Big bitch. Big bitch, mountain Pass: Shoulder Big Bitch.2011

I climbed the Bolshaya Suka Ridge once. And our way to the ridge, as I understand now, was very non-standard.
Firstly, the conductor Ivan Susanin led us. So it was written on his T-shirt and he quite seriously claimed that his name was Vanya, and his last name was Susanin, and being a guide in the Ural taiga was his vocation. I hope you understand what feelings took possession of me when I, in company with our German financial director, with my beloved nephew and a 17-year-old German boy who came to practice in Russia and for whose safety his father instructed me to personally answer, approached to the shore of the stormy Zyuratkul for some reason and saw a rusty trough, which Ivan Susanin called a motor boat. However, the motor was.
Secondly, we had to melt down to the other side of the Zyuratkul in a rusted trough (well, yes, this was a boat with a motor, according to Ivan Susanin) in two shifts of 4 people across a very turbulent lake that day. In general, at that moment the waves seemed to me like the sea.
By the way, the trip turned out to be surprisingly simple. At first we walked along a beautiful forest path, along which frogs raced with us. Then the path went uphill, but we walked along it at a quick pace, not particularly bothering. And only the last 100 meters climbed a little over the stones in the dense forest. I looked around all the time and looked for traces of Baba Yaga, she definitely had to live in this windbreak.
And then an incredible space opened up.

Big Bitch Valeria Kuznetsova

“Better mountains can only be mountains that you have not yet visited.
Old, worn out? But it's true!
Mountains take your soul, heart, liver... You can't live without another dose of mountains. Mountains ... They are somewhere "...reign in the distance and insanely beautiful in themselves ...".
But if you really want to, you can find mountains very close to home (with Ufa). Real thousand people, with mountain taiga and gray tongues of kurums crashing into the taiga. With the ruins of outcrop rocks, the smell of rhododendron and crazy views of all five corners of the world. You will say that the world has four ends. I will say that there is a fifth just in case when everything interesting does not fit in four.

Such mountains, of course, are the Bolshaya Suka Range. Rocky, pointed, all bristling with peaks. And although the emphasis in the word “Bitch” is on the last syllable, sometimes when you move along the traverse of the ridge, no, no, and another native Russian word will break out either from your chest or from under your feet. Yes, and the echo, out of habit, will resoundly answer: mother, mother, mother ...
Good on the Bitch and close. Only 200 km from October Avenue of the city of Ufa. This circumstance allows you to drive to the "real mountains" in just a day and return back. What we regularly do.
We go to Suka only twice a year, in spring and autumn. Usually in autumn, at the end of September, you always run into snow. Therefore, this year we decided to go there early and everyone is happy - we caught good weather, wonderful views. And the next lucky ones received their dose of mountains, which is so necessary for health.

For those who will have breakdowns and an urgent need for the mountains in the near future, I will inform you that while the weather is quite normal, we are waiting for the following outings for one day:
September 15, South Ural Reserve, Nara Ridge
September 16, Mount Bakhmur and the closest stone river to Ufa
September 22, South Ural Reserve, Mount Bolshoi Shelom
September 23, Mount Kurtash and Blue Rocks
September 29, South Ural Reserve, Mount Dunan Suigan
September 30, Raspberry Mountain

A little bit about Big Bitch Ridge

The Bolshaya Suka Ridge is located in the Chelyabinsk region, not far from the town of Bakal, stretches from SW to NE from the right bank of the Yuryuzan River, its length is about 20 km, most of the peaks are more than 1000 m. The highest points from north to south: m. 1102 m, m. 1139.6 m, m. 1080 m, m. 1194 m (the highest point of Bolshaya Suki), m. 1130 m, m. 1105 m, m. 1168 m, m. Peski (1054 m), m. Mal. Uval (1006.7 m).

Valery Kuznetsov:
“There are four versions of the origin of the oronym Suka.
The interpretation is derived from the Tatar "bitch" - "plow", the Bashkir "bitch" - "hill", "pointed peak" and the Bashkir "suuk" - "cold". According to another version - from the word "sukan" - "bow". That is, Suka is an onion ridge. Indeed, a lot of wild garlic, "bear onions" grow on the Suk. Yes, and on old maps the ridge is designated precisely as Sukan.
An interesting observation is made by the famous toponymist of the Urals, A.K. Matveev: “... Russian residents from the village of Tyulyuk call the Suka Range, motivating this by the fact that there are very uncomfortable places for walking ...” I must say that this is true. Most of the ridge is narrow rocky ridges, which now and then have to climb.
Throughout the Bolshaya Suka ridge there are many rocks, remnants, and ledges. In the southern part of the range there is a large tundra mountain plateau. The plateau is almost flat, offering a beautiful panoramic view of the nearby mountains.

How to get there?

To get to the Siberian Pass of the Bolshoy Suki Ridge, you need to get to the village of Katavka. The Katavka settlement was founded in 1843 by settlers from the Katav mine and the Katav-Ivanovsky plant and was first called Novo-Katavskaya. The settlement arose along with other workers' settlements near the Bakalsky mines being developed to serve them. Currently, about 250 people live in the village.
From the village of Katavka, you need to go east along a dirt road, gradually gaining height. The road is damp and seems to lie in a narrow, shady spruce and fir corridor. The trail is often crossed by clear and cold streams with spring water. When the taiga ends, you will see an open space with kurums, isolated bizarre quartzite remnants and a clearing on one of the peaks of the Bolshaya Suka ridge, which is called Lysaya. This is the Siberian Pass, located at an altitude of about 1000 m above sea level. At the pass, you can turn to the southwest along a barely noticeable path, bypassing the rocky outlier on the right along the kurums - the Devil's finger. Markings are found in places on trees. Behind the rocky remnant, gradually gaining height, you can climb towards the top of B. Suka (1194m). After climbing to the top, you can return to the road to Sibirka.
The village of Sibirka was founded in 1779. Included in the Satka urban settlement. The name is associated with the Old Siberian Highway passing nearby. According to the 2010 census, 128 people lived in the village. The village is located on the left bank of the river. Malaya Satka, 32 km from the regional center, surrounded by mountain ranges Moskal, Bolshaya Suka, Uvan. Previously, the main occupation of the inhabitants was logging and charcoal burning for the Satka iron-smelting plant. After 1941, the blast furnaces of the plant were switched to another type of fuel, charcoal burning was stopped. In 1967, a power line was laid from Bakal to the village, an eight-year school was built, which operated until 1980.
At present, the Visitor Center of the Zyuratkul National Park is located in the village. In the vicinity of the village there are 2 tourist routes: pos. Zyuratkul - Sibirka (20 km), Sibirka - B. Uvan (12 km, radial ascent). At 7 km there are attractions: "Boiling Key" and "Fountain".

Valery Kuznetsov:
“It is worth noting that if you are interested in local history and ethnography, it will be very informative to communicate with the old residents of the Katavka village. The Katavian dialect is classified by philologists as a separate dialect.
And the self-name of the Katavians is shmaty. When I have to visit Katavka, I try to communicate with local grandparents with great pleasure. You will not hear such an interesting and original speech anywhere else!”

How to get to the southern part of the Bolshaya Suka Ridge?

It is convenient to get to the southern tip of the ridge along the road from the city of Yuryuzan to the village of Tyulyuk, having reached the clearing where the village of Petropavlovka used to be, and from it along the old logging road and along the path up. However, look for a guide.

Photo by Valery Kuznetsov and Igor Akromenko from the group "Gorny Shurale".

Ridge Big Bitch (NoneStop attempt)

The Bolshaya SukA Ridge (emphasis on the last vowel) is admired by thousands of people every day, crossing the Ural Mountains along the M5 federal highway. Its stone wall, stretching for more than 20 kilometers along the highway, can hardly be left without attention.

The location of the ridge next to the highway, the possibility of a quick exit and easy entry predetermined my choice with the final object for the cross-travel within the framework of the Southern Ural NoneStop project.
November 1 at 7.00 am, leaving the car in the forest at the foot of Maly Uval mountain, I start traversing. Pushing my way through the muzzle whip, I reflect on the differences between this campaign and the previous ones. In the summer I wear light 200 gram Solomon sneakers, the weight of my bask Lite lightweight backpack did not exceed 8-9 kg with a 4 liter supply of water. Now I am going into the unknown, and therefore I carry additional equipment on my back and legs that can provide me with a margin of safety in the conditions of late South Ural autumn. I understand that it is most likely snow at the top, but how much it is, what temperature it will be at night and the strength of the wind remains a mystery. The higher I climb, the more snow and at the border of 900 meters the snow cover becomes continuous. The first obstacle on my way, the city of Maly Uval (1006.7), is difficult. In semi-darkness I wander among the towers of the stone ridge crowning the peak for a couple of kilometers: visibility is 100 meters, strong wind. Sometimes windows appear in the breaks of the clouds, which inspires hope.

At the top, the snow depth reaches 20-30 centimeters in some places, which already affects the speed of movement, coupled with windbreaks and solving rock labyrinths. I lose precious two hours on the first 2.5 km and climb 500 meters, which is critically much in the conditions of a short 9.5 hour daylight hours.

Behind the Maly Uval mountain there is a small area of ​​windbreak forest and an ascent to the highest and completely kurum part of the ridge.

7 kilometers of ascents and descents on snow-covered hills. And if the ascent is relatively simple and safe, then the descent is like walking through a minefield and the smaller the stones, the more dangerous it is to walk on them.

Climbing and traversing the top of 1194.8 is easy. Under cover of rocks and overlooking a wonderful infernal performance, I arrange lunch.

I brew myself freeze-dried macaroni and cheese, adding 100 gr. raw smoked sausages. Sublimates do not cease to please me, 20 minutes and I, after eating hot and drinking warm water, can move on. I pass a large summit plateau quickly, but a 300-meter descent to the saddle gives a lot of trouble.

I cross the Katavka-Sibirka road and go towards the peak 1080.1 overgrown with forest. On the way to the top, pushing through another blockage, I understand that before dark I couldn’t manage to pass the ridge, there were 2 hours of daylight left, and there was another 7 km ahead of a large area with rocks and turmeric. It is necessary to make a decision to walk in the dark or get up for the night.

What to do? On the one hand, the goal is to pass the ridge within one day, on the other hand, the understanding that I am very tired and moving in the dark on snow-covered rocks can end very badly. In the direction of the second option, the desire to spend pre-sunset time on photography also pulls. Caution wins. Having traveled 20 kilometers, I set up my bivouac on top of a cliff under cover of a small stone wall. Below, under the rock, there were places more convenient and more protected from the wind, but I sacrifice a certain amount of comfort as a sacrifice to the “feng shuiness of the place”, I have a sunset against the backdrop of the section of the ridge that I have passed, and the ability to shoot the dawn without getting out of the tent, which in winter conditions is very conveniently.

A few pictures…

... and in anticipation of food and warmth, I climb into the tent. It's good that I put on winter ski boot covers with galoshes and avisent top. Boots, although wet, but completely without snow, I put them under my head. I unpack the products, put the burner out and open the valve, gas starts to come out with a strong hiss, I strike a lighter and the flame covers the entire burner, the situation is dangerous, an open fire of 30 cm of the tent, I am reclining in a sleeping bag and limited in movement. I try to turn the burner over into the snow, but there is not so much of it on the rock shelf, the burner overturns and the fire flares up more strongly, a blow with my hand and the burner flies down from the rock. Cursing, I get out of the sleeping bag in one isothermal, put on a puff, put on almost dry boots and climb down. The rocks are not 10 meters high, but you need to find another place for descent, and then a burner among the stones. There is a place for descent, there are no problems with the burner either, a strong smell of gas and a characteristic hiss lead directly to it. After 15 minutes, I'm lying again in the tent, my boots are outside. I'll take care of these two icy chunks of snow in the morning. The night passes normally, I sleep badly, a strong wind rinses the tent, a strong cough rinses me. Dawn is scheduled for 9.10, so at 7 o'clock I start moving towards the exit. I open the entrance, I'm in a thick cloud, the dawn will probably pass by. I cook breakfast, clean and warm between my legs, in a sleeping bag, boots. At 9:00 I start moving. Rested and with fresh energy, I pass the peak of 1139.6 quickly and easily, I just fly through the forest area, bypassing the rubble

and by 13.00 I go out not the last peak of the ridge 1102.8. The weather has turned bad - it's snowing. I decide to go out on the M5, since the road is 3 km away from me, I can clearly hear the rumble of cars. After 4 hours, using the help of 3 cars and walking 10 km along the road, I get to the starting point.

The total length of the route along the ridge was 27 kilometers.

From the new equipment I tested my kayaking neoprene mittens Palm. I was extremely pleased with the test results. A great way to keep your hands warm in conditions of high humidity and wind, if you need to do delicate work often, such as photography. Thanks to the cutouts on the palms, you can use your fingers in a matter of seconds and hide them just as quickly, while neoprene, in turn, perfectly retains heat when wet and does not allow your hand to freeze.

Pass: Shoulder Big Bitch.2011

We are a very friendly and athletic family! We really love the nature of our native land and, if possible, try to get out of the house to the mountains every weekend))))!!! A fairly easy pass for children and an interesting name. And what came out of it - see below !!!

There are three versions of the origin of the oronym Suka. The interpretation is derived from the Tatar "bitch" - "plow", the Bashkir "bitch" - "hill" and the Bashkir "suuk" - "cold". The third version seems to be the most probable. A curious observation is given by the famous toponymist of the Urals, A.K. Matveev: “... Russian residents from the village of Tyulyuk call the Suka Range, motivating this by the fact that there are very uncomfortable places for walking ...” I must say that this is true. Most of the ridge is a narrow rocky ridges on which now and then you have to climb.

View of Bolshaya SukU from Katavka village. Where did our journey to the pass begin?

From the point of view of the excursion, the road leading from the village of Katavka to the village of Sibirka, through the Bolshoi Suki pass, is interesting. Few other places in the Southern Urals have such a simple road to a height of a thousand meters. This is what we need with a 6 year old child !!!

Let's start with the fact that the ascent to the pass is picturesque in itself.

Ridge Bolshaya Suka map:

View in a larger map

The Bolshaya Suka Ridge runs across the Chelyabinsk region, not far from the town of Bakal, stretches from SW to NE in the upper right bank of the river. Yuryuzan, its length is about 20 km, its height is over 1000 m. The most significant peaks from north to south: m. 1102 m, m. 1139.6 m, m. 1080 m, m. m. 1130 m, m. 1105 m, m. 1168 m, m. Peski (1054 m), m. Mal. Uval (1006.7 m).

There are four versions of the origin of the oronym Suka. The interpretation is derived from the Tatar "bitch" - "plow", the Bashkir "bitch" - "hill", "pointed peak" and the Bashkir "suuk" - "cold". According to another version - from the word "sukan" - "bow". That is, Suka is an onion ridge. Indeed, a lot of wild garlic, "bear onions" grow on the Suk. Yes, and on old maps the ridge is designated precisely as Sukan.

An interesting observation is made by the famous toponymist of the Urals, A.K. Matveev: “... Russian residents from the village of Tyulyuk call the Suka Range, motivating this by the fact that there are very uncomfortable places for walking ...” I must say that this is true. Most of the ridge is a narrow rocky ridges on which now and then you have to climb.

The Bolshaya Suka Ridge is replete with rocks, cliffs, ledges and steep drops. But in its northern part there is a vast tundra mountain plateau. Almost flat, offering a beautiful panoramic view of the nearby mountains.

The ridge is interesting as a weekend object. It is convenient to combine his visit with a visit to the Fountain at the source of the Malaya Satka River, as well as the Uvan, Nurgush and Zyuratkul ridges. From the point of view of the excursion, the road leading from the village of Katavka to the village of Sibirka, through the Bolshoy Suki shoulder pass, is interesting. It is also called the Siberian Pass. Few other places in the Southern Urals have such a simple road to a height of a thousand meters, with the possible exception of the road leading to the top of Mount Dunan-Sungan. But more on that in another article. Just a couple of kilometers along the road from Katavka and a little climb from the pass along the kurums, to the right or left.

It is worth noting that if you are interested in local history and ethnography, it will be very informative to communicate with the old inhabitants of the village of Katavka. The Katavian dialect is classified by philologists as a separate dialect.

And the self-name of the Katavians is shmaty. When I have to visit Katavka, I try to communicate with local grandparents with great pleasure. You will not hear such an interesting and original speech anywhere else!

You can get to Bolshaya Suka along the federal highway M5 "Ural", turning off the highway to the village of Katavka, which is located under the very ridge. I must say that the road itself on the pass comes almost to the kurums that run down the slopes of Bolshaya Suka. It is convenient to get to the southern tip of the ridge along the road from the city of Yuryuzan to the village of Tyulyuk, having reached the clearing where the village of Petropavlovka used to be, and from it along the old logging road and along the path up.