Aihsha pass in Caucasus reserve

The height of the Aihsha pass reaches 2401 meters. The tourist trail of route no. 8 leads through it from the Central part of the Caucasian reserve to the village of Krasnaya Polyana. The trail follows the valley of the Malaya Laba river between Needle peak and Rocky Western peak.

The trail starts at the tourist camp area on the Pure river and then goes sharply up. The height difference from the Pure river up to the pass of Aihsha is +650 meters. Then begins a sharp descent to the Mzymta river, which flows from the pass to the South, towards Krasnaya Polyana. Distance from the tourist Camp area on the Pure river to the Pslukh Ranger station (entrance to the reserve from Krasnaya Polyana) it is 16 kilometers long. Objectively, this is the most difficult part of route no. 8 in the Caucasus nature reserve.

At an altitude of over 1,800 meters, the trail passes through large fields of rhododendrons. These places can be called the most beautiful pass of Aihsha (Aihsho). Below this height in the valley there are many dwarf birches, and above - only grass and flowers. The pass itself is located in a small saddle at the foot of the eponymous mountain Aihsha (2857m). This mountain is part of the Greater Caucasus range, which separates Europe and Asia.