Smolny Waterfalls

The Smolny Waterfalls (Smolnye vodopady) are a cascade of waterfalls on the Smolny stream in the Shkotovsky municipal district of Primorsky Krai, near the village of Anisimovka. They are part of a popular hiking route over Mount Falaza and past the "Gribanovka" ski base, along the Livadiysky ridge of the Sikhote-Alin mountain system, roughly 100-130 km from Vladivostok.

What to see

The Smolny stream flows into the Sukhodol River near Anisimovka. Its course holds several cascades, including the Malysh (Baby), Trekhgolovy (Three-headed) and Medvezhy (Bear) waterfalls. The circular route around Mount Falaza, also known as Litovka, runs through mixed coniferous-broadleaf forest with Korean pine, birch and wild rose, with rhododendron blooming in season; hikers note the area is especially scenic in autumn. One of the viewpoints on the way to the summit has a gazebo with a view of Mount Falaza, which hikers nicknamed the "wushu practitioners' gazebo".

The full loop — Anisimovka, Gribanovka, Falaza, the Smolny Waterfalls and back to Anisimovka — runs about 21 km, with a total elevation gain of more than 1000 meters.

Getting there

Three main routes lead to the summit of Mount Falaza. The northern route, about 3 km long, starts at the "Gribanovka" ski base and is the gentlest but longest. The southern route, about 2 km long, starts at the Smolny stream and passes the Smolny Waterfalls themselves; it is considered the most scenic. The eastern route, about 8 km long, starts at the "Prostokvashino" recreation base.

Anisimovka village can be reached from Vladivostok by suburban train (elektrichka), via Shkotovo, Novonezhino and Lukyanovka. From Anisimovka station it is about a two-hour walk to the end of the dirt road; in the village itself, turn right onto the paved road, following the railway line.

History

One theory holds that the name of the Steklyanukha River, in whose upper reaches the waterfalls lie, comes from a once-developed local production or trade in glass ("steklo" in Russian), a rare and valuable good at the time. The name of Mount Falaza is said by one version to derive from the Chinese word "Foulaza", meaning hill or mountain. In 1902, an expedition led by Vladimir Arseniev gave a detailed description of the waterfalls in this area, including the Neozhidanny (Unexpected) and Tigrovy (Tiger) waterfalls on the Shkotovo streams.

Good to know

The route runs over mountainous terrain with a significant elevation gain, so it suits prepared hikers. The nearest settlement is the village of Anisimovka, the starting point for every variant of the hike to Falaza and the waterfalls.