Wolf gate gorge on the spider river. Reservoir Volch'i Vorota, Novoselytsky district, Stavropol Territory, Russia

The Volch'i Vorota gorge is located just three kilometers from the city of Tuapse, in the valley of the Pauk River. It is worth noting that the gorges of the same name are found quite often in the Caucasus, because this is what they call narrow sections of rivers with numerous bends, where wolves were driven during the hunt.

The gorge near Tuapse is formed by sheer sandstone cliffs. The approximate age of the gorge is 150 million years. Once upon a time it was the bottom ancient sea, the waters of which formed deep depression... It is noteworthy that passing through the "Wolf's Gate" you can see both black rocks, about twenty meters high, and completely white. An interesting fact is that the Spider River in these places has a very winding channel, although the composition of the rocks along the entire gorge is the same. Such natural anomaly scientists have not yet figured out.

The gorge is not long - only fifty meters, but it attracts numerous tourists with its pristine beauty. In this place there is also a six-meter waterfall with a large and deep pool in which you can swim, and several low, but very picturesque waterfalls. On the slopes of the gorge grow different kinds ferns, lianas, oaks, chestnuts and hornbeams.

You can admire the "Wolf's Gate" by walking along one of the excursion routes along the slope of the ridge, or going down to the bed of the Spider River. In the second case route will pass through the bottom of the gorge, but this path is freely passable and open to tourists.

Chibiy is a small remote village with several courtyards, lost somewhere in the middle between two highways: Krasnodar - Novorossiysk and Krasnodar - Dzhubga. The village is located at the foot of the Pshaf ridge - the first mountain formation in the area. Pshaf, stretching from the village of Stavropolskaya to Goryachiy Klyuch, is not high, its highest point has a height of 490 meters. The name of the ridge, most likely, came from the Adyghe pshakh'o - "sandy", "sand". Speaking toponym, because the ridge is composed of sandstones and its northern slopes abound with rock outcrops along the slopes of gullies cut into the ridge by numerous streams and rivers. The most remarkable and at the same time undeservedly deprived of attention object of the ridge are Chibi gorges - Wolf and Bear gates. A perfect destination for a relaxed weekend walk.

You can get to Chibiy only by private car, public transport ends in Kaluzhskaya, from which another seven and a half kilometers of a good dirt road to Chibiya. We were afraid of a problem where to leave the car under supervision, but we were lucky, at one of the courtyards we saw an elderly peasant, asked - he allowed, saying that no one would touch his yard. Moreover, he answered the offer of money quite sharply, such a good grandfather was caught.

Photo 1. Foggy morning in Chibiya.

Photo 2. A fellow traveler.

We set off on our way. We walked around the last house on the main street on the left side and stomped along a muddy forest road. There were no heavy rains, but rainfall was still enough for the road section from the village to turn into an unpleasant chvakotny, annoyingly clinging to your shoes. Behind the village there is a small monument dedicated, as usual, to the events of the Second World War. In the same place, at the last house, a dog became attached to us. Surprisingly, this dog is walking with us for the second time. In March of this 14th year I was in these places, but then the trip, for a number of reasons, turned out to be not the most successful, I did not write about it, however, and then this very dog ​​walked with us.

Photo 3. The beginning of the path.

The first gorge, the Wolf Gate, is about an hour's walk. A little along a forest road on a hill, then a left turn, the road leads narrower to the bed of the Big Chibiy, the river, which is actually a barely perceptible drying up stream and then the path runs along the channel. The first fork on the way. Both paths lead to a gorge, only a straight path, along the Bolshoi Chibiy to the Wolf's Gate, and a right turn to the Bear's Gate. We go straight, five minutes from the fork and we are there. The gorge turns out to be modest in comparison with what can be found in the "adult" mountains, but very interesting place... For fifty meters, stone walls, up to 15 meters high, close over the stream, forming an incredibly narrow passage. It is so narrow that in some places even hands cannot be parted, no wider than a meter. The gorge is dark, wet and dirty. The walls are actively covered with autographs of modern cavemen, but it is noteworthy that very fresh autographs are in the minority, and there is surprisingly no garbage for such an easily accessible object. I caught myself thinking that I could take a chance and try to climb upstairs, but did not tempt fate. I wonder how many wolf gates are in the land? Without looking at the clues, at least three come to mind - a sophisticated name.

Photo 4. A rare beetle will not swim to the middle of the Big Chibiy.

Photo 5. Fork. To the left - to the Wolf's Gate, to the right - to the Bear's Gate.

Photo 6. Entrance to the Wolf's Gate.

Photo 7. Through the gorge.

Photo 8. Stone corridor.

After drinking tea at the entrance to the gorge, we move on. A short, but very steep ascent awaits behind a stone corridor. After gaining 40-50 meters we find ourselves on a very cozy platform above the gorge, traces of fires are visible, but also surprisingly clean. There are several fabulous bearded trees in the clearing, their beards are turquoise coats of lichens that have lavishly adorned the trunks. Several pines dilute the picture with unexpectedly lush greenery, through the crowns, in the distance, the gently sloping spurs of Pshaf are gray.

Photo 9. Rocky exits behind the Wolf Gate.

Photo 10. And again the woolen companion.

Photo 11. Panorama of the site above the Wolf Gate.

Photo 12. Lichens on trees.

Photo 13. Just twigs.

From the glade in the direction we take upward to the ridge. There should be a path on the map, but there is no point in bothering yourself with finding it, it goes well through the autumn forest and so. The rise is palpable, but not difficult. Half an hour and here we are on the ridge. Suddenly the Sun looks out, the forest is painted in warm colors, pleasing to the eye. Almost nothing can be seen from the top, even through bare crowns. We walk a little along the ridge and stumble upon a fresh stele, again dedicated to the events of the Second World War. It turns out that we are at a height of 456, which passed from hand to hand three times during that war, and each time a dozen, two, three, and four fighters parted with their lives in the Pshaf forests. Near the stele there is a table and a bench - we are having tea again.

Photo 14. Panorama on the Pshaf ridge. Forest, forest, forest.

Photo 15. A modest view to the north-east.

The return journey begins from the top. Again, the path appears only on the map and we have to go down a rather steep gully, moreover, littered with various forest debris: branches, foliage, fallen trunks. And while we, like turtles, checked every step on the descent, our woolen companion began to freak out, as if mocking to cut zigzags along the slopes of the beam, only the foliage flew out in clubs from under the paws, going into the skid of the dog's ass - disgrace, and that's all! It seemed to me that while we threw a hundred or two meters along a beam, he wound several kilometers, running back and forth.

Photo 16. In front of the Bear Gate.

Photo 17. Rocky outcrops.

Photo 18. Snag covered with mushrooms.

Photo 19. The way back through the forest.

Photo 20. Clear evening in Chibiya.

We went straight along the gully to another gorge, the Bear Gate. They are not so impressive, but they are also interesting. Bearish ones are wider and shorter at about the same wall height. A few frames and soon we return to the fork, which I wrote about just above. Well, then in 40 minutes we walked merrily to the car, drank tea on the path and returned to Krasnodar before dark. In total, the entire trip took one daylight, of which only four hours were purely navigable, and this with all the teas, photographs and other mattress.

The hike has a beginning, but the hike has no end!

On June 1, the guys from our village, together with their parents, went on a festive hike dedicated to Children's Day to the Volch'i Vorota gorge in the vicinity of the village of Chernigovskaya. Here, in the Volch'i Vorota tract, in August 1942, Soviet soldiers closed the road to the Black Sea on a strong defense lock. In the vicinity and in the village of Chernigov, the front line passed, from here in January 1943 the liberation of Adygea began and Krasnodar Territory from the German fascist invaders.

The trek started early in the morning. Sleepy, but ready for adventure, we went to Novye Polyany on a regular bus to Chernigovskaya. Having safely overcome this segment of the way, we got to the locomotive (the local name is the matrix). Having filled the trailer (after all, there were 15 of us, hikers), we set off! We moved along the narrow gauge railroad from Chernihiv to Volchi Vorota only 8 km. The speed of movement of the matrix is ​​low, and this gives an excellent opportunity to carefully examine the beauty that is opening around.

On the eastern side, the Lagonaki Highlands rises like a grandiose rocky bastion. Lagonaki ridge with spots of still preserved snow on the tops looks like a harsh rocky belt. A separate cone-shaped summit rises above the terrain of Mount Chessy, right below which, among the ridges, a gap is visible. This is where the Wolf Gate is located. The Wolf Gate is a rocky massif deeply cut by the river, sandwiched on both sides in a narrow rocky gorge. Below, under the rocks in the canyon, a formidable threshold, called the Lower Volch'i Gates, is seething, which is the most dangerous threshold on the Pshekha River. What aptly named this place! Huge "rocky" paws of a giant wolf rise on the right bank of the Pshekha.

Here, under the steep cliffs, two obelisks stand modestly. In August 1942, the Nazis did not go beyond this line. 31st Infantry Division of Colonel P.K. Bogdanovich on a strong lock of defense closed the Wolf's Gate. She fought heavy battles on the outskirts of the village of Maratuki, Mount Oplepen (height 1010.3 m.), On the northern slopes of Mount Shupsa, settlement. Kamenka and in the valley of the Tsitsa river. Exhausted in battles, the 31st Infantry Division retreated through the city of Maikop, defended the crossings across the Belaya and Kurdzhips rivers towards the villages of Apsheronskaya, Samurskaya, Chernigovskaya, and firmly took up defenses on the Pshekha River. Ammunition and foodstuffs are almost out of stock. Delivering them across the mountains from the Black Sea coast was difficult. Our soldiers were given only one clip of cartridges. But our mountains and the courage of Soviet soldiers helped in the fight against the enemy. And each issued cartridge found its target.

On the memorial plaque, we read about the great feat of the Soviet machine gunner, who sat down in a small depression of an almost sheer cliff and fired to the last bullet, not allowing the Nazi invaders further to the sea. He knew he was doomed, but he fought to the last drop of his blood. Thanks to such selfless soldiers, here, in August 1942, the 31st Rifle Division stopped the Nazis and from here, together with the 9th Mountain Rifle Division, launched an offensive to liberate Adygea and Kuban.

On our way there is an obelisk erected by the Komsomol of the city of Maikop from the plant named after Frunze, who still keeps the memory of the soldiers who died here. We listen to the story of our guide and the main "search engine" of our village of San Sanych about the events taking place here, and then we plant perennial flowers in memory of the fallen soldiers. And a general photo for memory.

Not far away, going down to the river itself, we stop for a rest with a light snack by the fire, and remember the story told to us, answering the questions of a pre-prepared quiz. Everyone found something to their liking: talking by the fire, searching for beautiful snags and stones by the river, and simply admiring the most proud, stormy Pshekha, filled with waterfalls and rifts.

Impressed by what we saw, we return on foot along the narrow-gauge railway to Chernigovskaya.

The road is interesting, surrounded by mountain slopes, on which you just want to climb, climb up. Boys do just that - who is taller?

And ripe, fragrant strawberries growing right along the sides of our road help to restore strength. The beauty!

And on the way there are also memorial plaques in memory of the soldiers - tankers, pilots, unknown Soviet soldiers who gave their lives for our future.

And yet fatigue takes its toll, because 8 kilometers on foot is a considerable distance, when the smallest hiker is only 5 years old!

But…, encouraging each other, we return to Chernihiv and just catch the regular bus! And then along the beaten path to Samurskaya. At the finish line to maintain strength and honor Children's Day we hand our little hikers festive ice cream. Here we have such a wonderful trip! Hopefully not the last one, because summer has just begun.

We thank the organizers of this event for the movement to preserve the memory of our ancestors, of those who gave us the opportunity to live in this beautiful and wonderful world farther!

To the northeast on the ridge there are two more, dilapidated. They were created in the distant era of the so-called "early or middle bronze", in the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC. er. From the dolmens we go west along the Bogatyrka ridge. On the right, on the northern slope of the ridge, 10 birches grow on the terrace. On the very crest of the ridge, small semi-flooded and overgrown ditches - trenches are clearly visible. This is a memory to us, living in the world, about the last war. Along the Bogatyrki ridge in 1942-1943. the second line of defense of the city passed. The trail led us to a lake surrounded by a chestnut forest. Further, on the right and left on the slopes of the ridge, there are many bizarre blocks of sandstone, the so-called outliers.

This is the result of weathering - a slow continuous process of destruction of rocks under the influence of the sun, water, sudden changes in temperature, and secretions of microorganisms. Look at them: this one looks like a turtle, the other looks like a lion's head, and the third ... Everyone sees his own. The fantasy of nature is amazing and mysterious.

Already in January - February along the trail you will find primroses - the first heralds of the coming spring. These are greenish-white hellebores, purple cyclamens, yellowish and purple primroses - "lambs" blue and blue streams: double-leaved and Siberian, snow-white snowdrops. By March, the most beautiful of them, similar to small white lilies - the Caucasian Kandyk, will bloom. From May to October, in the open spaces of the glades, you will be delighted with colorful carpets of daisies - nyvian, spring, centaury, St. John's wort, lemon balm, oregano. Of the orchids in the glades, there are many scarlet pyramidal anakamptis and small-spotted orchids, smelling of vanilla, and purple three-toothed orchis balls. Male and purple orchis have been hiding under the forest canopy since April. Everything is in the Red Book of Russia.

And now down to the Spider River. The spider starts on the western slopes of Messozhai, its total length with all the turns is 8.5 km. Moving along the trail, you will come out to a waterfall about 7m high. Here you can relax a little longer: make a fire, warm tea, swim. The creek under the waterfall is 2m deep, although it is not large, but the water is clearer than in the sea thousands of times.

Going down the Spider River, after the second walnut plantings, the trail offers you two options: in shallow water, when you can walk two dozen fords on pebbles, you can go down to the city along the riverbed. Then immediately you go out, as in a fairy tale, to the Wolf Gate gorge. Millions of years ago, the sea splashed here, then mountains rose up, the river sawed through a narrow gorge in them and uplifted, almost vertical layers became visible. After going downstream for about 2 km, exit to final stop No. 11, No. 12 and minibuses. Or you can, without going into the Wolf Gate, turn along the left option - along the rocky edge of the bend of the Wolf Gate, to a height of 320 m and - into the source of the Grecheskaya Shchel stream. Once upon a time, before the era of forced migration of peoples, hardworking Greeks lived here, cultivated gardens and vegetable gardens.

The path will lead you over a cozy beautiful gorge with a dozen waterfalls up to 6m high, with ferns (leaf and hair of Venus) descending from wet rocks. Look up above the trail crossing from the right bank to the left bank. The centuries-old berry yew has taken root on the rocks. And already above the upper mudflow-catching dam on the other side of the river, you will see bizarre folds of rocks.

In 10 minutes the cozy International street will greet you with flowers in the front gardens of private houses, with decorative trees: bamboo, boxwood, Japanese quince, Himalayan cedar, Crimean pine. And imperceptibly you will approach the bus stop of buses # 2 and # 10.
Have a good trip.
(Based on materials by V.P. Chernovol)