A mountain rises above the Subpolar Urals, resembling a bear's paw with claws turned to the sky, or just a dissected comb. Whatever it is, this natural attraction with its impressive size is very romantic and attractive.
This is the majestic Manaraga - the most beautiful peak of the Subpolar Urals.
Origin of the name
Manaraga from the Komyatsky language is translated as “seven-headed” (from “Sizimyur”: the word “sizim” is seven, and the word “yur” is a head), and also “many-headed” (“una” - a lot). In addition, the name of the peak is formed from two Nenets words: “mana” and “rakha”, which are translated as “forelimb of a bear” and “similar”, respectively. Although in fact the crest of the mountain is just unusually dissected.
The peculiar shape of the mountain, a rather harsh climate and a great distance from settlements give this area a mythical and mysterious appearance.
Manaraga is one of the most picturesque and highest peaks of the Urals.
Description of the mountain, territory
It is located in a remote andremote area of the Komi Republic. The size and appearance of this natural attraction is actually impressive. Not without reason, before the discovery of a new mountain called Narodnaya, it was considered the highest peak of the Ural Mountains.
Mount Manaraga (its height is 1663 meters) in shape is a strongly dissected ridge with 7 large "gendarmes" (pikes, teeth, teeth). From a close distance, the peak looks like a fortress wall with towers arranged in an amphitheatre.
The mountain belongs to Yugyd-Va (a national park in the Komi Republic). Mountains rise next to it: the Bell Tower, no less tall, and the highest peak of the Urals, Narodnaya.
And yet the most unique and original of them is Manaraga (mountain).
How to get to the mountain?
Due to the summit's location within a national park site, travelers must register with the park's administration.
First you need to take the train to Pechora or Inta station, and then move to the mountain on an all-terrain vehicle that you can rent. You can also get some assistance when dropping off with your own SUV.
There is also an option for hiking, but this requires good physical preparation of the whole group. People with physical disabilities can take advantage of the helicopter drop-off option.
Travelers should remember that the path to Mount Manaraga passes by the Pechoro-Ilychsky nature reserve, where the entrance to outsiders is closed.
Mountain Climbing Equipment
It would seem that Manaraga is not a very extreme mountain: the simplest category of difficulty (1B-2B) is relatively low. But there is one stunning fact: sometimes even some professionals are not able to climb it. The mountain is simply unpredictable and sometimes "does not let you in".
The easiest way is to climb on the right "finger" of the bear's paw, but to climb to the highest point (the second "claw" on the right) you need to have special skills and have climbing equipment.
In any case, given the harsh local climate conditions, good physical fitness and dexterity will come in handy even for a simple tourist walk and sightseeing.
Even the hottest summer in these places has changeable weather. But the months from July to August are a convenient and favorable period for hiking in the mountains.
Hiking to the foot of the mountain can last one day, and climbing to the peaks takes several days, depending on luck in terms of accompanying weather.
From history
Until 1927, until it was established (researcher A. N. Aleshkov) that Narodnaya Peak is the highest in the Ural Mountains, Manaraga was considered the main mountain here, which was 200 meters lower than the newly discovered one. Despite this, her isolation makes her mystical, mysterious and majestic.
Mount Manaraga is perceived in these places as the queen of the Subpolar Urals.
About legends
This amazing place is connectedmany curious legends and tales about the unusual, some kind of supernatural origin of the mountain. The location of Manaragi was most often associated with the mysterious northern country called Hyperborea. Even Aristotle and Herodotus wrote about the Ripean (Ural) mountains.
Songs of the Mahabharata (an ancient Indian epic) also narrated about this distant northern country with lands covered with snow for half a year, about peaks with noisy forests and marvelous birds and wonderful animals living in them.
Manaraga is a mountain that has another legend, according to which the peak is the burial place of the giant Svyatogor, an epic hero and defender of the Russian land, who did not find use for his unprecedented strength. The earth could not withstand him because of the weight of his body, in connection with which he wandered through strange mountains and boasted that he could easily knock down a pillar that supports the sky and in this way mix everything earthly with heavenly. And when the giant nevertheless tried to raise the bag with the “earthly pull”, he immediately went into the ground up to his knees and the veins in his body burst from the effort. So Svyatogor found his death in these places, and the little bag still stands still.
The attitude of local residents to the mountain
Manaraga is a mountain, to which the Mansi and Zyryans, wandering through the vast territories of Yugyd-Va, were always treated with respect, as a shrine, considering it also alive. The mountain was only accessible to clan keepers and shamans.
In the 11th century AD, ancient civilizations created peculiar ritual rites. All of them had one goal - to find a common language with the mountainManaraga. The sanctuaries with sacrificial stones found by archaeologists in the forests and on the ridges of the Yugyd-Va park sites date back to those times.
All these rituals were aimed at at least a little predicting the mood of the mysterious mountain, at least a little control over the processes taking place in these places.
Similar pagan rituals still appear today. Many tourists believe that in this way they can somehow appease Manaraga, which means they can safely conquer the summit.
Conclusion
Although Mount Manaraga is not so high for climbers, every year many climbers flock to these parts to conquer the "Queen" of the Subpolar Urals. And not every climber decides to take such a brave step.
As if the claws of the "bear paw" of visiting guests warn that they should not take risks. Since ancient times, it has been known that even experienced hunters did not dare and still do not risk climbing dangerous mountain ranges.
It would be more appropriate to say that Manaraga does not submit - it is ascended. And sometimes they don't rise.
But even if Manaraga "does not let" him in, in any case, people leave here enriched with unforgettable impressions. There is something in everything around that attracts, bewitches and affirms the strength and power of nature.
