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Mountain lakes are the most important sights of Kabardino-Balkaria. The most famous of them are the karst Blue Lakes. There are five in total.
This is a natural monument of the republic, a recreational zone, a tourist attraction that must be seen.
Bottomless Lower Blue Lake
First of all, we looked at the most visited and most beautiful Lower Blue Lake. Most deep lake North Caucasus, which is not accidentally called bottomless ...
Small, the surface of the water is about two hectares. But the amazing depth is 279 meters! Although no one knows for sure, these are approximate indicators for instruments.
Locals call this lake Bottomless - Chirik-Kol. A real artesian well. The third deepest lake in Russia. But there are chances to become the second, and maybe the first ...
The lower lake is not always blue. It changes its color depending on the weather. It can be blue, or maybe blue, turquoise, azure, green, gray-blue and even gray. We saw him silver, the color of mercury. It was just that the cold winter sky was reflected in the mirror of the water.
A mysterious, incredibly beautiful and frightening body of water... Many of the lake's mysteries have not yet been solved, although the lake has been studied for centuries. But it does not want to reveal its secrets to people.
Legends and secrets of the Lower Blue Lake
Previously, the Balkars believed that the lake had no bottom. That is why they called it the Bottomless Lake - Chirik-Kul.
The researchers have a version that the lake really does not have a bottom. And the bottom that the robots saw was actually not the bottom at all. Just a bend, or rather, an inflection of the bottom, under which an unknown depth is hidden ...
And it is also called Rotten or Smelly Lake. Such an unromantic name because it smells slightly of hydrogen sulfide.
The legend about the lake says that the fearless warrior Bataraz lived in these parts, who defeated the dragon, which brought a lot of trouble to people. The dragon fell and formed a hole in the ground, which soon filled with the dragon's tears. So the monster lies at the bottom of the lake, spreading the smell of hydrogen sulfide and flooding the lake with tears ...
According to another legend, a herd of sheep, belonging to the god of cattle breeders Aimush, drowned in the lake. The herd was countless, covering all the surrounding mountains. But one day, the leader, a golden-horned ram, jumped into the Bottomless Lake. And the whole herd after him disappeared into the depths ...
These are legends. And there are real mysteries of the lake. No fish live in it. Only tiny gammarus crustaceans. But in the Upper Blue Lakes there are fish - trout, carps ... Why don't fish live in the Lower?
One of the main mysteries of the Lower Blue Lake is where the reservoir, located at 809 meters above sea level, replenishes.
Neither rivers nor streams flow into the lake. At the same time, a river flows out with a daily volume of more than 77 thousand cubic meters of water.
Our children at the Lower Blue Lake
It is believed that there are underground springs in the lake. Or that it is connected at all by underwater tunnels to the Upper Blue Lakes.
The respectful attitude of local residents to the Bottomless Lake, who never swim in the reservoir, is striking. Yes, the water is ice cold. But I saw mountain children bathing in icy mountain rivers.
They say there are whirlpools in the lake. Where are they from?
Whatever it was, in the Lower Blue Lake locals don't swim. They don't even dare to wet their feet. What's this? Sacred fear of a sacred place? Or knowledge and understanding of some other things, inaccessible to the researchers of mysteries?
Diving at the Lower Blue Lake
There are daredevils who violate the sanctity of the lake. Of course, these are not residents of the surrounding villages, but visiting divers.
Lower Blue Lake (Tserik-Kel) is located in the valley of the Cherek-Balkarsky River at an altitude of 809 meters above sea level.
"Spark" together with scientists searched for its bottom. So far we have reached a depth of 279 meters, but this is clearly not the limit.
On the coast there is an unusual revival. Numerous tourists vying to argue: "What are they looking for here? Or have they already found it?" The question is relevant, given that the surface of a small reservoir literally boils from air bubbles rising from the depths. Every now and then, divers, hung with oxygen cylinders, dive into the lake, here and there bathyscaphes float to the surface, and above water surface hanging quadrocopters with video equipment.
2.
"Tamerlane's cavalry drowned here - there are a lot of bones, ancient weapons and jewelry at the bottom," the elderly Balkar confidently asserts. "Yes, what a cavalry! A locator is installed at the bottom, and the lake itself is a large radar. Times are turbulent, so they urgently repair it. Isn't it clear?" - with a mysterious look, the woman standing next to him objects ...
3.
Tserik-Kel sounds fascinating to the ear, but when translated from Balkar into Russian, the magic of sounds disappears, because Tserik-Kel means only "Smelly Lake". In fact, everything is correct - there is a smell of hydrogen sulfide, sometimes quite strong. But, being on the shore, you quickly get used to it, and the amazing picture of what is before your eyes obscures everything else: a miracle of nature with a diameter of 235 meters and an unclear depth, unusually clear water with a greenish-blue tint. All this, however, is not for swimming ( all year round the water temperature in the lake is about 9 degrees) and not for fishing (only small crustaceans live in the cold depths saturated with hydrogen sulfide), but the beauty is indescribable.
4.
Rumor has surrounded Blue Lake with many legends, and nature with a mass of secrets, the keys to which scientists have been trying to find for almost 100 years. The first groups of researchers appeared on the banks of Tserik-Kel, attracted by the phenomenon: the depth of the lake exceeded its width. Professor Ivan Georgievich Kuznetsov, one of the first to conduct a detailed study of the curiosity in 1926-1927 (the study was awarded the Silver Medal of the Russian Geographical Society for special significance), suggested that the depth of Blue Lake exceeds 250 meters. But how much, it was not possible to determine then - the necessary tools simply did not exist. It was also a mystery to the scientist that the lake, into which not a single stream flows from the surface, gives rise to a river that carries out 70 million liters of water every day. The professor suggested that Tserik-Kel is fed by underground sources and is of karst origin, that is, washed out by waters rushing to the surface. However, it was not possible to confirm the theory at that time. Many other questions remained unanswered: in particular, scientists still cannot explain the nature of the constant water level, which does not change depending on the season and the amount of precipitation. It is also not clear why the lake has the same temperature all year round throughout the depth and never freezes. Finally, the source that feeds Tserik-Kel is also unknown. Judging by the volumes, it should be a whole underground river, but it has not yet been discovered. The current expedition of the Russian Geographical Society should give answers to these questions.
5.
This time, the specialists thoroughly prepared and brought with them the latest equipment: 14 divers, three manned underwater vehicles and two remote-controlled robots conquer the mysterious depths.
6.
Blue Lake is a unique and little-studied object. We are lucky that the study area is convenient in terms of logistics: we have all the necessary infrastructure, we do not depend on weather conditions. Thanks to this, we were able to bring here a whole arsenal of equipment, - says Sergey Fokin, Executive Director of the Center for Underwater Research of the Russian Geographical Society, head of the group of manned underwater vehicles. - Almost all types of equipment that we have are presented here. The use of underwater vehicles gives scientists a lot of opportunities: with our help, specialists take samples of water and soil, measure temperature, and test their hypotheses. inhabited underwater vehicles- the only opportunity for a scientist who does not have diving training to see the underwater space with his own eyes.
7.
available to the expedition deep-sea vehicle C-Explorer 3 (divers affectionately call it "orange" for its bright red color) copes with the tasks in the best possible way. He can take on board three specialists: a pilot and two passengers (fortunately, one of them turns out to be a correspondent from Ogonyok). "The crew is ready to dive, let me perform the" bottom "", - Sergei Fokin reports to the shore. Permission is granted, and in a matter of seconds we go under water. "Visibility is excellent, CO2 levels are normal," the captain reports upstairs. It doesn’t block your ears, it’s quiet and cool in the cabin, behind the glass is the water column of an unusually beautiful blue color. The walls of the karst well, layers of rocks are perfectly visible. The sensations are fantastic, and only the changing numbers on the scoreboard bring back to reality - we have passed 30 meters, 60, 90 ... The dive to the very bottom takes almost 15 minutes, about the same time it will take to ascend. And the air reserves on the "orange" are enough for several hours of work at such a depth where it is almost impossible for a diver to get close.
8.
The Russian record for the depth of diving with a breathing apparatus, set by divers Roman Prokhorov and Igor Galayda (by the way, they also participate in the work of the Russian Geographical Society expedition) on this very lake in 2004, amounted to 180 meters. At the same time, the divers needed a long preparation, assistants and several hours of time, most of which was spent on the ascent. And Sergei Fokin and I are going lower, much lower...
9.
- The capacity of the device is its absolute advantage. The crew can consist of different specialists, each of which will perform their own functions: operate the apparatus, work with the manipulator, make the necessary measurements, - he comments during the dive. - And also inspect the walls of the karst well in detail, take water samples. In the near future, the apparatus will be equipped with a suspended manipulator, which will allow carrying out various works at depth. Finally find and explore the bottom of the reservoir.
10.
The last remark regarding Tserik-Kel is significant: there is still no clear understanding of where it is, this very bottom. Almost every new dive brings surprises. Until recently, it was believed that the maximum depth(for specialists this is a special term) 258 meters, but already during this expedition the figures have changed: now a new maximum depth of the reservoir has been established - 279 meters. A sensation, without exaggeration, of world significance became possible thanks to modern technology: in a narrow cave that goes into the depths earth's crust, a remote-controlled robot was able to climb through and - a new underwater horizon opened up.
11.
- Divers effectively explore depths up to 100 meters, but further diving is associated with great risks and requires a fairly long time. For manned vehicles, too, there are limitations - they can not go everywhere, - explains Ilya Korablev, head of the group of remote-controlled uninhabited underwater vehicles. - But our wards can. "Marlin-350" is a domestic development. It can dive to a depth of 350 meters. The device is equipped with color video cameras and manipulators for shooting and sampling. With the help of "Marlin" we examine underwater caves, scan the walls of the fault and make a three-dimensional map of the underwater part of the lake.
So the new depth taken is his, "Marlin", merit. Researchers obviously: not the last.
12.
As for the solution of the main riddle - where does the water enter the lake - then, according to scientists, it is not far off. More precisely, just beyond the mountains: "We found a horizontal continuation - a niche that goes to the side mountain range. This means that other horizontal caves may soon be found, through which, probably, water rich in hydrogen sulfide penetrates, - says Nikolai Maksimovich, deputy director of the Natural Science Institute of the Perm State National Research University. - So the past season can be unambiguously assessed - this is a success ".
13.
whim of nature
The most famous karst reservoirs of the planet / Dossier
Pozzo del Meppo(Italy) - the deepest natural well in the world. karst cave 20 meters in diameter, filled with water, goes 392 meters deep into the earth.
sunset(Mexico) - the deepest karst lake in the world, the depth of which is 339 meters. The lake is filled with thermal water, but is not fed by a spring.
Source of Vaucluse(France) - a small (only 25 meters in diameter) patch of water in Provence has a depth of about 308 meters and forms the maximum reserves of fresh water in France.
red lake(Croatia) - the lake itself, depending on the season, has a depth of 248-270 meters, but the reservoir is "drowned" in a 530-meter funnel - sheer stone walls over 200 meters high hang over the surface of the water.
Big blue hole (Belize) - an underwater karst funnel of almost perfect round shape, 120 meters deep and 300 meters in diameter. Discovered by the famous explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who included it in the list of "10 the best places for diving."
Tserik-Kel
Scientists have found that the Lower Blue Lake in the Cherek region of the republic is much deeper than previously thought. This lake is also called Tserik-Kel. It is located at an altitude of 809 meters above sea level. The temperature is +9 degrees all year round. Researchers suggest that it was formed due to the collapse of an underground karst cave.
A river flows out of the lake - more than 70 thousand cubic meters per day. But what feeds the reservoir itself - for many years it was not clear, the flowing sources are not visible from the outside. Until recently, it was believed that the depth of the lake is 258 meters. But it has recently become clear that this is not the case.
“The Underwater Research Center of the Russian Geographical Society, professors and scientists from all over Russia (about 60 people in total) carefully studied the Lower Lake,” says Mukhamed Kozhokov, chairman of the Kabardino-Balkarian branch of the Russian Geographical Society. - More than 90 deep-water descents were made in a couple of months. For the first time, underwater vehicles were used - controlled robots. With their help, scientists discovered three caves in the deep part of the lake. The most deep point, which managed to descend - 279 meters. It also turned out that underwater rivers feed Tserik-Kel. The water is incredibly clear, you can see every pebble, even at a depth of 25 meters. Further, the water becomes azure-turquoise due to hydrogen sulfide. There is no flora and fauna in the lake - hydrogen sulfide kills all life. But why the temperature of the water is constant and what is at the very bottom is still unknown.”
We go to the bottom “I went down to the Lower Lake several thousand times,” says Eduard Khuazhev, head of the KBR Underwater Research Center, president of the Kabardino-Balkarian Underwater Sports Federation. - The task of the last expedition was to determine a more accurate depth. And understand where the water comes from. In the bowl of the lake, we found several cracks with different parties, three of them are 1.5 meters wide, powerful streams come from there.
At the bottom of the lake, not far from the shore, there are several sunken cars. Empty, without people. Old-timers say that in the 30s of the last century, a truck loaded to the top with boxes of port wine fell into the water. The researchers debunked this myth: there really is a “Lawn” at the bottom, but there is only a box of port wine in it. They got one bottle, tried it, evaluated the endurance.
Locals avoid the lake because of superstitions. It is believed that in Tserik-Kel one cannot even wet one's feet.
By the way, swimming there is really impossible even in summer. From cold water, an unprepared person cramps muscles, and at a depth it is very dangerous.
four lakes
“There are four lakes in the Cherek Gorge - Lower, Dry, Secret and Upper,” says local historian Khadis Tetuev. - For the first time, the "bottomless" lakes of the Caucasus are mentioned in 1864 in the notes of the Russian officer Fyodor Tornau.
The first special observations of the Blue Lakes group were made in 1892-1895 by geologist Konstantin Rosikov. Scientists have established that all lakes are of karst origin. But they are all completely different. If you rise from the Lower Lake to the northeast, then on the mountain plateau 187 m above the Lower Lake there is a huge, now dry, Kel-Kechkhen sinkhole. Translated from Balkar - "the lake has flowed away." The depth of the failure is 177 meters. Below you can see the lake, which from above seems very small - the size of a saucer. They call him "Dry". According to legend, once its waters reached the upper edge of the failure, but the mountains shuddered, and the water flowed into the Lower Lake.
Modern researchers suggest that the Lower and Dry lakes are indeed connected. The secret lake seemed to be hidden in dense thickets of shrubs and trees. On the opposite side of it lies the Upper Blue Lake. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were three small reservoirs in its place, which eventually merged into one big lake. The water in the Secret and Upper lakes freezes in winter, and in summer you can swim and fish in them - there are a lot of living creatures in them.
Today (December 6th, 2015) we went to the Blue Lakes (Kabardino-Balkaria). I've been downstairs a couple of times before. But I realized the moment of mystery and mystery of this lake only today.. It may be the deepest karst lake in the world. depth ... and many other important things .. and in general, it seems that there are more mysteries in it than clues ...
Today I happened to take a walk around the neighborhood around them. On the road above upper lake. In search of a dry lake. Just now, while driving, along the way, I found out that there is a huge funnel here, from where the water left. This is one of the lakes, the fourth. Like vaguely-approximately known way. Like, you have to walk all day and all that. Mystery - bribed. Somewhere to the end, and then through the forest along the path. There was really nothing to catch the card. And that means - cheers-campaign! As far as the car was able to reach, it reached, and then with its feet - as far as the feet could and desired to reach. At the end of the plateau, not far from the headwaters of the Zhemtala River, there was a turn back. Route track
In the forest - red viburnum berries.
If you stop - complete silence and tranquility. The white slopes are combed with trees. Warm, the closer, the farther - the colder. It's great to watch how it fades into blue in space and gradually blends with the sky. It's great to watch along the way how nearby branches, or trees, cut distant branches and trees. How horses are scattered in the distance, dots on white. Black-and-reddish lambs and white lambs come around the turn into the snow, and nibble at the sparse December vegetation in the interstices of the snow. Somewhere two cows were lost, someone went and looked for them in the "field". On a distant plateau, a shepherd on a farm offered to make a fire, tea-mai, but we had to return until dark. Although, of course, that special reality that is called “tea-mai”, “marmotoes”, etc. deserves the most frantic immersion in it, and no less attention than all these mountains ... (coffee-mofe, gopher-muslik ... here with milk and pasta - it's a little more difficult to weave a thread) 
Zhemtala, Zaragizh, Aushiger, Urvan and Nalchik view from the plateau at the head of the river. Zhemtala 
The sun began to be covered with clouds and the tops of nearby mountains. It was great highlighting the low clouds that flew in and began to show the space. It seems to be starting to get cold, the height here is about 1150 m, but still it's winter, sort of. But here, it still feels easier than in the Nalchik region, plus but wet now. 
On the way to the car, the guys on the "field" also returned, drove past. They never found two cows. After descending to the main road, to the asphalt, I still wanted to stop by for five minutes to stand and look at the Blue Lake. Last year I came here on a bicycle from Nalchik, and there were nuts. Hazelnut. I looked. Found one nut. When the day is light and bright, the bottom is visible. But when it is already such an evening, it is not visible, but the lake turns into a perfect mirror. Previously, I somehow did not have time to feel the moment. Heard something about the unexplored. And then - imbued with the greatness of the moment. An unknown moment. The unknown, on the shore of which I now stand. 
A person (the same me, for example) opening a laptop today, or receiving any answer on the Internet, practically does not allow the thought that something may be incomprehensible and unknown. Yes, some distant corners of space and all that. But this is how everything seems to be simple and understandable and studied (although often he studied only a certain list of familiar operations, actions and thoughts familiar to him). And here. You are standing on the shore of the lake. It is so small, if you look at the size of the mirror - 235 x 130 meters. And the depth... It is only known for certain that it is not less than 258 meters. What's at the bottom - no one knows. And where is it, this is the bottom. This is a karst lake, everything is not easy here with the bottom. It is a mine with sheer walls, formed due to karst processes - the destruction of rock by water. Even with what is known about it, it is the second deepest karst lake in the world. Nothing flows into the lake (terrestrial, in the sense). But everything flows out. Every day, about 70 million liters of water (7 million buckets) come out of it through the channel. It has nothing to do with the season. This is a constant value. The water temperature of the lake is the same throughout the year - about 9 degrees. It doesn't freeze. There are no fish here. Water is slightly mineralized. Transparency - exceptional - about 30 meters. Where the water enters the lake is unknown. It is only clear that from somewhere below, under pressure. The water level may fluctuate throughout the day. There are ideas that somewhere down there, the devil knows where, there is a cave (caves) where the inflow comes from. The influx occurs in any way - 70 million liters per day, at least. 0.8 cubic meters per second (lower karst floor, rich in water, and all that). There is also an idea that the shaft can go somewhere to the side, forming an inflection, and this can significantly increase the depth of the lake. 
Tserik-Kol or Cherek-Kol. So it is called in Balkar. The lake is located right next to the road to Upper Balkaria, just a few meters from the asphalt. But even before the days of asphalt, it was kind of like a pretty walkable path. According to legend, many ambitious guys from Macedonian to Tamerlane could appear here. According to legend, some artifacts of those events can rest at the bottom. If you follow the logic, then this is quite legitimate. From time to time, divers find something on the little things, on the shelves and at the mouth of the lake (which is much wider than the mine itself). It is considered a reliable fact that in the 30s a truck with port wine fell into the lake. (However, I noticed that there are often a lot of "reliable facts" that are not actually documented anywhere, or it is impossible to find some weighty evidence of this). The lake is considered among the karst lakes the second deepest in the world, second only to Lake Cverno in Croatia. However, on the same Wikipedia in the Karst Lakes category it is not at all. And in some descriptions of such a device of the planet as "Karst Lakes" you will not find a word about it. But the same Wikipedia writes that Jacques Yves Cousteau was here and explored (it seems that this is another legend). There is a depth figure of 360 m (link to a very dubious source). This figure is a champion figure. Recently here at one holiday, when it came to the area of Crimea, that he, they say, is twice the size of Kabardino-Balkaria in terms of area, heard a mini-dialogue:
Let's take a look at Wikipedia!
Yes, I do not believe these Wikipedias.
I increasingly come to the conclusion that you can only trust your eyes, ears and other body devices. The exception may be those who are attached to you. Literally, a rope.
At first I thought that they were unfair, these misunderstandings, and then I came to the conclusion that the lack of knowledge is great. This is potential .. As for the depth, by the way, many karst lakes (the same in Croatia, for example) experience quite strong fluctuations in the water level due to various underground or atmospheric processes, calculated in meters and tens of meters. Here, on the Blue Lake, the fluctuations are very weak. They exist, because the inflow processes are constantly going on, and nothing on earth is stable, but the outflow still regulates the professionalism of the lake.
I don't know... it seems like most people are more comfortable living when everything is predictable. securely. predetermined. when the path is known, when everything is clear.. when everything is categorized.. named.. voiced.. RATED...approved/not approved...put on the shelf...medal hung..curses hung...
But it all seems silly to me...
Here you are standing, and only 250 meters down - nothing is clear. 250 meters, you can run them in just half a minute. You can also rappel quite cheerfully. And here is the lake. And what is there at the bottom, where it is, how it is - IS NOT KNOWN ...
And all around is full of life. here - hychins, there - they sell knitted things. On the shore - a diving center. By the way, yes, in 2012, the Englishman Martin Robson dived to a depth of 200 m, as I understand it - this is a record for this lake, no one got lower here. He wanted to find a cave from which water comes here, and in general, to figure out what it thinks down there. He spent about 9 hours underwater. And all this almost ended for him with the cessation of life processes. One member of that expedition, Andrei Rodionov, who acted as an operator, died.
Deep sea vehicle? (Do they exist? Has anyone seen them not on TV?) Probably expensive, pathetic, and no one really needs it. Although - "What are you talking about, we are constantly studying everything here and there!". Or maybe such a thing, like a quadcopter, for a gouproshka, only underwater (I wonder if a quadcopter can do it under water? I found material that someone tried to turn it into a submarine)))
The blue lake system is four lakes. In any case, it is customary to consider them as something unified. Until this moment, I did not go on the road to the upper ones. And I had little idea what was there. Rumor has it that they are all connected underground. However, it seems that at least the upper one is more of an atmospheric origin than a harsh underground one. One of the four lakes is dry. Kol-Kechkhen. Water left it, leaving a small lake five meters deep at the bottom. This happens with karst lakes - the water in the funnel is kept due to the sediment accumulated at the bottom, above the main underground aquifer. In the case of tectonic troubles, the integrity of the shield deteriorates and the water leaves. As apparently happened in this case (according to rumors in 1931). In general, they are also called "failure" - water can leave, then after some time it can again fill the funnel, due to the same processes of formation of a sedimentary shield. Funnel Kol-Kechkhen - similar to the funnel of the lower lake - a karst mine, 177 m deep with sheer walls. But I later read this, and at that time the purpose of our trip was to find this lake, I heard about it for the first time, but it seems that somewhere you need to get to the end of the road and follow the path through the forest.
In general, when we asked the shepherds, on a distant plateau, about such a phenomenon as a dried-up karst lake, they said that there was no such thing here.
When I returned to the city and looked at the map, it turned out that we had gone too far in the wrong direction. And it is very close to the general location of the rest of the lakes. On the Internet - only a couple of photos are not very good. View from above. And one good
