A Week in the Ural Mountains: Conquering Mount Iremel

I'm still grinning from ear to ear as I recall our epic adventure to Mount Iremel, the second-highest peak in the Southern Ural Mountains. The mountain is a two-peaked massif consisting of two major peaks: Big Iremel with a plateau-like peak called Kaban, standing at 1,582.3 meters, and Little Iremel, at 1,449.4 meters.

The bigger challenge promised breathtaking views and a real test of our endurance.

We headed to Big Iremel, which is the more challenging of the two peaks.Our adventure kicked off at the foot of the mountain, in the village of Tyulk, where we found a shack that'd take us 7 kilometers up the mountain (about 45 minutes). You can leave your car here, take some photos, grab a snack, try some honey and mead, and even buy a souvenir magnet. We did all that after our hike.

And right opposite the huts, you'll get stunning views – a river flows by.

Finding a loaf of bread on the weekends wasn't a problem - they're right at the foot of the mountain. But on weekdays, we had to call the numbers on the houses along the way. We were lucky to meet a family who joined us on our journey. The ride was a blast - we were splashing through puddles and ruts, taking sharp turns, and bouncing in our seats. The cost was 350 rubles per person, one way. The bread carts don't go all the way to the checkpoint - you have to hike the last 20 minutes. Road to the checkpoint After we reached the checkpoint, we chose our route and paid for it. Our ticket cost 200 rubles per person - I think that's the lower route, which is considered more challenging.

At the checkpoint, you can use the restroom, play with the guard dog, and head out on the trail. As you've probably gathered, we took the more challenging rocky path to the top of Big Iremel Mountain - 7 kilometers uphill. First, you walk through the woods, cross streams, and go over a bridge, and then the scenery gets really beautiful. Along the way, you'll see signs indicating how much farther you have to go - you'll be counting down the kilometers, but we missed a couple. On average, the hike up took us 2 hours, since we were moving at a pretty good pace. We started at 12:33 and arrived at 14:35 (I tracked the time using photos). We saw families with kids, too - they were moving a bit slower, but they made it to the top.

The road is seriously picturesque. This is just the beginning of the journey: lush forests, towering trees, and babbling brooks!

As you make your way closer to the middle, the trail starts to get a bit more defined – it's surrounded by lush greenery.

Midway through the hike, you'll come across a beautiful rocky trail: if you're not sure which path to take, just stick to the one with the rocks. And then, the stunning views of the mountains start to appear from all sides!

After hiking for 7 kilometers, we were starving - we sat down on a big rock and had a snack - the view was incredible. Make sure to bring a thermos with hot tea and sandwiches - it's a really atmospheric way to do it. We bundled up and headed to conquer the summit - we had to climb up rocks (luckily, there were red markers to show us the way). Make sure to bring warm clothes and comfortable shoes, as it gets pretty windy and you'll be climbing up rocks. We spent about 1.5 hours walking, eating, and exploring. Initially, we thought about taking a different route back, but after asking some people who came from a more straightforward path, we realized that the other route would be too muddy and soggy after the rain, so we headed back the same way. We set off at 4:00 PM. ° • ~ Spusk ~ • °

We spent two hours trekking down to the toll booth, taking breaks along the way – my legs were screaming at me, but we were determined to make it to the buffet by 7 PM, as we'd agreed.

° • ~ The Quest to Leave on a Bum Steer ~ • ° We got held up at the checkpoint and headed down to the busses, only to be greeted with another adventure - getting out of there... Even though we agreed on a pickup time, a bunch of people showed up early and took our seats saying 'We paid in advance!' First of all, we didn't know that drivers needed prepayment, and nobody warned us about it. Secondly, we didn't even see these people, they were on a different bus, and they were waiting for an hour... Total chaos. The bus drivers were super uncooperative, so make sure to pay in advance. So, we were told to either squeeze into the back of the bus, practically on top of each other, or wait for the next bus (which might not even show up). And this was all while there was an empty bus sitting there the whole time, refusing to take us because it was waiting for people who also paid (although they could have taken us and come back). We ended up waiting on the bus stop for about 40 minutes, which was nice since there were benches and a table. In the end, we didn't want to walk the remaining 7 km down in our exhausted state, so we had to squeeze in. The ride was terrible, we were all thinking 'Just get us there already', and it was even bumpier in the back. They didn't even give us a discount for the 'pleasure' - they just refused. All in all, a memorable adventure with these drivers.

° • ~ Verdict ~ • °

I have to say, despite the transportation issues, the hike was a total success - the weather was perfect, hardly anyone around on a weekday, and the fresh air and mountains were just what I needed!