In all tourist guides a tour to the Baduk lakes is rated as one of the most interesting. And it’s true. Although there are more interesting places in Dombai, only the people with a special training and equipment could get there, while the path to the Baduk lakes is quite suitable even for the untrained tourists, making it possible to really enjoy the beauties of the Dombai mountains.
The path to the Baduk lakes is 9 kilometers long. It begins at the suspension bridge over Amnauz river; it is 13 km from Dombai and you get there by car. The path runs through the protected areas, so at the start of the path is the forester`s hut where everyone has to check in.
For the first 4 kilometers the path runs though a relic fur forest. The height difference is quite big, from 1403 to 1700 meter, but the path is very gentle and comfortable. Then the path is crossing Baduk river where it flows into Khadjibey river. On the opposite side of the river is a rest halt near two furs, which have grown on a huge boulder and interlaced their roots, hence the name of the «Beloved».
From that place there begins the stretch of the path, which could be the most unpleasant and difficult for the unprepared, as the path goes on a very rough ground. On the steep slopes the roots of century-old trees serve as steps though they aren’t as easy as regular steps.
In this section of the path the height difference is between 1700 and 1970 meters. Near the first lake the most beautiful stretch of the path at last begins, – the one it is worth going to Baduk lakes for – the valley between Baduk and Khadjibey mountain ranges.
The path is winding among the boulders, surviving from the Ice Age. All of them are covered with mosses; the dwarf trees grow among the boulders. Everywhere you can see flowers, giving a special beauty to these places. And, of course, the landscapes are very picturesque.
If you go to Baduk lakes on a hot summer day, you may want to have a dip in the first lake. But you shouldn’t do it as the lake water temperature is generally about 5°. Besides, the bottom of the first two lakes is stony, and they are too shallow for swimming. You can swim only in the third Baduk lake where the water is heated up to 10° in the hot summer days, and you can plunge in the water there.
