Digor Gorge. Digor Gorge, Ossetia: description, attractions, interesting facts

Golden autumn in the Caucasus. North Ossetia. Digoria, Dargavs, Tsei and more. I invite you on a journey. December 13th, 2016

For travel enthusiasts, photographers and non-photographers. Difficulty level is zero. Suitable for absolutely all categories of traveling people, including children. Quite a family format.

Autumn version of the tour in North Ossetia. On this trip you will visit the real Caucasus mountains, get acquainted with the culture, history and way of life of the Ossetians and Digorians still living in. And, of course, you will see amazing things not just from afar, but you will directly touch the nature of this region and walk with your feet along its roads and paths. And most importantly, the timing of the trip was chosen precisely on the basis that at this time there is a real riot of autumn colors here. Don’t be alarmed, everything is done only lightly and in a gentle manner. We won't have to live in tents, everything will be quite comfortable.

To warm up, we will visit the unique medieval necropolis in the village and see many other attractions along the way. Then we will have the central part of the tour, where we will explore one of the Digoria gorges in the Alanya National Park. In Digoria we will visit the old ones, with their amazing stone architecture and where the traditional way of life and way of life are still preserved, and we will even visit the local residents. Here we will go through simple routes lightly along the slopes of the Rocky Range and visit. Then we will have the third and final part of the journey. To do this, we will have to move to the Tsey ski resort, which at this time is simply a tourist center. There we will take a hike along the ecological trail to the Tseysky glacier. And as a final touch to the whole trip, we will go to the villages of Tib, Sadon and Verkhniy Zgid.

Contacts for applications and proposals at the end of the program.

Detailed travel program:

October 7th. Everyone comes to the city of Vladikavkaz. There are options by plane, train and even bus. We check into the hotel, get ourselves in order, get acquainted, and go for a walk around the city. Anyone who hasn't been here before, I can say for sure, will like it. If we are lucky with the weather, on this day we will already see the snow-capped head of Kazbek and the angular, flat-topped Mount Stolovaya, seemingly hanging over the city. And we will definitely see the Terek and walk along its embankment, and also take a walk along Mira Avenue, which is freed from car traffic precisely for truants like you and me.

October 8. Today we have a long trip. We are going to real mountains, to one of the Caucasian gorges, which is called Kurtatinskoye or sometimes it is also called Fiagdonsky. Along the way, we will stop at the place where the river has cut such a narrow canyon into the limestones that in some places the huge boulders hanging over it completely close together. But even higher, the gorge opens wide and here is the rather large village of Fiagdon. We will travel a little further than Fiagdon to visit the Holy Dormition Alan Monastery. This is a modern temple, but very beautiful. After the sightseeing tour, we will go back a little and begin to climb along the road to the pass. On the way up, right above the cliff, there is an Ossetian watchtower, and if you haven’t seen such towers before, this will be the first, but far from the last, on our route. A little more along the mountain serpentine and then pass and descend down to the village of Dargavs, on the outskirts of which the main object of our trip that day is located. This is the so-called "". In fact, it is a medieval necropolis, striking not only with its architecture, but also with its burial method. If you look inside, you will see human bones and even sometimes mummified remains. Why this is so, the history of these burials is not yet very clear to me personally. They say that epidemics once raged here, and sick people themselves went into these stone crypts to die so as not to infect the healthy. But researchers found no traces of these infections in the remains. Dargavs is the most representative and impressive crypt complex in Ossetia, but they are everywhere here and we will see them in other places. On the same day, if there is a normal road and if there is still time, perhaps we will have time to look a little further, through another pass into the Karmadon Gorge, famous for its tragedy in 2002, when people died during a catastrophic glacier meltdown. But don’t be alarmed, nothing threatens us, we will spend the night again in a city hotel. During this trip, a light snack is a good reason to lose a little weight. But in the evening you can have a blast.

October 9. The excursion part is over, now we have a real journey, with a deep immersion in the environment. We leave the city, go to Digoria and to the Digorians. Digoria is one of the regions of North Ossetia, adjacent to Kabardino-Balkaria, and the Digorians are Ossetians, but they speak their own Digor dialect. To begin with, we will drive for a long time along the plain and look at the Caucasus ridge from the side, but when we reach the village of Chikola we will turn straight into the mountains and a little further we will drive into a narrow gorge. And here the Urukh River carved a very narrow canyon in the limestone, 70 meters deep and only 10 meters wide in some places. We will definitely stop at the observation point called “Devil's Bridge”. And they really built a bridge over the abyss, but it’s unlikely that the devil did it. There is also a short tunnel nearby and an old road to bypass this tunnel. And next to the tunnel is a real natural cave. A little further we will stop at a horseman on a high rock, this is the statue of Uastirdzhi, the most important Ossetian saint, in the Orthodox form associated with St. George. And a little further we will stop at a holy place, into which women are prohibited from entering. I think there is no need to be outraged about gender inequality when it comes to some historical traditions. Having driven even further, we will find ourselves in the territory of the Alania National Park, which will be announced by the full houses along the road. Here we have to turn left into another gorge, which forms the right tributary of Urukh, the Songutidon River. And then a little more and immediately after the village of Makhchesk we will climb a little hill and already in the village of Kamata we will find our new refuge. This is the visitor center of the National Park, equipped to receive tourists. Let me point out right away that accommodation here is for not very demanding travelers. No, for me personally this is the height of comfort, but maybe you have slightly higher requirements. In fact, this is an ordinary village house, it has four rooms. One large, for ten people and three family ones with three beds each. Plus there is a large kitchen with a dining room and a common table for a large group. Separate shower and toilet facilities. There is a gas heater for the shower from a gas cylinder, and there is also an electric water heater in the kitchen. It’s okay, albeit a little spartan, but it’s worth it, here we have the most interesting part of the trip and it’s only three days. Already on the same day we will have time to walk around the immediate surroundings, climb the Abisalovs’ tower and probably even go on a visit.

October 10. On this day we will get acquainted with the old ones in the Songutidon valley and even higher in the Wallagcom valley. In the village of Fasnal you will see the old walls of a Belgian mining and processing plant, which operated here back in the 19th century, and even then there was electricity and sewerage. Then we will climb higher along the road, where the previously very narrow mountain valley opens wide and here it is already called Huallagk. Three mountain villages are concentrated here - Dunta, Kamunta and Galiat, where very few local residents remain, and where the life and atmosphere of the old mountain villages are still preserved. And you will definitely be amazed by the stone village architecture and towers, often all of this, of course, in the form of ruins. But you will definitely be impressed. Well, then, if there is time and energy left, the volunteers will go with me on foot along the upper road along the slope of the Rocky Ridge to the very base where we settled. Walking here, if you just walk, and not be distracted by anything, at a brisk pace for about two hours. But I hope we have enough enthusiasm to shoot something. And the landscapes here are wonderful. And in some places, herds of horses walk by themselves. Plus, bright autumn colors. This will be our first walking route. Those who refuse to walk in the mountains, after a tour of the villages, will simply go back to the base.

October 11. But on this day a very good walk awaits us. Along the road we will again reach the village of Galiat, and then the walking part will begin, although along a relatively road, but in some places it’s quite steep uphill. Our goal is to climb the pass in the Rocky Range. This place looks like a huge gap in a solid limestone wall. It is really beautiful there and there is a holy place there, which is visited periodically by local residents. And if we’re lucky, we’ll be able to look on the other side of the pass; in May 2016, I wasn’t able to do this because everything there was covered with clouds. For those who came to take photographs, there are a lot of landscape scenes here. But this is not our only goal on this day. At this time, a herd of yaks should be grazing here. Naturally, animals will also become the object of our visual contact and photography. Climbing to the pass can take quite a long time. But if time remains, and the enthusiasm remains in our ranks, we can march along the slopes of the Rocky Ridge straight to our base. Those who have time to walk around the pass will go to the base by car.

October 12. After breakfast we will leave the hospitable shelter in the village of Kamata. We will also leave Digoria. On this day we will leave for Tsey, which is located in another mountain gorge. Before entering the Alagir Gorge, we will visit the Epiphany Alan Convent. A little further we will make a stop at a holy place at the huge Uastyrdzhi monument, which seems to fly out of the rock and hang over the road. Even higher we will pass tunnels and old mining villages, where the architecture of the Soviet era is still preserved. And then we will climb steeply into the mountains and finally reach Tsey, a tourist and ski center, which is nestled in a narrow gorge under the Monk rock. We'll check into a hotel. For those who found the previous base in the village of Kamata not very comfortable, living here will seem like the height of bliss. But we will still have time to walk around the surrounding area and visit such interesting sites as the Rekom sanctuary. This is a men's sanctuary, but there is something for women here.

October 13. This day will be completely devoted to a hike to the Tsey glacier. Follow the path along the bed of the Tseyadon River. We will walk slowly to examine everything in detail and take pictures. I hope we will be lucky with the weather, and the landscapes here are stunning, real mountainous. Most likely, there will still be time on this day, and those who wish will be able to take the cable car up to the Skazsky glacier.

October 14. On this day we will go to the mountain village of Tib. Along the way, we’ll look at the Zaramag reservoir from above, located in a narrow valley among high mountains. In Tiba we will touch the ruins of ancient ancestral towers and visit unique mineral springs. And on the same day we will visit the old mining villages of Sadon and Verkhniy Zgid. In these villages we will see unique Soviet architecture, unlike anything else, and still preserved traces of the catastrophic mudflow that destroyed Sadon. We are still spending the night in Tsey.

October 15. Well, that's it, the journey is over. On this day we say goodbye and go home. Departure from Tsey in the morning with the expectation that everyone will have time for their transport from Vladikavkaz.

Conditions for participation in the trip:

The cost of participation is 44,000 rubles. Prepayment - 15,000 rubles, the rest can be done on the spot.

Included in the price:

All transport movements, starting from the airport or train station and ending there.
- Accommodation at all points of our route, including Vladikavkaz. These are hotels and a visitor center of the National Park. Double and triple accommodation in hotels. It is possible to stay in a more populated room at the visitor center. Single accommodation is negotiated everywhere and calculated separately. Single occupancy is not guaranteed at the Visitor Center.
- Meals along the entire route. Regular three times a day. On routes outside hotels and bases, snacks will be provided.
- Your guide
- Photography and other consultations
- Entrance ticket to the Dargavsa necropolis

The price does not include:

Travel from your city to Vladikavkaz and back.
- Souvenirs and personal expenses.
- Alcohol.
- Cable car in Tsey, if you use it.

Equipment:

The trip is simple, without any extreme. But we will still have simple routes in mountainous areas, so we need to prepare for these conditions.

Particular attention to shoes. Regular trekking boots or mountain hiking boots are best here. If you don't have any, then at least take rubber boots. You can walk in the dry places of the Rocky Ridge in sneakers, but on a hike to the Tseysky Glacier, if you don’t have boots, boots will come in handy. In addition, there should be replacement shoes, such as sneakers and slippers for hotels and bases.
- Waterproof clothing is also important. In case of rain, you should have a waterproof raincoat or cape or suit.
- Simple and comfortable clothes for hiking in the mountains.
- It can be quite cold, especially in the evening or morning. Warm clothes are needed, but not winter, but autumn-spring.
- A small backpack for photographic equipment, clothes in case of rain and other small items during the routes.
- Change of clothes for the hotel and the city.
- Lightweight headdress.
- Personal hygiene items.
- A personal mug and spoon wouldn’t hurt either.

Send applications, questions and suggestions by email [email protected] or by phone 8 903 102-99-36 .

By mutual agreement, some changes to the program are possible.

Below in the photographs are some of what you can see on this trip:

Necropolis in Dargavs. In details .

Kurtatinskoye Gorge at its narrowest point.

The Holy Dormition Alan Monastery in the village of Khidikus outside Fiagdon.

Watchtower over the Kurtatinsky gorge.

Damn bridge.

Visiting local residents. In details

Looking at the Digor Gorge on the map, you can immediately notice its distinctive feature. It lies in the altitude of its location above sea level - about 2000 meters. Ossetians call the Digor Gorge “Country” because people with ancient history and original traditions that are passed on from generation to generation live there.

The Otkritie tourist club offers exciting adventure tours into the world of ancient towers and sanctuaries, stormy mountain rivers and glaciers, alpine meadows and the hot southern sun. Our trips include:

• active recreation in nature;
• acquaintance with the rituals, architecture and national cuisine of Ossetians.

We select unique author's routes for each traveler, based on his preferences and individual preparedness.

Geographical characteristics of the Digor Gorge

Digoria is located in the southwest of North Ossetia, in its farthest corner. From the capital Vladikavkaz to the gorge you need to drive three hours to cover a distance of 120 km. The Urukh River flows along the bottom of the Digor Gorge.

Conventionally, the entire area is divided into parts:

• Stur-Digora (Ustur-Digoræ - “big Digoria”);
• Tapan-Digora (Tæpæn-Digoræ - “planar Digoria”);
• Donifars (literally - “side of the river”);
• Uallagkom (Uællagkom - “upper gorge”).

At first, the asphalt highway spreads along flat terrain before and for some time after the village of Chikola. And only after a while you realize that you are already in the mountains. The steep serpentine winds higher and higher around the enormous rocks. Renting a holiday home in the Digor Gorge is not difficult. The people here have always been famous for their hospitality and respect for the traveler.

Around every turn, a new discovery awaits the traveler. The first to meet the traveler at the entrance to the Digor Gorge is the Devil's Bridge. The height from its level to the bottom of the abyss is equal to the height of a 25-story building. In this place in 1919, near the bridge, Red detachments defeated the disunited White Guard of General Denikin.

It is from this passage that you can contemplate the entire perspective of the deep Akhsinta canyon, which is 5 km long. In some places, bubbling springs and mountain streams break out from the mass of rocks. According to tourist reviews, the waterfalls are the pearl of the Digor Gorge, irrigating barren stones.
Soon the mountainous terrain partes somewhat and a sunny valley opens into view. Above its banks one can see stone security structures and ancient settlements of the highlanders:

• Donifars;
• Lezgor;
• Zadalesk;
• Khanaz.

On the flat pastures you can still see large herds of horses. You can see such photos of the Digor Gorge on our website, and then photograph these beauties yourself during the hike.

Sights of the Digor Gorge

Zadalesk is now a residential village. Several families live here, and some stay in the gorge for the winter. The deserted streets of the village make you think that the inhabitants have abandoned them. But in fact, everyone is busy with their own business, some tending flocks of sheep, some making cheese. No gourmet restaurant food can compare with the taste of these natural products grown in the cleanest air of the highlands. The weather in the Digor Gorge is favorable for cultivating grain and keeping small livestock.

Our adventure tours allow you to get a powerful boost of energy, improve your health and expand your horizons during an active holiday in North Ossetia.

Digori Gorge in the Iraf region of North Ossetia - one of the most beautiful and wild gorges of the North Caucasus. It was dug by the Urukh River in the Rocky Range, parallel to the Main Range. The road here runs along a narrow cornice carved into the rocks above the stormy waters of Urukh.

Conditions for rest and recreation in the gorge - at different altitudes above sea level there are dry mountain steppes, wet forests, alpine meadows, forest-steppe zone, lakes, glaciers, streams, waterfalls. There are opportunities for hiking along ecological trails, you can engage in educational tourism, making excursions through different landscapes with their historical, cultural and architectural monuments, and engage in water slalom.

Currently, you can relax here mainly in the warm months. In winter, during the season of heavy snowfall, the recreation areas do not function, but the landscapes here at this time of year are beautiful in their own way, and it will be interesting to see these places also in the winter months.

WHERE TO STAY

There are the following accommodation options for tourists for recreation: the Dzinaga LLC tourist center, the Digoria - Rostselmash recreational mountaineering base, the Taymazi mountaineering base of the Taganrog Radio Engineering Institute, the Komi-Art mountaineering base, and the Eagle's Nest recreation center.

Tourist base "Dzinaga" provides for vacationers hikes and walks through the territory of the Alania National Park, multi-day hikes to the Bartuy Gorge, to the Paradise Glade and the Taymazi Glade, to the Karaugom Glacier - one of the largest glaciers in the Caucasus Mountains, to the village of Zadalesk - the place of Alan's rebirth, to the waterfalls, "Digori Ring" with visits to villages and historical and architectural monuments.

The camp site is more focused on summer holidays for children and teenagers, whose stay here is financed from budgetary funds and extra-budgetary sources. There is an opportunity to receive families, tourist groups and individual vacationers. On the territory of the base there are eight buildings designed to accommodate 450 children. The cost of one day with a three-time stay is 500 rubles.

The distance from Vladikavkaz to the Dzinaga tourist center to Vladikavkaz is 115 kilometers, travel by bus (GAZelle minibus) from Vladikavkaz from bus station No. 1, the fare is 75 rubles. Travel time is 2 hours 30 minutes. Departure daily at 15.55.

Vacationers on recreation center "Digoria-Rostselmash" have the opportunity to take walks to waterfalls, popular hikes to the Paradise Glade, the Karaugom glacier, excursions through the territory of the Alania National Park, acquaintance with its flora and fauna, to the sanctuary of Zadaleski Nana.

On the territory of the recreation center there are summer houses and brick buildings. The total capacity is 250 people. The cost of accommodation including three meals a day is from 300 rubles in a four-bed room and up to 600 rubles in a double room.

The distance from Vladikavkaz to the recreation center is 125 kilometers, travel by bus from Vladikavkaz from bus station No. 1, the fare is 75 rubles. Travel time is about three hours.

Tourist base "Koma-Art"(former name "Digoria"). Total capacity – 150 people. Accommodation in two and four-bed rooms in wooden cottages and brick houses. The cost of living is 500 rubles per day per person.

The most popular routes in the summer are routes to the peaks of the eastern part of the Sugansky ridge and hikes to the Gebe gorge. For more prepared climbers, it is planned to climb the peaks of the central and western parts of the Sugansky ridge.

For experienced climbers, there are high-category routes that involve climbing to the peaks of Mount Uruymagova, Aikhva, Zagadok, Agibalova, Akritov, which are located in the eastern part of the Sugansky ridge.

The distance from Vladikavkaz to “Koma-Art” is 125 kilometers, the bus leaves from bus station No. 1, the fare is 75 rubles, the route goes to the village of. Stur-Digora, and from there five kilometers to the base.

Recreation center of Taganrog State Radio Engineering University "Taymazi" located in a picturesque place of the Digor Gorge on the Urukh River, at an altitude of 2100 m. Accommodation in houses for 4-6 rooms (rooms for 2-5 people), total capacity is 100 people.

For vacationers, two to three-day hikes along tourist routes of all difficulty levels are possible. The proximity of the mountains of the Main Caucasus Range allows the camp to be used as a base for mountaineering.

During walking tours, you can get acquainted with historical monuments and ancient towers, and you can collect unique medicinal herbs, berries, mushrooms, and hazelnuts.

The formation of groups and transportation to the vacation spot is the responsibility of the Taganrog State Radio Engineering University, and vouchers are purchased directly from the university administration.

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CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

The climate of mountain Digoria is very diverse. The most important climate-forming factor for this area is the relief. Mountain ranges and their spurs, many valleys, gorges and intermountain basins greatly complicate the general circulation of the atmosphere and create a wide range of microclimatic features.

Within this region, according to climate, two territories are distinguished: the Zadales basin as a mid-mountain zone and a high-mountain zone.

Zadalesskaya Basin , like all basins of the North Jurassic Depression, is characterized by a peculiar dry climate. The rocky ridge protects it from the intrusions of cold arctic air. Therefore, winter temperatures here are low. In Fasnal the average January temperature is -2.4 degrees. This is the highest winter air temperature in North Ossetia. Rare temperature drops here can reach -30 degrees. The average July temperature reaches 15.8 degrees. In summer, although there are some hot days, the nights are always cool. The annual air amplitude is usually small and amounts to 18-19 degrees. The basin is characterized by low precipitation (400-500 mm) and optimal relative humidity (62%).

The protective influence of the relief is reflected not only in the small amount of precipitation, but also in the low wind speed. Local winds include mountain-valley winds and foehns inherent in mountains.

High mountain zone , located above 2000 m, has a harsh climate. During the long winter, significant accumulation of snow occurs. Stable snow cover lasts 120-160 days. Winter here is relatively cold. The average monthly temperature in February at an altitude of 3000 m is 11 degrees below zero. Spring comes at the end of April and beginning of May. Summer is cool. At an altitude of 2500 m, the average temperature in August is a little over 10 degrees.

The glaciation of the Vodorazdelny and Sugansky ridges has a great influence on the local climate. The significant reflectivity of ice and the heat loss from melting glaciers create a noticeable temperature difference between the upper and lower parts of the valley. This gives rise to downward glacial winds, which merge with mountain winds at night.

ATTRACTIONS

The main attraction of the Digori Gorge is Lake Tsada (Tabarakhtytsad). This is a unique mountain natural reservoir, a relict lake - the only one located on an ancient landslide, at the southern foot of the Rocky Range in the Digor Gorge, in the valley of the Aigamugidon River, above the village of Upper Faraskat (1500 m above sea level). In 2004, the first joint expedition of employees of the North Ossetian Nature Reserve and the Ossetian National Park to this lake was undertaken.

According to experts, the lake is in an age stage called “old age”, it is abundantly overgrown and is gradually turning into a pond. The entire bottom and walls of the original basin are covered with a more or less thick layer of silt, completely hiding its original shape. The original depression turned into a lake bed.

Above the lake rises a rock-remnant - Alhoina ("spindle") made of limestones that once slid down from the Rocky Ridge. Near it there are traces of landslides with individual boulders and screes. A karst spring gushes from under the rocks, and the sound of water can be heard constantly. To the west of the lake there is a small, never-drying stream.

The lake has an oval shape, about 60 m long and 20-25 m wide. Along the periphery of the lake, it is already overgrown with reeds and other moisture-loving grasses. On the dam itself there are individual birch trees. Among the woody plants around the lake grow shrubby willows, birches and cinquefoil (Kuril tea). This overgrown part, apparently, is flooded with water only during periods of snowmelt and heavy rain, that is, when the lake overflows with water.

In winter the lake freezes. Ice formation begins in late November-December. The shallowness of the lake, its relatively small size and small water exchange are little remarkable, but for this area, that is, the southern foot of the Rocky Range, it is the largest natural body of water. The lake is a good object for natural science excursions.

There are other places in the south of Russia that are well suited for winter holidays. A wide selection of materials with practical information about resorts and attractions of the Caucasus is offered to readers on the “Tourism” page and in the corresponding thematic section of the “Directory” on the “Caucasian Knot” website. We also invite you to see and appreciate the natural beauty of the Caucasus, with its unique landscapes and landscapes, in our special photo album "

High-mountainous Digoria is the most remote southwestern part of North Ossetia, located in the upper reaches of the Urukh River and its sources. The wild and unusually majestic nature, the great distance from the beaten path, attracts more and more attention of tourists and climbers to it every year.

The famous conqueror of the Alpine peaks N.V. Poggenpohl wrote: “Why is Digoria so good, why in other places did I not feel the same pleasure as here, among the green meadows washed by Urukh and the magnificent coniferous forests, into the dark greenery of which white ribbons of glaciers descend ? Individual elements of the mountain landscape are combined in Digoria in an amazingly soft and picturesque way, there is nothing gloomy and gloomy, and the fresh emerald green of the meadows, the noble, architectural lines of finely carved peaks with a shiny firn cover at their feet caress the eye with a happy combination of colors...”

We found a lot of positive reviews on the Internet, for example:

If we say about this place, it is BEAUTY! This is an understatement. I have been involved in rock climbing and hiking for many years and have never seen more beautiful places anywhere. These are 3 glaciers, waterfalls, caves, a mineral spring, horseback riding, fresh air and memories for the rest of your life. This is cooler than Turkey and many times cooler than any other holiday destination. if you are active, full of energy and extreme sports, this is the place for you, if you are calm and sensitive to nature, tired of the bustle of the city, you will be welcome here. I have never heard a negative reaction in so many years. Everyone from Moscow to France is delighted with these places. My advice to you: grab your children and loved ones and go ahead.

In general, the Caucasus mountains are “different”. They are not like the mountains in Crimea. The Caucasus Mountains are higher, the gorges are deeper, the peaks are sharper. That’s why everything in the Caucasus surprised us! The road through Ossetia is flawless. When approaching the gorge, we were greeted by enormous repair work; apparently they were building an interchange. Apparently, they are reconstructing the road for mass tourists visiting this very Digori gorge.

When entering the gorge, the main thing is not to overshoot the Urukh Akhsinta Canyon (also called the Digorskaya Gorge), a major road bridge is laid across it (in common parlance, the Devil's Bridge), from which a stunning view opens; from a height of 80 meters, the Urukh River looks like a stream, in fact it is a mighty a river that over the centuries has carved a narrow canyon, in some places no more than 2 meters wide. Akhsinta Canyon is the main gate of mountain Digoria

Swimming pool in a bathhouse with ice-cold spring water

We steamed in the next one, but taking pictures was simply unrealistic due to the high temperature of 110 degrees. That's why it's a nearby steam room.

Number for 1500 thousand. There is also a TV, many channels, a coffee table and a shower with toilet.

Dining room, food is delicious, breakfast is not included in the price.

Hotel building

Separate houses that can be rented for a family.

The building where the sauna and swimming pool are located

In the morning we went to the Three Sisters waterfalls. The Three Sisters waterfalls look especially spectacular from afar. Three snow-white streams fall at a distance of 150-200 meters from each other. "Three Sisters" originate on the Taymazi glacier. Their official name is “Taymazinsky waterfalls”. They make an unforgettable impression with their fall height and beauty. Below, the streams break against stepped stone pyramids. Over the years, water has carved out many depressions in the pyramids, which are a real decoration of each of the waterfalls. Water falling into these depressions splashes out of them in fountains. Somewhere at the foot of one of them there is a source of carbonated mineral water, which we never found. There is an excellent walking trail leading to them. But the waterfalls unfortunately froze ((. But the walk was not in vain, the weather was beautiful, warm and sunny. Beautiful river.

An attempt to cross :) Only I failed, Zhenya passed, and my slippery boots just wanted to plunge into the invigorating stormy river.

Then we went to another waterfall, deeper into the gorge, I’m not entirely sure of its name, but it seems to be “Small Taymazinsky Waterfall”. They looked at him from the road and did not get up. Further, the passage was blocked by a tensioned cable and a sign “Danger, collapse for 2 km.” But as it turned out, the danger of a collapse was not closed with a cable, but the passage to the border zone, which was kindly told to us by a detachment of “border guards” descending from the mountains.

Tour route: Mineralnye Vody - Digorsky gorge - Matsuta - Karaugomsky gorge - Uazakhokh massif - medieval settlement Zadalesk - Tana-dona gorge - Nakhashbita clearing - Taymazinsky waterfalls - Khanaz - Mineralnye Vody

In mountainous Digoria you will be greeted by clean soft air, silence broken only by the eternal splash of the waters of the Hares River, the blessed sun that becomes closer to you by as much as 2000 meters, the endless blue ocean of the sky, icy cliffs, indescribable beauty and grandeur of mountain peaks and, of course , an indescribable feeling of the infinity of the universe and a living connection with it. Active walks to glaciers and waterfalls are the main part of the program, and it will be enhanced by visiting local residents and touching the history of this ancient land.

Suitable for active tourists, does not require special physical training, but normal health. The tour is contraindicated for people with heart disease, hypertension, obesity and phlebological pathologies. Recommended age up to 65 years.
According to the number of seats, one group can consist of 6 - 10 people.

Transport: Bus/minibus.

Accommodation

Tana Park Hotel 3* comfortably located in the farthest picturesque corner of the Digor Gorge on the left bank of the Khares River in the “horseshoe” of natural attractions: Metelaska Falls, Mount Kubus, spurs of Laboda and Sugansky ridge. The hotel, which opened in October 2015, is the only boutique hotel in the gorge, designed to pleasantly surprise its guests with high standards of service, good cuisine, tastefully decorated interiors, a good location with beautiful views and much more. In the protected area of ​​the complex there is a hotel building and a bar-restaurant. The hotel's room capacity includes 17 rooms.
Standard rooms (22 sq. m.): two single beds or one shared double bed, combined bathroom with bathtub, hairdryer, minibar, bathrobes, slippers, TV, telephone (intercom), internet (for a fee).

Tour program

1st day

Arrival in the morning at the airport (train station) of Mineralnye Vody.
Group transfer at 11.30 to the Digor Gorge of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania(the journey to the border is 3 hours).
Lunch on your own. In the national cafe in the village of Chikola you will be offered dishes of Ossetian cuisine.
In the company of a guide, you will drive to the main gate of mountain Digoria - the Akhsinta canyon. It is in this place that the canyon narrows so much that it turns into a stone trench, and it becomes visible how the Urukh River beats at a depth of seventy meters among the rocks. The canyon amazes with its grandeur. Its steep walls are formed by cliffs of gray layered Jurassic limestone. Several karst springs spectacularly fall into the abyss.
Along the way, you will be met and escorted on a good journey by a sculpture of the most revered saint in Ossetia - St. George (Ossetian: Uastirdzhi). You will also visit the village of Matsuta, located at the confluence of the Aygomugidon and Urukh rivers. “There is no further way” - this is how its name is translated.
Arrival at the Tana Park hotel, which is comfortably located in the farthest picturesque corner of the Digora gorge on the left bank of the Khares River in the “horseshoe” of natural attractions: Metelaska Falls, Mount Kubus, spurs of Laboda and Sugansky ridge. In the evening, introduction of the group, discussion of the tour program.
Dinner on your own in the hotel restaurant.

Cities: Mineralnye Vody, Matsuta

Attractions: Akhsinta Canyon

Reservoirs: Hares River

2nd day

Breakfast in the hotel. Meeting with the guide, departure by SUV for an auto-walking program in the Karaugom Gorge(the length of the round trip walk is 10-12 km).
Before leaving on the route, you will issue passes to the border zone. Hike to the Karaugom glacier. Karaugomdon flows from the glacier. The name “Karaugom” itself translated from Ossetian means “blind gorge” or “gorge with no exit.” It received this name due to the fact that you can only get into the gorge through a high icefall. The length of the Karaugom glacier in North Ossetia is just over 13 kilometers, its area is 27 square kilometers, the glacier descends to a height of 1820 meters. The glacier has two icefalls. The upper one, the most powerful, breaks out through the narrow “gates” of the Karaugomsky ridge and flows out from a height of 3500 meters; the tongue of the glacier reaches a length of 800 meters. The lower icefall is smaller, about 500 meters. Lunch on the way (packed rations).
Return to the hotel, rest. Dinner on your own in the hotel restaurant.

Attractions: Karaugom Gorge

3rd day

Breakfast in the hotel. Today awaits you climb to the top of Mount Kubus and walk to the Taymazinsky waterfalls. The waterfalls look especially spectacular from afar. Three snow-white streams fall at a distance of 150-200 meters from each other. The waterfalls originate on the Taymazi glacier, in the Khares Gorge. Below, the streams break against stepped stone pyramids. Over the years, water has carved out many depressions in the pyramids, which are a real decoration of each of the waterfalls. Water falling into these depressions splashes out of them in fountains. Lunch (on your own).
After lunch, return to the hotel, rest. Dinner on your own. Free time.

Reservoirs: Taymazinsky waterfalls

4th day

Breakfast in the hotel. Today you will go to travel through the medieval Ossetian villages of Kumbulta (visiting the Bagayt castle), Lezgor, Donifars.
The route runs along the spur of the Rocky Range, or more precisely, along the spur of the Uazakhokh massif. Here is the highest point of the Rocky Range in North Ossetia - the mythological peak Uazakhokh, whose outlines resemble a dilapidated fortress (3,529 m).
Moving to the villages of Lezgor and Donifars, which in the Middle Ages were communities independent of anyone, where a democratic form of self-government was preserved, which differed from governance in other societies of Digoria. Today these villages are abandoned by people and represent an ancient ethnographic open-air museum with numerous remains of mountain architectural monuments: towers, crypts, castles, sanctuaries... Lunch (packed rations).
In a huge clearing between the villages of Lezgor and Donifars, the second largest in North Ossetia, after Dargavsky, is located the unique early medieval Lezgor-Donifars crypt burial ground. There are 64 tombs of various types and 7 tsyrts - memorial pillars. The Satayi-Obau temple is also located here (second half of the 15th – early 16th centuries). You will devote most of the program to getting to know the necropolis and the remaining monuments of medieval mountain architecture.
You will stop by the medieval settlement of Zadalesk, where you will visit the museum of the mother - the savior of Alan children - Nana Zadalesk.
After which you will go to the settlement of Khanaz, in the past one of the largest settlements in mountainous Digoria. The settlement is famous for the castle of the Tsallaev family, which is called “Frigate”. There is no other such architectural building in the entire North Caucasus. Indeed, it is not clear to a person who comes here for the first time what rises on a high rocky ledge at an altitude of 2000 m above sea level. m. - a sailing frigate or a medieval castle, cutting the air waves with its sharp stone bow. This unique example of medieval mountain architecture dates back to the 14th-16th centuries. After the excursion, you will visit an Ossetian house, where the hospitable hosts will treat you to homemade Ossetian pies and tea with herbs collected in the mountains. During the meeting you will learn about the lifestyle and customs of the local residents.
Return to the hotel. Dinner on your own in the hotel restaurant.

Attractions: Uazakhokh massif, medieval settlement of Zadalesk

5th day

Breakfast in the hotel. Group gathering in the hotel lobby. Exit to the route.
Today you have to hike along the Tana-dona gorge to the Tana-tsete glaciers. The length of the round trip walk is 10-12 km. During your walk, you will find yourself captivated by unique, intricate vegetation: juniper, dwarf perennial deciduous trees. Once you leave the vegetation zone, you will find yourself in an amphitheater of mountains. Looking down from left to right are Taymazi Main, Chashura, Tsiteli, Digoria Peak, the tops of the Western and Main towers of Laboda. At the end of the path you will see the Tana-tsete glacier. Lunch on the way (packed rations).
Return to the hotel. Dinner on your own in the hotel restaurant.

Attractions: Tana-dona gorge

6th day

Breakfast in the hotel. It’s not for nothing that Digoria is often called “the valley of a thousand waterfalls and rainbows.” There are really a lot of waterfalls here.
Today, under the guidance of an experienced guide, you will go to hike along the Khares River gorge to the Nakhashbita clearing(the length of the walking part at both ends is 10-12 km). During the walk you will see three waterfalls. Inspection of the picturesque canyon, waterfalls and peaks of the Sugansky ridge.
Lunch on the way (packed rations). Return to the hotel.
In the evening, there will be a festive group dinner, during which you will share your impressions of meeting Digoria.

Attractions: Nakhashbita glade

Reservoirs: Hares River

7th day

Breakfast in the hotel. Check out from the hotel until 12.00. Free time at the resort.
If you wish, you can take an excursion to the village of Galiat (additional fee).
The village of Galiat is located in the Uallagkom Gorge. This is a unique medieval architectural complex. Houses here were previously built in tiers. The roof of one house served as a yard for another, so the Galianians could easily visit each other without leaving their own yard. Typical Ossetian towers, consisting of four floors, have also been preserved in Galiat.
Lunch on your own.
At 14:00 departure from the gorge to Mineralnye Vody airport (5 hours travel time) for evening flights after 20:00.

Cities: Mineral water

Tour conditions

Meeting point Meeting on the day of arrival at the airport or at the Mineralnye Vody railway station with a sign “Legends of Mountain Digoria”.
Meeting at the Mineralnye Vody airport in the parking lot opposite the arrivals hall, bus/guide with a sign “Legends of Mountain Digoria”. A group transfer from the airport departs at 11.30 (the number and brand of the bus and the driver’s phone number are communicated in advance).
It is possible to meet at the Mineralnye Vody railway station with trains arriving before 11.00; meeting contacts will be provided before arrival. At the Mineralnye Vody railway station, meet in front of the main entrance to the railway station.
Seeing off- on the day of departure (from the gorge) at 14:00 there is a group transfer (the journey takes about 5 hours) to the airport (train station) Mineralnye Vody for trains/flights departing after 20:00 local time. Transport Bus/minibus. The price includes Transport services according to the program, including group transfers airport (railway) Mineralnye Vody - hotel - airport (railway) Mineralnye Vody, accommodation at the Tana Park hotel, meals according to the program (breakfasts at the hotel, lunches in the form of dry rations on days 2, 4, 5, 6, gala dinner on day 6), mountain guide services, eco-fees of the national park. Possible additional payments Meals not included in the program, additional. on-site services, alcoholic beverages, individual transfers, luggage service, insurance. Discounts According to the price table. Meals According to the program. Complex. Breakfast at the hotel, lunch in the form of packed lunches on days 2, 4, 5, 6, gala dinner on day 6. Important In case of worsening weather conditions, we reserve the right to change the program or route of the tour.
We recommend that citizens of the Russian Federation take a compulsory health insurance card for each trip participant when traveling.
The travel agency reserves the right to change the order of excursions, as well as replace them with equivalent ones while maintaining the total volume of the excursion program.
The travel agency reserves the right to replace the hotel with an equivalent one.
If tourists do not show up at the appointed time, no refunds will be made for unused excursions.
It is necessary to arrive at the meeting point at the appointed time, otherwise the responsibility for joining the group falls entirely on the tourist.
Accommodation in a double room (i.e., booking one bed in a double room) is possible by agreement with the Dolphin tour operator. Children Accepted from 12 years old Attention The route passes through the border area. For citizens of CIS countries, it is necessary to obtain a border pass and submit documents 45 days in advance. For citizens of the Russian Federation, the pass will be issued during the tour. Useful tips Recommended items: sunscreen and glasses, sun hat, comfortable walking shoes (sneakers with non-slip soles or boots for light trekking), comfortable clothes for the season (insulated jacket, sweater, light hat, gloves), waterproof windproof jacket (raincoat), swimwear, a towel, individual medications for chronic diseases, a polyurethane foam seat, trekking poles, a headlamp with spare batteries, a flask or plastic bottle for drinking water. Documents for the trip: Tourist voucher, REMINDER according to the tour, passport (general civil), for children under 14 years old - birth certificate. Cancellation conditions According to the agreement.