Natural Landmarks of Beloretsk Rayon
Beloretsk BELORETSKIY RABOCHIY, 22 Jul 93 p 2
by A. Dmitriyev 2. Yamantau. Here too are many natural landmarks--literally hundreds of them. They are very diverse in terms of appearance and character. The entire area is part of a protected zone--the Southern Urals Preserve. One would think that their problems are solved given their protected status. Yet these very landmarks are at the greatest risk of destruction. The fact is that there are industrial facilities in the center of the preserve, the very place where the largest and most interesting natural landmarks are concentrated. Yamantau is a major natural landmark, one whose significance extends far beyond our rayon alone to the whole of the Republic of Bashkortostan. It looks different from different angles, but it is beautiful, majestic and enchanting from any direction. The most beautiful view is from the west and the northwest. The mountain's enormous summit extends high into the sky. Above the forest line it consists entirely of large mounds of rock, a bald peak zone. The rocks in the mounds are so enormous that it's somehow inappropriate to call them rocks. They are enormous boulders, each one several cubic meters in size. The stone cupola is somewhat elongated from north to south and has a flat crest that forms a rocky plateau. The mountain top is very often covered in clouds. It sometimes wears a cap of clouds for several days at a time. It is even more interesting when the summit of Yamantau extends up through clouds. Then the summit shines brightly in the sunlight, and the dark-blue clouds shadow the lower part of the mountain. From the opposite direction, from northeast to south, the view of the mountain is completely different. Here it is not quite as majestic, but it is even more enchanting and, most importantly, has a kind of surprisingly gay and happy appearance. The forest line on Yamantau extends up to 1,200 to 1,300 meters. On the western side, the forest immediately yields to the bald peak. On the eastern side, there is a broad zone of luxuriant alpine meadows between the forest and the bald peak. Strips of greenery consisting of short grass and berry bushes extend toward the summit even through the crevices of the bald peak zone. It is obvious that all this, plus the especially vivid colors of the alpine meadows, give the mountain a special beauty and appeal from that direction and evoke feelings of happiness at the sight of such beauty. If one looks down on the Yamantau complex from a high altitude, you immediately discover that several mountains stand close together on a single common mountain platform. Kuyantau Mountain hugs Yamantau from the east, so that the lower two-thirds of the mountains merge into a single base. Together they form a mountain pass at an altitude of 1,380 meters. The summit of Yamantau is at an altitude of 1,645 meters, and the summit of Kuyantau at 1,521 meters. The Yaroktash ridge, 1,200 meters tall, abuts the crossing from the south. From the southern crossing, the northeastern parts of Yamantau and Kuyantau are somewhat shifted to the side, and the place where they meet forms a beautiful upland basin that slopes downward somewhat in the northeast, where it adjoins the 1,280-meter Mashak ridge. The only exit from this upland valley is to the east, beyond the eastern tip of the Kuyantau ridge, where a magnificent stone tower, known as Karaul Rock or Kuyantavsky Tooth, stands on a high bluff over a precipice. It is an strikingly beautiful natural landmark. You might think of this upland valley as an enormous balcony on Yamantau's highest floor, opening onto a surprisingly beautiful view to the east, southeast and south. The view, which is literally stunning, causes a person to momentarily freeze, so breathtaking is the unexpected beauty. Everyone I have ever taken there declares that if there is a paradise, this is it. The alpine meadow is always in bloom. Summers here are short. Each plant hastens to grow, bloom, and mature. The flowers, hues, and aroma of the alpine meadow change every five to seven days. A small stream--the start of the Kuyantavki River-- courses throughout the alpine meadow from the southern crossing to the eastern exit from the upland basin. It often happens that the entire left bank of the stream is covered with pink flowers, while the right bank is awash in blue or white blossoms. The flowering grasses reach a height of half a meter. Each group of tourists invariably sets up its tents only here, in hopes of spending only 10 days in that paradise! The tourists' view is apparently shared by others too- -all the local animals and birds. The meadow is always an animated spot. In the early spring, the wood grouse, black grouse, and upland partridges emerge from the lower taiga forests for the breeding season. In the hot summer, flocks of deer head for the alpine meadow from all directions. There they raise their new generations. In the second half of summer, bears and their offspring appear amid the berry bushes. And it seems completely unbelievable when you encounter the duck hatcheries in the upland tundra swamps. Let us, too, spend about a week here, living in paradise and taking in the sights of at least the major natural landmarks. For starters, let's make our way up the southern pass. There we will find a small but very interesting lake. It measures just three by 10 meters. It lies at an altitude of 1,400 meters. No water is to be found at a higher altitude on either Yamantau or Kuyantau. In the summer the tiny lake is fed by springs from within the mountain. You can sometimes see the bottom churning as the water makes its way up. After filling the tiny lake, it escapes from the lake via two small streams. One flows to the southeast (the start of the Kuzelgi River), and the other to the northeast (the start of the Kuyantavki River). There are many legends about the tiny lake, as well as about Yamantau Mountain.
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