The area around Karabogazgol is vast territory bordering to the same named gulf on the northern – west of Turkmenistan. It envelops desert part of Turan lowland. To visit this place is a great success for the travellers. This area of wonderful landscapes is not researched thoroughly yet and hides many uncertainty and unknown things. Our group consisting mostly from the members of “Agama” alpinist club set off for the route form the foothill plane of Big Balhan toward the gulf to present various natural sights of Karabogazgol area to the wide range of lovers of ecological tourism.
We knew that we would have a hard trip. The suggested route passed by the territory with rather distinctive by its physiographic nature with extreme continental climate and big moisture deficiency. The influence of the Caspian Sea on landscapes of east coast was miserable; they are the same dry, severe and deserted. Natural oases timed to ground waters discharges are rare and insignificant. Most of the territory lies on 50 – 200 meters level. Just the bottoms of some hollows are located beneath given level and some parts of Krasnovodsk plateau are above it.
In the north, foothills of Big Balhan meet the sands of the Chilmamedkum desert and semi-confined basins between the sands. The mudflows reaching these basins create the lakes in there for a short period. Insignificant clusters of sands poorly secured with vegetation are met. Desert mark rests upon the whole region.
There is a spring in Tasharvat valley on the southern slope of the Big Balhan where all travellers make water supplies before a long journey. We cross the northern spur of Big Balhan, narrow and straight Oglanlin range and come out to the spaces of the planes of Krasnovodsk Peninsula the most part of which is occupied by the plateau of the same name. It is not actually a plane in the direct meaning. The picturesque kettles charming by the richness of colour palette, where white, pink, green and red colours alternate by rhythmic layers present the most interest. These kettles the depth of which reaches 50 - 70 meters are landscape and geological nature monuments arousing interest and admiration of the visitors.
Moving further to the north, we reach settlements Oglanly, Akguyi and Gosheoba and then go the east towards the famous in this area sacred place Kemalata. There is unique landscape and geological monument of nature, Kemal Gorge with the spring flowing on its bottom and massive clusters of sometimes interlocked siliceous and calcareous spherical nodules of one meter and more diameter on its banks. There are thousands of them in here. These miraculously preserved stone formations dated from Upper Cretaceous period. They appeared in the process of rock formation where the core could supposedly be of the faunal remains, separate shells, fragments with signs of oxidized iron, particles of fossilized trees. Lime and mud rock inside them destroyed for million years and stronger siliceous nodules remained on the surface. Nowadays, the Kemal Gorge became unique “deposit” of nodules.
The Kemal tract is landscape and geological monuments and real lost world know until today only by pilgrims – local residents who visit the sacred place. It can be easily included in the list of natural monuments for visiting by tourist group. There are water and good road approaches to the place.
Leaving the Akgyr upland on the right, we continue our way to one of the points of planned route – the only spring in close proximity of southern bank of the Karabogazgol Gulf. Here in one of the kettles we stop for a night stay. The canyon turns into wide valley at the exit of which the discharge of ground waters is observed. The water of the spring is salty and almost not suitable for drinking but can be used in utility purposes. Owing to this, the oasis sprang here.
At last, we rich the southern bank of Karabogazgol – final point of our trip. The trip to the southern coast of the Karabogazgol Gulf was difficult. Characteristic features of these places are the parts of the roads with ribbed in the shape of “washboard” surface testing the durability of the vehicle. Sand drifts invisible in the grass unevenness, holes and cavities are met on the roads. Even having special navigation equipment one can easily be lost in here. Thus, it is better not to go there without reliable car, guide and alone. But the impression of the seen during the trip level up all travel troubles. Huge spaces of the Krasnovodsk Peninsula – cavities, holes steep slopes, canyons, rocks, spring beds, kettles with mountains - buttes, sometimes with fancy tops of stronger rocks forming up cornices, “caps”, niches, ledges, precipices are left behind.
Finally, we are on the southern coast of the Karabogazgol Gulf! It met us unfriendly with grey haze, piercing and knocking down wind and severe lifeless landscape of the steep banks. The words of one of the researchers of the Gulf G. S. Karelin (1847) come to the mind that “there are no such absolutely useless coasts as Karabogazgol coasts” in the Caspian. Nevertheless, the view of storming waves, deafening roaring of the surf, picturesque steep banks charmed the travellers. You cannot see this very often!
The Karabogazgol Gulf is large salt bearing basin with the square of more than 18 thousand square kilometres. The salt wealth of the Gulf are colossal resource potential for chemical industry of the country. There are billions of tons of different salts including sodium, magnesium, calcium and other elements in the surface brine.
The area around Karabogazgol has great potential for the development of international ecological tourism as well as perspectives for discovering of new and practical application of the earlier found mineral deposits.
We knew that we would have a hard trip. The suggested route passed by the territory with rather distinctive by its physiographic nature with extreme continental climate and big moisture deficiency. The influence of the Caspian Sea on landscapes of east coast was miserable; they are the same dry, severe and deserted. Natural oases timed to ground waters discharges are rare and insignificant. Most of the territory lies on 50 – 200 meters level. Just the bottoms of some hollows are located beneath given level and some parts of Krasnovodsk plateau are above it.
In the north, foothills of Big Balhan meet the sands of the Chilmamedkum desert and semi-confined basins between the sands. The mudflows reaching these basins create the lakes in there for a short period. Insignificant clusters of sands poorly secured with vegetation are met. Desert mark rests upon the whole region.
There is a spring in Tasharvat valley on the southern slope of the Big Balhan where all travellers make water supplies before a long journey. We cross the northern spur of Big Balhan, narrow and straight Oglanlin range and come out to the spaces of the planes of Krasnovodsk Peninsula the most part of which is occupied by the plateau of the same name. It is not actually a plane in the direct meaning. The picturesque kettles charming by the richness of colour palette, where white, pink, green and red colours alternate by rhythmic layers present the most interest. These kettles the depth of which reaches 50 - 70 meters are landscape and geological nature monuments arousing interest and admiration of the visitors.
Moving further to the north, we reach settlements Oglanly, Akguyi and Gosheoba and then go the east towards the famous in this area sacred place Kemalata. There is unique landscape and geological monument of nature, Kemal Gorge with the spring flowing on its bottom and massive clusters of sometimes interlocked siliceous and calcareous spherical nodules of one meter and more diameter on its banks. There are thousands of them in here. These miraculously preserved stone formations dated from Upper Cretaceous period. They appeared in the process of rock formation where the core could supposedly be of the faunal remains, separate shells, fragments with signs of oxidized iron, particles of fossilized trees. Lime and mud rock inside them destroyed for million years and stronger siliceous nodules remained on the surface. Nowadays, the Kemal Gorge became unique “deposit” of nodules.
The Kemal tract is landscape and geological monuments and real lost world know until today only by pilgrims – local residents who visit the sacred place. It can be easily included in the list of natural monuments for visiting by tourist group. There are water and good road approaches to the place.
Leaving the Akgyr upland on the right, we continue our way to one of the points of planned route – the only spring in close proximity of southern bank of the Karabogazgol Gulf. Here in one of the kettles we stop for a night stay. The canyon turns into wide valley at the exit of which the discharge of ground waters is observed. The water of the spring is salty and almost not suitable for drinking but can be used in utility purposes. Owing to this, the oasis sprang here.
At last, we rich the southern bank of Karabogazgol – final point of our trip. The trip to the southern coast of the Karabogazgol Gulf was difficult. Characteristic features of these places are the parts of the roads with ribbed in the shape of “washboard” surface testing the durability of the vehicle. Sand drifts invisible in the grass unevenness, holes and cavities are met on the roads. Even having special navigation equipment one can easily be lost in here. Thus, it is better not to go there without reliable car, guide and alone. But the impression of the seen during the trip level up all travel troubles. Huge spaces of the Krasnovodsk Peninsula – cavities, holes steep slopes, canyons, rocks, spring beds, kettles with mountains - buttes, sometimes with fancy tops of stronger rocks forming up cornices, “caps”, niches, ledges, precipices are left behind.
Finally, we are on the southern coast of the Karabogazgol Gulf! It met us unfriendly with grey haze, piercing and knocking down wind and severe lifeless landscape of the steep banks. The words of one of the researchers of the Gulf G. S. Karelin (1847) come to the mind that “there are no such absolutely useless coasts as Karabogazgol coasts” in the Caspian. Nevertheless, the view of storming waves, deafening roaring of the surf, picturesque steep banks charmed the travellers. You cannot see this very often!
The Karabogazgol Gulf is large salt bearing basin with the square of more than 18 thousand square kilometres. The salt wealth of the Gulf are colossal resource potential for chemical industry of the country. There are billions of tons of different salts including sodium, magnesium, calcium and other elements in the surface brine.
The area around Karabogazgol has great potential for the development of international ecological tourism as well as perspectives for discovering of new and practical application of the earlier found mineral deposits.
