There are many kinds of activities you can do during the holiday. If you like to stay at home, you can spend your time reading books or trying out some cooking recipes. If you enjoy watching art performance, you can get to a theatre or to the museum where you can observe the art exhibition. For some people who like to be among nature, they will love to go do outdoor activities, such as swimming at the beach or gardening. Another option for nature lovers is to go hiking.
One of the best destinations for hiking-lovers in Sochi. This city is well recognized for its ski resort. It was even the host of some winter games. Sochi is a city in Russia which is also popular for its subtropical weather. You will enjoy a warm to hot summer while during winter, it will be mildly cold. This condition comes with many upsides with hiking being one of them. So, if you are into this particular outdoor activity, here are 3 best hiking routes to try in Sochi.
Hiking In Sochi
- The Caucasian Biosphere Reserve
When we are talking about the best hiking routes to try in Sochi, this one is the most beginner-friendly. This multi-day hike route is a comfortable one. You can start this whole journey at Bzerpinskiy Karni. This place is famous as the gateway to The Caucasian nature reserve. Once you get this spot, you just need to follow the trail. This trail will lead you to a few places. You are going to walk past Pseashko, lakes (the lake valley Dzitaku and the lake Maloe), a camp area, and the valley of Kholodnaya river.
The lake valley Dzitakuy is a great option to take as many pictures as you can. It has seven lakes (which is why it is named Semiozerye). Among those lakes, the best one is Bolshoe because of its 20 thousand-square-meter areas. Another lake that is considered very interesting is the Dvulikoe lake. This lake is small but it has transparent blue water which streams to both the southern and northern slopes located in the Western Caucasus.
Since it is a two-day trip, you will spend your night there. You will find the camp area which is very convenient for tourists. The facilities are complete. It is also near the water source. if you want to get the best experience of camping, make sure to go there during summer or the first half of autumn. That way you can enjoy the sight of the meadows in the Alpine zone.
- Lake Kardyvach
This lake attracts tourists from all over the work because of its beauty. This particular lake can change color. During springtime, its color is green while during autumn, it changes into blue. Most of the time, this sea is hidden under a layer of ice. Only during the summer, you can see the seawater. But the temperature is still very cold (it barely reaches 12 degrees).
Why Lake Kardyvach is one of the best hiking routes to try in Sochi? One of the reasons is the transformation of the area during summer. The lake is surrounded by a forest and in the summertime, many kinds of flowers – the beautiful forget-me-nots, white daisies, and many others – will be blooming.
The journey of this trip takes a pretty long time. Starting from Krasnaya Polyana, it will get you 20 kilometers to get to Engelmanova Polyana. From there, you must hike along the right bank of Myzmta which will take you around 6 hours. Though it sounds like a long way, you do not need to worry because it is very comfortable even for a beginner. On the way there, indeed you will see the mesmerizing view. There are rivers and streams, as well as meadows and mountains.
- The Aishkho Pass
This is another great route for those who want to start to hike. Aiko pass is one of the Caucasus range’s part. Pine trees are surrounding the Aishko pass and which you will walk by while also enjoying the clean air and the fantastic scenery. What peculiar – in a good way – of this area is the fact that this nature reserve is not touched by civilization. Not only that you will find picturesque natural places but also some unnatural things. One of them is the monuments of the Great Patriotic War’s soldiers. Going to this place will be exercise and learning about some history at the same time.
Now we know 3 of the best hiking routes to try in Sochi. Where do you want to go first?