• 1 day trip
• 4x4 Tours
• Jeep tours
• Kabardino-Balkaria
• North Caucasus
• Off road trails

Kanzhol Plateau is a breathtaking place overlooking the great Elbrus. This is the highest plateau in Kabardino-Balkaria, located almost 3000 meters above sea level. A whole ancient country with a long history, settlements dissolved in time, unexplored burials, vast expanses of meadows. It offers magnificent panoramas. Picturesque rocks with columns, peaks of the Caucasus Mountains, breathtaking views and paintings. The plateau is located 10 km from Elbrus in a straight line, so it is easy to see the two-headed giant from here.

Our excursion route will pass through Tyzyl Gorge, the slopes of which are strewn with alpine meadows, bright flowers, waterfalls. This is a corner of wildlife practically untouched by man. Then through an abandoned village, shrouded in secrets and legends, to the largest and majestic plateau of Kabardino-Balkaria.

We will visit the ancient cave, which consists of two halls. Between the halls is an icy waterfall. In the second hall there is a well, into which you can go down and see at its bottom a skull the size of a bear’s head. The history of the origin of this skull is still not known, many hypotheses have been put forward, perhaps these are the remains of ancient people. This is evidenced by the many burial grounds in the gorge. Burial caves are small and low, located close to each other, one above the other.

Picturesque pictures of the gorge, hidden waterfalls and the majestic mountains of the Caucasus will remain in memory for a long time.

Tour program

1

Valley of the Tyzyl River

The Tyzyl Gorge is one of the most beautiful places in Kabardino-Balkaria, it begins right behind the village of Kendelen. The path will pass through a narrow gorge under overhanging cliffs, which are decorated with forests and magical waterfalls. Inexpressible delight!

2

Hidden Waterfalls

Next, the gorge itself awaits us, where we will visit several beautiful and completely hidden waterfalls!
On the territory of the gorge there is a magnificent waterfall, a stream of water rushing down, scattering into thousands of streams and millions of droplets, a continuous curtain of water. When the sun shines on the waterfall, the effect of what you see is simply mesmerizing. And there are many such amazing places in the gorge, this part of the republic is considered completely unexplored. Here you can feel like a pioneer.

3

Abandoned Village

A mysterious story is connected in the Tyzyl Gorge — at night, bonfires began to light up in it in the area of abandoned village. It is impossible for people to get there without being seen. Going down the gorge is risky for life. Moreover, the remains of the fires were not found during the day. Who breeds them at night? Two explorers decided to spend the night in the gorge and observe. In the dead of night, they saw people dancing around the fire, but there was no music. They didn’t dare to come closer. The next morning, when they arrived at the place of night dances, they did not find any traces of the presence of people, let alone a fire. The men left the gorge without finding an explanation for what they saw, but they thought to themselves that they were not people, but genies.

4

Kanjol Plateau

End point of the route — Kanjol Plateau.
There are several versions of the origin of the name of the plateau. According to one of them, the area is called «kan zhol» or «bloody road» because of the bloody footprints of animals that went to graze here and injured their legs on sharp stones. According to another version, this is the «Khan’s road», on which fierce battles were fought with enemies. The third version — the name came from the stream of the same name at the bottom of the plateau.

Return to Nalchik.

Booking