In Russia there is no climber who would not hear about the Bezengi wall. One cannot look at this comb-like region of the Caucasus Range without admiration. The Bezengi wall is one of the highest sections of the mountain range, not counting Elbrus and Kazbek. All conquerors of mountain peaks fall in love with him.
Description of the Bezengi Wall
The widest part of the Caucasus Range is located near the village of Bezengi in Kabardino-Balkaria on the border with Georgia. From here begins a chain of the highest mountain peaks of the Caucasus - the Bezengi wall. It stretches in length for more than 12 km. Of the eight five-thousanders of the Caucasus, six are on the Bezengi wall. On two of them, Shkhara and Jingitau, peaks reach a height of more than 5000 meters. Four more peaks, Shota Rustaveli, Katyn-Tau, Lalver peak and the most beautiful peak of Gestol, the height is slightly lower than 5000 meters.
The slopes of the mountain peaks are covered with snow and descend to the Bezengi glacier. Along the rocky ribs are routes along which climbs to the peaks from autumn to spring. In the summer, their conquest is considered dangerous due to melting snow.
The Bezengi wall from Georgia has a very beautiful view. Hiking in the mountains of Svaneti can be done without special equipment. This route is accessible to every healthy person. A hiking trail runs through a very picturesque area, which Georgians call the pearl of the country.
Bezengi and other glaciers
One of the largest glaciers in the Caucasus is Besengi. It covers an area of about 36 square meters. km The thickness of the ice in some places reaches 180 meters. In connection with global warming, it is melting, and the area of ice cover is gradually decreasing. Glaciers of Shkhara, Adish, and Nagebsky descend from the slopes of the mountains. They are smaller in size, their melting is more active due to the influence of the sun and rains. Among the conquerors of the mountain peaks, the Bezengi wall was called the Caucasian Himalayas.
The local population calls the huge glacier on the wall of Ullu-Cheran. From the grotto that formed in it flows the turbulent river Cherek Besengi, which is fed by melting snow.
Climbing camp in Bezengi
On the slopes of the mountains laid routes with different levels of difficulty. Every year, the Bezengi wall attracts the attention of hundreds of climbers. For them, the Bezengi camp was built in the mountains. It is located on the slope of the Caucasus Mountains at an altitude of about 2200 meters and works only in the summer. Gestola peak is clearly visible from the camp.
Climbing camp "Bezengi" is designed for 220 people. The hotel has rooms with different levels of comfort. The camp also has houses for 2-4 people. For leisure activities there are tennis courts, sports grounds, a bar, there is a sauna with a pool.
In the camp you can rent equipment, use the help of an instructor when developing and following the ascent route. The base provides radio communications with groups in the mountains. The cost of staying in the camp includes medical care, the organization of 3 meals a day in the dining room and on the route, registration of passes to the border zone.
How did the conquest of the peaks begin?
The Bezengi wall, the photo of which you see in the article, always attracted not only domestic, but also foreign climbers. The first climbers to the top of Gestol were made in 1886 by British climbers along the Southwest Slope. In 1888, the British made three expeditions and first conquered the Main Shkhara and East Dzhangi-Tau, following the Northeast Ridge.
In 1903, an international expedition, which included climbers from Germany, England, Switzerland and Austria, set off to conquer the Bezengi wall. They were the first to traverse the three peaks of the Djangi-Tau, and also went from Lalver peak to Gestola. Soviet climbers began to conquer the peaks of the Bezengi wall from the mid-30s of the last century as part of Soviet-German cooperation. In 1928 there was a climb to Shkhara along the Northeast Ridge. Georgian climbers first climbed the peak of Gestola from Svaneti in 1931.
Since then, Soviet and Russian climbers paved new routes of varying difficulty each year. To date, the traverse on the Bezengi wall is considered the "path of the masters."
Artificial stone "Bezengi wall"
Each region of the country has a distinctive architecture that emphasizes national characteristics, cultural traditions. In the Caucasus, natural stone has always been used as a building material. The towers and houses characteristic of this region have been standing for many centuries and attract the attention of tourists.
With the development of building technologies, new materials for cladding houses have appeared, giving buildings a colorful look. One of them is the “Bezengi Wall” - a decorative stone that imitates various rock structures. The masonry from such a material looks stylish and modern.
Artificial stone has a smooth texture, so it is easy to stack. It is used for cladding building facades, decorating the interior of the kitchen or hallway, as well as bars and cafes in the national style. Especially beautiful are the walls, lined with stone of several colors and textures.
How to get to the Bezengi wall
Many tourists and athletes with different levels of training are attracted by the Bezengi wall. How to get to the camp? This question is of particular concern to those who are going to spend their holidays in the mountains for the first time. To get to the alpine camp, you need to issue a pass to the border zone. To do this, send an application to the administrator. In the Bezengi alpine camp there is a transfer in the forward and reverse direction from the railway stations and airports of Nalchik, Pyatigorsk, Mineralnye Vody. Tourists are delivered to their destination by comfortable buses, guides and porters serve the route.
Anyone who wants to get to the camp in their own car needs to know that only an SUV can drive along the road. You can get to the village of Bezengi from Nalchik by taxi, in addition, a regular bus goes to the village once a day.