It is necessary to point out that before Bermamut, meteorology is not of particular interest to the naturalist in general, and to the botanist in particular. It has already been said above, from Kislovodsk to Bermamut, on Razetoyan 30-35 turns, mfetnoet weakly rises up the mountain, lying between deep girders visible on the right and elfva from the road. The land of the inhabitants of Kislovodsk extends almost half the way, but since all the slopes are facing the north and north-east and are 5-6 turns. from Kielovodsk the rise in temperature reaches 3-4 thousand. ft N u. m., then the raising of grain crops under such conditions becomes impossible. Wheat and rye do not have time to ripen during the first year, and if they do ripen, they produce a weak harvest. Only potatoes are cultivated, and even then no further than 6-8 degrees (no higher than 3500 ft).,
*) Gr. The seer. “Northern Navkaz” No. 75 for 1889.
all the rest of the space is used either for mowing or for grazing. The latter are carried out mainly by the Karachays, who live in the upper reaches of the Kuban, but, benefiting from the lack of their land, renting from the Kislovodtsev their free land, not suitable for the culture of the peasants. Thus, starting from 10-12 versts from Kislovodsk, you do not encounter anything on the way, just large herds of sheep, large herds of cattle and herds of horses. All the land, therefore, turns into continuous pasture. And TDF produces constant grazing in the mountains, starting from 6-7 tf. and up to the height of the snow, up to 95-10 t.f., there, surrounded by luxurious Alyi and sub-Alta vegetation, diversified by hundreds and tens of hundreds of species, you will experience a clearing harvest. The latter differs from the ordinary steppe clearing only in the fact that in the steppe this clearing represents almost bare ground, while in the mountains it is nothing more than a thick, muddy, always green, but very short turf of a few herbs: cereals, buttercup, wet trefoil, mantle and some others that are not usually eaten by cattle. In order to extract any plant from the ground when necessary, it is necessary to dig out a solid lump or slab of semi-rotten and fresh roots of the plants that predominate on the surface of the mountain clearing. Such turf, 3-4 inches thick, sometimes lies directly on a hard rocky bed, and sometimes, on steep slopes, when the litter quickly wears out or falls off, it goes down and hangs in a dense and large mass along the rock cliff. The latter can always be observed where the rock consists of fine crushed clay shale, which is actually common behind Bermamouth and in the Main Range. On the way to Bermamut, limestones predominate, and not far from Bermamut there is wind at a height of 6-7 tf. rich deposits of alabaster, which are being developed, although, unfortunately, in insignificant quantities, by the residents of Kislovodsk.
The only thing that attracts attention not far from the top of Bermamut is the presence of huge craters in the soil with diameters of up to 40-50 square fathoms, and at an angle of 2-3 fathoms. These funnels were apparently formed by atmospheric water, which once lingered in minor depressions and then gradually seeped into the soluble waters.
calcareous rocks. In less deep craters, in which the process of erosion has not reached the limestone to even larger sizes, water stagnates, as a result of which it becomes overgrown with sedges and becomes waterlogged. Cattle usually come to such places to drink. But in deeper waters it quickly goes into the ground, like through a sieve with a broken hole.
The eroding effect of water on the limestones near the Bermamut slope, facing south, was especially pronounced. Here, gigantic tables, pillars and cracks alternate along the street for several miles. Tourists visiting Bermamut in strollers usually do not see this grandiose and elaborately torn structure, since it belongs to the second or main Bermamut, separated from the first by a recess. To see it, you need to go around the mountain in the direction E to the east and go down 6-7 tf. But for the oblast there is such an inconvenient road that it is possible to travel along it not only in a wheelchair, but also on a road only with the greatest difficulty. Steep slopes, landslides, potholes and abysses are at every turn. At the same time, it is unthinkable to sit on a cart; you have to walk behind, supporting and helping all the horses and carts. In addition, no small obstacle on the way is the constant windfall with Tatar carts loaded with various kinds of fuel, which is delivered by this road from the Main Range from the upper reaches of the Kuban to Kielvodey.
The same tourist whose words we just quoted regarding the transportation of timber by the Karachais says the following: