Catamaran rafting on the Kuban — Bolshoy Zelenchuk — Aksaut rivers

Today we have a busy day ahead of us, so we wake up early and have breakfast.

We're setting up a camp. 

The instructors once again give instructions on water safety and rowing techniques.

Route of the day: Uchkulan village — Shivers on the Kuban River (2-3 villages) — village. Elbrus.

Before passing the rapids, we must inspect them from the shore for local obstacles and only after that we set off on our way. 

Depending on the general readiness of the group, we either pass or pass waterfall-type thresholds.

On the way, we will stop for a snack or a full lunch.

The Kuban, the largest river in the Western Caucasus, is formed at the confluence of the Ullu-Kam and Uchkulan rivers, originating on the glaciers of Elbrus.

Rafting on the Kuban River serves as a good rolling out before rafting on the more difficult rivers of the Caucasus. 

We find the ideal site to practice the skills of water tourism techniques. 

Instructors conduct training sessions on the water (traversing the jet and setting catamarans on an even keel, turning catamarans).

A couple of shivers and practicing our skills are behind us, cooking dinner. 

Evening gatherings around the campfire are an integral part of hiking, so we enjoy the company, share stories from our travels with other members of the group, and then go on vacation.

We have breakfast and launch our flotilla again.

Route of the day (rafting on the Kuban River): village Elbrussky — shivera Dautskaya (3 k.s.) — Amankhit canyon (3-4 k.s.) — 1st Kamennomostsky (3 k.s.) — port. The gutter.

Before passing the rapids, we must inspect them from the shore for local obstacles and only after that we set off. 

Depending on the general readiness of the group, we either pass or pass waterfall-type thresholds.

Lunch or snack on the way.

From the village of Elbrussky Kuban, after merging with the right tributary of the river, the Thinner gathers into one channel, the shivers become powerful, rapids appear. 

In front of the Red Bridge across the river we pass the Dautskaya shiver — a difficult rollover. 

We inspect the shiver from the bridge in order to understand how it will pass in practice.

Then the 1.5-kilometer Amankhit Canyon begins — the most serious obstacle on our rafting in the Kuban. 

The canyon is characterized by a large abundance of large boulders and rock fragments in the riverbed, steep drains, foam pits between rocks, high waves of water with a reclining top.

There is a series of shivers between the canyon and Kamennomostsky village, which follow almost one after the other. 

The 1st Kamennomostsky threshold is a short (about 25 m) steep drop in the riverbed with many pitfalls that churn the stream. 

The instructor suggests a reliable way to pass the threshold.

A kilometer downstream of the river there is a Trough threshold, where the Kuban falls almost evenly by 6 m for 70 m. 

After completing today's route, we look for a parking lot, set up camp and cook dinner.

We have breakfast, pack our things and move to the village of Arkhyz to continue our rafting trip along the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River.

Today's route (rafting on the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River): village Arkhyz — 1st Explosive (3 c.s.) — 2nd Explosive (3 c.s.) - pore. Cannon (4 c.s.) — pore. 3rd Explosive (3 c.s.) — pore. Explosive 4 (3 c.s.).

Before passing the rapids, we must inspect them from the shore for local obstacles and only after that we set off on our way. 

Depending on the general readiness of the group, we either pass or pass waterfall-type thresholds.

On the way, a snack or a full lunch in the field.

Rafting on the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River is characterized by a variety of obstacles, rapids and surrounding views. 

There are three "explosive" thresholds located from the village of Arkhyz to the Bogoslovka tract, which were formed after road works. 

The rapids are long shivers with turns and oblique shafts, small stones in the riverbed. 

The culmination is the threshold "Cannon", here the shaft is so high that it is not always possible to reach the water with an oar!

Today has brought us many new discoveries and impressions. 

It's time to cook dinner, share your impressions and relax. 

We'll sleep soundly tonight.

We wake up, do exercises to stretch our muscles and joints, and have breakfast.

Today we are finishing our rafting on the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River.

The route for today (rafting on the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River): port 4th Explosive (3 k.s.) — port. Oblique (3 k.s.) — village. Nizhny Arkhyz.

Before passing the rapids, we must inspect them from the shore for local obstacles and only after that we set off. 

Depending on the general readiness of the group, we either pass or pass waterfall-type thresholds.

On the way, we will have a snack or stop for a full lunch.

We overcome two more Explosive thresholds — the 4th and 5th and the Oblique Canyon.

We pre-inspect the threshold of the Oblique with the instructors, discuss the plan of passage to the smallest detail.

After The Oblique river flows in the same channel for some time, so we can go to the village of Nizhny Arkhyz without inspection, but without losing vigilance.

We set up camp, cook dinner.

After the evening meal, we go to rest.

We have breakfast, pack our things and go to the starting point of the rafting to the Aksaut River (port Slalom).

The route for today (rafting on the Aksaut River): port. Slalom — por. Cornet — pore. 5-minute — S-shaped shiver — pore. Three-kilometer shiver (3 k.s.) — por. Mustang (3 cc.) — por. Osypno y (4 k.s.) — por. Krasny (3 k.s.) — canyon "Two bridges".

Before passing the rapids, we must inspect them from the shore for local obstacles and only after that we set off. 

Depending on the general readiness of the group, we either pass or pass waterfall-type thresholds.

On the way, which has already become a classic, a snack or a full lunch.

The culmination of our rodeo rafting is rafting on the Aksaut River. 

The threshold of the Cornet is difficult to distinguish against the background of a continuously running shiver. 

We pass the threshold on mutual insurance, followed by a 5—minute threshold and an S-shaped shiver.

A three-kilometer shiver begins behind the farm. 

In front of Shivera, both banks are treeless, and the gorge where Shivera is located is already wooded. 

The site is a steep drop with a mass of rocks, both underwater and above—water - constant maneuver is required. 

We pass the threshold, insuring each other with a preliminary examination.

The Mustang threshold begins with a steeply falling slide, at the end of which, under the left bank, there is a drain of more than 1m with a hard barrel.

Talus Canyon is like a string of pearls — we pass several thresholds: Pyramid, Rhinoceros and Curve. 

This is the most technically interesting obstacle of the Aksout.

After the canyon there is a relatively calm area, on the left there is a great clearing where you can stand up to inspect the Red Rapids and Two bridges — we can pass them without an intermediate stop.

We moor to the shore, pull out catamarans, set up camp and arrange traditional gatherings by the fire. 

We share our impressions of the past days, look at pictures and videos, and enjoy delicious food.

After dinner we go to rest.

After breakfast, we continue our adventure. 

Today we finish rafting on the Aksaut River.

Today's route (rafting on the Aksaut River): canyon Two bridges (3 km.s.) — port. The kiss of Chanita — por. Crocodile — pore. Surprise (3 k.s.) — village Khasaut is Greek.

Before passing the rapids, we must inspect them from the shore for local obstacles and only after that we set off. 

Depending on the general readiness of the group, we either pass or pass waterfall-type thresholds.

Once again, we pass the Two Bridges Canyon and move on.

Beyond the canyon, the river changes its character somewhat: the valley narrows, the rapids are more localized, as a rule, their length does not exceed 40-50 m, each is preceded by a shiver.

We immediately pass the threshold of the explosive nature of Chanita's Kiss, followed by a short hundred-meter canyon with a simple Crocodile threshold.

Beyond the canyon is the Shiver series. 

We go without inspection to the bridge over the Aksaut. 

The Surprise threshold is a disorderly pile of large pouring and semi-pouring stones with hard barrels of more than 1m behind them.

We finish our trip in the village of Khasau-Greek.

We disassemble the catamarans, dry them and assemble the equipment. 

We load into the bus and return to Nevinnomyssk.

On the spot, we go to the sauna and have lunch in a cafe so that we can go home clean, well-fed and full of impressions.

Transfer to the railway station.