A red pyramid with a black top in a circle. How we went to the Black Pyramid. Mystical black pyramid
The system of lifts and ski slopes, as well as the entire infrastructure at the Gorki Gorod resort, was built for the 2014 Winter Olympics. After the Winter Olympics, the resort has not ceased to be popular, having been transformed into an all-season one. All objects of the resort "Gorki Gorod" are located on four levels: "Lower City" at an altitude of 540 meters above sea level, "Upper City" at an altitude of 960 meters, at an altitude of 1500 meters and 2200 meters - viewing platforms, ski slopes, eco-routes and restaurants.
Of the 13 cable car lifts, 9 operate in excursion mode in summer. If you have planned a one-day trip to Gorki Gorod, then it is better to arrive early in the morning in order to have time to visit more attractions in the resort.
The Gorki Gorod resort is located in the village of Esto-Sadok in the valley of the Mzymta River, which is 40 kilometers from Sochi International Airport. You can get to the resort by bus, taxi or train "Lastochka". It is worth noting that carsharing is very popular in Sochi.
The main attraction of the resort in the summer season, of course, is the cable car. The cost of a walking ticket for the Gorki Gorod cable car in the summer of 2019:
- one ascent/descent from 540 meters to 960 meters ("Upper City")
- adult - 300 rubles,
- children's - 200 rubles;
- one ascent/descent from 540 meters to 2200 meters ("Panorama")
- adult - 1400 rubles,
- children's - 850 rubles.
Excursion lift on the cable car "Gorki Gorod" to the peak of the Black Pyramid passes with transfers at the stations. To get to the destination, it is necessary to make several transfers between gondola and chair lifts: K1 - K2 - K3 - K4 - K5. So, go! Into the mountains! 
Important! If you decide to visit the resorts of Krasnaya Polyana, then be sure to take warm clothes with you, because in the mountains the air temperature is lower than on the Black Sea coast. The temperature in the Alpine zone, at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level, does not rise above 15 ° C in summer.
Observation deck at an altitude of 960 meters - "Upper City"
The first K1 lift lifts from the "Lower City" from a height of 540 meters to 960 meters above sea level to the "Upper City". Gondola cabins, some with special mountings for mountain bikes. This was done because at the station "Upper City" there is a "Gorki bike park" with tracks of varying difficulty for downhill - downhill mountain biking. Also from the station "Upper City" you can take the cable car to the eco-route "Waterfall Polikarya", if you have purchased a walking ticket for all lifts.
At the station "Upper City" there is a large observation deck, many restaurants and cafes. This is a zone of a forest mountain belt, so it is worth stopping and taking a short walk around the station to enjoy the views and clean air.
Important! If you are a guest of one of the Upper City hotels, then the ascent to K1 will be free for you.
Observation deck at an altitude of 1460 meters
The second lift K2 is part of the main excursion route on the way to the top of the Aibga ridge. Already from the cabins of this lift, you can see the Pseashkho mountain range, which is located opposite the Aibga ridge, together they form the gorge of the Mzymta River. You can see the snow-covered peak in the center - Sakharny Peak 3189 meters high, the peak to the left of the peak - Pseashkho Yuzhny 3251 meters high, and to the right of Sakharny Peak - Kozhevnikov Peak 3070 meters. And in front of these peaks is the Bzerpinsky cornice, which is a popular tourist walking route in the summer season. 
The station is located at an altitude of 1460 meters above sea level. In just a few minutes from the zone of the forest mountain belt you find yourself in the subalpine zone. The landscape and the temperature of the surrounding air are changing. It is cooler here than at the Lower City and Upper City stations. In summer, the temperature in the subalpine zone does not rise above +24 °C. Not far from the station there is a rope park and an ecological route called "Relic Forest". A visit to the rope park is paid, and the entrance to the eco-route "Relic Forest" is free. If you have time, then you should definitely take a walk along the path of the eco-route among the majestic firs. 
Observation deck at an altitude of 2200 meters - Black Pyramid peak
The third lift K3 lifts to a height of 2200 meters above sea level in the area of alpine meadows. Here, on the top of the Aibga ridge, the most colorful ecological route called "Alpine Meadows" is laid. The length of the route is 3 kilometers with a height difference of up to 150 meters, so it will take a lot of time to complete it. As a reward for determination, the tourist is waiting for stunning viewpoints on the eco-route along the mountain circus. 
But at the upper station, not only the Alpine Meadows eco-route is interesting. On the chairlift K4 and K5 you can make a dizzying descent to the neighboring mountain circus, and no less exciting ascent to the foot of the Black Pyramid. A real attraction 150 meters high awaits tourists on the K4 cable car. After a short gentle ride, the chairs of the K4 rush almost vertically downwards, exciting emotions are provided for everyone, especially those who are sensitive to height. Before transferring to the last cable car, you can take a walk to the "Bear Falls" or to the "Valley of Rhododendrons". 
The last ascent on the K5 cable car leads to the foot of the Black Pyramid - the highest peak of the Gorki Gorod resort. The height of the peak is 2375 meters above sea level. An excursion climbing route has been laid to the top of the Black Pyramid, which can be passed with insurance under the supervision of an instructor.
From the upper station of the K5 lift, amazing views of another mountain circus open up. And from here you can see the Mountain Olympic Village on Rosa Plateau, built at an altitude of 1170 meters above sea level in the Rosa Khutor resort. 
A sightseeing lift on the Gorki Gorod cable car and a walk along some eco-routes of the resort can take a whole day. It will be quite difficult to have time to visit all the natural attractions of the resort in one visit. But this is a good reason to return to the resort again.
We gathered somehow with a friend to go to the top of Mount Black Pyramid, on the Aibga ridge. Went there many times.
Gathered spontaneously. Although the Aibga Ridge is within the border zone, they did not make passes, knowing that the border guards go from Alpika-Service towards the Tury Gory and practically do not look into the Aibga circuses. We decided to climb the ridge with the help of a cable car. The Alpika-Service ski resort was not even considered, because we climbed there many times. I wanted to climb the "Mountain Carousel".
We packed our backpacks, bought groceries, and arrived at the foot of the Aibga. They did not test their fate, they turned to the head of the "security service", with the question: - "... and what about the border guards?" A man with a military bearing asked: - "... for what purpose are we interested?" We explained everything to him, and about the desire to rise, and about the "improvement of the nation", and about the Constitution of the Russian Federation, about photographing landscapes ... and so on. To which we were told: - "... get up, but you can’t go beyond the fences at the upper bypass station, otherwise we will be in trouble." This option did not suit us, we wanted to go further, especially since we were going with an overnight stay .... As a result, when they saw us in backpacks larger than a camera bag, they didn’t even let us onto the lift. They said that: - "... with backpacks is impossible." Although at that time there were Downhill competitions and athletes climbed with bicycles.
Why am I telling this? Probably, once again convince yourself and warn others that in connection with the status of the "Olympic capital" it is necessary to take a lot of passes and permits. This applies not only to Aibga, but to all other districts (Pseashkho, Aishkho, Kardyvach, etc.). Maybe they are hiding something from us?
Literally a week after the described incident, I climbed the Black Pyramid with children aged 8-10 (then a video was shot, which I already posted in the Aibga-2 topic). Pograntsov did not meet, but found on the top, a lot of people who want to wander along the ridge. I doubt very much that they had passes to the border zone, or at least to the territory of the SNP.
Already in the late afternoon, after long “negotiations”, we decided to climb, at least somewhere ... The choice fell on the Achishkho ridge. They proceeded it far and wide. And what to do, time left night, yes day. On the "UAZ" we climbed to the lakes of Khmelevsky. On the same day we reached the Achipse River (Bratya). We spent the night and climbed to the top the next day. On the same day we went down to Krasnaya Polyana.
We were lucky, we did not meet anyone on our way, although Achishkho is also divided between the SNP, the Sochi Reserve and the KGPBZ.
Question for travel lovers:
1. Do you take passes to nature protection zones?
2. If you go without passes, what do you do when meeting with employees of all the same nature protection zones?
3. Is the same about the border zone?
Below is a short photo report of the trip.
Lake Khmelevsky - "Big Lake". The lakes are named after the landowner V.F. Khmelevsky, a member of the Caucasian Mountain Club, a researcher of the flora and climate of Krasnaya Polyana at the beginning of the last century. 
There are many lakes on the ridge, from swamps to normal lakes.
Another one of the overgrown lakes.
Achishkho in the clouds.
There are many well-trodden paths along the ridge.
The area of the former weather station. The Achishkho meteorological station was founded in September 1929 and was closed in 1988. For several years, the two-storey house of the weather station was used by tourists as a shelter, then it was destroyed, leaving only the foundation of the building. Before the weather station, there was a farce of the Crimean-Caucasian mountain club.
Lake Mirror. One of the most famous and beautiful. A place of pilgrimage for tourists and the so-called "mushroom pickers" (by the way, they will soon have the season of climbing the ridge).
The village of Krasnaya Polyana from one of the horizons. In the area of Lake Zerkalnoe there are many horizons from which beautiful views open up.
The source of the Achipse River is the Brothers waterfall. The Achipse flows into the Mzymta.
First circus. Cows graze without a shepherd.
Chugush massif. One of the three thousandths. It is the highest point of the Republic of Adygea.
In the second circus.
Snowflakes hang almost all summer.
Here is a structure found in the second circus. Who knows - what is it? and who built it? Isn't it "mushroom pickers"?
Second circus. Assara is in the background.
Rhododendron. In Russia, it occurs naturally, mainly in the Caucasus.
Aibga - all vertices are visible.
A drying lake on one of the spurs.
View from the Achishkho pass (in the pass classifier Krasnodar Territory designated as a pass - 1A). Mount Zelenaya, in the distance the Lago-Naki plateau. In the circus, the Rybny stream winds like a snake - one of the tributaries of the Berezovaya.
Peak Achishkho - 2391 meters above sea level. View from the pass.
Also the top, but already from the ridge. Below the top is another lake of the same name.
Valley of the Mzymta River. And "scars on the body" mountains.
After lunch at the top almost always addictive. Achishkho is one of the wettest places in Russia.
You can see almost the entire ridge, the second circus, the top of the "Rock Castle", a drying up lake.
Snowball.
This is the way back. From the Bear Gate Pass.
Krasnaya Polyana with scree. The scree itself can be seen from the village.
"Rock Castle".
Dolmen on the river Beshenka. There are many of them here.
River Beshenka. Downstream is the Malaya Krasnopolyanskaya HPP.
Finally. Photo from the tower on Mount Akhun. 
This is what Achishkho and Chugush look like from the shore. Above the top of the Chugush - a cloud.
Mountain hike along the route: Sochi - Krasnaya Polyana - Aibga Ridge - Black Pyramid 2375 m
The Aibga massif is located on the Southern Front Range and consists of 4 peaks - peaks 1, 2, 3 and the Black Pyramid. Highest point- Peak 3 - 2462 m. The northern slopes of the Aibga summit ridge are steep and precipitous, as cruciform depressions, carved by ancient glaciers, are cut into them. From Krasnaya Polyana in the Aibginsky Range, Mount Black Pyramid 2375 m stands out for its forms, which is popular with local climbers.
Peak Aibga (2450 m) - the peak is located at a distance of about 6 km southeast of the village of Krasnaya Polyana (Mzymta river valley).
The toponym originated from the ethnonym Aiba (Abkhazian family surname). According to another version, "the mountain of the Aiba clan." Perhaps from the Abkhaz "abga" - a cliff, a steep place.
Conquering the peak, moving away from a measured, routine life, a person again becomes wild, becomes part of the wild animal world! He feels like a tiger, a world, a lion or a river; he again, like a bird, soars in the sky, flying higher and higher! And every moment the comfort of home, wife, husband, family, bank account, society, church, respectability are getting further and further and further under the clouds...
Have you ever climbed to the top of a mountain??? The higher the rise, the fresher, the younger you feel! The higher the risk of falling, the deeper the abyss, the sharper the feeling of your life ... When you balance between life and death, boredom disappears, there is no longer the dust of the past, there is no desire for the future: the present becomes sharp as a blade. It's enough...? You live here and now... What about rafting? What about downhill skiing? And the mountains themselves in the summer, when you went far into them? And you are alone... The higher the risk to life, the stronger the pleasure, because the feeling of danger gives an indescribable feeling of joy in life. That is why extreme tourist routes are so attractive.
From the side of the village of Krasnaya Polyana, among the peaks of the Aibga ridge, the peak of the Black Pyramid is especially expressive, where we descended or. The nearest settlement is the village of Esto-Sadok, located north of the mountain. The height of the Black Pyramid is 2375 meters. Having risen to the top, you can see the Mzymta valley from Krasnaya Polyana and view the mountains of the Main Range of the Caucasus. Skiers have chosen the southwestern slopes of the peak: the tracks of the Gornaya Karusel sports complex are equipped there. Of the four peaks of the Aibga ridge, the Black Pyramid is the most popular among climbers. It usually takes less than a day to conquer the summit: if you start climbing at dawn, then it is possible to return before the evening darkness. The hiking trail passes through a beech forest and then through a fir forest. A few hours later, travelers reach a clearing where the Blue Creek flows. You can get to the summit by passing subalpine meadows overgrown with tall grass, climbing steeply and passing along the steep edge of the summit ridge.
WHY IS IT USEFUL TO GO TO THE MOUNTAINS? According to psychologists and bioenergy therapists, there are several reasons.
The mountains have a healing biofield, which is why staying in them has a healing effect. “Depending on the structure of the Earth's crystal lattice, positive or negative energy fields can dominate in different places (the so-called geopathic zones). Their energy activates the energy structure of the body (chakras and energy meridians), and through them the emotional, volitional and intellectual spheres are adjusted by themselves. In addition, due to prolonged physical activity, mountain tourists produce the so-called hormone of happiness - endorphin!
I invite you to a new route!
Your instructor Kirill Sergeyevich Ermakov
Only mountains can be better than mountains!
https://vk.com/lirikepmak
Tirol club is the main partner of the Gorki Gorod resort
in the organization of active recreation!
https://tirolclub.ru
Hiking on eco-trails
In the summer season, hiking eco-routes are open at our resort "Gorki Gorod"
for traveling to hard-to-reach places in the mountains of Krasnaya Polyana.
https://gorkygorod.ru/ecotrail
Warning!
One more!
Very beautiful!
Gorgeous landscapes!
Re going.
Instructor and equipment
Safety engineering. One carabiner is always fastened.
Climbing in the clouds!
Victory stance at the top!
Instructor Alexander
The lifting process is not complicated and short-term, shorter than light, if there is no wind and rain
The descent process is mega beautiful!
Standing in the clouds!
Sincerely, Alexander Anatolievich.
Reviewing your events in LiveJournal is an effective means of attracting reader interest not only to this event, but also to future events! Invite the author of the blog from LiveJournal to your event and the whole Sochi, Moscow and St. Petersburg will read about it!
I invite you to a meeting of the Club of Administrators in Krasnaya Polyana on Friday m, where professionals of the tourist business gather. Check out our group activities.
It was the fastest and most fantastic trip to the mountains. On my way to work on Monday morning, I had no idea that in just seven days, on Sunday night, I would be lying "without hind legs" thinking about what had happened after all! That's how it was...
This trip to the mountains came about unexpectedly. On Monday I go to my favorite risk.ru and see a fresh post with pictures of Krasnaya Polyana... It's damp autumn in Moscow, and there, in the sunny south, the warm sun and peaked mountains. So many times I wanted to visit these mountains in autumn, and then again I was late ... Or not? We must hurry!!! On Gismeteo, starting from Thursday, all days are adorned with a sun icon and nights with stars. Previously read reports emerge from memory, which told about periods of good weather in the fall! If you take a day off on Thursday-Friday, then you have four whole days at your disposal! My heart was beating at a hundred per minute. Chugush, Achishkho, Mzymta... Familiar names of mountains and rivers emerge from memory.
On Tuesday morning I call Natasha in Sochi. Hello, Natalka, hello! If I arrive the day after tomorrow, will you go with me to the mountains for four days? Natasha is “our man”, but I managed to surprise her too. The boss Katya (I category in mountaineering, climbing the five-thousanders of the Pamirs) cannot but let go, and the persuasion of my colleagues does not leave her a chance. In the afternoon I call Natasha in Sochi and just say that I bought tickets. She says she's coming with me. Fine!!! In the second half, I create a post on the tourist forum of the Kuban. Topic: "where you can go for four days." At the same time, I send Natasha a list of equipment.
Climbing Achishkho (2391 m)
I'm back in the mountains. Let's leave the bustle of the Moscow rhythm, empty chatter and unnecessary words. We exhale and relax. Now only pictures...
Beech forest at the beginning of the trail on the Khmielewskie Lakes
After spending the night in a tent at an altitude of 1800, at the dawn of the next day we went to the ascent to Achishkho!
The first of the three peaks of Achishkho appeared
Quite unexpectedly, after the next turn of the path, Chugush appeared. The same mountain that we retreated in front of two years ago, during our multi-hike in the Caucasus and Abkhazia!
Chugush (3238 m.)
Nice place for bouldering!
Less than an hour later, having crossed a small spur, we find ourselves in the Achishkho circus. The waterfalls are noisy, the summit is near!
Weather whispers, time is running out. Why not make a full stop for lunch? =)
The famous Krasnopolyansk tea! =)))
Fresh snow at 2100!
A fantastic view of the sea opens from the Achishkho ridge!!!
On a wide ridge to the top!
Ruined rocks - the last meters of climbing Achishkho
At the top of Achishkho. Behind below - the village of Krasnaya Polyana.
From the last, third, peak we descend straight down the slope...
View to the north. In the distance, on the extreme left - the peaks of the Fisht-Oshtenovsky massif, in the center - Chugush.
East view. It's a pity, but Elbrus is not visible =(((
A small lake in the eastern circus of Achishkho
The day turned out to be beautiful and very eventful. Lakes, waterfalls, snow, a beautiful summit ridge, four-thousanders of the Greater Caucasus... Last hour We walked along the trail at dusk, and approached the camp in total darkness. In such cases, GPS helps a lot - a backpack with a tent hidden in a dense forest was found without any problems!
P.S. Exactly five years later, in November 2012, I went to Achishkho in one day!
Day 3
We have a difficult day ahead of us today. First you need to go down to the village of Krasnaya Polyana, and this is a little, a lot minus 1200 meters, which is not bad for your favorite knees. But this is only half the trouble! Next, we need to get to the Alpika Service cable car, throw ourselves on it to the top of the second stage (it no longer works, prevention before the start of the winter season) and further, from a height of 1100 meters, climb as high as possible in order to climb the Black Pyramid the next day !
Morning exercise before the start of a hard day
The descent went without problems, although it took decent strength. In the first part of it, there is a very sharp drop in height. The trail is excellent, but the knees were cracking at the seams :) We go down to the village, have lunch in a cafe at the Lukoil gas station and start the second part of our program!!!
Climbing the Black Pyramid (2375 m)
ATTENTION! Unfortunately, a few years after this trip, a cable car was laid through the spur of the Black Pyramid and the route lost its former attractiveness. Now it remains to look at these photos and remember what Polyana was like before the Olympic construction .. (Note from 2012)
The famous Krasnopolyansk peaks. Black Pyramid - in the center!
Shops "Freeride" and "Salomon" in Krasnaya Polyana (now closed. Approx. 2016). But we have everything and we pass by :)
Cableway Alpika Service
Well here's a walk through mountain ranges The Caucasus has finally led us to the Black Pyramid.
For reference: The Black Pyramid is a peak in the Aibga Range, located in the Southern Front Range. The mountain from the side of Krasnaya Polyana stands out for its shapes, looks like a triangular pyramid, which is why it got its name.
The height of the peak is 2375 m. The northern slopes are steep and precipitous. On the northern slope is one of the highest waterfalls in the city of Sochi - Polikarya waterfall. From the top you can see the entire valley of the Mzymta River from the lower station of the Roza Khutor cable car to the village of Krasnaya Polyana. The peaks of the Main Caucasian Range are clearly visible: Chugush, Pseashkho.
On the southwestern slopes of the peak there are ski slopes of the Gornaya Karusel complex.
Having walked heartily through the expanses of Circus-2, we figured that we still had half an hour before the closing of the cable car and we had time to climb the Pyramid. No sooner said than done.
Go))
For tourists like us, on the Pyramid, a small “wolf cub” was fenced off with a net (step left, step right) and, unfortunately, it was possible to admire the mountains only from it. As they explained to us, there is still too much mnega in the mountains and some movements along the top are unsafe.
Snow and the truth is enough, at least go skiing.
Here is Circus-3 in front of us, and from it further beyond the pass the cable car goes to a height of 2340. As I understand it, these cable cars do not work in summer. 
Clouds creep over the mountains. A little more and we will "drown" in a cloudy fog 
Here is the larger Circus-3 station. Too bad you can't go down there. Although in comparison with Circus-2, where spring has already begun with might and main, winter here still does not think to retreat 
And this is the last section of the cable car "Gorki Gorod" 
Houses of rescuers and avalanche service. Local people say that this piece of mountains is very avalanche prone, there is the highest number of avalanches in a season. 
Of course, we didn’t manage to get to the very top of the Pyramid, perhaps by the end of summer the “wolf cub” is removed and you can walk around more. But our 15 minutes quickly ended and with the last chair we leave back to Circus-2 in order to have time to get out of there to the big cable car.
The last piece of the path is practically floating in "milk".
For two days of riding on an open cable car, I almost stopped being afraid (although I’m lying, of course, I still rode halfway with my eyes closed). I can’t imagine one thing - how can I ride it with skis? And most importantly, how to get off this ski and not hurt yourself?
In the next series, we will ride the Gazprom cable car, do not switch))
