Water-stone fun

Some moments of the “Water and Stones” hike from August 30 to September 4, 2009.

An icy swim in the “bath of youth”, from which you fly out shouting: “Invigorates your mother!”, an experimental descent from Mount Takya-Tepe and an unforgettable climb to Chatyr-Dag through juniper bushes - these are the three most vivid memories of the “Water and Stones” hike from August 30 to September 4, 2009.

About the duration of the hikes

I won’t talk much about the majestic Crimean landscapes that open from the tops of the mountains, nor will I describe the six-day journey hourly - a list of the beauties seen can be found in the corresponding section of this site. Let me just say that on the morning of the last day, over a cup of morning tea, I had a question about why the hikes were so short. Our guide Andrei Gipich first said something like: “Just right, so that you don’t get bored,” and then he thought and added: “But, you know, you are the first group that asks me such a question. Usually everyone couldn’t wait for Rybachy.” “A couple more days,” he continued thoughtfully, “and you could get the third tourist category.” For us green newcomers, this was very unexpected and very pleasant. Wow, we don’t herd those behind us, we’re still worth something!

And we really wanted to “continue the banquet,” well, at least for two days. Every day you liked the hike more and more - your legs and back got used to the weight of the backpack and the endless climbs, the surrounding nature became more and more diverse, and the people walking with you along the narrow paths became completely family. And it was at this moment that we had to part and go down “into the bustle of cities and traffic.”

About memories

But in the little over five days that we spent up there, we stocked up with impressions for the entire long city winter. We will talk about the first ascent along the “donkey path,” when, out of habit, the heart was beating somewhere in the throat, and the question was spinning in everyone’s mind: “Lord, how did I get here?!” Why did I do this? More than once our friends will hear stories from us about the assault on Chatyr-Dag, when it seemed that its steep slope, overgrown with juniper, would become a mass grave for seven presumptuous novice tourists who decided that they could compete with the mountains.

Each of us, of course, will remember more than once the steep descent from Takya Tepe. At first glance, it seemed as if not a single dusty hiking shoe had ever stepped foot here. Already ready to begin our descent, we nevertheless asked our cheerful guide if he had descended here before. And we were not at all surprised when Andryukha embarrassedly muttered to himself: “Well, I read on a tourist forum that you can go down here.” And it turned out that it really is possible! When half an hour later we found ourselves at the foot, we seemed to ourselves to be experienced pioneers and sincerely shared the joy of Andrey, who was running around and yelling: “Now I know the second descent from this mountain! Just a couple left to check!” Inspired, we almost ran to check this “couple” right away. Well, at least we came to our senses quickly.)))

About jokes

The fun of this trip is worth mentioning separately. Kharkov resident Dimon constantly amused everyone, who, having once suspected Andryukha of deliberately taking us along detour paths, regularly checked our route with the map.It must be said that Dima was not the only one who suspected our guide of intrigues and tricks. And how could it be otherwise, especially after Andryukha’s stories about how he once “led the group around one bush three times, but they didn’t even notice.” To our credit, even though Andrei tried very hard to lead us along the most difficult path possible - through dense thorny bushes or a fallen tree - in order to capture on video our comical attempts to overcome the obstacle, we always managed to find a more convenient way around. And this unspeakably upset our guide. “Where did you get so suspicious of me!” Andrei lamented.

From the evening of the second day, Andrei intrigued us with a journey along the so-called “Path of Gray Hair”, which is located in Northern Demerdzhi. The original toponym (as it later turned out, arose in the previous campaign) evoked thoughts of mystical fears. From the very morning, everyone was ready to adequately meet the next obstacle on the way. Meanwhile, although the road wound around the rocks, it did not seem at all so scary as to make our hair turn gray prematurely. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore. “When should you be afraid?” I asked Andrey, who was walking ahead. Turning around sharply, making scary eyes and spreading his fingers in front of his face, he screamed: “Go-oh-oh!” We all almost fell into the abyss from laughter.

About the weather

In less than six days in the mountains, we experienced all the natural disasters: unbearable heat on the climbs, cloudy condensation on the peaks, piercing cold from a cloud approaching you. A sharp cold snap, when even the warmth of a fire cannot save you from icy gusts of wind, and you can only protect yourself by wrapping yourself tightly in a sleeping bag, and, of course, the rain, which almost ruined our last farewell evening. In general, the weather was almost ideal, and its variability only added greater authenticity to our mountain adventures.

About food

The special hiking menu made you feel like a real seasoned traveler. Before feeding us an exotic dish of rice, sardines and borscht dressing, Andrey held a special preparatory session, telling us what an extraordinary taste we were about to experience. Subsequently, after consulting with our comrades, we decided that if not for these colorful rantings, it is unlikely that anyone would have taken this strange gray-brown mass into their mouth. However, Andrey clearly has the gift of suggestion, because everyone not only obediently ate the “exotic” rice, but also praised its taste.

But dried mango (or something like that), which received the enduring name “Red Garbage,” did not go well in our group. This especially upset me, because I had to carry it, and to my desperate calls: “Comrades, who wants the Red Bullshit?”, the “comrades” invariably responded with deathly silence.

About music

“For me, this campaign will be firmly associated with the Bravo group,” Muscovite Seraphim said recently. And not only for him. Andryukhin's KPKshka and the voices of Aguzarova and Syutkin flowing from it brightened up the tiring transitions, and it was easy to sing along with the brave tunes even on the climbs.

In general, we have a surprisingly music-loving group. One part of it - the conductor Andrei himself, me and Anka from Yaroslavl - sang almost constantly: on ascents, descents, rest stops, and, of course, around the fire. And the second, God bless her, stoically endured our initiative. More than once we were afraid that someone’s sneaker would fly into our backs, but the guys turned out to be resilient.)))

About friends

Almost from the first minute at the station we all found a common language, which we have not lost to this day. From the first sip of mulled wine at the Emine-Bair-Khosar cave to the last sip of wine on the beach in Rybachye, after which we reluctantly escorted Andryukha to his minibus, we were all open, friendly and ready to help each other. And it was there, on the beach, having “washed” our first tourist experience, that we all decided to try to get together next year with the same group and go on a hike “Over the Sea”.

I sincerely hope that we will succeed. In the meantime, I want to say thank you to Dimon from Kharkov - for the continuous flow of funniest jokes and the massage training course; Zhenya from Kyiv - for his constant friendliness; her brother Sashka - for the master class on setting up a tent and the willingness to always support on a steep descent; Anka from Yaroslavl - for her idealism and unbending strength hidden under her fragile appearance; Ira from Yaroslavl - for the fact that, despite the illness that forced her to leave us ahead of schedule, she was mentally with us; Lekha from Kharkov - for her consistently good mood; Seraphim from Moscow - for taking photographs on the sly and for taking the risk of coming to southern Crimea from the northern capital.

Thank you to Andryukha for believing in us enough to lead us along “experimental paths”, for showing us places worthy only of the “worthy”, for our water-stone fun, for the farewell “clearing”, for Aguzarova and long arguments around the fire, for the fact that he laughed with us.

Next year, wait for us again in the Crimean mountains!

Nadya Lisitsyna from Kharkov