Hiking in Pyatigorsk

We leave the hotel at 8:30 and an hour later we drive up to the southwestern outskirts of the village of Etoka. 

You have to walk about 1.5 km before the start of the climb. 

We climb to the top — about 400 meters vertically — along paths or grassy slopes. 

The ascent takes 1.5-2 hours. 

The descent to the cars takes about an hour. 

Transfer to the village of Yutsa to climb the peak of the same name.

Yutsa (Jutsa 1st), 973 m.

The entrance through the village of Yutsa to the airfield, where paragliding athletes are based, train and fly from. 

From here, the hike to the top of Mount Yutsa begins — about 200 meters vertically, which takes about 1.5 hours. 

In winter, when the road is covered with snow or ice, the pedestrian part starts slightly lower and extends the time to climb to the top by 1.5-2 hours.

The descent to the cars takes about an hour.

Location: Pyatigorsk.

Meals: breakfast.

Mashuk is the start of the ascent from the monuments above the Aeolian Harp.

Mashuk is the most popular peak of Kavminvod, sung by great Russian poets. 

It is located within the city of Pyatigorsk, the blocks of which frame the mountain from the south, west and north.

We leave the hotel at 8:30-9:00. 

A short 20-minute walk to the famous Pyatigorsk Sinkhole. 

Then a 1.5-kilometer walk (transfer) to the Aeolian Harp and ascent along the "Bernardazzi trail" in the direction of the top of Mount Mashuk.

The distance from the Aeolian Harp to the top of the mountain is about 1.5 km, the altitude difference on the route reaches 400 m. 

The trail goes along the edge of the forest, and then through an open space, which turns into a subalpine meadow closer to the top.

Grave Russian military topographer and mountaineer A.V. Pastukhov. The trail approaches the lonely grave of the Russian military topographer and climber. 

From the monument there are a hundred steps up to the upper station of the cable car and the TV tower.

After bypassing the territory of the TV tower, we go down the steps, and then along the path of the western slope, which in 30-40 minutes leads to the "Glade of Songs". 

The journey is about 1.8 km long and takes about 40 minutes. 

Then there is a 10—minute descent along an asphalt footpath from the lower part of the Clearing to the place of M. Y. Lermontov's duel, where we get into cars and return to the hotel.

Location: Pyatigorsk.

Meals: breakfast.

Departure from the hotel at 8:30, an hour later we drive up to the ring road (826 m above sea level), which goes around Mount Beshtau — the highest point of Kavminvod with a drop from the paved road of about 700 meters.

Then the pedestrian part of the ascent begins. 

We are walking along the trail prepared at the beginning of the twentieth century by activists of the Caucasian Mining Society, in some places along an old dirt road. 

We go out to the pass between the Main peak of Beshtau and the Goat Rocks. 

Next, we climb the path bypassing (on the left in the direction of movement) the Yesenin rock. 

In places, the slope steepness reaches 40 degrees.

The ascent from the pass to the exit to the eastern ridge of the Main peak takes about 1.5 hours. 

At the exit point is the "Temple of the Sun" — a popular tourist attraction. 

We walk another 15-20 minutes to the west and go out to the technological fence at the top. 

On average, climbing Beshtau takes 3.5-4 hours.

There are several descent options from the top of Beshtau, for example: the descent is carried out along the ascent path. 

Or along a well-trodden trail, a 20-minute descent to the saddle towards the top of Maly Tau. 

From the saddle, along the way, we climb about 150 meters to the top. 

Then we go down the trail in a north-westerly direction. 

We approach the well-visible rock massif "Eagle Rocks". 

From the lower edge of the rocks we go out through the ring road to the cars that are waiting in the parking lot of the guest house "Eagle Rocks", Lermontov. 

Another option of descent, passes along the trail of the southern ridge in the direction of the Assumption of the Second Athos Beshtaugorsky monastery. 

All descent options take about 1.5 hours.

Location: Pyatigorsk.

Meals: breakfast.

The Golden Mound is one of the simplest and easiest peaks to climb.

Check-out from the hotel at 8:30.

The road to the village of Tambukan, which lies at the foot of the Golden Kurgan Mountain, takes about an hour. 

The mountain has the shape of an asymmetric dome with a cone-shaped peak crowning a slightly hilly plateau with a height of 600-700 m. 

The start is a kilometer from the western outskirts of the village of Tambukan at the intersection of roads on the northwestern slope.

The cars come as close as possible to the domed top. 

The ascent on foot with a vertical drop of about 250 meters takes 1.5-2 hours. 

The peak is an excellent panoramic point, which views 10 peaks of the KMV. 

The descent from the top to the cars takes about 40 minutes.

Transfer to the airport or railway station. 

The recommended departure time is after 19:00.

Meals: breakfast.