Nature does not cease to amaze with its unusual structures. The hanging stone is one of the attractions of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Every year, an unusual monolith attracts hundreds of tourists. The non-standard location on the slope gives rise to many versions of its appearance. Locals tell numerous legends and myths associated with the stone.
Location
Ergaki Natural Park, which has regional significance, is located in the south of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. He received the status of a specially protected natural area of 342,873 hectares in April 2005. He joined the Association of National Parks and Reserves of the Altai-Sayan Ecoregion. The West Sayan Highlands includes several ranges:
- Borus;
- Dzhebashsky;
- Kulumys;
- Kurtushubinsky;
- Oy;
- Sayan;
- Tazarama.
Among them is the amazingly beautiful Ergaki Natural Park. On the specially protected territory of the Aradan forestry (FGU "Usinsky forestry") of the eastern part of the Ermakovsky district is a hanging stone.
Ergaki massif is located in the central part of the Western Sayan Mountains. This is a relatively small section, with a length of about 80 km, a width of not more than 70 km. It includes a group of mountain ranges Baldyr-Taiga, Ergaki, Metugul-Taiga, Sheshpir-Taiga. Basically, it is a mid-mountainous relief with a height of 1400-2000 meters above sea level, the highest point is 2281 meters (the Baldyr-Taiga ridge). Very beautiful places that abound in rocky peaked peaks, steep slopes, screes, cliffs. The river valleys are deep and narrow.
The place where the hanging stone is located can be reached independently from the Abakan-Kyzyl (M-54) highway. Following the signs to the place, you can leisurely walk in about 3 hours.
Description
A huge fragment of rock, weighing about 600 tons, "clings" to the edge of a kilometer cliff with a small area of 1 m2. Old-timers say that until the mid-70s of the last century, he was swinging. An ordinary person, with a little effort, can swing the giant.
Today, the Yergaki hanging stone (photo below) is completely motionless. The reason was not found. They suggest that either this is a natural phenomenon - under the weight of a block the granite compacted underneath it - or people made a bedding so that it really did not fall down. Over the years, neither numerous earthquakes, nor weathering and leaching of the rock, nor the efforts of people can even move it a millimeter away.
In all likelihood, such an unusual location of the granite block is due to the glacier. During his movement, he moved huge fragments of the rock mass from coarse-grained granite. As you know, it is easily destroyed by glacial erosion. Thanks to this phenomenon, today hundreds of people can admire the original “decoration” of the slope.
Tourism Object
Ergaki Nature Park is the most visited area of the Western Sayan Mountains. It is not for nothing called the pearl of Siberia. There is something to see here. From the Pass of Artists, a stunning view of the central part of the Ergaki massif opens. The famous peaks of Brothers (Parabola), Starry, Mirrored, Dragon's Tooth, Cone, Bird are perfectly visible. Numerous lakes (Rainbow, Zolotarnoye, Marmara, Mountain Spirits) of glacial origin conquer with their beauty. The largest are Svetloye, Bolshoy Bezrybnoye and Bolshoy Buybinskoye.
The route to the hanging stone is one of the most popular among tourists. To visit the monolithic giant and take a photo for memory is almost a ritual. Each tourist considers it his duty to try to push a block into the abyss. No one even managed to move him, including a group of 30 people. Route Information:
- length - 14 kilometers;
- duration - about 9 hours;
- recommended age - from 10 years;
- level of physical fitness - medium;
- period - June, July, August.
When climbing to a hanging stone, tourists visit the Rainbow Lake, Oy Pass, Sleeping Sayan. Amazing landscapes of the route, the grandeur of the surrounding nature, neat subalpine meadows, colorful watersheds are a real visiting card of the famous natural park.
Myths
They say that if the scales with evil significantly outweigh the level of good and upset the balance around the world, then the Stone Bird will come to life - the peak at the feet of the Sleeping Sayan. This rocky ridge resembles a person sleeping on his back. Curiously, this is clearly visible from any point of inspection. The bird will fly and sit on the edges of the hanging stone. This is enough to get him off the slope.
The most popular myth claims that when a hanging stone breaks from a kilometer into Rainbow Lake, the Sleeping Sayan will wake up. Spray from the fall of a block into the lake will wash his face, and he will wake up. The beginning of a new era is associated with his awakening, although there is no clear understanding of exactly what the Sleeping Sayan will do. Locals believe that his main task is to protect the wealth of his native land.