In ancient times, human settlements were built along the banks of rivers. Since this provided them with food, clean water and the possibility of trade with other tribes and communities. River rafting was a means of transportation between settlements.
Today there are not many rivers on the planet that have preserved their natural beauty and are not spoiled by civilization. One of them is the left tributary of Ufa - Yuryuzan, and rafting on it has become a tourism and leisure industry.
Yuryuzan
Yuryuzan (river) has a length of 404 km, and the beginning originates on Mount Uglovoy Mashak in Eastern Bashkiria. It is considered an ideal place for family tourism and sports. By the complexity of the cross-country thresholds it belongs to the initial level, which makes rafting on the Yuryuzan river accessible even for beginners.
Part of the riverbed passes among the mountains, so the main landscape is steep cliffs covered with trees and shrubs. Up to the section of the middle course, which ends near the village of Verkhnyaya Luka, the river is considered mountainous, and its width is from 30 to 50 m.
The next section is called lowland, and the channel expands to 110 m and often winds. When Yuryuzan (river) falls into the Ufa plateau, it is again surrounded by rocks, and its width becomes from 70 to 100 m with a slope of up to 0.8 m / km.
The ever-changing coastal structure, picturesque places, as if specially created by nature for parking, attract a large number of lovers of water rafting from all over the country.
Nature of the Yuryuzan River
To the place where the Katav tributary flows into Yuryuzan, the river is considered quite turbulent and winding. The place below the confluence of the tributary becomes calm, and from the city of Ust-Katav to the border of Bashkiria with the regional edge, the picturesque Yuryuzan River and the surrounding area are declared a natural monument.
The river bed at this interval during the flood reaches 200 m in width, in another period it does not exceed 30 m at a depth of 25-35 cm at rifts and 4 meters at reach. On the high and steep banks in the rocks there are many caves, some of which were once the sites of ancient tribes.
The Bolshoi Limonovsky ridge is recognized as the most picturesque place on the river, the height of the cliffs of which hangs above the water at an altitude of 80 m. The coastal part of the river is covered with coniferous forests rich in mushrooms and berries, and from the animal world there are bears, elks, otters, wolves, lynxes and ermines . Among birds the most common are black grouse, capercaillie and hazel grouse.
Rafting along the Yuryuzan River is a huge impression of the beauty of the surrounding nature, the purity of water and air.
Sights of Yuryuzani
Among the famous sights of the river are caves and grottoes in the surrounding rocks and the resort "Yangant-tau".
There are so many caves that it is simply impossible to explore, but the most famous and visited, Idrisovskaya, is located at an altitude of 45 m above the river. Its length is 93 meters, which includes several grottoes with corridors. On the walls of the Idrisov cave, you can see well-preserved drawings of rock paintings of ancient people.
Another famous cave is named after the Bashkir hero of the times of Emelyan Pugachev, Salavat Yulaev, who hid in it after the defeat of the uprising. It consists of 3 rooms with high ceilings and a beautiful arched entrance.
Another attraction of the river is located behind the village of Akulovo, where the "burning mountain" of Yangan-Tau is located. It is famous for its hot springs, which people from all over the country come to treat rheumatism and joint diseases.
Many tourists also prefer to visit the famous hot spring Kurgazak, in which the temperature, even in severe frosts, remains +16 degrees.
Yuryuzan (river) is also rich in picturesque islands on which fir, pine, birch, aspen, linden and wild cherry grow. On many of them you can make a halt, feast on raspberries and go fishing.
Yuryuzan River Rafting Routes
To go rafting on the Yuryuzan river, it is better to start the route from Ust-Katav station. Not far from it is a bridge, from which tourists depart on catamarans.
At the beginning of the path, the river is not wide, only 25-30 m, but the current is quite fast, so it’s better for beginners to rafting with an instructor.
Conventionally, the alloy is divided into two routes:
- Small alloy makes up two transitions. The length of the first 17 km of the waterway to the village of Kachkari. Convenient parking is located near it. The second passage to the village of Idrisovo is 13 km in picturesque places. The attraction of this route is the Balcony Cave, the site of an ancient tribe.
- The distant tourist rafting consists of 3 transitions, which include the path to Kachkari, Idrisovo and the third transition 18 km to the Bear’s corner. This route involves visiting not only the Idris Cave, but also climbing the Limonovsky ridge, an excursion to the famous Salavat caves and the hot spring Kurgazak.
Optionally, you can stay on the numerous islands that the Yuryuzan River is rich in. The route includes fishing, ear and picking berries.
Fishing on the Yuryuzan River
Someone likes to pick berries and mushrooms while standing, someone likes to fish. For the fisherman, the Yuryuzan River, fishing on which is a real pleasure, is also good memories for life. Among the fish, which is found in abundance in the river, there are grayling, chub, dace, perch, pike, chebak, pike perch, burbot, gudgeon and many other species.
Since Yuryuzan changes its shape from a mountain river to a flat river, fish in different areas also changes. For fishermen, it’s a real pleasure to be able to catch so different species for one to two days.
Family holiday
The advantage of the Yuruzani rafting is that children from 5 years old accompanied by their parents and from 14 years old can take part in it.
This is a truly family safe type of water tourism, during which each participant, regardless of age, will receive:
- communication with the virgin nature;
- passion while fishing or picking blueberries, wild strawberries and mushrooms;
- animal lovers can watch beavers and listen to the howl of wolves;
- those who love secrets and monuments of antiquity will love to admire the cave paintings of cavemen;
- Those who wish to improve their health can immerse themselves in a thermal spring.
The uniqueness of the Yuryuzan River is that it provides an opportunity for every person to plunge into the virgin nature and feel with you on it without risk to health.