Aku-Aku Gorge

Aku-Aku Gorge (Russian: Расщелина Аку-Аку) is a ravine in the Khibiny Mountains, in Murmansk Oblast, within the Olenegorsk municipal district. It stretches for about 4 km along the western slope of the Khibinpakhkchorr massif, following the western slopes of Mount Goltsovka from northeast to southwest, and links the valley of the lower left tributary of the Goltsovaya River with the valley of the Yumyekorruay stream. The nearby Goltsovka River flows into Lake Imandra, one of the largest lakes on the Kola Peninsula.

What to see

The gorge is narrow, in places bordered by sheer, tall rock walls — a classic Khibiny mountain landscape of dark rock with sparse trees on the slopes. At its southern entrance lies Izumrudnoye (Emerald) Lake, and inside the gorge itself there is another pool with clear, azure-green water, hemmed in by vertical walls. Along the route there is a one-metre waterfall with a vertical rock face, with a rest spot set up nearby. One of the gorge's rock formations is a thirty-metre outcrop known as "Mother of the Gods." With all these features packed closely together, the gorge is compact and easy to walk through in a single outing.

Name and legends

The present-day name arose in the late 20th century, already in the era of active tourist development of the Khibiny Mountains. The gorge was named after Aku-Aku, the guardian spirit of Easter Island and lord of the moai stone statues: some of the gorge's rocks resemble the shapes of these famous figures, which gave rise to the association with the distant Polynesian culture. The place carries tourist legends of its own: stories tell of stone giants and trolls guarding the mountain gorge, and that bathing in one of its lakes is said to keep a person free of illness for a whole year. These stories pass from hiker to hiker and have long become part of the gorge's informal reputation, alongside its striking name.

Getting there

Aku-Aku Gorge is reached on foot from the Imandra or Nefelinovye Peski railway stations. From Nefelinovye Peski, the route climbs a road to a power-line clearing; the entrance to the gorge is on the left of the clearing. In winter, passing through the gorge to the Yumyekorruay stream takes about an hour and a half.

Today Aku-Aku Gorge is a popular hiking route among visitors to the Khibiny Mountains.