Belaya River Canyon “Noise”, Kamennomostsky Canyon, Hadzhokh Gorge are all the names of the same place known to every Adyghe and far beyond the borders of the republic, a constituent entity of the Southern District.
What is gorge
The word "gorge" refers to a narrow passage between high mountains or cliffs, and to a deep valley, which is completely occupied by a rapids on the riverbed. The banks are usually steep, often overhanging. Tesnina has synonyms - canyon, passage, uzina, gorge, defile, diphtheria. All these words mean something narrow, long, deep.
About a similar place, Lermontov wrote "... and, deep below blackening, like a crack, the dwelling of a snake, a radiant Daryal curled ...". The Khadzhokh gorge, like the Darial Gorge, was formed over the millennia not by the Terek, but by the Belaya River, the left-bank and the most powerful tributary of the Kuban.
Canyon Parameters
Conventionally, the entire gorge can be divided into two parts along the road bridge over the gorge. In the first, the current is very stormy, and in the second, the river calms down and gradually widens to 20-30 meters to the exit of the canyon, which is so narrow in the upper reaches (in some places its width narrows to 2-3 meters), which is hardly noticeable from above. The canyon itself is quite deep - vertical walls reach 40 meters. Actually, the Hadzhokh Gorge is the final part of the Great Canyon of the same name, the starting point of which can be the Cossack Stone located nearby. The total length of the corridor punched in the rocks by the Belaya River is 500 meters, namely, the gorge - 400 meters.
From the history of the gorge
Once upon a time, during the Russo-Caucasian war, these places were known for fierce resistance to Russian troops. Aul Hadzhokh, whose defense was led by Shamil, did not give up for a very long time, as a result of which he was completely destroyed.
In 1862, in its place, on the right bank of the canyon, a Cossack defensive post first appeared, and in 1864, Cossacks from the Orenburg army and the Stavropol province founded the village of Kamennomostskaya here. New houses were being built, since Cossacks were forbidden to occupy the undisturbed Circassian huts. Gradually, from 1873 to 1914, the village expanded and received the status of a village.
Pearl of Adygea
Now it is an urban-type settlement, on the southern edge of which the world-famous diphelia is located, which is famous for its extraordinary magical beauty and powerful energy. Each guest of the republic will certainly be brought here. And the path to this tale lies only through the village of Kamennomostsky (Adygea).
Tesnina is a real miracle of nature. And this is true, because, according to eyewitnesses, in this place a person enters into a state of light trance, and he is visited by thoughts and feelings that have never been experienced before. Since 1979, the gorge has been a natural monument of local importance. During floods (and water sometimes rises to 20 meters) it is impossible to be in these places due to the rumbling of a racing stream.
Legends of the gorge
These beautiful places are steeped in history. So, in the place where once the canyon diverged into two arms, on a rocky ledge there is a circular platform, which is called "Aminovskaya". The legend tells of the cruel customs of the Abreks - the governor of Shamil, Mohammed Amin (or Emin), threw off this site into the abyss of guilty fighters. But there were times when they came up, and then they were given life. And in Soviet times, when there were no such strict prohibitions and fences, local boys earned (for each tourist a ruble) jumping into the water from a bridge that nature constructed, having washed the unnecessary from the rock. The bridge has long been a pedestrian, and the remains of it are visible to this day. The Khadzhokh gorge has many miraculous stone figures and bas-reliefs, each of which has its own name and legend.
Canyon Uniqueness
All together - fabulous beauty, enchanting energy, history and legends about the wild morals of the highlanders, about the deeds of local residents during the Second World War and the three-headed dragon who lived here once attract tourists from many countries. The originality of this place also lies in the fact that at the entrance to it the gorge is not visible - all the beauty is below. You can admire it from special viewing platforms located along the edge of the cliff.
Given the popularity of route No. 30, the gorge is equipped with transitions and decorated with lively corners. There are three of them in the entire gorge - two with bears, Masha and Timothy, one with waterfowl.
The tourist capital of Adygea
The village of Kamennomostsky, located in the Maikop district of Adygea in the foothills of the Caucasus, is located at an altitude of 400 meters above sea level. Its population is approaching 9 thousand. The village is fully equipped, it has all the necessary infrastructure, a good road, through which you can get here from Maykop by bus, and modern cottages. Hajoch is beautiful at all times of the year, even in winter he is full of unusual charm. At its southern end, a stele with the inscription "Hadzhokhskaya Gorge" stands at the entrance to the defile. The photo attached below shows the entrance to the fairy tale created by nature. This settlement is considered both a tourist center and a resort.
The specifics of these places
Located in a valley surrounded by mountain ranges covered with mixed forests, providing healing air filled with the smells of pine needles and alpine meadows, the village has a mild climate, and there are never mosquitoes or midges.
Forest garden, sometimes dense, full of mushrooms, nuts and various berries, and crystal water, originating on mountain glaciers, add charm to the garden village. The gentle slopes of the gorge are covered with thickets of barberry, making them red during the ripening of berries, which adds untold charm to the landscape.
In an amazing, unique place is the village of Kamennomostsky. The sights in the immediate vicinity are impressive - waterfalls and caves, dolmens (ancient funerary and religious buildings made of large stones) and canyons, alpine meadows and Cossack stone - beauty, which are described in numerous photographs.
Do not count all the beauties
All Rufabgo waterfalls are beautiful, the “Bowl of Love”, which has its own legend, stands out especially. It should be noted that a certain amount must be paid for entering the "fairy tale". But there is a charming Mishoko Gorge near the highway.
The entrance to it is easily accessible to people who do not have the skills and dexterity of inveterate tourists. And, most importantly, you can enjoy the beauty for free.
Separate words deserve the plateau Lago-Naki (Lagonaki plateau, altitude 2200 meters above sea level), which brought fame to the alpine meadows, and St. Michael's Mount Athos Monastery, surrounded by amazing gardens. Mount Fiziabgo itself is completely cut through by passages and caves, in which the monks created a library and icon-painting workshops. All this makes it possible for specialists to compare Fiziabgo with the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.
On the mountain there are the remains of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, a beautiful viewing platform on top, from which visitors admire the views of the surrounding mountains, fonts and springs with healing water. The Khadzhokh gorge is full of attractions, of which I would also like to mention Sahrai waterfalls, Ammonite Valley, the ancient Dakhovsky bridge, the Labyrinth rock complex, which is located near the Gorny children's recreation camp. In the village itself there is a beautiful wooden church of Dmitry Solunsky.
The canyon is winding, and for every turn of the tourists new unique beauties await, which are better to see with your own eyes. It offers travelers a well-equipped camp site "Mountain", which is more than 60 years old. From here and from the village of Kamennomostsky there are routes to Mount Fisht and to the Guam Gorge.