Staraya Krepost Rock Outcrops

Staraya Krepost (Old Fortress) is a group of granite rock outcrops on the Olkhinskoye Plateau, in the Shelekhov District of Irkutsk Region. It stands between the Bolshaya Olkha River and its right tributary, the Smolensky Klyuch stream, and is considered one of the notable landmarks of the Olkhinskoye highlands.

What to see

The outcrops, ranging from 4 to 20 meters in height, form what looks like fortress ramparts, including a hundred-meter wall with towers and loopholes. In one section known as the gallery, strangely shaped stone figures stand on massive pedestals, resembling a centaur, an extinct bird, a multi-humped camel, and a sphinx. Because of its resemblance to the ruins of an old castle, the place is sometimes called "On the Count's Ruins".

History

During the Soviet period, pink granite was quarried here by both surface and deep mining, under a license held by the company Dorozhnik, with extraction continuing for about 30 years. The operation was found to have committed serious violations of forest legislation, including clear-cutting of taiga and the illegal placement of trailers and a checkpoint barrier. In 2017, the regional ministry revoked the mining license by order. Despite this, the site was never added to the official list of regional nature monuments.

Getting there

The hiking route starts at the Orlyonok stop, about 6 km from the outcrops; along the way, hikers must carefully cross an unsafe bridge to the right bank of the Bolshaya Olkha. By bicycle, the site can be reached from the same Orlyonok stop, as well as from Podkamennaya station, the Sanatorny stop, or Glubokaya station. By car, the route runs through a turn onto a forest road around the 87-90 km mark of the highway. A spring with drinking water can be found along the trail up to the outcrops.

Good to know

Staraya Krepost is used for hiking and rock climbing. Given the unsafe condition of the bridge over the Bolshaya Olkha and the rugged terrain of the outcrops themselves, climbing up requires care, especially in wet weather.