Our ancestors said that a man was born to walk directly, and he can only dream of a flight. However, this is not at all true. A person has the right to realize his dream. Soaring through the wind, touching the clouds - everything is possible, you just have to hit the road towards the Crimea to Mount Uzun-Syrt.
Peninsula observation point
Mount Klementyeva (Crimea) is located near Koktebel. It is generally accepted that Soviet gliding was born in this place. This mountain was named in honor of test-glider pilot Peter Klementyev. He died at this point when he tested the glider on 09/11/1924.
Klementieva mountain is created by nature. It divides the Crimean northern steppes and the mountainous part of the peninsula.
What is Uzun-Syrt
In distant and ancient times, the territory of modern Crimea belonged to the Turks. It was they who gave the name Mount Uzun-Syrt. Translated, this means “long ridge” or “back”.
What is a mountain?
Outwardly, the Klementyeva Mountain resembles a wave that has frozen, or a reddish-gray elongated shaft in the shape of a horseshoe. Its length is about eight kilometers. Geologists examined it in a section and came to the conclusion that the ridge is similar to a multilayer cake consisting of limestone and marl. For centuries, these rocks have been weathered and washed away. Thus, the mountain acquired this form. The height of the ridge above sea level is less than 300 meters, and above the valley even less - about 200 meters. Mount Klementyeva (Koktebel) is low, but a lot of emotions await flight lovers here.
Further Uzun-Syrt turns into a sequence of three large hills:
- Koklyuk, or the Blue peak;
- Horta-Oba;
- Sary Kaya.
The bizarre and stone Koklyuk rises above the village of Nanikovo, a huge number of species of herbs grow there. On a hill there is a gazebo, with it offers stunning views of the mountains and the Black Sea. If you are traveling by car, you will see it from the highway Feodosia - Koktebel. In the fourth century BC, the guard was guarded by the guards of the Bosporus of Cimeria.
Near the hill of Sary-Kai, not so long ago, an ancient and destroyed Scythian city of the second century BC was found. He was rather big. Until now, tourists can see with their own eyes that the town was well fortified, in addition to housing estates, it also had a fortress with an acropolis on a hill. Archaeologists conducted research. Thanks to excavations, they were able to discover various workshops, pits designed to store grain. Various household items were also found: dishes, bronze mirrors, jewelry, etc. There was also a so-called cemetery near the town. Scythians carried burials in the mounds.
The western slope of the Sary-Kai hill was also once chosen by the most ancient people. Near the source for 8 millennia BC there lived a man who was attributed to the Neolithic era. And here, archaeologists had a lot of work.
Klementyeva Gora has a perfectly flat and regular peak. The best view of the Crimean peninsula opens from this point. On a clear sunny day from the mountain you can see several cities and significant places, such as Karadag, Koktebel, Ordzhonikidze, Feodosiya, the burial of the poet M. Voloshin and Cape Chameleon.
The legend of the middle name
A hundred years ago, the mountain was called Uzun-Syrt. What happened, why did the grief give a different name? Who is Klementyev?
This sad story happened back in the distant years of the USSR. The young and talented Peter Klementyev was the son of an Astrakhan worker. He belonged to the military personnel, was also a participant in the Civil War in the rank of pilot. After the battles, he was sent to Sevastopol as a flight instructor. Klementyev later came to study at the Moscow Air Force Academy. Here Peter fell in love with gliding. His passion for passion was so strong and vivid that he independently created his own aircraft and gave him the name "Komsomolets". After some time, the pilot brought him to the Crimean peninsula to participate in all-Union competitions.
Peter Klementyev made 22 flights on his device, but the 23rd turned out to be fatal for a young man. The aircraft cracked. The last 23 flight ended in the death of a young glider. At that time, Peter was not even thirty years old. In love with the sky, flights, heights and open spaces, Peter Klementyev died as a young Icarus - the hero of an ancient Greek myth. In honor of him, the mountain got its name.
Glider Monument
After 50 years, a monument to amateurs and professional gliders was erected on Uzun-Syrt Mountain. The monument is a seven-meter stele, which was crowned by a model of the aircraft - the A-13 glider, rotating around its axis like a weather vane. The board with the inscription of academician and general designer O.K. is also attached . Antonova that while streams will rise, people will strive to fly.
How to go to the mountain?
So the time has come to find out how to go and where is the Mecca of Crimean paragliders - Mount Klementyev.
First you need to buy a plane ticket to Simferopol. From the Crimean capital we take a bus and go to Feodosia. This point can also be reached by train. In Feodosia you can take the bus:
- Theodosia - Ordzhonikidze, the route passes through the village of Podgornoye.
- Feodosia - Koktebel, the bus passes Podgornoye.
If you decide to drive your own car, be careful not to miss the turn from the Simferopol - Feodosiya highway leading to Koktebel. Just in this place there is a post of traffic police. After you enter the village of Podgornoye, do not lose sight of the asphalt road on the right leading to the mountain. This is the only turn covered with asphalt in Podgorny. Next you need to go by car in the direction of Koktebel and the village of Ordzhonikidze.
The path from Feodosia is short-lived - only 12 kilometers. From Koktebel the path is even shorter - 7 kilometers. From the motorway side, Klementyeva Gora is visible.
Beginner Tips
Mount Klementyeva is ideal for flying. Paragliding is the most positive sport, so we go there for positive emotions and freedom.
There are two slopes on the mountain: northern and southern. The first slope is more gentle. Its difference is about 90 meters. The space of soaring is one and a half to two kilometers. A wide speaker is formed in this zone; if there is no heating, the speaker is weak. Good warming contributes to a set of two kilometers. For lovers of route flights, the north side is ideal.
Let's talk about the southern slope. Its difference is approximately 250 meters. It is cooler than the north. The flight area is about 4 kilometers. A strong speaker is possible without heating. In calm weather, the weather on this slope is also unpredictable.
Starting conditions are good on all sides of the mountain. But in the calm, starting from the north is more difficult for beginners. Landing is easy even for a novice on the north side. At the southern slope it is possible only at the base of the mountain.
How to spend free time in non-flying weather?
Klementyev’s mountain is unique. A memory photo must be taken. Capturing the apparatus of other pilots will also be useful.
You can go to the sea. The direct route is not more than 10 kilometers. You can walk to Quiet Bay, a walk takes about two hours. In the village of Ordzhonikidze, the sea is cleaner and lower prices for food and entertainment. For a small amount, you can rent a yacht to fulfill the dream of a boat trip. But in Koktebel nightlife is brighter and more passionate. The town has a large number of cafes and restaurants. There are discos. And on the outskirts, the largest nudist beach in the CIS. There is also a dolphinarium. They practice swimming with a dolphin for a fee. Every year in September in Koktebel a jazz fest takes place. In Karadag conduct excursions to an extinct volcano.