Irikchat River Gorge

The gorge of the Irik-Chat River is located in the Elbrus National Park, near the village of Elbrus. The gorge route is popular with tourists who come here in the summer for hiking on mountain trails. Tourists usually climb to the confluence of the Irik and Irik-Chat rivers, and climbers further along the gorge begin climbing Elbrus along the eastern slope.

The route starts near Lesnaya Street, where the Irik-Chat River breaks out of a narrow canyon into the Baksan Gorge. The river has pierced a narrow canyon in the mountainside, several tens of meters high, and tourists need to climb the steep mountainside. The initial stage is the most difficult. The climb at a distance of 900 meters is about 200 meters, from a level of 1780 meters to 1970 meters.

As soon as the ascent over the river canyon ends, you will see an interesting natural attraction ahead: the Sand Castles of Irik Chat, but they are still about a kilometer away. From the Baksan Gorge side, you will enjoy beautiful views of the mountains of the Greater Caucasus Range: Ushba (4700 m), Jantugan (4012 m) and Ullu-Kara (4302 m). The mountains of Dzhuntugan and Ullu-Kara can be reached through the Gorge of the river Adyl-Su. This is another interesting route in the Elbrus Natioanl park.

At the beginning of the gorge there are Springs of Narzan and Irik-Chat. On the trail you will see a sign "To the narzanes". A few meters below there is a wooden deck extending tens of meters down the slope. Lush bushes and trees grow there, which are not seen elsewhere in the gorge. There are many deciduous trees, various flowers and thorns. The narzan spring has natural carbonation and a pleasant taste, however, the water is not stored for a long time. After a few minutes in the bottle, it will lose its properties, so it is better to drink it on the spot, admiring the beauty of the surrounding landscapes.

After the narzan spring, you need to go towards the Sand Castles, which are 650 meters away. The climb will be another 200 meters from the level of 1950 meters to 2150 meters. You need to not miss the place where the trail splits. The lower path runs along the bed of the Irik-Chat River and ends on a sandy scree. There is no further way. After the dividing of the trail, you need to start a fairly sharp climb up. However, if you follow the lower trail, you will see beautiful sandy scree descending dozens of meters to the Irik Chat River, and then return back.

The Sand Castles in the gorge of the Irik-Chat River consist of compressed yellow sandstone, which has become like a stone. The height of the main Sand Castle reaches more than 20 meters. Huge boulders weighing several tons are stuck in the compressed sand. The path goes around the sand castles at their foot. Passing by, it seems that the sand walls are not very strong, as sand is an unreliable building material. However, these Sand Castles have been standing in the gorge of the Irik Chat River for several thousand years.

After the Sand Castles, a fairly gentle ascent through the gorge begins. After the open space, a dense pine forest begins. You need to walk about a kilometer along it, after which the trail will open onto an alpine meadow. There is a dwelling where shepherds live in summer and many places to set up tents. At this altitude, the vegetation in the Irik Chat gorge almost disappears. The stone rubble left by the retreating glacier begins.

The distance from the village of Elbrus to the confluence of the Irik and Irik-chat rivers is 5.5 kilometers. The climb at this distance reaches 500 meters (from 1780 to 2360 m above sea level). If you are going to the gorge with a day hike, then you can turn back here. Near the confluence of the rivers is the Irik Waterfall, and if you walk another 1 kilometer along the river, you will see the Rumyantsev Waterfall.

The gorge divides at this point, and only climbers who plan to climb Mount Elbrus on the eastern slope usually go further. Also from here you can go through the Irik-Chat pass (3667 m) to the Jila-Su site and further to the Glade of Emmanuel. The routes of climbing Elbrus on the northern slope begin there.