A mountain rises above the Subpolar Urals , resembling a bear's paw with claws turned towards the sky, or simply a dissected ridge. Whatever it is, this natural attraction with its impressive size is very romantic and attractive.
This majestic Manaraga is the most beautiful peak of the Subpolar Urals.
origin of name
Manaraga from the language of Komyatsky is translated as “seven-headed” (from “Sizimyur”: the word “sizim” is seven, and the word “yur” is the head), and also many-headed (“una” - a lot). In addition, the name of the peak is formed from two Nenets words: “mana” and “raha”, translated as “front limb of a bear” and “similar”, respectively. Although in fact the crest of the mountain is simply unusually dissected.
The peculiar shape of the mountain, a rather harsh climate and a great distance from the settlements give this area a mythical and mysterious appearance.
Manaraga is a mountain that is one of the most picturesque and highest peaks of the Urals.
Description of the mountain, territory
It is located in a remote and inaccessible zone of the Komi Republic. The size and view of this natural attraction is actually impressive. No wonder, before the discovery of a new mountain called Narodnaya, it was considered the highest peak of the Ural Mountains.
Mount Manaraga (its height is 1663 meters) in shape is a strongly dissected ridge with 7 large "gendarmes" (peaks, teeth, teeth). At close range, the peak looks like a fortress wall with towers located in an amphitheater.
The mountain belongs to Yugyd-Va (in the Komi Republic national park). The mountains rise next to it: the Bell Tower, no less in height and the highest peak of the Urals, is the city of Narodnaya.
And yet the most unique and original of them is Manaraga (mountain).
How to get to the mountain?
Due to the location of the peak on the site of the national park, travelers must register with its administration.
First you need to take a train to the station of Pechora or Inta, and then transfer to the mountain on an all-terrain vehicle that you can rent. And you can also get some assistance when throwing on your own SUV.
There is an option for hiking, but this requires good physical preparation of the whole group. People with poor physical abilities can use the helicopter drop option.
It should be remembered to travelers that the path to Mount Manaragi passes by the Pechoro-Ilychsky Nature Reserve, where the entrance for outsiders is closed.
Climbing the mountain: equipment
It would seem that Manaraga is not a very extreme mountain: the simplest category of difficulty (1B-2B) is relatively low. But there is one stunning fact: sometimes even some professionals are not able to climb it. The mountain is simply unpredictable and at times “doesn’t let go”.
It’s easiest to climb the bear’s right “finger”, but to rise to the highest point (the second “claw” on the right) you need to have special skills and have climbing equipment.
In any case, given the harsh local climate conditions, good physical preparation and dexterity are useful even for a simple tourist walk with a tour of the area.
Even the hottest summers in these places have changeable weather. But the months from July to August are a convenient and favorable period for hiking uphill.
A hike to the foot of the mountain can last one day, and climbing to the peaks takes several days, depending on luck in terms of concomitant weather.
From the history
Until 1927, until it was established (researcher A.N. Aleshkov) that the Peak Peak is the highest in the Ural Mountains, Manaraga was considered the main mountain here, which was 200 meters lower than the newly discovered one. Despite this, her isolation gives her mysticism, mystery and grandeur.
Mount Manaraga is perceived in these places by the queen of the Subpolar Urals.
About the legends
This amazing place is associated with many interesting legends and legends about the unusual, some kind of supernatural origin of the mountain. The location of Manaragi was most often associated with a mysterious northern country called Hyperborea. Even Aristotle and Herodotus wrote about the Ripey (Ural) mountains.
Songs of Mahabharata (ancient Indian epic) also narrated about this distant northern country with six months of snow-covered lands, peaks with noisy forests and wonderful birds and wonderful animals living in them.
Manaraga is a mountain that has another legend, according to which the peak is the burial place of the giant Svyatogor, an epic hero and defender of the Russian land, who could not find use of his unprecedented power. The earth could not withstand it because of the weight of the body, and therefore he wandered around the mountains of others and boasted that he could easily tumble down the pillar that supports the sky and in this way mix everything earthly with heaven. And when the giant nevertheless tried to lift the bag with the “earthly pull”, he immediately went down to the knees and the veins in his body burst from the strain. So Svyatogor found his death in these places, and the little suma still stands still.
The attitude of local residents to the mountain
Manaraga is a mountain to which the Mansi and Zyryans, wandering around the spacious territories of Yugyd-Va, have always been treated with respect, like a shrine, considering it also alive. The mountain was only accessible to guardians of the clan and shamans.
In the XI century of our era in ancient civilizations were created a kind of ritual rites. They all had one goal - to find a common language with Mount Manaraga. The sanctuaries with sacrificial stones found in the forests and on the ridges of sections of the Yugyd-Va park date back to those times.
All these rituals were aimed at predicting at least a little the mood of a mysterious mountain, at least a little to control the processes taking place in these places.
Similar pagan rituals are manifested today. Many tourists believe that in this way you can somehow appease Manaraga, which means that you can safely conquer the peak.
Conclusion
Although Mount Manaraga is not so high for climbers, every year many climbers flock to these lands to conquer the "Queen" of the Subpolar Urals. And not every climber decides to take such a brave step.
It is as if the claws of the “bear paw” of visiting guests warn that you should not risk it. It has been known since ancient times that even experienced hunters did not all dare and do not still risk climbing dangerous mountain ranges.
It is more appropriate to say that Manaraga does not submit - they ascend to her. And it happens that they do not rise.
But even if Manaraga “doesn’t let him in”, in any case, people leave here enriched with unforgettable impressions. There is something around that attracts, bewitches and affirms the strength and power of nature.