On the Limits of the Lada

Famous Zhigulevskie mountains, Lada, located 60 km from the Kuibyshev, up the Volga, constitute the northern part of the Samara Bend. Volga, aspiring to the south, encountering along the way a strong ridge of limestone, turns east and go around it, continues on his way to the south. Bending (bend), which forms here the Volga, was named Samara Luka. Most often Samara Luka do not mean a bend of the Volga, and the terrain, like the peninsula, it concluded. The length of the bows - about 100 km, width - about 30 km. Zhigulevskie mountains - a wonderful corner of our country's most picturesque place on the Volga, which is of great scientific value. Here, an extraordinary variety of terrain, rocks, soil, flora and fauna. Lada pulled a solid chain. They are covered with forest. On the tops and slopes - rocky forbidding cliffs, and gray stones of bizarre forms and shapes, many ridges, smooth convex stone 'foreheads, covered with moss and lichen. Early in the morning you can watch spectacular. Distant mountains are not visible: they tightened a thick blanket of fog. The sun rises higher, the fog gradually dissipated, and wraps just thins the base of the mountains. A top, completely cleansed from the fog, drenched in sunshine, as if floating in the air. By noon, the fog remains only in deep canyons. "Earthly steam" the locals call it. If you look at the bottom Lada, from the Volga, they have the form of this mountainous country. But when you look at the neighborhood from the tops of the mountains becomes immediately clear that this is a continuous ridge, smooth plateau, dissected by gullies, which cut off a steep ledge over the Volga River in its northern part and gradually decreases to the south. Zhigulevskie majestic mountains begin Molodetskie mound (elevation 200 meters above the Volga), which from all eternity, like a "formidable guard", towered over the Volga River at the confluence of the rivers mustache. Now here is widely spilled Kujbyshevskoe sea and shallow-Usa became his full-flowing Gulf. You sail upon the sea in an easterly direction. Wonderful landscapes unfold before you. The ancient mound now stands straight out of the water and the rocks it splashing light waves. Mirror-like surface, merging with the horizon, lies motionless, glittering in the sun. But in bad weather the sea becomes formidable. At a time like no one local resident, even the most courageous, do not dare to go "into the sea in his boat. Forming a single whole with the entire chain of mountains and bold mound for long centuries been much to destroy, stood apart in a separate array. So he and. Seems significantly higher than other mountains, and what it actually is. Dashing mound differs sharply from the soft green outlines the nearby mountains to its stern, forbidding look. In the northern part of it rises above the Volga high stone wall, built of huge slabs overgrown with centuries-old pines. Beautifully allocated a number of convex rocks, similar to the ancient tower, naked, yellowing, like rust, moss and lichen. To the south, the mound gradually decreases and merges with the plateau. In the west it is bounded by extensive Zhigulevskie ravine Zhigulevskaya pipe. It is the village of Lada, formerly located in the mouth of the ravine, and bore the name and Zhigulihi Zhigulevki. From the east mound surrounds Zadelnym ravine. From the sea, visitors can clearly see that the two ditches Molodetsky mound is divided into three peaks. West, the lowest - Devya Mountain, just 50 meters above the Volga. The slopes of the river - steep, rocky, overgrown with pines. Narrow promontory juts out into a mountain ravine Zhigulevsky. There are almost no forests, dominated by steppe vegetation. When you look at the bottom of a mountain with an agitated feather, it seems that the mountain was moving. And shake their heads, blue-balls scattered on the feather-flowers Echinops. At Molodetsky mound is several ways. You can stop at the low cliffs at the foot of picturesque mountains and Devey through it for centuries - the well-trodden path up the mound. Another way - on the east side of Zadelnogo ravine. Narrow path winds among the trees and bushes, cliffs and rocks. Under my feet rustling and flaking shingles. On the mound you can climb and on the southern, more paintings, hill. The top of the mound treeless, covered with grass and gravel. Flush with their feet - the top of the huge gnarled pine trees that are overgrown slopes of the mound. Before you - Kujbyshevskoe sea, left and right of you - the steep, wooded mountains. On every mountain in the Zhiguli There are many legends, songs, narratives, and especially a lot of them about Molodets'ke mound. According to legend, Stepan Razin loved him more than any other Zhiguli Mountains, from which he oversaw the "merchant" ships. Leaving the native Don, touching, saying goodbye to loved the mound. People's imagination has created a lot of interpretations of the names of the mound, often associated with their name Devey mountains. The simplest of these explanations is, which is mentioned in the XVIII century. Academician Pallas: boys (lads) and the girl with the passing of the village Zhigulihi arranged on the mound Molodets'ke holidays - sang songs and danced on top of it. Another 6 miles to the east - and you have Yablonovy picturesque ravine. It is 12 km long, has many small branches. Yablonovy ravine, the only landmark that formerly were the apple trees and excellent apple brew is now famous throughout the country. This is the first point in the Zhiguli, where they found oil. After the Second World War there has been discovered Devonian oil, with the opening of its new era began in the life of Lada. Now, in a ravine Yablonovy booming industry. Increased cement-slate giant factory, which produces raw materials for the same place, in a ravine. Construction of a powerful Volga HPP named after Lenin Yablonovy ravine separated from the large Morkvashinskogo ravine. During the construction of hydroelectric Morkvashi villagers were relocated to other villages, and in the ravine Morkvashinskom erected powerful woodworking plant. From the west to the mouth of the ravine down Morkvashinskogo high, steep Mogutova Mountain (elevation 220 meters above the Volga). Stepped slope of her, facing the ravine forms of Stone Mountain. In the east Morkvashinskogo ravine - Bald Mountain (elevation 200 m) surrounded by dense forest. Slopes her completely naked, from where it got its name. At 4,5 km from the Volga Morkvashi stands a lone moody rock Sheludyak, named in honor of teammate Fedor Sheludyak Stepan Razin, whose troops have long held in this part of the Lada. Sheludyak is not quite "above the" Volga. Need to be more than 0,5 km First Bank and an open meadow, and then the forest to find himself in his foot. Immediately to the forest clearing begins thick maple-linden forest. The narrow winding path leads to the foot of the cliff. And here you can see Sheludyak around greatness. The northern slope of him, facing the Volga, a steep, steep, covered in obomshelyh, swinging, ready at any moment break stones. At the base and at the very top were once caves. In recent years, the entrance to them littered with fallen blocks of stone. The slope is seen a lot of gaping holes in the small dark cave, lots of niches, ledges and cracks. Sheludyak heavily destroyed. By the cliff can be approached from the other side. Near the banks of the Volga, east of Sheludyak, paved road, now almost overgrown. Past huge piles of small stones and scree (for some reason abundantly overgrown with lilies of the valley), it rises up and reaches a plateau, which merges into the top Sheludyak. Another 4 km of water - by high green mountains, with a half-ruined towers, cliffs, bare rocky peaks - "bumps", with black gaping holes, caves - and you have Bahilovoy clearing. This is a broad mountain valley, formed from the merger of the set not long, fan-like divergent ravines. Overshoes ravine formed by the merger of two smaller gullies - scrap and Bear pine. They are joined by cold ravine. Then, in a ravine fall Shoe smaller gullies - Oak, Kalinovoe and Raspberry dollars. In the western part Bahilovoy clearing, almost directly above the bank of the Volga River, turn white in the green forests low rock hill stone breaking. There's no time made the development of stone. In an array of mountains - niches and cave, lots of boulders and scree. In the eastern part of the field stretches eastward Bahilovoy narrow ridge of the mountain. As Molodetsky mound, she abruptly divorced from the surrounding mountains. The northern slope of its completely overgrown with forest, on the south there are only a band of forest, cloven rubble and debris. The western side of the mountain, over Bahilovoy meadow, almost devoid of vegetation, is crowned by a naked sheer top. This small Bahilova Mountain (elevation 282 m). The narrow rocky isthmus connects it with the same steep, bare and rocky peak - Big Bahilovoy Mountain (elevation 310 m). Further east, perpendicular to the Volga river, emerging from the depth of the plateau gullies: Raspberry, Strelna (on the mountain Strelna) Otvazhnensky, Ash (from the mountain ash), Thieves, prayers, Salt, decks. Mountains between fly and robber ravines reach a height of 370 m above the Volga. All of these gullies is not getting through to the Volga. The largest of all gullies Lada - Shiryaevo stretching for 35 km. In the Volga valley, it forms a width of 2 km. Almost parallel Shiryaevo within 2 km of stretches Kochkarny ravine, which then turns south and flows into the Shiryaevo. From west to Shiryaevo gully flow gullies Hop, Untitled and Stone - the most savage and blind in the Zhiguli. The mouth of the ravine Shiryaevo - about 3 miles. On the left side of his - Popova mountain, where from time immemorial waged artisanal mining of limestone. Now there Zhigulevsky lime plant. At the mouth of the ravine is located and Shiryaevo ancient village, the birthplace of the poet A. Abramov-Shiryaevtsa, glorified in his poems of the Volga.