Mount Ushba, which rises high above the Shkhelda gorge, is considered one of the most popular massifs located in the region of the Main Caucasian Range. The two peaks (North and South) are separated by the Ushba bridge, called by climbers the "pipe" for the strong winds that constantly walk in it. The mountain with its legendary past is still shrouded in a cloud of greatness and mystery.
Meaning of the name
The difficulty of the relief, the history of subjugation - all this gave her a very frightening name, which translates as "witch's coven". But Ushba, the killer mountain, is also known under one name. This name has been assigned to it from ancient times to the present. She became famous for her strict disposition and unpredictable character. It happens that climbing to the top from just hard work grows into a hard struggle for life. Nevertheless, throughout the history of mountaineering and mountain sports, Mount Ushba beckons with its splendor. Anyone who has ever seen this wonderful place will not be able to forget the wonderful feeling of her bewitching appearance.
Description
The mysterious and alluring mountain ranges of the Caucasus offer a wonderful view from the slopes of Elbrus, but Mount Ushba is capricious and famous for its inconstant weather. If the whole Caucasus has a clear day and the peaks of all the peaks are clearly visible, then this beauty can be shrouded in fog. In order to see her from Elbrus, you often need to wait a few days. The Sabbath of Witches does not need popularity.
But when suddenly the mountain queen wants to appear because of her white robes in the form of clouds, then you can enjoy a bewitching and wonderful sight. Nearly two kilometers of pink cliffs of granite and gneiss hang over the emerald meadows and sparkling diamond glacier light. This is unrealistic to imagine even with a very stormy imagination. You can enjoy all the views that Mount Ushba is able to give only by looking at it with your own eyes.
Legend
The red walls of the regal mountain became the main theme of a very wonderful story that locals adore to retell.
The hunter Betkel lived for a long time. His wondrous appearance, youth and courageous character attracted luck: he constantly brought prey from the hunt. Once, a young man decided to climb the Sabbath of the Witches. All the villagers began to convince him, but nothing came of it. When Betkel approached the glacier itself, the Georgian hunting goddess Dali appeared in front of him. She really liked this brave young man, and she did everything to make him fall in love with herself.
Betkel lived a happy life with his goddess for a long time. But once, when the clouds disappeared, he looked down and saw the familiar walls of his settlement. Bored, the young man quietly escaped from Dali. In his native village, he met the most beautiful girl in Svaneti and decided to marry her. A wild tour came to the wedding from the mountains, and the young man decided to shoot him in honor of the holiday. For a long time he ran after the tour, not thinking about where the road leads.
The hunter climbed very high on the slopes of Ushba when the tour evaporated. Betkil guessed that he was in the Dali trap. The whole village came to the foot of the cliff where the young man climbed. He asked the inhabitants to perform a wedding and funeral ritual, and then fell off a cliff, painting it the color of his blood. Since then, hunters were forbidden to climb there, and Dali never appeared in front of people again.
Difficulty climbing
Striking in its size Mount Ushba. The height of its Northern peak reaches 4690 m, South - 4710 m. Both of them are covered with thick snow. Despite this, more than half of the route to the point of 2700 m is easily accessible by car. Of course, this will require an SUV. The best option would be UAZ, which is not for nothing called an all-terrain vehicle. Its cross in these places is much better than the famous jeeps. On a very narrow road, large foreign cars simply will not pass.
Far from everyone is subject to Mount Ushba. Climbing it is only possible for experienced climbers, who have more than once climbed the peaks of the highest category of difficulty. Climbers have to overcome the technically difficult sections of the highlands. You can resort to the services of a good guide or go up on your own.
If you decide to storm these peaks, you need to know the Ushbinsky icefall well, because it is full of cracks. In periods suitable for climbing, they do not disappear anywhere, but become more noticeable. These are the most dangerous places, in this regard, the mysterious beauty got her sad nickname Ushba - a killer mountain.
Pride of Svaneti
The whole of Svaneti, a mountainous country, characterized by a free character, nature itself presented in the form of Ushba. There is no greater reason for pride and respect in the Central Caucasus than climbing this impregnable mountain for a mere mortal. It is for this that many people value such places.
For Russian lovers of mountain peaks who have the opportunity to see Ushba from another territory, from the north, this massif does not have such a mythical halo as for residents of Svaneti. Nevertheless, the image of the mountain attracts eyes and scares in parallel. A huge double-headed peak as a ruler reigns over the entire territory of the Caucasus Range. And there is no doubt that she is a queen, tall, stately and impregnable. Such is Mount Ushba. Georgia can safely be proud of this creation of nature.
Interesting Facts
Around the massif, steep one and a half-kilometer walls break off along which routes of different difficulty levels pass. At the moment, about five hundred routes have been laid in Ushba.
The easiest, which has become standard, route to Northern Ushba is a category 4a route. It passes through the Ushba plateau, through a place called the "pillow", and then three hundred meters along a steep slope with an ice-snow surface stretches to the summit ridge. There is ice under the snow cover, and if there was a blizzard before the rise, there is a threat of avalanches. Along the long northern ridge, double cornices decorated by nature flaunt on the peak of the mountain. Climbing from the Ushba plateau to the peak takes about eight hours, and half the time it takes to get back.
Outlaw
The famous Mount Ushba, where there are many difficult, but at the same time interesting routes, is a wonderful dream of many climbers, is now considered illegal. There is one very important point. It so happened that the mountain popular on the entire planet, an integral part of the history of the Soviet, and in our days Russian mountain sports, is now banned, and climbing it is considered a serious violation. There is nothing to be done - at the moment the situation is such that within the short Southern spur of the Main Caucasian Range, the state border is passing.