Among the many picturesque lakes of Crimea, there are so small that they do not even have their own specific name, that is, they are associated with neighboring attractions. But they are not without their charm, always attracting the attention of tourists. Such reservoirs include small lake at the Shaan-Kaya rock, not far from Alupka.

Where is the reservoir located in Crimea?

The lake is located near the picturesque Shaan-Kaya rock, closest to it, a little further - and. In the list of natural attractions of Crimea it ranks worthy place against the backdrop of tourist “giants”. By the way, according to some sources the reservoir is called Kasimovsky.

Lake on the map of Crimea

Geological past of the lake

The Shaan-Kaya rock, near which there is a lake, is remarkable in itself. Obeying tectonic movements, it separated from and “crawled” one and a half kilometers towards the sea.

Now it rises as a huge block, about 250 m high (871 m above sea level), which has a rock mirror with a negative slope on the southern side. not far from the rock formation arose as a result of a local decrease in the relief and karst waters coming to the surface in this place. Eating underground sources, it has clean water, remaining cold even on hot summer days.

Such an unusual relief, determined by geology, made the rock one of the most difficult in the former USSR. It was climbed by climbers only in 1966, and three daredevils received the title of Union champions for completing the route.

Emerald bead over Alupka

The lake near the Shaan-Kaya rock, as already noted, is very small. But it is very popular both among local residents and guests of the peninsula.
It’s easy to get to it; you need to turn off the Yuzhnoberezhnoe Highway towards the mountains right above Alupka, in the area of ​​the “Pitomnik” stop.

There are two trails leading to the pond and rock formation, one of which is called “Jewish”. The trails are interesting in themselves; they wind through huge boulders, sometimes enter small pine forests, and at times cross tiny vineyards.

You will have to walk not far, only about one and a half kilometers. The lake is clearly visible from afar; on fine days there are always tents of tourists and fishermen here. Fishing in the reservoir is not so rich, but crucian carp, perch and carp are caught regularly.

But often people come here simply in search of a quiet holiday. There is none of the usual beach bustle here, and the air smells of pine needles and mountain flowers. Unfortunately, a few years ago there was a powerful fire not far from the reservoir, and part of the forest is now turning black, as a reproach and a reminder of human frivolity.

Magnificent views open from the shores of the unnamed lake. The peaks around are located in a wide amphitheater; in the foreground rises the beautiful Shaan-Kaya - “Falcon Mountain”. Its rock mirror with a significant negative slope (by the way, the largest in the former Soviet Union) constantly attracts desperate people.

Traditionally, this is a place for rock climbing competitions, but recently it has been chosen by both paragliding enthusiasts. Of course, because jumping from a cliff makes it possible to fly more than 220 m in the air. Sitting on the shore of a lake, you can enjoy the spectacle of the competition of these desperate athletes.

If your plan was to spend the night on the lake near the Shaan-Kaya rock and stay here for several days, then you definitely need to stock up on water and provisions, because you will have to walk about an hour to the nearest store. But you can also find firewood for a fire on the banks of a small pond, in the nearest forest.

A fire is necessary here for two reasons. Firstly, the water in the reservoir is cold; after a day of swimming, warming up by the fire will be completely useful. Secondly, the nights on the lake are simply unforgettable! Its clear water reflects the stars, surrounded by the mighty rim of the Ai-Petri spurs. It seems as if you are looking at a huge frying pan, at the bottom of which sparkles of stars are scattered. If you are staying here for a couple of days, then you can make one-day radial trips to the yayla: to, to the side Swallow's nest or Baydar Valley.

How to get to the lake?

How to get to the lake near the Shaan-Kaya rock in Crimea is interestingly described just above. For those who know their way around a map better, we offer a detailed route from Yalta:

Note to tourists

  • Address: Shaan-Kaya rock, Alupka village, Crimea, Russia.
  • Coordinates: 44°25′22″N (44.42282), 34°1′38″E (34.027327).

Alupka - with its park, gazebos and magnificent beaches - has long gained fame as the pearl of Crimea. But in its vicinity there are such interesting places, like a lake near the Shaan-Kaya rock: “unpromoted”, little known to the general public. But they are the ones that are worthy of visiting, leaving their unforgettable, modest and charming mark on the souls of tourists. It is quite possible that with the passage of time it will be discovered that this trace is much deeper and more significant than what remains in the memory of the elaborate palaces.

Shaan-Kaya (Nishan-kaya, Ishan-Kaya, Target) - a strongly overhanging peak standing separately from the Ai-Petrinskaya yayla (871 m listen) near Alupka on the southern coast of Crimea. It is not part of the Main Range of the Crimean Mountains, but is extended to the sea, in front of the Alupka Wall. Translated from Turkic, Shaan-Kaya means “Falcon Rock,” accessible only to falcons. The difference of the wall on the south side is about 250 m, the northern slope is more gentle.

Two paths lead past this rock onto the plateau, going around the rock on the left and right.

Shaan-Kaya is a cult mountain for Crimean mountaineering; there are only a few routes to the top, and almost all of them are extremely difficult. The first ascent of the wall was made by the team of V. Pavlotos (Yalta) in 1966. More than 250 bolts were used for the passage. IN last years The Shaan Kai area is popular among baldringers. Under the mountain there are many stones up to 5 meters high, where bouldering festivals were held. From the top of Shaan Kai they jumped "BASE" and "ROUPE JUMP".

The entire height of the mountain cliff consists of very strong light gray massive and only in places unclearly layered recrystallized Upper Jurassic limestones. They formed on the shelf part of the shallow bottom of the Tethys Ocean about 130 million years ago. It was a warm sea. Limestones were formed from the skeletal remains of organisms that lived at the bottom of this ocean. Mainly from the remains of corals and lime-secreting algae. Later, the organic remains were compacted and recrystallized under the influence of pressure from the overlying rocks (which were not preserved) and turned into very strong limestones. A small number of cracks in these rocks, on the one hand, makes the wall of Shaan-Kai resistant to landslides and screes, and on the other hand, creates certain difficulties when passing it on rocky routes.

Limestones emerged from under the ocean level and acquired their present position as a result of mining processes that created Crimean mountains on the site of the former Tethys Ocean. Climbing routes on Shaan-Kaya require quite a high level of preparation - route category is not lower than 5B according to the mountaineering classification, the level of climbing on some routes reaches 8B. Because of its complexity and unruliness, Mount Shaan-Kaya is a landmark in mountaineering and rock climbing. This mountain has never been climbed by free climbing.

Video "ROUPE JUMP"

How to get there?

To get to Shaan-Kaya, you need to get to the Alupka “Pitomnik” stop (routes No. 42, 28 from the Yalta bus station), and from there up the road, then through the vineyards onto a dirt road that leads almost under the wall.

Shaan-Kaya, Nishan, Ishan, Target, Shanghai - all these are names of the same object - an impregnable rock, separated from the Ai-Petrinskaya yayla and located not far from Alupka. But no matter how they call it, absolutely everyone who has visited this place agrees: there are not so many corners of similar beauty on Earth.

The stone beauty, although it does not have a record height (871 meters), has left an impressive mark on the history of mountaineering. And to this day, summiteers consider it an honor to be able to climb a mountain accessible only to falcons.

Story

The main name of the rock is translated as “Falcon”. Perhaps this is due to the fact that for a long time she remained undefeated and only birds could touch her highest point. It was the most difficult peak for climbers from all over the former Soviet Union. Only in 1966, a group of three people led by V. Pavlotos conquered the proud Shaan-Kaya. All daredevils received champion medals for a new world record.

Peculiarities

Today, Shanghai is a fairly busy area, especially its southern slope, which is a light gray wall with an obvious negative slope and a height difference of 250 meters. The rock mirror on this side is smooth, with a minimum of cracks, and only occasionally there are layers of limestone.

Many people dream of trying their hand at the difficult trails here, the category of which is no lower than 5A. In addition to rock climbers, rope jumpers, paragliders and boulderers have recently started visiting here. Extreme sports enthusiasts are attracted by the opportunity to soar freely for almost 220 meters. Brave competitions lure even unprepared audiences with their entertainment. Although tourists without experience will also be able to climb without any problems, they will only do it along the northern flat side.

And if you don’t want to bother yourself with walks along bear trails, then you won’t be bored anyway. Beautiful Observation deck with a view of the mountain and people, either crawling up or jumping in the opposite direction, is located near a small lake directly opposite. This is a unique local landmark. The emerald pond with clean and always cool water does not deserve any name, but is very popular among savage tent campers. In addition to hardening swimming, fishing is also possible here. We advise you to come overnight to admire how the stars color the lake with small sparkles, surrounded by a mountain amphitheater and the white facade of Shaan.

How to get there

To start climbing, you need to get to the “Pitomnik” or “Pozharka” stop near Alupka. They will help you with this minibuses, plying between Yalta and Simeiz. There are direct routes from the Sevastopol direction Shuttle Buses to Alupka or Yalta, which will also suit you. From the highway there are paths that go up through the vineyards, and then the dirt road leads directly to the wall. The paths go around the rock on both sides and lead to the top.

Mount Shaan-Kaya, whose height reaches 871 meters above sea level, is located near Alupka.
For the first time, a team of V. Pavlotos (Yalta) climbed the wall: V. Pavlotos - Y. Ganchev - M. Reznichenko.
This ascent took place from November 6 to November 13, 1966, for which they used about 250 bolts.

The climbers spent 6 nights on the wall in specially designed platforms (they were then called “hard hammocks”). For more than 20 years, the route was not repeated, remaining a legend of Crimean mountaineering and having a reputation as dangerous and almost impassable.

The route was named "Zenith".
For that time it was an epoch-making event.

Shaan-kai was a myth. The impassability of Zenit is a myth that has existed since 1966. And each new team that came down from him in order to somehow explain their failure, reinforced it with their story - the myth pumped up and swelled. Even the fact that the mountain stood forgotten and almost none of us Crimeans climbed there speaks for itself. Some gave up on her, others made a judgment without even looking closely, only on the basis of rumors. “Loose, overhanging, no insurance, you can’t rappel... And what’s interesting there? Re-strap and that’s it”...

V. Pavlotos’s route goes almost along the diretissima - straight up, crossing all the transverse belts of the dry land right up to the last “humming” belt, which was the most terrible according to many versions. The overhang angle is 115 degrees - the maximum, the whole rock hums when the hammer hits, the bolts have long fallen out. Well, those that are holding on are stuffed into slaps that are still standing, but only so that we can fasten our rope into them. And then... However, you still need to get there.


Shaan-Kaya. Zenit route profile

Story by Yuri Burlakov - team coach (

It all started with delight and surprise.

Would you like me to show you one unique wall? - Valery Pavlotos, my associate in the development of the Crimean mountaineering virgin lands, told me once in the early sixties.
- Go ahead. - We raved about the walls then. We reached Alupka, and he pointed to a distant rock sticking out of the forest. The bottom of it was covered with a small ridge with pine trees, the top was superimposed on the cliffs of the Ai-Petrinskaya yayla and it was difficult to evaluate the wall from this point.

It was Shaan-kai! Next to it from the east, almost adjacent to it, a hundred-meter-long rock tooth stood like a sentry.

Let's go up the forest. The rock hid even more behind the trees, sometimes showing through the top of its head. From the upper entrance we turned left from the road and followed the path up to a large forest terrace. And only then the mountain opened up.

I was literally stunned; I saw at close range a wide, dignified yellow wall more than two hundred meters high. Her shoulders - one straight, the other with a slight bend - fell to the east and west, and her forehead top hovered high in the sky. Never, neither before nor later, have I encountered anything in the mountains that could so clearly reflect the very concept - a wall,

This is the front, let’s look in profile,” said Pavlotos.

From the east, from the west, and, it seems, from the north, simple paths led to the top, and we began to make our way through the thickets and rock piles to look at the wall from the western side - so to speak, from the end. Along the way, about fifty meters from the wall, in the trees, we unexpectedly came across a grave. On the tilted iron cross - “A. Ryazantsev". According to the dates - a young guy. “Fell out of Shaan-kai.”

What is this? An oversight by a traveler or the first attempt to storm Shaan-kai from the south? I ran my eyes along the wall: her knobby top hung directly above us. Is it really negative? Then it turns out that the person was buried where he fell - without moving. We walked and looked back at the black cross, experiencing a strange excitement. Was he warning us against something? But from what? We reached the middle of the western slope, and then I was taken aback again: the top of the wall hung about thirty meters above the base - a negative slope! Phenomenal! Is there anywhere in the world a wall with such a long overhang?! My first thought: what a great Foucault pendulum you can swing from her nose and fly on it over the tops of the pine trees! I’ll be honest, I somehow immediately liked it here: the mountain itself, and the giant tooth, and the cozy terrace, and the chaos of the rocks on it, and the thickets intertwined with vines, and the pine trees, and the mysterious grave, and the silence, as if I had been there all my life. I was looking for just such a place. Looking ahead, I admit that I came to Shaan-kai dozens of times and always felt joy. The mountain knew how to cheer up. I serve her most expensive treat to my visiting friends. However, let's return to the first meeting. Shaan-kai attracted our eyes like a magnet; we peered into the sun-warmed folds, trying to appreciate possible options taking. Of course, the center of the wall immediately disappeared: this cannot be taken - a rocky overhanging surface. Any climbing king is powerless here. Some cracks and internal corners led to the eastern shoulder from the middle of the wall. The bottom is inaccessible. The routes to the western shoulder had slightly greater possibilities: cracks, ledges, fireplaces, and balconies were visible. However, we didn’t have the courage to take on anything on Shaan-kai then.

Years passed. But in February sixty-three, a small expedition arrived in the center to take Shaan-kai sports club Kharkov Polytechnic Institute: USSR champion Oleg Kosmachev, the strongest climber of the republic Vitaly Timokhin and experienced climber Valery Bolizhevsky.

We ran under Shaan-kai, excited by the news, to see the work of the climbers on the negative wall.

We saw how at an altitude of forty meters - the second day of the assault was underway - Oleg Kosmachev was hitting pitons. Usually it takes about five minutes to drive a bolt hook while standing on the ground. The leader spent ten or more on the wall. Apparently, in a suspended state, the hooks simply don’t break faster. It took a lot of time to move from the old point of support to the new one. But still, the sight was amazing: a man was climbing up a smooth wall, blown by fog.

Oleg walked another ten meters and, after a short roll call with his comrades, began to remove the ladders, carabiners, platform and hanging, he went down.

We miscalculated a bit,” he explained embarrassedly, “the wall requires more than two hundred hooks, we don’t have that many.” In addition, deadlines are running out.

The guests silently wound up the ropes and put their equipment into their backpacks. The Wall repelled the First Attack.

Still, Shaan-kai can’t be taken in the center,” I told Pavlotos when we went down. - And the point here is not the number of hooks - you can make as many of them as you like: the wall is psychologically difficult. There are no usual resting places on it: shelves, ledges, balconies where you can relax and take a breath - you will have to swing on ladders all week. Who can withstand such stress?

Soon Shaan-kai was again attacked by Kharkov climbers. This time - Yuri Parkhomenko and Vladimir Sukharev. True, they no longer climbed along the Center, but with the left option. Yurina’s mother, a tall, energetic lady, was perhaps the main leader of the expedition. We watched with emotion as she continually brought the binoculars to her eyes, never ceasing to stir the pan with a spoon.

Volodya, Yura, dinner is ready,” her ringing voice rang out.

The climbers immediately, as if on command, stopped climbing and began to “rappel to the camp.”

Blown by the captivating smells, we glanced sideways at the table setting and menu, paying tribute to the taborska. There was everything here: first and second, pickles and jams, fruits and dessert.

With grub like this, I could climb the wall,” Pavlotos said quietly.

The next day, having reached the cornice, the Parkhomenko-Sukharev team retreated.

Then we learned that third contenders for glory, Simferopol residents, also managed to visit the wall. They walked head-on along the center of the wall for about ninety meters, and then they also didn’t have enough gunpowder. Arriving near Shaan-kayu, we saw their traces: another bolted path went up the rock. The mountain repelled the third attack.

Yes, Nutlet,” I remember saying then, slapping her hot, rocky belly with my palm.
“And you know, it can be taken,” Pavlotos unexpectedly declared, “And in general, everything can be taken: the southern wall of the peak of Communism, and the walls of Everest, and any wall of any peak.” You just have to think hard about how to win. If we don’t take Shaan-kaya now, others will take her in two or three years. It has already become a problem, it excites minds.

It was clear to us that it was impossible to storm Shaan-kai with a cavalry charge, as our predecessors had done. The wall raised many questions. How to survive a week-long stay in limbo? It will be difficult to do this with ordinary stirrups and platforms. How to descend from the zone of highest overhang, if such a need arises? Where and how to spend the night? From a hundred meters or more, going down to a tent for the night is no longer profitable. You have to sleep on the wall. However, the old style soft hammock is not comfortable for this wall. And then we had the idea to make a hammock on a rigid frame with a canopy on three hooks. This new product solved almost all the problems at once: in such a hammock on a shelf, you can stand, sit, lie down, belay, work, sleep, listen to music from the receiver - in a word, live on the wall, which is what is required. If you attach a rain cape on top of the hammock, you will get a small suspended house.

Of course, they will laugh that we are carrying a folding bed with us,” said Pavlotos. - but I don’t see any other way out.

Yes, Shaan-kai broke the usual ideas about climbing. If the bolt hook was designed to allow you to walk on smooth walls, then the hard hammock was designed to allow you to live on negative walls for a long time. New problems often require new equipment.

I remember how enthusiastic the decision to storm Shaan-kai head-on was in the Mountain Club. Everyone felt that they had gained enough experience, that they were already ripe for big things, everyone was eager to fight.

True, at some point a debate suddenly arose about the legality of the bolt hook: it allows ordinary climbers to pass any walls; with its help you can get out of any position; it impoverishes the ascent, erases its spiritual values, interferes with the achievement of the highest ideals...

One would think that the bolt hook, by its very appearance, removed all the dangers of mountaineering!

Even the opinions of eminent people were quoted, in particular the Italian Walter Bonatti: “I don’t want to choose for myself a form of mountaineering or such methods of climbing that would guarantee in advance the successful passage of any wall, thereby depriving me of the joyful feeling of victory as a result of a harsh and dangerous combat with nature " Well said!

It’s good for the living to reason without knowing the opinions of those who died in the mountains: they would speak out on the ethics of climbing, taking into account their own experience.

What guarantees can we talk about in the mountains, relying only on the accepted, even the most reliable, method of climbing? A person finds himself in an aggressive environment there. Everywhere something hangs and threatens to collapse: living stones, slabs, snow, ice, and the paths of falling masses may well intersect with the paths of human movement. Mountains are always fraught with danger. Always!

Of course, it is bad taste to use bolts where you can get by with slotted ones, but outlawing them is too much.

What then to do with Shaan-kai, who, without such hooks, cannot be taken at all? Don't take it? But can the soul of a true climber endure the smug sight of a wall that has not been taken by anyone!

We cast aside all doubts: Shaan-kai will be attacked in the center - along the most worthy, beautiful and logical path, the best on its surface. Who will go?

I thought there wouldn't be a crush on the wall. However, in addition to Pavlotos, Misha Reznichenko, Yura Ganchev, Valery Likhachev, Volodya Kulyamin, Alik Mironchuk and other club climbers were rushing to join her.

It was necessary to select only three, because the most reliable movement pattern on Shaan-kai was provided by a trio: one walking, two belaying, sitting in hammocks located at different heights. Belaying is carried out with two ropes working through different pitons: one through even ones, the other through odd ones. Having hammered fifteen pitons, the top climber hangs up his hammock and sits on the belay in it. The one who was on the lowest hammock comes forward, and everything is repeated again. The ligament will move like a caterpillar, sometimes tightening, sometimes stretching. Snapping the rope out of the hooks located between the climbers is not allowed. Bitter experience was taken into account: during the assault on the western wall of South Ushba in sixty-four. Then Timokhin, a participant in the first attack on Shaan-Kaya, pulled out a rope from several hooks in a row - it was difficult to pull it through - and when it broke, he created a jerk that cut and pulled out the rest. The partner - Artur Gyaukhovtsev - was torn off, both climbers, having flown two hundred meters, crashed.

After the training climb to Ai-Petri, the final composition of the assault group was finally determined: Pavlotos (captain), Reznichenko, Ganchev. Why they?

Twenty-six-year-old designer of the technical department of the Yalta film studio Valery Pavlotos walked beyond competition. The idea of ​​the assault came from him, he was the first to “start up”, followed by the rest. But not only this gave him a special right. He was a brilliant climber, champion of the republic, an unsurpassed master of Crimean mountaineering. I walked several walls with him and I can assure you that I have never met a more reliable partner. He immediately saw when his partner was having a hard time, and was always ready to take on the challenge. As a true climber, he saw all the sweetness of the climb in the climb itself, without attaching much importance to ranks, titles, and climbing competitions, which in the situation with Shaan-kai was especially valuable: the wall was taken outside the framework of the championship.

Nineteen-year-old lighting technician at the Yalta Film Studio, Mikhail Reznichenko, was a repeated winner of republican rock climbing competitions. His penchant for analysis, his desire to get to the bottom of everything, to explain everything, made his presence in the group simply necessary. Balanced, calculating, sensitive to danger, he could warn anyone, especially the impetuous Pavlotos, from taking too risky a step. He was the restraining factor in the group.

Twenty-year-old builder Yuri Ganchev is the champion of Crimea in rock climbing, a man of iron composure. I don’t remember him ever losing his temper or being afraid of anything. Athletic, lightweight, sociable.

For the first time, I was not included in the assault group, taking on overall leadership of the exit and backup.

Almost all the club's climbers - boys and girls - were involved in the expedition, forming an observation group, rescue squad and other units.

We prepared thoroughly. From the moment we made the decision to storm, we spent every day spinning around under the mountain—we were getting used to it psychologically. Shaan-kai was measured, and all the details were drawn on its diagram, made on a scale of 1:100. Up to ninety meters the wall was vertical, above that it had a negative slope. The average wall angle is one hundred and ten degrees, the maximum slope is one hundred and fifteen. The top point overhung the base by twenty-eight meters. Each hook was marked on the diagram, the actions of each climber during each day were described, and the locations of the hammocks for overnight stays were indicated.

The equipment was prepared: two hundred and fifty bolts, twenty-eight bolts, eighty carabiners, forty-five three-step ladders, three rigid hammocks, two walking platforms, three hammers, two main ropes of sixty meters each, two auxiliary ropes of the same length, sleeping bags, mattresses inflatable, radio station “Nedra-11”, transistor receiver, canister of water, etc., etc.

According to the plan, the assault begins on the sixth of November and reaches the summit on the tenth.

At the end of October, a bolt hook was tested: a jerk was made by a stone weighing eighty-five kilograms, dropped from a height of ten meters with a rigid rope fastening. The rope melted in the knots, the hook held, the eye broke. The ears were strengthened.

On the evening of November 5th, thirty climbers of the club camped near Shaan-kai. Eleven tents, shining with slopes, were placed on the terrace. An observation post with a telescope and a radio station was built on a rocky boulder towering above the pine trees. From the NP to the wall there are three hundred meters. Alik Mironchuk, a man of exceptional organization, was appointed chief observer.

Sixth of November. Pavlotos was the first to step onto the wall. He hit the hooks quickly, with some kind of frenzy, as if the energy that had accumulated in him had finally found its way out. His sharp commands echoed loudly throughout the forest. A dozen white three-step ladders swayed under him in the wind. Having fulfilled the quota, he went down, losing the lead to Reznichenko. The yellow wall began. By seventeen o'clock, the second climber hammered fifteen pitons and approached a large blotch (a peeled slab), then went down a little lower, to the twenty-fourth hook, and hung a forty-meter speleological ladder on it, raised on a halyard. Going down it, he threw off the lower ladders along the way. Everything was going according to plan so far.

The third person to work on the wall was Ganya - that’s what the boys called Ganchev, lovingly. The blows of the hammer made the blotch hum ominously, so I had to go around it to the right. However, the darkness - the November day is short - forced Ganya to soon go down.

So, the groundwork was made - fifty meters. The assault party slept in the camp, enjoying their last night on solid ground.

On November 7th, a holiday, the Simferopol team Vyacheslav Pantyukhin - Alexander Larionov, who had climbed to the camp the day before, climbed the Shaan-kai wall along the left slot route. This made us happy: two groups working side by side on different non-competitive routes usually create a good working mood for each other.

Today Ganya is ahead again. Valery was insuring him while sitting on the platform. Our new product has come into use. The first hammock was hung under a blotch; a mattress, sleeping bag, and equipment were raised onto it on a halyard. Having settled down in a hammock, Pavlotos lowered down the exhausted Ganchev, took Misha to him and went up using his belay. I encountered another blotch and went around to the left. Yes, these humming slabs make you circle around the wall and do slalom, which, naturally, was not part of our plans.

At dusk, Pavlotos hangs up a second hammock and settles down for the night.

Ghana is lucky: one more night on earth. Simferopol residents, having processed the bottom, also spend the night in the camp in a tent.

On the eighth it was cold, cloudy, and foggy at times. Having climbed the forty-meter ladder, Ganya took it off the hook, held it in his hand and... threw it away. Everyone watched as she whistled through the air and fell onto the scree: the way back was cut off. Ganya climbed onto the upper hammock and released Valery ahead. The three on the wall now looked exactly as we had drawn them in the diagram: two in hammocks were belaying, the third was climbing.

However, for some reason the rise slowed down abruptly. What do they have there?

Hey, on the wall, get in touch! - I shouted with NP.
- Continuous slaps, everything is buzzing! Later they would call this place “the first buzzing belt.”

Here they are, the jokes of the wall. Who thought about them? about these blotches?! If you drive a bolt hook into a peeling slab, then when broken, this multi-pound fool can tear off the entire three. “Guaranteed success…” Where is it?

“Don’t hit the hooks in the slaps!” I shout over the radio.
- What are we, crazy?!

Valery began to slowly move along the narrow passages between the peelings.

Another unpleasant moment: today the residents of Simferopol left the route - the wall turned out to be beyond their strength.

Yes, this third day of the assault was psychologically the most difficult for the Yalta climbers: countless splashes, the flight of neighbors, cold, then the bolts began to break one after another (overheating), a negative slope began. It was from this critical height that previous climbers left the wall.

The climbers stopped indecisively and, dangling their legs, sat silently in their hammocks. Back to the wall, facing the camp. The camp fell silent around the telescope. I decided not to interfere in the situation: let them decide for themselves - down or up. They know better.

Later they admitted that each of them had resigned himself to defeat and was waiting for someone else to finally say: “Down.” And everyone would immediately agree with this proposal. But it turned out that no one dared to say it first. Nobody said!

By evening the climbers began to move, and I felt that they had coped with a difficult day. It doesn’t matter that they walked only twenty-five meters on the third day, what’s important is that they didn’t get off.

Early the next morning, when the entire camp was still asleep, Misha, like a woodpecker, was hammering at the wall. The weather was good again, apart from strong gusts of wind. The leader managed to find a narrow strip of monolith through the second belt of slaps. By twelve o'clock he had finished his quota and was hooked. His hammock swayed, without touching the wall, over a hundred and thirty-meter abyss.

...It took almost two hours to lift the equipment from the lower hammock to the upper one and change the leader. There is no escape from this waste of time: this is the pattern of movement.

Ganchev was the next to work in front. Despite the significant negative slope, he hit the hooks while standing at full height and completed the task before dark. Almost fifty meters were covered that day. Not bad.

The next day began with transferring equipment from the Pavlotos hammock.

Observers were concerned: there was an altercation at the heights.

Group get in touch! What's wrong?
“Nothing special,” Misha answered laughing and turned off.

These accelerators hit the hooks with extremely outstretched arms - I can barely reach the ladders!

Ganya and Misha decided to have fun with the captain, who was clearly inferior to them in height. These jokes made me happy - it means there is a good spirit in the group, it means that the guys on the wall have completely settled down.

The entire camp huddled around the chimney - everyone wanted to see how the leader of the assault was suffering. However, Pavlotos found a way out: he began to attach another ladder to the top ladder and climb up easily. Ganya and Misha’s faces stretched out: the designer jumped ahead...

After two hours of leading, Valery went to the upper belt of slaps, to the most destroyed part of the wall, as it turned out. He carefully tapped each area above him - rotten rock all around.

If the hooks don’t hold, we’ll have to retreat,” I radioed. - Let's try again...

“Guaranteed success...”

Who could have imagined that such rot would be encountered along the way... The pace of movement dropped sharply. New torments began. In some places, the presenter knocked out fifteen-centimeter holes, removing rotten rock. Only by two o'clock in the afternoon did he score his fifteenth hook.

The group was rebuilding to get Misha ahead; however, he did not have to work that day - dusk had fallen.

It rained at night, but not a single drop fell on the climbers - the canopy of the wall covered them.

On the sixth day, Misha made his way in a rotten belt with patches. Several humming slabs, as he later admitted, had to be passed head-on. There was no way around it, but I didn’t want to retreat.

“Guaranteed success...”

Until evening, Ganya won another twenty meters from the wall.

Seventh day of the assault. Height two hundred meters from the base. The maximum overhang angle is one hundred and fifteen degrees. Pavlotos says that the negative slope has ceased to be felt, the wall now seems simply vertical, only for some reason the ladders and ropes hang strangely - at an angle to the wall.

Thick fog covers Shaan-kai for a long time. Communication is only by radio. Ganya is working ahead. They reported that they had finally passed the upper belt of the slaps.

God bless.

We will fight our way up until we reach the top,” Pavlotos said.

I learn from him that the last bolts have been used. Are there enough of them?

How far is it to the top?
- I don’t know: fog.

Only in the evening, for a moment, the white milk dissipated, and we saw the following picture: twenty meters from the top, on the right cheek of the chute, standing on the platform, Pavlotos was vigorously beating with a hammer. Below him, about ten meters away, Ganya sits on the walking platform, and even lower on the only hammock that has not been dismantled, Misha sits, littered with equipment. Two removed hammocks swing on a halyard in the air far from the wall.

It is clearly impossible to finish off Shaan-kai in the light: less than an hour is left until complete darkness. But Pavlotos stubbornly continued to climb up. Does he really expect to move at night? It's very risky.

Old man! - I shouted upward, forgetting about the walkie-talkie. - Stop, you might spoil the ending! No answers. Apparently, all three were determined to break out of the wall today - they do not have the strength to endure such tension.

Make another sleepover on the wall! - I shouted into the microphone. - Hang the hammocks while you can still see!

The radio remained stubbornly silent. The leader persistently made his way up.

Once again the fog obscures the group from our view. My nerves can't stand it:

The rescue team should prepare to leave and grab the cable.
- Why the cable? Are rescue efforts starting? - Just in case.

We climbed up the eastern slope of the mountain to establish voice communication with the group from the top.

The wind carried the excited cry of Pavlotos: “Hurray, I’m going out onto the shelf!” And a minute later the same voice: “Damn, this is not a shelf, this is an inflection: the canopy has ended, the plumb line has begun.”

The rescue team climbed to the top in complete darkness. Cold, wind, fog. We still have no idea what the climbers are doing on the wall.

Who has a walkie-talkie? - I ask.
“They didn’t pick up the radio,” someone answered from the blackness of the night.
- Where is Mironchuk?
- Stayed at the base.

In this pitch darkness, at some point I felt with horror that I was losing the threads of control of the expedition. A slight chill ran through my body.

We’re fussing around here, and the assault group has probably been sleeping for a long time,” Likhachev said calmly.

Everyone should belay themselves on the railing rope: there is a wall nearby, if you stumble a little in the dark, you will go down to Ryazantsev.

Likhachev and I are approaching the edge of the cliff.

Wa-le-ra-a! - we shout.
- Guys!

Silence. I feel like I'm getting colder. But suddenly, somewhere near us, the quiet voice of Pavlotos:

Why are you yelling? We will spend the night.
- It would have been like this a long time ago, my dear. Where are the hammocks?
- With us. Let's install it now.
- Do you need help?
- For what? We are fine.
- What are they pearling on: balls on the forehead..?
- I wanted to wash myself.
- You might think that lice have eaten you... We started a sprint!

I wanted to chat, grumble: it calmed me down.

And on the morning of November thirteenth, the entire expedition camp was at the top: they were waiting for the stenists to leave. Having scored the last twelve pitons, Misha was the first to rise. Ganya was the second to leave, the captain was the last to leave the wall. First steps on solid ground. All three of them are shaking like astronauts after weightlessness, especially Misha. Movie cameras are buzzing. Victory rockets fly into the sky.

...Sixteen years have passed. During this time, several attempts were made to repeat the route. But unsuccessfully. Even ready-made bolt tracks did not help. There is only one reason for the failure: the followers did not have our training or the obsession that the pioneers had.

What did Shaan-kai give you? - I asked Pavlotos.
- I always feel this mountain behind me. She helps me get out of all sorts of troubles with honor. She is my dignity.

And I thought: it’s not necessary to “make” dozens of mountains - you can’t change everything, but you definitely need to have one serious one, which would hold you captive for a long time, when in the struggle for life all the rudiments would awaken in you and every cell would pray: “hold on.” ”, - and, having endured the climb, you would go down refreshed, renewed, like a god, and look at the world with kinder eyes.