Mount Yurma

Mount Yurma is the summit of the Yurma ridge in the north of Chelyabinsk Oblast, on the border of the Kusa and Karabash municipal districts, near Taganay National Park. The mountain is 1003 metres high and is considered one of the first peaks over 1000 metres in the Southern Urals. It is built of crystalline rocks. The nearest sizeable town is Karabash, about 20 km east of the ridge.

Origin of the Name

The place name "Yurma" has several possible origins. One version traces it to a Bashkir word meaning "don't go". Another links it to the name of the Bashkir or Magyar tribe of Yurmaty (Yurmi). A third version suggests it comes from a dialect expression meaning "dense forest".

Legends

Several local legends are tied to the mountain. In one, the hero Semigor turned an old woman named Yurma into a stone mountain after she dropped his crystal mirror. In another, the evil witch Yurma tried to destroy the beautiful Urenga, beloved of the giant Taganay, using the same magic mirror. After the battle between Taganay and the witch, their bodies are said to have turned into mountains: the stern Yurma in the north, Urenga in the west, and grey-haired Taganay between them. According to the legend, the shards of the shattered mirror became the many lakes east of the mountain. The "Devil's Gate" rocks on the ridge carry another tale — about a trick the devil played on a forester named Timofey.

What to See

The upper part of the ridge is a broad plateau covered with dense, low spruce forest. At the foot of the mountain grows a birch forest with open glades. The ridge has rock formations: the "Devil's Gate", about 985 metres high, and the rock remnants "Chyortovo Gorodishche" (Devil's Settlement) and "Srednie Vorota" (Middle Gate). The best time to climb Yurma is from May to November; because of the rugged terrain it is worth going with a guide or a group that knows the route.

Getting There

The most popular starting point for a hike is the town of Karabash, about 20 km from the ridge. Another option is to start from Zlatoust, about 55 km from the summit, with the route passing through the village of Aleksandrovka. A shorter path, almost half the length of the one from town, starts at the "Extreme Club" eco-hotel: from Karabash, follow the signs starting on Uralskaya Street. From Chelyabinsk, Karabash can be reached by bus from the Severny bus station "Yunost" or by car via the Sverdlovsk highway or road 75K-042. From Yekaterinburg, buses to Karabash run from the Yuzhny and Severny bus stations.