Our ancestors said that a person is born to walk straight, and he can only dream of flying. However, this is not the case at all. A person has the right to realize his dream. Soaring through the currents of the wind, touching the clouds - everything is possible, you just have to set off towards the Crimea to Mount Uzun-Syrt.
Observation point for the entire peninsula
Mount Klementieva (Crimea) is located near Koktebel. It is generally accepted that Soviet gliding originated in this place. They named this mountain in honor of the test glider pilot Pyotr Klementyev. He died at this point while testing the glider on 1924-11-09.
Klementieva Gora was created by nature. By itself, it separates the Crimean northern steppes and the mountainous part of the peninsula.
What is Uzun-Syrt
In distant and ancient times, the territory of modern Crimea belonged to the Turks. It was they who gave the name to the mountain Uzun-Syrt. Translated, it means "long spine" or "back".
What is a mountain
Outwardly, Klementieva Gora resembles a wave that has frozen, or a reddish-gray elongated shaft in the shape of a horseshoe. Its length- about eight kilometers. Geologists studied it in section and came to the conclusion that the ridge looks like a multi-layer cake, consisting of limestone and marl. For centuries, these rocks have been weathered and washed away. Thus, the mountain acquired this form. The height of the ridge above sea level is less than 300 meters, and above the valley even less - approximately 200 meters. Mount Klementieva (Koktebel) is not high, but a lot of emotions await fans of flights here.
Further Uzun-Syrt turns into a sequence of three large hills:
- Kotluk, or Blue Top;
- Orta-Oba;
- Sary-Kaya.
Fancy and stone Kokluk rises above the village of Nanikovo, where a huge number of species of herbs grow. On a hill there is a gazebo, it offers stunning views of the mountains and the Black Sea. If you are driving a car, you will see it from the Feodosia - Koktebel highway. In the fourth century BC, the guards of the Bosporus of Chimeria guarded the pass.
An ancient and ruined Scythian city of the second century BC was found not so long ago near the hill of Sary-Kaya. He was big. Until now, tourists can see with their own eyes that the town was well fortified, in addition to residential areas, it also had a fortress with an acropolis on a hill. Archaeologists have been doing research. Thanks to the excavations, they managed to discover various workshops, pits intended for storing grain. Various household items were also found: dishes, bronze mirrors, jewelry, etc. There was also a so-called cemetery near the town. The burials were carried out by the Scythians in barrows.
The western slope of the Sary-Kaya hill was also once chosen by the ancient people. Near the source for 8 millennia BC lived a man who was attributed to the Neolithic era. And here the archaeologists had a lot of work.
Klementieva Gora has a perfectly flat and regular top. The best view of the Crimean peninsula opens from this point. On a clear sunny day from the mountain you can see several cities and significant places, such as Karadag, Koktebel, Ordzhonikidze, Feodosia, the burial place of the poet M. Voloshin and Cape Chameleon.
Legend of the second name
One hundred years ago the mountain was called Uzun-Syrt. What happened, why was the mountain given a different name? Who is Klementyev?
This sad story happened back in the distant years of the USSR. The young and talented Pyotr Klementyev was the son of an Astrakhan worker. He belonged to the regular military, was also a participant in the Civil War with the rank of a pilot. After the battles, he was sent to Sevastopol as a flight instructor. Later, Klementiev came to study at the Moscow Air Force Academy. Here Peter fell in love with gliding. His passion for hobby was so strong and bright that he independently created his own aircraft and gave it the name "Komsomolets". After some time, the pilot brought him to the Crimean Peninsula to participate in all-Union competitions.
Pyotr Klementiev made 22 flights on his machine, but the 23rd one turned out to be fatal for the young man. The aircraft crashed. The last 23rd flight ended in the death of a young glider pilot. At that time, Peter was not even thirty years old. In love with the sky, flights, heights and open spaces, Pyotr Klementyev died like young Icarus, the hero of an ancient Greek myth. In honor of him, the mountain got its name.
Monument to glider pilots
After 50 years, a monument to amateur and professional glider pilots was erected on Uzun-Syrt mountain. The monument is a seven-meter stele, which was crowned with a model of an aircraft - an A-13 glider, rotating around its axis like a weather vane. Attached is a board with the inscription of Academician and General Designer O. K. Antonov that as long as the streams rise, people will strive to fly.
How to get to the mountain?
Now it's time to find out how to go and where is the Mecca of the Crimean paragliders - Mount Klementieva.
First you need to buy a plane ticket to Simferopol. From the Crimean capital we take a bus and go to Feodosia. You can also get to this point by train. In Feodosia, you can take the bus:
- Feodosia - Ordzhonikidze, the route passes through the village of Podgornoye.
- Feodosia - Koktebel, the bus passes Podgornoe.
If you decide to drive a private car, then be careful not to miss the turn from the Simferopol - Feodosiya highway leading to Koktebel. Just in this place there is a post of the state traffic inspectorate. After you enter the settlement of Podgornoe, do not lose sight of the paved road on the right, leading to the mountain. itthe only turn covered with asph alt in Podgorny. Next, you need to go by car in the direction of Koktebel and the village of Ordzhonikidze.
The way from Feodosia is short - only 12 kilometers. From Koktebel, the path is even shorter - 7 kilometers. Klementieva Gora is visible from the motorway.
Tips for beginners
Mount Klementieva is ideal for flying. Paragliding is the most positive sport, so we go there for positive emotions and freedom.
There are two slopes on the mountain: northern and southern. The first slope is more gentle. Its drop is about 90 meters. The soaring space is one and a half to two kilometers. A wide speaker is formed in this zone, if there is no heating, then the speaker is rather weak. A good warm-up contributes to a set of two kilometers. For lovers of cross-country flights, the north side is ideal.
Let's talk about the southern slope. Its drop is approximately 250 meters. It is steeper than the northern one. The flight zone is about 4 kilometers. A strong speaker is possible without warming up. When calm, the weather on this slope is also unpredictable.
Starting conditions are good on all sides of the mountain. But it is more difficult for beginners to start from the north in calm weather. Landing is easy even for a beginner from the north side. On the southern slope, it is possible only at the base of the mountain.
How to spend free time in non-flying weather?
Mount Klementyev is unique. A photo for memory is a must. Capturing the vehicles of other pilots will also be useful.
You can go to the sea. In a straight line, the path is no more than 10 kilometers. You can take a walk to Quiet Bay, the walk will take about two hours. In the village of Ordzhonikidze, the sea is cleaner and prices for food and entertainment are lower. For a small amount, you can rent a yacht to make your dream of a sea excursion come true. But in Koktebel, the nightlife is brighter and more passionate. The town has a large number of cafes and restaurants. There are discos. And on the outskirts, the largest nudist beach in the CIS. There is also a dolphinarium. They practice swimming with a dolphin there for a separate fee. Every year in September Koktebel hosts a jazz fest. Excursions to an extinct volcano are held in Karadag.
