The Tsey Gorge, stretching for as much as 23 kilometers, is the most magical place on the land of ancient Alanya. Formed by the Tseysky and Kalperovsky ridges, it fascinates with its incredible beauty. Waterfalls rushing down, mountain peaks with snow caps “put on” them, glaciers, a rushing mountain stream, snowfields - all this is Tsey. The landscape beauty is perfectly complemented by the amazing and unique flora. A wide variety of berries and mushrooms grow here; local residents pick strawberries, raspberries, lingonberries, and blueberries.
The unique mountain landscape and picturesque nature attract climbers and skiers here like a magnet. The most popular tourist routes start from Tsey, running through the passes of the Central Caucasus and leading to Kabardino-Balkaria, neighboring Georgia, mountainous Digoria and the Zaramagskaya basin, as well as leading to the Ossetian Military and Georgian Military roads.
In the Tseysky Gorge today there is one of the best ski resorts not only in Russia, but throughout the world. More than 100 thousand tourists come here every year. A stay on it is memorable for absolutely all lovers of active recreation, regardless of their level of training, because there are trails here for both experienced skiers and real extreme sports enthusiasts, as well as for beginners.
Tsey has six tracks - two “black”, two “blue” and two “red”. The trails differ from each other with different levels of difficulty. And this resort is a truly fabulous place, surrounded by a mysterious and alluring aura of ancient traditions and legends.
Geographical features and climate
The region of this ski resort is often called the Tseyskaya Horseshoe Mountains, and all because the Kalperovsky and Tseysky ridges that form the gorge are located in a horseshoe shape. The gorge itself has the appearance of a longitudinal valley, on both sides of which there are the Vodorazdelny and Bokovoy ridges. It seems that Tsei, crashing between them, does not allow the ridges to connect into one mass, as if he is separating them from each other - like a referee in a boxing ring. Here is also the valley Tseysky glacier, one of the largest and lowest-sloping Caucasian glaciers, fed mainly by the snow of Mount Adai-Khokh, whose height is 4408 meters.
In the area of the village of Buron there is the lowest part of the Tseysky Gorge. Its height above sea level is 1300 meters. The highest point of the resort is Mount Wilpata, rising 4646 m above sea level. Tsey, as the Tseysky federal reserve, is part of the North Ossetian State Nature Reserve established in 1967. The total area of the reserve is 29,952 hectares.
The climate of Tsey is quite comfortable for vacationers. Winter in these parts is quite mild, the average January temperature does not exceed –7 degrees Celsius. Summer is moderately cool and characterized by frequent rains. The average temperature in August is about +13 °C. Precipitation, the total amount of which is 1000 mm per year, begins in May and continues until October inclusive.
Vacationers should also take into account other climatic features of the Tseysky Gorge. The atmospheric pressure here is consistently low and amounts to only 610 mm; no sharp fluctuations are observed. Despite the fairly high rainfall, there are quite a lot of sunny days a year. In addition, the air in these areas has a high degree of ionization. An increased level of ultraviolet radiation has been noted in the Tseysky Gorge.
Rest in the Tseyskoye Gorge
For more than half a century, the Tseyskoye Gorge has attracted lovers of high-mountain romance. The ski season in the Tseyskoye Gorge begins in November and lasts until the end of April. Extreme tourists come here with alpine equipment, their own skis and snowboards. Geographically, Tsey is located so well that the sun rises here very early and sets late. With the onset of dusk, natural lighting gives way to artificial lighting, which allows you to enjoy the well-groomed snow for as long as you can. In addition, the unique geography of the Tseysky Gorge contributes to the long-term preservation of snow cover - to the delight of skiers!
Among the trails in the Tseysky Gorge there are both short and reaching 3 km in length. Located above sea level at an altitude of 1850 to 2870 m, they are designed, as they say, for every taste and color, from “green” to “black”. Some are untouched and full of snow, while others are regularly passed by a snowcat on caterpillar tracks - a special snow-compacting machine that is used to prepare ski slopes and ski slopes (such well-groomed slopes are called snowcats). The height of snow cover in the middle of the season is, on average, 2 meters. Skiers have access to a bar, restaurant, tennis court, swimming pool, equipment rental and even a sauna.
There are two chairlifts in the Tseysky Gorge. The first is a domestic single-chair cable car with a length of 1,400 meters and a capacity of 250 people/hour. The second is a modern Austrian double chairlift. Its length is 1600 m, and its productivity is 710 people/hour. Both lifts are located directly above the seething Tseydon River and lead to the tongue of the Skaz glacier, descending from the spurs of Mount Adai-Khokh. Tsey is rich in glaciers (there are 29 of them, their total area is 15 km²), and the largest of them are Skazsky and Tseysky. The second, second in size in North Ossetia only to the Karaugom glacier, in the upper reaches is divided into two branches - Northern and Southern.
Climbers, brave conquerors of mountain peaks, make their ascents here. As befits a modern ski resort, experienced instructors work here to help beginners get comfortable, and there are also cozy bars and cafes, comfortable hotels and a wide variety of entertainment. Vacationers from different parts of our planet, people of different ages and professions come here. Having seen with their own eyes the beauty and splendor of this pearl, hidden in the depths of the mountain ranges of North Ossetia, they are unlikely to forget it and will want to return to these blessed places again and again.
Tseysky glacierSights of the Tseysky Gorge
This ski resort is home to the Rekom Sanctuary, the most famous historical monument in North Ossetia. It became the venue for national religious holidays and rituals of the Ossetian people. In 1995, Recom was struck by lightning, destroying it. The older generation saw this as an unkind sign, regarding what happened as a punishment from the gods for the fall from grace of modern youth.
To appease one of the supreme deities, Uastirdzhi, every year Ossetians organize a grandiose feast in the sanctuary, lasting at least a week. The main ritual of the whole action is the slaughtering of sacrificial animals, which is what kicks off the whole ceremony. Despite the fact that Rekom has not survived to this day in its original form, it was restored as much as possible during the restoration and represents an entire complex, however, divided into two separate sanctuaries - women's and men's. There is also a platform equipped with magnificent views of the Skazsky glacier.
Another iconic attraction of the Tseysky Gorge is the three-kilometer Monk Mountain. It owes its unusual name to its outline, reminiscent of a human silhouette. You look - and it seems that there is not a mountain in front of you, but a tall and stately man in a hood who looks like a monk. There are many legends and traditions associated with it. One of them tells about the aurochs with golden horns, which was found in these parts. Many hunters tried to catch him, but no one succeeded. And then one day one desperate young man promised that he would catch a tur and give its golden horns to St. George the Victorious. The young man managed to defeat the animal, but he did not keep his promise and decided to keep the golden horns for himself. For this he was punished: he was turned into a rock.
Travelers enjoy admiring the waterfalls of the Tsey Gorge. Only two of them, with the simple names Near and Far, are considered the most popular and, accordingly, accessible. For the first time, excursions take place all year round. The second one - that’s why it’s distant - is clearly visible from a distance if you approach it by car from the local villages.
Where to stay
Tourists planning to go to this ski resort for the first time are worried about possible difficulties with accommodation. Still, Tsey is located far from the “centers of civilization.”
However, the fears are completely unfounded. In addition to mountains, snow and pristine nature, it has its own tourist infrastructure, represented, in addition to ski resorts with cable cars, by several comfortable hotels. Thus, the “headache” of where to stay goes away by itself.
You can stay, for example, at the Tsey holiday home, which can accommodate 320 people. It is very well located - in a coniferous forest, which will provide clean and invigorating air 24 hours a day and exactly as many days (and even, possibly, weeks) as you wish. Guests will be welcome at the Ossetia tourist base, the Goryanka hotel, and mountaineering camps, not to mention the numerous private hotels.
Directly in the village of Tsey, not far from the ski slope, the Skazka hotel is located. Guests can enjoy a dining room, a karaoke bar, a swimming pool and a sauna. The first night of stay in a double room will cost 2,500 rubles, then it will be cheaper, 2,000 rubles. Junior suite apartments cost 3,000 rubles per person for the first night of stay. Starting from the second day, you will pay less: 2500 rubles.
The lowest along the route is the Vertical Hotel. Although it is located at a distance from the ski slope, it is the sunniest of all Tsey hotels. And the distance to it from the highway is easily covered by car. Accommodation here is quite expensive, a double room costs from 4,000 rubles per night. For the same room, but with increased comfort, you will have to pay 5,500 rubles. Even more expensive – 6,000 rubles – is accommodation in a luxury double room.
The Tsey alpine camp, located at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level and suitable for youth recreation, is also popular among tourists. The camp complex includes two upper and lower buildings and four small cottages. Compared to hotels, accommodation here is cheap. Double and quadruple accommodation costs from 800 rubles per day per person. A double room will cost a vacationer 1,200 rubles per day per person.
How to get there
If you are in Moscow, then first you need to get to Vladikavkaz, and it is best by plane, because it is faster. Flights from Vnukovo and Domodedovo operate daily to the airport of the capital of North Ossetia. The distance from Vladikavkaz to Tsey is relatively short, only 90 km.
Don't like airplanes? You can get there by train, which departs from Kazansky railway station. An alternative to both types of transport is buses. They leave from the Shchelkovo bus station. Compared to airplanes, there is only one disadvantage: it takes longer to get there.
If you are in Pyatigorsk, then your journey to the Tseyskoye Gorge, starting from here, will pass through cities such as Nalchik, Ardon and Alagir. From Alagir you need to head to the Andonovskoe Gorge, where the Ossetian Military Road passes - it will lead you straight to Tsey. At the beginning of this gorge there are many mountain springs with healing water, where you can stop and quench your thirst. The taste of mountain water is unsurpassed and unique!
Closer to other settlements to the Tseysky Gorge is the village of Buron, located 20 km from Alagir (you need to move along the Trans-Caucasian Highway).
Outside the city of Alagir begins Trans-Caucasus Highway(TransKAM) is one of the main roads connecting Russia with Transcaucasia.
The relief changes dramatically, the valley of the Ardon River literally in a matter of minutes takes on the outlines of a gorge, with high and steep cliffs. About five minutes from the city of Alagir, around one of the turns, a multi-ton statue of St. George (Uastirdzhi), whom Ossetians consider their main saint, is chained directly to the rock hanging over the road. .
A few kilometers from the monument to St. George, next to the road there is a biological resort “Tamisk”, near which there is a unique sulfur lake, fed by a sulfur rivulet and then going into the ground .
From Buron the path lies west to the beautiful Tseyskoye Gorge. Here we turn right and, having crossed the bridge to the left bank of the Ardon, we begin our ascent along the road. At the first turn, on the left, there is a view of the confluence of the Ardona and Tseydon rivers .
The road begins to gain altitude, winding along serpentine roads. After 1 km. from the beginning of the ascent, the scree slopes are replaced by pine forest. In autumn, mushrooms appear under the trees. About the third kilometer from Buron, there is a spring to the right of the road. Here you can stop and relax, watching the magnificent panorama of the gorge and the Tseysky glacier . Moving further along the road, deeper into the gorge, we gradually go around the initial part of the Kalpersky ridge with the peak of the same name.
From the north the gorge is closed by the Tsey Mountains, from the south rise the rocks of the Adai-Khokh spurs (4410 m.). Huge boulders fill the Tseydon valley. Among them, the cold, furious waters of the river rush with a roar. Soon the forest will begin. The forests of Tsey are amazingly beautiful. Mighty pines cover almost the entire gorge. Among the pines rise the dark green crowns of beeches, the light ones of lindens and maples. Light streams of mountain streams gurgle everywhere. The air is surprisingly clean, fresh and filled with the resinous smell of pine needles.
There is a bend in the road on the right that goes into the forest. This road leads to the village of Verkhny Tsey. Now it is sparsely populated, with only a few houses left.
At the ninth kilometer, to the right of the road, a colorful portrait of I.V. Stalin is painted on a huge boulder . The tourist and recreational zone of the Tsey mountain complex begins even higher.
On the left, as you move, through the pine thickets, you can see the Skazsky glacier and the ski slope on its moraine.
The highest accommodation location in Tsey is the famous alpine camp Tsey, which welcomes tourists, climbers and skiers all year round . Above the camps rises a steep wall, the spur of Adaihokh - the “Monk” rock. .
At an altitude of 2000 meters there are chairlift stations .
Tsey cable cars rise to a height of 2500 m above. ur. sea, right above the boiling Tseydon River, to the tongue of the Skaz glacier, descending from the spurs of Adai-Khokh .
There are many glaciers in the Tseysky Gorge, but only two large ones - Skazsky and Tseysky. Tseysky, in turn, in the upper reaches has two branches, Northern and Southern. The Tseysky glacier is considered the second largest after the Karaugomsky glacier in North Ossetia. In total, 29 glaciers with a total area of 15 square meters are described in Tsey. km., of which 9.5 are on the Tseysky glacier.
Since ancient times, the Tseyskoye Gorge has been considered sacred and reserved among Ossetians. In one of the clearings on the left bank of Tseydon you can walk along a narrow mountain path to an Ossetian pagan sanctuary "Recom" built about 800 years ago . Outside the men's sanctuary there are piles of animal horns, ritual tables and boxes for monetary donations nearby. . Nearby is a smaller pagan women's sanctuary .
Winter Tsei, with its unique originality and grandeur, beautiful pine air attracts thousands of people from all over Russia. Tseyskaya is very good and suitable for both beginners and professionals . The peculiarity of the main route is that it is quite long, but at the same time not very bumpy and steep. Experienced instructors will quickly teach beginners the basics of skiing and snowboarding, and the features of the route will help you quickly gain experience. Fans of extreme skiing tend to ride off the main trail on steep and bumpy slopes. .
Tsey Gorge is one of the most beautiful and sunniest places in Alanya. The famous ski resort Tsey is located in this place.
Streams, descending from the mountains, turn into turbulent rivers, and you can’t breathe in the amazing mountain air.
All this attracts to Tsey not only fans of mountaineering and alpine skiing, but also tourists who want to relax in a unique place, far from noisy highways and big cities.
Amazing nature, majestic mountain peaks and ancient monuments, all this attracts numerous tourists.
To imagine all the beauty of this sunny, amber-like gorge, you must definitely see it, and then love it with all your heart and every corner of your soul!
Where is Sun Gorge?
In the Tseysky mountain region of North Ossetia, where the Tseydon and Skazdon rivers originate, there is the main natural pearl of these places - the Tseysky Gorge. It was formed thanks to the Tseysky and Kalperovsky ridges.
The gorge has the shape of a horseshoe, which is why the area is also called the Tseyskaya Horseshoe.
The length of this gorge is more than 23 kilometers, of which only 18 are suitable for tourists who do not have mountaineering skills.
At the beginning of the 30s of the 20th century, tent camps for climbers were set up here.
Also for ski lovers, a chairlift was built leading to the Skazsky Glacier, where a ski slope is equipped.
Weather
The Tseyskoe gorge is located in an eastern direction, so it is well lit. There are 2256 hours of sunshine here a year, which pleasantly distinguishes this gorge from others. So what is the seasonal weather like in Tsey?
Weather in winter
The winter season begins in Tsey in mid-November, this time is characterized by thaws and even rainy days. Real winter comes at the end of December.
The coldest and frostiest months in Tsey are January and February. The average monthly temperature at this time is minus 5 degrees.
Typically, winter in Tsey is characterized by sunny, quiet and clear weather. It is extremely rare that frosty weather sets in, but it lasts only a few days.
Weather in the spring months
Spring in Tsey begins at the end of March, but sometimes it is delayed and snow can fall in April and May. At this time, snow is actively melting in the mountains during the day, and at night the weather drops to minus 10 degrees. On fine spring days (from March to April) the daytime temperature rises to 18 degrees Celsius.
From March to May, the largest number of cloudy and rainy days were observed in the Tseysky Gorge.
In the first days of May, the snow melts from resort and tourist sites, so tourist and excursion routes begin in the last days of May.
Weather in summer
Until mid-summer the weather is not constant. At this time, cool days are observed in the Tseysky Gorge, accompanied by rainy days and fog. From mid-June there are beautiful sunny days.
Summer in Tsey cannot be called hot, but it is accompanied by sunny, fine days.
The average monthly temperature in summer does not rise above + 15-17 degrees. The summer tourist season opens from June and ends at the end of September. But even October can please you with sunny days.
Weather in autumn
Autumn in Tsey begins in the second half of October, although frosts can begin as early as the end of September. The autumn period is characterized by stable clear weather with many warm sunny days.
The first snow falls on the mountain peaks, and then descends almost to the foot.
The Tseyskoye Gorge is rich in historical monuments. The most famous of them is the Rekom sanctuary - a monument to the ancient craftsmen of the 15-17th centuries who created this wooden miracle; in 1995 it was badly damaged by fire.
Now the sanctuary has been restored and is open for visiting excursions. The Rekom complex includes two sanctuaries: one for men and one for women, located at a short distance, and also includes several objects of religious worship.
Before entering the reserve, stands the figure of St. George - the main patron of the Ossetian people and protector of all living things inhabiting this beautiful corner of the earth.
The mysterious landmark of the Tseysky Gorge is Mount Monk, more than 3 kilometers high, in its outline you can see a man whose face is hidden by a thrown hood. There are many stories and legends about this mountain; sometimes fairy tales and reality are intertwined in them.
In the Tseysky Gorge there are several waterfalls that are filled by melting glaciers. They are especially beautiful and full of water in early spring, during the snowmelt period.
Two popular waterfalls are considered accessible to tourists: Near and Far. For the first time, excursions are offered year-round. The distant waterfall is clearly visible when approaching Tsey by car, from the side of Tsey villages.
Where to stay?
In the village of Tsey there is a famous resort of the same name for ski lovers, which is visited annually by over 100 thousand tourists.
The ski season in the gorge lasts from January to April, which attracts lovers of active recreation, for whom special routes of varying degrees of difficulty have been developed.
There are several hotels on the territory of the resort complex, the most famous of which are Skazka, Vertical and the Tsey mountain camp. Let's talk a little about them:
Hotel "Skazka" located in the village itself, close to the ski slope. The hotel has a dining room, sauna, swimming pool, and karaoke bar.
- A double room costs 2,500 rubles per day, then from 2,000 rubles.
- The price of a junior suite with 2 rooms is 3,000 rubles per day per person, then 2,500 rubles.
Hotel Vertical- the lowest along the route, far from the ski slope, but it is the sunniest of all the hotels. And the distance is easy to cover by car.
- A double room costs from 4,000 rubles per day.
- The cost of a double superior room is 5,500 rubles per person per day.
- The cost of a 2-bed suite is 6,000 rubles per person per day.
Alp camp "Tsey"— located at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level. Suitable for youth recreation. It includes two upper and lower buildings and four small cottages.
- The cost of 2-4 local accommodation is 800 rubles or more per day per person.
- A double room costs from 1,200 rubles per day per person.
How to get to Tsey?
From Moscow to Vladikavkaz airport there are daily flights from Vnukovo and Domodedovo, as well as a train departing from the Kazansky station and a bus departing from the Shchelkovo bus station.
Directions from the airport and railway station
Railway station in Vladikavkaz → Tsey village (fare from 3200 to 3500 lei in the summer season and from 3500 to 3800 rubles in the winter.
Beslan Airport → Tsey - ticket price is 3800 rubles in summer and 4100 rubles in winter.
Nalchik → Tsey - fare 5,200 rubles.
Pyatigorsk → Tsey - fare 8,200 rubles.
Mineralnye Vody → Tsey – ticket price from 8,700 rubles.
Travel by bus
A bus, accommodating up to 25 tourists, takes passengers to the first bridge in the village of Tsey, depending on the amount of snow cover, but not higher than Skazka.
Railway station Vladikavkaz → Tsey - fare 4,500 rubles in summer and 5,000 rubles in winter.
Beslan Airport → Tsey - fare 5,500 rubles.
Nalchik → Tsey - cost 8200 rubles.
Travel by car
Railway station Vladikavkaz → Tsey
from 1800 rubles – travel by car Volga, VAZ.
from 2000 rubles – travel by car Niva, Chevrolet Niva.
Airport (Beslan) → Tsey
from 2000 rubles – by car Volga, VAZ
from 2200 rubles – by car Niva, Chevrolet Niva
from 2400 rubles – by Jeep SUV.
What to bring as a gift?
After visiting the Tseyskoye Gorge, you can bring as gifts: silver keychains and jewelry with the image of St. George made by local craftsmen, Ossetian daggers, dolls in national costumes made by the hands of Ossetian craftswomen, ceramic and wooden souvenirs, as well as the famous Ossetian cheese.
And again the mountains of the North Caucasus. This time - trip to the Tseyskoye Gorge, which is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful in North Ossetia-Alania.
Tsey (this is another name for the Tsey Gorge) is located in the Alagirsky district, in the gorge of the Tseydon River at an altitude of 1900-2010 meters above sea level at the foot of Mount Adaikhoh. The Tseyskoye Gorge lies on the territory of the North Ossetian State Nature Reserve.
A little information: The creation of the Tseysky Nature Reserve was proposed back in 1947 by famous zoologists N.K. Vereshchagin, O.I. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky and N.I. Burchik-Abramovich, but in 1958 the Tseysky reserve was organized, and on the basis of the reserve in 1967 the North Ossetian State Reserve was founded. Currently, the reserve covers an area of 29,580 hectares.
Let's return to our trip route to the Tseyskoye Gorge. First stop - at Sanctuary of St. George at the Elkhotov Gate. According to legend, located in the narrowest part of the valley, this sanctuary protected the passage to Alanya.
Monument to Saint George (Uastirdzhi)
Further, at the entrance to the Alagir (Ardon) gorge - a unique bronze monument to St. George (Uastyrdzhi), attached to a rock at a height of about 22 meters - “St. George the Victorious jumps out of the rock.” The statue weighing about 28 tons was installed in 1995. By the way, the Alagir Gorge also bears the name of the main gate of Transcaucasia, since it is along it that the Trans-Caucasian Highway passes, connecting the Russian Federation with South Ossetia.
Alagir
Next, on a trip to the Tseyskoye Gorge, we stop in the city of Alagir (former name - the village of Gorskaya). The name of the city translated from Ossetian means “Upper Ossetia”. The population is about 20 thousand people. Alagir is very similar to the cities of the Soviet Union. It seems that time has stopped there. In Alagir we go to one of the oldest churches in North Ossetia - the Holy Ascension Cathedral. The cathedral is made in the Byzantine style and was consecrated in 1853; after restoration it was consecrated again in 2000. The walls in the restored temple were painted by the Ossetian poet and artist Kosta Khetagurov.
We make a stop at a hydrogen sulfide lake with a characteristic bluish color of water and the smell of rotten eggs. There are emerald greenery and flowers all around. By the way, the lake, depending on the time of year and sometimes the time of day, changes its color from dark green to deep blue.
Our next stop on the trip to the Tseyskoye Gorge is the Rekom sanctuary.
Sanctuary Rekom
The Rekom Sanctuary is located near the village of Verkhny Tsey on the left bank of the Tseydon River. The word “Rekom” is also the name of the fertility deity in the Nart epic. Narts were the name given to heroes in Ossetian legends and traditions. Let me make a reservation right away that the sanctuary is not only a wooden building, but also the entire path leading to it. You cannot go inside the sanctuary. There are only 2 days when entry is allowed there - the Kækhtsgænæn Festival, held at the birth of the first boy in the family, and on Harvest Day (Khorybon) in March. Girls are not recommended to approach the men's sanctuary and take photographs of it. In total, there are 3 sanctuaries in Alanya - Rekom, Mykalgabyrta and Tarangeloz. According to one version, Rekom has existed since the first millennium BC.
The men's sanctuary was previously used for the custom of fraternization. Before going to war, Ossetians came to the sanctuary, broke 2 arrows and left them there. This is how they became brothers. One of the legends says that St. George built a sanctuary for the Alans from larch wood, which has very low moisture absorption.
And just a little more way, and we are at the goal. Here it is, the Tseyskoye Gorge.
The Tseyskoye gorge in the Caucasus is formed by the Tseyskoye and Kalperovsky ridges, which are located in the shape of a horseshoe. There are currently 2 cable cars operating in Tsey: the Russian single-chair and the Austrian double-chair.
Lift prices (without skis):
Double chairlift - 300 rubles; ski pass (full day pass) – 1350 rubles.
Single chairlift - 300 rubles; Ski pass – 600 rubles.
The stormy river Ardon flows (translated from Ossetian “don” means water, which is why many river names in Ossetia end in “Don”, for example, Fiagdon). The Ardon begins from the Main Caucasus Ridge and flows into the Terek. In the spring, when intensive glacial melting occurs, the river becomes especially full-flowing, violent and very noisy.
Here it is - Skazsky glacier in the Tseyskoe gorge. You also feel different air here - cold, clean, in a word, “different.” It is here, in the mountains, that the understanding of the expression “breathe deeply” comes.
From the cable car you can see Mount Monk - a spur of Adai-Khokha. Ossetians have a legend explaining the name. In ancient times, many aurochs lived in the gorge and were hunted by men. One day there was a rumor that a special individual with golden horns had appeared among the aurochs. Many attempted to kill him, but to no avail. One of the young Ossetians promised that if he could kill a tour, he would give his horns to Uastirdzhi as a sign of gratitude. The young man was able to kill the golden-horned aurochs, but when he already had the golden horns, he did not want to fulfill his promise. Then the angry Saint George turned the young man into a mountain. If you look closely, you can guess the profile of a man with a beard and a hood. Now Mount Monk is called the guardian of Tsei.
Along the way are yellow mountain poppies. By the way, in spring the endemic Caucasian rhododendron blooms here in different shades. During this period, you can see a stunning picture: one slope of the mountain is completely white with flowers; the other is pale yellow and light pink...
Helpful information
How to dress. I already wrote in a previous article that you definitely need to take warm clothes with you to the Tseyskoye Gorge in the Caucasus. I’ve been to the Tseysky Gorge several times, and one of them was at the end of March. It was very warm below, and when we started to ascend by cable car, it became sharply cold and snow began to fall. So, without getting up from the cable car, we turned around and went back. Please note: it may snow here in the summer.
The official website of the Tseysky Gorge ski resort with slopes of different difficulty categories: black, red and blue http://tseyski.ru.
Where to stay
On the territory of the Tsey Gorge there is the Tsey mountain camp; cottages.
You can stay in the capital of North Ossetia - the city of Vladikavkaz.
The Tseyskoye Gorge is far from the only place in North Ossetia for nature lovers; Among others, I would recommend going to Upper Digoria. Report on my trip to Upper Digoria .
