The Jila-Su tract is an incredible amount of emotions in one day. An epic road with views of Elbrus, mountain waterfalls, soaring cliffs, green meadows, gorges and narzan springs. How we went on an excursion to Jilly-Su in a jeep.
- How to choose a tour
- Route with all stops
How to choose an excursion to Jili-Su
Before going to Jily-Su, we studied the offers of excursions on the Internet and travel companies in Kislovodsk. It immediately became clear that they drive SUVs to Jilly-Su.
If you are from two people, take an individual tour and travel comfortably. Group excursions to the Gila-Su tract are also offered, but be prepared for the fact that you will be compactly put in a jeep with strangers and you will spend 8 hours with them.
- Excursions to the Gila-Su tract from Kislovodsk
We were looking for an excursion to Gila-Su from Kislovodsk to the Tripster according to the description and reviews. It was very difficult to choose from 40 excursions with hundreds of rave reviews. We chose a Jeep tour to the Gila-Su tract with guide Dmitry.
Alexandra, September 5, 2024
We were on an excursion together with my husband, we were completely delighted! For that, many thanks to our guide-driver, Dmitry! I arrived on time, even a little earlier, in an excellent and very comfortable jeep. During the trip, he told a lot of interesting things about the history of those places, modern realities, as well as many fascinating stories and legends. The road, of course, is really amazing, the views are fascinating, it takes your breath away! Thank you very much for a great time and the impressions you received!! We definitely recommend it!
On the Tripster, you can ask questions to the guide before booking. We asked what day it was better to go according to the weather and how to dress. We received the answer quickly and immediately made an advance payment.
You need to take sunglasses, SPF cream, multi-layered clothes, comfortable shoes, hats, cash to pay fees and personal expenses, bottles for narzan with you to Gily-Su.
The route to the Gila-Su tract with all stops
At 8 a.m., the guide Dmitry came to pick us up in his brand new jeep. I must say right away that there may be another guide from Dmitry’s team on your tour, but they are all professionals on good off-road vehicles. Knowing the roads in the Caucasus and the quality of services provided is very important.
Dmitry, as a native of these places, throughout the tour told us about the history, nature and people living in the Northern Elbrus region. I will not retell his words, I will describe our route and my impressions.
The road to Jili-Su
The road to the Jily-Su tract passes through the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria. This is the highest paved road in Russia (2500 meters above sea level). It is not recommended to drive your own car along this route. The road is characterized by an abundance of descents and ascents with a continuous serpentine.
As soon as we climbed the mountains, a view of Elbrus opened up in front of us. I immediately moved to the front seat next to the driver.
We were driving towards Elbrus from its northern side. To be so close to the highest peak in the world is an indescribable feeling. We were lucky with the weather, there was excellent visibility that day.
A herd of cows and horses blocked our path on one of the sections of the road, but Dmitry knew how to act, and we quickly left.
The tour to Jily-Su passes through the territory of the national park “Elbrus”, an environmental fee is charged for entry — 200 rubles/person. There will be several more fees next.
Shatjatmaz Plateau
Our first stop is the observation deck on the Shatjatmaz plateau (2,100 meters above sea level). It offers panoramic views of Elbrus, the Kanzhol plateau and the peaks of the Greater Caucasus Range. Nearby is the Shajatmaz Scientific Research Observatory, the white domes of which are clearly visible.
The main photo point on the Shatjatmaz plateau is a bench with a view of Elbrus and the inscription “Happiness is just around the corner, it is in the mountains.” We didn’t wait for her to be free and took a picture next to the same beautiful view.
On the way to Jili-Su, we stopped at several natural viewing platforms. Dmitry gave me binoculars, through which I could make out the horses grazing on the steep slopes.
We got the most emotional photos right on the road with a view of Elbrus. The main thing here is to catch the moment when there are no other cars and turn on your imagination.
Bandit Rocks
The mountain peaks of the Kharbas Gorge are called Bandit Rocks not only because of their shape. From the guide we learned the history of the Civil War.
Avatar Rocks
This observation deck is called “Mountains as in Avatar” on Yandex maps. The views here are really fantastic 4D.
Passage to the avatar rocks is 50 rubles / person, which is not a pity to pay. A local businessman made observation decks with ladders and opened a cafe.
Standing on a platform above the edge of a precipice, it’s easy to imagine flying around rocks surrounded by dense forest.
Mount Tuzluk
Tuzluk Mountain rises 40 meters above the nearby foothills and resembles a pyramid in its shape. The peculiarity of this mountain is the slope of the slopes at 45 degrees. It is said that the brine has a special energy, there are “psychics” who perform magical rituals on it.
The Jila-Su tract
There is an increased concentration of natural attractions and beauties in the Jila-Su tract: waterfalls, rocks, narzan springs. A winding road descends into the valley of the Malka River. A separate fee is charged for entry into the Gila-Su tract — 100 rubles / person.
Karakaya-Su Waterfall
The name of the waterfall “Karakaya‑Su” is translated from the Turkic language as “water on black rocks”. Its height is about 30 meters. We crossed the Malka River on the bridge, went upstairs and got out of the car to the observation deck.
To Karakaya‑You can also walk along the Malka River trail (2 km). Besides the beautiful views, there is another interesting reason for walking.
The valley of the Malka River is called the “valley of gophers”. The Elbrus gophers are used to tourists and take treats right out of their hands. In the middle of October, they were not visible — they lay dormant. Ground squirrels on Jila-Su begin to emerge from their burrows in May and are active all summer until early October. If you go at this time, grab food: carrots, apples, seeds.
Kyzyl-Su Waterfall
We surveyed the Kyzyl-Su waterfall from an unfenced area on the edge of a cliff. The waterfall is formed by the Kyzyl-Kol mountain river, which falls into the canyon from a height of 20 meters. Mineral water flows next to it, leaving a rusty trail.
Gorge of Castles
We walked to the last waterfall and narzan springs on our route through the Kala Kulak gulch, called the “gorge of castles” or “dragon’s teeth”. Stone pyramids with sharp teeth rise along the road. Rocks of unusual shapes appeared in the Jila-Su tract about 2 million years ago as a result of the eruption of a stratovolcano and weathering.
Jila-Su Mineral Springs
The name “Jily-Su” is translated from the Kabardino-Balkarian language as “warm water”. There are many sources of thermal water on the Jila-Su tract, which flows directly from Elbrus. Healing water can be drunk and even bathed in it.
Mineral baths are taken according to a schedule — men and women separately. In our time, women were bathing and I looked inside. Behind the fence there is a small font with waist-high water, there is a locker room. If you are planning a procedure, take a swimsuit. Is free.
Dmitry gave us an hour of free time for an independent walk to the springs. We took the precaution to bring bottles with us — we drank narzan and took it with us.
There are three types of narzan on Jila-Su: ocular, renal and gastrointestinal. Each source is provided with a name plate.
A bridge has been laid across a stormy mountain river. It leads to the Sultan Waterfall.
Sultan Waterfall
Sultan Waterfall (Siltran-Su) is one of the highest and most powerful in Jily-Su, its height is 40 meters. You can get closer to him and take a picture standing on the rocks.
A path starting to the right of the bridge leads to Emmanuel’s clearing. From above, there is a view of the Gila-Su tract and Elbrus. We didn’t go there, drank narzan and returned to the car.
On the way back, we had several more stops at the panoramic platforms. In the afternoon, clouds began to cover Elbrus.
We stopped for lunch at a roadside cafe. We took hychines, salad and tea with sweets. Everything is delicious outdoors. Well-fed and satisfied, we returned to Kislovodsk.
Our trip to Jili-Su was as full of natural beauty as possible, which cannot be expressed in words. Be sure to go! Wow effect, vivid photos and memories for a lifetime are guaranteed!
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