Countryside tours on Wednesday 24 July
Countryside tours are going to be on Wednesday 24 July. The program is planned for the whole day. The cost of each tour independant of the number of participants and direction is 1500 rub./38 euro. It includes qualified excursion guiding, two meals during a day, esurance, bus transportation from the hotel to the place and back. Please, choose only one rout. Please, tell us preliminary about your chois for we could fill up the groups, that is important for the ordering transportation. Preferably to pay that fee in advance.
1. Lake Arakul and Arakul Shikhan
The group is equipped with everything nesessary and guided by professional instructors.
South direction. Distance from Ekaterinburg 140 km. Arakul lake is placed in the North of Chelyabinsk region. In Bashkirian Arakul means "the lake between mountains". The lake itself is not big 3x4 km, but rather deep. An average deapth is 5,5 m, the biggest 15 m. Arakul is situated at 300 m above the sea level. Two rivers enters the lake and one, Arakulka, streams out connecting the lake with the Kasly's system of lakes. Water is very clear owing to the plenty of springs at the bottom of the lake what makes water cool even in the most hot summer days. The lake is considered to be the hydrological treasure, there live many sorts of fish and cancers, that proves the clarity of the waters.
In several kilometers from the lake there is a picturesque rocky massive Arakul Shikhan (or just Shikhan). The length of the ridge is less than 2 km, the hight of rocks is up to 60 m, average width of the ridge is 40-50 m. Shikhan reminds the Chinese Wall or forbidding fortress. It is a favourable place for the rock and mountain climbers trainings and competitions. In a good weather from the top of the ridge you can see for about 10 nearby lakes.
At the bottom of the rocky ridge there were found the prints of ancient people's sites dated by the bronze and early Iron eras. In the rocks you can find several stone bouls about 2 m in diameter and 1 m depth. According one of the versions they were used for offerings and ritual fires.
On the lake shore every third Sunday of August Author's song festival "Arakul" takes place.
The Rout: 8.00 departue from the hotel, 10.00 - 10.30 arrival to the villages Vishnevogorsk and Arakul, walk along the shore for 2 km by 11.30 where at the site lunch and little rest is planed. 13.00 to 15.00 climbing Shikhan, aquaintence with the Ridge. After that coming down to the site for the hot dinner at 16.30. 17.15 departue to Ekaterinburg. 19.30 arrival to the hotel and supper in the hotel.
Total length of the rout 10 кm.
Rended equipment - fire equipment.
Escorting - professional instructors, having also a first-aid kit in their disposal.
Recommended list of personal equipment for all excursions: trecking boots or crosshues, dress according the weather (preferable long trouses and long sleeved shirts), shower/wind proof clothes for rayny weather, hat or cap, nesessary individual hygienic kit, personal dishes, thermos or water bottle, insect protection means, documents, NICE MOOD!
2. Davil's site
Northern direction. Distance from Ekaterinburg 25 km. Davil's site is a grand rocky ridge at the top of the mountait with the same name. The top of the Davil's site rises above sea level for 347 meters . 20 last of them belong to the mighty granit ridge. Serrate range of granit towers-outliers lasts from south-east to north-west. Fromt the north The Site breaks with unaffordable wall and from the south it is sloping more gently with huge stone stairs. There you can climb the top of the ridge. From the top there opens wide panorama of the surrounding mountains, forests and lakes.
The Site ridge has matress-like structure that creates false impression that the ridge is built from the huge flat stones laying one on another. Origin of "Stone Towns" belongs to the far past of Urals mountains. Granits that build rocks are of volcanic origin were formed about 300 mln yers ago. Since then mountains have been seriously ruined unger the effect of sun, winds and water. In the result there appeared such quieer structures.
Downhill there is a cordon by the smal river Semipalatinka, Confluent of river Iset'. Davil's site is very good for mountain-climbers trainings. Ridge is surrounded with forests where in summer grow lots of berries and mushrooms.
As for the name of the place, it seems to be obvious at the first site. Such structure semm rather unusual like being built by evil forces. Though there exists one more quite original version of that toponim's origin. The thing is that the word «Чортан» (davil's) - «Сортан» can be read like «Сарт-тан» what being translated from Mansian means "front trade". Those words in the minds of Russian transformed to «Чортан» - "Чертов" - Davil's. So it happened that the site of front trade was called Davil's site.
As it was discovered by archeologists, people from ancient times lived in those places. In the process of excavationthere were found many broken pieces of pottery and pieces of copper in sheet form. There were also found pendants-guardians.
They belong to the Iron era.
Nowdays Davil's site is the most often visited rocky ridge in the surroundings of Ekaterinburg. There often take
place trainings of rock- and mountain-climbers, and also competitions. Unfortunately mass visits during a hundred years imprinted in outer view and ecological situation around that place.
The rout: Departue from Ekaterinburg 8.00, Passing Sredneuralsk and arrival to Iset station 9.00, climbing Davil's site till 13.00. Lunch and rest 13.00 - 16.00, departue to Ekaterinburg 16.00, Arrival to the hotel 17.00.
Total length of the rout 8 km.
The group is equipped with everything nesessary and guided by professional instructors.