After departing Bashkortostan we started ascending some steep hills, and peddled uphill for as many as 16 kilometers at a time. Drained but happy, we made it to the town of Satka in Chelyabinsk Region, where a local tour company invited us to join them for a three-day rafting trip along the Ayskie Cliffs on the Zima River.
The rocky cliffs stand tall along the bank of the Zima River, like ancient pillars tied to each other by stone. A chain of caves and a few waterfalls add to the breathtaking scenery.
After three days of camping, we cycled further east and stopped at the city of Miass. Not far from the city is Lake Turgoyak, which is known as the pearl of the Ural Mountains. Turgoyak is the second cleanest lake in Russia after Baikal.
According to local legend, the lake was named after the amazingly beautiful daughter of one of the local Bashkir chieftains living in the area. The girl fell in love with a boy, but her father was against their union. But the love between the two was so strong that the young man snatched Turgoyak from her father. The two escaped to the beautiful lake and lived on its shores happily ever after.
Currently, Turgoyak is a popular tourist destination, and there are a bunch of resorts along the lake. People from all across Russia come to enjoy Turgoyak’s friendly waters and the stunning nature of its environs.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Sputnik.
