Which mountains are the highest after the Caucasus mountains. Caucasus Mountains, Elbrus

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The Achishkho mountain range is the closest ridge to Red Polyana and the most picturesque. The highest mountain, Achishkho, has a height of 2391 meters above sea level. Interesting fact o the name of the ridge: “Achishkho” translated from Abkhaz means “horse”. This is confirmed by the view from below, from Polyana to the mountain range. If you look closely, you can see the outline of a horse. The most popular walking route passes through a special place located on the side of a mountain, approximately 1800 meters above sea level, where there was a weather station from the 30s to the 90s.

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The Aibga mountain range is located on the territory of the Sochi National Park, on the eastern side of Krasnaya Polyana. The ridge extends over 20 kilometers and consists of four highest points called peaks. The most popular peak mountain among tourists is the Black Pyramid, 2375 meters above sea level. It has an unusual shape, which makes it especially popular among climbers. In addition, from the top of the mountain there is a wonderful, breathtaking landscape. Having conquered this mountain, you will see the valley of the Mzymta River, the peaks of Chugush and Pseashkho.

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One of the most beautiful resort places in our country is Dombay. The main attractions of this city are its picturesque places. The Mussa-Achitara ridge is considered the most picturesque ridge in this part of the Caucasus. In order to appreciate all the beauty that surrounds the guests of the resort, you need to climb the mountainside by cable car. From this place there is a wonderful picturesque view of the peaks and glaciers of the Main Range, the Teberda and Gonachkhiri valleys.

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Ine Peak is located near the place where the northern Dzhugurlutchat glacier originates. The name of the mountain is translated as “Needle”; the mountain got its name because of its pointed top; this unusual view for mountains attracts many tourists from all over the world. Top of Ine Peak all year round lies under the snow, and although its sheer cliffs are relatively difficult to conquer, the top of Ine Peak is quite a popular place among climbers. The height of the “needle” reaches 3455 meters, which is about 600 meters lower than the highest mountain of the Caucasus watershed ridge. It is best to view the mountain from the site of Mount Mussa-Achi-Tara; it is 400 meters lower than Ine Peak, but in exchange it can be reached by cable car.

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In the North Caucasus, among the Dombay glade, somewhat east of the Back (Small) Belalakai mountain, there is a peak called Sufrudzhu. The height of the mountain is 3871 m. A wide depression divides the massif into two even parts - Southern and Northern. Both peaks are clearly visible from the Musat-Cheri ski resort. The southern part was called Sufrudju's Tooth, which means "Tiger's Fang". The massif stretches for 3600 m and acts as the main attraction of the mountainous Dombay.

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Belalakai is a mountain located next to the village in Dombay, since the village is a resort. The mountain has become a symbol of this village and attracts a lot of tourists. Its height is 3861 meters. Although the height of this mountain is 200 meters lower than the highest in Abkhazia, it is no less a landmark. Belalakai owes its fame to quartz. Most of the mountain consists of dark soil rocks and dark granite, however, due to centuries-old geological processes, there are deposits of quartz on the mountain. It is this quartz that created the white stripes that adorn the top of this mountain; the white stripes of Belalakai are especially visible in late summer. Due to the beauty of the local landscapes, the mountain has been mentioned more than once in songs and poems.

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Dzhuguturluchat is a relatively small massif in the Greater Caucasus Range. The mountain range rose to a height of 3921 meters, which is only 120 meters less than the highest point on the Caucasus ridge. In the highest areas of the mountain range there are herds of aurochs; it was they who gave these mountains the name “Dzhugurluchat” - which translates as “herd of aurochs”. The mountain range originates from the Dombay plateau, however, the most beautiful places open from a place called “Mussa-Achi-Tara”; this is where most tourists gather.

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Cheget is one of the highest mountains in the Caucasus. Its height reaches about 3770 meters. It is a popular tourism destination among travelers. From the mountain you can enjoy the view of the highest peak in Europe - Elbrus. Another feature of Mount Cheget is the second line of the cable car, which passes through an area where there is snow that does not melt throughout the year.There are three lines of the cable car in total. The height of the first reaches about 1600 meters. It is one of the most popular for tourists who come to Cheget to enjoy the view of Elbrus.

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This mountain after Elbrus is the second most popular among climbers. This is because it is also quite high - 4454 meters above sea level.

There are several ways to get to the mountain: by cable car or on foot. Tourists who choose the first method can use the Cheget cable car at the final point where they are located small cafes. The second and more difficult path, which takes several hours, is from the Cheget meadow along a path already crowded with tourists. However, it is better to hit the road with an experienced guide, otherwise there is a chance of getting lost in the mountains.

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The North Caucasus will captivate many tourists with its beauty and landscapes. Mount Semenov-Bashi, located in the east of the Caucasus Range, is no exception. In reality, it is just a protrusion 3602 m high above the ground. The mountain was named in honor of the Russian explorer P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky. This person was a traveler and was the chairman of the Russian Geographical Society.

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Mount Chotcha is part of the Caucasus range, which is famous for its picturesque mountains and rocks. Chotcha, unlike other mountains, is divided into two parts, as if someone cut the mountain in the middle into two halves. Unlike mountains that have just a smaller mountain next to them, at first glance you can see that the mountain has one base on which there are two rocks. The rock in the foreground is lower than the back one; it is 3637 meters high, which is 400 meters lower than the highest mountain of the Caucasus range. The second rock is only three meters higher than the first, it is 3640 meters above sea level.

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Mount Ertsog is on the list of one of the most visited places in the Caucasus range. The Alibek River flows at the foot of the mountain; in addition to the mountain itself, this place has a very beautiful lowland. In the gorge where the river flows, a massive slope descends; it becomes especially beautiful in the spring, when the sun illuminates the slope full of bright green vegetation. Mount Erzog is part of the Teberdinsky ridge; the ridge itself encircles a lowland with a river and makes a very strong impression on tourists who visit it.

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Mount Sulokhat is located in the Dombay region and is one of the largest points of the Caucasian watershed ridge. The height of the mountain is 3439 meters, which is about 600 meters lower than the largest mountain on the Caucasus ridge. Mount Sulohat is surrounded by many legends, the most popular about the origin of the name of the mountain. In ancient times, the foot of the mountain was inhabited by the Alan tribe. In this tribe there lived a girl named Sulohat, she was extraordinary beauty and courage and was the daughter of a tribal leader.

The Caucasus Mountains are located on the isthmus between the Caspian and Black Seas. The Caucasus is separated from the East European Plain by the Kuma-Manych depression. The territory of the Caucasus can be divided into several parts: Ciscaucasia, Greater Caucasus and Transcaucasia. In the territory Russian Federation only the Ciscaucasia and the northern part of the Greater Caucasus are located. The last two parts together are called the North Caucasus. However, for Russia this part of the territory is the southernmost. Here, along the ridge of the Main Ridge, passes state border Russian Federation, behind which lie Georgia and Azerbaijan. The entire system of the Caucasus ridge occupies an area of ​​approximately 2600 m2, with its northern slope occupying about 1450 m2, while the southern slope is only about 1150 m2.

The North Caucasus Mountains are relatively young. Their relief was created by different tectonic structures. In the southern part there are folded block mountains and foothills of the Greater Caucasus. They were formed when deep trough zones were filled with sedimentary and volcanic rocks, which later underwent folding. Tectonic processes here were accompanied by significant bends, stretches, ruptures and fractures of the earth's layers. As a result, it poured onto the surface a large number of magma (this led to the formation of significant ore deposits). The uplifts that occurred here in the Neogene and Quaternary periods led to the elevation of the surface and the type of relief that exists today. The rise of the central part of the Greater Caucasus was accompanied by the subsidence of strata along the edges of the resulting ridge. Thus, the Terek-Caspian trough was formed in the east, and the Indal-Kuban trough in the west.

The Greater Caucasus is often presented as a single ridge. In fact, this is a whole system of various ridges, which can be divided into several parts. The Western Caucasus is located from the Black Sea coast to Mount Elbrus, then (from Elbrus to Kazbek) the Central Caucasus follows, and to the east from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea - the Eastern Caucasus. In addition, in the longitudinal direction two ridges can be distinguished: Vodorazdelny (sometimes called the main one) and Bokovaya. On the northern slope of the Caucasus there are the Skalisty and Pastbishchny ridges, as well as the Black Mountains. They were formed as a result of interlayering of layers composed of sedimentary rocks of different hardness. One slope of the ridge here is gentle, while the other ends quite abruptly. As you move away from the axial zone, the height of the mountain ranges decreases.

The chain of the Western Caucasus begins at the Taman Peninsula. At the very beginning, it’s more likely not even mountains, but hills. They begin to rise to the east. The highest parts of the North Caucasus are covered with snow caps and glaciers. The highest peaks of the Western Caucasus are Mount Fisht (2870 meters) and Oshten (2810 meters). The highest part of the Greater Caucasus mountain system is the Central Caucasus. Even some passes at this point reach a height of 3 thousand meters, and the lowest of them (Krestovy) lies at an altitude of 2380 meters. The highest peaks of the Caucasus are also located here. For example, the height of Mount Kazbek is 5033 meters, and the two-headed dormant volcano Elbrus is actually the highest peak in Russia.

The relief here is highly dissected: sharp ridges, steep slopes and rocky peaks predominate. The eastern part of the Greater Caucasus consists mainly of the numerous ridges of Dagestan (translated, the name of this region means “mountainous country”). There are complex branching ridges with steep slopes and deep canyon-like river valleys. However, the height of the peaks here is less than in the central part of the mountain system, but they still exceed a height of 4 thousand meters. The rise of the Caucasus Mountains continues in our time. Quite frequent earthquakes in this region of Russia are associated with this. To the north of the Central Caucasus, where the magma rising through cracks did not spill out to the surface, low, so-called island mountains formed. The largest of them are Beshtau (1400 meters) and Mashuk (993 meters). At their base there are numerous springs of mineral waters.

The so-called Ciscaucasia is occupied by the Kuban and Terek-Kuma lowlands. They are separated from each other by the Stavropol Upland, whose height is 700-800 meters. The Stavropol Upland is dissected by wide and deeply incised valleys, gullies and ravines. At the base of this area lies a young slab. Its structure consists of Neogene formations, covered with limestone deposits - loess and loess-like loams, and in the eastern part also marine sediments of the Quaternary period. The climate in this area is quite favorable. Enough high mountains serve as a good barrier to cold air penetrating here. The proximity of the long cooling sea also has an effect. The Greater Caucasus is the border between two climatic zones - subtropical and temperate. On Russian territory The climate is still moderate, but the above factors contribute to fairly high temperatures.

Caucasus Mountains As a result, winters in the Ciscaucasia are quite warm (the average temperature in January is about -5°C). This is facilitated by warm air masses coming from the Atlantic Ocean. On the Black Sea coast, temperatures rarely drop below zero (the average January temperature is 3°C). In mountainous areas the temperature is naturally lower. Thus, the average temperature on the plain in summer is about 25°C, and in the upper reaches of the mountains - 0°C. Precipitation falls into this area mainly due to cyclones arriving from the west, as a result of which its amount gradually decreases to the east.

Most precipitation falls on the southwestern slopes of the Greater Caucasus. Their number on the Kuban Plain is approximately 7 times lower. Glaciation has developed in the mountains of the North Caucasus, the area of ​​which ranks first among all regions of Russia. The rivers flowing here are fed by water formed by the melting of glaciers. The largest Caucasian rivers are the Kuban and Terek, as well as their numerous tributaries. Mountain rivers, as usual, are fast-flowing, and in their lower reaches there are wetlands overgrown with reeds and reeds.

There is a beautiful mountain system on our planet. It is located on, or to be more precise, between two seas - the Caspian and Black. It bears the proud name - the Caucasus Mountains. It has coordinates: 42°30′ north latitude and 45°00′ east longitude. The length of the mountain system is more than one thousand kilometers. Territorially it belongs to six countries: Russia and the states of the Caucasus region: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, etc.

It is still not clearly stated which part of the continent the Caucasus Mountains belong to. Elbrus and Mont Blanc are fighting for the title. The latter is located in the Alps. Geographical position The plan is easy to describe. And this article will help with this.

Borders

During times Ancient Greece it was the Caucasus and the Bosphorus that separated the 2 continents. But the world map was constantly changing, peoples migrated. In the Middle Ages, the Don River was considered the border. Much later, in the 17th century, a Swedish geographer led it through the Urals, down the river. Embe to the Caspian Sea. His idea was supported by scientists of the time and the Russian Tsar. According to this definition, mountains belong to Asia. On the other hand, the Great Encyclopedia of Larousse denotes the border running south of Kazbek and Elbrus. Thus, both mountains are in Europe.

It is somewhat difficult to describe the geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains as accurately as possible. Opinions regarding territorial affiliation changed solely for political reasons. Europe was singled out as a special part of the world, linking this with the level of development of civilization. The border between the continents gradually moved east. She became a moving line.

Some scientists, noting differences in the geological structure of the massif, propose drawing the border along the main ridge of the Greater Caucasus. And this is not surprising. mountains allows it. Its northern slope will belong to Europe, and its southern slope will belong to Asia. This issue is being actively discussed by scientists from all six states. Geographers of Azerbaijan and Armenia believe that the Caucasus belongs to Asia, and Georgian scientists believe that it belongs to Europe. Many well-known authoritative people believe that the entire massif belongs to Asia, so Elbrus will not be considered the highest point in Europe for a long time.

System composition

This massif consists of 2 mountain systems: the Lesser and Greater Caucasus. Often the latter is presented as a single ridge, but this is not so. And if you study the geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains on the map, you will notice that it is not one of those. The Greater Caucasus stretches for more than a kilometer from Anapa and the Taman Peninsula almost all the way to Baku. Conventionally, it consists of the following parts: Western, Eastern and Central Caucasus. The first zone extends from the Black Sea to Elbrus, the middle one - from the highest peak to Kazbek, the last - from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea.

The western chains originate from the Taman Peninsula. And at first they look more like hills. However, the further east you go, the higher they become. Their peaks are covered with snow and glaciers. The ranges of Dagestan are located in the east of the Greater Caucasus. These are complex systems with river valleys forming canyons. About 1.5 thousand sq. km of the Greater Caucasus is covered with glaciers. Most of them are in the central region. The Lesser Caucasus includes nine ranges: Adzhar-Imereti, Karabakh, Bazum and others. The highest of them, located in the middle and eastern parts, are Murov-Dag, Pambaksky, etc.

Climate

Analyzing the geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains, we see that they are located on the border of two climatic zones- subtropical and temperate. Transcaucasia belongs to the subtropics. The rest of the territory belongs to the temperate climate zone. The North Caucasus is a warm region. Summer there lasts almost 5 months, and winter never drops below -6 °C. It is short-lived - 2-3 months. In high mountain areas the climate is different. There it is influenced by the Atlantic and Mediterranean, so the weather is wetter.

Due to the complex terrain in the Caucasus, there are many zones that differ from each other. This climate makes it possible to grow citrus fruits, tea, cotton and other exotic crops that are suitable for moderate weather conditions. The geographical location of the Caucasus Mountains largely influences the formation of the temperature regime in nearby areas.

Himalayas and Caucasus Mountains

Often at school, students are asked to compare the geographical position of the Himalayas and Iz, the similarity is only in one thing: both systems are located in Eurasia. But they have many differences:

• The Caucasus Mountains are located in the Himalayas, but they belong only to Asia.
• The average height of the Caucasus Mountains is 4 thousand m, the Himalayas - 5 thousand m.
• Also, these mountain systems are located in different climatic zones. The Himalayas are mostly in the subequatorial, less in the tropics, and the Caucasus - in the subtropical and temperate.

As you can see, these two systems are not identical. The geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains and the Himalayas is similar in some respects, but not in others. But both systems are quite large, beautiful, and amazing.

Amazingly beautiful mountain landscapes can be seen in these wonderful and uniquely beautiful places. The most impressive peaks are the Greater Caucasus Range. This is the territory of the highest and largest mountains in the Caucasus region.

The Lesser Caucasus and the valleys (Riono-Kura Depression) form the Transcaucasus complex.

Caucasus: general description

The Caucasus is located between the Caspian and Black Seas in southwest Asia.

This region includes the mountains of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, as well as the depression between them called the Riono-Kura depression, the coasts of the Black Sea and Caspian seas, the Stavropol upland, a small part of the Caspian lowland (Dagestan) and the Kubano-Priazovsky lowland to the left bank of the Don River on area of ​​its mouth.

The Greater Caucasus Mountains are 1,500 kilometers long, and Elbrus is the highest peak. The length of the Lesser Caucasus mountains is 750 km.

Below we will take a closer look at the Caucasus Range.

Geographical position

In the western part, the Caucasus borders on the Black and Azov seas, in the east - on the Caspian. In the north lies the East European Plain, and the border between it and the Caucasian foothills repeats the latter, which runs along the river. Kuma, the bottom of the Kuma-Manych depression, along the Manych and Vostochny Manych rivers, and then along the left bank of the Don.

The southern border of the Caucasus is the Araks River, beyond which are the Armenian and Iranian Plateaus, and the river. Chorokh. And already across the river the peninsulas of Asia Minor begin.

Caucasus Range: description

The most daring people and climbers have long chosen the Caucasus mountain range, which attracts extreme sports enthusiasts from all over the world.

The most important Caucasian ridge divides the entire Caucasus into 2 parts: Transcaucasia and Northern Caucasus. This mountain range stretches from the Black Sea to the shores of the Caspian.

The length of the Caucasus Range is more than 1200 kilometers.

The site, located on the territory of the reserve, represents the highest mountain ranges of the Western Caucasus. Moreover, the heights here are very diverse. Their elevations vary from 260 to more than 3360 meters above sea level.

Great combination light soft The climate and amazing scenery make this place ideal for an active tourist holiday at any time of the year.

The Main Caucasus Range on Sochi territory has the largest peaks: Fisht, Khuko, Lysaya, Venets, Grachev, Pseashkho, Chugush, Malaya Chura and Assara.

Composition of the rocks of the ridge: limestones and marls. There used to be an ocean floor here. Throughout the huge massif one can observe strongly pronounced folding with numerous glaciers, turbulent rivers and mountain lakes.

About the height of the Caucasus ridge

The peaks of the Caucasus Range are numerous and quite varied in height.

Elbrus is the highest point in the Caucasus, which represents the highest peak not only in Russia, but also in Europe. The location of the mountain is such that a variety of nationalities live around it, giving it their own unique names: Oshkhomakho, Alberis, Yalbuz and Mingitau.

The most main mountain in the Caucasus ranks fifth on Earth among mountains formed in a similar way (as a result of a volcanic eruption).

The height of the most gigantic peak in Russia is five kilometers, six hundred and forty-two meters.

More details about the highest peak of the Caucasus

The most high altitude The Caucasus Range is Russia. It looks like two cones, between which (a distance of 3 km from each other) at an altitude of 5200 meters there is a saddle. The highest of them, as already noted, has a height of 5642 meters, the smaller one - 5621 m.

Like all peaks of volcanic origin, Elbrus consists of 2 parts: a 700-meter pedestal made of rocks and a bulk cone (1942 meters) - the result of a volcanic eruption.

The peak is covered with snow starting at an altitude of approximately 3500 meters. In addition, there are glaciers, the most famous of which are Small and Big Azau and Terskop.

Temperature at most high point Elbrus is -14 °C. Precipitation here almost always falls in the form of snow and therefore the glaciers do not melt. Due to the good visibility of the peaks of Elbrus from various distant places and in different times year, this mountain also has an interesting name - Little Antarctica.

It should be noted that the eastern peak was first conquered by climbers in 1829, and the western peak in 1874.

Glaciers located on the top of Elbrus feed the Kuban, Malka and Baksan rivers.

Central Caucasus: ridges, parameters

Geographically, the Central Caucasus is part of the Greater Caucasus, located between the Elbrus and Kazbek mountains (in the west and in the east). In this section, the length of the Main Caucasian Ridge is 190 kilometers, and if we take into account the meanders, about 260 km.

Border Russian state passes through the territory of the Central Caucasus. Behind it are South Ossetia and Georgia.

22 kilometers west of Kazbek (eastern part of the Central Caucasus), the Russian border shifts slightly to the north and runs to Kazbek, skirting the Georgian-owned Terek River valley (upper part).

On the territory of the Central Caucasus there are 5 parallel ridges (oriented along latitudes):

1. Main Caucasus Range (height up to 5203 m, Mount Shkhara).
2. Bokovoy Ridge (height up to 5642 meters, Mount Elbrus).
3. Rocky Ridge (up to 3646 meters high, Mount Karakaya).
4. Pastbishchny Ridge (up to 1541 meters).
5. Lesisty Ridge (height 900 meters).

Tourists and climbers mainly visit and climb the first three ridges.

Northern and Southern Caucasus

The Greater Caucasus, as a geographical object, originates from the Taman Peninsula, and it ends in the region. All subjects of the Russian Federation and countries located in this region belong to the Caucasus. However, in terms of the location of the territories of the constituent entities of Russia, there is a certain division into two parts:

• The Northern Caucasus includes the Krasnodar Territory and Stavropol Territory, North Ossetia, Rostov Region, Chechnya, the Republic of Adygea, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Dagestan and Karachay-Cherkessia.
• South Caucasus (or Transcaucasia) - Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan.

Elbrus region

Geographically, the Elbrus region is the westernmost section of the Central Caucasus. Its territory covers the upper reaches of the Baksan River with its tributaries, the area north of Elbrus and the western spurs of Mount Elbrus to the right bank of the Kuban. The largest peak in this area is the famous Elbrus, located to the north and located in the Side Range. The second highest peak is (4700 meters).

The Elbrus region is famous for its large number of peaks with steep ridges and rocky walls.

The most large glaciers concentrated in the huge Elbrus glacier complex, numbering 23 glaciers (total area - 122.6 sq. km).

Location of states in the Caucasus

1. The Russian Federation occupies part of the territory of the Greater Caucasus and its foothills from the Watershed and Main Caucasus ranges to the north. 10% of the country's total population lives in the North Caucasus.
2. Abkhazia also has territories that are parts of the Greater Caucasus: the region from the Kodori to Gagra ranges, the Black Sea coast between the river. Psou and Enguri, and north of Enguri a small part of the Colchis lowland.
3. South Ossetia is located in the central region of the Greater Caucasus. The beginning of the territory is the Main Caucasian Ridge. The territory extends in a southern direction from it, between the Rachinsky, Suramsky and Lomissky ridges, all the way to the valley of the Kura River.
4. Georgia has the most fertile and populated parts of the country in the valleys and lowlands between the Lesser and Greater Caucasus ranges west of the Kakheti range. The most mountainous areas of the country are Svaneti, a section of the Greater Caucasus between the Kodori and Suram ridges. The Georgian territory of the Lesser Caucasus is represented by the Meskheti, Samsara and Trialeti ranges. It turns out that all of Georgia is within the Caucasus.
5. Azerbaijan is located between the Watershed Range in the north and the Araks and Kura rivers in the south, and between the Lesser Caucasus and the Kakheti Range and the Caspian Sea. And almost all of Azerbaijan (the Mugan Plain and the Talysh Mountains belong to the Iranian Plateau) is located in the Caucasus.
6. Armenia has part of the territory of the Lesser Caucasus (just east of the Akhuryan River, which is a tributary of the Araks).
7. Turkey occupies the southwestern section of the Lesser Caucasus, representing the 4 eastern provinces of this country: Ardahan, Kars, partially Erzurum and Artvin.

The Caucasus Mountains are both beautiful and dangerous. According to some scientists, there is a possibility that in the next hundred years the volcano (Mount Elbrus) may awaken. And this is fraught with catastrophic consequences for nearby regions (Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria).

But, whatever it is, the conclusion follows that there is nothing more beautiful than the mountains. It is impossible to describe all the magnificent nature of this fabulous mountainous country. To experience all this, you should visit these heavenly places of amazing beauty. They are viewed especially impressively from the heights of the Caucasus Mountains.

Greater Caucasus- a mountain system between the Black and Caspian seas. It extends more than 1,100 km from northwest to southeast, from the Anapa region and the Taman Peninsula to the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian coast, near Baku. highest peak- Elbrus (5642 m).

The state border of the Russian Federation with Abkhazia, Georgia, South Ossetia and Azerbaijan runs through the Greater Caucasus.

Diagram of the Greater Caucasus ranges. Volcanoes are marked with red circles.

The Greater Caucasus, together with the Lesser Caucasus, makes up the Caucasus Mountains and is separated from the latter by the Colchis and Kura-Araks lowlands and the Kura Valley in the middle reaches between them.

The Greater Caucasus reaches its maximum width in the Elbrus region (up to 180 km). In the axial part there is the Main Caucasian (or Watershed) Range, to the north of which a number of parallel ridges (mountain ranges) extend - the Side Range, the Rocky Range, etc.

Parts and areas

View from Ushba to Elbrus. Photo by O. Fomichev.

Traditionally, the Greater Caucasus is divided into 3 parts:

Table 1. Peaks of the Caucasus above 4700 m (altitude is in bold). topographic map scale 1:50000).

Climate

Rest in the Adish Icefall. Photo by A. Lebedev (1989)

The climatic features of the Greater Caucasus are determined by altitudinal zonality and the rotation of the mountain barrier it forms at a certain angle to the western moisture-bearing air flows - Atlantic cyclones and Mediterranean western air currents of the middle layers of the troposphere. This rotation has a decisive influence on the distribution of precipitation.

The wettest part is the western part of the southern slope, where more than 2500 mm of precipitation falls per year in the highlands. A record amount of precipitation falls on the Achishkho ridge in the Krasnaya Polyana region - 3200 mm per year, this is the wettest place in Russia. Winter snow cover in the area of ​​the Achishkho meteorological station reaches 5-7 meters in height!

Glaciation is especially significant in the Central Caucasus and in the eastern part of the Western Caucasus. In the Eastern Caucasus, small glaciers are found only in isolated high mountain nodes.