The Leningrad region is famous for its magnificent nature - forests, lakes and rivers. We can say that ponds are the hallmark of this region. According to scientists, in the vicinity of St. Petersburg there are more than forty thousand lakes. All of them differ in size and history of origin. Most of them are located in Vyborg, Podporozhsky and Priozersky districts. As a rule, they are of glacial origin, and therefore their depth is not too great.
Residents of the Northern capital love to spend their free time on the lakes. The magnificent nature, clean fresh air, fascinating fishing attract citizens. Of particular interest are these places among lovers of extreme relaxation. This is easily explained: in the vicinity of the city are picturesque Karelian granite rocks.
Ten years ago, the most visited areas were the Big Cliffs at Lake Hawk and the Hiitola cliffs located in the same direction. Since 2000, a young area located near the Finnish border, the cliffs of Lake Triangular, began to actively develop, which rapidly gained popularity among rock climbing and bouldering enthusiasts in our country.
Triangle Lake, Vyborgsky District
To relax a little in the fresh air, enjoy the silence and beauty of the wild, many residents of St. Petersburg go to the countryside. We suggest that you take a small virtual tour of Lake Triangle (Leningrad Oblast). It is located forty kilometers from Vyborg in the direction of Svetogorsk.
The triangular lake, the photo of which you can see below, is hidden from prying eyes and is reliably protected by rocks. It is especially picturesque in the summer. Here you can go fishing, admire its blue mirror surface. But most tourists, especially in recent years, prefer to come here to do their favorite sport - climbing.
The arrays surrounding Lake Triangle have become a real Mecca for lovers of active pastime. The rock massif is located almost on the Finnish border, in the northern part of the Karelian Isthmus. The picturesque nature and a large number of interesting tracks for beginners and professionals attract everyone who wants to conquer mountains and cliffs.
This massif surrounding Triangular Lake was discovered recently (2000) by Vladimir Molodozhen and Konstantin Beketov. In 2001, the first routes were already laid here. According to experts, the potential of this area is huge. Rock massifs with a huge number of paved tracks, many parking lots, no problems with water - what could be better for outdoor activities?
Weather
For visiting the Leningrad region, the ideal period is from July to August. At this time, the air warms up to +28 ° C, and the water in the lake - up to +26 ° C. Climbers prefer to go to these places in June and September. Experienced tourists believe that at this time the weather on Lake Triangle is more convenient for practicing their favorite sport, especially for bouldering and going through difficult routes, since the air temperature is 2-3 degrees lower.
In addition, white nights begin here in June . This feature allows climbers to train almost around the clock. Fans of spending May holidays in nature should be guided by a long-term weather forecast - in the early spring such a trip can be exciting.
Natural Ethnographic Park
Triangular Lake and Lietlahti Farm are part of a unique complex. According to the idea of the creators of the natural and ethnographic park and at the same time the owners of the farm - the spouses Jean and Olga Grazhulisov, the project provides for several development vectors:
- amateur and sports directions;
- rural tourism;
- local history and ethnography;
- the construction of a carpentry, carpentry, stucco and pottery workshops;
- creation of a camping center.
Formulating the concept of the park, the spouses of Grazhulisa argue that this is an effective way to approach the use of land. The main goal of the complex is to provide guests with the opportunity to delve into the history of these places and mingle with nature.
A bit of history
Until 1940, the name Lietlahti was carried by a village located not far from the small Fortress Lake. Today it has a different name - Triangular Lake. The first houses in this area appeared in 1635. By the beginning of the 20th century, there were about twenty-five houses in the village of Lietlahti (Kirva parish of the Principality of Finland).
Later this territory was included in the Russian Empire, then (after 1917) it became part of independent Finland, and in 1940 it became part of the RSFSR.
Lietlahti today
Today it is a natural and ethnographic park, which began to be created in 2008. At the same time, work began on the restoration of the farm of the same name. The territory of the present park corresponds to the area occupied by the village of Lietlahti.
Currently, guests have at their disposal a large house that can accommodate thirty-five people at a time. The farm has electricity, water and gas supply, Wi-Fi, a toilet and a bathhouse. The park has 268 tracks. In 2015, two new sectors for climbing with a rope were mastered - routes for beginners and a rather complicated Incorpi sector. The Lake Triangle massifs are within walking distance of Lietlahti Camping and the main house.
Routes and rocks
The cliffs of the Triangular Lake are unique. They differ from other Karelian massifs in a huge variety of relief. Here you can see the "lamb foreheads" with sharp liabilities and minuscule, large vertical cracks, overhanging plates, internal corners. Inexperienced climbers have room to work on mastery here: more than twenty routes have been developed for them. Below are the most popular ones.
"The right crow's nest"
A uniform and long route with a roll-out to the "nest", rest in it and exit upstairs. Even the existing grooves in the middle of the route do not spoil the overall impression.
"Prophetic Oleg"
The route laid along the "ram's foreheads", liabilities and minuscule. The track is uniform, of medium complexity.
"Baby and Carlson Castaneda"
A great route with only one drawback - a small length. It will require composure and attention from the athlete.
"Pine"
This route begins on a gentle platform, followed by a key transition from an inclined shelf to a vertical slot. The transition is not pronounced, it is necessary to detect a clue. You can try to do this several times, returning to the shelf for rest.
"Pisu Pis"
The route belongs to category 6c, but at the same time has a rather complicated start. The clues are sharp, so without experience it is better not to try to master it: many attempts here cannot be made.
All routes are very different: from the shortest bouldering - up to 12 m, to long, designed for endurance - up to 25 m, difficulty from 5s to 8s. Routes of different tilt angles from “lying” to strong overhangs; moreover, they often change their tilt angle.
Northern white nights allow you to arrange two workouts a day. Usually the first starts at 10.00 and lasts until 15.00, and the second after swimming in the lake, lunch and afternoon rest from 21.00 to 24.00. Most of the rocks face south. Therefore, even after prolonged summer rains, they dry out very quickly in the sun, with the exception of only large cracks. And on some tracks with strong overhangs, you can train even in heavy rain.
Residence
In recent years, most tourists prefer to stay in the Lietlahti park. Here you will be offered comfortable accommodation in a central house or at a campsite. All rooms are provided with electricity, water, there is a kitchen for cooking with all necessary utensils. There is an excellent bathhouse on site. Free parking is available at the guest house.
And lovers of a more romantic holiday can settle on the shore of Lake Triangular in a tent. The only condition that should be strictly observed when creating your camp is not to occupy parking lots of various communities and mountaineering clubs. The entire area around the lake is in an official, documented rental from Winner.
You cannot drive directly to the car parks; you must go along the path. This should be considered when traveling with young children.
Rules of residence
As the Triangular Lake is becoming more and more popular every year, experienced tourists and climbers urge you to follow the rules of conduct. They are quite simple:
- do not leave trash behind;
- watch bonfires;
- dig in toilets;
- Do not dispose of household waste and chemicals into the lake;
- do not leave inscriptions and drawings on rocks and trees.
Communication with border guards
A triangular lake with rock massifs and Lietlahti park are located in the border zone. All guests are encouraged to respect the border guard. Sometimes they come to the parking lot or you can meet them on the trails. As a rule, a polite and friendly conversation ends with a document check.
Climbers with a pass are allowed to:
- to be freely in the reserve and border zone;
- punch rocks and relax on the lake;
- to fish.
Clearance Registration
The border zone, in addition to the lake, rocks and the park, also includes a section of the road on which the border points are located. When transit or being in the border zone, a pass is required. To date, not a single case of failure for climbers has been recorded. The document is drawn up without any questions, however, the procedure is delayed for 30 days. Therefore, you should take care of this in advance by ordering documents in Vyborg or St. Petersburg, and pick them up on the way to the rocks. This service is free.
Triangular lake (Leningrad region): how to get there?
Below we will present you the available methods that will allow you to get to the Triangular Lake, and you choose the most convenient for you.
From St. Petersburg you can get to Vyborg by local electric train, then change to a regular bus.
You might want to drive to Triangle Lake by car. How to get there The route is as follows: St. Petersburg - Vyborg - Lesogorsky - Losevo - rocks and a lake. The road through Vyborg along Priozersky highway, bypassing the village of Svobodnoye, and then to Topolki will take you an extra three hours. In addition, the road itself cannot be called ideal. Therefore, many prefer to travel by train.