Almost ten days have passed since I returned from my next trip, but I still couldn’t start the article. The place is so fascinating, winter, mountains, waterfalls... We didn’t see much, we just didn’t have much time, there’s so much left there... And I want to go there again!
Wonderful pristine nature, untrodden paths, clean transparent air, breathtaking springs with such tasty water that the first day at home I could not drink our tap water.
And it all started with the fact that my friend and I wanted to meet New Year on the train, on the way to Siberia. To the sound of wheels, four days on the road! Romance! But it didn’t work out. And we decided to stay home with the children to welcome 2017.
We started thinking about Christmas. Well, how can we not go anywhere during the holidays, it’s impossible, unrealistic... and we found a tour to Psebay. At the Voskhod camp site in the folk Kuban style with songs and dances, round dances around the fire, we spent 3 holidays. After all, ours is rich in Amazing places. Unforgettable vacation, a lot of impressions. But first things first.
In the very east Krasnodar region, between two ridges and along the Malaya Laba River stretches, stretching for several kilometers, a hospitable village. Then there are a couple more villages and that’s it, there is no more road. And only with backpacks do they conquer mountain peaks.
And even though we came to relax at the camp site, Psebay is still more suitable for active recreation. If you love hiking, are into cycling, hang gliding, or dream of rafting down a mountain river, then this is the place for you. You will find all this here.
Amazing hikes can be done here. Somewhere far away... or rather a couple of tens of kilometers from Psebay - Bolshoy Tkhach, and the Devil's Gate, Acheshbok and the Alous ridge. But all this was not part of the plans for this trip; it is part of my future plans.
Psebay translated means “a place with a lot of water.” There are so many waterfalls, rivers, springs, and lakes here that you can’t count them.
We walked to the Malaya Laba River.
Now she is relatively calm. And in the spring, when the glaciers begin to melt, it turns into a stormy, roaring stream.
In winter, the landscapes are no less beautiful, and not far from this place there is a silver spring; people from all over the area go there for water.
We also visited the Waterfall of Wishes.
IN winter time The path there is not the easiest; we had to overcome some climbs and a very steep wet slope. But at the end of the road a real miracle awaited us. Everyone made their wish cherished wish. They say it comes true. Let's see!
You can look at Psebay and its surroundings from above at observation deck, where the guide took us. Beauty! True, there has been no fresh snow for a long time and the colors are not very bright, but this does not spoil the overall impression.
Those who wished could ride down the hill on tablets. Steep hill, the speed is developing oh-oh-oh. But people come there specifically to ride, in cars, and spend several hours there.
Almost all the attractions of Psebay are far away, and you need to go by car. But the Gerpegem ridge is very close, it can be seen from everywhere. All tourist centers offer excursions there. But they didn’t offer it to us, and I decided to go there myself.
I won’t be me if I don’t conquer at least one. There's a gentle slope there. There are almost no trees at the edge of the ridge. The road didn’t seem to be difficult, it seemed like it wasn’t far, why couldn’t I handle it? And I climbed the mountain! And it was already after lunch, and the daylight hours were short….
And I didn’t even think about the fact that it was winter outside. The weather was excellent, the temperature was above zero, the snow was melting. And so I rise, and the higher, the more difficult it is. Walking through the snow in boots, not even sneakers, my feet got soaked through. No. I'm going higher. And there it got steeper and steeper, I slipped, fell, and a couple of times my camera sank into the snow. I thought I had ruined everything. No, I shook off nothing, it works.
And then I found a horse trail. Wow, I think horses can rise to this height, but I’m worse. Well, follow the horse path. Horses choose the easiest road. Nooooo, straight ahead faster. Yeah! Why!
Somehow I got back onto the path and then I realized that the shortest road is not always the closest, especially in the mountains.
And then the sun began to set. I didn't have time to reach the top. There are only 200 meters left.
And the view from here is stunning!
I didn’t want to walk back through the dark alone in an unfamiliar area. And I hurried to go back.
In the morning we saw footprints in the snow - some were of a hare, and others... I don’t even know what kind of animal it was, but the claws were about 4 centimeters long. And so, while descending, for some reason I kept thinking about these footprints. And although I’m not such a coward, and I walk alone through forests and mountains, but... it was getting dark slowly, and all the time it seemed to me that someone from the forest was looking at me. I walk and look around, no one. It’s a long way from the village, even though it’s down below me, no one will hear it, no matter how much you scream…. Mom dear. She ran downstairs skipping. And I forever understood that you can’t go to the mountains alone in winter, even if it seems that it’s not high and not far away.
The peak remains unconquered, which means it is waiting for me, and I will return here again.
Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer places left where the paths are untrodden, the animals are not scared, and the water is crystal clear. Psebay is just such a place. They even have spring water flowing from their taps. While you will not meet crowds of tourists there, as in Sochi or Sochi, there are no huge 5-star hotels, and, thank God, civilization has not yet reached here and you can plunge into pristine nature entirely, with all your soul and whole body.
The climate here is unique, there is almost no wind, it is not hot in summer, but winter is real! True, until mid-summer there is a lot of rain and even hail. Our guide told us that it is better to come from the second half of July. Then there are many sunny days and you can visit all the local attractions.
There will be a separate article about our camp site “Voskhod”. (Already have read I really liked their organization of recreation, the territory, the rooms, the SPA complex with a sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and herbal tea... Mmmmm, what a great time we had!
See how we drove on the map.
Adventure in the flowerbed
Mackerel blooms
Palm trees, palm trees, palm trees...
A quiet haven for the spoiled tourist
Very unusual place for relaxation we chose May holidays— Psebay village. I wanted to relax on a budget in the Krasnodar Territory... We heard from friends and relatives that there are hot springs in the Krasnodar Territory in the Mostovsky district, so we looked at the location on the map. It turned out that nearby in the Mostovsky district there is the village of Psebay, where it is located. Unfortunately, we could not find websites of other places where we could stay on the Internet.
Psebay is an urban-type settlement in the Mostovsky district of the Krasnodar region of Russia.
How to get to Psebay
We drove by car from Rostov-on-Don along the M4 Don highway, then along the P-217 Tikhoretsk - Kropotkin - Armavir - Labinsk - Mostovskoy - Psebay road. The entire journey took approximately 5.5 hours.
The village of Psebay is very small in size and population (about 10 thousand people in 2010). Psebay is located in a valley in the foothills of the Caucasus, between mountain peaks along the Malaya Laba River. The road from Psebay to the south ends in the mountains of the Caucasus Natural Biosphere Reserve.
Caucasian nature reserve included in the list World Heritage UNESCO.
In the village of Psebay there is a gypsum production plant - “Kubansky Gypsum - KNAUF”. We ourselves personally climbed to the tops of the mountains and saw how the equipment works. This is probably the only place in the village that provides work for the local population. It’s a pity that the Knauf brand is not Russian. As our guide in the USSR said, it was a completely Soviet plant, and after the collapse the Germans came, bought it, and took it into circulation. Well, what can you do?
Unusual geographical location makes this place amazing. A fast mountain river, gypsum rocks of the slopes, caves and arches, waterfalls, springs with clean drinking water, golden sand made of mica and shell rock, unusually rich vegetation - all this is amazingly intertwined here, in one place. For those who like active recreation, I definitely recommend visiting here, because... There are a lot of places where you can go.
The area of the village of Psebay is very promising and diverse in terms of Russian tourism. I would even say unusual, with its amazing beauty, purity, simplicity. There are no equipped places for walking, only slightly trampled paths that are lost in the grass and then appear again. Markings on trees indicating hiking trails and nothing else...Real wild nature, with its unpredictability and mystery.
In addition to the traditional walking tourism for these places, cycling tourism is developed here. There are active cycling routes on the Gerpegem ridge; by the way, they also race ATVs there. A fast mountain river is simply created for. And some will definitely like rocks and caves for rock climbing.
Excursions, routes in Psebay, waterfalls
We rested in Psebay for 6 days. But since the weather was not always favorable, we visited only a small part of the protected nearby places. Wet weather, washed-out roads, slippery hiking trails, and, perhaps, our unpreparedness for extreme tourist hikes, did not allow us to go down to the Gunkin caves and the Dedova Yama cave, as well as see the Kyzylbek waterfalls and salty mineral springs in the village of Solenoe. But what a reason to come back here again.
- Kapustinsky waterfall;
- Nikiteno village and Nikitinsky waterfall;
- Thermal springs of the Mostovsky district;
- Suspension bridge;
- White Widow Rock;
- Waterfall "Wishes";
- Gerpegem Ridge;
- Silver Spring;
- Bank of the Malaya Laba River.
Some of the routes were on foot. Together with a guide (a kind, nice uncle), we walked around all the surroundings of the Beryozki sanatorium. We were introduced to the local landscapes and nature. We visited many places on our own, despite the fact that they were not so easy to find.
Experienced tourists will be interested in 5-7 days hiking along the famous route “Psebay - Krasnaya Polyana”. But this is a very serious journey and they won’t let you go there just like that. To obtain a permit and pass for the hike, go to the office of the Northern Department Caucasian Nature Reserve in Psebay or at the border post. The documents will be completed here.
Flora Psebaya
Walking through the meadows and forests in the villages of Psebay and Nikitino, you can see many beautiful and unusual plants. And the time at which we came to rest in Psebay (early May) showed us the flowering of many plants. Small mountain iris, lilies of the valley, strawberries, sage, mint, wild garlic and many more unknown but beautiful plants that form a blooming and fragrant carpet on the ground.
For the first time in my life I saw a mountain iris bloom. The lily of the valley is listed in the Red Book of Russia, but in Psebay the lily of the valley is not uncommon.
What to bring from Psebay as a souvenir
In addition to all the standard souvenirs: magnets and paintings, in Psebay you can buy meadow honey, mountain tea, souvenirs and jewelry made from rocks. We also brought water from the Silver Spring, a piece of gypsum rock, and fern bushes. You can dry a herbarium of meadow herbs as a souvenir. I couldn’t resist this uncontrollable greenery of the Psebai forests; I wanted to remember with all my heart and keep this beauty at home.
Psebay is an amazing place for a Russian tourist to relax. Peaceful holiday with family, away from civilization or relaxing with a noisy company. Moderate walking tours around the village or extreme ones mountain routes. And everyone here will find something dear to their heart.
All this is Psebai, all this is Russia!
Interesting things nearby
Psebay is an urban-type settlement in the Mostovsky district of the Krasnodar region of Russia. The administrative center of the Psebay urban settlement. Population 10.8 thousand inhabitants (2010).
Geography
Located on the left bank of the Malaya Laba River (part of Laba), along mountain valley which stretches for 12 km, on the opposite bank is the village of Andryuki. The final station of the railway line from Kurganinsk. Narrow gauge Railway to Kurdzhinovo (closed in the 1980s). A popular base point for hiking and cycling.
The village of Psebaysky was founded in 1857 on the banks of the Psebayka River, dug on purpose (since the Circassians kidnapped women washing clothes on Malaya Laba). Historian F.A. Shcherbina writes: “In 1856, troops within the New Line were limited to proper combat service on the line, construction of roads, construction of Shedoksky fortifications and the foundation of the Psebaysky fortification.” By 1862, Cossack families from the village of Novopokrovskaya arrived to settle in Psebaysky. The soldiers who fought on the New Line of Fortifications were allowed to bring their families from the central provinces. The first houses have not survived, except for the Holy Transfiguration Church, built in 1858. Initially the village was small: 34-35 huts. There was only one street and it was called Boulevard. It stretched from church to school. In 1873, the village was transformed into a Cossack village. In 1881, in the village of Psebayskaya there were 281 households, 14,000 acres of land, 302 Cossack men and 319 Cossack women, 476 men and 465 women from other cities. There were 4 mills, 3 forges, and 10 shops in the village. There was one public school. Residents were mainly engaged in woodworking. The forest belonged to the treasury, and indiscriminate cutting was strictly prohibited. In 1894, Emperor Nicholas II issued a decree according to which soldiers who served for more than 17 years were rewarded with an allotment of land of 3 dessiatines per capita. By this time, the village had grown, and there was a need to build new streets. As a result, the village was divided into two parts: Cossacks lived in one, soldiers (non-residents) lived in the other. The separation of Cossacks and soldiers occurred in 1890. In the same year, the Cossacks, who did not want to attend a common church, built the Church of St. Michael (now destroyed). In 1898, a dacha of 11 rooms was built in Psebayskaya for Prince Sergei Mikhailovich Romanov. He came to the village 2-3 times a year to hunt on a huge plot of mountains he rented. With Romanov’s blessing, two schools arose in the village: one for nonresidents, the other for Cossacks. No later than 1938, the village was transformed into the village of Psebay. In 1910, the residents of Psebay had 7,557 acres of land, of which 2,528 acres were forests. The population grew to 6,489 people. The status of a working village has been since 1958, when the village of Psebay was merged into one locality with the villages of Zheleznodorozhny and Gipsovy Rudnik. In 1944-1962, Psebay was the center of the Psebay region.
