Yes, the distance from the regional center is serious, the road in both directions went almost 800 kilometers. But it was worth it. I'll tell you and show you everything.
The views are already on the rise, the most stunning:
An even more stunning view opens up from the top:
I went downstairs and walked to the lake. From the top of the mountain, the distance seemed very modest, in reality it turned out to be about 20 minutes on foot. The distance was brightened up by the next stunning views:
Then begins the Baskunchak salt lake, which, in terms of healing properties, is not inferior to the Dead Sea in Israel. The water is oily and very bitter.
The return trip was accompanied by no less beautiful landscapes:
Summary: Going is a must. The virgin nature made a strong impression on me - you understand that all this has been worth thousands of years in almost the form in which it is now. A huge charge of positive energy - you leave the reserve with an absolutely bright head, in a very good mood, with the feeling that at least a little, but your soul has become cleaner. The energy there is very good.
Photo and text: Alexander Ralnikov
We read and watched a lot on the net about the miraculous salt lake Baskunchak. Were going to go. And finally, in the summer of 2012 we were able to visit there.
There is a lot of information about Baskunchak and nearby Mount Bogdo (emphasis on the second letter "o") on the Internet and on television. Therefore, I will present here fragmentary descriptions of a purely subjective nature.
Unfortunately, we could not take a camera with us (she went on another trip), so I post here pictures taken with a phone camera or other people's photos from the Internet with a link to the author.
The main reason why we went there is to experience the amazing effect of the Baskunchak salt water - brine (emphasis on "s") - you can lie motionless in it and not drown. We just couldn't imagine how it was possible! It seemed as unbelievable as walking on the surface of the water or lying on hot coals.
Road
And we were driving from Novocherkassk, one might say from Rostov-on-Don. First, along the m4 to the interchange in front of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky. Here, as always, without problems and special impressions. Then we turned right in the direction of Volgograd. The road is of excellent quality, I thought it would be worse. Only immediately after the denouement is completely useless. The landscape is melancholic - fields, fields. Two places that can be called sights are the bridges, first across the Seversky Donets in Belaya Kalitva, then across the Don in Kalache-on-Don. In front of the bridge in Kalach, you can even stop and admire the views, take a walk over the steep slopes of the Don. There is a parking lot.
As a lover of the history of the Great Patriotic War, it was also interesting for me to drive through the places where the Battle of Stalingrad unfolded. Here, for example, in Kalach-on-Don, our troops closed the encirclement around the Germans. We thought about visiting Volgograd specifically to get acquainted with the places and monuments of military glory, but then.
The most difficult section of the path is Volgograd. Big beautiful city, but does not have a bypass road, so I had to drive through the overloaded center. The road at the entrance to Volgograd is badly broken, I would even say it poses a danger to drivers. In the city itself, there are continuous traffic jams, which, in general, is already familiar. They are now in all Russian cities, even in our little Novocherkassk. The organization of the movement is very complex and confusing. With the help of a GPS navigator, we navigated in Rostov, Voronezh and Orel without any problems. But in Volgograd I had to stray. An unforgettable impression is made by the majestic sculpture "The Motherland Calls!"
We drove into Volgograd in the morning, so we did not feel another problem that we encountered on the way back. In the evening, a large number of railway crossings create long tedious traffic jams. At the same time, you have to wait for the passage of not one, but several trains at once.
We drove along a long bridge across the Volga and again in the open. The farther east to the Astrokhansk region and Kazakhstan, the more deserted and yellow from the burnt grass landscape. The real steppe began. Once upon a time we lived in Kazakhstan for a long time and such views evoked stolgic memories of the past.
The road surface from Volgograd to Nizhny Baskunchak itself was of good quality. We have something to compare with, for example, with the roads in the Oryol region.
Also, when moving eastward up to Akhtubinsk, traffic on the highway has noticeably decreased. There was an analogy with the classic plot of American films. You know, when a lonely car drives along the highway, and around some kind of Nevada desert, along the way there are only thorns and cacti and not a soul for tens of kilometers. Both interesting and creepy at the same time.
On the way from Akhtubinsk to Nizhny Baskunchak, the landscape generally leveled off and completely lost its green color. This is classic Kazakhstan. Anyone who traveled by train from Russia to Central Asia knows what it looks like.
The movement here is much more active. As it turned out, there are a lot of tourists who want to visit the lake. This made us happy. The fact is that my wife thought I looked on the Internet for some hole unknown to anyone, into which we are going 650 km away, so as not to have anything but worries and disappointments. The desert landscape of the Astrakhan region disturbed her even more. But the abundance of autotourists reassured her. Basically, we met cars there with Volgograd and Astrakhan numbers, but there were many Moscow and various others. But we rarely met Rostov numbers - only three times.
Road Akhtubins-Nizhny Baskunchak
About how we settled down in Nizhny Baskunchak
We drive into Nizhny Baskunchak and first of all we are looking for a way to the lake. This is not a trivial matter, I would even say that it requires perseverance. The fact is that tourists' cars in the center of the village are met by a gang of boys and noisily offer for 50 rubles. (or "how much you give") show the way to the lake. This in itself is not bad. But as it turns out in the end, to put it mildly - an imposed service. Parking by the lake from the center of the village is some hundred meters and all roads lead there, because there is nowhere else to go. Given the activity of visiting, you can just go where everyone goes. In our case, it turned out ugly. We did not begin to talk with the boys, but drove further behind the car with Moscow numbers moving in front, hoping to find a parking lot on our own. But those who managed to shout that the car in front was not going to the lake, but to Mount Bogdo, and we were seduced. At the suggestion of "assistants" we drove along another dead road (through the rails) and already after 30 meters behind the nearest house we saw what we needed. The road we originally wanted to take also led to the car park, but was much better.
Okay, we didn’t have any more such troubles. Having approached the place, we find that there is not a parking lot, but several parking lots fenced off from each other, and each of them invites his barker. He waves his hand like that to you, greets you as if you have known each other for a hundred years. You look at them and hesitate where to go. We chose the parking lot overlooking the lake.
View of Lake Baskunchak and Mount Bogdo from our parking lot
Parking by the lake
But now we can advise you better to choose the one where there is a place for a car with a canopy from the scorching sun. We arrived on a weekday, so there were plenty of parking spaces. On weekends they are packed to capacity.
In addition to the actual parking spaces, there are showers (50 rubles at a time per person), a shop-stall with a refrigerator (soft drinks and what to eat), a cafe and a barbecue. Parking price 50 rubles. per day from the car. You can spend the night in a car, or you can rent an apartment or a house, all this can be solved there. We rented a two-room apartment in a five-story building such as this one:
500 rub. day for three days. The apartment is bad, in need of repair. Functioning air conditioning, a Soviet-era TV and a refrigerator with an unpleasant smell inside. Everything is old and creepy. Still better than living in a car for three days. You can pitch a tent in the parking lot, but only for the night.
In the center of the village, where there are five-story buildings, there is a Magnit store, so we could buy products that we are used to at home.
Near the cafe "Solonochka". They didn't go there. As you can see, there is a branded beer tent "Don" near the cafe. This beer is made here in Rostov, and this, probably, added to our psychological comfort.
The population is Russians and Kazakhs. In general, tourists are treated well, friendly. It can be seen from everything that tourism is one of the main sources of income there.
Now about the way from parking lots to the beach
You are not allowed to go to the lake in your own car. The base is the territory of the JSC "Bassol" enterprise, which actually extracts salt. In addition, it is a protected area. But everyone understands that this is just a way to make money transporting tourists. But what a wonderful campground, camping could be formed there right by the shore. But in fairness, it must be said that this very Bassol does not make money out of thin air. You can swim in the lake precisely because excavators dug a kind of pool in the salt column. Without this, vacationers would not be able to enjoy salt water. In its natural state, Baskunchak is just salt or salt with mud.
So, from parking to the beach about 2 km. This path can be walked (in the evening, when the sun is not scorching - very good), get there by bus (60 rubles per person there and back) or on a motorcycle with a kind of bench instead of a cradle (150 rubles per person one way). I advise you, if you came there for the first time, at least once to walk on foot - there is something to admire along the way. Riding a motorcycle all the time is expensive and even once. But given that these rides with a breeze and wild shaking on strange motorcycles have become one of the attractions of Baskunchak, we allowed ourselves this once. And so always used the bus. Walks frequently every 15 or 20 minutes. Always full, but given that the ride is not long - not a problem.
To the beach by bus or motorbike
Baskunchak motorcycle
On foot
Here, for example, what you can see walking to the beach on foot
Or that
The so-called beach itself, near the lake, has a very unattractive appearance - dirty and undeveloped. In general, I must say, Baskunchak and all its sights do not have outwardly catchy beauty. This place must be assessed not by sight, but by skin and peering not around, but into oneself.
Bathing
As I already wrote, the beach is dirty, but near the water itself and especially under it, you can see that you have clean salt under your feet. But not in the form of sand, as we are used to seeing it, but simply a solid salty firmament. Where people walk on the surface, it is even, worn out, but where a person’s foot rarely or never steps at all, it is clear that the firmament is a continuous sharp crystal of salt. Therefore, few people dare to move barefoot along the beach and especially the bottom. Everyone is wearing flip flops.
Is it ice or salt? No - salt!
We go into the water. Warm like a bath. But it's cooler in the morning. And the color is brown.
And so, I go gradually into the water. Shallow water first. Can't wait to lie down on the surface as soon as possible and not drown. But all the time I think about how to protect my eyes from the brine. You understand, a concentrated salt solution in the eye - it must be very painful. But there are those who splash on your way. People are not afraid for their eyes! I saw it once - the child forgot about the danger and, out of habit, dived headlong into the water. Cried loudly. The eyes were quickly rinsed with fresh water from a bottle. So be sure to take fresh water with you.
Well, I finally lay down on the surface of the water. It was happiness, great childhood happiness!
Completely, of course, it was not possible to relax - you have to keep your head. But if you put something floating, but small, under it, you can generally fall asleep like that.
Almost everywhere the depth of the reservoir is less than human height. But there are places where there will be more. There is another option for drifting - in an upright position. You just hang in the water without moving your arms or legs. It probably looks like weightlessness.
You can lie on the water and face down. But in this case, a small adventure awaits you. Standing with your feet on the bottom or rolling over on your back from this position just won't work. Any sudden movement can lead to immersion of the face in water. Personally, I confess, I panicked, and for the first time they helped me roll over. But then he kind of got used to it.
He broke off a piece of salty crystal as a keepsake:
At home I show it to everyone and let them lick it a little.
After bathing in brine, the body dries up and is covered with salt. People covered with "snow" look impressive.
Have you ever traveled to public transport with people sprinkled with "white powder"?
Excursion to Mount Bogdo
One day we decided to visit Mount Bogdo. There are many amazing reviews about her on the Internet, beautiful photos. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is the only one of its kind on the Caspian lowland. Steppe and steppe, and suddenly - a stone mountain. In addition, Bogdo is one of the cult places of Kalmyk Buddhism precisely because of its uniqueness and, I believe, proximity to the Baskunchak salt lake.
Finding the way to the mountain in general is not difficult, but it is better to ask about it. They will gladly tell you at the parking lot, and if you wish, they will find you a guide. Well, I'll tell you a little about it.
The road from the parking lot near Baskunchak to the parking lot near Bogdo is approximately 14.5 km. Considering that you will have to drive along a dusty and washboard-like dirt road, this is a long way to go. In general, it looks like this (beginning from the top):
The main thing is to get to the fork at the marble lake in the Middle Baskunchak and turn left correctly, and then you won’t get lost.
Before you get to the parking lot, you need to pass a post with a barrier. There, of course, you have to pay to visit. Now I don’t remember how much, but I remember it seemed quite expensive. But everything is official, as it should be with a receipt.
Then the road gets even worse. But on the left appears a low, almost solid rock with bizarre shapes formed by the wind. There is already something to see and what to shoot.
When you get to the parking lot, you realize that this is really a tourist site. The parking lot itself is specially equipped, there are signs and information signs at every step, metal stairs with wooden planks lead to the top of the mountain.
They could have put the road here in proper shape, since they have taken up the development of tourism.
What followed was a major disappointment. We saw a sign that forbade climbing to the top of Bogdo. The first thought was: "Why didn't they warn us at the entrance!? Probably, so that we pay anyway!" There was a desire to break the ban, because no one sees. Maybe there is no longer a ban, but the sign remains, because they didn’t say anything at the entrance. But, nevertheless, as law-abiding people did not dare to violate. Yes, and the ban could be associated with some kind of danger to us. Later it turned out that at that time on Mount Bogdo there was a breeding season of some kind of lizard that lives only here.
The moral of this mini-story is this: before you go to Bogdo, check with the locals, at the administration of the reserve, or at least at the entrance before you pay - if there are any restrictions on visiting.
We did not get to the top of Bogdo, but walked along the second route, which goes lower. They were satisfied.
Red slopes of Bogdo overlooking Baskunchak
Amazing coloring!
In ordinary mountains, you stand on top and see other similar peaks around you. And with Bogdo you see around the surface of the earth or white, salty. That is, you are not standing in one of many similar places, but in a special, towering one. This is very unusual, exciting! 
In general, we were satisfied with the trip. We received from him new, unexpected impressions and reasons for reflection. It’s even scary to come there a second time, so as not to spoil the resulting aura. But it's worth it to come here at least once. I recommend.
In the north of the Astrakhan region in the Akhtubinsky district is the largest salt lake in Europe and Russia - Lake Baskunchak .
“In the Caspian steppe, not far from Mount Bogdo, there lived a bai. This rich man had many sheep and horses. Bai was proud not only of his flocks and herds, but also of his beautiful daughter.
Among the many shepherds of the rich man was a dexterous, jack-of-all-trades, strong and handsome young man. Once the master's daughter, walking in the steppe, accidentally met him. The boy and the girl fell in love with each other. Since then, they have met frequently. One evening, the girl ran to the sweetheart and said that her father had decided to give her in marriage to a rich, old and unlovable man. True to his love, the young man jumped on his horse and rushed to the owner's yurt. Entering the yurt, he began to beg the girl's father to give her as his wife. Bai became furious and ordered the servants to severely punish the beggar. The young shepherd soon died from beatings.
Grieving for him, the girl went to Mount Bogdo, sat down at its foot and began to cry. Without closing her eyes, she shed tears for several days. From her tears, a stream flowed into the lowlands of the steppe, from which a salt lake was formed, which now exists under the name Baskunchak.
And here is another fairy tale version:
“Once, in bygone times, it happened that the lake was completely shallow. The bottom of the lake, formed from salt crystals, was revealed and tempted the rider to ride on a snow-white surface. Some scorcher decided to take advantage of the opportunity to shorten the path. Sparing neither himself, nor the horse, nor the dog that accompanied him, he set off along the bottom of the lake. Thanks to a quick run and good hooves, the horse happily carried the rider, but the dog, injuring his legs on sharp salt crystals, reached only the middle of the lake. Then the rains came. The lake was covered with a layer of salt water, and the dog's corpse, soaked with salt, survived for a long time from damage. Since then, for many years, in stormy weather, the head of a dog often emerged from behind the raging waves, which could be seen by anyone who found near the lake. That is why “baskunchak” (in Kazakh, the head of a dog) passed into its name.”
Lake Baskunchak is the saltiest lake in the world. It is located on top of a giant salt mountain. The locals call Baskunchak the lake of the sun, because on cloudless days its surface flashes with dazzling light.
Baskunchak is a unique gift of nature. Even its air, saturated with salt vapor, is very useful for the lungs and can cure a number of respiratory diseases. Therapeutic mud and clay help with skin diseases and joint diseases.
The water of the lake will give you an incomparable feeling of weightlessness, pushing the body to the surface. If you can't swim, then this is the perfect body of water for you. drowning in it is impossible.
Be extremely careful when taking salt baths. If you take even one sip of water, you will get a severe burn of the esophagus and internal organs
Thousands of tourists come to Baskunchak every year, and they are attracted not only by the healing properties of the lake. After all, unique landscapes reminiscent of the landscapes of another planet, beautiful steppes, stunning karst caves and other attractions cannot leave anyone indifferent.
Lake Baskunchak is a unique creation of nature. This is a kind of depression on top of a huge salt mountain, leaving the base thousands of meters deep into the earth and covered with lean sedimentary rocks. The area of Lake Baskunchak is 106 sq. km. This is a compensation trough filled with salt and clay deposits of the Permian and Quaternary periods. A lake is a large drainless basin, which is replenished with water from surface and underground sources. About 25 springs and one small river, the Gorkaya, flows into the lake. It originates on the territory of Kazakhstan, the water in it is bitter-salty, reddish-brown in color due to the ferruginous minerals it contains.
Lake Baskunchak, "all-Union salt shaker" and "dog's head" - a source of high-quality edible salt. As a result of salt mining, fractures up to 8 meters deep were formed. The depth of the salt reaches 6 km. The salt of the lake is almost pure sodium chloride (98% NaCl). You can drink beer right on the shore and lick the edge of the shore for a snack: for your own pleasure, and for others for fun.
In the brine of Lake Baskunchak, as in any salt lake, only salt-loving bacteria live. Everything else perishes. So it will not be possible to fish in Baskunchak. And on the coast there are deposits of therapeutic clays - this is a waste product of salt-loving bacteria.
For the first time, Lake Baskunchak, as a place where “they break salt as pure as ice”, is officially mentioned in the “Book of the Big Drawing”. The book was compiled in the 16th century and supplemented in the so-called "Discharge order" in 1627:
“And below Balykley, beyond the Volga, there is a salty (Elton) lake along 90 versts, and near that lake there are fresh wells ... From the Golden Horde, from the Akhtuba River against the Naryn sands, lies Lake Uskonchak, or Utonchak (Baskunchak), and pure salt is broken in the lake like ice ... From Astrakhan down the Volga river to closer salt 70, and to distant salts 100 miles "
In 1780 academician Gildeshtet wrote:
“Soon a picture of salt mining unfolded before me. Three squares of land, two hundred sazhens each, dug in with low ramparts and surrounded by narrow grooves, represented three phases of prey. In one, full of sea water, the salt evaporated, settling in a pale gray layer with a pinkish tinge, shining in the sun. In another, she was raked into heaps. The women raking it, with shovels in their hands, stomped knee-deep in the shiny black mud, and somehow very deadly, without shouting or speaking, their dirty gray figures slowly and wearily moved against the black, shiny background of the oily, salty and caustic "brine". ", as they call this dirt. Salt was taken out of the third square. In three deaths, the workers, bent over the wheelbarrows, stupidly and silently moved forward.
“The beginning of the development of salt on Lake Baskunchak dates back to the first half of the 18th century, but then this development, without reaching a significant size, stopped under the influence of increasing competition from Lake Elton. A resumption of salt mining followed in 1867. The breaking of salt on Lake Baskunchak is carried out, with the help of ordinary picks, crowbars and shovels, by working Kirghiz; Salt is brought to the shore in wagons by camels.
The history of salt mining on Lake Baskunchak is as dramatic as the history of any salt mining anywhere else. “For salt” they went to make kalym, i.e. to earn relatively large amounts of money by the hardest physical labor, accompanied by diseases and crime.
“Go, brother, to the salt! You can always find work there. You will always find. Because this is hard labor, desperate business. M. Gorky "For salt".
In plan, Lake Baskunchak has an irregular shape with a general orientation in the northwest direction. The length of the lake along the major axis is 18 km, the width varies between 6 - 13 km, the total area is 110 square meters. kilometers. The absolute mark of the salt surface is minus 21.3 m.
Races were held here to set speed records on racing cars. An absolutely flat solid salt crust formed at the bottom of the lake during periods of drying served as a natural coating, on which, first, with the help of wooden stakes, and then with strips of brown clay, a straight track 8 m wide was marked. The length of the track prepared for races reached 13 km. The first record races took place at Baskunchak in 1960 and were held through 1963 inclusive. Later, due to the expansion of salt production on the lake and the subsequent deterioration of the hydrogeological situation, the bottom surface became unsuitable for record races. “In total, in 1960-1963. during races on Lake Baskunchak, 29 all-Union speed records were set (19 of them surpassed international ones), including the absolute all-Union record - 311.4 km / h (1963, I. Tikhomirov, Pioneer-2) ".
In such armor, the ZIL-112S car was prepared for the speed record, which was to be set at the bottom of the dried-up salt lake Baskunchak.
August 2012 marked the 130th anniversary of the founding of the Baskunchaksky salt mine, the successor of which is the largest Russian salt enterprise OJSC Bassol. The lake is located on the territory of the reserve. Going to the lake, you will automatically find yourself in it. Be sure to inspect its territory. Mount Bogdo, which is located near the lake, was consecrated by the Dalai Lama. If you favor Buddhism, you can climb to its peak. Be sure to visit this unique lake, whose healing properties are equal to those of the Dead Sea, and you will not regret
“Once upon a time, two heroes lived in the Caspian steppe: a father and a son. They did not have their own farm, so they grazed flocks of other people's sheep. At that time in the steppe there was neither a hillock nor a mound. When tall grass rose in spring, it was impossible to see animals and predators hiding in the steppe behind it. Once a father and son went to the Urals. When they returned home, they agreed to take with them a block of Ural stone from the Ural Mountains. The father took the big one, and the son took the smaller one. The road is long. The path is difficult. The younger hero began to languish. He took off his burden, lay down to rest, but immediately died. After burying his son, the father moved on. He wanted to carry the block to his native wagon. Passing along the shore of a salt lake, he decided to take a pinch of salt in his mouth. But as soon as he bent down for salt, the mountain fell on him with all its weight. The hero fell, and the earth around him turned crimson, which is why it is still red.
In this place, above the flat steppe, a lone block remained, which the inhabitants of the steppe called Mount Bogdo "...
The Astrakhan region is known not only for its unusual salt lake Baskunchak, but also Mount Big Bogdo located near the famous salt lake.
Mount Big Bogdo is the only real mountain in the Caspian lowland. The foot of Bogdo lies two dozen meters below sea level, and the top is about 150 meters higher. Every year Mount Big Bogdo becomes higher. The fact is that inside the mountain there is a salt dome, which increases by about 1 mm per year. The height of the Big Bogdo above sea level is 149.6 m, and even more above the surrounding area.
Mount Bogdo has developed ground and underground forms of karst relief - beams, funnels, caves, grottoes, etc. Today, the vicinity of Mount Bolshoi Bogdo and Lake Baskunchak has more than 30 caves, the largest of which - Baskunchakskaya - reaches 1.5 km .
Mount Big Bogdo brought to us the remains of the Mesozoic era. In the cliffs of the mountain there is a marine Triassic with fossilized remains of animals that lived 200-250 million years ago - this makes Big Bogdo a real geological paradise. In addition, Mount Bolshoye Bogdo is the only place in Europe where Triassic sedimentary rocks, rich in skeletal remains, come to the surface.
Unusually Big Bogdo and its color - one of its sides has a red tint. This is due to the high concentration of various metals. However, despite the confirmed scientific fact, there is a legend explaining such an unusual color of Mount Bolshoye Bogdo: according to legend, Mount Bogdo used to stand on the banks of the Ural River, but two holy Kalmyks decided to move it to the banks of the Volga. After long fasts and prayers, the Kalmyks put Mount Big Bogdo on their shoulders and carried it across the endless sultry steppes, but one of them fell under the weight of the burden at the moment when he saw a beautiful local resident, and a sinful thought flashed through his head. The mountain crushed him and was sprinkled with blood, which is why one side of it is still red.
Bogdo among the Mongols and Kalmyks means something sublime and majestic, just as in this sense the Chinese owner is called Bogdo-khan, "the highest khan." The local population believes that Mount Big Bogdo was consecrated by the Dalai Lama and they come to worship it. According to another legend, Mount Bogdo was formed from a sacred stone, which was brought by Kalmyk pilgrims from the distant mountains of the Tien Shan.
The foot of Bolshoye Bogdo Mountain is hidden by a plume of scree, which was formed in the process of weathering. On the rocky cliffs of the southwestern slope of Bogdo one can see spectacular forms of weathering of sandstones and other rocks of the Paleozoic age. The presence of shallow caves, stone niches and pillars, cornices and numerous recesses, similar to giant honeycombs, made Big Bogdo a sounding mountain. The phenomenon is explained by air fluctuations between stone pillars, drafts in communicating caves. Therefore, the people call the southwestern slope of the mountain "Singing Rocks".
Taking this opportunity, last week I took a couple of days of vacation, attached it to the weekend and went to visit a good friend in Astrakhan - to extend my summer, eat watermelons, swim in the Volga and enjoy the temperature of +35 degrees. There are enough impressions in this short time, but in short, it is hot, dusty and flat there.
Now - about a trip to the very north of the region to Mount Bogdo and the salt lake Baskunchak, the name of which has been firmly planted in the brain since the time of school lessons in geography. The mountain is only 150 meters high, but by local standards it is just Everest, and it offers stunning views of the Steppe. Naturally, it was categorically impossible to miss the opportunity to climb somewhere even in the conditions of the Astrakhan semi-desert.
In fact, the entire territory of the Astrakhan region is one large flat plain, which in some places even falls below sea level. There are no trees, the hot sun, sand, dust and endless steppe roads. 
Also, the Astrakhan gas processing plant smokes not like a child. 
All the police this weekend were concentrated in the city, where the Day of the Oilman was held, as well as the search for a group of Astrakhan partisans, who recently shot four patrols. Therefore, the speed on the tracks was controlled by nanotech robocops. 
Sometimes very serious comrades came across 
Along the trails they sell either meat or fish, as well as watermelons and melons... 
And local cows do not pay any attention to cars at all, constantly creating emergency situations. 
So we drove for two hours, and the landscape outside the window hardly changed. But at some point, like a mirage, Mount Bogdo appeared out of the haze. 
The temptation to rush to her directly through the steppe was great, but we decided not to tempt fate and drove along the "normal" bypass road. It turned out to be a gravel mound several tens of kilometers long. 
It is impossible to drive along it quickly, and it’s a pity for the car, so 20 meters from the road there is a knurled track right across the steppe. Here it is - somewhat reminiscent of the African savannah. 
In search of Lake Baskunchak, we arrived at the lake of the same name. locality, which, surprisingly, looked like an ordinary village in the Vladimir region. 
As soon as we entered the village, two Kazakh children immediately ran up from somewhere, who vying with each other began to assure that only they could show the way to the lake and Mount Bogdo, but we ourselves would not find and get lost. We decided to take them as guides, at the same time and give them the opportunity to earn some extra money.
We decided not to go to the lake - there was a very complicated logistics chain to get to a place where swimming was "allowed", so we didn't waste time and went straight to the mountain, especially since it was already very close. 
At the entrance it turned out that the mountain and the entire surrounding steppe is a reserve, entry and entry into which is prohibited. 
The issue of entry was resolved by issuing a "voucher" for 140 rubles per person, and now we are at the entrance to Bogdo. 
To go upstairs, you have to overcome a rather steep climb up the stairs. Although not high, but in the wild heat it was pretty hard. 
But one has only to go upstairs, as the view of the white Baskunchak is simply mesmerizing 
We can say that this is our Dead Sea - it is at a level of minus 21 meters relative to the world ocean. Baskunchak is a kind of deepening on the top of a salt mountain, leaving its base thousands of meters deep into the earth and covered with a layer of sedimentary rocks.
Salt was mined there back in the 8th century, and now it is up to 80% of all Russian production. If you look closely, you can see the line in the photo railway that runs right across the lake. 
The lake is fed mainly by springs. Numerous springs flow into it, bringing more than 2.5 thousand tons of salts into the lake during the day. An almost inexhaustible resource. 
You look in any direction - and bastard. 
And our guides frolic around 
At all times people liked this place 
Road back 
...take another look at the lake... 
...and down the stairs to the car again 
Gradually, the weather began to deteriorate, and the long-awaited rain began to fall. And along with the rain came the understanding that Astrakhan horses are as fearless as cows. 
The Astrakhan region is famous for the fact that in the area of \u200b\u200bthe modern village of Selitrennoye, the capital of the Golden Horde, Sarai-Batu, was once located, where Russian princes actively traveled for a label to reign. Now only a hillfort remains from Saray, which is actively excavated by archaeologists, but this does not prevent the military-historical festival "Itilsky Shore" from being regularly held in this area, which attracts military-historical freaks from all over the country. 
Like any similar event, the festival turned out to be quite an interesting spectacle. 
Coordinates: N48 8.364 E46 51.462. It is necessary to move from the village of Nizhny Baskunchak, skirting the lake in an arc from the west. Mount Big Bogdo is located on the territory of the reserve, entry is paid.
The Astrakhan region is known not only for its unusual salt lake Baskunchak, but also Mount Big Bogdo located near the famous salt lake.
Mount Big Bogdo is the only real mountain in the Caspian lowland. The foot of Bogdo lies two dozen meters below sea level, and the top is about 150 meters higher. Every year Mount Big Bogdo becomes higher. The fact is that inside the mountain there is a salt dome, which increases by about 1 mm per year. The height of the Big Bogdo above sea level is 149.6 m, and even more above the surrounding area.
Mount Bogdo has developed ground and underground forms of karst relief - beams, funnels, caves, grottoes, etc. Today, the vicinity of Mount Bolshoi Bogdo and Lake Baskunchak has more than 30 caves, the largest of which - Baskunchakskaya - reaches 1.5 km .
Mount Big Bogdo brought to us the remains of the Mesozoic era. In the cliffs of the mountain there is a marine Triassic with fossilized remains of animals that lived 200-250 million years ago - this makes Big Bogdo a real geological paradise. In addition, Mount Bolshoye Bogdo is the only place in Europe where Triassic sedimentary rocks, rich in skeletal remains, come to the surface.
Unusually Big Bogdo and its color - one of its sides has a red tint. This is due to the high concentration of various metals. However, despite the confirmed scientific fact, there is a legend explaining such an unusual color of the Big Bogdo mountain: according to legend, the Bogdo mountain used to stand on the banks of the Ural River, but two holy Kalmyks decided to move it to the banks of the Volga. After long fasts and prayers, the Kalmyks put Mount Big Bogdo on their shoulders and carried it across the endless sultry steppes, but one of them fell under the weight of the burden at the moment when he saw a beautiful local resident, and a sinful thought flashed through his head. The mountain crushed him and was sprinkled with blood, which is why one side of it is still red.
Bogdo among the Mongols and Kalmyks means something sublime and majestic, just as in this sense the Chinese owner is called Bogdo-khan, "the highest khan." The local population believes that Mount Big Bogdo was consecrated by the Dalai Lama and they come to worship it. According to another legend, Mount Bogdo was formed from a sacred stone, which was brought by Kalmyk pilgrims from the distant mountains of the Tien Shan.
The foot of Bolshoye Bogdo Mountain is hidden by a plume of scree, which was formed in the process of weathering. On the rocky cliffs of the southwestern slope of Bogdo one can see spectacular forms of weathering of sandstones and other rocks of the Paleozoic age. The presence of shallow caves, stone niches and pillars, cornices and numerous recesses, similar to giant honeycombs, made Big Bogdo a sounding mountain. The phenomenon is explained by air fluctuations between stone pillars, drafts in communicating caves. Therefore, the people call the southwestern slope of the mountain "Singing Rocks".
Salt Lake Baskunchak and Mount Big Bogdo are part of a unique natural complex. In 1997, the Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky natural complex was declared a reserve (Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky Reserve), where a special environmental regime was established on an area of 53.7 thousand hectares.
Guide: how to get to Mount Bolshoye Bogdo and what to see
Since the easiest way to get to Bogdo is from the village of Nizhny Baskunchak or Lake Baskunchak, we will consider this option.
So, when moving from the side of the village to Mount Big Bogdo, you will have to make a small semicircle. Drive south out of the village and move along the rolled primer. The reference point for you on the left will be Lake Baskunchak itself, and on the front-right - the towering mountains of dumps from the gypsum quarry. At the very quarry (N48 12.000 E46 48.064), where Marble Lake is located, it will be possible to stop and admire the opening landscape. At the junction at the quarry, keep left and then go straight for about 8 kilometers. As a result, you will arrive at the entrance to the reserve (N48 08.018 E46 49.094), where watchmen and inspectors are on duty. The entrance fee is 170 rubles. per person (140 rubles per child), paid locally (transport paid separately). Contrary to information on some websites, no prior arrangements are needed. You can get further instructions on the spot, but we will still tell you a few points.
After the barrier, you should go straight, you can stop at the singing rocks (N48 07.850 E46 49.609). When you reach the end, leave the car in the parking lot (N48 08.363 E46 51.460) and walk to the top (N48 08.562 E46 51.333). This is the standard route #1, sometimes replaced by route #2 - walking along the red slope paths is a good way to get a closer look at the landscape.
