Iremel
1,586 m
Russia
Also known as Ирәмәл, Иремел, +7Also known as
Ирәмәл · Иремел · Großer Iremel · Big Iremel · Iremel' · ირემელი · Большой Иремель · Iriemiel · Иремель
- Elevation
- 1,586 m
- Prominence
- 769 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
RegulationReported 7 Jul 2026
Entry fees for Bashkortostan's nature parks were raised under order No. 1474-r of 17 November 2025; Iremel Nature Park entry costs 260 roubles in 2026 (previously 200 roubles).
ufa1.ru
Routes
1The most popular way up: from the village of Tyulyuk (Chelyabinsk Oblast) 6.5 km along a 4x4 track to the Iremel Nature Park checkpoint (920 m), then about 7 km on a marked forest trail round Peredny Iremel and over boulder fields and an easy stony slope to the broad, rocky summit plateau. Usually a long day or an overnight with a camp by the springs.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 12.7 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,061 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,586 m
- Time Up
- 5h 12m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 18m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the southern edge of Tyulyuk on Sovetskaya Street, past the Roza Vetrov base, where there is a large clearing for camping and parking by the Tyulyuk river. A rough track, used by local 4x4 shuttles, runs 6.5 km south through forest and meadows: after 1 km it fords the Karagaika stream at a broken bridge (logs up- and downstream), and after another 4 km reaches the shuttle turning area, 1 km before the park checkpoint (cordon) at 920 m. Register and pay at the checkpoint; carry cash, as there is little signal. Taking a shuttle cuts 7 km and makes the ascent a comfortable day trip. Beyond the checkpoint the trails are marked and well trodden. The Upper Trail heads south through forest to a clearing with a spring (1.4 km), swings east round Peredny Iremel past more clearings and a spring by the Karagaika stream, and reaches a signposted junction (to Iremel, Tyulyuk and Baisakalovo). Continue south 400 m to the first boulder field: for about 1 km low mountain vegetation alternates with stones. At about 1,310 m the climb up the stony slope begins; it is not difficult. At 1,390 m pass a small boggy grassy shelf, then climb the last 800 m and about 190 m to the summit plateau, where the highest point is hard to pick out among the large boulders. The Lower Trail is about 1.5 km shorter and steeper. First-time visitors should descend the way they came, as the plateau is featureless in cloud.
Start
Тюлюк557 m
- Bus from Katav-Ivanovsk to Tyulyuk; by car via the M5 to Yuryuzan, then through Meseda and about 25 km of gravel road along the Yuryuzan to Tyulyuk. Local 4x4 (UAZ) shuttles run from Tyulyuk to the checkpoint parking, saving 7 km.
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Тюлюк557 m
Southern edge of the village by the Roza Vetrov base; camping and parking clearing
- Feature: Карагайка690 m
Ford at a broken road bridge, 1 km from the start
- Trailhead: Кордон Иремель915 m
Iremel Nature Park checkpoint; registration and fee; end of the 4x4 track
- Summit: Большой Иремель1,586 m
Key Passages
- Ford of the Karagaika
- Boulder fields and stony slope above 1,310 m
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 79%Overview
Big Iremel (about 1,582–1,586 m) is the second-highest summit of the Southern Urals and the most visited mountain in Bashkortostan: a broad, boulder-capped plateau above taiga and mountain tundra in the Iremel Nature Park, reached by a marked trail from the village of Tyulyuk.
Iremel is a two-summit massif in the north-east of the Beloretsk district of Bashkortostan, with its north-western slopes in the Katav-Ivanovsk district of Chelyabinsk Oblast. Big Iremel, with its plateau-like top called Kaban ('haystack'), and Little Iremel (1,449 m) are separated by a saddle about 1 km wide at 1,200–1,250 m. The massif measures about 12 by 8 km and gives rise to the Tygyn, Sinyak, Bolshoy Avnyar and Karagaika, in the basin of the Belaya. Dark coniferous taiga gives way to open woodland, subalpine meadows and mountain tundra with many relict and endemic plants, including Iremel roseroot.
Since 31 December 2010 the mountain and the neighbouring Avalyak ridge have been protected as the Iremel Nature Park, with entry checkpoints on the Tyulyuk, Uchaly and Nikolaevka sides. The usual route starts at Tyulyuk in Chelyabinsk Oblast: a 4x4 track to the park checkpoint at 920 m and a well-marked trail through forest and over boulder fields to the summit plateau, about 13–14 km one way from the village or 7 km from the checkpoint. It is a non-technical hike, popular in winter too, but the summit is exposed to wind and often in cloud.
The Bashkirs regarded Iremel as sacred; tradition holds that only priests could climb it to make sacrifices. The name's origin is debated, with Bashkir readings such as 'hero's saddle' among the proposals.
Climbing Notes
Any reasonably fit walker can climb Iremel in summer. With a 4x4 shuttle from Tyulyuk to the checkpoint it is a day trip of about 15 km round trip and some 650 m of ascent; walking from the village adds 13 km, so many people camp by the springs on the Upper Trail or in Tyulyuk. Wear proper boots for the boulders, bring warm, windproof clothing and a GPS track, and descend by your ascent trail: the summit plateau is featureless in cloud.
Buy the park ticket online or at the checkpoint (bring cash) and register with the rescuers stationed there, telling them your plans and expected return. In winter the route is a popular snowshoe or ski trip, but the plateau is very exposed to wind and cold.
History
Pyotr Rychkov's 18th-century description of the Belaya river mentions 'Irimyali-Tau', so large and high that it could be seen from two days away and kept snow in places all year; Ivan Lepyokhin also described it as the source of the Belaya. The Iremel Nature Park was created by the Government of Bashkortostan on 31 December 2010.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter ascents on skis or snowshoes; very exposed summit
- Feb
- Winter ascents; strong winds and cold
- Mar
- Popular for winter trips; longer days
- Apr
- Thaw; wet, rotten snow and high streams
- May
- Mud and snow patches; Karagaika ford high
- Jun
- Flowering meadows; mosquitoes
- Jul
- Main season; frequent showers
- Aug
- Main season; berries
- Sep
- Autumn colours; cold nights
- Oct
- First snow and icy boulders
- Nov
- Early winter; short days
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Permits
- Iremel Nature Park visitor ticketRequired
Paid entry to the nature park, bought online from the Directorate of Protected Areas of Bashkortostan or at the park checkpoints (Tyulyuk, Uchaly and Nikolaevka sides). Several categories of visitors are exempt or pay a reduced rate with supporting documents.
dooptrb.ru
- Hut Booking
- No mountain huts. Camp at the clearings by the springs on the Upper Trail, or stay at guesthouses in Tyulyuk (e.g. the Roza Vetrov base).
- Fees
- Iremel Nature Park entry: 260 roubles per person in 2026 (raised from 200 roubles)
- Optional 4x4 shuttle from Tyulyuk to the checkpoint
- Rules
- Iremel Nature Park: entry only with a paid ticket; register with the rescuers at the checkpoint
- Vehicles may not go beyond the checkpoint
- Many governments (including the UK and US) advise against all travel to Russia since 2022
- Getting There
Tyulyuk (village, Chelyabinsk Oblast); Yuryuzan and Katav-Ivanovsk
Ufa (UFA); Chelyabinsk (CEK)
- By car: M5 to Yuryuzan, then via Meseda and about 25 km of gravel road along the Yuryuzan river to Tyulyuk
- Bus from Katav-Ivanovsk to Tyulyuk
- Local 4x4 shuttles from Tyulyuk to the park checkpoint (about 7 km)
Hazards
- Weather