Not far from the previous peak on the list, Mount Aksaut, is Karakaya (3893 m). Its name exactly matches its appearance – “Black Rock”. The steep dark northern walls are home to the large Marukhsky glacier, which gives rise to the Marukha River in Karachay-Cherkessia. There are several peaks named Karakaya in the Caucasus, but this one is the highest and most beautiful of them. I suggest you look at 14 beautiful photographs from different angles and in different lighting conditions.
View from the crest of Mount Sofia, from afar. The black block of Karakai immediately catches the eye, and to the right is its companion Marukhbashi.
As we get closer.
This is definitely Black Rock. Half of the Marukhsky glacier is visible behind the ridge.
On the left in the distance is Karakaya, and on the right is Stas za_4to On the ridge of the mountain Sofia walks with insurance. (Stas, come back to LJ! 🙂 )
Karakaya and Marukhbashi, view from the lake at the Chuchkhur pass (from the west).
The same view at sunset.
And at the finish of the sunset.
Let's get closer. The northern wall of Karakai and the upper reaches of the Marukh glacier.
At sunset.
View from the opposite side. A huge rocky block!
Karakaya above the Aksaut gorge. All climate zones: pine forest, alpine meadows, moraines, glaciers and snowfields. There are not many of them, though.
In the alpine meadows. The frame shows the same glacier as in the previous photo to the right of Karakai.
Karakaya is reflected in the lake at the Khalega Pass.
There, at sunset.
[List of all 100 peaks of the Caucasus + interactive map]