Sugomakskaya Cave
Sugomak Cave is a picturesque underground cavity formed in marble rocks on the slope of the South Ural Mount Sugomak. It is one of the most interesting and easily accessible natural attractions located in the north of the Chelyabinsk region, near the town of Kyshtym.
Video: Sugomak Cave
Highlights
Since 1985, the Sugomak Cave has had the status of a natural monument of regional significance. It stretches for 123 meters, has a depth of 9 meters and consists of three grottos, which are connected by narrow manholes. Excursion groups and individual tourists usually visit only the first two grottoes. According to legend, the underground passages begin on Sugomak Mountain and continue all the way to Kyshtym. It is also known that many years ago, under the cave vaults of the Old Believers escaped persecution.
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The Sugomak cave is unique because it lies in layers of hard marble. Here there are no fanciful accretions and stalactites, which are so famous for limestone caves. Once the underground cavity on the slope of Sugomak was considered to be the longest marble cave of the Ural Mountains. However, in the 2000s, the 132-meter-long Salnikov Cave was discovered in the Kizil district of the Chelyabinsk region.
The cave near Kyshtym has been visited by people for a very long time. Back at the beginning of the last century in a guidebook to the Urals, published by V. Vesnovsky, it is mentioned that the rock wall near the cave is mottled with inscriptions left by tourists. Nowadays, on the rock to the right of the entrance, at a height of 6 meters from the ground, one can see the carved profile of Lenin.
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Near the cave is a famous among Ural tourists Maryina glade, where Kyshtym residents like to spend their weekends. On this glade organize mass festivals, festivals and city competitions.
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At 120 meters from the Sugomak cave, a picturesque spring Mary’s Tears gushes out of the ground. According to legend, it is named in honor of the girl who cries for her lover. The spring water is very clean and cold. In Kyshtym there is a tradition – on the wedding day the newlyweds necessarily come to the mountain spring.
.What the cave looks like inside
The first grotto of the Sugomak cave is well illuminated by daylight. In winter, beautiful snow crystals appear on its walls and ceiling, and the floor is covered with ice stalagmites. To the left is a low trapdoor leading to the second grotto, and you have to crawl a bit on the way there.
.The second grotto is noticeably larger than the first. In winter colds it can be warmer than outside. The floor in this part of the Sugomak cave is covered with wet clay, and water constantly drips from the ceiling. To get to the last grotto, you need to descend 6 meters down the rope into the underground well. The entrance to it is located behind a large stone, on the left side of the second grotto.
.The third grotto is the lower floor of the cave. There is a flooded part in the middle of it, which is believed to be connected to the spring in the clearing. Speleologists think that if the water from the third grotto goes away, a passage to new, as yet unexplored parts of the natural dungeon may open.
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Sugomak Mountain
The beautiful South Ural peak rises to a height of 591 meters and is a good vantage point. It offers a great view for many dozens of kilometers around. From the west of Sugomak stretch other mountains of the Southern Urals, and from the eastern side – shallow lakes, boundless taiga forests, small villages and towns Kyshtym, Ozersk and Kasli.
.From the Sugomak cave to the top is only 2-2.5 km. The ascent to the top is not difficult and is accessible even to children. The paths to the top are well trampled both in summer and winter. It takes about an hour of leisurely walking for tourists to reach the very top of the main hill, where there is no vegetation and small rocks protrude. Since the slopes of Sugomak are covered with larch forest, it is especially beautiful here in early fall.
.How to get there
Sugomak cave is located on the eastern slope of the Sugomak peak, 5 km west of Kyshtym. From Yekaterinburg or Chelyabinsk you can get to Kyshtym by train or bus. From Kyshtym by car, tourists take the road towards Sliudorudnik, pass by Lake Sugomak and stop at the sign to the cave.
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