In June 2011 we went to the main mountain and main ridge Sverdlovsk region- Konzhakovsky stone. Konzhak is a favorite place for climbing for many tourists both from Yekaterinburg and from all over Russia. Especially appreciated, of course, by residents of the Sverdlovsk region and neighboring districts. After all, not all regions of our vast Motherland are lucky with such a relief! I agree, Konzhak is not the Himalayas at all, but this fact does not lower this mountain at all!
Mount Konzhakovsky stone attracted me for a very long time, just like that on the border of Bashkiria and Chelyabinsk region. I tried once already to climb Konzhak, but I failed to reach the top. It happened in 2010, in the month of November. Then the Konzhakovsky stone met us with knee-deep snowdrifts. We got somewhere up to 17-18 km of the marathon route and did not go further. At this altitude, there is not much snow and it is rather ice, ice crust on the kurumnik. There was a terrible blizzard, visibility - 50 meters from the force, it is almost impossible to look against the wind with unprotected eyes, ice crystals hurt the eyes. The time was already in the evening, and we did not dare to go further, we were afraid that it might get dark and we would not be able to get back in such a blizzard. Despite the fact that milestones are stuck along the marathon route, but often they are not even visible, you have to look and go as if at random.
But this time it was June, and no snow blizzards are expected here. So the ascent should not be broken. Tolyan and I arrived in the hero city of Karpinsk by bus. Since buses in the direction of the village of Kytlym rarely go, then, of course, we did not have time to go to it and we had to take a taxi directly from the bus station. Having learned that it was necessary to go in the direction of Kytlym, the driver changed to another car, to a Zhiguli. Since the road will be unpaved for about 50 km and spoil more nice car he didn't want to go over those bumps. But it doesn't matter, Zhiguli, so Zhiguli.
We sat down, drove with him to the turn to Konzhak, not reaching about 5 km to the village of Kytlym. Quite a cheerful and interesting driver, we had a great talk with him about these places, nature, hunting, fishing. He told us that sometimes you go to Kytlym, and beavers cross the road - you stop and let them through. The first few kilometers of the marathon were just terribly attacked. It was already evening, we reached the parking lot on the banks of the mountain river Konzhakovka and decided to spend the night here.
The river Konzhakovka runs straight from the snowfields of the Konzhakovsky stone. Crystal clear and delicious water. Ideal for cooking, brewing coniferous tea, washing and other sanitary and hygienic needs.
Cheerful stump - the keeper of the parking lot near the river
It was simply impossible to sleep at night. Got the mosquitoes. Our tent was already old and the zipper did not close, so we had to sleep with the tent open, which was very helpful for mosquitoes. Having had a bad night's sleep, we got up in the morning, prepared a meal and set off on our way.
We got to the famous "Glade of Artists", met guys from the Chelyabinsk region there, talked a little, and had a rest. And then decided to go further to the top. Of course, it is unreasonable to go to the top with heavy backpacks, so we hid them behind a large cedar. We took with us the necessary, a two-liter flask of water and went on. The weather was cloudy.
The forest gradually changed and a "park crooked forest" of crooked birches, and small fir trees, and elfin cedar was already appearing.
But the old Konzhakovsky stone showed us his snowfields. Those that give water to numerous streams, which in turn flow into rivers. The beginning of the mountain tundra.
Then we came to an almost straight section with alpine meadows.
Then boulders, kurums already went.
The case was nearing its peak.
And finally, the long-awaited peak! We did it!
As we began to descend, the clouds dissipated a little. Here they could not before, when we were at the top, to enjoy the 360-degree view! Here we also got two two-pound weights under our arm. Just think, there is nothing strange - to meet two weights on the top of a mountain at 1569 meters. It's like this all the time.)
Under their feet they saw a dwarf birch.
The crooked forest began to appear again.
We went down to the Glade of Artists, took our things, set up a tent and started preparing dinner (or lunch). The weather played out in earnest: if we had gone to the top a little later, we would have been able to observe the panorama of the entire Konzhakovsky massif, but alas, no luck.
Here it is - the Konzhakovsky stone. Thank you for your attention!
Hike to the Konzhakovsky stone is one of the most popular tourist routes, accessible, due to its remoteness, mainly for backpackers. The length of the walking part of the trail is about 21 kilometers one way. The trail to Konzhak passes through the Iovskoe plateau.
Iovskoye Plateau is a mountain plateau located at an altitude of 1100 to 1200 meters above sea level, at the foot of the Konzhakovsky stone mountain. The plateau is interesting not only for the view of the surroundings from it, but also for the abundant "forbs". During the period of active flowering of grasses, the plateau becomes like a green carpet shimmering with different colors...
Walking on the plateau, in fact, as well as on the entire mountain range, you need to be careful: grass and moss grow on stones - kurumnik, enveloping the stone and the space between the stones - it is quite possible to stumble and get hurt. During the period of snowmelt and after rains, water flows in abundant streams between the stones, heading from the lowest point of the Iovskiy plateau, the Iovskiy failure, replenishing the river Iov originating here ...
On the plateau, especially from the height of the foothills of the Konzhakovsky stone, a small patch is visible - a lake. The lake is not easy. Once upon a time, 200 years ago, on the site of the lake there was a quarry in which platinum was mined.
Dunite deposits found at the foot of the mountain, on the territory of the Iovskoye plateau, laid the foundation for the development of a quarry, and as a result, the laying of a road for transporting the mined material. By the way, dunites are a rock consisting of olivine with an admixture of chromite, used in industry as a refractory material. It is assumed that the quarry will be no more than 500 meters in diameter, up to 30 meters deep.
The photographs clearly show the outlines of the future quarry (click on the photo to enlarge)....
Actually, the presence of the road, which is not yet closed to ordinary tourists, made it possible to carry out a car trip almost to the foot of the Konzhakovsky stone.
Mount Konzhakovsky stone, located in the southern part of the Northern Urals, on the territory of the Sverdlovsk region, is one of the highest peaks Ural ridge. The height of the mountain is 1569 meters. The foothills of the Konzhakovsky stone are covered with dense coniferous forest, gradually disappearing as you rise to the top of the mountain. Starting from about a height of 900 - 1000 meters, the slopes of the mountain are already covered with mountain tundra and stone placers - kurumnik.
The name of the mountain is associated with the name of a hunter - Vogul Konzhakov, whose yurt stood at the base of the mountain many years ago.
Climbing a mountain does not require special sports training, but a certain physical endurance will not hurt you. The trail goes both along a flat path and along a kurumnik. In some places, you have to move around, jumping from stone to stone, and even climb up the stone massif. In June, there is still snow on Konzhak, so part of the trail also goes through slippery falling snow. It is better, and safer, to follow the marked path.
The Konzhakovsky stone offers an excellent view of the surroundings. In clear weather, the entire ridge and gorges are visible at a glance.
Not less than beautiful views open and on the way to the Konzhakovsky stone.
The weather conditions are also impressive: within an hour you can get into a dense cloudy front and see a rainbow spread widely over the mountains of the Northern Urals.
The road to the Konzhakovsky stone
The road to the Konzhakovsky stone is more suitable for SUVs; Nissan X-Trail and Toyota RAV were spotted at the foot of the mountain. On the way, the VAZ "six" was also met ...
During intense rain, as well as during intense snowmelt, the road in places turns into a mountain river.
In some places on the sides of the road, especially on the dark side of the mountain, there is snow.
How to get to the Konzhakovsky stone by car, GPS coordinates
Coordinates of the Konzhakovsky stone: N 59º37,915´; E 59º08.052'.
Konzhakovsky Stone - the most high mountain Sverdlovsk region. Height - 1569 meters. Refers to the Northern Urals. Every year there are thousands of tourists from all over the Urals (and not only). The landscapes here are truly magnificent! Tourists usually call the mountain briefly and simply - Konzhak.
Origin of the name Konzhakovsky Stone
Together with the Konzhakovka River (a tributary of the Lobva River), the mountain is mentioned in the sources of the 18th century. Head of the North Ural expedition of the Russian Geographical Society E.K. Hoffman, who visited the summit on July 3, 1853, wrote that the mountain was named after the Vogul Konzhakov, “who had his own yurt at its foot and hunted on it.”
Description of Mount Konzhakovsky Stone
Konzhakovsky Stone is a large mountain range, consisting of several peaks: Konzhakovsky Stone (1569 m), Trapezia (1253 m), Southern Job (Duparkov Stone) (1311 m), Northern Job (1263 m), Tylaisky Stone (1471 m), Sharp Kosva (1403 m) , Serebriansky Stone (1305 m) and others.
The slopes are covered with hillocks of various sizes. The main rocks are pyroxenites, dunites and gabbro. Altitudinal zoning is well traced here: forests give way to forest-tundra, and then to mountain tundra. There are many cedars growing in the forests on the slopes. By the way, in some places on the Konzhakovsky Stone there are magnetic anomalies that can knock down tourists guided by the compass.
The weather on Konzhakovsky Kamen, as in any mountains, is changeable. Good, sunny weather is not easy to catch here. It rains almost every day. It was not for nothing that a comic sign appeared: if Konzhak is visible, it will rain, if it is not visible, then it is already coming.
In winter, a lot of snow falls on the mountains. In some places it does not melt all summer.
In the 1720-40s, four mines with the common name Konzhakovsky worked on the slopes of the Konzhakovsky Stone. The mined copper ore was sent to the Lyalinsky copper smelter.
The ascent to the top of the Konzhakovsky Stone is long and rather difficult. Unprepared people then have a few more days of pain in their legs. It looks like it's already the top. But, having risen, more and more new ascents open up. The highest point of Konzhak with a height of 1569 meters is located on top of small rocks.
Here is a metal tripod with Russian flag, under it lie various pennants, a weight with a broken handle weighing 24 kg and other artifacts. Previously, there was also a sewer manhole, which caused surprise among tourists.
Participants of the project "Uraloved" on the top of Konzhak
Stunning panoramas open up from the top and slopes of Konjac. If you are lucky with the weather, you will remember them for a long time! Wherever you look, there are mountains all around. Especially beautiful are the rocky teeth of the Serebryansky Stone and the cone of the Kosvinsky Stone. By the way, in the bowels Kosvinsky Stone the military built a mysterious bunker. According to some information, there is a combat control center of the Strategic Missile Forces of the Perimeter system, from where Russia can launch a nuclear strike on the world. Its location here is associated with the special properties of the rocks that make up Kosvinsky Kamen.
Despite its uniqueness and symbolism (still the highest point of the region), Konzhakovsky Stone does not have the status of a natural monument.
On top of the Konzhakovsky Stone. View towards Kosvinsky Stone
The path to the top of Konzhak partially passes along the edge Iovskogo plateau. It is a large, partially swampy clearing at an altitude of 1100-1200 meters, surrounded by rocky slopes.
Geologists have done a good job here in the past. They left a lot of iron rubbish (pipes, trolleys, parts of drills, remains of mechanisms, etc.), pits and a small shallow lake (Lake Geologists, height 1125 m). It is better not to be here during a thunderstorm - the pieces of iron lying here attract lightning well.
Lake Geologists
Being on Konjac, it is worth walking to Iovskogo dip (Jovskoy abyss). The plateau here drops sharply to the east.
GPS-coordinates of the Iovskiy dip: N 59º 38.104´ E 059º 10.358´.
Iovsky failure is one of the few glacial cirques preserved in the Northern Urals. The depth of the failure is 300 meters, the average steepness of the slopes is 35 degrees. Multi-colored rocks come to the surface (some of them, due to the light shade, create the illusion that the sun is shining on them). In some places the walls of the failure are quite smooth, as if polished.
Below, in the canyon, the river Poludnevaya flows. Even in summer there is snow and ice in places. Streams flowing into the failure form small waterfalls. Despite the formidable name, it is quite possible to go down to the bottom of the failure. The slopes are not that steep. Much more dangerous in winter, when, gaping or not noticing a failure in bad weather, you can ski down. Then tragedy can happen. They say that such cases have already happened.
Soon this beauty will be destroyed forever, a quarry will appear here. In 2018, Dunites of the Middle Urals began mining dunites in an open pit. The reserves of the Iovskoye deposit are estimated at 20 million tons of dunites. This should be enough for 30 years.
Traces of the former presence of geologists on the Iovsky Plateau
The miners believe that the quarry on the Iovskoye plateau is only good for tourists. Well, they don't care about nature.
"Tourists can get medical care in case of injury. In addition to the development of the deposit, there will also be a road to the quarry. And the road is the prospects for development. Now Konjac is visited by a handful of people, a negligible number of tourists. When the road appears, even people with handicapped", - Nikolai Kuzmin, director of Dunitov, told Vecherniye Vedomosti.
Every year on the first Saturday of July, Konjac is very crowded. Since 1996, the mountain marathon "Konzhak" has been held here. It attracts participants from all over the Urals, Russia and even from other countries.
For many, Konjac is a source of inspiration. Songs are composed about it, pictures are painted here. It is not for nothing that the favorite place for tourists is called the Glade of Artists.
The surroundings of Konzhakovsky Stone are also interesting. Wherever you look - around the mountains, on which you can walk and walk.
Expedition of E.K. Hoffmann on Konzhakovsky Stone
In the summer of 1853, the expedition of the famous geologist E.K. Hoffman, who worked on the creation of a geological map of the Urals. An account of this was published in The Mining Journal, vol. 5, 1865
“Since none of the guides knew further than the road to the Konzhakovsky stone, and since the peaks of the mountains seen had a different shape than they appeared from Bogoslovsk, we decided to climb some hill to make an overview from its top and thus navigate...
The entire ridge and the small summit of the Konzhakovsky stone still lay to the west of us. A whole range of mountains is called Konzhakovsky stone, stretching from SO to NW. The highest hill lies in the middle, rising above the neighboring hills, which adjoin it with jagged ribs with SO and NW ...
The whole way lay through whole fields of talus, which wearyed us very much ... Since we had to reach the main hill very late, and since it lies above the border of trees that could serve us as fuel, we decided 5 or 6 versts from this peak pitch a tent, right next to northern border forests…
At 12 ½ hours we reached the main peak and erected a cross on it, which was cut down by one of the guides at the edge of the forest and brought here ... Apart from a few wild deer, which immediately hid at our approach, we did not see any living creature here, except perhaps annoying flies that followed us maybe from a halt.
Alexander Burak. Konzhakovsky Stone. 1956
How to get to Konzhakovsky Stone (Konzhak)?
To get to the highest point of the Sverdlovsk region - Konzhakovsky Stone, by car you need to drive from Yekaterinburg along the Serov highway, turn in front of Serov to Severouralsk, then turn to Karpinsk (see the map below). After passing through the city of Karpinsk, you get on the road to Kytlym. In the past, there was a bad primer here, an asphalt road has recently been built. About 50 km from Karpinsk there is a recreation center "Konzhakovsky stone", where you can leave the car and go further on foot along the "marathon". Distance from Yekaterinburg - 445 km.
You can also get here public transport: by bus from Yekaterinburg to Karpinsk, then to the bus Karpinsk - Kytlym (but it rarely runs, not every day).
Usually, people climb the Konzhakovsky Stone along the so-called "marathon" - along the route of the mountain marathon "Konzhak". It starts from highway Karpinsk - Kytlym, not reaching 5 km to the village of Kytlym.
GPS-coordinates of the start of the "marathon": N 59º 31.974´ E 059º 15.987´. It is marked throughout its length, there are also plates with a report of kilometers.
From the beginning of the "marathon" to the Meadow of Artists on the banks of the Konzhakovka River - 14 km (it is most convenient to set up camp there and climb further lightly), and to the top - 21 km. The distance to the top, slowly, takes about seven hours. Almost all the way uphill, and after the Glade of Artists, also along the kurumniks.
GPS-coordinates of the top of Konzhakovsky Kamen: N 59º 37.921´ E 059º 08.089´ (or 59.632017º, 59.134817º).
Since 2017, only a few have begun to walk to the Konzhakovsky and Serebryansky Stones. Now the majority prefers to drive cars to Konzhak along the technological road built by Kuzmin to destroy the Iovsky plateau in order to extract dunites. From here to the top there is nothing left. The flow of tourists has grown significantly, and at the same time, lovers of drinking in nature and garbage have appeared.
When traveling in the Urals, take care of nature! Happy travels!
One of the highest peaks Ural mountains and the highest point of the Sverdlovsk region - Konzhakovsky stone (1569 m). The conditional boundary of the Middle and Northern Urals passes along the Konzhak massif. At the same time, Konzhak is a unique peak of the Stone Belt in terms of accessibility. Firstly, due to the fact that you can get to the foot of the mountain range by car. Secondly, due to the fact that it is impossible to get lost on the way up the mountain. From the foot to the very top, a 21 km long route is marked with red flags and marks with a distance. There and back is a marathon distance. Every year in July, since 1996, the international mountain marathon "Konzhak" has been held there. It ranks first in the ranking of Russian marathons and is the largest in Russia, gathering more than a thousand participants from all over the world. So the path is trodden and Konjac is within everyone's power.
The road to Kytlym - a village at the foot of Konzhak. Ahead is the second highest mountain in the area, widely known in narrow circles Kosva.
One of the peaks on the way to Kytlym, there are many of them around the village. That's why he got this name - translated from the Mansi language Kytlym means "cauldron".
Clouds in places are trying to crawl between the peaks ...
Or just descend from Kosva
The village offers great views of the mountains. In places they are spoiled by the presence of a person. Especially if there are a lot of them, they are green and up to something.
Then Spetsstroy of Russia comes to their aid...
And the landscape takes on specific traits, corresponding to the idea of green men about the beautiful.
However, let's not talk about the terrible. Having reached Kytlym, we started preparing for the conquest of Konzhak in a special car. Since it did not start in the spring, it was necessary to put a battery on it, check the candles and oil level, fill in gasoline. After that, the GAZ-66 started up)
Preparing to start.
In couple of hours. Halfway to the top.
We leave the car with the driver about 7 kilometers from the top. Further on foot. View from the glade of artists - a favorite place to stop when climbing.
Somewhere in a kilometer. On this slope, covered with a dwarf forest, we climbed.
Even higher and we are above the clouds. Visible Kosva.
At the exit to the plateau meets us commemorative sign dedicated to the 300th anniversary of metallurgy in the Urals.
Looking back. Yovskoe plateau. A couple of kilometers along it and uphill again. In the center you can see a line of flags denoting the marathon track.
South Yov peak ahead.
And this is North Yov. The stones on the slopes are covered with patterns of green mosses.
And again a steep climb up the hill. View towards Krasnoturinsk and Karpinsk.
At this height, passing clouds leave a snow cover on the stones. Mainly on one side...
The vegetation is also covered with snow, very beautiful, as if freezing.
Marathon flags at this height take on a completely unusual look)
Sunset overlooking Severouralsk
Sunset overlooking South Yov
Kosvinsky Stone- a mountain range located next to the Konzhakovsky stone, in the Northern Urals. It is composed mainly of pyroxenites and dunites. In the lower part, the slopes are covered with coniferous forests, and above - with mountain tundra and stone placers. Height - 1519 meters.
Details about the top-secret Soviet system located in this mountain were first revealed in 1993 by Bruce G. Blair, a former American observer of ICBM launches and now one of the leading US experts on Russian weapons. Fearing that a covert attack from an American submarine could wipe Moscow off the face of the earth for 13 minutes, the Soviet leaders ordered creation of an automated communication network, strengthened so that it was able to withstand the effects of a nuclear strike. The system was controlled by a computer similar to the one referred to in " Doctor Strangelove', codenamed ' Perimeter". The system was fully operational in January 1985 d. And it has not yet been dismantled.”
(System "Perimeter", Index URV Strategic Missile Forces - 15E601 - a complex for automatic control of a massive retaliatory nuclear strike, created in the USSR at the height of the Cold War. Designed to guarantee the launch of silo ICBMs and SLBMs in the event that, as a result of a devastating nuclear strike on the territory of the USSR, all the command units of the Strategic Missile Forces capable of issuing an order for a retaliatory strike are destroyed.
In the Western press, the system was given the name dead hand (dead hand ) .)
In the additional explanations that conclude Smith's book, one can find a link to a more detailed description of Soviet computer system "Perimeter" published in 2003 in the Washington Post by Bruce G. Blair. Today he heads the Institute for World Security in Washington, a liberal think tank.
The main targets of American Cold War strategists in Russia were facilities located under the mountains Yamantau and Kosva in the Central and Southern Urals.
They were huge construction sites deployed in the late 1970s, when all of the US nuclear power was aimed at the heart of the communist complex. Fearing an attack that could decapitate the country, the Soviet government sent tens of thousands of workers to these construction sites. Based on images taken by US spy satellites, work in these areas continued into the late 90s.
Blair received information about the command bunkers under construction (drawings and notes) in the late 1990s from the senior officers of the Strategic Air Command who were responsible for pointing American missiles at Soviet targets.
According to him, the Yamantau command center is located inside a mountainous quartz massif at a depth of about 1 thousand m. It's more of a refuge for top political leadership than a command post, as Yamantau's communications systems leave a lot to be desired, as the quartz rocks prevent radio signals from getting through the mountain.
But even this “monument of the nuclear age” pales in comparison with the automated system “Perimeter”, installed in the area of Mount Kosvinsky Kamen. According to Blair, “American strategists consider it the main decoration of the crown of the Russian nuclear combat command system, since from here it is possible to communicate through the granite thickness with Russian long-range strategic aviation using VLF- radio signal (3.0 - 30.0 kHz), capable of propagating even in a nuclear war. This bunker is a critical link in the communication network system " doomsday machines"designed to provide semi-automatic retaliation in response to a decapitation blow."
However, for the final launch of the rockets, the Soviet system needed a person who would press the button. “This“ doomsday machine ”, which has earned in 1984 year, during the apogee of the era of nuclear confrontation, was a stunning crowning achievement of engineering creativity,” writes Blair. According to him, if the systems " Perimeter"registered a nuclear strike on Russian territory, and then did not receive any commands from Moscow or other command bunkers, then only one person who was deep in the mountain massif received the authority to launch the entire nuclear arsenal Kosvinsky Stone.
Blair believes that the Bush administration's interest in bombs that destroy underground bunkers is due to the desire to obtain a device that can eliminate " death machine", buried in the depths of the Kosvinsky bunker. If this statement is true, then the Soviet system has retained its functionality. Perhaps someone knew about the deactivation of the Perimeter, but Blair could not find such information.
President Bush's nuclear war directive requires the Pentagon to develop plans to destroy Yamantau and Kosvinsky Stone as well as 2,000 other targets in Russia and 100 in China. But such a strategy requires highly effective weapons that are far more destructive than the bombs dropped on Japan in 1945. This is a doomsday plan in which two underground bunkers are to be destroyed in a nuclear exchange.
What concerns Blair today is not the prospect of a targeted nuclear war in the spirit of the concepts of " cold”, and the so-called random war caused by the presence in the arsenals of states of the too easily triggered and unreliable weapons of the previous era.
Colleagues consider Blair a cautious scientist who raises only real questions. For example, Steven M. Meyer, an MIT expert on Russian weapons, told the Times that Blair " demands much more high standards in the process of gathering evidence than others in the intelligence community ».
His book " The logic of an accidental nuclear war”, as well as disturbing publications - another reminder that the illogicality, irrationality and possibility of catastrophic errors on the part of our nuclear command and control systems, inherited from the Cold War era, have never been corrected or corrected by anyone. They were simply forgotten as soon as the Cold War ended. Judging by his analysis, in those days we managed to avoid a full-scale nuclear conflict only due to chance, not reason.
Nowadays
The initial impetus for the construction of the facility, which did not stop even during the years of the crisis of the 90s, was the exhausted horizontal platinum mines, which in themselves were a rather secret mine during their development. Mount Kosva, by the way, is made up of dunites, which are a mineral for the production of refractories, and also have another useful property - blocking scanning radio emission (isn't it a very valuable property for the military. To supply the object a couple of years ago, an additional Power line, a new bridge was laid across the Kakva River, dirt road all year round maintained in good condition. On the road between the city of Karpinsk and the village of Kytlym, tractors with heavy construction equipment and cement trucks regularly move. In the city of Karpinsk, a residential building was built specifically for officers and their families guarding / servicing the facility .... In Kytlym itself, adjacent to the base, residential houses for soldiers and officers, and other infrastructure are being built.
All they know locals, this is that the whole mountain is dug up like an "anthill". And those who were there when the facility was being built say that heavy vehicles move freely through the tunnels, there is a multi-level pass system, and construction units work in isolation from each other and no one really knows what is being built and why.
