Large and small prites on the Ai River, dry waterfalls. River Ai: features, history and guide to the river

River Ai

Ai - the left tributary of Ufa, originates in a mountain saddle between the Ural ridges Avalyam and Urenga, at an altitude of about 1000 m above sea level. The length of the river is 549 km, the speed of the flow above Zlatoust is 12-15 km/h, in the lower reaches 5-6 km/h. Karst landforms are widespread in the area. Wooded mountains surround the river on both sides, many rocky cliffs approaching the water's edge, shallows and rifts are frequent.

In a number of places, springs fall from the coastal rocks. The mountains near the village of Novaya Pristan are especially beautiful. The cliffs rise above the trees and break off into the river valley in steep slopes. On small platforms and ledges of coastal cliffs, by some miracle, clinging pines are held. There are many shells, imprints of ancient plants in the limestones polished by water.

A fast river winds among the mountains, revealing more and more new pictures. Along the Aya there are the little-studied and hard-to-reach Ailinsky caves (near the village of Aipino, north of Suleya) and the vast Laklinskaya cave near the village of Lakly. On the left bank of the Aya, 2 km above Lakla, there is a curious natural phenomenon - the "Stone Gate", formed in the lower Carboniferous limestones. A rare grayling fish lives in the Ai River.

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AYSKAYA VALLEY. Includes area valleys mountainous rivers about 90 km long. It starts from the place where it flows into the river. Ai the Beida river (Kusinsky district) and up to the exit of the river. Ai out of bounds Chelyabinsk region near the village of Sikiyaz-Tamak (Satka district). In this section, the river flows in the most beautiful banks, overgrown mixed forests, among sheer cliffs. Breaking through a series of mountain ranges, the river forms a deep canyon-like valley. It includes numerous natural monuments and other interesting objects: rocks, prites, karst springs and caves, archaeological sites, etc.

The rocks and dark pensive windows of the caves look elegant, spectacular and evoke a lot of enthusiastic emotions. The remnant rocks of the "fighter" type, which seem to have frozen on the banks of the fast Ay in the form of stone giants, amaze with their splendor and gigantic power. It is no coincidence that in the middle of the past, the 20th century, this section of the Aiskaya valleys from the New pier to Laklov tourists and speleologists figuratively called the "cave land".

The coastal Aisky cliffs are also characterized by an abundance of so-called through and buried caves, beautiful and convenient rock shelters, romantic dry grottoes and rock niches. Not infrequently here you can also find "leaky rocks" - such as "stone rings" - karst arches and bridges. All of them are relics, fragments of ancient, long-destroyed caves.

PRITES. In Dahl's dictionary "prites", perm. "an emersed rock in a river, a bull, a fringe or a rock with a splash, a coastal cliff." Meaning: high rocky steep coast, rocky coastal cliff, coastal cliff.

AYSKIY PRITOS - limestone cliffs stretched along rivers in a chain, in a long row. Conditionally subdivided into Large and Small prites. The word "prityos" has the same root as the words "cliff", "hew", "gorge", that is, it is in close contact with water. For millions of years, water has undermined limestone rocks and formed numerous karst cavities in them: caves, grottoes, rock niches, burrows.

BIG PRICES much higher and grander than the Small ones. They make a breathtaking impression, they even seem to stun a person with their scale and grandeur. Stretching along the left bank rivers almost a kilometer, they, like an indestructible bastion, look like a giant arc. Absolutely sheer cliffs fall into the water rivers, and with a powerful stream of her stream, she supports them from below, washes the foot. In the old days, the locals - Tatars, Meshcheryaks and Bashkirs - called the Great Prytesy rocks in their own way - "Sybar-kaya", which means "Motley Rock". The name reflects the variety color shades dolomitic limestones. They reflect a whole palette of colors: from white, pink, yellow and blue to bright yellow, ocher and black spots of lichens, water streaks and streaks, green strokes of grass and shrub vegetation.

ATTRACTION VALLEYS RIVERS AI

KARST ARCH. Ai near the village of Novaya Pristan in the so-called Tsepilovskie (Cherepanovskie) prites. There are many bizarre rocks in the form of ruined fortifications, with dark eye sockets of cave grottoes, pillar-like remnants with deep crevices. Of particular interest is the karst arch - a relic of an ancient cave, destroyed by time and the river. The height of its vault reaches 15 meters. This arch is the most picturesque in the Ai Valley.

DANCE GROTTO. It is located on the right bank of the river. Ai below the village of Sikiyaz-Tamak. This cave is of a cyclic type and is a vast underground cavity with a perfectly flat floor and an area of ​​243 sq.m.

THE CAVES OF THE KURGAZAK LOG. Located 3-4 km northwest of the village. Pokrovka on the left bank of the river. Ai. There are both horizontal and vertical caves-mines. Among them - Kurgazakskaya cave - 357 m long and 18 m deep, Student - 40 m / 8 m, Big Pokrovskaya pit (Mine-47) - 62m / 47m, Small Pokrovskaya pit (Mine-30) - 92m / 35m.

GROT "YOUNSHESKIY". The most inaccessible cave in the Chelyabinsk region. Situated on the left bank of the river. Ai, in the limestone rock "Big Prytes" at a height of 56 m from the base of the rock. The dimensions of the grotto: the length of the passages is 90.5 m, the depth is 21 m. For the first time this cavity was explored on May 4, 1970 by a team of speleologists from Chelyabinsk, Korkino and Sverdlovsk (headed by S. M. Baranov). The grotto was named "Youthful" in honor of the club of young geologists of the city of Korkino, whose members also took part in its storming.

In 1975, a match meeting between speleologists from Chelyabinsk and Ufa was held at the Yunoshesky grotto. And the next year, speleologists from the cities of the Urals gathered here for their first Match on the technique and tactics of speleotourism and elements of rescue work. On these rocks, training camps of the team of speleologists of the Chelyabinsk region were repeatedly held before departures to the All-Russian rallies and competitions. From here began their journey to the championship titles Soviet Union and Russia, to gold and silver medals speleologists from Chelyabinsk, Satka, Zlatoust and Magnitogorsk. Our speleologists returned home seven times with gold medals, twice with silver and twice with bronze. Such a phenomenal success has not been achieved by any team of speleologists, both in the former Soviet Union and in Russia.

SIKIYAZ-TAMAK CAVE COMPLEX. Bend rivers Ai forms a peninsula near the village of Sikiyaz-Tamak - a huge, flat glade, like a palm, framed by forested spurs of the Tui-Tube ridge.

It was here in August 1995 that a complex speleoarchaeological expedition consisting of V. Akinshin, S. Baranov, Yu. Vaganov, P. Zvyagintsev, A. Pulov, P. Sivinsky, V. Yurin and others landed.

On the right bank rivers Ai 425 meters long, 42 objects are concentrated: caves, grottoes, sheds, niches, two karst arches and one bridge. As a result of archaeological studies of loose deposits of caves, cultural layers belonging to all historical eras have been identified. This is the Upper Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Eneolithic, Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, Middle Ages.

Time in this dungeon conserved tools of human labor, tens of thousands of bones of animals, birds, fish, including fossils. In one of the pits, bones of animals from all natural and climatic zones of the Urals, from the tundra to the steppe, were found, including fossils: mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, primitive deer, cave lion, bear, hyena.

Archaeological expeditions annually working in Sikiyaz-Tamak make more and more new historical finds. More than 10 thousand fragments of ceramics from various eras have already been collected, a piece of copper and a splash of bronze have been found. This rare find confirms that in ancient times metal was smelted in the Sikiyaz-Tamak caves.

Already available information allows us to say that in Sikiyaz-Tamak we are dealing with a rare occurrence, which has no analogues in world practice, here nature itself has created a natural museum in which traces of human presence, landscape, vegetation and animal world, parallels of history and culture, closely intertwined, carry the richest information.

The discovery of the Sikiyaz-Tamak cave complex with traces of the habitation of people of the Stone and Bronze Ages, scientists often compare with the excavations of the legendary Troy. According to the conclusion of the participants of the International Conference "Cave Paleolithic of the Urals", the Sikiyaz-Tamaksky cave-rock ensemble is the only ancient multi-layered settlement in Russia, located in a compact group of caves of natural origin.

In 1999, the Sikiyaz-Tamaksky cave complex was declared a monument of history and culture of the Chelyabinsk region.

In the summer of 1996, the first speleoarchaeological expedition of schoolchildren from the Satka region began its work in Sikiyaz-Tamak.

ON THE ROAD OF THE IRON CARAVAN. Iron caravans- a set of measures to deliver the products of the Ural factories to the markets in European part countries as well as abroad. They were a series (up to several dozen) of barges that followed the river one after another.

Barka, or kolomenka - a river non-self-propelled flat-bottomed covered vessel with sheer sides and blunt ends, designed to transport iron.

It was built from dry selective wood for only one navigation. It was equipped with two pairs of potes - large oars up to 6 meters long, which were used for maneuvering, four anchors, a skewed boat designed for landing on the shore and for refloating, as well as two lots - cast-iron weights lowered to the bottom on riffles. rivers that control the speed of the movement. There was a cabin for the pilot and a cockpit with bunks for the crew members. The length of the vessel was on average 28, width 12 meters, carrying capacity - over 170 tons. They were built on the shore by special artels, with the beginning of navigation (after the ice drift) they went down to the water. During the winter, the plant's products were transported by sleigh to the river and stored on the shore. It was loaded inside through two hatches, laid on special floorings, fastened with wooden struts.

River navigation Ai was possible only in the spring, when the water was released from the factory ponds. For this, waters accumulated by the Zlatoust, Kusinsky and Satkinsky plants, as well as a specially built pond on the Istrut River, were used.

The organization of the alloy was carried out by the factory administration. At the head of the caravan went the clerk, called the caravan. The peasants of the Vyatka province were usually hired as ship workers, and as pilots - from the coastal population of those rivers along which the rafting was carried out at this stage. At the initial stage of the journey, and the exit to the Belaya River, the barge crew consisted of 40-45 people, after Ufa - about 20 people. During the journey, the crew could change several times. Factory workers, having completed the most difficult, mountainous, section, returned home from Ufa on foot, to their main work. Each barge had a pilot who ensured proper maneuvering (do not run aground, do not smash against stones) and a water dispenser - the head of the artel of barge haulers, who was responsible for the safety of cargo, kept the workers' documents and money for their food, and also supervised the repair of the barge if necessary.

Iron went along the rivers Ai, Ufa, Belaya and Kama to the Volga, further upstream to Tver, further along the Tvertsa River and the Upper Volotsk Canal to Novgorod, and from there through the Volkhov and the Ladoga Canal to St. Petersburg. The caravan wintered in Tver, and by July next year(i.e. 14 months after dispatch) arrived in the capital. On the way, the caravan entered industrial centers (Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, etc.), where part of the cargo settled, and the crew was also replaced, the goods were reloaded. in May 1761. In 1778 the wharf was moved to a new location, 12 km downstream rivers Ai, to the mouth of the Ishchelka River (the village of Novaya Pristan), from which the rafting was carried out for more than a hundred years. The last caravan with the Satka iron went down the river Ai in May 1890, when the Samaro-Zlatoust (now the South Ural) railway came into operation.

LEGENDS ABOUT PRETIES

Below Novaya Pristan, the village of Aisky and the mouth of the Kurgazak log, on the left bank rivers Ai there are two huge limestone ridges - Small and Large prites. Otherwise, they are called Yuldashkin ridge and Sybar-kaya (Motley rock). The rocks are majestic and magnificent. In the recent past, the old-timers of Alekseevka, Sikiyaz-Tamaka, Kulmetovo, Pokrovka, Termeneva and other surrounding villages associated legends about Yuldash with the Small and Big Prytes. Yuldash's identity has not been fully clarified. Some considered him a horse thief, others - just a swindler. I would like to tell three legends about Yuldash and Aysk prites with the same outcome.

Small pritesy (Yuldashkin comb)

That was a long time ago, even before the October Revolution of 1917. They appointed a Tatar Yuldash as a forester in Kulmetovo. He would have done things according to the law, but he turned out to be a fraudster. He deceived all the men. In those days, everyone needed a forest both for houses, and for household buildings, and for firewood. Yuldash took the money, but he did not write out the forest, he drank it all away. The Alekseevsky peasants were brutalized with insults and decided to deal with him.

Once in the summer, before sunset, a drunk Yuldash was returning home from Termenova to Kulmetovo. The men on horseback surrounded him, pressed him to the edge of the cliff and, together with the wagon, threw him down from a 70-meter height. Since then, this rock has been called the Yuldashkin Ridge.

Big pretenses (Sybar-kaya)

This forfeit happened before the revolution. They began to get lost in the village of Termeneva horse. And not in units, but in whole herds. The Termenevites were alarmed and began to watch for the thief. And this thief turned out to be the Kulmetyevsk Tatar Yuldash. Yuldash secretly drove horses from pastures and sold them to gypsies. In those days, horse theft flourished in the Zlatoust district, and it was not easy to identify the true thief. But Yuldash left traces and paid for it.

Once, after another theft, he returned to his native village. An ambush was already waiting for him. Termenevtsy on horseback surrounded Yuldash and pushed him to the edge of the Ai rock. Seeing that he could not escape from the ring, Yuldash accelerated and, to the vicious whistle of his pursuers, together with his horse, jumped from the cliff, where he found his death.

The legend claims that the place of death of Yuldash was a grandiose limestone rock 90-100 meters high, elongated in the shape of a giant stone horseshoe, not far from the current Alekseevsky livestock farm. Now they call her the Big Boobs. But Yuldash, realizing the hopelessness of his situation, was not afraid of this height and threw himself into the abyss.

Grotto Youth (Karagay)

There are several caves in the Great Prytes. One of them is the Youth Grotto. Previously, the Kulmetyevites called this cave in their own way - Karatash (Black Stone) or Karakuashi (Black Hole) for the peculiar color design of the entrance. The usual visitors to the cave were gray crows, and permanent residents and owners - the bats(bats). For thousands of years, the round black eye of the cave has attracted the attention of people - from primitive hunters to the current speleologists. What secrets are hidden in the depths of the rocks? What is there in the belly of the cave? Halls of mountain spirits, fairy-tale palaces, gold?! There is a legend or legend about the Great Prytes and the Youthful Grotto.

It was a long time ago, even before the collective farms, when each owner kept horses, in a personal household they could not do without horses. And then the trouble happened. Horses began to be lost in Kulmetova and neighboring Russian villages. Soon they realized that a horse thief had appeared. They found out that this filthy craft was engaged in by their own Kulmetovsky - Tatar Yuldash, a well-known swindler and rogue in the district.

The Kulmet peasants did not think long about what to do with the horse thief and the robber. They ambushed Yuldash just at the time when he was returning to his village after another theft, but had not yet managed to cross the Ai. The riders surrounded Yuldash and blocked the roads. To the right began the wide Alekseevskoe field - there was no hiding. On the left, the huge rock of Sybar-kaya broke off - there was no move. The horse thief realized that there was no escape from the reprisal. Without hesitation, he quickly unharnessed his horse, jumped on it, accelerated and rushed headlong towards death.

The enraged peasants did not spare even the wagon with Yuldashkin's goods. In it they found only one "shurum-burum" - all sorts of things, mostly second-hand clothes bought at some bazaar. However, they were not seduced by junk and the cart was overturned in the same place where Yuldash had jumped. And then there was a paradox about which they spoke long years and which was especially remembered by Kulmet's old-timers.

Yuldash liked to drink tea and always carried a large copper samovar with him. In Yuldash's wagon, the same turned out to be a samovar, which also flew head over heels from a cliff, but ... did not fall. A birch tree grew in a crevice of the rock, and with one eye the samovar caught on a knot, and hung on it.

Years passed, decades dragged on, and the samovar dangled in the wind, causing either surprise or superstitious fear. According to him, the Kulmetyevites accurately determined the place of Yuldash's death. And this place turned out to be a rock, which in our time is called the Great Prytes. Yuldashkin's samovar hung in that part of the stone wall, where, at a height of 60 meters, a dark entrance opens into a mysterious cave that was unknown at that time. Superstitious Kulmetians, looking at the samovar and the dark pensive eye of the cave against the background of the colorful rock, saw this phenomenon as a bad omen. They also said that a shaitan settled in a black den, i.e. an unclean spirit (hell), who whistled at night, frightened children, old men, old women and beautiful girls. Then they guessed that it was Yuldashkin's samovar whistling, swaying in the wind. The samovar, having sagged and whistled for several decades, suddenly fell off the cliff and plunged forever into the waters of Aya. It happened in the mid 60s.

Of the many rivers of the Southern Urals, the Ai River stands out for its variability. Areas with insanely beautiful gorges of rocks are replaced by flat areas. And so on throughout the river.

The river is very, very popular with tourists.

Food, like all the rivers of the Southern Urals, is mainly snowy. The average annual water discharge at the mouth of the Ai River is 84 m3/s.

Ai freezes in mid-November, opens in late April, early May. The Ai River is conditionally divided into two parts. Gornaya, from the source to the village of Lakly. Iravninnaya, from the village of Lakly, to the mouth. There are two cities on the river Ai, Zlatoust and Mezheva. Although the second can be considered a city conditionally and rather it is an urban-type settlement. The runoff of the Ai River is regulated by three reservoirs. One of which is located at the source of the river, and two - in the city of Zlatoust. The main tributaries of the Ai River on the right: Kusa, Bolshaya Arsha, Kigi, Bol. Hic. On the left - Bolshaya Satka, Lemazy, Melekes.

The word "ai" in the Bashkir language means "moon". Those. Ai - moon river. Although it is quite possible that this is a common folk etymology and the name comes from some other source. Indeed, in the same region, another river begins, which is called the Ui. Ai and Ui are quite consonant with each other. There is something else for toponymists to think about here.

Hey, the river is raftable. High water is available for rafting in the upper reaches, but rafting on the Ai River is better to start from the city of Zlatoust. But this is in big water. In summer, with a low water level in the river, it is best to start rafting down the Ayu from the mouth of the Bolshaya Satka River. Or as an option along Bolshaya Satka, from the village of Porogi and further along the Ai River. This will allow you to see one of the most interesting engineering monuments of the Urals - a hydroelectric power station built on Bolshaya Satka in 1910. By the way, the hydroelectric power station is still operating and the equipment on it is still manufactured in 1909, as evidenced by brass tags on turbines and generators. And below the mouth of the Big Satka, the famous Aisky prites begin, stretching to the village of Lakly. Rafting on the river Ai in this section will allow you to enjoy the picturesque rocks, caves and Ai petroglyphs. In addition, in front of the village of Lakly on the Ai River, there is the famous cave city of Sikiyaz-Tamaka, but more on that later.

Rafting in the lower reaches of the Ai River, from the village of Bolsheustikinskoye, can turn out to be interesting if it is combined with rafting along the Ufa River. There is good fishing in these places both on the Ai River and on Ufimka.

From other rivers of the Southern Urals, the Ai River differs in one interesting property - in the river there is constantly cloudy water. Obviously, these are the rocks along the banks of the river. There are no rapids and shivers on the Ai River, which are usually characteristic of a mountain river. The bottom of the river is flat. In the mountainous part, the river Ai is meandering. Above the ancient village of Lakly along the banks, here and there, picturesque cliffs rise, called prites here. Almost everyone has their own name. The area along the banks of the Aya is heavily karst and there are many caves in the area. Laklinskaya, Kurgazak, Aylinsky caves and, of course, the recently discovered and described Sikiyaztamak cave city, which includes 38 cave objects.

Places along the banks of the river are very interesting from the point of view of history and local history. Many legends are associated with these places. About the elder Averkiy, who lived in the cave of Averkiyeva Yama. About the peasant war and the Pugachev treasure. The villages of Staraya and Novaya pier, standing on the banks of the Ai River, were indeed once piers, on which the products of the Satka plant were loaded onto barges and sent to the big water down the river. About the robbers, the Old Believers and the head of the Zlatoust factories and the scientist. It will be interesting to visit the monastery in Istrut. The attraction of the banks of the Ai River is the cave of Averkieva Yama. The cave is associated with a legend about the old man Averky who once lived there.

The Ai river is very beautiful, the Ai prites are especially beautiful. That is why the population of the neighboring cities of Zlatoust, and especially Satka, spends time on its shores with great pleasure in the summer. Music is heard from everywhere according to the principle - whoever has it louder is cooler. Especially crowded in summer opposite the rocks of Sikiyaz-Tamaka. In the summer, commercial tourism flourishes on the banks of the Ai River. Groups for rafting go one after another and the river Ai again turns into a hard worker. Fishing on the Ai River is also popular.

You can get to the Ai River by the Ufa-Chelyabinsk railway, to the city of Zlatoust or to the Kusa station, mining railway Bakal-Chusovskaya. By car, you can drive along the federal highway M5 to the city of Zlatoust or through Satka to the village of Mezhevoy. Option to the village

Ai was not cloudy before. In my childhood, crayfish were found near the Kusinsky gardens. When the Zlatoust factories began to pollute the river, it became cloudy and there were no crayfish, and there were almost no fish left.

- Bolshie Pritesy rock. This is a high and long rock wall, up to 100 meters high.

The Ai River is certainly one of the most beautiful rivers in the Urals. Translated from Bashkir, its name means "Moon" or "Moon River". It flows through the territory of the Chelyabinsk region and Bashkiria. The length of the river is 549 kilometers. It has many picturesque rocks, many caves.

Big Prytes - business card river Ai. They impress with their size and beauty.

The definition "Large" conveys the size of the rocks. "Pritesy" in relation to rocks is very common in these places (in contrast, for example, from Chusovaya, where rocks are called stones). Prites here are called rocks that break vertically to the river. The word comes from "hew", "cliff".

And the Tatars and Bashkirs call these rocks differently - Sybar-Kaya, which means "motley rock." And indeed it is. What shades the rocky wall of the Great Prytes does not have, including thanks to lichens.

The rock, almost a kilometer long, curved in an arc along the left bank of the river, making a turn to the right here.

Big Prytes are completely sheer. Only in one place (and not without difficulty) you can climb up.

There are several caves in Bolshie Pritesy (Youth Grotto, First and Second Backstage, etc.).

visit Grotto Juvenile only climbers can do it by rappelling down a perfectly vertical rock wall. The height of the grotto from the foot of the cliff is 56 meters, and from the top to the entrance to the cave is 26 meters.

Previously, local residents from the village of Kulmetovo called the darkening in the rock, impregnable cave Karatash or Karakuashi (Black Stone, Black Hole). Modern name arose in 1969, when the cave was first explored by pupils of the club of young geologists from the city of Korkino under the guidance of speleologist S.M. Baranov. In the next 1970, a topographical survey of the cave was carried out.

The grotto has a rectangular inlet measuring two by three meters, oriented to the southeast. Shortly after entering, a well four meters deep is formed. From a four-meter grotto at the bottom of the well, a narrow gap extends, leading to the rest of the cave. In cold weather and up to the beginning of summer, this part of the cave is covered with beautiful ice formations. The last hall is called the Ice Saber Hall for a reason. Ice stalactites hanging from above are similar in shape to sabers, their length reaches 12 meters.

Another passage goes from the entrance to the cave deep into the rock. It is narrow, 30 meters long. In total, the total length of the cave is 90.5 meters, the depth is 21 meters (in the Ice Saber Hall).

Today, someone has erected a cross on a rock near the Youth Grotto.

To the right of the Yunoshesky grotto, which is clearly visible from the water, you can climb the crevice (couloir) to the top of the Big Prytes. Rafting down the Ai River, you should not miss this opportunity. There are boards with bars nailed across. This makes it easier to climb, but there are stones near the boards that fall down and can injure people walking below. Be careful!

Shortly before the end of the uphill climb, there are two small caves - First and Second Backstage, so named for their location on the couloir. Their length is 23 and 44 meters. First explored by Satka speleologists of the Poisk club in July 1978 under the guidance of V.V. Roshchin.

Climbing Pritesy, it seems that you are going uphill. But, having climbed, you see a plain and understand that it is the Ai River that flows in a deep canyon.

From the top of the Big Prytes opens beautiful view on the rocks and surroundings, on the valley of the river Ai. Cliffs are visible above and below the river. From here, the ships sailing along the river seem quite tiny. There is an equipped observation deck on Bolshiye Pritesy. Behind the trees large field where you can see grazing horses. Here is the Alekseevskaya livestock farm. There are karst funnels on the field. In the southeast, behind the field, mountains turn blue - the Kukshik ridge.

Climbers train on Bolshiye Pritesy, and extreme sportsmen jump from them. A beautiful video about such I suggest watching.

A video about the entertainment of extreme sportsmen at Bolshiye Pritesy:

Small Prytes and Dry Waterfalls

Small Pritesy (or Yuldashkin crest) are smaller, but also good. Like Bolshoi, they are located on the left bank of the river (3 km upstream or 1.5 km straight on foot across the field).

The length of the rocks is 750 m, the height is 60-80 m. The age of the limestones composing the rock is 370-350 million years. If you look closely, you can pay attention to the extended ledge. The rocks are covered with mosses, lichens, partially overgrown with grass and even shrubs. The north-facing cliffs are dimly illuminated by the sun. Begin immediately after a rapid roll.

But the main "feature" of the Small Prites is dry waterfalls(second name - Alekseevsky Log).

Dry waterfalls are not visible from the water, so you can easily swim past. They are located on the left bank, just below the rocky outcrop of Malye Pritesy.

They are a dry valley with several cascades - transverse ledges. You can climb them like the steps of a stone staircase. In ancient times, a river flowed here.

At the top is a rock, at which a log running from above along the field breaks off. Spring or after heavy rains a waterfall with a height of 16.5 meters is formed here. Under the rock there is a small lake in a funnel.

In my opinion, Dry Falls is one of the most worthwhile, memorable places on the Ai River. Take care of these wonderful places!

Alekseevsky (Dry) waterfalls in spring, video Vladimir Timkin :

Legend of the Prites

This story happened before the revolution. They began to disappear in the village of Termeneva horse. And not in units, but in whole herds. The Termenevites were alarmed and began to watch for the thief. And the thief turned out to be the Kulmetyevsk Tatar Yuldash. Yuldash secretly stole horses and sold them to gypsies.

Once, after another hijacking, Yuldash was returning to his native village. But an ambush awaited him. Termenevtsy on horseback surrounded Yuldash. On the right, a wide Alekseevsky field began - there was no hiding, on the left - a rock on the Ai River - there was also no way. Seeing that he could not escape from the ring, Yuldash unharnessed his horse, accelerated and, to the vicious whistle of his pursuers, jumped off the cliff with his horse, finding his death below.

The angry men did not spare even the wagon with Yuldashkin's goods. Overturned to the same place where the owner jumped. In that wagon there was a samovar that Yuldash carried everywhere with him. He flew out and caught in a crevice of the rock. It happened just in the place where the entrance to the mysterious cave (youthful grotto) opens. For decades, that samovar hung on parole. The wind howled in it, causing superstitious fear in people. Then he still broke and drowned in the river (in the mid-1960s).

The legend was recorded by Satka local historian V.P. Chernetsov.

How to get to the Small and Big Prytes?

Large and Small Pritesy are located on the border of the Satkinsky district of the Chelyabinsk region and the Republic of Bashkortostan. It is best to visit the places described above and many other attractions while rafting on the Ai River. But if this is not possible, then you can get there by transport. By car, you need to move along the M5 highway (Chelyabinsk - Ufa), turn to Satka. After passing through the city, follow in the direction of Mezhevoe. Pass Suleya, Paramonovo and turn left in front of Novaya Pier. Behind the village of Blinovka, you will pass by the old river bed of Kamenka and the caves on it, and the former Kurgazak mine will be nearby. Drive in the direction of the village of Alekseevka to the Alekseevskaya farm. The map below will help you navigate. The distance from Chelyabinsk is 220 km, from Yekaterinburg 340 km.

GPS-coordinates of Big Prytes: N 55º 08.942´; E 58º 41.756´.

GPS-coordinates of Malye Pritesy: N 55º 08.446´; E 58º 42.799´.

GPS coordinates of Dry Waterfalls (Alekseevsky log): N 55º 08.718´; E 58º42.433´.

In addition, during the trip you can visit the Kurgazak (Kurgazakskaya) cave, you can also drive to the Laklinskaya cave. Also on the way you can make a stop in Satka and get acquainted with the sights of the city. If you have time, then you should visit

The Southern Urals is famous for its picturesque nature, and its amazing rivers, surrounded by rocky shores, deserve special attention. Our today's story is about the beautiful Ai River, the “Moon Beauty” (this is how its name is translated from the Bashkir language).

basic information

So, the Ai River originates between the ridges of the Southern Urals - on the slope of Elauda in the Cranberry Swamp at an altitude of 700 meters above sea level, not far from Zlatoust.

Conventionally, it can be divided into two parts: mountainous - from the source to the village of Lakla, and flat - from Lakla to the mouth. Ai flows into the Ufa River.

The total length is about 540 kilometers, half of which the Ai River flows through the Chelyabinsk region, and half through the Republic of Bashkiria. The average depth is only 1 meter.

Its main tributaries are the rivers Ik, Kigi, Melekes, Kusa, Lemazy, Bolshaya Arsha and Bolshaya Satka. But still, it receives its main food from melting snow.

The Ai River, for some unknown reason, is always muddy. Perhaps the answer lies in its marsh origin or in the special rocks of the coastal soil.

One more interesting feature- frequent change So, during a strong heat, the river becomes completely shallow, and during the rains, its level rises rapidly, and the water becomes even more muddy.

Rafting on the river Ai

Extreme lovers will definitely appreciate this unforgettable adventure - rafting on dangerous mountain rapids, stunning coastal views, rocks and caves that you will meet along the way. By the way, along the course of the Ai there are 38 unique caves, of which Laklinskaya and Kurgazanskaya are considered the most famous.

Another attraction is the Karst Arch - a 15-meter rock ledge on the right bank of the river near the village of Novaya Pristan. Scientists believe that this is the remains of a very ancient cave, which was destroyed by water and time.

The Ai River is also a meeting with the past, because it is not in vain that archaeologists from all over the world aspire here. The right bank is literally strewn with various historical monuments. For example, a few kilometers from the village of Vanyashkino is the famous "Korotaevsky Stone", on which ancient hieroglyphs are visible - images of the Sun, running people and animals.

Mountain climbers will also find something to do here. Their most popular place is the 80-meter rock "Devil's Finger", sheer and very dangerous. It is located one kilometer from the village of Petropavlovsk.

Fishing on the river Ai

Rafting down the river, you can entertain yourself with good fishing. Pikes, chubs, bleaks, minnows, perches, less often - assholes are found here.

And the Ai River is also famous for its unique fish - grayling, which you can't catch anywhere else in the Urals. This species is found infrequently due to unfavorable ecology and dry years.

The main prey of fishermen is small chubs weighing up to a kilogram. You can catch something bigger, but for this you need to experiment with the bait and the method of fishing.

Fish in Aya are constantly migrating, so it is difficult to choose a permanent place for a successful bite. It happens that one day brings a rich catch, and the next in the same place you can stay empty-handed.

Perch, asp, chub are caught here on spinning, and perch and grayling peck well on the float.

With its picturesque banks, Ai is in no way inferior to the famous Chusovaya River. The river is interesting both with its numerous high cliffs with caves and historical sights shrouded in intriguing legends. Ancient rock paintings can be found on the coastal rocks, and treasure hunters are haunted by legends about Pugachev's treasures and robber caches. As on Chusovaya, here every spring barges of iron caravans ran downstream, and today the beauty of the river attracts many tourists.

Features of the Ai River

The Ai River begins in the Cranberry Swamp, located between the Yagodny and Urenga ridges. The height of the source above sea level is 874 meters. The length of the river is 549 kilometers. Of these, 271 kilometers it runs through the territory of the Chelyabinsk region, and 278 - through the Republic of Bashkortostan. From the village of Lakly Ai flows almost parallel to another well-known South Ural river - Yuryuzan. It flows into the Ufa River.

The river is conditionally divided into two parts: mountainous (from the source to the village of Lakly) and flat (from the village of Lakly to the mouth). Leaving the mountains, Ai enters the territory of the Mesyagutovskaya forest-steppe and the Ufa plateau.

From the Bashkir language, the word "ai" is translated as "moon" (month). That is, Ai is “moon river”. In ancient times, the Bashkirs revered this heavenly body. In addition, in some Turkic languages ​​the word "ay" has received figurative meaning"Beauty" ("beautiful as the moon").

Satka pier. Photo 1895

For tourist rafting on the Ai River, the section from the city of Kusa to the village of Lakly is suitable. Its length is 126 kilometers. In summer, rafting along the entire route will take about a week. Although most tourists are limited to rafting from Mezhevoe (New Pristan) to Laklov. The length of this section is small - about 40 km. The distance is covered in just two weekends. This section of the river is the most beautiful and interesting.

There are no stormy rapids on the Ai River, unexpectedly blocking the path of trees, hold-downs and other dangers. Rafting on it is great for beginner tourists, family rafting and just a relaxing holiday without adrenaline rushes. From Kusa to Laklov, the river is suitable for rafting throughout the season, but in hot, dry summers, with a small amount of water, in some places you will have to navigate the shallows.

Due to the characteristics of the bottom and the silt that is easily soluble in water, the Ai River cannot boast of transparency. River water is always muddy. It becomes a little more transparent only after the Mezhevoe - due to dilution with clean tributaries and a rocky bottom. During rafting I recommend to draw water for cooking in springs and tributaries. The average depth of the river is quite small - up to 1-1.5 meters. The current is quiet - you have to work a lot with oars.

There are many rocks along the banks of the river. The highest and most impressive of them are in the section from Mezhevoe to Laklov. There are many caves and grottoes of various lengths.

Rafting on the river Ai. Guide for the route Kusa - Mezhevaya - Lakla

It is convenient to start rafting on the Ai River from the city of Kus in the Chelyabinsk region. Above (from Zlatoust) it is still shallow, and after Kusa the Ai river is suitable for rafting even in the middle of summer. You can get to Kusa by private or chartered vehicle, or by regular bus from Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk or Zlatoust.

You can start rafting, for example, from a picturesque rocks of Argus. It was this place, when working on a book about the Ai River, that I took as a starting point for mileage. If you came to Kusa by regular bus, then you will need to walk just over 500 meters to Argus.

Motorists can unload and start rafting before entering Kusu, or in the area of ​​the former railway station. Before starting a water trip, you can get acquainted with the city of Kusa and its attractions.

Rock Argus stands on the right bank of the river Ay. In the past, in the days of iron caravan rafting, barges were carried by the current straight to a stone cliff, standing at a bend. Sometimes there were misfortunes.

Argus goes along the river in a high and rather narrow ridge, breaking off on both sides. Beautiful grows on the mountain Pine forest. There is a grotto at the base of the rock. The cliff is the remains of a reef with colonies of blue-green algae - stromatolites. Argus is a geological natural monument of the Chelyabinsk region.

Shortly after the start of the rafting ahead is shown railroad bridge. At this point, the Ai River is crossed by the West Ural Railway, opened in 1916 in order to connect the Lysva station and the Berdyaush station of the Samara-Zlatoust railway in order to facilitate access to raw materials for the Ural factories. Behind the turn, the houses of the former Kusa railway station begin.

Behind the station village, the river turns left. Soon the houses of the horticultural association "Mashinostroitel" are shown. The gardens are divided into two sections: southern and northern. Between them is a rock 10-15 meters high, composed of limestone and dolomite. This rock outcrop is called Ul stone- along the river flowing into the Ai.

After the garden plots on the right bank rises Mount Kopanets(610 m). The Center for Active Recreation "Eurasia" operates here. Below, on the right bank, in Soviet time located a small lumber camp Promstroy mentioned in old guidebooks.

11 kilometers from the starting point of the route on the left, Ai receives clear and cool waters Big Bagrush river. The name comes from the Bashkir word "bagrush" - "trout" (here grayling is found). Approximately 2 kilometers upstream of the Bolshoy Bagrush River on the western slope of Egrashina Mountain is located Egrashinsky cave 23 meters long. Strictly speaking, this is not a cave, but an old mine working - an adit (probably of the 19th century).

After the mouth of the Big Bagrush, the Ai River flows between Marinkina mountains(473 m) and Gornovaya(606 m). Soon the river makes an intricate loop more than 13 kilometers long.

At 16 kilometers from the starting point of the rafting, on the right bank of the Ai River, you will meet a rather large Petropavlovka village. Here a rather large right tributary flows into the Ai - Big Arsha river. Name In 1849, the merchant Lagutin founded a pottery (and later a brick) factory here. There was also a water mill. In 1859, the plant was converted into a distillery. In 1864, the company was bought by the Zlokazov brothers, Ural merchants who competed with the “vodka king” A.F. Poklevsky-Cosell. They founded the Zlokazov Brothers Trading House. The distillery also operated in Soviet times, but in 2005 the enterprise was closed. It is interesting that the future Marshal of the Soviet Union B.M. spent his childhood in Petropavlovka. Shaposhnikov.

Immediately after the village of Petropavlovka, on the same bank, a mountain almost devoid of trees rises. It comes out to the Ai River with rocky outcrops. The rock was named Devil's Finger. There are quite a few rocky remains with this name in the Urals, but all of them are named for their characteristic columnar ledges. However, you will not see anything like this here: ordinary-looking small rocks, without any “fingers”. I recommend making a stop and climbing the mountain. The view is just stunning!

2 kilometers below, on the left bank, you can see a small Sloika rock with pronounced limestone layers. Soon, resting against a high mountain, the river makes a sharp turn to the left, almost at a right angle. Rocks are visible on the high right bank.

At the 22nd kilometer of the route, a small the village of Deaf Island. The name emphasizes the features of the riverbed in this place. The village of Glukhoy Ostrov arose in the 1920s. The inhabitants were engaged in logging and timber rafting down the river. In 1930, the Zarya collective farm was formed here, the pride of which was an orchard. It is interesting that a treasure was found near the village.

The big one starts soon a loop 8 kilometers long, while the distance at the base of the loop is only 450 meters. A chain of rocky outcrops stretches along the right bank. The rocks that break into the water, although not high by Ai standards, are picturesque. Under the influence of water, small grottoes and niches were formed in the rocks. A variety of fossils can be seen in limestone.

Further, the right bank gradually decreases, but the left bank becomes higher. It also shows rocks. The top of the bend begins from the left-bank cliff, so we called it swivel. After 3.5 kilometers after the top of the Glukhoostrovskaya Loop, another rock will appear on the right bank of the Aya - Diganat. The rock stands just at the lower end of the base of the bend, as if symbolizing its end. 600 meters below, beyond the clearing, you can see another rock. Nearby there is a cozy gazebo with a table and benches. Burdin reach, popular among fishermen, is located here.

On the 34th kilometer of the route, on the right, it flows into the Ai Beida river. Several caves have been discovered in the Beida Valley. In the past, near its mouth stood the village of Nadezhdino (or Ufimka). Now only an abandoned cemetery remains. Soon, on the right bank of the Aya, a chain begins Black rocks, which stretch for about a kilometer.

At the 35th kilometer on the left bank, it flows into the Ai rivulet Terekhta. The name is translated from Bashkir as "abounding in poplars". On its left bank, about 500 meters from Aya, there is a small village of the same name.

After 1.5 kilometers, the Ai River makes a sharp turn to the right almost at an angle of 90 degrees. At the turn on the left bank there is a picturesque rock 15-20 meters high, overgrown with mosses. A karst hole darkens in the upper part. Due to this lonely eye socket, we called rock by Cyclops. There is a small cave here.

After 1 kilometer, a chain of limestone rocks begins on the right bank. The first of these looks like hedgehog who came to the watering place. We named the next rock Border, since the Republic of Bashkortostan begins from here. For 28 kilometers, the administrative border of the two regions passes along the Ai River. This rock has a well-visible cave from the river. There is another cave in the last of this chain of rocks. For its appearance, we named this rock stove. And right on the course shows an impressive mount Uary 745 meters high.

Below on the left bank stands a small dying village Cheslavka. As of 2010, only 4 people lived in the village. A little lower, on the opposite right bank, there is a fairly large Kulbakovo village. In the past it was also called Sataevo. Belongs to the Kiginsky district of Bashkortostan. This is the first Bashkir village that is found on the rafting route. It is strikingly different from the Chelyabinsk villages. In Kulbakovo, all the buildings are strong, no abandoned houses are visible, a lot of living creatures walk around: cows, horses, geese, ducks. On the river it is white-white from domestic waterfowl.

Within the boundaries of the village on the left bank rises majestically a beautiful rock Guardian 20-25 meters high. Behind the village on the right bank begin Kulbakovskie rocks. This is a rocky ridge stretching along the river. There is a small cave, developed along a crack, and a grotto. In these rocks there is the first petroglyph from the upper reaches of the Ai River. Kulbakovskaya pisanitsa examined and described by archaeologist V.N. Shirokov.

3.5 kilometers after the Kulbakovskaya pisanitsa there will be another one - Allaelginskaya. It is located on the right bank of the Ai River on a 15-meter-high cliff (). A deep pool formed under the rock. The Allaelga pisanitsa is unusual both in its location and content. The figures are drawn on a vertical rock at a height of more than 5-6 meters above the water level, they consist only of wavy intersecting lines. Similar drawings were found only on the Maloyazskaya petroglyph on the Yuryuzan River. 100 meters below the cliff on the same right bank flows into river Allaelga. The name comes from the Bashkir words "ala yylga" - "motley river" or "alla yylga" - "God's river". The second option, taking into account the mysterious rock paintings, is especially intriguing ...

After 1 kilometer after Allaelginsky prites, rocks are again shown on the right bank. Climbing up, you can find a grotto and a small through arch. The Bashkir village of Asylguzhino stands on the mountain. Directly on the course on the left bank, away from the river, reddish rocks rise above the forest, and behind them peeps high mountain. In the past it was located nearby Satka cordon.

Behind the turn of Aya, on the left bank, a mouth is shown Bolshaya Satka river. Here, rafting tourists leave the Kusinsky district and end up in the Satkinsky district of the Chelyabinsk region (and on the right bank is still the territory of Bashkortostan). Bolshaya Satka is the most major tributary Aya in the described area. The length of the river is 88 kilometers. It is a fast, mountain river with numerous rifts. If possible, I recommend making a stop near the mouth of the Bolshaya Satka and taking a walk to the former Porozhskaya hydroelectric power station in the village of Porogi. The distance from the Ai River is 5.5-6 kilometers one way, but it's worth it!

Opposite the mouth of Bolshaya Satka, 50 kilometers from the beginning of the route, on the right bank of the Ai River, there is a Bashkir Asylguzhino village. The hills near the village break off towards Ayu with picturesque cliffs. The first rock outcrop, located opposite the mouth of the Bolshaya Satka, is smooth, as if neatly cut with a gigantic knife. The rocks come out on the other side of the island located here. This island is perhaps the most unusual in the entire river. Flowing around the island, the river makes a big loop, leaving deep to the right bank. Such places in the past were called krivush or kriush.

Beyond the village, the river turns south. On the right bank rise to a height of 30 meters Asylguzhin rocks. Ahead is shown Chulkov (or Chulkovsky) ridge 788 meters high.

Behind the island at the 54th kilometer on the right bank, rocks are again visible. One of them resembles a camel with two humps. Below is a chain of rocks similar to each other, nicknamed Brothers.

7 kilometers after Asylguzhino on the right bank there will be a glade on the site of the former villages Upper Lopas, and after 2 more - on the site of the village Lower Lopas. Upper Lopas and Lower Lopas before late XIX centuries called the village Kulbaevo- named after the first settler Kulbai Yusupov. Shortly before the first clearing on the left bank at the turn of the river rises Rock Pine.

Immediately after the former village of Upper Lopas, picturesque Lopas rocks. Having overcome a steep climb, you can find several caves. From the top of the rocks, you can see the valley of the Ai River and the Chulkov Range rising on the other side. Interesting legends are associated with it.

There are two petroglyphs on the Lopas rocks. The second one is the most interesting - petroglyph Verkhne-Lopasskaya II, with the image of "alien". An anthropomorphic figure is applied to the rock, which outwardly it is very similar to the classic image of an alien: a large oval head, a straight torso, a three-fingered limb ... If any ufologists visited this place, then articles about the landing of aliens would soon be distributed on the Internet and the yellow press , which landed in ancient times on the banks of the Ai River ... Although, in fact, there is, of course, no mysticism and aliens here.

In addition to this anthropomorphic figure, another one, poorly preserved, can be seen nearby. Nearby are two triangles, the bases of which are joined to each other, outwardly resembling a carnival mask (analogues among the Ural petroglyphs are also not known). Pisanitsa was studied by archaeologist V.N. Shirokov.

Below the tract Nizhny Lopas, rocks are again shown. They stretch along the right bank for a long time, looking out for the trees on the upper tier. In one place you can see a cave. According to local legends, the Bashkirs hid weapons and stolen horses in it. There are also stories about treasures hidden in these places. According to the legend, recorded by the Satka local historian V.P. Chernetsov, the Zanozins brothers, robbers and horse thieves, hid in this area. The rocks and the river loop starting from here are named after their names.

Uncomplicated in form Zanozin loop stretched out for 3.5 kilometers. The shortest distance along the isthmus is 250 meters. Also, this loop used to be called the Big Krivulya. By the way, here is exactly half of the water route along the Ai River. Near the top of the bend there is a road along which you can get into the village of Istrut and the Resurrection Monastery.

Further on, majestic rocks are shown on the right bank. They are called Serpentine prites. These are the first truly high rocks from the beginning of the route along the Ai River. Their height reaches 50-60 meters. A grotto is shown in the middle part of the rocks. Since it is located high from the bottom of the rocks, it is not so easy to climb, although there is a well-trodden path upstairs. Climbing up, you will see a grotto with two through passages. From the top there is a picturesque view of the river running below. Near the Serpentine Prytes, the border of Bashkiria recedes. On both banks of the river Ai again the Chelyabinsk region.

A kilometer after the Serpentine Prites, a vast meadow begins on the right bank. Was here in the past Aleksandrovka village. On the contrary, it falls river Istrut. It contained the so-called Pugachev Dam. It served to raise the water level in the Ai River during the rafting of iron caravans. During the Peasant War, at the end of May 1774, the dam of the dam was blown up by the associates of Emelyan Pugachev. The rising water level made it difficult for the government troops to move under the leadership of I.I. Michelson on the other side of the Aya. After that, the dam was nicknamed Pugachevskaya. And there were also legends that during the retreat, the Pugachevites allegedly hid a treasure with gold in its dam.

Downstream of the river (between the mouth of Shulemka and the village of Verkhny Aysk), a dry valley emerges on the right bank snake log. Along the log there are karst failures, caves and ponors.

At 72 km of the route on the right bank begins Upper Aysk village(Verkhneaiskaya, Upper Ai). Cliffs up to 40-50 meters high rise within the boundaries of the village. They are called Bear Forehead. Behind the village flows the river Biya. On the left side of its valley there are caves and grottoes.

On the opposite bank of the Upper Aisk, the left bank stretches village Staraya Pier. The villages standing on different banks are connected by a suspension bridge. The village of Staraya Pristan used to be called the Aiskaya pier or the Aisky settlement. It arose simultaneously with the launch of the Satka plant in 1758-59. Every spring, barges with the products of the Satka plant were rafted from here. Ai pier was damaged in 1774 during the Peasants' War. It was burned by the Pugachevites, and the crossing to the other side was destroyed. One of the battles of this war took place here.

Behind the village on the right bank at the turn stands an overgrown with pines and inconspicuous stone cow. A deep pool formed around him. Below is the so-called white ford across the river Ai. On the right bank there is a children's camp.

Nearby on the left bank is cave of Averkin (Averkiev) pit, - perhaps the most mysterious on the Ai River. Numerous legends are associated with it. The entrance to the cave gapes with sinister blackness on the side of the mountain. The walls of the karst funnel break vertically downwards with a deep well 21 meters deep. The length of the cave is 130 meters. You can go down into the cave (and even more so climb back) only by ropes using a jumar and having sufficient experience.

Not far from the cave is a source of clean water - Distillery (or distillery) key.

Downstream on the same left bank a low (15-20 meters) rock will appear - Averkin stone. The rock is also called the Deserter Stone. And on the right bank, from the high-voltage power line, picturesque rocks 15-20 meters high begin. Here you can see an interesting rocky outcrop in the form of a pillar, separated from the main massif. There is also a small but intricate karst cavity. This area is located petroglyph Vanyashkinskaya I. On the right bank rises Korotaev stone. The name arose from the once located nearby farm settlement Korotaevka. Behind the Karataev stone on the right bank there is a pumping and filtering station Mezhevoe. Buildings of the children's camp "Uralets" are shown on the left bank.

Further on the right bank of the Aya begins Vanyashkino village. In the past, the villagers worked at N.G. Lazarev. Thanks to the properties of local sandstones, the products were famous for their excellent quality.

Opposite the villages on the left bank rise Vanyashkinsky prites. Their height above the river level reaches about 60 meters. However, the rocks are behind the forest and are hard to see from the river. If you go upstairs, you will be rewarded with a view. In the lower part of the rocks, a bizarre stone remnant was formed, separated from the main massif. It is not visible from the river. This remnant has its own name - Princess or Queen. If you look closely, you can really distinguish the head of the "queen" with a mantle of moss and grass.

There are several curious caves in the rocks. Speleoarchaeologist V.I. Yurin in 1996 counted as many as 16 caves and grottoes here, calling it all the Vanyashkinsky cave complex. Three caves are of the greatest interest: Bolshaya Vanyashkinskaya(128 m), Malaya Vanyashkinskaya(53 m) and Owl. Immediately behind the Vanyashkinsky prites on the left bank there is another children's camp - "Drummer".

On the right bank, a large urban-type settlement is shown - boundary. This locality was founded in 1936 as a working settlement of Mezhevoy Log. Near the log there is a border with Bashkortostan (“border”). Today Mezhevoe includes: Novaya Pristan, Vanyashkino, Ayskaya group, Blinovka. Mezhevaya owes its appearance to bauxite, from which aluminum is obtained. In 1936 they formed South Ural bauxite mines. Large mines were built here, where many local residents worked. In 2002, despite significant reserves of high-quality ores, the enterprise was closed.

On the 86th kilometer of the route on the left bank near the water there are picturesque rocks -. In the middle of the rocks there is a small grotto, perfectly visible from the river. Behind the rocks begins New Pristan village, now part of Mezhevoe. This settlement was founded after the end of the Peasants' War - in 1778 as an additional (new) pier for the Satka ironworks. The pier was moved here, located upstream (on the site of the village of Staraya Pristan). An old photograph of the Satka pier has been preserved. During the rafting, comparing the photo, try to find this place on your own and compare (the photo is given at the beginning of the article).

In the past, a ferry operated on the Satka pier, with the help of which the crossing was carried out from one coast to another. On the evening of September 20, 1824, Emperor Alexander I crossed the Ai River on his journey through Russia. The head of state visited the South Urals for the first time. Especially for his visit, another “best” ferry was built at the Satka pier. You can read about his visit, as well as about the “Karagay queen” and the tragedy that occurred on the Satka pier in the book “River Ai”.

Nowadays, a reinforced concrete bridge is thrown across the Ai River, and behind it are the pillars of the old bridge, made of stone from the Vanyashkinskaya quarry.

New Pier is the most popular starting point for rafting on the Ai River. Usually they get on the water near the road bridge, or below the village. The finish line in Lakla is only 40 kilometers away. The rocks here become taller and more beautiful. There are many more tourists than upstream.

After the road bridge over the Ai, small rocks appear on the right bank opposite the New Pristan. Above, behind the trees, there is a rock ledge, nicknamed golden eagle.

Further along the right bank there are sheer cliffs. They are called differently: one - Tsepilovsky(according to the holiday village next to the rocks), others - Cherepanovsky(along Cherepanovskaya mountain). The rocks have an unusual through arch rectangular section, formed as a result of the collapse of part of the rock. They call her Tsepilovskaya or Novopristanskaya arch. The through hole is best seen from the base of the rock. The width of the arch is about 5 meters, the height is 15 meters. This is the largest karst arch in the Chelyabinsk region.

Behind the mouth of the river Ishchelka on the left bank of the Aya rise Paramonovskie prites named after a nearby village. passes from below highway to the village of Blinovka, on its outskirts, the Blinovo-Kamenskaya mine operated.

At the base of the Paramonovski prites there is an unusual structure - a man-made hydrotechnical tunnel from which the Kamenka river flows. It is worth mooring and admiring this attraction!

The tunnel was built by the Yuzhno-Uralsky bauxite mines (YUBR) enterprise in order to reduce the watering of the mines. Even before the river entered the mine zone, its valley was blocked by a drainage canal and blocked by a dam. Through the canal, the water was directed to a drainage tunnel specially made in the mountain. The tunnel was broken in the late 1960s and put into operation in 1971. In 2002-03, the tunnel was studied by caver Leonid Volkov and members of the Chelyabinsk caving club Pluton.

The length of the tunnel is rather big - 3345 meters. It goes out to the Ai River with a concrete portal. Water falls beautiful waterfall. The place near the tunnel was landscaped and decorated: stones were laid out and painted, tiles were laid, the portal of Kamenka was painted and painted, and a fountain was built. An icon of the Mother of God was hung over the arch.

Shortly after the Paramonovsky prites, on the left bank, village Ayskaya Group, which is part of the Mezhevoe. And opposite it, on the right bank of the river, limestone cliffs 30-40 meters high rise. They are called rock Ursa. One of the rock ledges resembles a human face.

Behind the village of Ayskaya Group on the left bank, you can see a small rocky outcrop at the base of the mountain. Here is the entrance to Shumikha cave. Previously, a powerful karst spring Shumikha flowed from here, which received its name for the sound of water. However, as a result of the fight against the flooding of the mines of the South Ural bauxite mine, the water sources on the left bank of the Ai disappeared. There was no hype either. But a new cave has become available. Its length was 1120 meters. This is the longest karst cavity on the Ai River. However, after the mines were closed, the cave gradually went under water again. Now only the entrance part is available.

Immediately after the end of the summer cottages, at the turn of the river on the right bank, high and extended rocks are shown. Climbers conduct training and competitions here, for which the place got its name climbing wall. On the rock you can see a memorial plaque in memory of the Satka climber Andrey Sukharev, who died while descending from Pobeda Peak (7439 m) in the Tien Shan.

On one of the rock outcrops is located Ayskaya group of petroglyphs. Here you can see vertical lines, zigzags, anthropomorphic creatures, ungulates.

Downstream on the right bank to the river Ai comes dry land boundary log. In the past, a large water source beat here. The border of the Republic of Bashkortostan again approaches the Ai River. On the left bank is still the Chelyabinsk region, and on the right - Bashkiria.

Immediately behind the Mezhevy log, forest plantations of spruce grow in even rows, which stand out noticeably from the surrounding vegetation. Then on the right bank rises tall and handsome May prites. The height of the rocks is about 60-70 meters. On the opposite bank there is a popular among tourists and vacationers May glade.

Further, the river is divided into two channels by an island. It is better to pass it on the left bank. Behind the island is shown Kurgazak Log. Nearby is the most popular of all karst cavities on the Ai River. The total length of the cave passages reaches 530 meters, the depth is 16 meters. This cave will be the subject of a separate article.

There are also caves nearby. Mine-47(Kurgazak-47, Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Yama) and Mine-30(Kurgazak-30, Malaya Pokrovskaya pit). And 800 meters (in a straight line) from the Kurgazakskaya cave there is a former industrial site mine "Kurgazak".

Behind the Kurgazak log on the left bank, high and beautiful rocks rise - Small Prytes. The height of the rocks reaches 60-80 meters. Above, on the mountain, stretched a huge field.

Almost immediately behind the Small Prytes there is one of the most interesting and unusual sights of the Ai River - the so-called dry waterfalls(Alekseevsky Log). This is a cascade of paleo-waterfalls with height differences from 3 to 8 meters. You can climb them like the steps of a stone staircase. Water appears here only during intensive spring snowmelt.

After 2 kilometers after the Small Prytes, even more majestic Big Prytes will meet. But first you have to admire the no less beautiful rocks on the right bank. The Tatars of the village of Kulmetovo call these Yaguda-tash rocks.

The river Ai running forward gradually brings it closer to the most famous rocks of these places - Great Prites. This is the visiting card of the Ai River and one of the most popular attractions of the Southern Urals. They impress with their scale and fabulous beauty. The rock, almost a kilometer long, curved in an arc along the left bank of the river. Height reaches 100-120 meters. These are the highest rocks on the Ai River. Big Prytes are completely sheer. Only in one place (and not without difficulty) you can climb up.

There are several caves in Bolshiye Pritesy: Youth Grotto, First and Second Backstage and others. From the top of Bolshiye Prytyos, a completely amazing view of the rocks and surroundings, the valley of the Ai River opens up. Dedicated to the Big and Small Prytes with Dry Waterfalls.

1.5 kilometers after the end of the Great Prytes, on the right bank of the Ay, the Tatar village Kulmetovo(Kulmetyevo). She sprawled at the foot mountains Oblique ridge, in some places exposed by rocky outcrops. A small rock is also visible opposite the village - on the left bank of the Ai River. The locals call her Ozek-tash.

The right-bank floodplain of the Ai River near the village of Kulmetovo has been declared a botanical natural monument. The Kulmetovsky natural botanical reserve was formed here. At the end of the village, the river turns to the left, and ahead, on the right bank, the fence and buildings of the Kulmet farm are shown.

Further on the right bank stands rock Robber. A seemingly small rocky outcrop leading into the water has caused a lot of problems in the past. Barges with metal floating down the river were carried by the current directly onto a rock that jutted out at the bend. Some of them did not have time to go to the side and crashed. According to this rock, the village of Kulmetovo was sometimes called Razboynikovo.

2 kilometers after the Robber, on the 107th kilometer of the route, on the left bank stands Alekseevka village. It belongs to the Satkinsky district of the Chelyabinsk region. In front of the village, behind the forest, limestone cliffs rise. They were nicknamed Alekseevsky prites. In 1996, the rocks were examined by V.I. Yurin, who counted 34 small caves and grottoes here. Yurin called them Alekseevsky cave complex.

Behind the village on the left bank there are rocks in which karst holes darken at a considerable height from the base. Speleoarchaeologist V.I. Yurin called this place a cave complex Swallow's Nest- per resemblance with the nests of these birds. In front of the rocks with a noise flows into the river Alekseevsky karst spring.

In the rocks in front of the mouth of the river Uluir is located Pallas cave. It is the third in length on the Ai River (after the flooded Shumikha and Kurgazakskaya). From the side of the mouth of the Uluir, a well-trodden path leads to the cave. The cave was discovered recently - in the winter of 2002. It was named after the German encyclopedist, explorer and traveler Peter Simon Pallas (1741-1811). The length of the cave is 361 meters.

In this place, Ai receives a left-bank tributary - river Uluir. In some pre-revolutionary sources, she is called Uludzhir. This is one of its most interesting and mysterious tributaries. The banks of the river are often sheer cliffs, especially in the lower reaches. There are many caves here. Speleoarchaeologist V.I. Yurin identified the Uluirsky cave complexes - I, II, III and IV.

A beautiful view opens up from the mouth of the Uluir River ahead. A fast roll picks up the ship and carries it down. On the right bank stands a rock that we named Drinking Dog(for the outward resemblance to this animal).

Gradually, a high and sheer rock wall approaches ahead. In its central part, from a certain angle, outlines resembling a huge mask are clearly visible. For this feature we called rock shaman. There are usually a lot of vacationers on the left bank opposite the rocks. Previously, the recreation center "Svetlaya Polyana" was located here.

Cheremukhovy Island divides the river into two parts. It is better to pass it along the right channel. The border with Bashkiria recedes for a short time from the banks of Aya. Rocky bastions rise behind the pine forest. IN AND. Yurin singled out in the rocks a cave complex of 7 karst objects, which he called At Cheremukhovoy Island. Among them are caves named after E.K. Hoffman and V.P. Biryukov.

At the turn of the river, new rocks are shown. Part of the sheer limestone outcrops rises a little away from the river, rising above the trees in a picturesque hat with slender pines growing at the top. For this feature, we named rock. IN AND. Yurin in his works calls these rocks Upper right-bank Sikiyaz-Tamaksky. In 1997, he identified here a cave complex of 5 small caves and grottoes, which he called Mathematical.

Following on the same right bank of the Ai River near the water stands rock Pier. Named so by V.I. Yurin in 1995. Two small caves are visible at its base.

Further, the Ai River makes a sharp right turn, on which they stand rocks rocker. IN AND. Yurin calls them Sikiyaz-Tamak Upper Left Bank. He singled out a cave complex here, consisting of 25 caves and grottoes of various lengths and depths.

Begins Sikiyaz-Tamak village, located on the 115th kilometer of the route on the left bank of the Ai River - on the territory of the Satka district of the Chelyabinsk region, almost on the very border with Bashkiria. A kilometer after the village, high cliffs appear on the right bank. Glory to this place came in the second half of the 1990s. Now a rare tourist passes along the Ai River. Autotourists also come here, as well as commercial tours are organized.

In 1995, Chelyabinsk citizen V.I. Yurin announced the discovery of a large "cave city" on the Ai River near the village of Sikiyaz-Tamak, which has no analogues in the Urals and in Russia. Sikiyaz-Tamak cave complex consists of 46 caves, grottoes, rocky canopies, karst bridges and arches. The caves are small - from 3 to 70 meters long. Only in the cave Through the total length of the passages was about 200 meters. The grottoes and caves of Sikiyaz-Tamaka are dry, they have a horizontal or slightly inclined floor, many are well lit. daylight. Thanks to this, ancient people noticed them and actively used them. Having moored here, you can visit the most interesting grottoes and caves, walking along well-trodden paths.

From the rocks of Sikiyaz-Tamaka, other rocks are already visible ahead. As if resting against them, the Ai River turns sharply to the right. Prites Kasy-tash- This is a high and picturesque rock on the left bank, outwardly very similar to the famous Big Prytes. A sheer cliff 80-90 meters high stretches along the coast for a long time. In one place, at the top of the rocks, a vast grotto is visible. It is strange that this beautiful rock was ignored by the old guidebooks.

Soon a mountain rises on the right bank, exposed in the direction of the river with rocks. In old Soviet guidebooks they were called Cross Comb, although, in my opinion, this name is the best suited for the previous rocks (Kasy-tash). In front of these rocks, the Ai River forever leaves the territory of the Chelyabinsk region and runs deep into the Republic of Bashkortostan. The river turns to the west and flows almost to the village of Lakly between two high ridges.

Ahead is shown beating from the ground aysky fountain. It emerges from the ground on the right bank of the Ai River, shortly before Laklov, the final point of the rafting. The fountain was formed as a result of the activities of geologists, who in the 1960s, during geological exploration, having drilled a well, got into the aquifer. The height of the jet reaches 5.5 meters. But she is fickle. It happens that the fountain pulsates, rising either higher or lower. Occasionally it happens that its height drops to about 1 meter.

Below on the right bank of the river is shown rock Kapkatash (Stone Gate). It is formed by vertically placed folds of limestone. It differs from other rocks in the features of the occurrence of layers, where the folds run horizontally or at an angle. Lichens on the surface of the rock mass give it a reddish color. A very beautiful place!

The name "Kapkatash" in translation from the Bashkir means "Stone Gate". And for good reason. In one place, the rocky layers collapsed, forming a kind of patio, into which stone gates lead. This failure looks especially impressive from above - from the side of the mountain.

Immediately behind the Kapkatash rock on the left bank, at the turn of the river, another beautiful rock rises - Lasyntas. At the base of the rock, the river washed out vast karst niches. You can swim in them by boat.

The rocks of Kapkatash and Lasyntash form a kind of gate, passing through which the Ai River leaves Ural mountains. Downstream, the river enters the plain Mesyagutovskaya forest-steppe. The mountains again begin to meet only shortly before the mouth of the Aya, when the river enters the Ufa plateau. But they are no match for these majestic cliffs.

Some tourists finish their rafting behind these two rocks. There is a dirt road that can be accessed by car. But you can continue the rafting to the automobile bridge.

Tatar language is shown on the left bank Lakly village. It is located on the territory of the Salavatsky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The river is getting wider, there is almost no current. Ai takes on a flat character.

The route is best finished before the road bridge. There is a convenient exit on the left bank. There is a convenient pebble beach for drying and dismantling of boats and vehicle access. There is a shop nearby, there are garbage containers and a toilet.

Before leaving these beautiful places, you can also visit the nearby Laklinskaya cave.

You should not rely on public transport in Lakla. You can pre-order a drop or call a taxi. By taxi you can get to the Suleya station, from where trains run to the city of Zlatoust. Zlatoust is connected by rail and bus to Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg and other cities.

When traveling in the Urals, please take care of nature!

Book "River Ai"

Learn more about these amazing places from Pavel Raspopov's book The Ai River!

If many different guidebooks were published along the Chusovaya River, then Ayu was less fortunate. At best, a separate chapter was devoted to him in the old guidebooks to the Southern Urals, which was not distinguished by accuracy. Erroneous information from them is often reprinted and in contemporary works. This work is an attempt to correct this injustice. The Ai River is certainly worthy of an entire book devoted to it! The book tells about the history and features of the river, and also contains a detailed guide with a sailing and GPS coordinates.