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RussiaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
Turye Lake - a very beautiful mountain lake in Dombay, surrounded by mountains and glaciers on the tourist route Alibek gorge of Teberdinsky Reserve. You can visit it in the form of a one-day hiking trip along the tourist route.
Attention! Officially, in 2019 and 2020, the passage to Turi Lake was closed due to the destruction of bridges across the river. No one restores these bridges, although the money for the passage to the route is collected in full. In practice, you can go to Turi Lake along the standard route, no one prevents this, but you will have to overcome the raging river by Ford or by installed temporary bridges-boards at your own risk. Another option is to take the unofficial route to the left of the waterfall across the glacier (see how to get there for details below).
The water in the lake is turquoise and very cold, because it is fed by melting glaciers. Therefore, by the way, in the cold season it decreases in size, because the water ceases to flow. Ice on the lake persists until mid-June, and only the most hardened can swim even in the height of summer.
The lake got its name from the fact that Caucasian tours and chamois often come down to drink water. They say that if you are lucky, tourists can also see them, but for this you need to come here early in the morning or at sunset.
Usually, on the way to the lake, you also visit Alibek glacier and Alibek waterfall, which are located on the same the route. In this case, the lake is the farthest. You need to take water with you (not necessarily a lot, you can get it from mountain streams along the way), preferably trekking poles, good hiking shoes, sunglasses, a headdress. Light warm clothes will not hurt,because the glacier is very cold. On the shore of the lake you can sit and arrange a small picnic.
Important! At the checkpoint at the entrance to the reserve you need to present a Russian passport, birth certificates for children. Citizens without documents are not allowed.
🕐 Working hours
entrance to the trail through the checkpoint of the Reserve from 08:00 to 17:00, It is better to visit from May to September.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
to access the lake, you need to pay 200 rubles for the entrance to the tourist route to the reserve, children under 7 years old-free of charge. Entry to the route by car - 200 rubles.
🚶 How to get there
the lake is located 8 kilometers from the center of Dombay, the height difference will be more than 580 meters (Lake on the map. To visit it in Teberdinsky nature reserve the Route "Alibek Gorge" is provided, and the lake is at its very end. It will take 6-12 hours to overcome it on foot along with the waterfall and glacier (in both directions). Part of the way can be overcome by Jeep (offered at the entrance to the Reserve), then you will save almost half the time, but the cost of the trip will be about 1000 rubles per person, or 4000 for the whole car for 4-6 people.
You can also get to the alplager "Alibek" and by car. Personal transport is easily passed at the checkpoint, only you need to enter it into the contract drawn up at the time of payment. From the checkpoint will have to go on a very bad rocky road, which not every driver and car will master. But during our visit, local residents passed here even on modern "Lada" and foreign "puzoterki". If you can not get your car directly to the Alpine camp, you can leave the car earlier, but be sure to remove it from the road, because there are large all-terrain trucks. Directly at the Alpine camp, the car can be easily left free of charge at one of several sites.
Route description: from the center of Dombay you need to get to the checkpoint at the entrance to the reserve (Checkpoint at the entrance on the route map. Here you need to pay for the entrance to the route, and then follow the dirt rocky road to the alplager "Alibek". After the camp there will be a border point where documents will be checked, and then you need to follow one of the routes:
Official route
Immediately after the border point there will be a fork with signs where you need to go straight. Next, a marked trail will take you through the forest, mountain streams and rivers. Almost at the end of the journey you will need to cross the most difficult bubbling mountain river. In 2019, there were still twisted metal bridges, but in 2020 they disappeared, only boards thrown across the river remained. You can go through them or Ford, but both ways are dangerous, because the river is very powerful and full. Be careful and carefully choose the places of transition. The last 200 meters pass over the stones. It is better to go to the southern part of the lake, there is a more gentle and convenient slope to the water. If you go out on the other side of the lake, it is easy to go around the stones along the shore, but only on the east side, from the West it is impossible to pass.
Unofficial route
An unofficial trail to the lake leads through a waterfall and a glacier along the river, but theoretically it is impossible to walk along it, since the glacier is not included in the tourist route. If you are caught on this path near the glacier, border guards can issue an administrative fine of 500R. or confine themselves to a warning. After border control, do not go straight, but to the left at the sign for the waterfall. Further from the waterfall you need to go a hundred meters downstream to the bridge, cross it, and then return to the waterfall again and go up the steep slope to the left of it holding on to ropes and ropes. After following the river, you can walk to the border of the glacier, and then climb a steep slope up to the lake. But be careful: it is extremely dangerous to climb up immediately from the border of the glacier, it is better to go back about 500 meters, and then go up to the lake.