What a person should know who is going to visit the "terrible and terrible, covered with secrets and secrets" mountain Yamantau 1640 m., Concurrently the highest point of the Southern Urals.
In my opinion, there are two main points:
1. The mountain is in the heart South Ural Natural Reserve and by going on the road you will without any doubt violate Art. 9, part 5 of the Federal Law of March 14, 1995 N 33-FZ “On Specially Protected Natural Areas”.
Article 9. Regime of special protection of the territories of state natural reserves
part 5. Staying in the territories of state natural reserves individuals, who are not employees of federal state budgetary institutions managing state natural reserves, officials of the federal executive body in charge of state natural reserves, is allowed only with the permission of federal state budgetary institutions managing state natural reserves, or the federal executive body the authorities in charge of the state nature reserves.
As soon as you violate the boundaries of the reserve, you will commit an administrative offense falling under the article:
8.39. Violation of the rules of protection and use natural resources in specially protected natural areas of the codec Russian Federation on administrative offenses "from 30.12.2001 N 195-FZ
Violation of the established regime or other rules for the protection and use of the environment and natural resources in the territories of state natural reserves, national parks, natural parks, state natural reserves, as well as in the territories where natural monuments are located, in other specially protected natural areas or in their protected zones shall entail the imposition of an administrative fine on citizens in the amount of three thousand to four thousand rubles with or without confiscation of the instruments of committing an administrative offense and products of illegal nature use; on officials - from fifteen thousand to twenty thousand rubles with or without confiscation of instruments of committing an administrative offense and products of illegal nature use; for legal entities - from three hundred thousand to five hundred thousand rubles with or without confiscation of the instruments of committing an administrative offense and products of illegal use of natural resources.
2. Mount Yamantau, due to its location in the reserve, is relatively difficult to access. Surrounded by high ridges, curum rivers, forests inhabited by wild animals. The weather at its summit can be very harsh. One summer, in June, I caught a terrible hypothermia on its slopes and could not reach the top. Therefore, you need to have some experience of walking "into the forest" and the mountains of the Southern Urals, to approach this route with all seriousness.
And do not be confused by the seeming ease of the route description. Even for me it was hard sometimes.
And now about our fun trip.
For a long time we wanted to go with Rais Gabitov to the mountains, and finally everything turned out as well as possible.
Window in the weather, golden autumn, availability of time.
It is a crime to miss such an opportunity and we, as law-abiding (almost) citizens, did not miss it.
Like any other media personality, blogger Rais Gabitov is attracted by everything big, special and brilliant, so Yamantau Mountain became our main goal.
Considering the options for the path, I chose a linear route along the line of the village of Tirlyan - ur. Misel - hr. Inzerskie Zubchatki - ridge. Kumardak (town of Kolokolnaya 1354.1) - ridge. Mashak (peak 1383.2) - Karaulnaya city - Yamantau city (1640.4) - Bykovskie glades - Karatash city (1103.2) - Ufa-Beloretsk highway.
Why I chose it, because it is very beautiful, logical, and it can be completed without strain in 3 days, the approximate length of the route is 90-100 km.
In the village of Tirlyan, we arrived at 8 am, the sun bathing in the morning fog flooded the world with gold, as if saying: "Go guys, dive into the red autumn with your head!", Which we hurried to do.
The first part of the route to the famous rock circus of the ridge Inzerskiye Zotchatki was the nastiest.
Jeepers who were sober and didn't swear. 
Victimized by the popularity and availability of the road, the rock circus has become a regular circus. Crowds of people, the roar of chainsaws, drunken companies driving prepared SUVs, diligently kneading a thick layer of mud on the road.
Having had a quick lunch at one of the outliers, we moved on to the clean and quiet autumn forests of the Inzerskaya valley.
ATTENTION: On Inzerskiye Zubchatka there is a cellular connection and the Internet sufficient for the publication of a photo.
We walked and enjoyed ourselves, a forest with drooping autumn grass is perfectly passable, small riding bolts at the headwaters of the Terzhenka and Bolshoi Inzer rivers do not present obstacles, dry and warm kurum fields perfectly diversify the monotony of movement through the forest and perfectly hold your foot.
Two hours before sunset, we began to climb the Kumardak ridge under the top of Mount Kolokolnaya (1354.1), we made it on time, half an hour before sunset.
Throwing our backpacks, we got busy with the pressing issues of the evening, photography and climbing to the top.
A surprise for me was the destruction and mobility of the kurum on the mountain, I do not remember such a rocky peak in the South Urals. KEEP IN MIND!
Frozen stone waves, on the slopes of the Kumardak ridge 
Climbing all the top and the surrounding rocks, set up the tent with a sense of accomplishment and went to sleep.
ATTENTION: On the Kumardak ridge, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Kolokolnaya mountain, there is a cellular connection and the Internet is sufficient for the publication of a photo.
ATTENTION: Slopes of the Kolokolnaya mountain (Kumardak ridge) have a dangerous “live” kurum. Climb with caution
During the day, 33 km were covered, of which 17 were on the road to Inzerskie Zubchatki.
First day route. the village of Tirlyan - Izersky teeth - ridge. Kumardak The morning of the second day was wonderful!
I got up an hour before sunrise, quickly cooked pasta, drank tea, and within 30 minutes I was at the top of the Bell. Quietly and gently, drowning in shades of red and pink, the sun rose.
At 8.20 we continued our way to the top of the Urals. On a steep kurum slope, small raised bogs descended into the Yuryuzan Valley,
curum rivers, the headwaters of the Yuryuzan River flew by unnoticed during an interesting conversation,
by noon they began to climb the Mashak ridge, behind us a majestic panorama of the traversed path unfolded, in the distance we could see the Kolokolnaya mountain and the place of our camp.
We crossed the watershed of the Mashak ridge, emerged from the labyrinth of dwarf firs and rocks onto the western slope, and enthusiastically fell silent.
Before us, the view of the most high mountain Southern Urals, Yamantau.
It was as if we were in the first row, in the VIP seats of a huge auditorium, and the whole grandiose performance was unfolding only for us.
At the same moment they decided that better place you can't find for dinner ...
We descended from the Mashak ridge, crossed the power line,
a place where you need to be most attentive and careful in order to avoid unwanted meetings with the reserve workers. And further, through the beautiful park forest with a small climb, we crossed the last vertical obstacle on the way to the goal, Mount Karaulnaya (1235.8)
Behind Karaulnaya there is a small descent and vast raised bogs, overgrown with rare, broken dwarf birches.
There was surprisingly little water, no higher than the ankle, they passed the swamp quickly and began to climb the saddle between Mount Yamantau and Kuyantau (Small Yamantau).
From the highest point of the saddle, up to the top, there is a man-made chute, cleared in the kurum during the active development of the mountain. Apparently it was used to supply water to the top, in some places you can find the remains of pipes, on the other side of the saddle there is a lake, to which pipes lead.
The chute is easy to climb and can serve as an excellent guide in bad weather.
In our case, the weather is ideal, with the exception of an incomprehensible haze that has come and enveloped all the mountains around, but they are not looking for good and good.
Climbing the pre-summit plateau, we find the remains of structures, a lot of technical junk, spare parts for a drill, some kind of bathtub, which was tanned right in the mountain, and what is most valuable for us is a ladder.
A stupid idea comes naturally, I grab the ladder and carry it to the top.
There will be good photos.
Here we probably need to step back from the story and tell in more detail why I allowed myself to do this, anticipating the outraged exclamations.
I unconditionally and consistently condemn all people cluttering mountains, and never allow myself to leave something on the mountain. But in this situation, I did not bring anything to the mountain, the stairs have been on the mountain for many years as well as tons of other technical, construction, military waste. And their main deposits are located at the very top.
And, it turned out very conceptually and fun, a staircase going up to the sky at the top of the mountain. Something like this…
There is a strong wind at the top, but this is not a reason to deny yourself an overnight stay.
I like to spend the night in significant placesto enjoy being there without haste. Rais hesitates a little, but I convince him and we set up a tent under the cover of a small stone tour.
this night, within a radius of more than 1000 kilometers, no one will sleep higher than us 🙂
We walk along the plateau, the scale of littering is amazing.
Foundations and remains of log cabins, mountains of metal rubbish, artificial depressions filled with water, skeletons of armored beds ...
A separate action of the photo session of Rais in his "trademark" red panties.
In a hellish piercing wind, Rais aki a mountain goat jumps from stone to stone, trying to catch the only one, only guided by him.
The whitish haze that lingers all around is devouring the sunset, and we go to bed.
ATTENTION: On the Yamantau mountain there is a cellular connection and the Internet sufficient for the publication of a photo.
We covered 22 kilometers per day.
The route of the second day. Kumardak - Mashak - Yamantau The night was cold and windy.
1 C combined with strong wind did not add motivation to leave the warm sleeping bag.
But knowing that this is the only way to be born beautiful pictures, I do my daily morning prayer. Fast food, tea, and 30 minutes after waking up, I jump on the kurums, trying to keep up with the disappearing and dissolving Iremel.
The dawn is beautiful this morning and the vantage point is excellent. All high Southern Urals in full view. What I love!
40 minutes to shoot, and kick Raisa back to get ready faster.
Today is a long and hard day.
We go down to the saddle, we decide to walk to the lake.
Transparent clear watersand there is no reason not to freshen up. The water is icy, what a man who has not washed for 3 days needs.
After swimming, we begin our descent, cut the southern slope of Kuyantau Mountain (Small Yamantau) and go out through a beautiful park forest to the area of \u200b\u200bur. Bykovskie Polyany.
From here there is a stunning view of the summit we abandoned.
Rais again has an involuntary need to run around the field in red panties.
A little higher than the glades we go out onto a good country road, we can see that cars are driving along it. The speed increases, but you need to be careful. A few kilometers later, a new surprise, an abandoned barracks.
As is often the case with military installations, everything is abandoned and gradually destroyed. Nothing, nobody needs it.
A little more along a good road and at the crossroads into a ford across the right tributary of the Malaya Kuzelga River, and then another crossroads and along a completely overgrown road towards Mount Kuseimatau.
And the rest of the way along the heavily overgrown and unused road to the Yusha ridge. On the one hand, it is harder to walk, sometimes the road is lost in the fields, but mostly it is quite easy to pass, and what is very important, the risk of meeting someone is minimized, it is clear that only bears and elk walk along the road.
The last snack and rest at the top of Mount Tornaya. With a beautiful sunset view of the Dunansungang and Kaintyube peaks.
Immediately after rest, we turn off the road and try to find a path perpendicular to the ridge going down into the valley. There, navigators show good road, almost asphalt. We do not find the descent path, and already in the pitch darkness we climb the windbreaks, in the area where the good road is marked also disappointment. There is nothing at all.
We go along the river bed. Bolshay Kureuza and yet we go out onto a country road, a few kilometers before the road we find ourselves on a concrete road.
A car picks us up on the highway and takes us to Ufa.
Goodbye, high South Ural, see you soon.
While walking, I noticed several interesting peaks that must be visited 😉
We have covered 41 kilometers per day.
The total total mileage of the route was 96 kilometers.
p.s. and lastly, I did not write in vain at the beginning about the legal consequences of visiting the reserve.
I AM READY TO PAY THE PENALTY
If you are an employee of the South Ural Natural Reserve, and you want to impose a fine on me, write to me and I will send you my details.
Some state secrets have long ceased to be a secret for ordinary citizens. The existence of a secret refuge in Mount Yamantau is known not only in Russia, but also on the other side of the ocean. The fact that Mount Yamantau - underground city, heard by many, despite the fact that there is no official confirmation of this information.
The main secret of the South Urals
Why Yamantau:
Secret residence
The first information that the "bad mountain" is being used to create a bunker for the government appeared in the press in the 90s of the last century. The Americans showed particular interest in the underground construction. Even today, most of the information about the secret object can be found in the English-speaking part of the Internet. In April 1996, an article was published in the well-known American newspaper The New York Times, which told that an object of unknown purpose was being built in the Urals. Officials offered versions of what exactly Yamantau Mountain could serve. The need to build an underground city arose because Russia needs a new reliable storage facility. There was also a version that there would be no secret settlement in the mountain. There is just mining there.
Despite guarantees from the Russian government that the secret facility was out of service, was being built for peaceful purposes and did not threaten the United States in any way, the Americans continued to be concerned about the construction work. The US government suspected that the facility was being built using loans that Russia took on the other side of the ocean. The country was in a difficult economic situation. There was no money even for salaries. Consequently, there would be no money for an expensive construction project in Russia.
Preparations for construction began in the late 1970s. At this time, there was a ban on visiting the area around mysterious mountain... The reason for the ban to the general public was explained by the need to create a reserve. It is believed that the reserve was supposed to become a kind of screen behind which a secret object would be hidden. A special enterprise was created for the construction of the bunker, which has survived to this day.
The fact that Yamantau is an underground city, a bunker is evidenced by the increased attention of the Russian president to the local resort. At the beginning of the new century, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, who had already taken office, became a frequent visitor to the Abzakovo ski center. This resort is located several dozen kilometers from Magnitogorsk. There is nothing strange in the visit of the head of state to a ski resort. Vladimir Vladimirovich loves to ski. However, there are other, more comfortable complexes in Russia. According to an unofficial version, the president came here only to supervise the construction and constant modernization of the secret facility.
The conjecture that Yamantau is a secret underground city, a bunker, is confirmed by the fact that the area is guarded not only by huntsmen, but also by the military. A person in this area should not betray his presence in any way. It is forbidden to make fires and take pictures here. An attempt to capture the picturesque beauty of nature can lead to serious conflict with special forces if they notice your actions. The desire to take a picture will be perceived as an act of espionage. Mount Yamantau is an underground city. You should not take a photo in its vicinity.
Construction work on the secret facility was completed in the early 2000s (around 2002). However, technological progress is constantly moving forward, and in this regard, the underground city needs timely modernization. The gigantic structure requires protection and maintenance. A railway line was laid to the mountain, and highway from Magnitogorsk. The uninitiated can only guess what secrets are hidden by Mount Yamantau. The underground city was built in anticipation of war. We can only hope that it will never be necessary to use it.
A secret base of the Russian government has been discovered in the mountains of the Southern Urals, not far from the Abzakovo ski center, where Russian President Vladimir Putin is a frequent visitor. There are a lot of rumors around the mountain bunker, and even residents of nearby settlements do not really know what kind of objects since the time " cold war»Are being built in the mountains. "URA.Ru" decided to find out what kind of secret complex is located in the South Urals. What do the builders of the underground city tell? Where it is located? How is it guarded? What kind of communications is provided? All secrets are in the material of our agency.
At the beginning of the new, 21st century, Russian President Vladimir Putin became a frequent visitor to the Yuzhnouralsk ski resort "Abzakovo", located about 60 km from Magnitogorsk. Neither Putin himself nor his aides were able to explain to the public why the head of state chose this place. Officially, Putin liked to ski there. But there is also unofficial version... Thus, the president came to supervise the completion of the construction of a secret underground city located in the very high mountain South Ural massif - Yamantau (translated from Bashkir - "bad head", height 1640 m).
The Americans were the first to tell the whole world about the existence of a secret mountain facility in the South Urals. On April 16, 1996, The New York Times published an article in which it reported on a mysterious military base under construction in Russia. “In the course of a secret project reminiscent of the terrible periods of the Cold War, Russia is building a giant military complex underground in the region Ural mountains, according to officials in the West and witnesses in Russia. A railway and a motorway are suitable for the huge complex hidden inside the Yamantau mountain in the Beloretsk region (meaning the closed object Beloretsk-16, today the city of Mizhgirya - ed.) In the South Urals. Thousands of workers are involved in the work, ”the newspaper wrote.
The topic was picked up by other foreign media. On April 1, 1997, The Washington Times ran an article “Moscow Builds Bunkers in Case of Nuclear Attack,” which stated that “while the United States has closed most of these facilities, Russia is rapidly pursuing an expensive program to build underground shelters, tunnels and command posts inherited from the Cold War. In particular, work continues on the creation of an underground command post for strategic forces in the Urals near the city of Beloretsk. "
Foreign publications tried to get comments from Russian officials. But, naturally, no intelligible explanations followed. Russian journalists did not pick up the sensation about a secret facility in Mount Yamantau: several materials followed, in which they made assumptions about the mining of uranium ore in the South Ural mountain, and about the storage of state values, and about the food reserve. Among the others, a version of the construction of a bunker for the Russian government in case of a nuclear war was put forward. But little by little, the topic of the special facility in Yamantau faded away.
Putin's secret underground city "Three hundred thousand people can live in it without leaving the surface for six months ..."
Commander-in-Chief Putin is not afraid of a nuclear attack. He has where to hide
Here in this mountain
And built a secret city
Spy Tourists
There is a helipad at the top of the mountain, at any moment it can receive a government helicopter with passenger number 1
Meanwhile, unlike the general public, Yamantau was not forgotten by tourists who annually climb this mountain. They say that since the beginning of the 2000s, measures to protect the vicinity of Yamantau have tightened. On the one hand, the mountain is located on the territory of the South Ural state reserve (they say that the reserve was established there not by chance). But not only huntsmen, but also the military are patrolling the vicinity of Yamantau.
“In the area of \u200b\u200bthe Yamantau special facility, you must be careful not to make noise, not to make smoky fires and not to betray your presence in any other bad way. Otherwise, you risk getting acquainted with the life and traditions of the special forces, presenting them with footage (money, knife, cigarettes), hoarse, proving that you are not a spy from Alabama, and if in the end you are still released or handed over to the rangers (and not will be shot), you will still be sincerely grateful to them, ”the tourists share their advice.
Those who made it to the top of Yamantau say that it is a huge rocky plateau, with a small pile of rocky outliers in the center. “At the top until the beginning of the 90s. there was a military unit serving a concreted helipad and military special equipment. After the military, at the top of the mountain there were ruins of former buildings, puddles of fuel oil and heaps of rusted iron, ”eyewitnesses say.
We saw tourists and mines leading into the mountains. But most of the people who have visited Yamantau claim that uranium mines are most likely located there. “We found pool sections there, separated by concrete partitions. Most likely, they were intended for pre-transportation storage of uranium ore, ”says one of the tourists. “However, even the inhabitants of Mizhgirya, located at the foot of the mountain, do not fully know about what is hidden in the depths of Mount Yamantau. The Yamantau facility has a status of high secrecy - this is a fact, everything else is just speculation and assumptions, ”says another.
The underground city is provided with all communications, including electricity (in the photo, the vicinity of Yamantau)
But the observers were wrong in their assumptions. In Mount Yamantau, not mines were built, but a real underground city. Our agency managed to contact several builders who took part in its construction. All persons related to Yamantau signed a nondisclosure agreement, so their names were not disclosed.
So, as one of the participants in the events said, the construction of an underground base in Mount Yamantau, indeed, began in the Soviet years, during the Cold War. The facility was designed and built by the Construction Directorate-30, subordinate to the Ministry of Defense. The office is based in the closed city of Mizhgirya (formerly Beloretsk-16, also called the city of Solnechny). The Construction Department-30 specializes in the construction of facilities and structures for underground and surface placement, conducts large-sized underground construction: in this area, US-30 is one of the largest construction organizations.
Work on the construction of the underground city was completed around 2002 (just at the time of Putin's frequent visits to Abzakovo). Since then, constant work has been carried out to maintain the complex (hence the increased security of the territory). An offshoot is brought to Mount Yamantau railroad... A motor road was launched from Magnitogorsk.
The city in the mountain is designed for the simultaneous residence of 300 thousand people (for example, 400 thousand people live in Magnitogorsk, in Yekaterinburg - 1.5 million).
“In the underground complex, which is divided into so-called“ houses ”, all the necessary infrastructure has been created: communications have been connected, life support systems have been established. All conditions have been created so that people can be in this underground city for at least six months without going to the surface, ”says an eyewitness. According to another witness, the complex consists of a system of mines with a diameter of 30 meters and a total length of about 500 km.
An official explanation of the purpose for which the secret underground facility was built and is still maintained in Mount Yamantau, for which such unprecedented security measures are being taken, has not been obtained. About whether Russia is in danger, President Vladimir Putin said nothing in today's annual address.
Mount Yamantau is located in the Beloretsk region of the Republic of Bashkortostan. This is the highest point in the Southern Urals. At a distance of 2 kilometers from it there is another peak, which was named Malaya Yamantau (or Hare Mountain). It is slightly smaller in size. Both mountains are part of the South Ural Nature Reserve. But not only the record height and natural beauty made Yamantau famous. At the end of the 90s, centuries have passed around the world that the news that large construction work is underway under the mountain in Bashkiria, which were recorded on the images of American satellites. The US military then put forward two main versions: either a nuclear facility was hidden under the mountain, or a huge bunker was being built there. A few decades later, the secret of Mount Yamantau was never solved, and rumors and speculation gradually faded away. However, amateurs active rest continue to make attempts from time to time to climb the mountain, despite the fact that the area around it is guarded not only by the rangers, but also by the military.
The height of Yamantau mountain and other features
The highest point of Yamantau Mountain is at an altitude of 1640 meters. From the top of the mountain, you can gaze over the entire South Urals. From here you can clearly see the Mashak and Nara mountain ranges, which are found at the foot of the mountain, the Bolshoi and Maly Inzer rivers. For about six months, the mountain is covered with a layer of snow, the thickness of which reaches 1 meter. In January, the average temperature in the mountain area is about 17 degrees below zero, and in summer time - about 16 degrees with a plus sign.
From the Bashkir language "Yaman tau" is translated as "evil mountain". It is noticed that the Bashkirs often gave names to various objects based on their practical application. Most likely, the same thing happened with the very high mountain the South Ural region. In places its slopes were always littered with kurumnik (sharp boulders), which impeded grazing in these places. But there is another version that has a mystical character. According to ancient legends, evil spirits live on the top of the misty mountain, who destroy the wanderers who decide to get to the top. The Bashkirs can even talk about several real cases when people disappeared without a trace near the mountain. There is also a Bashkir myth about the evil hero Shulgan. He kidnapped lonely travelers, dragged them into the Yamantau dungeon and turned them into ghosts. In ancient times, people believed that grief was a portal to the world of the dead.
Description of Mount Yamantau is quite standard for the Bashkir lands. Part of the path from the foot of the mountain to the top is covered with dense forest. When the forest ends, solid stones and boulders begin. If you look at the mountain from the side, it has a symmetrical dome shape. Next to the large dome is Malaya Yamantau, which has a more triangular shape. The depression between the two peaks is very a nice place with a lot of vegetation, among which there are many blueberry bushes.
Underground city in Mount Yamantau
Sometimes Mount Yamantau in Bashkortostan is called the most mysterious place in Russia. There is every reason for this. Towards the end of the 90s of the last century, when Boris Yeltsin was president of Russia, the Strategic Command of the US Armed Forces discovered large-scale construction activities in the area of \u200b\u200bthe mountain in satellite images. Various assumptions were put forward. Some believed that there was a secret scientific laboratory in the mountain, others talked about the extraction of uranium ore, and still others talked about a food warehouse. But the most popular options were developing and storing nuclear weapons and building a bunker. Such authoritative American publications as New-York Times and Washington Post even wrote about this topic.
It is believed that not just a bunker is located in the mountain, but an entire underground city, designed for about 300 thousand people. Allegedly, there is all the necessary infrastructure and life support systems, which, in an emergency, will allow not to rise to the surface for at least six months. Experts have long denied the version about the Yamantau mountain bunker. But from time to time it continues to surface. This theme has even been played up in the popular game Metro Exodus. According to the plot, the hero of the game is in a secret government bunker.
The special importance of the object is reinforced by the fact that the city of Mizhhirya, which is closest to the mountain, is closed. Outsiders cannot enter its territory. Currently, it has about 16 thousand inhabitants, some of whom are employed in a special base. Tourists who climbed the top of the mountain say that from it the mining and processing complex is clearly visible, from where railway tracks and a motor road lead directly down the mountain.
On the top of Yamantau there is an abandoned helipad and almost destroyed barracks - all this also testifies to the fact that the military was active here in the past. They even say that the reserve was created on this site not by chance, but to reduce the number of curious visitors to a minimum.
How to get there
Since Mizhgirya is a closed city, it is not possible to start climbing to the top of Yamantau from its side. But there is another path leading through the Mashak ridge. To get from Ufa to the ridge, you must first get to the village of Tikeevo, then proceed to the city of Sim, the village of Sharlash and the city of Katav-Ivanovsk. Travel time will be more than 5 hours. When entering the territory of the reserve, the car will need to be left and then walk.
Geographic coordinates of Yamantau Mountain: latitude 54.259408, longitude 58.099908.
From the side of the Mashak ridge, soldiers are unlikely to meet guarding the inner part of the cave. But in any case, it will not be easy to get to the mountain, since the entire protected area is under the protection of gamekeepers who have an undeniable right to demand to leave the territory.
The top of Big Yamantau
The most interesting and attractive places for humans were created by nature itself. See untouched scenic spots, walk under the shade of a dense forest and feel so small next to the majestic mountain ranges - such leisure will please the most sophisticated traveler. In the very heart of the Urals there is Yamantau Mountain - one of the most beautiful and desirable places for hikers. This is a recognized Ural pearl with a giant dome and an incredibly mysterious history.
The name of the Yamantau mountain in Russian can be translated as "evil mountain". The very designation given once to the mountain range of the South Ural Reserve by local residents suggests that Yamantau is shrouded in speculation and riddles.
Mount Yamantau - highest point South Urals, 1638 meters above sea level. It is located on the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan, in the Beloretsk region, at the intersection of the Bolshoi and Maly Inzer rivers. 10 km from the massif there is the Maly Yamantau peak with a height of 1512.7 meters.
The mountain consists entirely of large stones, the road to the top passes through the forest, which ends at an altitude of about 1000 meters. The rest of the way is made up of massive stones. From a distance, the mountain looks like a symmetrical dome, next to which a smaller peak is visible.
To the west of the foot of Yamantau Mountain, about 10 km, there is the closed town of Mizhgirya. Travelers wishing to climb the summit enter from the side of the Mashak ridge. On this road, there is almost no danger of meeting the military, who are guarding the inner part of the mountain - presumably the city of Solnechny.
Between Big Yamantau and the neighboring peak there is a picturesque saddle with lush vegetation, wild blueberries. From the saddle you can see a large ditch-like depression located on the Yamantau slope right in the rocks. Its origin is unknown.
Around mountain range there is a power line, it is very convenient for travelers who want to conquer the height of Yamantau Mountain. You can leave your backpacks under the power line and climb.
The entrance to the territory of the reserve, where Mount Yamantau is located, is not so easy for ordinary travelers to find. On their way, there may be many gamekeepers who keep order and have the right to expel the traveler from the territory.
At the foot of the mountain there will be a whole mining and processing complex with a dedicated road and rail entrance to the ground. This complex is served by the closed city of Mizhgirya with a population of 16,000. It is not known what is inside the mountain, around this riddle walks a large number of rumors and speculation.
Near the place where Yamantau Mountain is located, there is a narrow P316 highway, on which the driver needs to show all his professionalism. There are many cliffs on the track, bridges over mountain rivers in a half-broken state. The likelihood of an emergency on this road also increases - just one car can stop the movement of all cars on the highway. You can walk from the track to the foot of the mountain, but this will require some knowledge of landmarks in the taiga.
At the top of Yamantau you can find the remains of a helipad, destroyed barracks, and other traces of the presence of the military, who were at the top until the 90s. In the center of the moss-overgrown plateau, a concrete obelisk in memory of the soldiers who died during the Great Patriotic War was erected.
From the top of Yamantau, the South Ural is visible at a glance. The mountain offers a view of the ridges of Nara, Mashak, Bolshoi Shelom and other mountains.
Riddles and legends
Many locals it is believed that the name of the mountain did not come from the difficulty of its ascent or the heavy fog around, which complicates the release of livestock to pasture. They believe that the souls of evil virgins live in the fog, taking away tired travelers who have the imprudence to climb to the top. This version is supported by several real stories about the disappeared travelers and their deaths from unknown reasons of horses.
The most famous rumor, in which the Bashkir population believes, is associated with a character in local mythology. According to the ancient belief, the hero Shulgan represented evil forces on earth, through the Kapavu cave on the mountain he took living people to his underground kingdom, turning them into the ghosts of Yamantau. So the mountain began to be considered a gloomy portal between parallel worlds and was afraid.
In the late 90s, the first rumors appeared about a mysterious construction site in the Ural Mountains. The first sources of this information were the American press. The New York Times reported that Russia has begun building a gigantic military complex underground. The purpose of the complex remained in question - arguments were made in favor of a bunker, a storage of state values, a storage of mined ore. A highway and railway lines were connected to the complex inside the mountain from the nearest town of Beloretsk (present-day ZATO Mizhgirya).
On behalf of an unknown builder, information about an underground facility that was built in the Soviet years under the control of the Ministry of Defense appeared. In 2002, the largest construction campaign came to an end, since that time the visits of representatives of the Russian government to Bashkortostan have become more frequent. The underground city has all the conditions for life - communications, infrastructure. Accommodation in the complex is designed for about 300 thousand people, you can stay in it for up to 6 months without going to the surface.
There was no official statement from the country's government regarding the designation of the protected underground complex of Mount Yamantau. There is a version that this data is classified, and a large number of the military really guard an industrial or research facility of national importance.
Peculiarities of climbing the mountain
It is quite difficult to get to the territory of the reserve, where Mount Yamantau is located. The secret zone of the closed city of Mizhgirya, which is guarded by people in uniform, is regularly thoroughly searched, travelers can be stopped at any time to check their documents and even not allowed into the territory.
The most persistent travelers ascend the mountain through the villages of Kuzelga and Tatly, which are located in the direction of Beloretsk. This path does not touch forbidden areas, there is no risk of meeting the military. Also, a safe route to Yamantau on the map is laid from the eastern side of the mountain, through the village of Nura. The southern part is completely covered with swamps, so this road is closed to humans.
Despite the mystical rumors associated with this place in the Urals, Mount Yamantau is favorite place for mountain conquerors. Having carefully prepared for the trip to the top, having taken care of safety and having studied the road, you can climb to a height without any special difficulties and experience the whole beauty of the world lying under your feet.