Baduk lakes: description and features. The popular route "Dombai - Baduk lakes"

In the Western Caucasus, between the two ridges - Baduk and Hadzhibey - there are picturesque mountain lakes, which are called the Lower Baduk, or as the local people say - Baduki. Between the mountain ranges they are cascaded from three reservoirs. Above the current there are another small lakes - the Upper Baduk, but because of the heavy traffic they are less known and popular.

Briefly about the main

In the territory of Teberdinsky Reserve (Karayevo-Circassian Republic, Russia) there are Baduk lakes. How to get to them, every local resident knows. These ponds are the main decoration of the protected area. They were formed as a result of the flooding of the Baduk River, the left tributary of Teberda.

The origin of the Baduk lakes is zavalno-dam. Their history is about 200 years. They formed as a result of the collapse of part of the mountain, which blocked the way to the river current. The nearest town is Teberda, which is also on the territory of the reserve.

The Baduk lakes have ordinal names: First, Second and Third. The order of calculation starts from the lowest pond.

The First Lake

The smallest is the First Lake (only 80 m). A pond of medium depth, the maximum value of which is within 4.5 m. The shores of the lake are made of granite. Around it stretches beautiful forests. The water in the lake is cool throughout the year, and in the hottest days it does not warm up more than + 5 ° C. The Baduk lakes are located at a certain distance. From the First to the Second it is only 260 meters.

The Second Lake

At an altitude of almost 2 000 m above sea level there is the Second Lake. Its dimensions are twice that of the First one and are 200 m. The distance from the Second to the Third is 60 m. It is worth noting that the different natural features of the coastline have the Baduk lakes. The route for hiking does not involve approaching the water of the Second Lake. This is mainly due to a complex and dangerous shore.

Third lake

The third reservoir, also called the Great Baduk Lake, is the largest and deepest of the entire cascade. Its dimensions exceed the length of 300 m, the maximum depth of the reservoir is 9 meters. The water in the Third Badukskoye Lake warms up to + 10 ° C in the hot season, this figure is the highest among all the others. Another difference of the Third Lake from the others is the amazing transparency of the water, which has a turquoise color. It even contains trout.

Natural features

The Baduk forests are surrounded by beautiful landscapes. They are given special beauty by coniferous and fir forests and two mountain ridges - Baduk and Khadjibi.

Since 1994 this place is a biosphere reserve. On the shores of lakes and in the nearest forests there are more than 1,000 diverse representatives of flora, 500 species of mushrooms, more than 50 species of mammals, almost 3,000 species of various insects and more than 200 species of birds. There are some rare animals listed in the Red Book. But the ichthyofauna in the lakes and the Baduk River is very scarce, represented by only three species of fish.

The route "Dombai - Baduk lakes"

A special walking route has been developed for the visitors of the Baduk lakes. It is quite popular with tourists. It depends primarily on the fact that it is light, and does not require a special tourist category and training. A route starts from the village of Dombai, which is also rapidly developing. At present, this settlement can be called a tourist center. Here you can relax on the bases, go skiing and snowboarding.

From Dombai and before the start of the hiking route to the lakes, you must cover a distance of 13 km (by car). It is here that the border of the reserve passes. The further way, which will have to be overcome in order to visit the Baduk lakes, is paid. The whole pedestrian route includes 5-6 hours on foot in one direction. During this time you can inspect all three ponds. It is on the Third Lake that it is allowed to organize a tourist lodging and admire the landscapes of unearthly beauty. However, in order to stay overnight at the shore, the permission of the reserve administration will be required.

The length of the pedestrian route is 5 km. Organized exits are arranged from June to November. Since November, the slopes are covered with a constant snow cover and hiking trips are prohibited.