Guide to cities and countries. monk's cave

On the right rocky side, 300 m above the level of the Kurzhips River. According to legend, a hermit monk lived here in 1516. He practiced medicine, using the healing water from the waterfall flowing out of the cave.

Despite its proximity to civilization, the Monakhov Cave has been little explored. The reason for this is the siphon (karst spring), which is located almost immediately at the entrance. Speleologists-submariners plunged into it a couple of times, but could not reach the bottom, oxygen was running out at a depth of several tens of meters. However, part of the cave can be viewed if you make your way inside along the stream - two halls with underground waterfalls will open.

A stream flows from the cave. Tourists do not go to Monakhov's Cave, they are limited only to viewing the grotto. It is impossible to enter the cave without a wetsuit and scuba gear, as it is necessary to dive into the cold water and dive through the siphon.

Tourists do not go to Monakhov's Cave, they are limited only to viewing the grotto. It is impossible to enter the cave without a wetsuit and scuba gear, as it is necessary to dive into the cold water and dive through the siphon. The total length of the studied passage of the cave is 630 m, which makes it one of the largest known underwater caves in the Caucasus. The divers also laid 120 m of a new running end in the far part of the cave and replaced the running end at the beginning of the cave.

The location of the cave is very picturesque. In several places, the trees part, forming beautiful gazebos for relaxing, with soft and clean grass. From here open beautiful views on the gorge, in the depths of which Kurdzhips winds, sometimes the whistle of a steam locomotive is heard, slowly moving along the bottom of the gorge. A stream flowing out of the cave flows through a boxwood forest, and a huge rocky grotto hangs over a small clearing, under which there is a transparent backwater. The terrace ends with a multi-meter rocky drop, from the walls of which, breaking into thousands of drops and jets, the Monks waterfall falls. Along the edges of the glade there are observation platforms on the Guam Gorge, a railway is visible below, on the contrary - Lagonaki ridge. Rock spiers are visible to the right of the cave. You can climb on them - there is also a beautiful panorama from there. From the spire you can see a waterfall formed by a stream flowing out of the cave. You can go down to the bottom of the waterfall from the left side, along a specially lowered pine tree, but it is better to use a rope if the group has one. The trail leading down to the Guam Gorge starts a few meters from the place of descent under the waterfall, goes steeply down the slope and comes out to the Kurdzhips River.

There are three routes to Monakhova Cave.

The first version of the route goes from the village of Mezmai in the direction of the Eagle shelf, then turns onto the Guama ridge and comes to Kolyadikhina meadow. Through the Kolyadikha glade, it first goes along the tractor portage to the lower right corner of the clearing, then to the path descending to the Monk's Cave.

The second option of the route to Monakhovaya Cave - you need to go from below along the narrow gauge railway from the village of Guamka or take a motor-cart to the restaurant, and then cross near it to the right bank. The monk's cave and the waterfall flowing out of it are approximately opposite the restaurant. In order to cross to the right bank, you can use the services of guides or a restaurant watchman - they pulled a cable over the river, through which, with the help of a safety system and a roller, the crossing takes place. During the period of low water, Kurdzhips can also wade, 50 meters above the cafe, where there is even a descent to the water.
After the crossing, the path to the cave lies along a barely noticeable path vertically up a steep slope overgrown with boxwood. A steep climb leads to the foot of the waterfall.
The ascent to the cave begins just below a flat area under the waterfall. Having descended a little lower and found a path under the overhanging rocks, you can climb to the platforms located above the waterfall. Tourist camps equipped by tourists on rocky shelves under the waterfall are very picturesque with the view of falling water. And the platforms located on the right and left above the waterfall impress with a grandiose view of the deep Guam Gorge. From them you can see a canvas at the very bottom of the gorge railway. rock outcrops and alpine meadows Lagonaki ridge. To the right of the cave, remnant rocks look like grandiose peaks.

The third version of the route goes from the village of Guamka. Tourists first cross over the suspension bridge at the Guamka tourist hotel and go towards the rocky outcrops of the western end of the Guamka Gorge. The gap in the rocky ridge is clearly visible. A tractor trailer goes to it from below and leads to the lumberjacks' plot. From the place of the old plot, a clear path appears, which rises in a serpentine to an observation point, from which a delightful view of the village of Guamka and its environs opens. Further, the trail along the ridge leads to the Kalyadykhin glade. They continue their way along the portage to the lower right corner of the clearing, from where the path to the Monk's Cave begins. The trail is barely visible, but there are notches in the trees. There is a steep descent down the trail to the Monk's Cave.

The route to the Monk's Cave is not very easy, so you need to have a little physical preparation. But all efforts will be compensated a hundredfold in the form of impressions and emotions.

Dry beam canyon and Monakhov stream are the left and right tributaries of the frisky and rapid river Kurdzhips ( pear water - from the Adygs.), originating from the plateau of the Lagonaki Highlands. Both tributaries flow into the course of the Kurdzhips in guam gorge, about 1 km. from each other. This expands the scope of ideas about the gorge as an object, the sights of which are located exclusively in the linear plane along the river, and increases its overall attractiveness. The only difference is that along the main line along the narrow gauge railway, people walk and ride in herds, and, thank God, only a few wander into the above-mentioned tributaries.

After laying at the end of the 20th century an asphalt highway to the village. Guamka, now thanks to walking distance luxurious Guam Gorge literally turned into a passage yard for independent groups and organized excursions delivered here by whole buses. Alas, the increasing anthropogenic factors do not add joy. The narrow-gauge railway itself is a foreign body against the backdrop of a wonderful natural landscape. But this element has long been familiar and is already taken for granted and inalienable, as a kind of decor, a monument of the past, introduced in the early Soviet period to meet the economic needs of the country. But when they decided to breathe a second life into the gorge and began to “beautify”: to fence a yellow (?!) fence near the river cliff, hang wires along the rocks with snot, they launched a new exotic idiotic train ( marholina), from the windows of which you can’t really see anything, then personally this caused indignation inside me. The argument in favor of the need for marholina under the pretext of observing safety precautions is an absurd and unconvincingly camouflaged pretext to cut money from the people. Markholina reaches only half of the gorge due to the unsatisfactory technical condition of the narrow-gauge railway for the rest of its length, and then the people go on foot. Until 9.00 and after 17.00, as well as on Monday and Tuesday, there is no marholina at all, and people are allowed to walk as and where they like for free. Well, where is the logic here, where is the observance of safety regulations?

But the real misfortune today is the moth butterfly, brought from abroad with imported boxwood for landscaping Olympic facilities! Having remarkably acclimatized and bred with us, she now eats up her sweet soul everywhere like relict boxwoods in wild nature, and garden in parks and squares of cities and regions. Half of the boxwoods in the gorge, for which it was famous, have already been gnawed. Oil painting! Thinking about such things used to somehow seriously affect my mood and prevented me from sleeping soundly at night. But then, having become convinced that the Great Kaput of this sinful and indecent world was just around the corner, I began to treat this calmly and philosophically. In the meantime, as Captain Skvortsov said, we will still live!
The elder trodden the trails on the September Kardyvachi, but we modestly and as a family descended here on Monday. Therefore, they walked all the way along the gorge to the mouth of the beam on foot and free of charge in both directions. On a fine autumn day, the water in Kurdzhips is not so stormy, but it is clean.

With u x a i b a l k a.The route begins on a high wooden bridge, mounted on a reinforced metal structure. In the relatively recent past, a regular marholina ran from Guamka to Mezmay through the gorge, as long as the quality of the narrow gauge railway allowed it. During the war, the bridge became famous for the fact that partisans blew it up twice, ambushing the Nazis. And even earlier, the Circassians used the local favorable conditions to destroy a large detachment of the Janissaries, who attempted to force the local population to lime. The tactic was simple: as soon as the last Turk entered the gorge, it was littered on both sides with an artificial rockfall and formed a trap. Well, then single, but very numerous pebbles flew from above. The chaotically scattered corpses of Turkish warriors in the process of smoldering emitted a stench that spread throughout the valley for a long time. From here from the Adyghe Guam- A bad, rotten smell, and not the Gorge of a broken enemy, as some fabulists interpret. In general, the history of this wonderful place is quite bloody.

The beam stream flows out of a deep rocky crevice and runs under the bridge, flows into Kurdzhips. And if you decide to turn onto the tributary, then the imposing part of the walk along the flat Guam Gorge, where you can afford to walk in indoor slippers with a can of beer and popcorn, ends, and the outdoor extreme begins. Until the moment when ropes and wire railings were pulled in difficult sections, there was perhaps a real extreme. About 20 years ago, the situation looked somewhat simpler: the bridge design included a stationary metal staircase, which made it possible to conveniently descend to the riverbed. But when one drunken sightseer had the imprudence to rattle from it, the stairs were cut off, eliminating this accessible temptation. However, the loss of the ladder and the temporary absence of an alternative most likely led to even greater negative consequences.

A wonderful and appropriate sign to scare away teapots and idle mouthers.

Thus, the intricate section of the descent to the stream is waiting for the traveler immediately, at the exit from the bridge to the path. Further, in the beam itself, it is technically simpler, but not at all safer. Dry- this is a phraseological mockery, semantic quotes, ironically implying the situation exactly the opposite. In fact, it is necessary to move, overcoming countless fords. But the most insidious thing is slippery stones and logs that require constant attention and internal mobilization. But what a miracle it is, and only 150 km away. from Krasnodar! Definitely worth the effort. There are not as many people in the beam as in the gorge itself, and the nature is wild and untouched by anyone and nothing. Moreover, here you enter into direct contact with her. The purest water, on which you slosh your feet and drink it, baths and fonts from pale greenish to deep green. Rocks, huge boulders and lush polyozoic thickets. It seems that some dinosaur will jump out of the bushes, or a flock of pterodactels will fly up...
For some time, the trail winds in zigzags from above at the level of the bridge, then slightly dropping, then gaining height, until finally it is hard falls into the creek.

Here you sink to the bottom of the gorge and, without preamble, plunge into a rather long ford.

Remember, aunt, childhood is golden

However, it is possible to avoid the deepest section of this ford if there is a harness with a carabiner, since from the beginning of the descent from the rocks into the water, a thick wire is stretched obliquely on the opposite wall of the rock. A rope is lowered from the end of the wire to shallow water in a similar way (visible in the previous photo against the background of a rock). To be honest, the meaning of the add-on is not entirely clear. sophistication in a situation where a whole bunch of similar fords are still waiting for you ahead. Passing the first ford , we found ourselves in the grip of an even larger, mighty and narrow gorge, visually very similar to one of the gorges of the Tsitse canyon, or Glubokoy Beam in the Lago-Naki highlands.

Wow, cheeks...!

This gloomy and slightly pressing gorge quickly turns into an expansion of the Dry Beam canyon. A sun-drenched rocky valley appears, a lot of greenery. On the sides, on both sides, more welcoming rock bastions, illuminated by daylight, are located at a somewhat remote distance. Famous place!

Upon exiting the gorge on the right, a deep and spacious grotto immediately appeared with a pacifying backwater in the form of a flowing lake in its threshold. The twilight of the grotto and the backwater shining in the sun create an amazing contrast of light and mood.

If the water in Kurdzhips is simply clean, then here it is crystal clear

Inside the grotto

A large grotto turns into an amphitheater with small and similar miniature grottoes, as if hollowed out by someone at the bottom of a vertical wall and divided by partitions. Direct hostel for gnomes.

Glade of grottoes and stone jungle. How many flat places for a tent ...

Got carried away though. It's time to move on, otherwise the pants have already begun to dry out

On the orographically right tributary of the Yavoriv waterfall. The total height of the discharge and water slides is about 80 meters. But right now, water is not enough.

"Walking" relief leading to the middle part of the waterfall

A local canyon leading to the foot of another serious gully waterfall.

Here you have to work hard

But this time, the extreme dam of the canyon, in front of the exit to the waterfall, turned out to be chest-deep. No one wanted to dive yet, so we didn’t approach the waterfall directly from below, but went back and approached from above.

Back on the "highway"

Here he is. The water in it is always decent, as there is a waterfall on the main channel. Good! You still need to dive in!

So you still claim that this Beam is dry?!

What, doesn't it look like?

Kamenyuki, kamenyuki, and I'm so small. Now I'm scared, then I'm sad, then I lose my peace ...

Finally fed up with the spectacle, the people demanded bread. We wander, looking for a cozy place to relax and have a snack in all this relief unbridledness.

This was not long in coming. We settled at this backwater with a small waterfall. And here, until the end of the sanely passable part of the canyon, there were only 50-70 meters left.

At the end of the route, like the final coda in a symphony, there is a magnificent vast backwater with the deepest font, as if offering to finally surrender to the procedure of bathing and rest.

Above the font hang piers and a large mossy log, as if by order, thrown over by a bridge from one bank to another. It is convenient to dive both from the rocks and from the log itself. Depth of the font 5 meters

However, by the way...!

It's time to return. Time goes fast

Let's get acquainted!

M o n a h o v o d o d o f d e s p e s ch e r o y.The decision in one short daylight to run to the Dry beam, and then climb to Monakhov's waterfall smacked of a gamble. We left the balka late, at 16.30. At 17.00 they flooded on the Monk. And at 19.00 it is already completely covered with darkness. It is clear that we will find the upper grottoes already at dusk, and we will have to steer home in the dark. As an adult, it would be worth abandoning this venture. But what can you do with these hounded and stubborn? Himself like that. Greed has taken over again.

Transition of Kurdzhips through shallow water to the opposite shore, near the cosmonauts' house and the final stop of the marholina.

Now there is little water in the Monk's Creek. And in winter, its mouth with Kurdzhips looks like this:

We go around the waterfall on the left and hurry up to a beautiful and cozy beech meadow. Along the way, we capture rocky teeth sticking out of the forest above the cliff, from which an insignificant view of the Guam Gorge opens from top to bottom.

Can you tell me, uncle, did a flock of greenlings fly past you here?

No, dear baby, only two passing crocodiles. One green, the other to Africa...

Below you can see a narrow-gauge railway along Kurdzhips

A clearing with overhanging grottoes, as expected, was caught at dusk. Therefore, I bring pictures from this wonderful place six years ago, October 2010. God, how time flies...!

Beech glade

Okay, some good stuff. It's time to lose honor. And then they completely lost their audacity ...

When leaving the gorge, it immediately became dark. Highway strip from Apshernosk to st. Saratovskaya - these are continuous sections of the roadbed broken by heavy trucks, in which gravel road is unpleasantly present instead of asphalt. Therefore, it is advisable to overcome the indicated distance all the same in daylight, in order to slow down in advance and in time in front of these jambs. Otherwise, additional stress.
In general, a successful and very timely departure on one of the last fine days before the upcoming cyclone. Thanks to all participants for the company!

The waterfall and the cave from which the stream flows, forming the waterfall itself, are located on the right (orographically) side of the Guam Gorge, directly opposite the restaurant in the center of the canyon. In order to cross to the right bank, you can use the services of guides or a restaurant watchman - they pulled a cable over the river, through which, with the help of a safety system and a roller, the crossing takes place. During the period of low water, Kurdzhips can also wade, 50 meters above the cafe, where there is even a descent to the water.

After the crossing, we set off vertically up a steep slope overgrown with boxwood. The main thing here is not to lose the path. Landmark - keep to the left (along the way) branches of the paths. Along the way, there are picturesque weirs covered with travertine on a shallow stream, a lone powerful pine tree with several girths.

Soon, a steep ascent leads to the foot of the waterfall, where water, breaking away from a thin cornice, falls down from a height of fifteen meters. Under the jet there is a grotto, which can only be climbed on a very slippery rock. Many mistakenly take this grotto for the Monk's Cave. However, it is not.

The path to the cave starts just below the platform under the waterfall. You need literally 15 meters to go back along the path and find a path hidden under overhanging bushes. Further, the trail is perfectly readable and leads directly to the parking lots above the waterfall. If you started climbing the wrong way, you will most likely need free climbing skills.

Parking above the waterfall and under the cave make an indelible impression! They are located on a kind of rock bed, completely horizontal, bounded from below by a cliff from which the Monakhov waterfall falls, and from above by overhanging grottoes, in one of which there is a Monakhov cave with a stream flowing from it and a dam forming a kind of lake.

There is another lake directly in front of the waterfall - here the crystal clear water, protected from the wind, forms an almost perfect mirror in which overhanging plants are reflected. You can watch a short reflection video:

Entrance to monk's cave located right there in the grotto, from which the stream originates. Despite its proximity to civilization, the cave has not been fully explored. The reason for this is the siphon, which is located almost immediately at the entrance. They say divers once dived into it, but after a few tens of meters their oxygen ran out and they were forced to return back.

The name "Monks" according to legend is due to the fact that almost a hundred years ago a hermit monk lived in the grottoes near the cave.

Comments:

Message from: Maksim
Now the Monks waterfall is much larger. Were 05/11/2012

Message from: Alexei
Last year we crawled deep into the cave with headlamps

Message from: nikita
Help. I want to get to the waterfall by car, is it possible? If so, please send me a map

Message from: nikita
No, it's only on foot

Message from: Evgeniy
By car, you can drive up from Mezmay, almost from the cave itself. Do not drive 600-700 meters. Then only on foot.

Message from: Ivan
Who knows if the cable is still stretched from the side of the cafe

Message from: Evgeniy
Today we were there - the cable is in place

Message from: Evgeniy
30.05.2017

Message from: Paul
Can you elaborate on what kind of cafe is the terminus of the narrow-gauge railway?

Message from: Nicholas
Tell me please, did you go to Mezmay, what landmarks? I never found it and went to the Eagle Shelves. [email protected]- write the answer if it's not hard?

Message from: Ladomir
It’s still decent to go from the eagle shelves! I was driving by car using the navigator through Mikhailov Kamen, the road was very bad in places, although there was no rain, it skidded a couple of times! UAZ Patriot

This is one of the longest excursions we offer. The start of the trip should be planned at the very beginning of the day, around eight in the morning, but no later than ten, because. the day will be full of vivid impressions. We recommend that you bring cameras, phones and cameras with you so that you can capture everything you see and keep it for a long time.
The main goal of our tour is an unusual and very beautiful cave, which has been called "Monakhova" since time immemorial. Like most other names geographical objects local meaning, the origins of the name are not exactly known. And as always, there are only various assumptions and conjectures, sometimes the most unusual and wonderful.
So one of the legends says that it was here, near this cave, that in ancient times a monk lived for a long time, whose name is no longer preserved either in memory or in legends.

He is known for healing people from various ailments and diseases.
And now I would like to tell a little about the cave itself. On the right side - the wall of the Kurdzhipsky canyon, somewhere in the middle, many years ago a rather large ledge was formed, where our cave is located. It is more convenient to go through the cave in summer, because a rivulet flows out of it - the water there is unusually cold, and in the warm season - the water becomes a little warmer and you can go inside. The cave is small in length with its small, but very beautiful waterfall and a water well hiding underground grottoes.
On a ledge in the middle of the cliff, there is also an observation deck that offers views of the Guam Gorge and Guamka itself, as well as very high cliffs and nesting eagles. Here we can enjoy all this with a cup of fragrant and unusual hot mountain tea.

Our route, as always, can be divided into two conditionally equal parts: hiking to the cave and returning back. The first part of the excursion we have to overcome one long climb through the rocky terrain among the mixed broad-leaved forest. Due to its small density, you will open the forest expanses in all its glory. It is also very possible to meet with wild animals: roe deer, hare, etc. Then, having risen, our path passes into a predominantly calm and majestic coniferous forest, then the path jumps out into open sunny and joyful meadows, on which there used to be mowing villagers.

Over the waterfall

And finally, at the end of our first part of the route, we need to go down a rather steep descent and - we are there.
After our rest at the cave, it remains only to return home. The way back will add impressions and vivid emotions. Moreover, you have to go down the slope down to the Guam Gorge, among coniferous trees: yew, fir ... After the descent, we will ferry you to the opposite bank of the Kurdzhips River in climbing harnesses along a special cable. And the rest of the way will pass along a flat path through the Guam Gorge in the village. Mezmay.

For those who have chosen this excursion, I would like to say that the hike is not very easy, so you need to have a little physical preparation. But all efforts will be compensated a hundredfold - in the form of impressions and emotions. I would also like to note that this route is circular, that is, we return by a different route, which is an indisputable advantage over other excursions.

Resting place

Initially, the route was planned as follows: Guamka - Guamskoe gorge ("on a steam locomotive") - Monakhov waterfall + cave (radially) - Dry beam (Yavorov waterfall) - return to Guamka "on a steam locomotive". Mikhail Lakhin, a respected person in Guamka and an experienced guide, climber, was supposed to accompany us at the initial stage. The most convenient approach to the Monakhov Falls and the cave, according to Mikhail, is from below, from the side of the Guam Gorge. So you want, you don't want we had to take the train. The ticket price per person is 200 rubles. The ticket is valid round trip. You can go to the gorge on the first flight, walk there all day. The last flight to Guamka is at 17:30. If you lose your ticket, returning by train to Guamka will cost 100 rubles. For residents of Guamka and Mezmai (registration required), travel by train is free.

After 18:00 (actually after 17:30) all gates open and walking through the gorge is free throughout.
The train through the gorge is only 1.5 km. to the cafe at the mouth of the Monakhov creek. Nothing is visible from the car, so 200 rubles. for such a dubious pleasure - not justifiably expensive. Alternative (foot) movement in the gorge is officially prohibited, under the pretext of a security threat.

To get to the waterfall and the monk's cave, you need to cross to the opposite, right bank of the Kurdzhips. A rope with a roller is stretched directly from the cafe to the opposite shore - you can cross in your own harness. The tether's owner Arthur doesn't mind using the tether with his gear. But you can cross the Kurdzhips just above the cafe (50m) ford. Even after heavy rains, the ford turned out to be easy (knee-deep). All you need is an alpenstock (stick) - the current in this place is not strong, the bottom is without tricks.

Having crossed the Monakhov stream above the estuary waterfall, the path climbs steeply along the orographically right (on the left along the way) slope in boxwood thickets. The waterfall is located on the right tributary of the Monakhov stream, the climb from Kurdzhips is 200 meters. Going down a little, bypassing the waterfall on the left (along the way) there is a path to the cave of the Monk (Monakhova). There are several grottoes near the cave. A stream flows out of the cave, making a very low sound (infrasound).

From the cave (to the right along the way) up to the Kolyadikhin meadow there is a path with blue markings - slippery after rain. From the glade on the maps to the right is a path (road) towards the Berezovaya glade, but it is overgrown and we did not find it. Therefore, we went along the knurled road, actually along the crest of the Guama Ridge - this turned out to be a big detour. There was a fork to the left - the path to Guamka to the Walnut Grove?

After small wanderings (a lot of roads, portages and paths) we went "along the azimuth" to the upper observation deck above the Eagle shelf. There is no descent from here to the shelf itself, so we went along the path along the upper edge of the cliff towards Mezmay. Lots along the way viewing platforms, including towards Mezmay. After 1.5 km. the trail went down to the main "autobahn" from Mezmay to Orlinaya shelf. We decided to go radially to the ledge, passing again along the same rocks, but now from below.

Eagle shelf popular excursion object from Mezmay with an excellent panorama of the village itself and the surrounding mountains.
Having gone down to the outskirts of the village, without going into it, we went to railway bridge across the Kurdzhips River and already along the sleepers returned to Guamka, having passed the entire Guamskoe gorge on foot. We missed the last train, but we weren't too upset. You have to walk along the gorge, slowly. By the way, many people do this. After 18:00 we met about 100 people walking along the Guam Gorge.

Of course, we did not go to the waterfall in Sukhoi Balka - it was too late. We decided that Dry Beam is a separate route and it is better to visit it in August-September .