.
Waterfall Feature
Water originates underground. The underground river Atysh, rising up to the grotto, comes to the surface, beats from the cave with an inclined stream. The width of the waterfall is 6 meters, and the height is slightly more than 4. Although it is small, it is the only one of its kind in the Urals. Thanks to this, Bashkiria, whose Atysh waterfall is quite popular, constantly receives travelers. The mountain from which the water flows is called Yash-Kuz-Tash.
The depth of the Atysh grotto is more than 10 meters, the water washed away the stones here for long millennia. Therefore, a lake formed naturally here. Water gets into it not only from the waterfall, but also underground sources feed it. Filling up, the lake gives life to a small stream, which flows down a winding path into the stream. Lemez. At the foot of the mountain flows another small river - Inzer. The water in the spring is always the same, like any underground stream it is cold, has a temperature of +4 degrees.
Interesting fact: locals call Inzer a man, he is quiet, calm. Lemeza they call a woman. She is fragile, murmuring. And Atysh (waterfall) is called “female grumbling”.
Mount Yash-Kuz-Tash consists of limestone rocks that were formed 580 million years ago. Two mountain streams - Atysh and Aguy - made caves in the limestone, many of which are now flooded with water.
Natural objects
Atysh is a waterfall, which is a complex natural reserve. In addition to the natural object itself, caves and grottoes, underground channels and other karst landforms are of importance here. The flora and fauna of this place also plays a special role. Rare plants and some representatives of the animal world living here are under protection.
There is a karst zone. Near a natural object, you can find many funnels. Due to the flow of underground reservoirs, stalactites and stalagmites were formed. The most interesting may seem to be the Reserve Cave; its length is about 180 meters. Bear skulls were found in it. However, they are "related" to the walls of the cave due to sinter accumulations. This place was formed at a time when the river valley had just appeared.
Places for tourists
Of course, Atysh is a waterfall that is most popular with tourists and lovers of beauty. Every year, in any season, visitors from all over the country flock here. Getting to the waterfall is quite difficult. Even if you drive your own car from the nearest cities, this trip will still take more than a day. Therefore, you need to plan your trip with an overnight stay.
To the north of the waterfall, after a few kilometers, you can see an interesting place where Atysh and Agui get inside the mountain through a karst cave. The locals call it Atysh-Sugan, which literally means "Atysh failed." There are many karst caves and other smaller sinkholes in these surroundings. You can go down and see stalagmites and stalactites. The largest and most interesting cave in this place is Zapovednaya. The total length of its passages is 180 meters. Skulls of cave animals and even traces of human activity have been found here.
The infrastructure here is not developed at all. Tourists need to take care of everything they need on their own, from food to sleeping places.
How to get there?
Atysh is a waterfall that can be reached in three ways: by car, by bike or by hiking.
By car, you need to go to the village of Upper Lemezy. A 10 km long road goes from it to the waterfall. But it is very difficult, you have to ford the river several times, so it is better to travel on an off-road vehicle. In some areas, it is necessary to drive directly along the river, and against the flow of water.
If youa pedestrian tourist, then the nearest way from Ufa is by train to the city of Inzer. The stop is called "Kilometer 71". From the stop uphill the path is 7 kilometers long. The road also lies along the river. You can admire beautiful places: the calm shallow river Lemeza and the surrounding forests.
When is the best time to come?
Such a difficult path to the waterfall will be one of the most interesting adventures for real tourists. After all, Atysh (waterfall) is hard to find on the map. The reward at the top will be untouched nature and cool clear water. Travel can be organized in any season. It is beautiful here in winter and summer. The main thing is to choose a time when there will be no rains, and it is desirable that they were not there two weeks before the trip. A soft road makes the task much more difficult, and cloudy weather deprives the trip of part of the pleasure.
