Orient Diary

Written by Сергей Козубенко из Киева the Diary of a hike across Crimea on May, 20-25th, 2008. A route «Orient express».
About that the route will be interesting and uneasy, it was clear prior to the beginning of a hike. It was necessary to pass(take place) guerrilla tracks and to cross karabi-яйлу from it(her) « lunar landscapes ». Unexpectedness for me have begun prior to the beginning of a hike for, having made an application for a month as « the commander of division » Cyril warned, has learned(has found out) before departure, that nobody has expressed desires to pass(take place) 75 km from Perevalnogo up to the Pike perch! As then Cyril has explained, after May peak of tourist activity, people decides to go to mountains again, exclusively in extreme heat and at the dried up sources waters (July-August)! That, having lost for itself beauty of blossoming plateaus and jajl, yet not burnt by the sun!
Day the first - we Are a partisan.

Have started together, (pay attention to quantity(amount) of participants of a hike) having reached from Simferopol up to Perevalnogo. To go it was necessary under the sun, on plain, glancing on militarians played the fool on an armored troop-carrier. Then rise on Dolgorukovskuju jajlu has begun. Here where, has experienced absence of acclimatization and running practice after the last season. Well anything, being wiped and hard breathing, the first boundary has been taken. For accuracy, only I hard breathed.



On Dolgorukovskoj jajle send(have left) on the Barrow of Glory and to the first spending the night, on a place of guerrilla parking. Around, it is so much monuments to the devoted events of Great Domestic War, that more hour went, considered(examined) and photographed. While I got used to too fresh for kievljanina to Crimean air, Cyril has bypassed a considerable site, pofotografiroval other monuments and even has seen olenihu.

Water took in a guerrilla spring, mobile communication(connection) was not in general, people too so autonomy of a hike was full.
Day of the second - For two hares.

The program of the second day assumed transition up to meteorological station "karabi-яйла". I wish to note, that feature of this route and our hike was transitions for 10-11 hours per day (from parking and before parking), necessity to bear(carry) with itself water on all transition (water is only on parking). Separate item(point) of our program was studying blood-sicking insects, in the world rekomyh ticks. It was necessary to look round, remove and quite often to take out these unpleasant creations.



Leaving(Abandoning) Dolgorukovskuju jajlu, we pass to plateau Tyrke and it is visible the most beautiful mountain peonies (has then found out, it is a peony tonkolistnyj) on a background of bright green vegetation. Here they advantages of a spring Crimean hike!

Then have gone down in a canyon of the river Burulcha, which has pleased me pure(clean) cold water (though "commander" did not recommend to drink from small river) and trees closing already scorching sun. Upwards after a watercourse to go travel was simple also was pleasant. But for a long time the ended war has reminded of itself a shell which we have found on coast of the river and since desires to announce a vicinity explosion at us were not, have made a photo, have imposed with white stones this dangerous find and have continued a way upwards along the river.



Having risen on a slope from Burulchi send(have left) on plateau orta-сырт. Here where open space and beauty open in all the parties(sides)! Cyril knew, that here the monument « with plane » and has deduced(removed) precisely on it(him). Here have arranged a halt and perekus. This monument is devoted to guerrilla air station which operated(worked) here since April 1942г. Till April 1944г., at bottom of a monument the rusty shot sleeves (as to me on a photo of sleeves experts have told, from the Soviet rifles and German carbines) are combined.

Here, having left as "strongest" to look after products and water, Cyril was literally ran on vicinities, looking through interesting objects, has found and has examined a cave. To have a rest to it(him) there was no time …



Further it was necessary to search for descent(release) in natural boundary and to come over to other party(side), a meteorological station it was already visible, but oh as it is far! Began to search for possible(probable) footpaths, and have come across on two hares who with such crash jumped on bushes that was thought, on deers have got! That there these hares so it is noisy divided, to us it is not clear.

Tracks have not found, have gone(send) on « kabanim to tracks », is noisy breaking branches and oskalzyvas on leaves. Uneasy, nebystro, but have gone down and have risen to spurs "karabi-яйлы". Owing to that "commander" had modern means of navigation, knew what to stamp to us up to station much. Have again frightened off a hare and by 19 o'clock have reached a meteorological station where there should be a water.



By the way, the employee of a meteorological station, was the first person met by us for two days a hike! Here so Crimea in the beginning of summer! Water there imported, that is why also paid, on 5 grn from the person. The same employee has suggested us to put tent hardly below a meteorological station and to use gas for preparation of a supper.

All prepared by Cyril is very tasty and was eaten very much and very much! Here at height about 1000 meters, have seen enough of stars and on satellites, breadth of the review very much greater(big) at night!
Day the third - Impassability.

Morning of next day has begun that the employee of a meteorological station has not appeared on a place, and sarajchik with "reviver" it has appeared is locked(closed). It brought significant corrective amendments in our water supply for forthcoming day. Send away(have left) with the tea which has remained since yesterday's evening and when there will be a source as long up to it(him) to go, in many respects depend and on our speed of movement.



I shall not tell, that karabi-яйла has made upon me impression of " a lunar landscape ». Stony, porosshaja a grass the district abounding karstic caves, voronkami, bljudtsami. Differences of heights do not allow to see as far we shall leave and that there further, but stone rounds helped(assisted) to find to us road. Peonies pleased our eyes with the bright paints and it was not too heavy to us. And it was possible to not be afraid of ticks.

 

We should pass(take place) on up to northern extremity Karabi and to leave to woods of natural boundary the Shaitan-капу, and final our purpose of day was tourist parking « the Bottom Cook-бЯбЎ ». Having passed(having taken place) jajlu send(have left) on its(her) edge(territory), have admired the open spaces which have opened ahead in area of village Beer and have gone deep into a wood. After have found wood road, to go it was absolutely simple.



It was possible to us to see "SPA-hotel" for wild wild boars which "contain" local the huntsman. To the left of road the hole (mud baths) and a wooden saltcellar (buffet) have seen the dirty pool (jacuzzi), full of a dirt and traces. Here how many care of natives of a wood!

Transition was further uneasy because the routes put(rendered) by a card(map) mismatched the validity and only owing to Cyril's experience we not for long broke directly on a wood through branches and send(have left) on very zarosshuju a track. But it was the track, though with ticks, but a track! And even have found a spring which has given to drink, at last that us, and that stocks of tea from a meteorological station were already critically small.



From natural boundary the Shaitan-капу, have risen on a highway нСЅ«ъ«УЯ¬-fishing and for the first time for 3 days there were on asphalt already 2 kilometers. On an input(entrance) on tourist parking « the Bottom Cook-бЯбЎ » have frightened off a beauty the fox. For this season it(she) was in the smart order, but prosaically searched "vkusnjashki" among dust. This parking is known since times of Soviet Union here again passed(took place) routes, here and we have found canopies both the equipped source and places for kostrishch.
Day the fourth - Porpoises.

Here in the morning for the first time we have visited under a rain. Here this rain also has delivered the certain inconveniences while passed(took place) a canyon the Cook-асан. Stones along the river Kuchuk-Karasu, eaves, were wet and slippery, many the tumbled down trees, numerous transitions from coast on coast, pereprygivanie through vodopadiki and from a stone on a stone led to very big pressure(voltage) in muscles and demanded the greatest attention to not lay down between stones or to not fall in the river (Video from a canyon).



All these(it) "naprjagi" was compensated with a meeting with « mountain svinkoj ». Cyril has called me going ahead, I turn around … Surprise was inexpressible. White house the pig, crossing on a dirt and stones of the mountain river, not paying any attention to us, in 5 meters, goes on the affairs. Having rounded us, again having passed small river, began to climb up an abrupt slope, failing, but continuing to gain height and having left(abandoned) us, "turystov", remained in fine mood!

Further we have admired the most beautiful small falls and baths with transparent water, a number(line) everywhere kostrishcha, people has a rest … there was a meeting with one more native Further away. The cat accompanied with us of kilometer 1.5 of a canyon up to a forest area. For as was voznagrazhdena paste, and we have arranged perekus on civilized, on a shop.

 

Having had a rest, have continued our remote way and on road, was masenkoe village Rotary about which I had a subjective opinion, that there it is more than pigs than people. Village very small and we saw all the person five, but pigs about 30 goals(heads), probably, the main profit of local residents …

In very fast rate moved further for we did not know where we we can stop and where us, will find night, it was necessary to reach(achieve) a place with water and to type(collect) on height much. It was possible to us quite. By 19 o'clock send(have left) on pass Bottom SHalen, have seen in the distance a civilization and could talk by phones. Parking have found near small ozertsa with kabanimi traces, without a spring, but with a pole in which have typed(collected) pure(clean) water for tea and a porridge. Long sat at a fire, looking at fire and discussing, that today very big piece of a route has been successfully passed(has been taken successfully place) by us.
Day the fifth - the Life in bushes.

Next morning we have passed(have taken place) through tourist parking of "Mask", "Raven" to natural boundary Ah-убЅЩ¬. As there was day till our control time of the termination(ending) of a hike, Cyril has made a decision to pass(take place) natural boundary up to village Wood, where a line on the Pike perch. In area of mountain the Cat the kind on the sea far below and the Pike perch where we should reach tomorrow has opened. Went easily, on road which sometimes reminded tank range, but there was a water in a spring "Akinak" and up to Wood we have reached successfully.



But the place for parking was to find uneasy. On edge(territory) of village in fact you will not become, parking it is not visible, here and it was necessary to wander on slopes, have come across a cemetery, have come in bushes where it is full of mosquitoes, but it was not better than variants.
Day of the sixth - the Civilization.

Have spent the night also have set through village on a bus stop in the morning, it already was the present(true) civilization, with machines(cars) and asphalt. pogolosovav, have perfectly reached in the Pike perch where was very much zharko and it is unusual (to me weaned) many people.

It is grateful to Cyril for attention and tactfulness, in fact two strangers have gone(send) to a hike, and 5 days on a route have passed(have taken place) without conflicts and emotional conversations!