Kislovodsk. Small saddle, resort park. Kosygin trail, Mount Krasnoe Solnyshko Big saddle height

Residents and resort guests come to Maloe Sedlo Mountain in the vicinity of Kislovodsk to admire Elbrus. The highest peak in Europe can be clearly seen from a small mountain. In clear weather, Elbrus from this point appears in full view - almost from the foot to the snow-white heads.

Compared to its giant neighbor, Mount Maloye Sedlo is low - 1325 meters above sea level; above Kislovodsk it rises 500 meters, which allows the mountain to be the best observation point in the area. From the top of the Small Saddle you can clearly see the city, the Bermamyt plateau with its gorges and green ravines, and part of the Main Caucasus Range. Standing at the very top of the mountain, you can see the path leading from the Small Saddle to its neighbor - the Big Saddle Mountain, which is almost 80 meters higher.

How to get to Mount Maloye Sedlo

Mount Maloe Sedlo is located east of Kislovodsk. The path to it lies through another peak - Red Sun. This is the first peak of the spur of the Dzhinalsky ridge and at the same time the final station of the Olympic Park cable car. You can get here by cable car, or on foot, straight from Kislovodsk Park, from the Narzan Gallery. There are two routes to Krasnoe Solnyshko. Route No. 2 is flatter and passes through the Valley of Roses. Route No. 3 passes through the town of Gray Stones, it is steeper and a little more difficult. In a mixed forest, both routes converge at one point. At the end of the trail there is a cafe and a first aid station. If you follow the path further, it will lead directly to Mount Maloye Sedlo. The path from the park to the Red Sun takes an hour and a half. Using a lift, this distance is covered in 20 minutes.

Going from the flat top of the Red Sun to the Little Saddle, tourists pass through alpine meadows. The path is quite narrow in some places. The steepest section is just before the summit, called the “steps of wisdom.” The road leads to a geographic triangular, locals have long called it simply “the tripod.” This is the landmark that is visible already on the approach to the top and next to which those who climbed Maloe Sedlo for the first time take photographs. If you go down from the “tripod”, just to the left of the path you can find a small spring with very tasty water. In this place, as a rule, travelers stop for a rest. Then some continue their journey and go to Big Saddle Mountain, while others turn back.

If you rarely have to conquer even small peaks, then local residents will advise you to take the cable car to the upper station of the Olympic Park, and from there go to Mount Maloe Sedlo. The descent is much easier, so it is better to walk the way back. Another tip: even if you go to Maloe Sedlo Mountain in Kislovodsk on a nice day, still bring warm clothes. Strong winds sometimes blow in these places, and the weather, as elsewhere in the mountains, can change very dramatically. However, people climb the mountain both in winter and on cloudy days, because the view from above justifies any effort.

Once upon a time there lived a father and son. These were strong and muscular men. Everything was fine with them until they met her. And it so happened that they fell in love with a beautiful girl at the same time. The girl was indecisive. She couldn't choose who she would like. What should she do? Why didn't the father give in to his son? Everything ended sadly.

A meaningless duel began. The terrible battle went on for a long time. Father against son, son against father. And the son turned out to be stronger. The parricide saw the body that gave him life and immediately turned gray. Now he doesn’t need the beauty and her love, which he received so valuable. The hero took a dagger with his father’s blood and stabbed himself. The beautiful Mashuk cried for a long time over the murdered heroes - “The earth has never seen such heroes. Why should I live without seeing you? God heard her cry and turned the son of the mighty Elbrus and his father Kazbek into mountains. So tall and beautiful that you can see them from everywhere. And the beautiful Mashuk turned into a smaller mountain. On a clear day, she looks at the mighty peaks of Elbrus and Kazbek. And she still can’t get enough of it and choose who is dear to her already stony heart. This is the legend about the great Elbrus.

Everyone who was able to get here will be rewarded with a truly gorgeous view. Here photographers lose their minds and press the camera button uncontrollably.

So, let's go. Our path to Mount Maloye Sedlo began with a cable car. I will describe the descent. View from the cable car cabin to the Valley of Roses. A piece of Mount Elbrus is visible.

A little bit of history. In 1823, General A. Ermolov issued a decree on the creation of a park area. The settlement was carried out by low-ranking military personnel. To ensure the possibility of planting trees, the rocky soil of the banks of Olkhovka was filled with imported fertile black soil. When Prince M.S. Vorontsov was appointed to the post of governor of the Caucasus in 1845, the Kislovodsk forest park continued to intensively develop and improve its structure. In Crimea, Vorontsov owned magnificent plots of land, from where they imported the best seed material for sowing vegetable and flower crops, tree and shrub seedlings. Plantings were also brought from Tiflis, Riga, Western Ukrainian and North Caucasian groves, squares and arboretums.

The wind on the mountainside is strong.

In 1903, the second phase of its arrangement began. All processes were supervised by the famous botanist Albert Regel. To establish the Middle Park, lands that were alienated from the Cossacks were cultivated. Everything was planted with ash, spruce, pine, pedunculate oak, and larch. The place where the seedlings grew was a Polish tree nursery, whose owner was Count Zamoyski. The foundation of the “Pine Hill” took place in 1910. A pine grove was planted on its slopes. In total, trees and shrubs grow in the park area, of which there are more than 250 species.

The top of the Maloye Sedlo mountain. Height 1325 meters above sea level.

In 1901, the first health trail in the Russian Empire was organized on the territory of the park area. The suitable terrain made it possible to create more routes with a length of 1.7 km - 6 km, which are still in use today. There are 6 health paths in total - 4 main ones (1,2,2-A,3) and 2 additional ones. The starting point of every Narzan gallery.

The main goal is to help unhealthy people heal from cardiovascular pathologies, diseases of the respiratory, digestive and musculoskeletal systems and those who suffer from various metabolic disorders. On each route there are stopping places, the interval between which is 100 meters. They are indicated by signs with the numbers of health trails, altitude above sea level, and distance from the starting point. The health path complex includes three medical stations. Their locations are the Temple of Air, the mountain slope of the Red Sun, and the Narzan Gallery. Here it is monitored how the patient follows medical recommendations and tolerates therapeutic walking.

We, as healthy people, decided to take the resort route. Shorts Columbia Battle Ridge II- an indispensable attribute here when walking. Lightweight and practical, there are several pockets and a belt on the waist.

Elbrus sparkles even on a bright sunny day.

During the descent, I used already proven trekking aids - Outventure trekking poles

They are telescopic and made of aluminum. Easy to adjust, they turned out to be indispensable when ascending and descending.

Mount Elbrus - the height of this giant is 5642 meters above sea level.

View of the park and the city of Kislovodsk.

Low shoes Outventure Kingstone II On this day we walked 8 km of ups and downs. I didn’t rub anything, until the very finish, everything went well. Low shoes also breathe well.

They can still fly in such a wind.

Let's leave.

You can meditate here.

Somewhere below passes the famous “Kosygin Trail”.

A sudden cry, he flies right next to him without fear of people.

The owner of the mountains is the eagle.

Let's head down.

Gazebo "Seven Winds". It is blown from almost all sides.

Descent. The path was steep in places.

It ended with constant hairpin turns.

This is where we left. The road from the cable station.

View from Mount Red Sun.

Hiking trails.

If you count how many routes there are in Kislovodsk Park, then it is better to take the official ones as a basis. There are about six of them.

Route No. 1
The trail stretches 1.7 km at an altitude of 0.815 km and rises only 3o-4o. It runs along Olkhovskaya embankment, then, going around the place of the Glass Stream, turns to the original point.

Route No. 1A
The beginning is the corner of Lenin Ave., it runs next to the health resorts “Semashko” and “Kirova”, then it connects with path No. 2A, meets the health resort “Ordzhonikidze” and turns back, ending opposite the starting point. The length of the trail is 1.64 km.

Route No. 2
The trail with 58 stations stretches 5.8 km with an ascent of 5o-6o, at the beginning the height above the sea is 0.81 km, at the final point - 1.062 km. It runs along the Rose Square, Sosnovaya Gorka, Pervomayskaya Polyana, past the Air Temple in the Upper Park. It ends at the slopes of the Red Sun.

Route No. 2A
It goes out to Kalininsky Lane, after 0.8 km it meets stop No. 20 of the main trail. The road rises 4o-5o.

Route No. 2B
The trail crosses a wide alley leading to the Red Stones health resort, connects with Poplar Alley and passes the area with the Winter Swimming Pool. It turns towards Shirokaya Balka, reaches the “Piket” health resort, and goes down from there. The length is 13.2 km with an ascent of 3o-4o.

Route No. 3
The trail of increased difficulty has 56 stations, 5.6 km to the final point with an ascent of 5o-7o, in some places reaching 13o. It runs along the second route, but at the 6th stop it turns left, stretches along the Rose Square, Pine Hill, past the Red and Gray Stones, reaches the Red Sun, and ends at the top of the Blue Stones at a height of 1,163 km.

The most descending path is prescribed to patients who need a quiet, long walk with gentle stress. It meets stop 34 of the second route, from which a mountain cable car stretches to the Blue Stones. The return journey is on foot along the third route.

Now we are at the end of route 2. The height of the "Red Sun" is 1054 meters above sea level

Place "Blue Stones". Beautiful views of the park.

View of the "Blue Stones"

Pinery.

Quiet place.

There is a crossroads of many routes here.

We are approaching the Valley of Roses.

This is an observation deck.

View of the Valley of Roses. The roses have almost faded.

I walked the whole way in a shirt Columbia Silver Ridge- a short-sleeve shirt is not only beautiful, but also practical. I didn’t feel any discomfort, and it didn’t restrict my movements. I recommend it for active walks on a warm day.

The tourist crocodile is having a blast. Looks like there's a line here at night too. Just kidding =)

Alley "Valley of Roses"

This is the "Pervomayskaya Polyana" It is a neighbor of the "Valley of Roses"

Kislovodsk eagle

There are a lot of cats in the park; they can be seen at an altitude of 1000 meters. Right in the forest. Real climbers.

The entire route took 4 hours and 8 km, and excellent clothes and shoes from the Sportmaster company allowed us to comfortably walk along the paths of Kislovodsk.

View of Elbrus

On Saturday, a friendly group of us set off towards the Dzhinalsky ridge.

It was decided to get to the village of Narzan and from there head along the Olkhovka gorge to Jinal. However, this was not destined to come true. The bus, which departed at 8.10, had just left, and we were advised to get to the Zarya sanatorium and from there head towards Jinal.

Looks like the road goes to Jinal...

At first the path seemed clear, a good asphalt road led straight to the FSB dachas, then it turned right and ended. We climbed a hill along a dead road, passed through a small forest and ended up, as it later turned out, in the village of Narzanny. But we were not destined to get out of there either, since we went straight along the road, which clearly led to a private house.

There a local resident explained to us how to get to Maloe Sedlo. We started heading back. Having not reached the desired turn, we returned again to check another turn, and ended up at the gate of the nursery, the road through which leads to Jinal. However, the guard told us that there was no road, and we went towards the sanatoriums.

Somewhere there is Jinal

Twenty minutes later the turn was found. Having passed by the horse farm, (you need to go around the horse farm on the right) we ended up on a path.

If anyone has enough time and does not want to waste extra energy, then do not go along the route that I will describe below. Just follow the path. It's easier that way.

So, having passed the bridge, the slope of the spur opens into view, which leads to Maloe Sedlo. You will have to climb the slope. In many places we follow paths that are not daring. Once you have to climb a small rock. There are various grasses all around, a downward slope ending in a cliff. At this time of year it is quite hot here, there are a lot of biting insects, but the cool breeze helps.

As a result, we approached the top of the Little Saddle from the northwest.

There are very beautiful views from Maly Sedlo. Here you can stand and relax and take photos. It's not that long to get to the Big Saddle. You can easily determine where to go, by the abundance of people who go there in crowds :) From the Big Saddle and nearby peaks, a beautiful view of the Yutsa River valley and the Dzhinalsky ridge opens up, which we never got to.

The car is rushing down...

After eating in a pine forest, we followed the path through Krasnoye Solnyshko to Kislovodsk.

\"Demon\" under threat
Don't swim in the fountain :)

Today is a warm, slightly windy day. There are two of us, and we are determined to climb to the very top of the Small Saddle mountain. Let's go light. A minimum of things, a minimum of equipment. And one bottle of water for two.

13:05. Height 830 meters. We start from the main entrance to Kurotny Park, not far from the post office building, having first sent letters to home and loved ones.

13:35. Height 901 meters. Red stones. We stand for about five minutes, admiring the landscape.

13:42. Height 930 meters. We are right next to the cable car. The demon of temptation offers to climb up it. No, we cannot be tempted or broken! We'll go on foot!

13:55. Valley of Roses Height unknown. Roses! Lots of roses! Red, burgundy, white, cream! Beauty!

There is a wonderful rose: she
Before the amazed Cythera
Blooms rosy and lush,
Blessed by Venus.*

But enough of the lyrics! There is no time to admire for a long time. Our goal is still far above.

14:10. Height 971 meters. We are at stop number 43. Let's look at the map. Did its creators themselves use it as a guide when they made it? Very inconvenient, heights and parking are not indicated. There is even a feeling that the scale has been maintained conditionally. We will move forward on our own on a whim. A navigator charged to 67% as an emergency reserve for emergencies.

14:30 Altitude approximately 1020 meters. We turn onto the hiking trail at parking lot No. 51. It will only get more difficult.

14:50. Height 1047 meters. Beautiful views! We pause to capture them and take a little breath.

15:10. Height unknown. We are at a fork in the road. Below is a trail possibly leading to the Big Saddle. There is a path going up, called the “Kosygin path”. Our goal is the Small Saddle. We turn onto the Kosygin path. Alexey Nikolaevich loved walking not only along traditional routes, but also walking along uncrowded paths, thinking alone about something of his own. During a visit to Kislovodsk, according to legend, I took a fancy to a small secluded path, which was not part of the route of the Kislovodsk health path.

15:40. Height 1200 meters. We noticed a small path going up. It's not on the map. Where does it lead? Is it worth the risk of veering off the main path? What awaits us there? We took this risk. Storming a steep hill through the bush. And we're at the top. This is not the final goal yet. But how beautiful! The reward for taking the risk is a wonderful view of the surrounding area.

16:05. Height 1245 meters. Last stop before the finish. The top is already clearly visible. Here, at a height, the hot sun alternates with the wind, which tries to knock you off your feet. 5 minutes of rest and go!

16:20. Height 1280 meters. We're at the top! We've dressed up the complexity! We were not embarrassed by the strange map and the fear of the unknown as we walked along inconspicuous paths. Having overcome the temptation to take the cable car or go out onto the “civilian” road, we followed the difficult, tourist route! We have reached the top and we have something to be proud of! Those landscapes that open only from the very top of the Small Saddle are like a reward for us.

The way back was easier. Tomorrow new heights and new adventures await us. It will soon start to get dark. And so we went down by cable car straight to the Valley of Roses.

* - excerpt from a poem by A.S. Pushkin

P.S. Photos may not reflect the height described in the story. I recorded the altitudes and time, but I forgot to record the photographs along with the altitude.

We got acquainted with all the significant sights of the Lower and Middle parks and walked along the most beautiful routes of the park. In this article we will continue to get acquainted with the beauties of Kislovodsk Park, namely the Upper Park or as it is also called Mountain Park. Using the cable car, we will climb Mount Krasnoe Solnyshko, after which one of the most mysterious trails in the park awaits us - the Kosygin trail.

Mount Red Sun, Kislovodsk

And we will start our walk from the place where we stopped last time - from the Air Temple cable car station. From there the trailer will take us to the very top of the Red Sun mountain.

From the top station of the cable car it is very convenient to start your descent to the Valley of Roses. The path will pass through the main attractions of the Upper Park. The upper station of the cable car is located at an altitude of 1167 meters and from here it is very convenient to walk to another mountain - Small Sedlo. From the top station the path will take about 3 km, and the elevation gain will be only 200 meters. From Mount Maloe Sedlo, you can walk to Mount Bolshoye Sedlo, the path will take about 3 km. However, it should be taken into account that Kislovodsk Park is really huge and there is not enough time or energy to see all the sights in one day. So we didn’t have time to visit either the Little or the Big Saddle. From the Upper Cable Car Station we headed west, where we came from.

The first attraction is a gazebo, from where you can see the entire expanse of not only Kislovodsk Park itself, but also the entire plateau.

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Monument to Lermontov

A little further, the same surprise we talked about earlier awaited us. The monument to the great Russian poet Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov returned to its original place in 2017 - on Mount Red Sun. The poet’s gaze is again directed into the distance, and where the gaze was directed before can be seen in. Here is the same place with and without the poet:

Is it worth mentioning that the poet actively participates in photo sessions? It’s no secret that in good weather, from the tops of Kislovodsk Park there is a view of the two-headed giant Elbrus, but having been in Kislovodsk several times, we never saw this phenomenon. And even good weather in Kislovodsk itself does not guarantee you a panorama of Elbrus.

Blue stones

The monument to the poet is located directly next to a very popular attraction in the Upper Park - the Blue Stones.

The attraction received its name by analogy with the attraction of the Lower Park - Red Stones, only here the bluish tint is not real, but illusory and noticeable only from a distance, when the haze gives the stones a bluish tint.

From the Blue Stones you can clearly see the same cable car we climbed along.

Going a little lower, the blue stones appear from a different angle, and become even more mysterious, against the background of the sky.

Kosygin trail in Kislovodsk

There is a lot of conflicting and confusing information about this route on the Internet. The main difficulty is the question: How to find the Kosygin trail?. If you go to Red Sun Mountain on foot, and not by cable car, then at the place where the Blue Stones begin you will have to go straight, that is, leaving the Blue Stones on your left hand. Because climbing the Red Sun mountain means turning left and climbing these same Blue stones.

It is from this fork that anyone can get to an almost unvisited area of ​​the park, but no less beautiful than other attractions of the park. This section of the path is located directly under the sandstone cliffs, and this gives the passage of this route a touch of mystery and enigma.

Here you are actually on the Kosygin trail. But like any path, the Kosygin path also has its beginning and its end, and you can get to it from the other side. We chose the route from the Valley of Roses. And so that you don’t get lost, we strongly recommend using the application. Our route runs along a paved section of the road, with a beautiful birch grove on the right and pine trees on the left. This road comes from the lower part of the Valley of Roses.

At the point where the paved road turns left, you will see a path leading further to the east. The entire path runs along the stream, so it will be difficult to get lost, and even if this happens, do not panic, you are in the park, just go back. Another half an hour and the trail will begin to turn to the left; you naturally turn along with the trail, gaining a small altitude along the way. So we came to the Kosygin trail. She walks along sandstone cliffs. In fact, we found ourselves at a fork and knowing that the road to the left would lead us to the Blue Stones, we decided to walk to the right.

From time to time the trail bends close to the rocks, and even passes under overhanging rocks, which gives the walk an element of adventure.

If you go right two more turns there is a blockage and the path begins to descend, so you can go back down to where we came from. But we go back to the fork to continue our walk along the Kosygin trail. On the way we encounter a large grotto with modern rock paintings.

Further, the trail moves away from the rocks and passes along a picturesque pine slope, allowing you to admire the beauty of the forest and open space at the same time.

Very soon the trail begins to stick to the rocky outcroppings again.

After this, we will get acquainted with the most beautiful and large-scale attraction of the Kosygin trail - the path in the rock. Without any exaggeration, the trail is laid in limestone rock, in a place where the rock goes around the ravine.

Following this, there is another turn, less spectacular.

After which we go directly to the Blue Stones and walk parallel to them. By the way, the Kosygin trail is named after the Soviet politician Alexei Nikolaevich Kosygin. As the name of the trail suggests, Kosygin passed this route at least once.

Thus, we reached the very fork from which you can climb Mount Red Sun or descend to the Lower Park.

Of course, we chose the path to the Lower Park, especially since the day was coming to an end. It’s a pity, of course, that the Maloye and Bolshoye Sedlo mountains remained unexplored, but this is another reason to return to Kislovodsk Park, walk its paths and admire the sights. And remember that you can and should come to Kislovodsk to improve your health and gain strength, because it was in Kislovodsk Park that they came up with such a type of treatment as health walking - health path.

Video of a walk through the Resort Park of Kislovodsk

We visited Kislovodsk for the first time in 2014. This video will give you an idea of ​​how much the Resort Park has changed in three years.