Mount Bogdo and salt lake Baskunchak (Astrakhan region). Big Bogdo Baskunchak Lake and Big Bogdo Mountain
Lake Baskunchak, Mount Bolshoe Bogdo and the Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky nature reserve are good not only in themselves and not only as popular points of interest and ecological routes. The surroundings of Lake Baskunchak and Mount Bolshoye Bogdo are beautiful, but the regime of the reserve and the difficult characters of the locals do not always allow them to be enjoyed. However, we will be able to show and tell you something.
Label of a series of articles about a trip to the south of Russia in a UAZ Patriot car along the route Moscow - Elton - Baskunchak - Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov - Yasenskaya ferry - Elton - Moscow in 2008 under the name "Big steppe rides" -.
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In the steppe, which is called the standard - it is so classically beautiful - you want to walk endlessly. The steppe is addictive, like a starry sky above your head. Endless eternal space, through which caravans of oxen with salt slowly walked and cruel gangs of nomads raced on horseback. Above the withered grass, a white-hot sun. Bitter wormwood air. Intoxicating koumiss. The taste of salt on parched lips. All this steppe...
Walking in the steppe, you need to be careful. In the grass, an unexpected meeting with a wise steppe viper, with a cute sexy scorpion, with an insanely active phalanx is possible - and this meeting will not always please you. In addition, the steppe only seems to be flat, like a table. There are many karst sinkholes, caves and beams in the steppe in the vicinity of Lake Baskunchak and Mount Bolshoye Bogdo. You are unlikely to fall into a deep dungeon, but injuring your leg when walking carelessly is easy.
Funnels and hollows are scattered across the autumn yellow (the color of a madhouse) steppe. These are karst holes. Layers of rock salt, limestone and other unstable rocks are washed away by rains, and dips form in the steppe. This is part of the Shar-Bulak tract.
Gardens are grown in deep beams (for example, in Surikovskaya beam), because. these places are protected from the cold winter winds that rush across the steppe at the speed of a modern train. Experimental plantings of southern fruit trees by biologists sometimes survive and bear fruit.
Caves in the steppe are a phenomenon, in itself, surprising for our speculative idea of the steppe, as a flat, like a table, area overgrown with fluffy feather grass. But the steppe is different, and there are caves in the steppe, and some caves are large and unsafe. In addition to small karst dips and funnels, eight full-fledged large caves are distinguished in the vicinity of Lake Baskunchak.
a photo. Author VovkaKak.
Baskunchakskaya Cave, also called Studencheskaya Cave, in the vicinity of Lake Baskunchak and Mount Bolshoye Bogdo, is the largest and most famous cave in the Caspian lowland. Scientists suggest that the Baskunchak cave began to form about 6 thousand years ago, but it became known to people, apparently, only about 150 years ago. The first inscription on the wall of the Baskunchakskaya cave is dated 1874, and it is hard to imagine that the more ancient pioneers of the cave (if they were) did not leave some inscription or drawing on the walls as a keepsake. The first scientific studies of the Baskunchakskaya cave were published in 1940 by A.A. Gedeonov.
The Baskunchak cave consists of two, and in some places three horizontal tiers with passages between them and memorable names: Skinner, Labyrinth, Main Gallery. Total length about one and a half kilometers, the maximum depth of the cave is about 32 meters.
The history of exploration of the Baskunchakskaya cave is bright and dramatic.
“More than 30 times from 1979 to 1998, Saratov speleologists visited Baskunchakskaya village. As a result of topographic surveys carried out in full three times (1979-1980, 1986, 1991), all currently passable sections of the cave were mapped. In 1980, the Small and Big Baskunchak caves (according to Gedeonov) were merged into one - the Baskunchak cave with three passable entrances. In 1985, in the ceiling of one of the halls, with the electric lamps turned off, faint reflections of daylight were noticed. The daredevil, who free-climbed along the wall of the hall to a narrow hole in the ceiling, could neither descend (without insurance) nor climb out. Friends, guided by his cries from the surface, found and expanded this gap, which became the 4th entrance to the cave.
“The study of siphons and their alleged connection (1980-1983) is a particularly interesting part of the history of the work of Saratov speleologists. The first attempts to pass these siphons were naive, but audacious. The mud-water half-siphon in the Labyrinth was passed in the absence of diving suits with the help of a specially constructed polyethylene pipe. The pipe rolled ahead of the crawling in front of it. Despite the fact that the pipe naturally slammed behind the pioneers and they almost suffocated, the half-siphon was passed. But then there was a real water siphon, very narrow for diving. We dived into the lake near the Main Gallery already in wetsuits, then also with scuba gear, but the narrowness and turbidity of the water encountered after 6-7 meters did not allow us to go any further. Even underwater blasting was tried, but without success. Finally, the problem was approached thoroughly. A fire pump with a gasoline engine was brought to the underground lake. The siphon was successfully pumped into the Main Gallery, while an experiment was also being carried out with fluorescein staining of an artificially created watercourse. Exhaust gases from the engine quickly filled the volume of the stroke, and the authors well remembered the picture of the panic flight of the experimenters from the thundering pump to exit No. 1. Alas, the pumped-out lake, up to 2 m deep and about 7 m long, ended in a narrowness drawn in by clay, with slowly seeping water. .
Numerous karst failures, funnels, beams and caves, including the Baskunchakskaya cave, gave rise to local tales and legends that there are underground passages in the steppe in the vicinity of Baskunchak that only dedicated people, which usually include mythological characters - "noble robbers", like Robin Hood. They also say that horses grazing in the steppe fall into karst funnels, and then through underground passages and swift underground rivers they get out in the Volga region and even beyond the Volga, which, in our opinion, is nothing more than stories that justify widespread horse theft. in the steppe.
Red Lake (or rather, what is left of it) is an unforgettable place near Lake Baskunchak.
Once upon a time, Red Lake was like that.
Photo Stepkin N.P. a photo.
It would seem that there is no need to repeat the importance of water in the steppe and the dangers of steppe fires. But those who like to relax, drink and hunt convince us of the opposite.
A wonderful oasis in the dry hot steppe attracted numerous visitors. First of all, local hunters and poachers. Not so long ago, according to the stories of local residents, saigas were massively exterminated in the steppe near the Red Rocks in a simple way, which has been preserved since Soviet times: they let a car into the herd of saigas at high speed across the steppe, it crushed several dozen saigas, and then the “hunters” took several carcasses for meat. The rest of the saiga corpses and a huge number of crippled wounded were simply thrown into the steppes to their fate. Animals were butchered on the shores of the Red Lake, because. is the closest source fresh water. At the same time, you can arrange a picnic. Numerous lovers of nature and drinking in nature have also stopped here. Careless handling of fire led to a steppe fire, the consequences of which now cannot be overcome for years!
This is what Red Lake is. Perhaps it has become even more beautiful, but this beauty is tragic. Sometimes in the spring, melt waters and streams make an attempt to revive the lake, but then everything returns to a half-dead state again. The ecological balance has been upset, perhaps forever.
The red clay of the bottom of the lake leaves an unforgettable impression. The same clays of the ancient Permian period of the late Paleozoic era come to the surface of the Red Rocks of Bolshoye Bogdo Mountain. Golden sunny autumn crazy colors and texture!
On the territory of the Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky reserve there is another unique water body - Lake Karasun. Endorheic, filled with rain and melt waters The lake is located in a large sinkhole. The southern shore is high and steep, on the other sides the shores gently go into the steppe. Several rather deep ancient beams with washed-out slopes descend from the west. The bottom of the lake is silty, black silt with a pronounced smell of hydrogen sulfide. By the end of summer, the water level is greatly reduced, the lake can dry up almost completely. At the same time, the bottom cracks, forming a takyr.
“Several years ago, even before the opening of the reserve, the Volga newspaper reported on a tragedy that took place on the shores of Lake Karasun, where several dozen decomposed saiga carcasses were found. As it turned out, these are trophies of poachers. Having shot, or even simply crushed at night by the headlights of trucks, they brought the animals to the lake for butchering. But there was so much prey that some of the saigas, the so-called hunters, were abandoned on the shore without even bothering to cover them. I can’t say for sure how this story ended, but it was not possible to identify the poachers and bring them to justice at that time.” .
Surroundings of Lake Baskunchak and Mount Bolshoye Bogdo are attractive at any time of the year. Depending on the season, time of day, weather and lighting conditions, the colors change from saturated "alien" to picturesque "pastel".
This concludes our introduction to the Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky nature reserve, Big Bogdo mountain, Baskunchak lake and its immediate surroundings. The description of the trip to the south of Russia is transferred to Krasnodar region to the shores Sea of Azov and to the picturesque place Yasenskaya ferry. Big Steppe Rides continue!
Electronic media "Interesting world". 09.12.2013
Salt Lake Baskunchak is our answer to the Dead Sea. This is a unique creation of nature, a kind of deepening on top of a huge salt mountain, leaving its base thousands of meters deep into the earth and covered with lean sedimentary rocks. The thickness of the surface salt deposit on the lake reaches 10-18 m. In addition to its importance as a powerful base for the industrial development of salt, Lake Baskunchak is part of a unique natural complex, including Mount Bolshoye Bogdo.
The lake has an irregular shape with a general orientation in the northwest direction. The length of the lake along the major axis is 18 km, the width varies between 6 - 13 km, the total area is 110 square meters. kilometers.
The water line in the lake is 21 m below sea level. The water in the lake is replenished by the Gorkaya River, whose catchment area is 11,000 km², and water from 25 springs. The salinity of the lake is about 300 g/l. The thickness of the surface salt deposit on the lake reaches 10-18 m. As a result of salt mining, faults up to 8 meters deep were formed. The depth of the salt reaches 6 km. In spring and autumn, the level of brine in the lake is maximum - up to 1 meter. Only bacteria that tolerate salt live in brine.
They say that swimming in the lake helps with a bunch of different diseases, etc. From the parking lot to the water you need to go in a bathing suit and always in rubber slippers - take nothing else with you - there will be nowhere to put it. It is strongly recommended to take cans of water - wash off the salt.
Mount Big Bogdo with a mark of 149 m above sea level is the highest point of the Caspian Sea and a place shrouded in a trail of legends and legends. By the grandeur and beauty of the outcrops, by the diversity and distinct arrangement of the layers, and most importantly by the paleontological nature of some of them, Bogdo is a truly classic area for a geologist and, like a ghost, appears among the horizontal, to the point of fatigue, monotonous steppe sediments. Mount Bogdo is sacred to the Kalmyks, who believe that it was consecrated by the Dalai Lama and come to worship it. According to one legend, Mount Bogdo was formed from a sacred stone, which was brought by Kalmyk pilgrims from the distant mountains of the Tien Shan. Another legend, written down by Academician Gmelin, says that Mount Bogdo used to stand on the banks of the Ural River, but two holy Kalmyks decided to move it to the banks of the Volga. After long fasts and prayers, the Kalmyks put her on their shoulders and carried her across the endless sultry steppes, but one of them fell under the weight of the burden at the moment when a sinful thought flashed through his head. The mountain crushed him and was sprinkled with blood, which is why one side of it is still red. The surrounding area is so flat that Mount Bogdo, according to the Kirghiz, is visible for 50 miles. Considering the importance of preserving the original animal here and flora, the Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky natural complex has been declared a reserve, where a special environmental regime has been established on an area of 53.7 thousand hectares.
I haven't been out for a while. And then the moment came when the desire to visit new places prompted me to go as far as 350 kilometers from Astrakhan. My choice fell on Mount Bogdo and Lake Baskunchak, which are located in the Astrakhan region.
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To begin with, even the trip itself in a comfortable bus did not become boring.
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And forests along the riverbeds
But the main beauty was revealed to us when we arrived at the place. And so - Lake Baskunchak. I must say right away that a photograph, no matter how well it is taken, will not convey what is revealed to the eye, so to speak, “live”.
Lake legend. Many, many centuries ago, a wild beast ran across the steppe, either a steppe wolf or a fox. The animal ran to the lake, wanted to drink water, put its face into the water, but could not drink - the water was too salty. The animal ran on. The sun was beating down mercilessly and the salt appeared on the muzzle as white crystals. A man saw that beast, got scared and ran away, shouting loudly “bask chak! bask chak!”, Which in ancient language meant salty head. This is the name of the famous lake.
The feeling that in the middle of our spring you suddenly found yourself in snow-covered lands was bright and distinct.
I will not tell everything and much. It is better to see it for yourself once than to read someone else's story about it a hundred times. And here are my questions. Do you know what kind of piles peek out from the lake?
And where did Lake Baskunchak come from and what exactly is it?
Do you know why it is called the "All-Russian Salt Cellar"?
The thickness of the surface salt deposit on Lake Baskunchak reaches 10-18 m. As a result of salt mining, faults up to 8 meters deep were formed. The depth of salt on Lake Baskunchak reaches 6 km. In spring and autumn, the level of brine in the lake is maximum - up to 1 meter. Only bacteria that tolerate salt live in brine. Today, the extremely pure salt of Lake Baskunchak accounts for up to 80% of the total salt production in Russia; from 1.5 to 5 million tons of salt are mined here annually.
Since ancient times, to be more precise, since the 8th century, salt has been mined here and sent along the road that connected East Asia with the Mediterranean Sea. The people called this route the Silk Road. The first mention of Lake Baskunchak can be considered in 1627, in the 1st geographical description of Russia, as a place "where crystal clear salt is mined, like ice."
And what connects and makes Lake Baskunchak and Bogdo mountain related?
Well, let's leave these questions unanswered for now. In the meantime, admire a few more views of this huge "salt shaker" ...
An interesting fact we can call what salt is sometimes called “living” - since during the extraction of salt, its crystals are not subject to chemical, thermal or mechanical effects, and from this it follows that they are not destroyed, the intracrystalline lattice is not damaged, and all useful elements are preserved in the salt .
At the moment, Baskunchak salt is one of the best salts containing sodium in the world. Moreover, there is an opinion of various experts that the composition of salt is almost identical to the salt of the World Ocean and, at the same time, is close to the composition of human blood plasma, therefore baths with such salt will be very useful for people of any age to maintain your beauty and psychological state.
Today, the salt of the presented lake is incredibly pure, which is confirmed by repeated measurements of sodium in the lake (the level of NaCl reaches 99.8%). human need varies in salt. It is about 5 million tons per year. The food of the unique reservoir occurs mainly at the expense of springs. Numerous keys flow into salt Lake Baskunchak along its northwestern shore, bringing more than 2.5 thousand tons of salts into the lake during the day.
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Let's leave Baskunchak for a while and move to Mount Bogdo. Many legends surround it, I can only say that this place could not do without mystery and fairy tales. Yes, take a look yourself.
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Big Bogdo is famous for its exceptional composition. This picturesque mountain is part of nature reserve"Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky", is located on the southern shore of Lake Baskunchak. Buddhists consider it a holy mountain. Many legends are associated with it.
One of the legends says that this landmark was originally located on the banks of the Urals, but several saints wished to move it to the banks of the Volga. After praying and fasting for a long time, the saints took the mountain on their shoulders and decided to carry it on their own through the sultry steppe. One saint could not stand it and fell, and immediately saw a charming girl who was very good, but aroused sinful thoughts in him. The mountain punished him by climbing on top of him. The blood that came out of it colored one of the sides of the Bogdo Mountain, which is why it still shimmers in red.
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Another legend tells that Mount Bogdo was formed from the holy stone, which was brought by pilgrims from the Tien Shan mountain.
And here is another legend. Two heroes once lived in the Caspian steppe: a father and a son. They did not have their own farm, so they grazed flocks of other people's sheep. At that time in the steppe there was neither a hillock nor a mound. When tall grass rose in spring, it was impossible to see animals and predators hiding in the steppe behind it. Once a father and son went to the Urals. When they returned home, they agreed to take with them Ural mountains on a block of Ural stone. The father took the big one, and the son took the smaller one. The road is long. The path is difficult. The younger hero began to languish. He took off his burden, lay down to rest, but immediately died. After burying his son, the father moved on. He wanted to carry the block to his native wagon. Passing along the shore of a salt lake, he decided to take a pinch of salt in his mouth. But as soon as he bent down for salt, the mountain fell on him with all its weight. The hero fell, and the earth around him turned crimson, which is why it is still red.
Big Bogdo had another Kalmyk name - "Arslan-Ola" i.e. "Lion-mountain" (Kalm. "Arslan" - "lion"), for the outward resemblance of the mountain to a lying lion.
I want to ask again. Do you know who lives on the top of Mount Bogdo?
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Bogdo among the Mongols and Kalmyks means something sublime and majestic, just as in this sense the Chinese owner is called Bogdo-khan, "the highest khan." Mount Bogdo is sacred to the Kalmyks, who believe that it was consecrated by the Dalai Lama and come to worship it. According to one legend, Mount Bogdo was formed from a sacred stone, which was brought by Kalmyk pilgrims from the distant mountains of the Tien Shan. Another legend, written down by Academician Gmelin, says that Mount Bogdo used to stand on the banks of the Ural River, but two holy Kalmyks decided to move it to the banks of the Volga. After long fasts and prayers, the Kalmyks put her on their shoulders and carried her across the endless sultry steppes, but one of them fell under the weight of the burden at the moment when a sinful thought flashed through his head. The mountain crushed him and was sprinkled with blood, which is why one side of it is still red.
Big Bogdo (Russia) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.
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Liliput among the mountains, a sacred place for the Kalmyks of the entire Astrakhan region, the highest point of the Caspian lowland - Mount Big Bogdo (emphasis on the second "o") is considered one of the highest interesting places south of Russia. And also this the only land in our country, where the cutest animal called the squeaky gecko lives.
Being only 149.6 m high, it is amazing how this place was given the status of a “mountain” at all, the hills are even higher. However, given the fact that the entire Caspian lowland is steppe and steppe around, the honorary status of Bogdo is not accidental. But even this is not what attracts crowds of believing Buddhists, tourists and scientists here. For some, Big Bogdo is a sacred place, covered with legends and traditions. For others, one of the most picturesque sights with fantastic views. Well, the latter bow before the amazing properties of the “singing” mountain, which is full of beams, funnels, caves and grottoes, and also grows by 1 mm every year.
By the way, the fact of singing Bogdo is scientifically recorded. It turns out that the steppe wind over the centuries has so worn away the soft rock that it cut out a lot of holes in it - those very caves and funnels. And the air, passing through the holes, emits a hum - singing.
As for the fact of growth, here, too, everything is scientifically explainable. Big Bogdo is not an ordinary mountain, but the edge of an underground salt dome. Every year it slowly bulges up through soft limestones and sandstones.
In April-May, all nature around the mountain is covered by reckless spring flowering: thousands of tulips and poppies crawl out into the light of day, coloring the steppe in fantastic scarlet colors.
ascent
Most often, tourists climb the picturesque eco-tourist route No. 2, which starts from the southwestern slope of the mountain to the top, from there to the Surikovskaya beam, then along it to the Baskunchak lake and to the Kordonskaya beam.
At the top of the Big Bogdo there is a “bald head” with a protruding trigopoint (a geodesic tripod of scientists), to which a lot of ribbons are tied. They are left by Buddhists who revere the mountain as a shrine (“bogdo” in Kalmyk means “holy”). If you walk along the mountain, then in the rocky crevices you can see a lot of primitive trestle beds made of boulders. Allegedly, lying on them, you can feed on the energy of the holy mountain.
Big Bogdo
Legends of Big Bogdo
Climbing the mountain without knowing the traditions and legends of the Big Bogdo is at least stupid - no romance for you, which so picturesquely paints your stay on the mountain in mystical tones. So, if you believe the legends, then Bogdo was formed from a sacred stone, which was brought by Kalmyk pilgrims from the distant slopes of the Tien Shan. Another version of the legend says that once Big Bogdo stood on the banks of the Ural River. However, two holy Kalmyk brothers decided to move it to the banks of the full-flowing Volga. Throwing a stone on their shoulders, they understood that a long journey awaited them through the endless sultry steppes.
And everything would have gone well until one brother saw a beautiful Kazakh woman. Despite the long days of fasting and prayer, sinful thoughts crept into his head, and the mountain fell on him. Of course, the Kalmyk died, and the Bolshoi Bogdo, having never “reached” the Volga, remained standing in this very place. And one edge of the mountain was stained with the blood of the deceased Kalmyk, since then it really has a red tint. The Dalai Lama grieved for a long time at the site of the death of his disciples, his tears gathered in a large lake, but the moisture dried up, the salt remained, and people began to call this place Lake Baskunchak.
Coordinates
Mount Big Bogdo can be reached in several intricate ways. Most often, travelers start their journey from the village of Nizhny Baskunchak (or Lake Baskunchak). So, moving out of the village towards the mountain to the south, you find yourself on a rolled primer, Lake Baskunchak will serve as a guide, and a little in front and to the right - the "mountains" from the gypsum quarry.
At the very quarry with its Marble Lake, by the way, it is worth making a photo stop.
Then there is a fork in the road - you need to keep to the left, and then drive straight for about 8 km. At the end of the path - the entrance to the reserve (coordinates N48 08.018 E46 49.094), watchmen and inspectors are on duty in the gatehouse, who need to pay about 200 RUB per person for entry. Detailed CC will be given on the spot: how to get to the parking lot, where the singing rocks are located, and where the tourist-ecological trails start from.
Prices on the page are for April 2019.
They say that before visiting the reserve it is necessary to issue a pass, since Bogdo is located only 14 km from Kazakhstan, that is, in the border area. It is better to explain the detailed rules for visiting the reserve for yourself by calling: 8-85141-363-13.
The best time for a trip to the reserve and the sultry Astrakhan steppes is April-May, when the sun is already hot, but still quite tolerable. But during this period, reckless spring flowering embraces all nature around: thousands of tulips and poppies crawl out into the light of day, coloring the steppe in fantastic scarlet colors. By the end of May, alas, the riot of nature comes to naught, feather grass blooms, giving the steppe a shade of gray hair. Literally a couple of weeks, and the sun will become merciless, turning the earth into a scorched desert, and the grass into a yellow, withered and miserable likeness of the once lush greenery.
If you want to spend the night near a mountain or Lake Baskunchak, you are forced to disappoint: you cannot stop overnight on the territory of the reserve. The next opportunity to pass the night is in the village of Nizhny Baskunchak, where the Bassol Hotel and the Baskunchak Sanatorium are located.
Not everything is so simple with souvenirs in the protected area either: picking flowers or taking fossils from the sacred mountain is strictly prohibited. But you can get to Lake Baskunchak, where you can chip off a few salt crystals.
Coordinates: N48 8.364 E46 51.462. It is necessary to move from the village of Nizhny Baskunchak, skirting the lake in an arc from the west. Mount Big Bogdo is located on the territory of the reserve, entry is paid.
The Astrakhan region is known not only for its unusual salt lake Baskunchak, but also Mount Big Bogdo located near the famous salt lake.
Mount Big Bogdo is the only real mountain in the Caspian lowland. The foot of Bogdo lies two dozen meters below sea level, and the top is about 150 meters higher. Every year Mount Big Bogdo becomes higher. The fact is that inside the mountain there is a salt dome, which increases by about 1 mm per year. The height of the Big Bogdo above sea level is 149.6 m, and even more above the surrounding area.
Mount Bogdo has developed ground and underground forms of karst relief - beams, funnels, caves, grottoes, etc. Today, the vicinity of Mount Bolshoi Bogdo and Lake Baskunchak has more than 30 caves, the largest of which - Baskunchakskaya - reaches 1.5 km .
Mount Big Bogdo brought to us the remains of the Mesozoic era. In the cliffs of the mountain there is a marine Triassic with fossilized remains of animals that lived 200-250 million years ago - this makes Big Bogdo a real geological paradise. In addition, Mount Bolshoye Bogdo is the only place in Europe where Triassic sedimentary rocks, rich in skeletal remains, come to the surface.
Unusually Big Bogdo and its color - one of its sides has a red tint. This is due to the high concentration of various metals. However, despite the confirmed scientific fact, there is a legend explaining such an unusual color of the Big Bogdo mountain: according to legend, the Bogdo mountain used to stand on the banks of the Ural River, but two holy Kalmyks decided to move it to the banks of the Volga. After long fasts and prayers, the Kalmyks put Mount Big Bogdo on their shoulders and carried it across the endless sultry steppes, but one of them fell under the weight of the burden at the moment when he saw a beautiful local resident, and a sinful thought flashed through his head. The mountain crushed him and was sprinkled with blood, which is why one side of it is still red.
Bogdo among the Mongols and Kalmyks means something sublime and majestic, just as in this sense the Chinese owner is called Bogdo-khan, "the highest khan." The local population believes that Mount Big Bogdo was consecrated by the Dalai Lama and they come to worship it. According to another legend, Mount Bogdo was formed from a sacred stone, which was brought by Kalmyk pilgrims from the distant mountains of the Tien Shan.
The foot of Bolshoye Bogdo Mountain is hidden by a plume of scree, which was formed in the process of weathering. On the rocky cliffs of the southwestern slope of Bogdo one can see spectacular forms of weathering of sandstones and other rocks of the Paleozoic age. The presence of shallow caves, stone niches and pillars, cornices and numerous recesses, similar to giant honeycombs, made Big Bogdo a sounding mountain. The phenomenon is explained by air fluctuations between stone pillars, drafts in communicating caves. Therefore, the people call the southwestern slope of the mountain "Singing Rocks".
Salt Lake Baskunchak and Mount Big Bogdo are part of a unique natural complex. In 1997, the Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky natural complex was declared a reserve (Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky reserve), where a special environmental regime was established on an area of 53.7 thousand hectares.
Guide: how to get to Mount Bolshoye Bogdo and what to see
Since the easiest way to get to Bogdo is from the village of Nizhny Baskunchak or Lake Baskunchak, we will consider this option.
So, when moving from the side of the village to Mount Big Bogdo, you will have to make a small semicircle. Drive south out of the village and move along the rolled primer. The reference point for you on the left will be Lake Baskunchak itself, and in front-right - the towering mountains of dumps from the gypsum quarry. At the very quarry (N48 12.000 E46 48.064), where Marble Lake is located, it will be possible to stop and admire the opening landscape. At the junction at the quarry, keep left and then go straight for about 8 kilometers. As a result, you will arrive at the entrance to the reserve (N48 08.018 E46 49.094), where watchmen and inspectors are on duty. The entrance fee is 170 rubles. per person (140 rubles per child), paid locally (transport paid separately). Contrary to information on some websites, no prior arrangements are needed. You can get further instructions on the spot, but we will still tell you a few points.
After the barrier, you should go straight, you can stop at the singing rocks (N48 07.850 E46 49.609). When you reach the end, leave the car in the parking lot (N48 08.363 E46 51.460) and walk to the top (N48 08.562 E46 51.333). This is the standard route number 1, sometimes it is replaced by route number 2 - a walk along the paths along the red slope, this good way take a closer look at the landscape.