Mount Oshten in Adygea: how to visit, opening hours and cost

Description of Mount Oshten

Mount Oshten is located in the Caucasus Nature Reserve on the territory of the Republic of Adygea in the western part of the Caucasus Range (Mt. Fisht on the map). Oshten is the second highest peak of the Fisht-Oshten massif, which includes Oshten, Pshekha-Su, and Fisht. Its height is 2804 meters.

Oshten is a very beautiful peak, partially covered by glaciers on its slopes even in summer. The summit offers stunning views of the Lago-Naki plateau, the peaks of Fisht and Pshekha-Su, the Kamennoye More ridge, and Lake Psenodakh. Along the way, views open up to Lake 8th of March and many other beautiful places.

Official website of Mount Oshten: does not exist

Oshten is the most popular and visited summit of the three in the Fisht-Oshten massif. Even inexperienced tourists and travelers can climb it in summer, and even children make the ascent. What's good is that in summer, the summit and slopes are not covered with snow because it doesn't stay there due to steepness and melts due to high summer temperatures. Therefore, during a summer ascent, you will only need to cross a few small snow sections, which requires no mountaineering experience or special gear. Thanks to this, even families with young children climb to the summit from June to August.

No special rock climbing skills, use of ropes, ice axes, crampons, etc., are required here. In fact, this route is often perceived not even as a mountaineering ascent, but as mountain trekking. All you need for climbing Oshten is good physical shape, minimal hiking and tent camping experience, bivouac gear, appropriate clothing and footwear. But more on that a bit below.

However, you shouldn't take climbing Oshten too lightly, despite its apparent simplicity. From the classic base camp, which is usually the shelter in Instructorskaya Gap, you'll have to ascend almost 800 meters and cover more than 5 kilometers one way, which is quite difficult. During the summit assault, you'll encounter relatively dangerous sections for inexperienced tourists along cliffs, loose stones (scree), very steep ascents and descents at the final stage. The last two hundred meters vertically to the summit will be especially difficult to ascend, and even more difficult to descend.

How much time is needed for the ascent of Oshten

The most experienced tourists can complete the ascent in one day from the Uzurub checkpoint at Yavorovaya Polyana, but you need to start as early as possible in the morning or at night to make it down before dark and exit the reserve within the paid 24-hour period. From the Uzurub checkpoint, you'll need to ascend 1114 meters and cover 8 kilometers one way, and then back.

A more traditional and accessible scheme for all tourists involves an overnight stay at the camp in Instructorskaya Gap (aka Armyanka Shelter). For this, on the first day, you need to walk 2.8 kilometers from the Uzurub checkpoint to the camp and gain 365 meters in altitude; stay overnight at the camp; on the second day, ascend 754 meters and cover 6 kilometers (one way) to the summit. After the ascent, return to the camp and exit the reserve through the Uzurub checkpoint can be done on the same day.

Besides Instructorskaya Gap, you can stay overnight at other campsites, but officially it is only allowed to do so at this site.

Gear, food, water, and clothing

As mentioned, no special mountaineering gear is required, but we highly recommend using trekking boots and trekking poles. Ideally, you should wear heavy trekking boots or trail running shoes. Heavy mountaineering boots would be unnecessary here in summer, as they are heavier to walk in. On the descent, be sure to re-lace your shoes tighter so your toes don't hit the front of the boots, otherwise you might temporarily lose your toenails. Wear a cap on your head, bring sunglasses. The sun is very active even at this altitude, so it's recommended to bring sunscreen or apply it before heading out.

As for clothing, given the ease of the route, there are no special requirements. But it's desirable that it be light sportswear intended for trekking, hiking, or mountaineering: trekking or hiking pants, a base layer for moisture wicking, a fleece jacket, a membrane jacket. Of course, take care of warm clothes and a warm sleeping bag, as it's cool at altitude, especially at night.

To be completely honest, people successfully climb Oshten even in the simplest sneakers, jeans, and synthetic jackets, but that's a matter of comfort. That is, you have every chance of climbing, even if you're in simple clothes; you'll just experience some discomfort along the way: you'll be too hot, then too cold, and you'll certainly be completely soaked in your own sweat.

Spending the night at the Instructorskaya Gap camp involves staying in your own tent (there are no cabins or tents for rent here). You need to bring traditional bivouac gear: tent, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, stove and gas (campfires are prohibited), food, water, etc. There are no special requirements for the tent's strength, but preference should be given to specialized lightweight tents with aluminum poles. If you don't have one, you can take any not-too-heavy tent from a chain sporting goods store. You don't need to bring a lot of drinking water; you can replenish your supplies right at the camp or along the way from one of the mountain streams or springs.

Directly for the summit assault, you don't need to take the bivouac gear; you can leave it all at the camp. Take the minimum: a lightweight summit backpack (a 20-30 liter one will work), a raincoat, trekking poles, water or a thermos with tea, a camera, a navigator (smartphone with maps), glasses, a hat.

Weather

The weather at this altitude in the summer season is usually good and warm, with rare rain. But a warm sweater, jacket, and raincoat won't hurt. A feature of the weather at this altitude is that while the sun is shining, it can be very hot, but as soon as it's hidden by clouds, it immediately becomes cold. Also note that the temperature at the altitude of the base camp is 5-6℃ lower than below, and at the summit it is 7-9℃ lower.

Current weather on Mt. Oshten and forecast

Is acclimatization needed on Oshten

The height of Oshten is 2804 meters above sea level. For a healthy body, regardless of age, including children, this is a safe altitude that does not require any special measures for acclimatization to possible manifestations of altitude sickness.

Can you climb Oshten with children

Yes, and quite a few parents with children, even very young ones, go up the mountain. However, we do not advise you to conquer the summit with kids if you yourself have no experience in mountain hikes and have never been to these places at all. After all, any mountain hike involves dangers, so reasonably calculate your strength and look realistically at your experience.

Opening hours, best time to visit

It is best to climb Oshten during the tourist season from June to August. The most comfortable weather with minimal rain sets in from the second half of June. The actual ascent to the summit is best done in the first half of the day, as after noon there is a high probability that the mountain will be shrouded in clouds, rain or snow (winter) may fall.

Admission (cost of visit)

To get to Mount Oshten, you need to pay for entry to the Caucasus Nature Reserve: 300 rubles for adults, 100 rubles for children aged 7 to 14, children under 7 – free. Tickets are purchased at one of the checkpoints (Lagonaki checkpoint or Uzurub checkpoint), and are valid until midnight of the same day, not for 24 hours from the moment of purchase. That is, if you buy a ticket at 6:00 PM, it is valid not until 6:00 PM the next day, but only until 12:00 AM (midnight) of the same day. So if you plan a classic slow route with an overnight stay at Instructorskaya Gap and a morning ascent, you will need to purchase a ticket for two days.

If for some reason your plans change while you are already in the reserve, for example, if due to bad weather you decide to stay here for another one or two nights in addition to the paid ones, this is a solvable problem, albeit with some violation of the rules. The fact is that the official rules, as far as we know, require you to calculate the duration of your route in advance and accurately. And if you are on the reserve's territory with an expired ticket, you will formally be considered a violator. But in practice, rangers who may check your ticket on the route are understanding and may accept payment on the spot or allow you to pay at the checkpoint upon exit. Also, checks on the routes are not frequent, and you are unlikely to attract the attention of a ranger if you do not violate the reserve's rules.

How to get to Oshten and route description

Oshten is located on the territory of the Caucasus Nature Reserve (Mt. Oshten on the map). It is best to visit it from the territory of the Republic of Adygea (from the Maykop side), entering the reserve through the Uzurub checkpoint at Yavorovaya Polyana, which is accessible via an asphalt road from the village of Guzeripl (Uzurub checkpoint on the map). Yavorovaya Polyana and the checkpoint can only be reached by private car or taxi; public transport does not go here. There is a parking area at Yavorovaya Polyana where you can leave your car for 200 rubles, or park for free on the side of the road. There is also a shelter for overnight stays and a cafe here, in case you decide to stay overnight and start early in the morning. From this parking area and cafe, you need to walk a bit further to the Uzurub checkpoint, where you purchase tickets to enter the reserve.

Next, from the checkpoint, you need to walk 1-2 hours along the trail for 2.8 km and gain 360 meters in altitude to the camp Armyanka Shelter / Instructorskaya Gap, which is used as a base or assault camp before the ascent. At the camp, you need to set up your own tent; no cabins or tents for rent are available here.

The next day, the ascent from Instructorskaya Gap is best started early in the morning, in summer around 4 AM. Tents and other non-valuable items can be left at the camp; theft is not common here. Take only the essentials with you: water and something to snack on. You will need to ascend 754 meters and cover 6 kilometers one way, which takes unprepared tourists 4-5 hours. After conquering the summit, you can return to the camp on the same day, pick up your belongings, descend to the reserve exit by the end of the day, and exit to Yavorovaya Polyana.

If you are an experienced and physically fit tourist, you can make the ascent without camping overnight. To do this, you need to start walking from Yavorovaya Polyana as early as possible in the morning, preferably at dawn. In this case, the ascent will take you 4-8 hours depending on experience and physical readiness, and the descent 3-6 hours. Remember that in this case, you will have to cover 16 kilometers round trip and gain 1114 meters in altitude.

For navigation, you can use a navigator or a smartphone with installed "crowdsourced" offline maps OSM, Organic Maps, Locus, etc. However, note that these maps have one inaccuracy: they show two trails to Oshten, but in reality, there is only one. The trail that passes by (south of) the "Hedgehog Bump" mountain does not exist, or rather, it is practically abandoned and indistinguishable. You need to go north of this mountain along the ridge, and then climb up the steep trail near a small year-round glacier 1.1 kilometers from the camp.

In general, you don't have to worry too much about choosing the right route, since in summer, many tourists walk here, so there is always someone to ask for advice or help.