To the Upper Station cable car Miskhor - Ai-Petri, from where the path to the teeth of Ai-Petri begins, you can get from the village of Miskhor to the west of Yalta, as well as to fixed-route taxi, which departs from the Yalta bus station. However, this tour would not be complete without seeing the Great Chaos of Alupka Park, also to the west of Yalta.

Scheme of the Ai-Petrinsky yayla and the Boyko massif, the author is not known to us yet.

Mount Ai-Petri dominates Yalta at an altitude of 1234 meters. The special beauty of its silhouette is given by several rounded, resembling columns, teeth. They rise approximately 70 meters above the cable car station.

Ai-Petri mountain range, tourism center

The main ridge of the Crimean mountains is divided into yayls - separate massifs with a hilly surface.

You can get to Ai-Petri Yayla along the highway from Yalta or from Miskhor by cable car. It was laid in 1987, its length is 3 km, the ascent time is 20 minutes.
The teeth of Ai-Petri form four large (12-15 m high) and a number of small sheer peaks composed of reef limestones.
A huge bazaar offers all kinds of oriental dishes. Excellent conditions for active tourism, horseback riding, camel riding, mountain biking, jeeping, paragliding, military adventure and fantasy filming.
Near the Zubtsov, the reserved Beech Grove grows, the largest on the Main Ridge. At the edge of the yayla there is a pine tree - "Airplane", it is about 300 years old.
Tourists usually visit the Ai-Petrinsky meridian - a stone globe with accurate geodetic data, a viewing platform on the Shishko rock, a weather station, Mount Bedene-Kyr (several ski lifts operate here in winter), and the Three-Eyed Cave, equipped for excursions. On the slope near the highway from Yalta to Ai-Petri, you can see a "drunk" pine grove - a centuries-old forest of Crimean pine, disturbed by a landslide.

The limestone rocks of all three ridges of the Crimean mountains (as well as many river valleys that cut through them) are literally packed with fossilized remains of marine organisms: snails, bivalves, worms and corals.
As a rule, limestone rocks are distinguished layered structure and are even drawn on the diagrams as rows of rectangles stacked one on one.
Nothing like the southern cliff of Ai-Petri is shown to us: all this powerful colossus from the base above Alupka and Miskhor and to the Zubtsov is a smooth stone geyser.

Ay- petri mountain is located near Yalta resort. The highest point of Ay-Petri mountain is about 1234 meters. How can you get to Ay-Petri mountain? Go to the busstation in Yalta town. It will take 30 or 40 minutes to get to Ay Petri mountain from Yalta town by bus or by your own car. Ay-Petri is the name of the mountain peak, as well as it's a plateau. A view from Ay-Petri is spectacular.

The weather on Ay Petri is very cold in winter and very hot in summer. Ay Petri is the biggest area for tourists visiting this mountain every year.
Ay-Petri mountain is one of the biggest plateau of Crimea and every visiting this area has an opportunity to see all the power of this mountain. Ay-Petri is very ancient coral reef that rises from the sea bottom many years ago. Ay-Petri's ancient history is a rich one and many archeological groups work here every year.

Ay-Petri is a famous tourist attraction all the year round. It is a place for skiing in winter and hiking in summer.

SIMFEROPOL, March 30 - RIA Novosti (Crimea). In Crimea, several projects for the reconstruction of the Ai-Petri plateau are being developed at once: it is planned to create the world's longest zip-line, a small eco-town and a rock garden, said Anri Kanunov, a freelance adviser to the head of the administration of Yalta.

Earlier, the head of the Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, promised to put things in order on the Ai-Petri mountain plateau by May, which is chaotically built up with hotels, cafes and retail outlets. One of the reconstruction projects was developed on behalf of the mayor of the city Andrey Rostenko.

"IN this moment this project is also being coordinated in the ministries of the Republic of Crimea and will be presented to the head of the Republic of Crimea Sergey Aksenov in the future," the press service of the mayor's office quotes Kanunov. According to him, several ideas are being considered today to create a small eco-city on Ai-Petri designed for recreation and entertainment.At the same time, no permanent buildings are planned on the plateau.Among the projects that are supposed to be implemented, the most interesting, according to Kanunov, is a rock garden, glass viewing platforms and a stone labyrinth of gabions (volumetric products of various shapes made of twisted wire mesh with hexagonal cells).

The longest zip-line in the world with a length of 2.6 kilometers may also appear here (now the longest such structure is located in the Copper Canyon of Mexico - 2545 meters). Zip-line is a descent on a steel rope with a lift off the ground through the air.

In addition, in the area of ​​the cable car on the plateau, it is planned to make a special area for recreation and walks, where a dry fountain will be located. The issue of holding international competitions is being worked out balloons, building a chapel. The plateau will also have bike paths and tracks for downhill skiing, parking for cars and sightseeing buses, Helipad. “But there will be no numerous catering establishments and souvenir tents on the plateau. There will be only one stationary cafe located at the upper station of the cable car and souvenir rows adjacent to it,” Kanunov assured.

© Photo provided by the press service of the Yalta administration

Ai-Petri plateau reconstruction project

The Ai-Petri Plateau is located above Yalta at an altitude of about 1200 meters above sea level, where a high-altitude cable car is laid from the coast. Part of the plateau is included in the Yalta mountain forest reserve. During the Ukrainian period, illegal trade objects were built on Ai-Petri, which the Crimeans call "shalmans". In the cafe, tourists are offered food and draft alcohol, which is often not certified. Attempts to ban illegal activity on the plateau have previously run into resistance from merchants.

Greetings! Not all drivers dare to climb the Ai-Petri plateau by car, there are those for whom the trip becomes entertainment. Undoubtedly, the route is memorable and picturesque - the higher you climb, the more you admire the panorama south coast Crimea.

I get a lot of questions about the situation on Ai-Petri in the 2020 season. It seems that the Crimeans spent the winter so well on Maslenitsa that she left the peninsula for a long time and was noted only on a few mountain peaks. I decided to collect all available information in in social networks and add it to this article. It will be about entertainment on the plateau, prices and the condition of the road.

Dear readers! The article was written a long time ago, but is still in demand, so I constantly update it and add up-to-date information. (Personal photos and photos from social networks for 2020 are used). Updated 02/06/2020

Road to Ai-Petri

There are four ways to climb Ai-Petri: on foot, in your own car, by cable car or with carriers. Each option has its pros and cons, but at least one must be used. For hiking trails There are diagrams on the web.

In January 2019, the Ai-Petri plateau was the most popular place For active rest. Hundreds of tourists posted their pictures on social networks from a snow-covered mountain: some on a sled, some on skis, and some in a kilometer-long traffic jam. IN new year holidays the movement was paralyzed, there were freaks who got up on summer tires (they had to be pulled out).

photo from the VK group “Weather on Ai-Petri”.

Dear, before traveling in winter, check the weather conditions on the Web! If you don't care about yourself, think about the kids! Rescue services cannot reach some areas.

count the capabilities of your car: 4x4, spikes or chains, full tank. Up-to-date information ingroup in VKontakte "Weather on Ai-Petri".

The mountain serpentine leading to the plateau is the longest and most winding in the Crimea. Depending on weather conditions, some sections or the entire road may be closed, which is warned by a sign at the beginning of the path or sentries. There are landslides, landslides and avalanches.

Since 2019, the road to Ai-Petri has been served by the Krymavtodor enterprise. To ensure road safety in winter, the road is cleared of snow and sprinkled with a sand-salt mixture.

Previously, there was an unspoken rule for visiting Ai-Petri: ascending the plateau along a narrow serpentine before 12 noon, descending after 12 noon. Now autotourists ignore this rule and create problems for themselves, others and rescue services.

Road T 0117 leads to the Ai-Petri plateau, and then along the northern slope, through grand canyon Crimea, in the Bakhchisaray district. The second name is the old Yalta highway. There are springs along the way interesting rocks and most famous waterfalls Crimea: (on the southern slope) and Silver Streams (on the northern slope).

On February 4, 2020, the road to Ai-Petri from Bakhchisaray is closed due to the threat of an emergency.

“In order to ensure road safety, from February 4, 2020 until the cause of this situation is eliminated, traffic from the 30th to the 46th km highway Bakhchisaray - Yalta - this is the entrance to Ai-Petri from the side of Bakhchisaray - temporarily stopped for all types Vehicle", - said the Ministry of Transport of the Republic.

With all confidence, we can say that the road to Ai-Petri is one of the most dangerous roads in Crimea, so tired drivers and beginners have nothing to do there!

You can climb Ai-Petri by cable car or by transport that carries out transportation.The list of carriers on the Ai-Petri plateau is published in the VKontakte group "Weather on Ai-Petri".

Since August 2019, MUE Yaltagortrans has been carrying out transportation (during the warm season) from Miskhor and the Yalta bus station to the Ai-Petri plateau in a licensed taxi. The price of a one-way trip is 450 rubles. from a person.

“The departure of taxis as they are loaded will be carried out from the points of sale of subscriptions. In the area of ​​the Ai-Petri plateau, dispatching and boarding of passengers will be carried out. In the future, directions and types of transportation by licensed taxis will expand.”

For those who do not know what the serpentine looks like on Ai-Petri, the route map.

What to do on Ai-Petri in snowy weather

In January 2020, there is much less snow, but there are enough people who want to get into the winter atmosphere.

From January 20, 2020, the cable car will be closed for annual scheduled preventive maintenance. Last day of work January 19th. It is planned that the cable car will resume operation in the spring.

Climbing is organized for lovers of hiking routes. For example, a route of 5 km starts on the Koreiz trail (44.440463, 34.08323), past the Baba-Ali-Tekne spring (44.455722, 34.070383) with a transition to the Miskhor trail and ends at the upper station of the cable car. Along the picturesque path you will get from autumn to winter and be impressed by the picturesque landscapes.

For fans of extreme sports, the Ai-Petri tour company organizes individual jeep tours with a visit to the Forelevo trout farm (look for the official website on the Web), where a Russian wood-fired bathhouse operates, there is an opportunity to fish and taste delicious dishes from freshly caught Crimean trout .

Map ski slopes on Ai-Petri.

Prices for lifts for 26 km in January 2020:

• for a small one - 500 rubles.
• for a large one - 1000 rubles.

• a set of skis - from 500 rubles.
• board - from 500 rubles.
• large cheesecake (snowtube) — 600 rubles
• standard cheesecake - 500 rubles.

They ask for a document as collateral. The lift starts at 10 am.

Important! Message from GKU RK "CRIMEA-SPAS":

DESPITE THE WARNINGS OF RESCUERS, TOURISTS CONTINUE TO NEGLECT SAFETY RULES WHEN RIDING SNOWTUBE

The Minister of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Crimea Sergey Shakhov informed that tourists, despite the warnings of rescuers, continue to neglect safety rules when riding a snowtube, getting various injuries. Over the weekend, rescuers on patrol on the Ai-Petri plateau helped 4 tourists injured while snowtubing.

Away from the lift, local culinary specialists prepare pilaf, shish kebabs and shurpa for sale. You can bring food with you and have a picnic by renting a gazebo with barbecue facilities. The rental price is 1500 rubles. for a day.

The longest snow lies on the northern slopes of the plateau, it usually lasts until March-April.

View from the meteorological station. Silence and tranquility…. In the distance, the teeth of Ai-Petri are clearly visible, it is there that the upper station of the cable car, the highest point of 1234 m and the Three-eye Cave are located.

From the observation platform, a clear expanse opened up - a turquoise sky with glimpses of azure, immersed in the sea surface of the Black Sea. Evergreen shrubs and trees frame Alupka and Koreiz with their thickets.

Around neglect and chaos. Private houses, sheds, cafes, shawls, construction sites. After 15 minutes you forget what devil you came here for.

"Highlanders" do not want to ennoble the territory because of unresolved land issues. Ecologists are sounding the alarm and calling for stopping economic activity on the territory of Ai-Petri, limiting the capacity for the development of eco-tourism. But they realized it too late: many entrepreneurs have been working here for more than a dozen years. The circle has closed and now all hope is for the new government, which will make a rational decision, so that “the wolves are fed and the sheep are safe” ...

Due to the peculiarity of the relief, Ai-Petri is called yayla - a summer pasture. Since ancient times, settlements have been built on the plateau, but the biggest "contribution" was made by Homo sapiens.

Perhaps the only object that is in its place is a monument to the Crimean partisans of the Great Patriotic War who died in action in December 1941.

The road to Ai-Petri was of great importance during the Second World War. It was along it that the Nazis transferred troops and equipment towards Sevastopol. The partisans managed to blow up a section of the road and prevent the enemy plans from being realized, but they all died in an unequal battle.
At the cost of incredible efforts, the soldiers were able to protect their land, the memory of them should be passed on from generation to generation, and not disappear under scaffolding...

Approximately 35 km from the top of Ai-Petri, there is a parking lot and hiking trail in the Grand Canyon of Crimea. I already talked about this route in my report.

What happens on Ai-Petri in January 2020.

Between the "highlanders" and the owners of the cable car there is a rivalry for their client. How events will develop, time will tell. The article will be updated.
Thank you for attention!

Eclipsing even the "tallest" peak of the Crimea - Roman-Kosh with a height of 1545 meters. In the hierarchy of mountains, this is a baby - “only” 1234 meters high and a couple of million years old. It received its name, as is commonly believed, by the name of the medieval church of St. Peter. The temple has long been gone, but the name has taken root, and today a rare mountain lover, having visited the Crimea, did not look at Ai-Petri. There is something to look at. The large Crimean canyon with a depth of more than 320 meters is located on this mountain, on its northern slope. Until the middle of summer, numerous streams flow down at the exit to the Kokkozka River. The water temperature in this river rarely rises above 11 degrees. More than 60 percent of Crimean orchids grow on the slopes of this gorge, including rarest species- Lady's slipper.

Those who like to scream in the mountains will hear the canyon echo six times. Gets people to the top who is on what much. “Horseless” - either on foot along the path with the strange name Taraktashskaya, or by cable car from Miskhor (ticket price is around $ 8 one way). Owners of iron horses - along the mountain serpentine. The first two options are recommended - they provide an opportunity to better see the beauty of these places. But in the case of the funicular, you will have to stand in line. On the way up, you will meet the Uchan-Su waterfall, the largest in the Main Ridge. The water here falls from a height of about 100 meters. True, only a few streams run there in summer, as Wuchang-Su is fed by karst waters. But the purest mountain air and the peaceful silence of the forest more than compensate for this small "overlay".

Upstairs you will be served with various national dishes and local wine. There are even camels at your service, although the relevance of the "ships of the desert" here is not entirely clear, horses would be enough. So pay and ride, contemplating the surroundings. From the southern plateau you can admire Yalta and Alupka. If you bought an excursion to the Ai-Petri plateau and got here as part of a group, you will probably be taken to the ice cave, one of the three caves in the center of the plateau. The snow lies there all year round. The guides will not forget to tell an almost Shakespearean legend about two young people and their unhappy love.

One of the most famous - the Ai-Petri plateau - holds the title of the snowiest and windiest place in the Crimea. The wind here sometimes reaches 50 m/s. Despite the seeming habitation, the mountain can show its wild burrow, as soon as you move away from the well-worn paths. If there is no experience in such trips, you should refrain from trying to independently explore Ai-Petri. Mountain mistakes, even such “small” ones, do not forgive. Ai-Petri teeth will be imprinted in your memory forever, constantly reminding: “ Better than mountains there can only be mountains that you have not yet been on.”

More information on the site about Mount Ai-Petri .

Photo

Ai-Petri plateau in Crimea Entrance to the equipped cave Upper station of the cable car
Tour Rocks of the Ai-Petri Plateau Hiking trail on Ai-Petri

You can appreciate the beauty of the Ai-Petri plateau only once you get there. Rarely is nature so close to man. Feeling one with the environment, it is unlikely that anyone will not set a firm goal to return here again.

In addition to all its other advantages, the Ai-Petri plateau boasts relative accessibility to tourists. First, in numerous settlements the western part of the yayla can be reached both by personal and by public transport, and from there already start your hiking trails, secondly, the plateau reveals its riches to the tourist through passes of varying degrees of difficulty, some of which are relatively easy to cross, and some will make you sweat.

How to climb the Ai-Petri plateau

As for the first way to see the beauty of the Ai-Petri plateau, the easiest way is to arrive at the cable car station on Ai-Petri from Yalta by taxi or private cab. In less than an hour, you will already breathe in the incomparable aromas of yayla. In addition, trails and roads scatter from the station in all directions. In the same way, you can leave the Ai-Petri plateau. Actually, the cable car itself from Miskhor will also take you here.

You can use the Baydarsky pass, arriving from Sevastopol or Foros. The fact is that the Baydarsky Gate Pass is a natural border between the Ai-Petrinsky and Baidarsky yayla.

Baydar gates - a car route on the Ai-Petri plateau

It is possible to get into the very heart of the Ai-Petri plateau by arriving in Rodnikovskoye by a regular bus, which you should take on the Yalta-Sevastopol highway near the turn to the Rear.

If you see the goal of tourism in overcoming the hardships of the path exclusively with your own feet, then well-worn and popular passes are at your service. You can get to the same cable car station along the Koreiz trail, which, as the name implies, leaves Koreiz.

The ascent will allow you to get involved in the rhythm of the hike and enjoy the beautiful pine forest through which the trail runs.

However, one of the most famous passes not only on the Ai-Petri plateau, but also on all the Crimean mountains is the Shaitan-Merdven pass. It owes its wide popularity to its rich history, since even the ancient Roman legionnaires chose it to cross the Crimean mountains, the road from Chersonesos to the fortress of Kharaks (today's Gaspra) ran through it.

Since then, trade routes have gone through the Devil's Stairs, this is how the name of the pass can be translated from the Crimean Tatar. After the earthquake of 1927, it has changed significantly, but so far it will not be difficult to overcome it even for an unprepared tourist.

Tourist sites and routes of the Ai-Petri Yayla:

The boundaries of the Ai-Petri plateau

How can one determine the boundaries of the Ai-Petri plateau? To do this is quite simple. southern border took the form of a mountain peak.

With the definition of the northern limit of the plateau, it is more difficult, but having slightly expanded the boundaries allowed by the definition of the term "yayla", we can assume that it will become a strip along the mountains with a depth of a kilometer - two on the segment of the Baydar Pass - Mount Balchik-Kaya and then an ever-expanding area up to five kilometers in the Besh-Tekne - Bedene-Kyr area, where the Ai-Petri Yayla merges with the Yalta.

Geological features of the Ai-Petri plateau

By the way, understanding what is yayla will help us clarify the boundaries of the Ai-Petri plateau more thoroughly. Yayla is waterless. Limestones, forming numerous karst formations, allow water to pass inside, not allowing it to flow over the surface in the form of rivers. Therefore, the available moisture is barely enough to support the local vegetation. Yailas were used as a pasture, so such treatment of the landscape gave it the features of lifelessness, where only copses and lonely trees adorn the stony soil covered with grass. The entire Ai-Petrinsky Yayla is strewn with large and small stones, so even on the paths you need not to yawn and look under your feet.

After grazing on the Crimean yayles was banned by the 1970s, soil erosion slowed down, and the forest was slowly encroaching on open spaces. In other words, yayla is a waterless and treeless area.

The ridge of the Ai-Petrinsky mountains is a visual cuesta, that is, the alternation of gentle and steep slopes. The steep ones face the sea and are subject to constant erosion, they are the uplift of rock, which often crumbles, causing a landslide. The gently sloping ones end in small beams, behind which a smaller ridge grows again. If you move along the Ai-Petri plateau from the south not north in areas, for example, the Spirady or Dome mountains, then you will get the impression of swimming on the waves, where ups and downs alternate. Not the same feeling, however, when driving along the line of mountains, when it is not at all difficult to pick up a flat road.

The basis of the Ai-Petri plateau is made up of Upper Jurassic limestones, which affects the nature of the yayla to this day. Walking along its routes, pay attention to the shape of the stones protruding from the ground. Often they are rounded at the edges and have oval holes. Limestones became the cause of total karst formation, when water for many centuries literally ate its way into the depths of the rock, depriving the soil of life-giving moisture. Therefore, the interest of scientists in the Besh-Tekne basin, which is located not far from Mount At-Bash, is understandable.

Here springs gush and fill small lakes. The reason is the presence of clay lining the bottom of the basin and retaining water. It is no wonder that two paths through the passes go to this oasis - Jewish and Eski-Bogaz. But as soon as you move north a little, you find yourself in the realm of karst formations, which is almost completely devoid of water lingering on the surface.

Peaks of the Ai-Petri plateau

As befits any yaila, Ai-Petrinskaya does not have pronounced peaks. The most accurate definition that asks for the language is a plateau. Therefore, looking at the map, one should not imagine that Mount Kilse-Burun is a pointed peak. A small elevation above the surrounding plane will be its top.

By the way, Kilse-Burun, as well as those located to the west of Mshatka-Kaya and Forossky Kant, are chosen by climbers. But the views from their peaks will also give a lot of impressions to a hiker. If you move from west to east along the peak, then these mountains are the first in a series of the most popular peaks on the Ai-Petri plateau among fans of the mountainous Crimea.

The highest of them is Kilse-Burun, which has a height of 712 meters. From the west, the ascent to it is gentle, but from the eastern part it is quite steep. In all respects, this is a very beautiful place.

The next significant peak will be Merdven-Kaya (688 meters), also easily accessible from the west. And climbers did not leave this mountain with their attention.

The next peak in our movement to the east is Merdven-Kayasy (856 meters). Between it and the previous mountain lies the Shaitan-Merdven pass. Merdven Kayasy is very beautiful mountain. In honor of the legend of Soviet mountaineering, its flat southern surface is called the rock of Mikhail Khergiani. Several climbing routes are laid across her open chest. The northern slopes of the mountain are covered with a dense beech forest, and they cannot be called yayla. But having descended from this mountain to the east, we again find ourselves on a plateau.

Ai-Petri Plateau in the area Merdven-Kayasy mountains

Further east, the road will lead us to Mount Balchik-Kaya (945 meters), on which the structures of a passive signal reflector stand and rust.

The next is Mount Kastropolskaya, 955 meters high, under which the village of Parkovoe is located. This mountain is also held in high esteem by rock climbers. If you look down from its top, you can see a pile of large stones that fell at one time.

Morcheka is one of the most famous peaks of the Crimea. Both for the climber and for the tourist, this is an important attraction. There is a cross on one of the rocks of Morcheka.

The Kerezla trail descends from the western edge of the mountain. A grandiose panorama opens from its top to the southeast, where small lakes glisten among the rocks in the greenery of the forests. And in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthis mountain and to the east, the scale of stone falls is amazing. Between the mountains of Morchek and Spirada, below, closer to the village of Opolznevoe, there is a whole scattering of huge boulders and fragments of rocks, which is commonly called the Kuchuk-Koy stone chaos.

Between the same mountains of Morchek and Spirada, but already on a plateau, you can observe a section that is classic for any yayla. A rocky path, a carpet of sparse but intoxicating vegetation.

The path to Spirady mountain along the Ai-Petri plateau	Ai-Petri Plateau in the area Spirady Mountains

The Ai-Petri plateau begins to rise slowly. Mount Spirady is already 1028 meters high. The mountain is a domed white peak, clearly visible from Ponizovka and Katsiveli located below. Such peaks along the Ai-Petri Yaila are found everywhere.

The next noticeable peak in our movement in the western direction will be Mount At-Bash (1196 meters). Views from highest point this mountain, whose name translates as "Horse's Head", is forced to spend time on a short ascent.

Ai-Petri plateau, Mount At-Bash:

To the north is the previously mentioned Besh-Tekne basin.

Weather on the Ai-Petri Plateau

In winter and spring, Ai-Petri can make you feel your bad temper. It is quite cold here, the whole district is constantly covered with fogs, strong winds wake up in spring, so that even in mid-May you can wrap yourself up from the cold.

Tourists who prefer winter hiking know that fogs and rains are more frequent between Ai-Petri and the Dome than in the Morcheka area. And the entire Ai-Petri plateau, compared to the rest of its Crimean counterparts, is the coldest. Winter can overtake the traveler in early October. While not a snowflake will fall on the coast for the whole year and the temperature will be constantly above zero, on the Ai-Petri plateau frosts and snowdrifts are a common thing.

Winter fogs on the Ai-Petri plateau:
Clouds move from the sea to the peak Ai-Petri plateau	View from Ai-Petri plateau to the village of Pokrovskoe

Given the terrain, you need to be very careful away from well-trodden routes. Ravines and hollows are covered with snow in winter, sharp stones from under the snowdrifts are not visible. But this primarily applies to places remote from the visor. In summer, the Yayla is not as hot as below, but from scorching sun you can take cover only by stopping under a tree, a constantly moving tourist will be constantly exposed to sunlight. Rains in the summer on the plateau are rare.

Hiking trails on the Ai-Petri plateau

Now it is worth talking about the paths of this plateau. The simplest route that gives the largest number impressions and photographs, is the one that runs along the peak. Moving along the Ai-Petri plateau from Baydar Gate through the Foros Church, we will ride the eighth tourist route. In fairness, it should be said that it starts from the Laspi tourist site, but this is already Baydarskaya Yayla. The eighth route will take us along the edge of the ridge through the previously mentioned mountains Kilse-Burun and Merdven-Kaya.

If a narrow path is not to your liking, a wide road runs a little lower, which even a car will overcome. The road will lead you to the Shaitan-Merdven pass, from which a new one begins - through a beech forest to the top of Merdven-Kayasy.

The road to the At-Bash mountain itself has no name, which does not prevent it from enjoying the universal love of tourists. The same can be said about the path leading from At-Bash to Ai-Petri. The peak in these places is an alternation of bulges and depressions, the latter sometimes look like amphitheaters. The hollows are usually covered with a small thicket, and tenacious shrubs, through which the path usually runs, as well as bypassing the thicket.

Another way to get from At-Bash to Ai-Petri is to go deep into the yayla along the Besh-Tekne basin and go through the Vorontsovka cordon to Mount Bedene-Kyr, where the radar station is located (read about this route). Probably, it is this route that gives the greatest understanding of what the Ai-Petri plateau is. Here the yayla is the widest, waterless and differs significantly from its western part. On both sides of the road there are two tracts - Sary-Kol and Vorontsovsky forest. The Beshan-Kosh tract, which replaces the Besh-Tekne basin, is also very beautiful. This tract is an open plain of amazing beauty with small patches of coniferous thickets, stretching at the foot of the Bedene-Kyr mountain, from which, however, the surrounding views are beautiful in any direction.

From the Vorontsovka cordon on the Ai-Petri plateau, two trails go north in the direction of the Bukovaya and Danila tourist camps, which are already outside this plateau, and from there even further north. More precisely, these begin popular routes from the Yalta-Bakhchisaray highway, but slightly northwest of the Vorontsovka cordon, they diverge in different directions.

From Mount Spirada, a route starts to the northwest to the Skelskaya Cave, popular among tourists. The road runs along the Tarpanbair Range, which stretches in the same direction, the peaks of which are the Tarpan-Bair (1094 meters) and Chuvash-Koy (1051 meters) mountains. The further to the northwest, the more clearly forests begin to predominate, and in front of the Skelskaya cave itself there is a real juniper grove. Along the way, you will meet the Chuvash-Gol spring.

It is also worth mentioning the 45th route starting from the Besh-Tekne tourist camp, cutting through the entire Ai-Petri plateau in the north-western direction. The final point of the route is the tourist camp "Tea House" outside the yayla. The 45th route has many branches both to the east to the Vorontsovka cordon and to the southwest to Mount Spirady.

From the Shaitan-Merdven pass two popular tourist routes- Kalendskaya and Kapurkayskaya trails, however, they almost immediately leave the yayla and go deep into a dark beech forest.