The Sand Castles are located in the gorge of the Irik-Chat river, at the beginning of the hiking route. They are visible from afar. This wonderful natural landmark has been formed over the past few thousand years, thanks to precipitation and wind. Small caps have been preserved on the tops of some stone mushrooms.
A walk along the gorge of the Irik-Chat River is a popular hiking route in the Elbrus National Park. The route begins in the village of Elbrus, near the place where the Irik-Chat River breaks out of a narrow canyon into the Baksan gorge. The hiking trail ascends the mountainside from Lesnaya Street and the initial stage is the most difficult. The climb on the initial 1.5-kilometer section is 300 meters, from the level of 1820m to 2130 meters. As soon as the ascent to the plateau is over, you will see Sand Castles.
There are three places in the Elbrus National Park where you can see stone mushrooms. The most accessible place to get to by car is called Valley of Castles (or Dragon`s Teeth). It is located in the Gily-Su site. The second place is called the Glade of Stone Mushrooms. It is located on the northern slope of Mount Elbrus at an altitude of 3,200 meters above sea level, a few kilometers from the Gily-Su site. There, the "legs" of stone mushrooms consist of tuff, and the "caps" are made of basalt. Their height is about 5 meters. The sand castles in the gorge of the Irik-chat River are more monumental structures. They consist of compressed yellow sandstone, which has become like a stone. The height of the main Sand Castle reaches more than 20 meters.
Small "castles" can be seen on the mountainside, closer to the bed of the Irik-Chat River. You need to not miss the place where the trail splits. The lower path goes along the bed of the Irik-chat river, but then it stops at a sandy scree and there will be no further path. You need to go along the upper path, which rises to the sand castles.
In the compressed sand, you can see huge boulders that weigh several tons. The path goes around the sand castles at their foot. Passing by, it seems that the sand walls are not very strong and can collapse, 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. From this place, you can see several snow-capped peaks of the Greater Caucasus Range.
