Shuyda Ridge

Shuyda Ridge (Khrebet Shuyda) is a mountain ridge in the Southern Urals, in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, within the Katav-Ivanovsky municipal district. It stretches about 25 km from west to east between the valley of the Yuryuzan River and the town of Bakal, with an average elevation of 700–800 meters.

What to see

The ridge's highest points are the peaks Yelanina Shishka (946 m) and Bezymyannaya (945 m), along with Golaya Shishka (855 m) and Sheludivy Dvor (826 m). The crest is built of grey quartzite, and its slopes are covered with kurums — extensive fields of loose rock blocks typical of Southern Ural ridges. On the crest sits the Quartzite Cave, considered the highest cave in the Urals.

Among the rock outcrops on the ridge, the so-called Devil's Walls stand out — a rocky formation of bizarre shape. The ridge offers a view of the neighboring Mount Zavyalikha. Medicinal herbs grow in the surrounding area, including chaga, St. John's wort, oregano and thyme.

Nature and landscape

Shuyda Ridge is part of the Bakal Mountains, a low mountain chain on the western edge of the Southern Urals. Its rocky peaks and crests contrast sharply with the forested slopes below, covered in mixed woodland. The kurum fields on the slopes formed through the gradual weathering of quartzite rock.

History

Older names recorded for the ridge include Shulgya, Shyulga and Shulya. In the 18th century the traveler and naturalist Ivan Lepyokhin, describing the Southern Urals, wrote the name down as "Shiyda". The name echoes Bashkir words meaning "a long, thin tree" or "a thick pole". For more than two hundred years, iron ore has been mined on the ridge's north-eastern slope, where the Bakal mines are located, which gave their name to the nearby town of Bakal.

Legends

According to local legend, the Devil's Walls rock formation was built by devils to lead travelers astray and make them wander among the stones. Another story tied to the area of the old mine claims that sounds of tools at work can still be heard underground — echoes of the old mining days.

Getting there

The ridge can be reached by car along the M-5 "Ural" highway, turning off near the town of Bakal. Another approach is from the town of Yuryuzan, which lies at the foot of the ridge, from where a road runs along its spurs. A popular route leads to a TV tower installed on the ridge, with the access road branching off directly from the M-5 highway.