Big lab. Rafting on the Laba River. Tourism and recreation on the Bolshaya Laba River

The place is characterized by a fairly dense river network, consisting of the basins of the most branched rivers. For example, this reservoir belongs to the Labinsk network. The benefit of traveling along the water system is associated with the presence of virgin terrain, replete with relict flora and fauna. The ridges along the water's edges are fraught with mysteries for extreme sports enthusiasts.

general description

The length of Bolshaya Laba is 133 kilometers. The catchment area is 1,730 square kilometers. The maximum width is 290 meters (opposite the village of Akhmetovskaya). The depth reaches 2.5 meters. The reservoir passes through the Urupsky district of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic and the Labinsky district of the Krasnodar Territory. The general direction is north, with a large bend to the east in the lower reaches. The average water consumption is quite small. The food is mixed (glacial and rain). Freeze-up does not occur every year. The flood leads to only a 0.5-meter rise in level. However, it occurs 2 times a year. There are no more than 20 tributaries (including streams). The largest ones are Phiya, Sancharo, Makera, Makhmurts, Dakhmurts, Zakan, Blyb and Beskes.

The Bolshaya Laba River was formed simultaneously with the Main Caucasus Range, on one of the glaciers of which it is born. Since the Bronze Age, tribes of the Dolmen and Maykop cultures have lived here - the forerunners of the current Adyghe peoples. In the first third of the 7th century. Proto-Bulgars-Utigurs (part of the Avar Khaganate) appear on the eastern bank. They assimilate some of the Circassians. The Karachais were formed (from the Khazar dialect - “black”, “wild”, “unsubdued”). This ethnonym was used to name the entire southwestern half of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. However, the Arabic description of the Bolshaya Laba River suggests that the name of the water stream was retained from the Circassians (“Labezh”). After all, they continued to live on the left hand of the river. Nominally, Karachay and the Eastern Circassian clans were part of the Alan Empire for some time, and then became part of its successor, Kabarda. Since the 15th century, the highlanders have experienced strong Muslim influence from Turkish emissaries and converted to Islam. From now on they are allies of the Ottomans. And in the second half of the century before last, the Bolshaya Laba River was at the center of the Caucasian War, born of 300 years of Russian-Turkish contradictions. From the beginning of the 1860s, the territory became part of the Kuban region of the Russian Federation. 160 years later, it experiences the counter-revolutionary Kuban uprising, which was tragic in its consequences.

And after another 21 years - the Nazi occupation (it did not last long). It turned out that no economic or transport use of the Bolshaya Laba River is possible. This is a completely high mountain river. It is distinguished by a correspondingly formidable disposition and insufficient water consumption. In the lower reaches and closer to the mouth, the Bolshaya Laba River was populated faster than in the upper reaches (which still have almost no villages). A nature reserve has been organized here.

Source and mouth of the Bolshaya Laba River

The source of the Bolshaya Laba River is located on the Abytskha glacier near Mount Pshish (2,367 meters above sea level). The area administratively belongs to the Urupsky district of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. The source of the Bolshaya Laba River is 0.4 meters wide and is surrounded by ice crusts. Gradually going down, the water flow “receives” increasingly higher coastal ravines.

The mouth of the Bolshaya Laba River is the exit to the starting channel of the Laba opposite the Krasny Gai farmstead in the Labinsky district of Kuban. The reservoir flows into 2 tributaries with a total diameter of 650 meters. There are 2 islands in the garla, consisting of large and small stones. The edge is smooth.

Basin of the Bolshaya Laba River

In the very upper reaches of the Bolshaya Laba River moves relatively smoothly. The height of the coasts is rapidly increasing. The width of the channel is insignificant. The river immediately divides into branches. In the middle fragment, the flow of the Bolshaya Laba River enters the zone of several expansion canyons. At their bottom, it scatters more strongly into channels. Thresholds become significantly lower. The mountains also begin to decline (but only slightly so far). The lower half of the Bolshaya Laba River basin acquires the most “lazy” character. But relative to lowland rivers, the water flow remains quite fast until the “finish”. There's a huge east loop here. And the diameter is no less than 200 meters (at the beginning of the “bottom”, near Akhmetovskaya, it is even 290 meters). The mountains turn into very high hills.

Sights of the Bolshaya Laba River

Threshold "Gag"

A long stay on the Bolshaya Laba River gives the most vivid memories here. And rafters, kayakers and kayakers will test themselves by passing obstacles of the 3rd - 4th difficulty categories. “Gag” meets extreme sports enthusiasts near the tiny village of Svinyachy. Where the water “artery” suddenly changes width: from 30 meters to 20. Here you will have to fly over huge stones at breakneck speed. Moreover, many of them are thrown right in the center. The elevation difference is significant. Next it will also be “hot” (read about rafting). And about the good. Along the shore you can actually find fragrant bird cherry. And not far away, a bridge that once collapsed will become a romantic subject for a photograph.

Reserve "Dakhmurts"

It is here that the flow of the Bolshaya Laba River passes through the eastern buffer zone of the Caucasian State Reserve. The protected area is located within the valley of the water stream of the same name, as well as in areas of the Bolshaya Laba adjacent to its mouth. Its entire area is 3,000 hectares. Protected areas include popular high-mountain pyataks with healing mineral springs, waterfalls and deep valleys. Paths lead to the objects from the Kombat recreation center (a “crushed stone” from the village of Rozhkao will take you to it). Deer, brown bear, roe deer, snowcock and deer will be found here and there. The Beskes, Makera and Neftyanka rivers also flow within the reserve, as if dividing it into islands. Peaks with snow caps are visible from everywhere. Passage for vacationers is free. But it is prohibited to engage in various trades here.

In the end, we note that in the protected area for the last time we will be able to climb to the peaks, the height of which still allows us to enjoy the stratum of alpine meadows (with plants listed in the Red Book), as well as taiga mountain flora - fir, pine, spruce and birch. It’s just that further on the mountain tongues on both sides are already decreasing significantly.

Village Kurdzhinovo

Only here rafting on the Bolshaya Laba River becomes completely safe. The named agglomeration stretches for 11 kilometers from north to south. That is, in terms of its length, Kurdzhinovo resembles a medium-sized city. But this is where the similarity ends, since the rural municipality is a completely private sector. The building density is quite low. There are no industrial enterprises. Simply paradise! The attractions are more natural in nature (the western quarters go steeply into the mountains, covered with a dense idyllic forest consisting of hornbeam, beech, oak, aspen, wild pear, alder, walnut and yew). The village appeared in 1934 on a point consisting of several small villages. And over time, he headed the entire rural district (which includes old settlements and equally new municipalities). Karachays and local Circassians called Georgians “Kurja”. This is where the toponym came from (it is already Russian). However, no traces of the mentioned Transcaucasian people were found here. After the end of the Caucasian Wars (1864), Karachais, Cossacks and people from Little Russia lived here. The main current difference of the settlement is that the strategic highway A-156 passes through here.

Natural attractions of the village of Akhmetovskaya

At the beginning of the last section, rafting along the Bolshaya Laba River will reveal to you the secrets of the Stone Warrior, Round Lake and the Kunsha settlement (located in the lower reaches of the Bolshaya Laba tributary).

Let's start with Akhmetovskaya herself. On the territory of the local school, a statue was discovered that was made by the distant ancestors of the Karachais. Experts found in it similarities with images of a warrior. And the Turkic tribes liked to install them on the road (the Karachais, by origin, half belong to one Proto-Bulgarian tribe). The “face” of the sculpture has almost been erased. The figure (which is typical for the Turks) has hypertrophied arms that meet on the stomach. One of the aborigines points out that the original location of the “statue” is the remains of an equally mysterious sanctuary. All other excursion points are located near the Garnukha River, the right branch of the Bolshaya Laba. The round lake is located on a small ridge of the Black Sea - in a deep karst hole measuring 240 by 130 meters (and there are no such large closed reservoirs for tens of kilometers around!). The amazingly clear water allows you to view lake trout at a depth of 6 meters. Finally, the last village brand is a settlement at the mouth of the Kunsha stream (this is a branch of Garnukha itself). The settlement complex (Christian churches, 3 villages and a fortified settlement) was once located both on the indicated stream and on both banks of Garnukha. It remains to add that the nearest settlement to these beauties is the village of Gornoye. There's a path here.

Tourism and recreation on the Bolshaya Laba River

The Bolshaya Laba River is located for the most part in the highlands, where it is cool even at the height of summer. And there is a lot of virgin North Caucasian forest here. As a result, we can say that this river region is more suitable for mountain trekkers, climbers, speleologists and rafters. And also for lovers of tent camping. Fishermen have nothing to do here. The majority of the river route lies in a state-protected zone. The only camp sites (“Big Laba” and “Kombat”) were built within the boundaries of the villages of Psemen and Rozhkao. They are large, with the necessary amenities. You will find housing of 4 categories, a sauna, mobile pools (you can’t swim in the river), as well as gazebos with barbecues.

The rest of the world is connected to Bolshaya Laba only through the “crushed stone” Predgornoye-Pkhiya, as well as through 2 highways - the republican A-156 and the interdistrict Labinsk-Akhmetovskaya. Dozens of dirt roads bend along the tributaries, which pleases cyclists.

Speleological and mountain recreation on the Bolshaya Laba River is the main leisure activity for extreme tourists. The water flow cuts through ridges or runs along them. There are “walls” for rock climbing. As well as trails to little-explored caves and waterfalls.

The valley is rich in mineral springs (the streams passing through the Abytskhi, Aishkho and Pseashkho glaciers are ideally mineralized). Therefore, health tourism also takes place in the described area. For example, they make Labinskaya mineral water here. Moreover, on the territory of OK “Laba” they use this water for treatment. True, the hospital is located below.

Eventful recreation on the Bolshaya Laba River is represented by only one interesting festival. In Kurdzhinovo. We are talking about a gathering of fans of sadhu-sanga (a significant number of adherents of Vaishnaism live on the outskirts of the village - here they hid from civilization, thus trying to get closer to nirvana). The Alara Ekadashi festival takes place every year on May 11 and gathers the comrades of local Vaishnavas from the nearest (and sometimes quite distant) urban environment. After all, they are constantly drawn to the wild. To silence. Ordinary people call the people who gather here “Hare Krishnas”, since they have little understanding of the varied Indian beliefs... By the way, Vaishnaism teachers (“sadhus”) often come here too. These are Indian citizens. Of course, pilgrimage tourism in the village is also associated with 2-3 Orthodox shrines.

Rafting on the Bolshaya Laba River is the second most popular activity here. In addition to the already described “Gag” (before it), “water workers” will have to go through countless “barrels”, shafts and clamps. Past the destroyed bridge. And after “Gag” - the threshold “Farewell to the Motherland!” Even super-professionals land here separately from their craft. By the way, the “barrel” that follows the threshold is made on the left bank. They usually hang out in front of the canyon of the Malyi Blyb River (this is a good spot for a camp). Next comes the Salty Rocks gorge and the Brick rapids. There will also be “Stone Stack” and the Fourth Canyon. On the rivieras there are quite a few places for a convenient bivouac.

Fishing and hunting on the Bolshaya Laba River

The Bolshaya Laba River is popular only for brook trout. Fishing is allowed only in some areas (Karachay-Cherkessia is jealous of its natural resources). But still, fishing takes place. Fishermen get here through Kurdzhinovo (A-156, separating foothill Karachay from mountain Karachay, passes through this settlement). Many are satisfied with their catch (trout is famous not for its size, but for its amazing taste). And what can I say - for some, just a view of the mountains is enough...

On the Bolshaya Laba River, fishing sometimes goes well with hunting (of course, for the most part, already in the lower reaches). Commercial game here includes deer, aurochs, chamois, bear, wild boar, mink, wolf and marten. There is also the ubiquitous jackal (no time limits). And among the winged game in the vicinity of the riverbed, snowcocks, black grouse and colorful pheasants make noise with their wings. You can hear ducks in the water. And in the fields of partridges. In rare hunting grounds, roe deer, hare and fox are also hunted. What's worth remembering? When hunting small or medium-sized fur animals, it is prohibited to use leg traps.

Protection of the Bolshaya Laba River

To this day, the protection of the Bolshaya Laba River is still not relevant. The predominant section of its channel is located in sparsely populated areas. Only from the middle cluster do agricultural enterprises begin to appear that do not cause serious damage to the basin. The lower reaches are much more worrisome. Quite a lot of tourists accumulate in them, and, therefore, garbage. Local residents have to clean up during cleanup days. The water quality is still optimal (IZ – “light pollution”). This is noticeable in its transparency.

The description of the Bolshaya Laba River presented to you provides the necessary information about the method of its recreational use. By the way, the poet Mikhail Lermontov in his works more than once hinted at the tracts located in the river canyon. The Adygs, who had long lived along the western bank, called this stream “Labezh” - “Old Laba”. But this hints at the immutability of the route of the deeply incised river basin...

On May 4, 2001, the group set out on the route in the following order: catamaran-1, catamaran-2, KNB-1, KNB-2, kayak.

After passing the obstacles where insurance was set, the order of the route was changed due to the fact that, according to the further description, the route was less difficult, and also to ensure insurance for the weakest crew,
having a coup on that day: KNB-1, kayak, catamaran-2, KNB-2, catamaran-1.

Further travel was carried out as follows: kayak-2 personally
insured catamaran-1. The second catamaran-2 was accompanied by KNB-1, a kayak. While moving, there was a gap in the distance of up to 200 m, the leader decided to moor on the island

– to restore visual contact with the lagging crews: KNB-2 and catamaran-1;

– due to the visible complication of the river section (narrowing of the riverbed, increased speed of the river, rock formations).

At the moment of launching the kayak, there was a coup with the kayak being carried out into the stream, the kayaker did not get up,
KNB-1 and catamaran-2 began carrying out rescue operations.

Downstream from the place where the kayak overturned, the leader's kayak-1 caught the kayak with its lifesaver. At the moment of hooking the kayak, the leader gave the command to catamaran-2
moor near the shore and provide insurance for the rest of the group's vessels.

When trying to moor the kayak to the shore with kayak-1 of the leader, it overturned on slanting shafts in the canyon section of the river (Uzkoe tract). Subsequently, the overturned KNB-1 and the kayak were moored to the shore from the place where the kayak overturned - 300–500 m, and the place where KNB-1 overturned - 20–40 m.

With a lag of 2–3 minutes from the keel of the kayak, a capsize occurred upstream of the KNB-2 river. The escort catamaran-1 began performing rescue operations.

As the inverted KNB-2 passed by catamaran-2, a lifeline was thrown and fell within the reach of the crew. The crew did not react (according to the crew member in the hospital, she did not notice either the catamaran-2 or the abandoned Spasconets).

Subsequently, the crew of catamaran-2 was on the shore, observing the approach of the 2nd catamaran-1 with the emergency kayak-2 at a short distance. The crew decided that there was no need for their participation in rescue operations.

When catamaran-1 approaches the emergency area in the canyon section of the river (Uzkoye tract),
kayak-2 up to 5 meters, the lifespan, attached at both ends to the catamaran frame, involuntarily fell out, the resulting loop got caught
for an underwater object in shallow water, while catamaran-1 was crushed by the flow. The captain of the catamaran, after trying to unhitch, cut off the spaskonet, losing time in this process, during which kayak-2 went beyond visibility into the right turn of the canyon section of the river. Subsequently, catamaran 2 was forced to land on the shore due to damage to the right cylinder.

At the moment the emergency kayak-2 passed by the overturned KNB-1 and the kayak, an unsuccessful attempt was made to throw the spaskonets, which was not yet fully loaded.

Then the leader of the group, using the half-flooded kayak-1, attempted to catch up with the emergency kayak-2. When boarding kayak-1, without noticing, he tore off the bypass system of the cylinders, as a result of which air began to escape from the cylinders, water began to flow into the stern, displacing the remaining air in the cylinders to the bow. As a result, kayak-1 assumed a vertical position and, having lost control, became trapped. Then there was a coup with the subsequent removal of the kayak to the shore after 70–110 m. The leader of the group ran out onto the road, stopped the oncoming UAZ and attempted to catch up with the emergency kayak-2. Having overtaken kayak-2 in a car and going ashore, I observed the passage of kayak-2 with two crew members; they did not react to the shouts of the leader and did not take active actions. Then the leader returned to the car and, having overtaken kayak-2 a second time, went ashore and observed kayak-2 rafting with one crew member who did not react to the leader’s screams. The driver and passenger who were next to the leader saw that he waved his hand. Then, getting into the car and proceeding further (the road went away from the river, returning to it after about 1.5 km), where for some time the passage of kayak-2 and a person was expected in the breaking streams. After standing for 10–15 minutes, the manager
I went to the checkpoint of the reserve, where the ranger called the police and an ambulance.

Upon arrival, the police and ambulance proceeded in a car upstream of the river to the location of the group, where they learned that they had found a girl from KNB-2, who had climbed out on her own to the right bank.

Due to the onset of dusk and incessant rain, police and ambulance officers refused to further search for the missing crew member of KNB-2, putting the group in a car (despite the demand of the group and the leader to continue the search), sent them to the village of Kurdzhinovo and placed them in the premises of the emergency hospital help. The next day the group was called by the police to the 800th department, from where they were organized search for a missing person on the river.

The crew on catamaran-2, consisting of a leader and a kayaker, covered a section of the route from the location of the upstream catamaran-2 to the village of Asia. Simultaneously with the checkpoint, an inspection of the banks upstream of the river to the village of Asia was organized.

15–20 minutes before the crew of the search catamaran-2, a group of tourists from Yaroslavl passed through this area, who discovered kayak-2 above the Crooked Bridge and the body of the missing person downstream of the river near the village of Grushevaya Polyana. According to them, they dragged the body to the shore of the island, where the group subsequently discovered it.

Then, with the help of a group from Moscow, the body was taken to the village of Asia, where it remained until the arrival of relatives from 5/5/01 to 05/7/2001.

According to the doctor who made the conclusion, death was due to cranial brain injury. There were traces of blows to the left temple and parietal area of ​​the head.

This text was compiled based on the results of a survey of group members.

April 29, Sunday

We arrived in Armavir at 6:04. In the Armavir PATP on the other side of the railway track, we ordered a PAZik together with two groups from Yaroslavl (24 people, 6 of which we).

They agreed to take us only to Kurdzhinovo, because... drivers are afraid of local rules and ignorance of the road (approx. Kurdzhinovo already Karachay-Cherkessia). The price of this part of the delivery is 2716 rubles. per bus (in our case for 24 people, i.e. 113 rubles per nose). We tried to negotiate with the driver about further delivery, but he flatly refused. We arrived in Kurdzhinovo at 11:15. We stopped twice along the way to purchase provisions and meat for barbecue.

We reached the place at 14:45, camped in a clearing on the right bank, about a kilometer from Zagedan. This part of the delivery cost us 100 rubles. per person, total 600 rub. per group.

It is better to look for transport for the second part of the transfer in Kurdzhinovo, because There is no car just above the barrier, and it’s a long way to Rozhkao.

We had lunch, drank 50 grams “for the success of a hopeless enterprise” and began collecting khat. For dinner - shish kebab from the animal bought along the way. Lights out at 23:00.

April 30, Monday

Rise at 8:00, breakfast. Getting ready slowly first day. At 12:00 we got on the water. The people on K-2-2 and K-2-3 crossed to the other side and climbed onto the hill, from where a wonderful view of the surrounding snowfields opens up. Then everyone did a little training in TVT (to stretch their bones after winter). After about 10 kilometers of quiet rafting (shivers, plums of 0.5 m each), the Sosnovy Canyon begins.

Main landmark: 1.2 km before the first threshold of the canyon, on the high right bank, the remains of a destroyed bridge. Further, after a smooth left turn on the left bank there is a long open clearing (approx. 300 m). At the end of the clearing turn right. We lounged on the pebble stretch on the right bank after the right turn before the first rapids of the canyon Farewell Homeland (about 14:00). The banks are high, the left one is a sheer cliff, the right one is flatter, overgrown with trees, with large stones below. They carried things behind the right tributary. Inspection of the rapids is also on the right bank. The length of the canyon is approx. 1 km.

The length of the rapid is 50-60 m. At the entrance, there is a semi-flooded stone in the center of the riverbed. To the right of the stone is a drain 0.5-0.6 m. There is also a drain to the left, but it is not advisable to go into it, because... further in the center of the channel there is a barrel in which the ship can turn around, and which we went around to the right. The main drain, 1.5-2.0 m high, is formed between two huge stones on the right and left banks. Before the drainage, the river is crossed by an oblique breaker shaft from the stone of the left bank. When entering, you should hit this shaft with your nose, which turns the ship around and carries it through the center of the drain. On the right side of the drain there is a breaker shaft from the right stone. Behind the drain is a barrel. On the left side the barrel is harder, on the right it is more loose and fast. On the left behind the threshold there is a hard catch in which it can twist for a long time.

Insurance was provided by two Spaskons from the right bank immediately after the rapids and a catamaran after the right tributary. All three catamarans passed the threshold relatively easily, only cat-2-2 got caught under the left bank.

Next is a simple rapid 30-40 m long on a straight section of the river, immediately after the confluence of the tributary of the Sosnovy stream. A 1.2-meter drain with a barrel across the entire channel and half-filled stones at the entrance. Next, move along a straight section of the river until the right turn. Before the turn, we first moored to the right bank to view the canyon, then moved to the left bank, from where we carried out a look and carried things around; the right bank is unsuitable for viewing - very high, steep slopes.

The difficult rapid starts at a sharp left turn and is a “pipe” of approx. 200 m long. At the entrance, in the center of the riverbed, large stones form several gates with drains. After the turn, the river narrows to 5-6 meters, and in the narrowest place to 3 meters, the flow speed is high. On a straight section of the river, the water flow is sandwiched between a steep wall on the right bank and a scree of large stones along the left bank. This area resembles a large hill with powerful plums approx. 1.5 m, foam pits, breaker shafts. In two places there was a pile-up of rocks, first on the right, then on the left bank, with protruding teeth. The threshold is called “Gap” or “God Bring It Through”, which is quite true, because little depends on the strength of the crew.

After a tongue-lashing at the exit, the river calms down, and a large catch appears under the right bank (a good place for belaying). The first catamaran went into the threshold with things and without looking, thank God it passed, although it was pretty shaken in the barrels and turned with its stern in the second part of the “pipe”. The rest moored in front of the left bank and carried things from above along the road to the catch.

The shooting of the rapids was carried out from the scree of the left bank (right bank sheer rock), and the belayers were placed in the above-mentioned catch. Cat-2-3 passed the first part of the pipe nose first, but at the end they were slightly pressed against the teeth of the left bank. Kat-2-1 was deployed in one of the barrels. They passed the next barrel with the stern, and then by some force they turned with their bow (just like some kind of waltz). After a slight left turn, there is an easy 100-meter shift on the right turn. The left bank becomes flat and convenient for stranding. This is the end of the first canyon. We set up camp on the left bank at 18:30.

May 1, Tuesday

Day (forced). The guys wanted to ride in the canyon. Well, let's go for a ride. It was fine several times, and then the commanding catamaran was pressed in the “pipe” to the prong of the left bank. Result: broken knuckle and bent length, small tears in the skin.

For the rest of the day, the crew of the command catamaran was repaired in the clearing. Standing with us are the Rostovites and one of the Yaroslavl groups (both of them had one 1st crew on their doorstep). In the evening it began to rain. Lights out around 23:00.

May 2, Wednesday

Rise at 8:00. The weather is cloudy and a cold wind is blowing. Start at 11:30.

At 11:50 we approached the second canyon Maly Blyb. The landmark of the canyon is the right turn of the river with a pyramidal stone-rock on the left bank (a fin is applied to the stone). We moored to the left bank and went to explore the canyon. Its length is about a kilometer. At the beginning of the canyon, on the bend of the river between the right and left turns, there is a pile of underwater stones in the riverbed, shafts, and barrels. Passing an obstacle along a stream is not difficult. When looking in the middle of the canyon, we noticed a strong and rather long pressure against the rocky wall of the left bank, but in reality it turned out that it was not at all difficult to get away from it. At the exit from the canyon, the river bed is compressed by rocks to 4-5 m, followed by a left turn. Into our water with a treacherous barrel across the entire channel. In front of the exit gap there is a series of drains and shafts up to 1.0-1.5 m. Then the river leaves the rocky narrowing, and the tributary Maly Blyb flows in from the left, this is the end of the second canyon.

We walked through the canyon loaded, the Spaskonians organized insurance at the exit of the canyon with a sign on the rock in front of the tributary. Shooting also at the exit in the rocky narrowing, and in the middle of the canyon. Net time to pass the obstacle 10-15 min. Next, it takes about 30 minutes of rafting to the road bridge, which serves as a landmark for the Salty Rocks canyon. There are several simple shivers on the site.

Immediately after the bridge, the river divides into two channels, with a pebble sandbank in the middle. The right channel is shallow, in the left there is a powerful rift 150 m long. At the end of the rift you need to head to the right bank with a large clearing, this is the last parking place before the third canyon. We arrived at the parking lot at 14:30. The Yaroslavl residents came up after us, and in the clearing there were already Rostov residents with cars on which they were throwing the rafting crews up. The weather suddenly deteriorated and it began to rain. We decided to postpone carrying our things and going through the canyon until the next day (maybe the weather will improve for shooting?). We went to see it and returned around 16:00. We set up camp and cooked dinner in the rain. By evening the rain had subsided. It’s fun in the clearing, everyone exchanges impressions, stories about past hikes, and makes plans for the future.

May 3, Thursday

The morning pleased us with a blue sky and the sun peeking out from behind the mountains. We and the Yaroslavl residents agreed with the Rostovites to drop off our things at the Zatychka threshold; they were just about to go to the end of the canyon to pick up their carriages. Thus, the problem of run-out was solved. We started at 12:00. The length of the canyon is about 3.5 km. The parking lot is in front of the canyon on the right bank, but carrying things and exploring is more convenient along the road on the left bank.

The Salty Rocks Canyon is a continuous chain of rifts with many surface, underwater and semi-submerged stones, 0.5-1.0 m drains, an abundance of shafts, large and small barrels.

Towards the middle of the canyon, the slope of the river increases, and the obstacles become more difficult. Due to the collapse of the left bank rock in March, a kilometer after the beginning of the canyon, a new threshold was formed, called “Brick” by pioneers from Rostov and Cherkessk. The rapid's landmark is a smooth right turn of the river, an area with rocks overhanging the road and two huge red-brown boulders on the left bank. Before the rapids, the current slows down and you can safely moor on the left bank for viewing.

The threshold is the following. The first boulder on the left bank is a kind of dam, blocking 2/3 of the river bed. Between the boulder and the scree on the right bank there is a surface rectangular stone, similar to a brick, dividing the water flow in two. The left side of the stream between the boulder and the “brick”, width approx. 2 m, blocked by a tree trunk impassable. On the right is a drain 3 meters wide and about 2 meters high. Immediately behind the right drain there is a surface stone fang; Most of the flow goes around the “brick” on the right, piles on the tusk, merges to the left into a foam cauldron behind the “brick”, and part of the flow passes to the right of the tusk, pressing against the rubble located along the right bank, and passing through two half-filled stones.

They passed the threshold to the right of the “brick”, merging to the left of the fang, moving away from being pressed against it. The passage to the right of the fang seemed more dangerous to us because of the stones and pressure. They tried to get into the barrel behind the “brick” so that when biting into it, the flow would not turn the ship stern. If the crew is slow, the jet can hit the fang and capsize the ship. This is followed by pressing against the second large boulder and a foam barrel under the left bank. Beyond this, on a section of approx. 150 m before the left turn there is a powerful jet with shafts and barrels. Towards the end of the section, a large stone sticks out of the water on the left side of the channel, on which a log is caught, forming a barrier. You have to go to the right along the stream, but it is important not to overdo it, because... after 10-15 meters there is a big catch for fishing behind a boulder under the left bank. You need to turn off the stream in advance, because... Due to the high flow speed, it is not always possible to moor in the right place.

Cat-2-2 was the first to enter the threshold. In the first flush, they turned around too early and entered the barrel with a half-lag; only the captain’s powerful hooks saved the ship from the keel. To top it all off, cat-2-2 was unable to moor in the catch described above and was carried further down the canyon. Cat-2-3 passed the threshold well, with difficulty getting started at the end of the catch. Then kat-2-1 went into the threshold with the captain of kat-2-2 Vadim Lipgart in the place of the female sailor, because All those who passed the threshold said that passing requires great physical strength. Cat-2-1 passed the threshold perfectly and was the first to berth in the right place. The Spaskonians carried out belay from a boulder before the catch at the end of the section, and the catamaran was placed in the catch.

While we were passing the rapids, our acquaintances from Yaroslavl approached, who had been thinking about hanging out in the morning, but after looking at our passage, two double catamarans decided to go. One went through without any problems, and the second turned over in the entry drain. This is where we practiced carrying out rescue operations. While the guys were catching those who had turned over, and Natalya was feverishly wondering if she should cross the threshold or not, the Rostov group - the pioneers of this rapid, who were standing with us in the clearing in front of "Salty Rocks" - came up and asked us to secure them. The repeated cry of “Keel!”, the square eyes of the sailor, who broke away from the deuce and walked the rapids by self-rafting, and our second ship, which left after the victims, finally resolved her doubts: she did not go the rapids.

The insurers safely caught people, ships and some of the oars on a rather difficult section of the river to a clearing on the left bank; The site is characterized by ramparts up to 1 meter, semi-filled stones in the riverbed and several holding barrels (the length of the site is about 500 m). When cat-2-1 (already with a regular crew) reached the clearing (parking there is not very convenient, since the road comes almost close to the river), the Yaroslavl residents stopped there to have lunch and recover from the keel. We went further to the Zatychka rapids (about 500 m, the start of a weak stream immediately after the end of the wooded area on the left bank).

The Zatychka threshold is very beautiful, but, alas, impassable. At the entrance of the threshold there is a clean drain of about 1 meter, then 50 m of fast flow and the main drain through a ridge of stones with a powerful boiler. Logs caused by the flood are wedged in the threshold, which makes it impassable.

They lowered the ships and things brought by the Rostovites right outside the threshold. The descent is complicated by the fact that it is carried out along a steep scree. Start from the threshold at 15:00. On the first kilometer there are barrels that are quite powerful for loaded ships. It took 20-25 minutes to get to the village of Rozhkao. We stood behind the village on the high left bank in a small forest, above a sandy “paddling pool”. After lunch it started to rain and continued until the evening. The Yaroslavl people did not reach us. We stand alone. Sad. We're leaving tomorrow.

May 4, Friday

We got up at 7:00. It has been raining since early morning. Again, the incomparable feeling of pulling on wet neoprene and picking up wet clothes. At 9:45 we got on the water. To the village Kurdzhinovo 2 hours CHO.

At 10:30 we approached the fourth canyon. They walked it without watching, in tandem. The obstacle, about 600 m long, is a rift with shafts up to 1 meter, barrels and toadstools in a rocky corridor, and pressure against rock walls.

Further in the area of ​​the village. Asian areas begin with robberies and man-made obstacles. Rubble and reinforcement along the banks. We were chilling in front of the bridge in the village. Kurdzhinovo. The cold and rain retreated, the sun broke through the clouds.

Anti-stapel. We managed to dry the ships and equipment almost dry.

We left at 15:15 on the Kislovodsk-Labinsk bus.

This is a beautiful, unique river, it ranks second in terms of total amount of water and length. Bolshaya Laba belongs to the territory of Karachay-Cherkessia.

The river originates from glaciers located on the Main Ridge, Caucasus.
First, flowing through the territory of the region, the river moves from south to north, passing Arkasar, then Zagedan and after Mnatatsar - local ridges. From the slope of each of them, tributaries rush towards it: Phiya, bearing the name Zagedan, which is consonant with the ridge, and many others, feeding the river. On two sides, southwestern and western, Laba is limited by spurs of two ridges, Main and Zakan. They are dotted with deep gorges with dense forests and groves. In some of them there are valleys with high-water tributaries for the river: Sancharo - from it flows Lastrak, the valleys of Makera, Mamkhurts and next to them Damkhurts - from them the Greater Anzhara, etc.

Neighborhood

The river valley and its basin are densely covered with forests. Trees surrounded all the terraces of the tributaries of the Bolshaya Laba, rising higher along the ridges. Above them, closer to the peaks, you can find alpine meadows, rich in different shades of green, providing various herbs. In summer, cattle from the surrounding area are driven onto them.
The upper part of the river valley has been explored by people many years ago. Descendants were left with archaeological traces, especially on both banks of Phiya.
It is known that during the conquests, troops could go around the Caucasus ridge to Asia Minor through passes along paths and reach the sea. Then they moved to the east. The river became one of these secret routes; in the upper part of its course there were paths with convenient places for passes leading to Colchis.

Later, the Laba Valley was used for many years as a timber industry region in the Stavropol Territory. They cut down the forest and floated it down the river to the settlement of Kurdzhinovo, where there was a sawmill. Fortunately, in recent years, wood harvesting has decreased, helped by the actions of environmental organizations.

The Bolshaya Laba begins from the glaciers of Mount Pshish in Karachay-Cherkessia near the border with Abkhazia, flows through the Urupsky district, then enters the Labinsky district of the Krasnodar Territory and connects with the Laba River near the village of Krasny Gai, Mostovsky District, Krasnodar Territory.

The length of the Bolshaya Laba is about 133-140 km. The basin area is 1730 km2. The average slope of the river is from 34-21 m/km. Water flow in May at Zagedan is 63 m 3 /sec, at the Asian Bridge 95 m 3 /sec, in the lower reaches 205 m 3 /sec.

Settlements.
From the source to the mouth along the river bed the following settlements are located:
1) in the Urupinsky district of Karachay-Cherkessia: Phiya village, Krugly village, Zagedan village, Svinyachiy village, Damkhurts village, Tocheny village, Rozhkao village, Rassypnoy village, Grushovaya Polyana village, Asian village, Nizhny Beskes village, Mostovaya Polyana village, Psemen village , Kurdzhinovo village, Ershov village, Predgornoye village, Podskalnoye village, Pervomaisky village, Akhmet-Kaya village;
2) in the Labinsky district of the Krasnodar Territory: the village of Akhmetovskaya, the village of Chernorechenskaya, the village of Gofitskoye;
3) in the Mostovsky district of the Krasnodar Territory: the village of Krasny Gai.

Routes (access roads).
There are 2 route options leading to the Bolshaya Laba Valley: a pedestrian route from Arkhyz through the Phiya Pass and a road route to Kurdzhinovo and beyond.
From the village of Phiya to the village of Psemen there is a road along the river. Near the village of Kurdzhinovo, the river is crossed by the P256 highway. From the village of Kurdzhinovo to the village of Akhmetovskaya near Bolshaya Laba there are dirt roads and trails. Further from the village along the river and to the very mouth stretches the Kaladzhinskaya-Akhmetovskaya highway.
For rafting from the village of Phiya, it can be reached by a passing car from the village of Psemen; regular buses run from the city of Cherkessk through the villages of Zelenchukskaya - Pregradnaya. You can get to the city of Cherkessk by local train from the city of Nevinnomyssk.

Main tributaries.
Right tributaries of the river: Azimba, Burnaya, Phiya;
Left tributaries of the river: Magana, Sancharo, Macera, , Zakan, Beskes.

Relief and soils.
The banks of the river in the gorges are high, consisting of sheer cliffs or large stones and rocky screes along the riverbed. The river originates through areas of high-mountain rocks consisting of gneisses, granites and elanaceous-sand rocks. The valleys of the high mountains look like deep and narrow canyons, with the Bolshaya Laba flowing quickly and noisily on rapids and rifts. The river then crosses a belt of forested high mountain ranges consisting of Paleozoic sandstones, limestones and shales. The wild rocky gorges of the river widen in some places and form beautiful mountain valleys. The valleys are surrounded by huge rocks and mountain peaks, on which glaciers and snow are white even in summer.

The soil cover consists of zonal soil: sod-peaty, mountain-meadow, mountain-meadow-chernozem, mountain-forest and chernozem. The highest areas of land above sea level are occupied by mountain-meadow peaty soils on the slopes of the side ridge; slightly lower in the North-South depression there are mountain-forest and mountain-meadow turf soils.
Mountain black soils lie on the rocky ridge and its slopes. The soils of the region consist of heavy-medium and light loamy structure.

Vegetation.
The flora of the Caucasus Nature Reserve bordering the Bolshaya Laba River has 3,000 plant species. Forest vegetation consists of 900 species, some of which are also found in the mountain meadow belt. The total number of alpine plants is more than 800 species. Trees and shrubs comprise 165 species, including 142 species of deciduous, 16 species of evergreen and deciduous plants and 7 conifers.
There are also about 40 species of ferns, 30 species of orchids, evergreens and a large number of ornamental plants.

The valley itself and the Bolshaya Laba basin are saturated with forest. It occupies not only the river terraces of numerous tributaries of the river, but also rises high on the slopes of mountain ranges. The slopes of the river are covered with dense forests of hundred-year-old giant trees. Many of them are up to four girths thick and several tens of meters high. The forests are represented by different species of trees from soft-leaved trees: alder, aspen, birch to valuable hard-deciduous and coniferous species: beech, oak, hornbeam, pine, spruce, fir, as well as rare yews.
Above the forest border stretch subalpine meadows, represented by cereal and forb species. The local population uses the meadows for animal pasture.

Hydrological regime.
The Bolshaya Laba is the second longest and most abundant river in the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia. B. Laba is a mountain river with a very fast current, seething on rapids and rifts, flowing from the south to the north of the country.
The river is fed by mixed sources: rain, snow, and glaciers.
High water occurs in May-June. Floods are also observed in the middle of summer - this is due to the melting of high-mountain glaciers, snow and heavy autumn rains. The ice cover of the river is unstable. In the mountainous part of the river, there is practically no continuous ice cover. This will be prevented by the rapid flow of the river.

The following canyons with rapids are located on the river:
1) “Farewell, Motherland”: consists of how many steps;
2) “Sosnovy” Canyon, which includes the “God Carry It” rapids - this is a rocky narrow channel with a large slope and fast current;
3) Canyon “Small Blyp”;
4) “Salty Rocks” Canyon, which includes the “Brick” rapids: it is one large rift with a large number of barrels, as well as large stones protruding from the water;
5) threshold “Gag”: technically impassable. The river in the area of ​​the threshold is a pile of fragments of boulders and rocks, which form a high ridge across the entire channel.

Ichthyofauna.
The river is inhabited by fish: chub, trout, roach, crucian carp, asp.

Tourism and rest.
Good climatic conditions, wonderful mountain nature, a variety of vegetation, a variety of mushrooms and berries make the Bolshaya Laba Valley a great place for recreation, fishing and tourism. Rafting on rafts, inflatable rafts, kayaks, catamarans, and kayaks is popular on the river. From here there are routes through the reserve to Krasnaya Polyana, to Lake Ritsa and further to the Black Sea coast, to the Narzan springs in Arkhyz. There is a student camp site in the Damkhurts Village. There are two reserves in this region: Damkhurts and the western part of the Cheremkhovo reserve. Partially, the Bolshaya Laba basin is covered by the Caucasus State Reserve (interfluve of the Zakan and Damkhurts rivers).
Favorable periods for coming to the Bolshaya Laba River: December-January; June-September.

Reference Information.

Length: 133-140 km
Swimming pool: Sea of ​​Azov.
River basin: Laba River, Kuban River.
Source: Przysz Mountains (3790 m).
Location: Urupsky district of Karachay-Cherkessia near the border with Abkhazia.
Coordinates: 43°23′57″ N, 41°4′32″ E
Mouth: Laba River (confluence with the Malaya Laba River).
Location: between the village of Krasny Gai, Mostovsky district, Krasnodar Territory, and the village of Kaladzhinskaya, Labinsky district, Krasnodar Territory.
Coordinates: 44°17′03.″N. w. 40°53′45″E d.