Mount Yegoza

Mount Yegoza (gora Egoza) is a peak in the southern part of the Middle Urals, in the Kyshtym urban district of Chelyabinsk Oblast, west of the town of Kyshtym. It rises to 607.7 metres and is one of the highest points of the ridges around Kyshtym. The mountain is part of the Sugomak natural area, and its silhouette appears on the coat of arms of Kyshtym. The Gora Yegoza ski resort operates on its slopes, and in summer it is a popular hiking destination.

Name and geology

The name Yegoza is of Bashkir origin and means "entrance to the intermontane valley" or "the throat between the mountains", reflecting the local relief. Kyshtym residents distinguish two summits, Big Yegoza and Little Yegoza.

The mountain stretches from north to south. It is built of Upper Silurian to Lower Devonian volcanic and sedimentary rocks: limestone, siliceous shale and marble. Bodies of serpentinite, gabbro, diorite, granite and syenite also occur.

What to see

The slopes are covered with mixed forest dominated by pine, with larch closer to the top. The summit offers a panorama of the Ural ridges to the west and of Kyshtym, Ozyorsk and Kasli to the east. Lake Sugomak lies nearby, and on the slopes of neighbouring Mount Sugomak you can see straight strips of old clearings now overgrown with deciduous forest.

An ecological trail leads from the mountain to Lake Sugomak and Sugomak Cave. It is about 6 km long and takes roughly two hours one way. Along the route there is a spring, the ruins of a dynamite factory and the Vaskin Klyuch spring.

Gora Yegoza ski resort

The ski resort operates on the slopes in winter. Since 2015 its runs have had artificial snowmaking. Visitors have equipment rental, a café, changing rooms and parking, and instructors are available. A memorial plaque at the resort honours its founder, Sergei Alexandrovich Morozov, who also founded the Ozyorsk Alpine Skiing Federation.

Legends

According to a local legend, Yegoza and Sugomak were lovers who prayed to the gods and were turned into two mountains standing side by side.

Getting there

By car from Chelyabinsk, take the M-5 highway towards Dolgoderevenskoye, then go via Argayash to Kyshtym. From Yekaterinburg the road runs through Sysert and Snezhinsk; after the village of Tyubuk turn towards Kasli and on to Kyshtym.

Without a car, take a bus from Chelyabinsk to the Kyshtym bus station, then a minibus to the Kanifolny stop. The mountain is about a 30-minute walk from there.