Detailed description of climbing routes to Paragilmen (Crimea). District overview
Last summer, the group "Krymoved" was going to get to the top of Paragilmen, and not from below, as usual, but to descend from Babugan. But a strong thunderstorm at the yayla prevented these plans. Due to trips across Russia (with overcoming the Kerch crossing by car three times!), They were able to climb this beautiful rock only in mid-December. Despite the calendar winter, it was possible to sunbathe on it, as in a huge solarium - the most wonderful weather that day was South Bank Crimea. Well, the view from Paragilmen was wonderful - from Gurzuf to Sudak. 
This is what the Paragilmen looks like now. Four days ago, on Christmas Day, we were going to climb Paragilmen again, but an unexpected frost confused all our plans. 
One more memory (photo of last summer), and let's get started.
The tower of the power transmission line points to the place where in 2008 I, my daughter and Alexei stormed Paragilmen in the forehead. Until now, goosebumps run from such recklessness. We thought that some were so crazy, but at the top we met a lady with a dog, who twice made such an ascent. And with children and a dog! But we urge you, if you are not professional climbers, and Paragilmen in Soviet times was one of the basic rocks for this sport, and even now it probably remains, in no case risk your life and the lives of loved ones!
Only a detour to its top! 
But memories are not easy to drive away on the way to Parahilmen. In my youth, I came here almost every weekend on the Java and waited at this very place for Volodya Maslov. He came from Yalta in "Izhak", and we drove at the foot of Paragilmen on motorcycles.
So, Paragilmen. Or Devil's Rock. This is not a literal translation. This was the name of this gray rock in Alushta. Now I don’t hear such a name, but it doesn’t mean anything. After all, I communicate with ordinary people, and not with climbers. By the way, some believe that "Paragilmen" comes from the concept "Go beyond something", others - "Follow the money." The second would be more suitable for us, but I am critical of all these translations. 
The height of the cliff is 871 m. And not in its pure form, but from the sea level. It seems a little.
But Paragilmen has almost vertical walls. Thanks to this, its slopes are very beautiful and at the same time deadly.
We pass by the Martian landscape. In September 2005, we drove here with Andrey Pripisnov during a road trip along the route "Nizhny Novgorod - Crimea" (magazine "Avtobeg").
And here is our beautiful Demerdzhi.
Climbing a little higher, we see not only Paragilmen, but in company with Kush-Kaya, from where terrible lightning drove us last summer.
As soon as we climbed up, a view of the Eastern coast of Crimea opened up inaccessible to Alushta residents.
From here, Megan (the far right cape) is visible not as a separate island, but in Alushta it is not every day and you will see it like that, but with a lintel extending to the left. There is Sudak.
Directly to those places sixty kilometers!
Handsome! Do not forget that there is a reserve here - take good care of nature. 
In small photos, what Paragilmen is is not very clear. We need a scale. Now, hopefully, more clearly.
Our goal is to get to the geodetic mark. Do you see the pyramid at the top? But let's go around.
We will climb on a gentle south edge(on the left, if you look at the Paragilmen from below).
Previously, we also climbed on the right side, bypassing vertical rocks. There the climb is steeper, but shorter. But there is now a dog on a chain at the end of the asphalt road.
The forest is not at all winter and not even autumnal, although fallen leaves rustle underfoot, but somehow outside of time.
Rise from south side on Paragilmen was very light. And what did we do rock climbing before? Are we getting wiser with age?
Loosely, we did not notice how we came out to a bare area at the top. The geodetic mark is just a stone's throw away.
The phone rang, and the caller envied such winter weather and the place where we are.
The Crimean SIM card MTS did not disappoint here either (we already checked it in the summer on Kush-Kai, on that majestic mountain in the background when they first went on sale). 
And here is the sign itself, which is clearly visible from the Alushta-Yalta highway. Something we slept for a long time today - we, "owls", were already outstripped by the "larks".
At the top, we met a black wolf and its owner. It was she who, as it turned out, had stormed the Paragilmen head-on twice already.
So, black, smile!
Now, now, we'll get the sausage out of our backpacks and treat you to it. Do not worry!
Let's have a bite to eat and start exploring the area. True, the snack dragged on and smoothly turned into the beach sunbathing process. The sun is burning with might and main today, despite the calendar winter.
Sunbathed and that's enough. First, let's look at the spiral of stones. This is a "place of power". Unfortunately, we do not have more information, because not local shamans. More precisely - though local, but not shamans.
***
© Alexander Elchishchev
Photo by the author
(Crimea, December 14, 2014)
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Continuation of the route.
Now let's see what the
44 ° 37′24 ″ N 34 ° 20′18 ″ E
In the area of Big Alushta, north of resort village Small Mayak is a mountain covered with deciduous trees, with the mysterious name Paragilmen (in some sources - Paragelmen). The hill owes its name to the Greek settlements that lived in these parts in ancient times. In the language of the Greeks, "paraginome" means "to go beyond the boundaries of something."
Paragilmen belong to one of the highest branches of the limestone structure of the main ridge. Crimean mountains, which is the Angarsk pass. Its height reaches 871 meters above sea level. If you look at the elevation from the sea side, you will notice that its shape resembles a trapezoid with steep slopes and a flattened top. The length of Paragilmen is about 500 meters.
There is a legend that a valuable treasure is hidden at the top. A wealthy man left a legacy there for the most persistent and courageous of his sons. They dug up a mountain, but they could not find gold there. Because of this legend, the mountain is also called "money rock".
The uniqueness of this mountain attraction is that almost thirty varieties of tree and shrub species grow on its slopes. Among them there are also relict specimens (maple, hazel, juniper) included in the Red Book. Therefore, the mountain has been a natural monument from 1964 to the present day.
During the construction of the military flotilla under the rule of Catherine II, huge areas of yew and oak plantations were cut down in this area. Today's forests of Crimea consist mainly of younger trees, but at the top of Paragilmen two old giant yews have survived, whose huge branches diverge to the sides at a distance of up to eight meters from the trunk. The trunk diameter of one tree reaches approximately 70 centimeters.
The mountain is notable for the fact that one of the most popular tourist routes to the highest mountain peak Crimean Mountains - Roman-Kosh.
In the vicinity of the mountain there is a beautiful blue Lake where both locals and tourists often come. By the way, it was on Paragilmen that the views for the film "Hearts of Three" were filmed. And this is not the only time filmmakers have chosen steep slopes rich in vegetation for their films.
Trekking routes to Paragilmen
Climbing the mountain will delight lovers of mountain walks and Crimean nature. Professional climbers can climb the route of any category of difficulty. It is interesting that it was in Paragilmen that the first mountaineering competitions in the Soviet Union were held. In any case, all those who climb need to remember that the road along Paragilmen is rocky.
Several ascent routes have been laid to the top from the side of two villages - Maly Mayak and Vinogradnoye.
Ascent from the village of Maly Mayak
First way the ascent starts from the trail near the village. There is a bridge by the road, from it go along the asphalt road: past the bridge and the avenue of cypress trees. It is not recommended to take a path to the left, which will shorten the path, but you can skip the required turn on it. Having reached the stone curb along the asphalt road, you need to go to the path from which the panorama of the mountain opens. Go upwards, from the lavender meadow, cross the field along the path. A fairly wide road will open after the gas pipeline has been laid, and then there will be a fork. Here you need to focus on the water supply and follow the path along it (an inconspicuous, but trodden path on the left). On the right, there will be a parking lot for tourists "Paragilmen". Upstairs there is a spring where you can replenish the supply of drinking water. It is located very close to the asphalt road connecting the camp site with an abandoned factory. On the way, you need to turn right and continue to the sign on the asphalt "to the mountains". Here to the left there is a small white-green column - this will be the entrance to the Paragilmen reserve. From here, the journey to the top of the mountain will take about an hour.
The main thing when going up is always to orient yourself to the left and choose the left paths at the forks, otherwise you can go out on a completely different mountain. At the top you will see a view of the east coast and Cape Meganom near Sudak. From the west and north, the summit is surrounded mountain ranges, giving the area a special picturesque.
You can bypass the mountain on the other side when descending and head towards Babugan Mountain. To do this, you need to walk to the right along the cliff to a place from which a view of Ayu-Dag opens. But the best way is to go down the path along which you climbed. As the routes with the ascent from Paragilmen to other peaks will be more difficult.
Second way from the stop at Maly Mayak on the highway: also go to the bridge, and from it along the road - to the abandoned reinforced concrete plant. From the factory go along the slope to the stone with the inscription "Paragilmen" and the post at the entrance to the reserve.
The main landmarks during the hike to Paragilmen from the side of the village of Maly Mayak: an abandoned reinforced concrete plant, an Alushta water pipe, a white-green pillar at the entrance to the territory of the reserve. It should also be remembered that you should always take the left path at the forks.
The third option- horseback riding instead of hiking. Near the mountain there is a horse base of the same name. A preliminary agreement on the organization of horse riding is required. The way to the top will take 2.5 hours.
Ascent from the village of Vinogradnoe
From this village, the trail will lead to the Turquoise Lake on Paragilmen: you need to go through the village and turn right. Then move along the asphalt road along the thickets of blackberries, at the fork, turn left and up. The trail will go through the forest: first deciduous, and then - beech. After 5 km you will see a fallen post and three paths from it, you need to choose the left one - towards the reserve. A more difficult road through the forest with a climb will begin here. In about 30 minutes, the road will become more gentle and go through a pine forest. Soon the trail will lead to the Turquoise Lake at an altitude of 610 meters with a beautiful panoramic view. The descent leads into the forest, through the vineyards, to the village of Zaprudnoye.
How to get to Mount Paragilmen in Crimea
The mountain is located a couple of kilometers from the village of Maly Mayak in Alushta. Get there to Small Mayak by public transport:
- Buses following the Alushta-Partenit route: No. 25, 109, 127: get off at the Maly Mayak stop.
- Trolleybus No. 52, 53, stop "Maly Mayak". From the stop to the top - about 3.5 km.
Schematic map walking route from the stop "Maly Mayak" to the mountain:
You can reach the village by car: follow the Yalta - Alushta highway (Yuzhnoberezhnoe highway, road E105).
Another travel option is to use a taxi. Local services work in Alushta: "Solnyshko", "Volna". Popular services operate in Yalta: Yandex. Taxi, Taxi is lucky, Maxim.
A longer and more difficult route goes from the village of Vinogradnoe... It can be reached by car on the E105 highway, the taxi indicated above, or by public transport:
- Trolleybus number 32, 52, 53, stop "Grape".
- Bus number 25, 103, 109, 111, 127, stop "Grape".
Panorama from the top of the mountain:
Video about Paragilmen:
A little north of the village Maly Mayak is the highest limestone outcropping of the Paragilmen Main Ridge of the Crimean Mountains. Its walls are so inaccessible that the ascent at first seems impossible. But routes have been laid here too.
The mountain lures travelers from afar with its slopes, curly from the abundance of vegetation, promising to present the daredevils with a delicious treat from a mixture of fresh cool air and the aromas of numerous trees and bushes.
"Paraginoma" is a Greek word that translates as "transcended something." And the object we are considering, indeed, left its ancestral nest - the Main Ridge, breaking away from it in antiquity, at the time of the formation of the relief.
Peculiarities
The parahilmen resembles a trapezoid in shape. This giant stretched for half a kilometer from north to south and rushed up to almost 900 meters, presenting itself as a flat platform before the heavenly kingdom. It is part of Babugan-Yayla and passes a route through itself to highest point Crimea - Roman-Kosh.
Wonderful vegetable world mountains: almost thirty species of trees inhabit its sides and top. About 10 are listed in the Red Book. Junipers predominate, some endemics are found. The special pride of this place is the two yews on top. They may well be considered one of the oldest trees on the entire peninsula, as evidenced by their size. The larger one is about 70 centimeters in diameter and about 8 meters in branch span.
The steep slopes are very attractive for climbers and rock climbers. Athletes from Alushta and many other cities, and even countries, come here for rallies and competitions. Trails of varying difficulty are assembled by pros and beginners.
An old tale translates the name of the mountain as "Follow the money." Unusually, this has its own rationale.
Once upon a time a certain Sufrakis lived in Lambada. The villagers called him Crooked because he had one leg longer than the other, and his gait gave out such zigzags that it was impossible to understand where he ultimately wanted to come.
And once there was a disaster in the area: the residents learned that soon pirates would attack them. Then they gathered their goods and hastened to take refuge on the mountain. Crooked Sufrakis personally took the egg capsule to a secluded spot at the top and buried it. The robbers burned down the entire settlement, but they did not find the hidden one and promised to return.
And so, after more than one decade, when peace was established in Lambada, the old man Sufrakis exclaimed: "Paragilmen (go for money)!" yew so many steps to the west, and then the same number of steps to the north. But the unfortunate man forgot that he was walking in a completely different direction in which he wanted. The poor fellows dug the whole mountain, but they did not find the cherished wealth.
How to get there
To get to the treasures, most often they choose the path from the Alushta-Yalta highway. You need to get off in front of the bridge and go up the asphalt road, turn right and walk along the pipeline to another highway. Nearby there is a pointer that will lead to the top.
Height - 871 m.
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Travail9, 17 Feb 2017
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CRIMEAN ROUTES. PARAGELMEN
General characteristics:Driving once again to Foros, I promised myself to return to Parahelmen, where I went in 1991 the first Crimean route. And now I'm starting a series of articles with him.
The development of the massif began in the 60s, as evidenced by wooden wedges (!) And hooks from steel corners 50x50. In the 80s and at the very beginning of the 90s, this place was popular among novice climbers: many of my friends got the first two, three right here. Now the popularity of this mountain (as well as Sokol) among climbers has dropped somewhat. The reason for this is in some "greenhouse" twos-fours of F. Kant, Mshatka, Chelebi, where the stations are almost always in the trees, and the hooks are bad taste.
But it is worth visiting Parahelmen - firstly: the uniqueness of the nature of this corner of the Crimea, due to the proximity to Roman-Kosh; secondly: there are fewer human footprints (that is, commonplace rubbish) than on Foros, thirdly: the non-hard structure of the rocks, great steepness, short length of routes will significantly diversify your techniques.
How to get there, where to live?
You can get to Paragelmen from Simferopol by trolleybus or bus to Yalta, the Maly Mayak stop is the first after Alushta. Further from the highway, go up to the right for about an hour in the direction of the wall. At the beginning, go through several houses, cross the road and, finding a green water pipe, move along it through the forest with small lavender fields... You can stop at the parking lot above or below the upper road. From it to the beginning of the routes 15 - 20 minutes. Water can be taken below the upper road from a cut on a pipe. For lovers of comfort: you can also live in the village below the Simferopol-Yalta highway, then the approaches will slightly increase, but are compensated by the presence of shops, summer eateries, etc.
In addition to climbers, this area is famous among paragliders, and earlier, in the late 80s, it hosted competitions of allied level climbers.
Technical specifications:
Only the rightmost part of it is relatively monolithic. It is here, along a pronounced buttress, that the route of the first category of difficulty passes.The central wall is bordered on both sides by two huge inner corners-couloirs. At least 4 routes have been laid on it, from the second to the fourth category of difficulty. All of them are distinguished from the Foros routes by their short length and a large number of technical difficulties. On "troikas" you can find areas with climbing IV + / V- or requiring AID, which is typical for Foros routes 4A, 4B class. Route 4 class on Paragelmen (Yu. Lishaev's first ascent) corresponds to the Foros "fives" in terms of a set of difficulties, but is inferior to them in length.
The right massif is very diverse: there are vertical walls and walls entwined with ivy, local monolithic overhangs, and shelves strewn with stones. Therefore, there are no full-fledged routes there (if I'm wrong, correct me). It is this part of the array that is an ideal testing ground for those who want to try themselves as a pioneer, but before doing this - evaluate your strengths again.
Descent from the summit - to the east along the trail takes 20 - 25 minutes to the upper road.
List of routes to the top of Parahelmen:
Route 1
1B, II
In my opinion, this is the easiest route in Crimea, category 1B, very pleasant and friendly. Ideal for the first solo sport climbing in small mountains. The route goes along the right edge and the buttress of the left Paragelmen massif, to the left of the huge rift - the couloir.
From the upper road, go in the direction of the buttress, first along the path, then along the uncategorized rocks (10-15 minutes). Further, in bundles, up 200-250 meters along simple and medium-hard rocks, belay through ledges, trees, hooks. The last 50 m is slightly more difficult than the previous sections (II). It is necessary, taking to the right, along the slabs and cracks to approach a tree with a sign, then along simple rocks 10-15 meters to the yayla.
There are many trees and old pitons on the route, which is not only a traffic guide, but also simplifies the organization of belay points.
Time of passage: 2-3 hours.
Equipment: a set of bookmarks, 5 guy wires, tree loops for organizing stations.
Route 2
2A, III, A1
The route begins to the right of the couloir-fault from the tree with a cable loop (reference point) and goes along the left buttress of the central massif (SW kf).
From the tree on the right side of the ridge, climb 30 m along rocks of medium difficulty (III) to the wall with a difficult gap (key of the route). The slot is passed using AID (long wedges, 3m, A1), then along the wall 5 m to the rope loop - R1.
Then go under the cornice, go through it on the right and enter the inner corner (II). The station is higher on a shelf with a cable loop. From R2 along the buttress 100-150 meters up the simple rocks (II-), keeping to the left side, until the summit. From it, through the failure (insurance, !!!) 50-70m to the yayla.
Time of passage: 2-4 hours
Equipment: bookmarks, 5-8 guys, some groups hit the hooks.
Route 3
3B, V, A1
One of the strongest “triplets” of Crimea. The set of sensations is equivalent to “Kamin elebi”. The route is broken often, but this does not add safety: the hooks are old (20-30 years old), not always in reliable cracks, there are even wooden wedges.
So, the route goes to the left of the center of the wall with an exit to the sub-peak tower along the SW buttress. The beginning is the left of 2-3 slots in the center of the wall. Section R1 leads to a ledge with a bolt. From R1 - along the split (IV-), bypassing the overhang on the left, approach the difficult wall. Along the wall vertically up (10 m, 85 °, V-) to a narrow ledge with two “markings” - R2. Then go 5 m under the overhang, go along the crack (5 m, 95 °, V + A1) and along the spall (80 °, IV +) go out after 15 m to a narrow uncomfortable shelf under a vertical fireplace. For the organization of reliable belay, hooks (!!!) may be required.
Along a difficult narrow fireplace 15-20 m upward (the first one to move without a backpack), then go out onto it left (!!!) the wall and along the rocks of medium difficulty 15-20 m up. Areas R2, R3 contain many old pitons, some of them in very poor condition.
Our walkthrough: September 30, 1995; 3 hours.
Equipment: friends (recommended), a set of tabs, guy wires (6-10 pcs.), a sling for blocking hooks, hooks + hammer - recommended. A set of bookmarks and a friend was enough for us, 6 braces, but this is not an indicator - we really wanted petal hooks for organizing R3.
Known variants:
upward from R1 along the spall, bypassing the overhang to the right. Probably a station in the inner corner. Further, moving along very difficult (visually, at least V-V +), vertical rocks up and to the left, it is possible to approach the fireplace - R3.
We did not go through this option, but there are memories of the existence of this from Maxim Robuk (Kharkov-Krivoy Rog), dating back to 92-93 and a ladder removed from there.
Its condition and the possibility of organizing insurance are now unknown to us.
P.S. From the middle of the route one can clearly see bolts marked in red, belonging to the Fantik group. Those who want to get acquainted with this route and warm up well - the three is for you.