Area
A place
Crimea, South Coast, from Batiliman to Cape Aya.
Time
The best time is May holidays or October.
Transfer
By train to Sevastopol, then by minibus-taxi to Batiliman. To catch a profitable transport, turn around at the railway station and within 15 minutes everything will work out by itself. You can also get there by regular bus. From the bus station (it is located next to the railway station) there are regular buses to Yalta, Simeiz, Alupka. Drive to the village of Laspi. Further (about 5 km) either by hitchhiking or on foot. If you are located at the main parking lots near Kush-Kayoy, then go to the pump booth (it stands on the right side of the road, the Batiliman recreation center is located below), it is located a little before the fork in the road to the Cape Aya sanatorium and the Chaika sanatorium
Where to stand and how to live
The best parking place by the sea is not far from the so-called "Midiya", the landmark is the "Recreation Site" with cafes to the left of the road. Here you unload and go down from the site along a wide path in the direction of the building with antennas. From it to the left, along the coast, look for a free area and set up camp. Then it’s worth taking a walk in the opposite direction from the building with antennas and making yourself known at the Forest Cordon. Here you will be assigned a price for accommodation and, after a moderate payment, they will stop bothering you with daily visits of foresters. clean water they are recruited at the cordon, garbage is collected in containers next to the "Forest Cordon". You can also live right under the mountain. On both sides of the trail running along Kush-Kai, there are many parking lots above the road. Water can be taken on the territory of the boarding house "m. Aya". One source is located 50 meters from the entrance to the sanatorium (it sometimes dries up by May), the second is located on the beach of the sanatorium - a pipe with fresh water comes out in the area of the first breakwater.
Useful information
Mobile communication on the entire coast works perfectly.
The telephones of the "Forest Cordon" and the Sevastopol KSO may come in handy. It would not be superfluous to know the phone number of the boarding house on "Aya", but there people are non-contact and people with ropes are not welcome.
climbing objects
If we conditionally divide the massif Cape Aya - Kush-Kaya into sectors, then sector 1 includes routes to the top of the Aya massif, which is bounded by the sea from the west, and the Samodeda route 6 k.t. All routes in this part are difficult and long. The next sector - sector 2, stretched from Samoded to the western part of Kush-Kai. Sector 3 starts from the western slope of Kush-Kaya to the South Ridge, which divides Kush-Kaya in two. Sector 4 from the South Ridge to the eastern slopes of Kush-Kai.
Sector 1 (m. Aya)
Sector 2 (m. Aya)
Sector 3
Sector 4
Approaches
Most of the routes in this sector start from the so-called "gray cup", which is formed by the rocks to the east of the South Ridge. A large yellow spot stands out in the lower right part of the cup - the “yellow wall”. Approaches originate from the "Recreation area", then along the road towards Laspi to the post with a road sign on the left? along the way. Here is the exit to the trail, go taking away to the left under the rocky gorge with a platform. From the site to the right upwards through simple rocks 20-30 m to an obvious, trodden path with a path up to a convenient platform under monolithic simple gray rocks. Here it is recommended to contact - the first pitch to the field at the base of the gray cup. From here, choose directions for routes in accordance with the descriptions.
Descent from Kush-Kai
The best landmark is the ruins of the Church of St. Elijah at the top. From the top along the path, going around the ruins on the left, down, keeping to the main path, get to the Sevastopol-Yalta highway in the area of the pass. Here you will find several cafes and a restaurant where you can have a bite to eat. For further descent, you need to return 500 m to the exit from the trail to the highway and start descending along the old highway. The entrance to the highway is blocked by a barrier with a "brick". If you do not enter the pass, you can turn off the path to the right earlier, but it is better to do this with a knowledgeable guide. An even shorter path is the "Monkey Trail", to the right of the Asymptote. The beginning of the trail is "caught" on the treeless part of the yayla about 20 meters from the edge of the cliff. The trail goes at first goes through the open space, in the area of the exit from the "Asymptote" it dives into the forest. Keep all the time the most trodden and great path. It goes all the time in a small distance from the ever-lowering wall of Kush-kai. In two places of 5-7 meters "monkey" - a simple climbing down the rocks. In the lower part, the trail crosses the old road twice, moving down to the current Laspi-Aya highway. After the rain - ATTENTION - steep slippery clay slopes!
Climbing objects
Sector "Africa"
Sector "Petrel"
Sources:
- Solomentsev Valentin
- Yurkin Alex
This summer I had a chance to visit the Crimea. I traveled on it quite "tightly" and, among other things, visited the top of Mount Sokol or Kush-Kaya. "Kush-Kaya" in Turkic means "Bird Rock", and there are several such mountains in Crimea... but there is only one Falcon. So let's call it that!
For majestic and powerful appearance the Genoese called this mountain Senator. People saw the bird and nicknamed "Mount Falcon". No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't see the bird. The height of the mountain is 475 m, length 1200 m, width from 800 to 1000 m. It is an ancient petrified coral reef, by the way the largest in Europe. It was formed 138-165 million years ago, when this area was the bottom of the ancient Tethys ocean. Now there are no corals or sponges - only junipers and Crimean pines ... 
There are two ways to climb the mountain. On a sheer cliff - this is the path for climbers who have routes of all difficulty levels on the Falcon. The second path along the path is a road for tourists who are tired of warming their belly on the beach and want to experience the unknown sensations associated with physical activity. 
Although at first the ascent was just a pleasant walk through a pretty forest. Our charming guide talked about plants, nature and a bit of history. We walked along the so-called Golitsyn water pipeline, pipes were laid along this path, through which mountain spring water flowed to the village. On the way, the remains of pipes stuck out of the ground here and there. And there was also a bench: 
Also from the interesting (besides the many plants) we met such a bridge. And a spring in which there was clean and tasty water. On the site of the spring there was once a monastery of St. Anastasia .. Ironically, we climbed the mountain just on the day of her memory. Water from the source is considered holy, we met people carrying hefty bottles with it ... 
Behind the fontanel, in fact, the hill began to slowly take it up, and the shadows are getting smaller and smaller ... 
But already was beautiful view to the village "New World": 
There are a lot of beautiful plants on the mountain, mostly pines ... two species predominate - Crimean pine and Sudak pine. 
All of them are very bizarrely "curved". The higher, the more diverse the pines. This is due to the strong wind in the mountains ... 
From the point of view of geology, the mountain has a four-tiered structure. Below is a stratum of clay shales, then a large layer of conglomerate, on it lie powerful layers of sandstone, above which the mountain mass itself is located. The mountain itself is composed of Upper Jurassic recrystallized limestones with numerous fossils of colonial corals, algae and sponges. I kept trying to find the fossil, but didn't work out =(
(But from another Crimean "hill" - Cape Alchak, I did take out a prehistoric souvenir =) 
The further we climbed, the harder it was to go and the more beautiful it was to survey the surroundings. They asked the conductor if there were any cases where someone would not come .. the conductor said that once an elderly woman. This was reassuring. 
Then I had to climb the rocks. By the way, it turned out to be very easy - the rocks are comfortable, absolutely not slippery. And climbing them is not at all scary, however, moderately tiring. 
In total, the mountain had several platforms that had to be climbed .. climbed with effort, but still not very hard. Before the last dash to the top, something amazing happened for our guide - three people left the race at once ... moreover, it was a stone's throw to the top ... 
Then came the final push... 
And here it is - the peak ... a stunning view opens from it - somewhere below, on the right, the village of Novy Svet, on the left, in a light haze, the city of Sudak. The houses seemed toy and unreal, and kites soared in the sky (or maybe falcons, I recognized them by the cry "kurly"). It looks amazing - a bird of prey soaring in space at a great height ... you can’t even see them from below.
And on top of the mountain it was somehow special to breathe .. it was quiet, calm there. All problems, all affairs, everything is somewhere below... You experience something similar on the roof, only there you feel innocence to the hustle and bustle below, but here - its complete absence. 
It was such a walk. We descended back silently, and especially not looking around =) Still, this tedious thing is a rise of 475 meters above sea level =))
In addition to lovers of beaches and cultural attractions, climbers have long chosen the Crimean peninsula. There are no Everests and Mont Blancs here, but the local peaks are very diverse, therefore they allow you to train in almost any conditions. Mount Kush-Kaya in the Crimea belongs to the list of those. Fans of mountain walks who do not have special sports training will be able to conquer it along fairly convenient paths.
Where is Kush-Kaya located in Crimea?
It would seem that it is easier to indicate the location of the rock. But the task will not seem elementary to a person who knows Crimea well. Mount Kush-Kaya is located there in three places at the same time. Today we will talk about everything, but we will dwell in detail on visiting the one near.
Object on the map of Crimea
Features of the origin of the name
The clue that finding the peak can be difficult is quite prosaic. The fact is that namesake peaks in Crimea are quite common. "Kush-Kaya" in translation means "Bird Mountain". This name is given to three different hills, quite distant from each other.
The most picturesque of them is the one located in, not far from Sudak. She is often photographed, she is considered a symbol of the village. Its Russian name is . The dimensions are more than usual - 446 m above sea level.
The highest is Kush-Kaya on. Her "height" is 1339 m. In appearance, she looks like an ear listening to the sound of the waves. You can get here through the path, accessible to tourists without climbing training.
The most famous mountain is Kush-Kaya near, about her visit today and will be discussed. Its height is average - 664 m, but a sheer wall is turned to the sea, where training and mountaineering competitions take place.
Crimean conspiracy theory
In 2013, this hill was shrouded in a veil of sinister secrecy - there were reports of the disappearance of a certain tourist on its slopes. Her body was not found. All those familiar with the news were sophisticated, inventing different versions of what had happened. Aliens and some criminal Internet communities appeared here, which gave the girl an overwhelming task as an initiation - to climb.
The phone of the missing person was also present in the case, where something was filmed. There were stories of her strange behavior and imbalance.
However, more experienced mountain tourists reasonably stated that there is no need to look for aliens where there are slippery stones, a large slope of the ascent and unsuitable beach shoes. Accidents with such unfortunate climbers occur, unfortunately, in any mountains. But if there is no body, there is no case. Over time, the “mystery of Kush-Kai” has lost its relevance, but everyone who has come up with a version of its solution for themselves has remained unconvinced.
Excursions and routes to Mount Kush-Kaya
For lovers mountain tourism Kush-Kaya near Laspi provides many opportunities. Since there are trails of different difficulty levels (according to professional classification - from 1B to 5B), all potential conquerors choose routes according to their capabilities and plans. In total, 18 different tracks lead here, some of them you should not even meddle without good climbing equipment and climber training.
The rock of the lower mountain belt is a favorite place for training and competition of experienced climbers. But they are a special brotherhood, solving organizational and security issues "among themselves." Unprepared tourists usually get to the top along the so-called Great Sevastopol Trail. It is a very long excursion segment, where Kush-Kaya is just one of its elements.
The trail starts at, but you can get to it in such a way as to get to Kush-Kaya from the Laspi pass. The path here is well marked, with numerous signposts - it's hard to get lost. But even this “simple” route requires comfortable sportswear, good shoes (so as not to slip) and decent physical shape (the ascent is steep and difficult, 
although it is quite accessible to non-professionals).
The trail passes by a paddock for wild animals - a kind of hunting farm. Locals joke that the answer to the question of who is protected from whom by a high mesh fence is ambiguous. On the way up you will see some ruins where a wooden cross is installed. The official version says that the ruins are the remains of the Cathedral of St. Elijah, which stood here in the late Middle Ages. That is why the cross was placed. But there are skeptics who say that the state of the stones and the composition of the technology solution that holds them together correspond little to this period, and the ruins are the remains of a naval outpost.
At the top of Kush-Kaya, holidaymakers tend to climb for the sake of the views that open from there. From a height you can admire the nature reserve in Laspi Bay. These landscapes are rightly ranked among the most beautiful in the Crimea. Often people come here for a few days with tents. At the foot there is a campsite for vacationers, where it is easier with both firewood and drinking water. But some "savages" contrive to accommodate outside this housing complex.
How to get (get there)?
As already mentioned, Kush-Kaya Mountain can be reached in many ways, but often tourists choose the route along the Great Sevastopol Road. If yours starts in the Laspinsky Pass area, then this is how the further path looks like:
Note to the tourist
- Address: Orlinovsky municipal district, Sevastopol, Crimea, Russia.
- GPS coordinates: 44.425131, 33.679880.
If it occurs to someone to check the fidelity of his friend according to the Vysotsky method, it is not necessary to go to the Caucasus - you can go to the Crimea. Mount Kush-Kaya is perfect for such a test, and friendly Crimean cities and towns will then help to adequately celebrate the common victory! In conclusion, we offer a video report about the trip to the hill.
Crimea attracts tourists from all over the world. Unique views open from the tops of the mountains. Of course, you can soak up the warm rays of the Crimean sun on the beach for some time, plunge into the cool waters of the Black Sea, but adventures still beckon their heroes. Mount Falcon is waiting for its conquerors, ready to climb its steep slopes. Travelers will be rewarded with a unique landscape - the endless sea and the Crimean picturesque expanses.
Before you go on vacation, you should study the features of mountain routes. Basic information about Mount Sokol will be interesting to know for every adventurer.
general characteristics
Mount Falcon in the New World is known to many tourists who have visited the peninsula. It can be seen from afar. This is an ancient one that is now dominated by land. In the wreckage, you can see the imprints of sea shells and corals.
At the foot of the majestic mountain is the only road to the New World. Stones from a huge coral reef fall extremely rarely. However, drivers are in awe of the overhanging mass, and they try to slip through this section of the road faster.
At the foot of the cliff there are small bays and several large boulders. They are also called Falcons. They seem to take refuge under the power of their protector.
Mount Sokol, whose height above sea level is 474 m, is the largest coral reef of the Crimean peninsula and the oldest in Europe.
mountain slopes
Mount Sokol (New World) stretched 1 thousand meters wide and 1.2 thousand meters long. This natural object got its name due to its northeastern appearance. Previously, it sounded like Kush-Kaya. From this side, the mountain resembles a bird that spreads its wings. The ancient Romans called her Senator for her imposing appearance.
The slopes on the south side are steep. If it rains, the water rushes down the rock in powerful streams.
At this time, four temporary waterfalls can be observed. They exceed even Wuchang-Su in height. But after the cessation of bad weather, the waterfalls immediately disappear.
To climb to the top, you should start the path from the northeast side. Here the slopes are more gentle.
Climbing to the top
Mount Sokol is waiting for its travelers. Crimea is rich in such objects. But the Falcon must be conquered if you are relaxing in these parts. There are many routes for professional climbers and ordinary tourists.
About two dozen routes have been laid from the south and southwest to the summit. They are characterized by five levels of difficulty. For unprepared people, there is a road through the forest, coming from the New World. From the side of the highway, the path will be more difficult.
The most difficult areas for climbing, accessible only to experienced climbers, are located in the center of the southern slope. They are also called "mirrors". There are no large elements of mountain relief.
The length of the routes is from 150 to 400 m. But you need to prepare for the ascent responsibly.
If the tourist does not have sufficient experience in climbing peaks, you should not choose difficult routes. Even on the safest trails, there is a chance of injury or even getting lost. Therefore, travel should be taken very seriously.
Before the hike, you need to study the chosen route. Shoes and clothing should be comfortable. Otherwise, the ascent will seem even harder. Mount Sokol (New World) is known for its impregnable temper. Therefore, in no case should you leave the trail, try to climb steep slopes without equipment. Such wrong actions can end tragically.
Also, before climbing, you should take water and food with you. Although the routes are not very long, it will not be superfluous to make sure.
New trail
Mount Falcon has many trails. One of the most popular for the average tourist is the New Trail. It starts from the highway leading to Sudak, at the place of its sharp turn. Along the way, pay attention to the signs.
There are many beautiful trees and plants along the serpentine road. On the paths you can meet lizards and birds. Along the way, there are even relic trees that grow only in these lands. Birds such as the hawk, falcon, kite and eagle live here.
After an hour (or even more) of moving up, travelers get to the source. Here you can rest and drink cool spring water. This is the middle of the road. Further paths will be deserted. You need to follow the trail so as not to get lost. You can get lost on this part of the path.
Vertex
Mount Sokol offers a unique view from its top. It is not covered with forest, so it will not be difficult to explore the surroundings from here. From the top of the mountain you can see a vast part of the southern Crimean coast.
In the west you can see the New World, its bay. On the opposite side is Sudak. Here you can see and Far below the foot of the mountain is washed by the waters of the warm Black Sea. This picture is simply mesmerizing.
If the weather is good, you can try to see the distant peaks of Kara-Dag. From the southwest there is the highest plateau of these lands - Babugan-Yailu. Here rises majestically highest mountain Kryma Roman-Kosh.
The adventure that Mount Sokol gives its guests will leave a lot of positive impressions about itself. Gorgeous Crimean nature, winding serpentine paths will impress any tourist. The view from the mountain deserves the effort and time spent on climbing.
The track of the route along the Crimea tourist camp Laspi - Mount Kush Kaya.
The road starts from the Laspi tour of the risers near the forestry, and at first it goes along the asphalt. A red-colored dog lives near the foresters, always barking at passers-by - it didn’t seem to bite, but you never know, be vigilant.
The asphalt road, which has long lost its purpose and is not used, will lead us to the Laspinsky pass. Here you need to cross the road, and further to the barrier, next to the Roman road to Batiliman. We dive under the barrier or go around it, and go along the road traverse along the slope, gradually gaining height. Soon the road will end, a steep path goes up, which will lead us to Kush Kaya. There is no water on Kush Kai, if you go to these places in Crimea, keep this in mind if you plan to spend the night here. Then we need to climb the blue marks for another three hundred meters and we go to a survey near the top of Kush Kaya.
I will add that a couple of years ago, the entire peak of Kush Kaya and Kokiya with the adjacent territories was surrounded by a hefty fence, up to the military unit and the Kazan Dere beam, through which it was convenient to go to Ayazma. As a result, the Demir Kapu spring also fell behind the fence, and it seems impossible to spend the night on it now. Fence - foresters say there will be a recreational area for deer, but in fact another hunting farm, deer will fucking breed here, these are not roe deer, here there are places to show off at all. There are gates in the fence for entry and exit, but whether they will be constantly open is a question and not a fact, in general it’s sad, young ladies ...
In the picture you can see this piece, and below you can download the track of the route in the Crimea.
The track of the route of the hike across the Crimea Laspi - Kush Kaya.
Track route across the Crimea from Kush Kai to the Lost World.
From the observation platform on Mount Kush Kaya, the path leads east to Mount Kokiya Kaya, from the cliffs of which you can admire the Lost World spread below. Of course, I do not post a semi-rock climbing route to the Lost World, without equipment, in my opinion, there is nothing to do there, a couple of times there in any case you will have to rappel, and if someone still wants to find such a descent track from the north side past the lonely standing Gendarme, the Internet is full of forums and descriptions of such difficult and risky journeys.
Now we are just talking about the track to the cliffs in the Lost World, from where you can admire the drop dead beauty of the bay. There will be several climbs along the way, but in general the path is not difficult, it takes about an hour if you go slowly. There is no water on Kokiya Kaya, and it is problematic to stay here with an overnight stay, except to run for water to the neighboring spring of Demir Kapu Chokrak, keep in mind if you are going to hike here in the mountains in the Crimea. Below is a picture of the track.
And the parking lot but Kokiya is worth it to suffer some inconvenience and stand here. In the evening, when the sun sets, in the sunset rays you can admire the stunning panoramas of the coast from Balaklava to Sevastopol - in general, I recommend it.
The track of the hike in the Crimea Kush Kaya - the Lost World.
Track of the route across the Crimea from Kokiya Kaya to the Demir Kapu Chokrak spring.
From the ruins of the military unit on Mount Kokiya Kaya, the path takes us to a dirt road. The road goes down into a ravine, on the right side we pass a hunting tower, a little further to the left the road goes to hayfields, there is a sign and a barrier on it - travel is prohibited. Our road leading to the spring turns to the right, then a little to the left, and turns into an old unused road that goes right to the spring. Near the spring there are several convenient parking lots, but it is not always advisable to stand here - it is easier to stock up on water and rush to Ayazma to the warm sea. If you are going to Crimea in the summer to these places, you should take into account that the spring dries up in the summer from July, there is no water in it until the end of October.
And I will mention that in 2013 the entire territory was fenced with a huge fence, the territory of a couple of three square kilometers was locked up for another hunting farm. There are gates in the fence, while it seems that you can get inside, but I don’t know what will happen when the animals are brought here and whether they will let them in, most likely you will have to look for alternative ways around, which actually don’t exist, given the specifics of the area, except maybe past the military unit to Ayazma.