Northernmost Demerdzhi
This winter trek is like a fresh, "northern" take on the traditional wonders of Crimea: the snow-covered Valley of Ghosts, the ice-bound Dzhur-Dzhur waterfall, the little birches on the North Demerdzhi plateau clad in a metre-thick layer of hoarfrost.
Demerdzhi has a reputation as the warmest and sunniest mountain plateau in Crimea. In winter it is also warmer here than on the other, harsher Crimean peaks. When the sun is out, you can walk the southern slope in a T-shirt. But climb up onto the plateau and... iced-over trees, karst sinkholes buried in snow and a crackling frost.
RouteRoute map
Open the map →The GPS track is not digitised yet, the line is approximate (by key points).
Along the trailWhat you will see
Day by dayItinerary
1 Day 1. Simferopol, Angarsk pass, Elkh-Kaya, Phal-Kaya, MAN cave
Meeting in Simferopol at 9 am. Transfer to the Angarsk Pass, along the way we admire the majestic stone wall - the steep cliffs of the Chatyr-Dag plateau. From the pass the trail goes to the North-East, through dense beech forests to the overgrown peak of Mount Elkh-Kaya (aka Curly Marya). From here the first views of Demerdzhi open. Further along the ridge to the bare rocks of Phal-Kai (Bald Ivan). Just below this mountain there is a great place to camp with stunning views of the sea, Alushta and the mountains around. If you have any strength left, in the evening you can go to the nearby MAN cave.
2 Day 2. Crown of Northern Demerdzhi, Dzhurla tract, Dzhurla waterfall
Directly from the place where you spend the night, a wonderful serpentine winding along the slope of Northern Demerdzhi begins. It is wonderful, first of all for its fantastic views, and also for the fact that it takes us to Corona - a giant stone springboard with a steep rocky cliff. The next goal is the peak of Northern Demerdzhi with its mysterious UFOs (flightless objects). Only at the top does it finally become clear that Demerdzhi is not just a hill, but a huge plateau, with karst sinkholes, with polar birch and pine trees bent to death.
It's time to go down. For the night we go to the Dzhurla tract - a wide gorge separating Northern and Southern Demerdzhi. There is a small mountain lake from which a stream flows. If desired, we will take a walk downstream to the small but picturesque Dzhurla waterfall.
3 Day 3. South Demerdzhi, Catherine Rock, Valley of Ghosts, Chaos, Funa Fortress
We saved the best for last. Today we will properly explore South Demerdzhi. There is a lot to see here - the mighty stone sphinxes at the top, the famous Valley of Ghosts on the western slope, and at the very bottom, at the foot, the Stone Chaos (titanic rock collapse). We'll see all this and the ruins of the Funa fortress to boot. In the end, we will find ourselves below, on the Simferopol-Alushta highway. This is where the hike ends. From the highway you can easily go to Simferopol to the station, or to the South Coast to the sea.
DetailsIncluded
- 🍽Three meals a day on the route
- 🧭Services of an instructor-guide
- 🛡Medical insurance
- •Registration in the rescue service
- 🚐Travel by transport
- •Haunted Valley fee
- 🎒Equipment rental
Trip conditions
- Winter hiking equipment list
- How we walk in winter - what awaits you on a winter hike
- Medical contraindications for participation in winter hikes.
ReviewsTraveller reviews
I saw how beautiful winter Crimea is. And now I want to go again, in winter, while there are no crowds of tourists, while there is silence, while there is white, untrodden snow. And the Carpathians?.. Take me on a hike!
