The tradition to set wayside crosses in memorable places, at heights or crossroads comes from the ancient times. This kind of charms was intended for pray and worship of travellers. The Wayside Cross on Kurgan Mountain (1555m high) in Mountain Shoria is the most famous in Siberia.
In clear weather the Cross can be seen from almost all sides of Sheregesh resort and even from planes. The Cross was installed in 2001 and is dedicated to 2000 years from the birth of Jesus Christ. The Cross looks magnificent after a snow storm or heavy snowfall.
There is a snowmobile route to the Cross from the top of Green Mountain that takes 15-20 minutes. It is the most popular snowmobile trip in Sheregesh in winter. The route starts at the top of Green Mountain, then goes down to a picturesque Mundybash river basin, passes by the fantastical granite Camels buttes and goes up to the top of Kurgan Mountain.
There is a popular summer tour “To the top of Mountain Shoria” from Green Mountain to Kurgan. The view of the main peak of Mustag from the Wayside Cross is breathtaking. The Abakan range, the Biysk Mane range and Kuznetsk Alatau can be also seen from here.
The slopes of Kurgan Mountain, at the top of which the Wayside Cross is situated, attract freeride fans. The Cross is the starting point for many freeriders. Small snow fields can be found here until late August or even September.
GPS coordinates:
N 52° 58.524′
E 87° 54.401′
Check out the full list of the most interesting tours in Russian cities.
