Stolovaia
3,003 m
Russia
Also known as Мят-Лоам, СтоловаяAlso known as
Мят-Лоам · Столовая
- Elevation
- 3,003 m
- Prominence
- 878 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The only easy way up the flat-topped mountain that closes the view south of Vladikavkaz: from the tower village of Beyni (1,580 m) in Ingushetia's Dzheyrakh gorge, a long dirt road and a loose zigzag path to the Myat-Loam saddle, a gentle walk to the medieval Myat-Seli sanctuary (about 2,550 m) and a final 500 m up the plateau to the summit. About 18 km and 1,500 m round trip, 10–12 hours.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 9.7 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,547 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,003 m
- Time Up
- 6h 25m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 24m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the Georgian Military Road just south of Chmi, cross the Terek bridge to the Dzheyrakh district checkpoint (an arch built like a tower), where passports are checked, and drive past Dzheyrakh to Beyni (1,580 m), a village of about 80 people with a tower complex and a campsite. Above the village a dirt road, passable by 4x4, climbs gently but at length to the foot of a zigzag path (2–3 hours on foot; there is a spring about 1.5 km from Beyni and no water above it). The zigzags are the steepest and most tiring part, 1–1½ hours on a well-trodden but stony path that needs care in descent; take the left branch before the saddle. From the Myat-Loam saddle a gentle climb of about 40 minutes, through a livestock gate, reaches Myat-Seli (about 2,550 m), a small two-room medieval Ingush sanctuary that can serve as an emergency shelter, though it is very windy. From here to the summit is about 500 m of ascent and 2 hours at an easy pace: head north-west, keep to the higher northern part of the plateau (a short detour north leads to the ruins of the Myater-Dyala temple), and at about 2,900 m find a narrow gap about 2 m wide between rocks along the trodden path. The summit carries a communications mast; in clear weather Vladikavkaz is visible below. Descend the same way, roughly twice as fast. For a day trip leave Beyni by 06:00; alternatively camp at Beyni or near Myat-Seli.
Start
Бейни1,482 m
- No public transport to Beyni was confirmed; most visitors drive or take a taxi from Vladikavkaz (about 40 minutes by car) along the Georgian Military Road, or join a guided group.
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Бейни1,482 m
Tower village with a campsite; notify the village administration before the hike
- Col: Мят Лоам2,405 m
- Waypoint: Мят-Сели2,547 m
Medieval Ingush sanctuary; windy emergency shelter
- Summit: Столовая3,003 m
Key Passages
- Zigzag path to the Myat-Loam saddle
- Myat-Seli sanctuary
- Rock gap at about 2,900 m
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
Stolovaya, 'Table Mountain' (3,003 m), known in Ingush as Myat-Loam, is the flat-topped massif that closes the southern skyline of Vladikavkaz on the border of North Ossetia and Ingushetia. A long but non-technical day hike from the tower village of Beyni passes the medieval Myat-Seli sanctuary, one of the holiest places of the Ingush.
Stolovaya rises directly south of Vladikavkaz between the Terek gorge on the west and the Armkhi valley of Ingushetia's Dzheyrakh district on the east. Its long, level summit ridge gives the mountain its Russian name and makes it one of the most recognisable silhouettes in the North Caucasus. The massif straddles the boundary between North Ossetia and Ingushetia, and the summit carries a communications mast.
The easy way up is from the Ingush side. From Beyni (1,580 m), with its towers and campsite, a dirt road and a stony zigzag path climb to the Myat-Loam saddle, then a gentle path leads to Myat-Seli, one of the oldest Ingush sanctuaries, at about 2,550 m, and the ruins of the Myater-Dyala temple on the plateau. The last 500 m are a steady walk across the plateau to the top. The round trip is about 18 km and 1,500 m of ascent, a full day.
The north and west faces above the Terek and Vladikavkaz are steep; the Beyni route needs no technical skills but good fitness, water and a passport for the checkpoint at the entrance to the Dzheyrakh district.
Climbing Notes
Plan a long summer day: leave Beyni by 06:00 (about 05:00 from Vladikavkaz), or camp at Beyni or near Myat-Seli and climb the next morning. Carry at least 2 litres of water per person: the last spring is about 1.5 km above the village. Trekking boots and poles make the stony zigzags much easier, especially on the way down. Wind on the plateau is strong and nights above 2,500 m drop to around 0 °C. Behave respectfully at Myat-Seli and the other sanctuaries, which are revered holy places. Do not go alone, and let the Beyni village administration know your plans. Guided day trips from Vladikavkaz run from March to December.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter conditions; guided trips only in settled weather
- Mar
- Snow on the plateau; gaiters and warm layers
- May
- Snow still lies on the upper mountain
- Jun
- Snow melts during June
- Jul
- Hot in the valley (18–30 °C by day)
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- No huts. Campsite at Beyni; guesthouses and the Armkhi resort lower in the valley. Myat-Seli can serve as an emergency shelter but has no door.
- Fees
- Campsite at Beyni: fixed tents were 750 roubles per day in 2013; pitching your own tent was free
- Rules
- The Dzheyrakh district of Ingushetia borders Georgia; passports are checked at the district checkpoint. A Russian passport was sufficient in 2013 and in 2026 tour listings; requirements for foreign citizens were not confirmed
- Myat-Seli and Myater-Dyala are Ingush holy places: behave respectfully and leave no rubbish
- Getting There
Vladikavkaz
Vladikavkaz (OGZ); Magas (IGT)
- By car from Vladikavkaz along the Georgian Military Road (about 40 minutes); after Chmi turn left over the Terek bridge to the Dzheyrakh checkpoint, continue past Dzheyrakh and turn right to Beyni
- Guided groups provide transfers from Vladikavkaz
Hazards
- Weather
- Exposure