Auto hiking tour in South Ossetia
on SUVs

Tskhinvali – Zarskaya road – Lake Ertso

We set off by car towards Lake Ertso, visiting many interesting places along the way. We will drive along the Zar road (Tbet-Zar-Gufta highway), which is rightly called the Road of Life. Built by the outstanding South Ossetian road engineer Leonid Kharebov under the economic and transport blockade by Georgia, this road helped many civilians leave besieged Tskhinvali during the military conflict. There are several memorials dedicated to military events on the Zar road, and in addition, the Zar road is known for its magnificent mountain panoramas. In the village of Gufta, we will stop to see the old bridge of 1929, built according to the design of German engineers. Arriving at Lake Ertso, we will set up camp in a beautiful place, walk and enjoy the picturesque nature. Our route today will be 60 km by car.

Lake Ertso is located at an altitude of 1711 meters above sea level, surrounded by mountains. This reservoir is rightfully one of the mysterious phenomena, rumors about which have been going on since ancient times. Lake Ertso is called a "ghost" because every 4-5 years water mysteriously disappears from it, and then fills up again. Scientists believe that the water regularly drains into karst caves located under the lake bottom, and then returns back, depending on the "mood" of the underground waters. According to many, this is one of the most picturesque places in the republic.

Lake Ertso - Tsonskaya Valley - Bubskaya Cave - Lake Koz

We pack up the camp and make a short drive (4-5 km) to the Tson Valley. There are three villages in the Tson Valley: the largest village, Tson, and two sparsely populated ones, Biteta and Khugata. After walking a couple of kilometers along the Tson Valley, we head to the Bubskaya (Tsonskaya) cave, located on the eastern side of Mount Bub (2150 m above sea level). The cave is a deep and high (depth 100 m, height 14 m, width 13-14 m, width at the entrance 5 m) karst depression with small corridors and internal passages. Inside the cave there are stalactites and stalagmites. As a result of excavations of the cave platform, remains of ancient material culture (tools and ceramic fragments) were discovered, which indicates that ancient man lived in this cave. To get to the cave you will have to climb about 3 km with a 100 m elevation gain. We inspect the cave, have a snack and head back to the car. We have about 25 km to travel to the next beautiful lake - Lake Koz.

Lake Koz is called one of the pearls of Ossetia, this lake, located at an altitude of 1567 m on the slope of Mount Chasavalkhokh, is surrounded by a coniferous forest, which makes it unlike most of the reservoirs of the republic. Many compare the landscapes of Lake Koz and its surroundings with Karelia. On the way to Lake Koz, a beautiful panorama of the Kudar Gorge opens up. We spend the night in tents on the shore of the lake.

Lake Koz – Kudarskoe Gorge – Letskoe Gorge – Valley of Waterfalls

We pack up our camp and head towards the valley of waterfalls, located in the Letskoe Gorge. To do this, we will drive about 25 km, and then walk about 7 km more, enjoying the beauty of the Kudar Gorge. Having found a suitable place for the camp, we go for a walk around the area and explore the waterfalls.

Letskoye Gorge - Morakh Plateau - Tskhinvali

We set off on the return journey along the Kudra Gorge, on the way we will climb the Morakh Plateau and try to find the Morakh Cross - a lonely ancient stone cross, picturesquely standing surrounded by mountain peaks. The approximate dating of the cross is the 11th - 12th century. Perhaps there was once a monastery here, of which nothing remains except this cross. In the evening we return by car to Tskhinvali. We spend the night in a hotel in Tskhinvali.

Tskhinvali - Kulbit - Diseu - Ikorti Temple - Leningor - Largvis - Tskhinvali

Early in the morning we set off by car on a full-day trip. We will drive through the villages of Kulbit and Diseu, visiting churches of the 18th and 10th centuries, then visit the ancient Ikorti Temple, built in 1172, picturesquely located among natural beauty, after which we will go to the village of Leningor, the center of the region of the same name, where we will see the palace of the Ksani eristavis (rulers who owned this historical region until 1773), built in the early 17th century, the next point of the program will be the village of Largvis, where we will visit the monastery and citadel. In the evening we will return to Tskhinvali. We will drive 240 km in a day. We will spend the night at a hotel in Tskhinvali.

Tskhinval - Lower Ruk - Zgubir - Edis - Erman - Keli Lake

We set off by car towards the Keli Plateau. We will drive 65 km, our route will pass through the Urs-Tualsky Gorge past the villages of Lower Ruk, Zgubir, Edis to the village of Erman, the views along the way promise to be postcard-quality. The village of Erman is famous for being the highest village in Ossetia, at an altitude of about 2100 m above sea level. Previously, the village was very large and was divided into several parts. In Lower Erman, a large number of crypts have been preserved, and in Middle Erman, a sanctuary dedicated to the deity of fertility Taranzheloz. The village and its surroundings are very picturesque. From the village of Erman, our hiking route to Lake Kelskoe will begin, which is located at an altitude of 2921 m, on the way you will have to overcome the Kelskoe Pass at an altitude of 3112 m. Lake Kelskoe is the largest and highest mountain lake in South Ossetia, located surrounded by a dozen severe peaks of volcanic origin. The walk to the lake is 10 km, the altitude gain is 1000 m. We spend the night on the shore of Lake Kelskoe.

Lake Kelskoe

Free day in the vicinity of Lake Kelskoe. Our journey to the lake was long and difficult enough to leave these beautiful places too quickly. We will devote this day to walks around the area and exploring the natural beauty.

Kelskoe Lake - Erman - Vladikavkaz

We return to the village of Erman, from where we leave for Vladikavkaz. We will walk 10 km, drive 140 km. The rest of the day can be used to explore Vladikavkaz. Overnight at a hotel in Vladikavkaz.

Home

Transfer to Vladikavkaz airport and flight home.

Since part of the trip involves a hiking format, you will definitely need a backpack (at least 65 l), which should definitely fit a tent, a sleeping bag, personal belongings for a couple of days and some space left for food. It is better to take a relatively warm sleeping bag (comfort temperature -5 or lower), since we will spend the night quite high in the mountains, in particular on Lake Kiel (at an altitude of 2921 m above sea level), where there may still be snow in places. It is also logical to take warm clothes for overnight stays and stays in high-mountain areas: thermal underwear, fleece, insulated jacket, warm socks, hat and gloves. To move through the mountainous areas as part of the hiking part of the route, you will need comfortable trekking boots, we recommend taking trekking poles, a raincoat in case of rain, as well as sun protection: a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.

List of equipment:

• backpack (65-80 l) with a rain cape;
• sleeping bag (comfort temperature -5 or lower);
• mat (foam or inflatable);
• seat;
• headlamp and spare batteries for it;
• plastic bottle for water and/or thermos;
• personal utensils (mug, spoon, bowl, knife);
• glasses sunscreen;
• hat;
• light headwear (cap/bandana);
• sunblock;
• personal hygiene products, personal first aid kit;
• repellent;
• raincoat;
• trekking poles;
• trekking boots;
• crocs or other similar rubber slippers,
• insulated jacket;
• windbreaker;
• gloves;
• thermal underwear;
• several pairs of synthetic trekking socks;
• warm socks;
• running pants;
• fleece jacket;
• several T-shirts, underwear.

The tour is quite active and eventful, therefore it requires discipline and personal involvement in the process from the participants.

During the trip by car, delays and unforeseen circumstances are possible - car breakdowns, river floods, road and bridge repairs and, as a result, the route may be adjusted depending on the current situation. Changes are discussed with the participants, but the final decision is up to the tour organizer, since he is responsible for the program and the safety of the group.

Air tickets (or train tickets) to Vladikavkaz and back are purchased by the participants themselves. It is better to do this in advance, since at the last moment there may be no seats, or the price will increase significantly.

Arrival in Vladikavkaz and departure from it earlier or later than the dates specified in the program is paid by the participants themselves, including transfer to / from the airport, as well as accommodation in hotels / hostels on days outside the tour dates.

1. If you are interested in this tour, leave a request using the form below or call the numbers listed, we will contact you and answer all your questions.
2. To reserve a place, you must make an advance payment of 30% of the tour cost. The advance payment is refundable 45 days or more before the start of the tour and non-refundable, unfortunately, less than 45 days before the start of the tour, if the refund is due to your refusal to participate (for any reason). If the tour does not take place due to our fault, due to the group not being formed, or due to force majeure, the advance payment will be guaranteed to be returned to you in any case.
3. The advance payment is made through the Payment section on this website. The final payment can also be made via the website, but not less than 5 days before the start of the trip, or in cash on site, on the first day of the tour.