Guidebook Sokol P.S. Part 2

Ways of approach.

By train (or by plane) you can come to Simferopol. Further it is possible to take a bus to Sudak from the small bus-station that is situated in 200 m from the railway-station. Buses to Sudak depart from the station once an hour. This transfer costs 22 hryvnias with kopecks that equals 4 American dollars. It costs 1 hryvnia to transfer luggage. On you way to the railway station numerous private drivers will try to take you by storm, but it is unreasonable to fall under their tariffs. It usually costs 25-35 hryvnias per person to drive to Sudak by private driver, and the closer you come to the ticket window, the lower costs is offered… so, it you want to come to Sudak by private driver, it is cheaper to take him at least in 100 meters from the railway station. The second variant of getting to Sudak lies via Feodosia, the only difference is that the town is smaller and way by bus takes instead of 1,5 hours 40-50 minutes.

From the bus station in Sudak you ride to the place where you are going to live. There it is better to take private driver. It costs only 10-12 hryvnias for one car, but your way to the place will become quick and comfortable, especially if you have rucksacks.

Panorama of Sudak and its surroundings.

 
Where you can live.

Trig point on the top of the Sokol.

As it is traditional for the Crimea, you can live in private sector. It is better to book place beforehand by the Internet, it is especially actual during high tourist season: summer or early autumn. It is also possible to live in the tents on the seashore, but there are some pitfalls. The main consists in the fact that part of the seaboard from Sudak to Noviy Svet (inclusive) belongs to reserve, so it is officially prohibited to make camps there. But there is the third variant of habitation that very favorably marks Sudak out from other places in the Crimea. On the outskirts of Sudak, in 10 minutes of walking from the mount Sokol, control-rescue station of Sudak is located, there you can live in houses where light and heating are available and in stationary tents. If you want to put you own tents, it is also possible. Prices are more than moderate: 5 hryvnias per person in tent and 10-15 in house. There are two kitchens, shower, different interesting information and meetings with interesting people that often stay at the territory in the control-rescue station. We must notice, that this station have become cult place, and if you want to climb alpinistic routes to Sokol and rock-climbing routes along the rocks surrounding Sudak, it is a place, that suit you ideally. Moreover, sea is in three minutes of walking from the station.

Optimal time.

The best time for making ascents to the Sokol lasts from the beginning of April to the middle of May. It is not hot during this period and daylight hours are long, but, on the other hand, there is a lot of green grass in cracks. It is also nice to makes ascents during the period from the middle of September to the middle of November. In summer it can be too hot. The temperature in the shade can reach 40 degrees, but if you have special experience, you can climb. And if you want to make ascent in winter, you will have to “catch windows (periods of good weather)”. There can be two weeks when the temperature lies near zero, it rains every day and all in all the weather is terrible but these two weeks can be changed by excellent clear warm weather, when you can climb wearing only T-shirts and bring home suntan, and then again bad weather with snowfalls comes to the Crimea. At that, you have to keep in mind that in winter days are very short and you won’t have time to climb up to the end difficult routs that can be passed in 6-7 hours when the season is warm. It is physically impossible, moreover, when the conditions are not summer.

Alpinistic objects.

There are three alpinistic objects in Sudak. At first, it is mount Sokol, to which more than 40 independent routes are built (deion of which were collected by us), it is a unique situation in itself. Saying honestly, there are only few mountains like this one on the territory of former Soviet Unit. Secondly, it is the grotto of Chaliapin, where there are four alpinistic routes (three “Fantiks” and one made by Samoded). All of them go along the walls and ceiling of the grotto. They are being climbed very rarely as just below the routes an excursion path goes, along which from May to September people walk uninterruptedly and it is possible to stones on them. And thirdly, there is a rock, on which Genuese fortress is built. From the direction of the sea, from the Western side, there is the route of the third grad of difficulty. It starts above water, and this makes it especially unusual.

Ways of descent from the Sokol.

Rocky possibilities of Sudak.

It is possible to go to Sudak not only to climb routes to the Sokol. There are a lot of possibilities for rock-climbers, and for those who want to diversify their staying in Sudak, diluting passing alpinistic routes by climbing along routes for rock-climbers.

In the Eastern part of Sudak there is rocky massif Alchak, on the peninsula of the same name. On the Alchak routes for climbing with low belay have been already built. The first two routes – “Vertical” and “Dnepr waves” (6c-7a) – rock-climbers from Kiev made in autumn 2003 for holding the Cup of Kiev. The leader of the project was Nikolay Goriunov. By the efforts of climbers from Krasnoyarsk and also due to sponsor support of Dzh. Mukhitov several “gummed” routes. You are acquainted with Krasnoyarsk climbers without seeing by the host of routes they repaired and built in Uarch-Kaya and not only there. New routes are situated just beyond the bridge after the hole. There is one more route – under the bridge. The first four routes are of about 6a-6c grade of difficulty. Two other routes are of the seventh grade of difficulty. If we go further along the path, our glance necessarily turn on a giant stone on the seashore. On the stone there are some routes built. There 5 of them. Grade of difficulty of them has rested unknown yet. According to the words of the author, Pavel Demin, they are from 6b to 7a grades of difficulty. It can take you 20 minutes to get to the Sakharnaya Golovka from Alchak by feet.

Sakharnaya Golovka is situated straight in the town, not far from the Genuese fortress. Six new routes of 5b to 6c grades of difficulty have been added to nine earlier existed routes. All new routes are equipped with rings for descending. The “old” routes are of 6a-7b+ grade of difficulty and some of them are also equipped with finish rings. But it is possible to go from one route to another without any difficulties. From the rock it is no distance to the sea, only 10 minutes. The fortress is even closer to the rock. Apropos, on the walls of it, two routes that had been made for competitions are available even nowadays. If you would spend 20 more minutes, you will be able to reach the mount named “Bolvan”, just behind it the Control-Rescue Station is situated.

Krasnoyarsk climbers also distinguished themselves on the Bolvan. Oleg Morozkin made two new rather long routes of 7a and 7a+ grade of difficulty. Except them, there are four more routes from 5c+ to 6c+ grades of difficulty. The route “Greetings from Kiev” of 6b grade of difficulty is the achievement of N. Goriunov. There is one more his route – “Black run” of 7a grade of difficulty. It was the route that Oleg made over. He made it longer and a little bit straighter. If we go on walking to the West from Bolvan, rather quickly we will reach the massif Sokol. Beyond the Sokol there is Noviy Svet. There are two noteworthy objects. At first, there is wine-making plant with tasting room and secondly, there is the grotto of Chaliapin, where rock-climbing route “Grotto” of 7b+ grade of difficulty made by T. Ivankov is locate. If we continue going, in 30 minutes we will find ourselves in Paradise, that is to say “Eden”. There are 7 routes prepared for the Cup of Community in 1996. Beyond Paradise there is now earth for us, it means, there are no routes there.