Goat Rocks (Beshtau)

Goat Rocks (Kozyi Skaly) is a rocky ridge on the eastern side of Mount Beshtau in Stavropol Krai, between the town of Lermontov, Inozemtsevo and Pyatigorsk, in the heart of the Caucasian Mineral Waters region. The ridge is about one and a half kilometres long and rises to roughly 1,167 metres. The Goat Rocks of Beshtau are considered one of the most scenic and most demanding parts of the five-peaked mountain.

Description and geology

Beshtau is the highest mountain of the Caucasian Mineral Waters and a protected natural monument. It is a laccolith, a "failed volcano": magma rose from the depths but never erupted, cooling instead beneath layers of sedimentary rock that were later worn away. The core of the mountain is made of beshtaunite, a light-coloured igneous rock, while marine clays, marls and siltstones survive at its foot.

Goat Rocks is not a separate summit but a narrow ridge with steep slopes, sharp ledges and nearly vertical walls. Two distinct high points stand out along the crest. The name has a simple explanation: only goats move freely across such ledges and loose stones, climbing up here for grass and the leaves of shrubs.

History and legends

In 1902 a hiking trail was laid to the main summit of Beshtau, and in the early 20th century the Second Athos Monastery was founded on one of the mountain's slopes. In the mid-20th century uranium ore was explored and mined on Beshtau; in 1948 a new mineral, a uranium phosphate named lermontovite, was described here. Mining stopped and the mine was sealed in 1975, but the old adits remain on the slopes.

A legend tells that Beshtau quarrelled with Elbrus and split its head in two, but was itself cut into five pieces, which is why it has five peaks. Another legend says an ancient hero cleaved a single mountain apart. Rock piles on the slopes are sometimes called the Temple of the Sun and linked to ancient rituals; there is no evidence for this.

Routes and getting there

Hiking trails up Beshtau start from Pyatigorsk, Lermontov and Inozemtsevo, and a paved ring road, the Beshtau Ring, runs around the mountain. Goat Rocks can be reached directly from the ring road, which is the shortest approach.

The climb to the main summit of Beshtau via Goat Rocks is one of the longest and most physically demanding routes on the mountain. It is part of the Beshtau Cross trail, which takes in all five peaks: about 14 kilometres with a total ascent of around 1,100 metres. The descent from the main summit usually goes through the Wolf Gate pass, the saddle between Big Beshtau and Goat Rocks, and then down a steep couloir that is often filled with snow in spring. Many hikers find that Goat Rocks look best when approached from the summit of Beshtau.

Good to know

• The climb to the summit takes two to four hours depending on the trail.
• The ridge is rocky and steep: wear hiking boots with stiff soles; the rocks are slippery in wet weather.
• Bring 1–2 litres of water per person, a windbreaker and a hat.
• Do not enter the old adits: they carry the risk of collapse, gas build-up and elevated radiation.