Beshtau
1,402 m
Russia
Also known as Mount Beshtau, БештауAlso known as
Mount Beshtau · Бештау
- Elevation
- 1,402 m
- Prominence
- 764 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- May–Jun
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The gentlest and most popular way up: from Zheleznovodsk railway station a forest track climbs to the ring road around the mountain, then an unmarked, steepening path through beech forest reaches the saddle between the main summit and Maly Tau and the fenced transmitter on top. About 4 km and 740 m of ascent one way.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 4.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +798 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,402 m
- Time Up
- 3h 11m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 08m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at Zheleznovodsk railway station on the north side of the mountain. Walk left along the tracks for a couple of hundred metres, cross them and follow Zavodskaya Street and its continuation, a dirt road climbing steadily and almost straight through beech forest. After about 1.7 km it meets the ring road (built in 1927, mostly unpaved) that circles the mountain at roughly 820 m. Above the ring road the route becomes a forest path, steeper and in places blocked by fallen trees, for about 1.5 km. It climbs between the main summit and Maly Tau (Maly Beshtau, 1,254 m) to the saddle between them; the last 100 m below the saddle are the steepest part. From the saddle a short climb up the ridge leads to the summit, which is occupied by a fenced telecom compound; there is space to sit around the fence and a wide view to Elbrus and the main Caucasus range in clear weather. 2GIS gives 4.1 km, 740 m of ascent and about 3 hours including stops; regulars do it in about an hour. Descend the same way, or continue south past the Second Athos monastery and Monastery Lake to the Pyatigorsk side and return by bus or taxi. Paths are unsigned and criss-cross, so use an offline map with OSM data; there is no water on the way.
Start
Железноводск610 m
- Suburban train from Mineralnye Vody or Pyatigorsk to Zheleznovodsk station, where the walk starts
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Железноводск → Бештау | 4.2 | 798 | 6 | 3h 11m |
Waypoints
- Station: Железноводск610 m
Zheleznovodsk railway station
- Feature: Кольцевая дорога вокруг Бештау1,396 m
Beshtau ring road, about 1.7 km from the station (not on route line)
- Summit: Бештау1,402 m
Key Passages
- Steep forest path above the ring road
- Last 100 m below the saddle with Maly Tau
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 60%Overview
A forested, five-headed laccolith (1,402 m) rising about 750 m above the spa towns of Pyatigorsk and Zheleznovodsk, and the highest of the Caucasian Mineral Waters outliers. Unmarked forest paths lead in 2–3 hours to a summit crowned by a transmitter, with views to Elbrus on clear days.
Beshtau ('five mountains' in Turkic) is an isolated igneous dome on the plain north of the Greater Caucasus, about 8 km across at the base. Magma pushed up beneath sedimentary layers and never erupted; erosion has carved it into a main summit and four lesser heads: Maly Tau (1,254 m), Kozyi Skaly (1,167 m), Dva Brata or Lisiy Nos (1,124 m) and Lokhmataya (1,080 m). The lower slopes are clay with deep radial gullies; above about 820 m the core is rock. Mixed beech forest covers most of the mountain, giving way to crooked forest and subalpine meadow near the top.
It is a local walking mountain rather than an alpine objective. A dirt ring road built in 1927 circles the mountain at about 820 m and links the paths from Zheleznovodsk, Lermontov, Inozemtsevo and Pyatigorsk; above it, unsigned paths climb steeply through the forest. The summit carries a fenced telecom compound with room to sit around it. On the south-west slope stand the Second Athos (Assumption) monastery and Monastery Lake.
Go for the views over the Pyatigorye outliers and, in clear weather, the whole main Caucasus range with Elbrus, and for the late-spring flowers. Expect crowds at weekends, no water or facilities on the routes, and cloud that often sits on the summit while the towns below are in sun.
Climbing Notes
Any reasonably fit walker can do it: allow 2–3 hours up and 1.5–2 hours down for about 4 km and 600–750 m of ascent each way, depending on the start. The Zheleznovodsk route is the gentlest; the paths from the monastery and the 'KGO' paths on the Pyatigorsk side are steeper with loose stones and are not for beginners or children. Paths are unmarked and cross each other, so carry an offline map with OSM data.
Carry at least 1.5 l of water per person, as there are no springs, shops or toilets. In summer avoid the midday heat (it can reach 35°C) and wear long trousers against nettles and thorns. In winter, snow and ice linger on the shady north slopes until March and the summit is cold and windy. Radiation is reported to be within norms except near the old mine adits, which are signposted; keep away from them.
History
Ibn Battuta mentioned the mountain in the 14th century as 'Bishdag'. A summit path of 3.72 versts was built in 1902 with funding from the Caucasian Mineral Waters administration, and the ring road followed in 1927. Uranium was mined inside the mountain from 1950 to 1975 by Lermontov Mine No. 1, which drove more than 40 adits; the town of Lermontov was founded for the mine, and most adit entrances were later sealed with concrete. The mountain was declared a regional natural monument in 1961. The Second Athos monastery, closed in 1927, was restored in 2001, and a transmitter was built on the summit in the late 1990s. A mass ascent for Defender of the Fatherland Day (23 February) has been held every year since 1981.
Season
Best May–Jun- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Best
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Snow and ice on the north slopes; cold, windy summit
- Feb
- Winter conditions; traditional mass ascent on 23 February
- Mar
- Snow lingers in shady spots until March; muddy paths
- Apr
- Muddy after rain
- May
- Late May: flowering meadows and comfortable temperatures
- Jul
- Hot; avoid 11:00–16:00 and carry plenty of water
- Aug
- Hot; afternoon haze often hides the main range
- Sep
- Clearer air and comfortable temperatures
- Oct
- Comfortable; shorter days
- Nov
- Frequent rain and cold wind
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Beshtau is a regional natural monument (since 1961): no fires, camping or damage to trees and plants
- Keep away from the old uranium-mine adits, which are signposted; radiation is reported to be elevated only near them
- The summit telecom compound is fenced and closed to the public
- Getting There
Zheleznovodsk (north side); Pyatigorsk and Lermontov (south and west sides)
Mineralnye Vody (MRV)
- Suburban trains run to Zheleznovodsk and Inozemtsevo, and to Lermontovsky station on the Pyatigorsk side
- From Pyatigorsk: trams 2, 4 or 6 to the Belaya Romashka terminus, or marshrutka 112a/112e from Verkhny Rynok to the ring road or Lermontov
- By car to the Second Athos monastery via Beshtaugorskoye shosse and Kaskadnaya Street; parking near the church or along the road, often full at weekends
Hazards
- Weather