Pictures of Babugan Plateau, Crimea
Babugan-Yayla, or "Babugan Plateau," is the highest of the Crimean mountain plateaus and includes the highest peak, Roman-Kosh, at 1545 m above sea level. Babugan and the lower, forested mountains to the north and northwest are part of the Crimean Nature Reserve, which is formally off-limits to the public. Only one day a year on a special religious holiday are organized tours allowed to visit the remote Kosma-Demyan Monastery, an inhabited monastery deep in the forest northwest of Alushta that is actively being restored by the Orthodox Church.
Informally, however, the plateau is well-visited by groups of backpackers who climb Roman-Kosh. The mountain is reachable by a strenuous hike along poorly-marked trails from Gurzuf and Alushta, or from the Yalta Mountains, which join Babugan Plateau at 1200 m above sea level.
Romanov Highway, a decent asphalt road that passes through the reserve and affords incredible views, used to be open decades ago, but now is patrolled by forest rangers. Wildlife abounds and there are almost no signs of civilization in the reserve, except for an occasional deer trough or wooden bench.
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 = the best and highest quality photos (in our opinion).
Looking towards Babugan Yayla ("plateau") from the Yalta Mts. to the west |
Roman-Kosh, at 1545 m the highest peak in Crimea, is at the upper left. |
This narrow road through the mountains is called "Romanovskoe Shosse," or "Romanov Highway. |
Unfortunately, this long, winding road with the best mountain views in Crimea is closed to the public! |
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The road begins in Yalta and climbs up to over 1300 m before slowly descending to Alushta behind Babugan Plateau. |
Green mountains descend to the plain to the north. |
Looking back at the Yalta Mountains to the southwest |
We're risking possible fines by riding our bikes through here, but we consider the off-limits policy unfair. Thousands of hikers climb Roman-Kosh Mt. and camp out on Babugan Plateau each year anyway and are largely ignored. As they say in Ukraine, "the severity of our laws is compensated for by their lack of enforcement." |
These mountains are full of wildlife — deer, warthogs, hares, and endangered birds. Some crossed our path. |
Thanks to its special status, this area is pristine and trash-free — a real wilderness. |
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All photos are the original work of Rick DeLong. To learn about purchasing originals, go here.
Please contact me at  before using my pictures for any purpose. |
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