Taraktash is one of the most amazing and beautiful places in Crimea. But those who want to look at its charm ahead have a difficult test - the Taraktash trail, the route from the Uchan-Su waterfall to Ai-Petrinskaya Yayla. However, travelers who dare to make this trip will be rewarded for their courage. All the way they will be accompanied by unusual and amazing landscapes of the peninsula, which they had not previously encountered.
General information
The Taraktash trail (Crimea) is a mountain trail from Yalta to Ai-Petri, named for the rocky ridge of Taraktash, along which it passes. According to data from various sources, the length of the route ranges from 8 to 11 kilometers, and in some sections of the trail there are difficult ascents reaching 700 m.
Therefore, only with good physical preparation the route will be available in both directions: for descent, and for ascent. The descent is suitable even for unprepared tourists who first travels along mountain trails.
The average time taken to overcome the one-way trip is about 4-5 hours from the starting point.
Historical reference
The Taraktash trail (Crimea, Big Yalta) was created at the end of the nineteenth century at the suggestion of Vladimir Nikolaevich Dmitriev, a talented doctor and chairman of the Yalta branch of the Crimean Mountain Club. While hiking along this route, Dr. Dmitriev cured his lungs. He believed that the unique Crimean air and unhurried walks along mountain trails were extremely useful for heart and lung diseases.
Over time, the Taraktash trail ceased to be a mountain passage, as it became inaccessible and almost impassable. Only in the second half of the twentieth century was it brought back to life by the forces of teachers and students of the mountain club of one of the Yalta schools.
Today the trail is equipped, and in its most difficult places, for the convenience of tourists, peculiar steps and railings have been erected. To exclude the slightest opportunity to get lost here, the road is marked along almost the entire length. Guided by the marks, even inexperienced tourists will overcome this route in one direction.
Taraktash trail: how to get to the start of the route
For unprepared travelers, the ideal option would be to choose the starting point of the route at the top - Ai-Petri - and prefer the descent. Climbing to the top of Ai-Petri can be done not on foot along a mountain trail, but along the Miskhor - Ai-Petri cable car (or by car, which, of course, is not so exciting and interesting).
It’s not difficult to get to the lower cable car station on your own, as a shuttle bus from the Yalta bus station will take you directly to it.
For experienced tourists, the foot of the Uchan-Su waterfall will serve as the starting point for climbing Ai-Petri along the Taraktash trail. You can get to it by regular bus from the same Yalta station.
The main landmarks of the Taraktash trail (route diagram)
If, after evaluating your strengths, you stop choosing on the rise, then you need to get to its lower point by transport (Wuchang-Su waterfall) and walk a little up the highway. This is where the Taraktash trail begins. The route scheme is as follows:
- Wuchang-Su Waterfall;
- Eagle Rock;
- spring 1904;
- Taraktash;
- pine grove;
- weather station.
In order not to deviate from the route, tourists should focus on white and red marks.
Wuchang-Su Waterfall
Wuchang-Su waterfall is a silver thread of the river of the same name, falling from a huge height of 98.5 meters along two ledges, dividing below into smaller waterfalls. The full flow of the waterfall and the sight that appears before the gaze of tourists depend on the time of year. In the spring it is the most full-flowing. In the summer, the flow of water is so depleted that Wuchang-Su is called a "water drop" at this time of year. And in winter, it is a mesmerizing cascade of icy jets striving to fall to the ground under the force of its gravity.
Rock Eagle Flight
Following the signs from the waterfall, after 20-30 minutes, tourists will get to the observation deck on the Eagle Rock, which in its shape resembles a proud bird preparing for flight.
A sad legend from the time of the Principality of Theodoro about the inhabitants who rebelled against the overwhelming Tatar taxes, about the atrocities of the invaders and young men who rushed from despair down the cliff and turned into beautiful eagles, is associated with this place.
Source 1904
Further, the Taraktash trail leads tourists to an unusual structure, similar to a stone crypt with an iron door. This hydrotechnical structure “Source of 1904” is the next landmark of the mountain route ascending to the top of Ai-Petri. It was built for the largest collection of clean water from a spring for the Yalta water supply.
Taraktash and pine grove
Further, along the ledges of the rock massif, the main part of the Crimean journey called the Taraktash trail will pass. This is the coolest and most difficult stretch of the route, but the magnificent views that open to your eyes more than compensate travelers for fatigue.
Rocks surrounded by centuries-old trees, pine aroma, fallen needles under your feet - all this will certainly accompany tourists all the way to the observation deck on the Shishko rock, named after the Russian engineer colonel and the head of the construction of the Yalta-Bakhchisaray road.
The terrain along the mountain trail is so beautiful, the panoramas are so magnificent that many travelers compare it with Saxon Switzerland, and almost everyone organizes hour-long photo shoots here as a keepsake.
Weather station
On the Ai-Petri plateau, near the rock of Shishko, in 1895 a stone building of a weather station was built. Here, on the site for meteorological observations, the ascent of tourists on the Taraktash trail ends. It is recommended to take a rest after lifting, as it is still 40-50 minutes to walk along a fairly level road to the cable car trailer, which will bring weary travelers from the top of Ai-Petri to the lower station of Miskhor.
Recommendations for courageous travelers
Tourists who dare to climb the Taraktash trail should follow certain rules:
- Climbing to the top of Ai-Petri is best to start before 12 o’clock, as the cable car runs until 17-00 on the descent.
- The lower cable car station on the rise starts to work from 10-00, but it is better to come here in advance, as long waiting in line is possible.
- For a hike, you need to choose dry and cloudy weather, you should travel exclusively in the daytime.
- Shoes should be comfortable, with a good non-slip sole. Clothing - with a certain margin of warmth, since at the top Ai-Petri can be cooler.
- A supply of water is required (0.5 l / person), food at will.
The Taraktash trail is an extremely picturesque and long-remembered pedestrian route connecting Ai-Petri and Yalta.