Sultan Waterfall (Syltran-su)

Sultan Waterfall (Syltran-su) is one of the tallest and most impressive waterfalls in the Dzhily-Su gorge, near the headwaters of the Malka River, in the Zolsky District of Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia, on the northern slope of Mount Elbrus, just a few kilometers from its ice fields.

The Malka River originates at the Ullu-Chiran glacier. Flowing between rocky slopes, it gathers force and forms several waterfalls; Sultan is the tallest and most memorable of them, with a drop of about 40 meters. A powerful, clear stream plunges into a dark gorge; in summer the water takes on a grayish tint from sand and clay washed down from melting glaciers, and the roar of the falling water is so loud that it is almost impossible to talk nearby.

Next to the waterfall are the warm mineral springs of Dzhily-Su; the name itself means "warm water," and the water temperature here is about 23–24 °C (73–75 °F). The springs are often called "silver" for their shimmering silvery tint, and the Narzan Valley lies nearby. Sultan is considered the uppermost waterfall on the Malka; three more lie further downstream, each with its own distinct beauty.

Dzhily-Su can be reached by car in about two hours from Kislovodsk, via the village of Kichi-Balyk and the Narzan Valley; most of the road is paved, with steep mountain switchbacks. The waterfall is best seen from the gentle, grass- and flower-covered slopes nearby, and its power is most striking from a distance, where a person in the frame looks tiny and fragile. Sultan is considered the largest waterfall in Kabardino-Balkaria; in winter it partly freezes, decorated with thirty-meter icicles.