Among lovers of mountain peaks, as well as admirers of the work of the famous Soviet poet, writer and performer Yuri Vizbor, one of his songs is very famous - by the way, his mother’s favorite song. It is called the “Dombay Waltz” and is dedicated to Dombay. These mountains are beautiful and amazing, and now you can admire them through the modern cableway. It is about her, about the Dombai cableway, that will be discussed further.
Dombay: a brief description
Not everyone is familiar with geography and imagines where exactly the aforementioned area is located. And therefore, before the story of the cable car, it would be nice to take a brief excursion into the history of this territory. So, Dombai - or, in other words, Dombai glade - is a place in Karachay-Cherkessia, in the North Caucasus, from where a little more than sixty kilometers to the Black Sea and about the same to the very top of Elbrus.
The highest point of Dombay is located at an altitude of more than four kilometers, and the so-called Dombay glade itself is located about one and a half thousand meters above the ground. Dombay is an association of several mountain ranges and gorges, while the territory does not have strict borders.
Among mountain lovers, Dombay is very popular. Not only climbers, lovers and professionals go up there, but also fans of skiing holidays come to this area: magnificent trails, near which hotels, mini-hotels and tourist resorts are located, have gained immense popularity among residents of the whole country. The development of this territory by tourists began in the twenties of the last century, but then it was, so to speak, “one-time actions”; today in Dombay there is no end to those who wish.
Ski resort
What is good about Dombai as a ski resort, in addition to beautiful mountain views and steep slopes? There are many advantages to the local routes. Firstly, both experienced riders and beginners can come here - there are tracks of varying difficulty and lengths, so anyone can find their own way.
Trails
The total length of all the routes of Dombai (and there are more than a dozen) is about twenty kilometers. They are located at different heights - from one and a half thousand meters to as many as three. As already mentioned, there are roads for beginners as well as for more experienced skiers. However, they all lead to a large flat plateau, where children sledding, including children, as well as learning to get up on skis, really, really “teapots”.
There is one more pleasure for professionals in Dombay - an expensive, but truly unforgettable: a trip along the rolling slopes. You can get to the top of such a slope by helicopter, and even down - on your own. Extremely and designed for true lovers of such a holiday.
Dombay ski lifts
And now it's time to finally talk about the Dombai cable car. What makes his lifts special?
For a long time in Dombay there was an old system of lifts located in the Dombay Glade, close to all hotel complexes and recreation centers. It still functions, however, recently a new system has been working at the resort. All the lifts transport people to the main ski area, the one where the widest terrain and where the most visitors ride. The new Dombay cableway is a gondola and chair lift, as for the old one, there is also a chair lift, and also a pendulum one.
Opening hours of the Dombai lifts
All lifts begin work after eight in the morning, some closer to half past eight. They close after four hours, all but the pendulum cableway, so anyone can ride up to five or six in the evening. At the same time, the pendulum road, unlike all others, works in bad weather. Other lifts do not include if it is snowing / raining / wind blowing and so on.
Now, we will talk about each cableway of Dombai separately, and we will start with the pendulum.
Pendulum cableway
The pendulum cableway in Dombay is quite old - it was opened already back in 1987. Two wagons ride on it, each of which fits about forty people as much as possible. The cars ride parallel to each other - one up, the other down. The journey takes about eight minutes, and the highest altitude the car is capable of climbing is just over 2200 meters.
What does the pendulum road mean? The name speaks for itself. This means that the cab cars move in the pendulum mode using a special traction rope. This type of cable is considered the most reliable, powerful and proven.
Chairlift
The Dombay chairlift is even older - it opened already in 1970. It will be more accurate to say that only its first stage was opened, and a few years later two more entered service. Already in the mid-eighties, the fourth and fifth lines of this type of lifts appeared. The fifth highest is three thousand meters.
The chair road is called in this way precisely because there are armchairs on these lifts - older ones are on some lines and more modern ones on others.
New Dombay cableway
In this complex of lifts, there are three different types - the gondola road, the towbar and the so-called mops. Next, we will talk about each of these types in more detail.
Gondola cableway in Dombay
This road appeared only eleven years ago. It is through it that you can reach the highest point of all possible on the lift - 3168 meters. The gondola road is interesting in that the cabs on it are detachable, and the number of people in the cab varies from four to fifteen.
There are three stations along the entire path of this lift. The first station of this Dombai cable car is at an altitude of more than two kilometers.
Tow rope
In total, there are three tug-ski lifts in Dombai Glade (equipment for towing skiers uphill) with a height of about one hundred meters each. They serve the so-called paddling pool - a small area for skiing, not the main zone. It ride mainly since the beginning of December, before that the lifts do not work.
Mops
This is also a type of drag-rail road, an elevator in which there are two places (on an ordinary drag-rail road - one, only by this they differ from each other). The length of the “mop” is about three hundred meters.
These are the cable cars of Dombai, and now let us say a few words about how summer is in Dombay.
Dombai summer
In hot weather, Dombai is perfect for hiking. The Dombay cable cars in the summer, of course, also work - and they offer stunning picturesque landscapes. By the way, all visitors should be prepared for the fact that the cost of a new complex of roads is slightly more expensive than the old.
But the most important thing that enchants and shakes in Dombay during the hot time is, of course, nature. If in winter it is worth going here to ride and drown in the snow, then in summer - to enjoy incredible views and clean, transparent air of the North Caucasus.
Some tips
- You should not take bank cards with you - the calculation is carried out only in cash.
- If you are not a skier or climber, it is better to go to Dombay in the summer.
- With food at the resort is not very, so it is better to take care of food in advance.
- It is also recommended to think about a guide if the purpose of the trip is to bypass the Dombai beauty.
- During the ascent, you can freeze on the cable car, as a strong wind blows. You should dress warmer.
Dombay: how to get
Unfortunately, the Dombai resort does not have its own train station or airport. Therefore, you have to get here exclusively with transfers - the direct route will be only on your own car. However, buses go to Dombay, but this journey is very long - from Moscow for more than twenty hours. The route is tiring, so still the bus is not the best option.
As for the closest airport, it is located in the city of Mineralnye Vody, which is more than two hundred kilometers from Dombay. From this airport, the resort can be reached by bus or taxi transfer. There is another option - an electric train with a subsequent transfer to the minibus, but this is not very convenient if, in addition, you go with ski equipment.
That's all the information about the cable cars of Dombay and its routes. “Old Dombay hung out the snow flags,” Yuri Vizbor sang, saying goodbye to the mountains. The bard loved Dombay, and he was not alone in having tender feelings for him. This is truly the place to go. And nobody will remain indifferent after this trip.