Sotera Valley and Stone Mushrooms
Sotera Valley Natural Monument, Sotera Valley Reserve Tract and Stone Mushrooms
Crimea, Alushta
Monument of nature (1960), reserved tract (1980) on the eastern South Coast. Here, in the process of weathering and water erosion, amazing stone mushrooms were formed. There is a whole family of them here: both "adults", up to 5 meters high, and "young", rising above the slope by only 1-2 meters. There are many interesting natural, historical and archaeological sights in the river valley, so it has been declared a complex natural monument of local importance.
The valley of the Sotera River is also a paleontological monument - in the last century, mammoth bones were found here. The valley of the river Sotera is located about 9 kilometers northeast of Alushta. It is noteworthy that the river in different parts of its course has three different names, which is due to the specifics of the area and the nature of the river itself. The upper course is called Dzhurla, the middle - Alaka (as well as the gorge of the same name), the lower (most famous) - Sotera.
In the valley of Sotera there are amazing natural formations "stone mushrooms". The caps of the "mushrooms" are formed by dense slabs of the conglomerate, and the "legs" are formed by looser deposits, which were destroyed faster than the "caps", mainly by water flowing from the slopes. As a result of this uneven destruction, giant figures were formed, very reminiscent of mushrooms. the height of these "mushrooms" reaches 7 m, the diameter of the "cap" is 2 m, and its thickness is 0.5 m. The thickness of the "leg" is 1-1.5 m in diameter. There are "mushrooms" and smaller 1-2 m tall. 2 mushrooms stand for "tens, sometimes hundreds of years, but over time, some of them finally collapse and disappear. At the same time, a new generation of these amazing creations of nature appears. The most amazing thing is that mushrooms continue to grow! The explanation lies in the characteristics of the soil in the area, consisting of clay and crushed stone. In a dry state, it is strong, but under the influence of moisture it floats, collapses and is carried away by storm flows. Under such conditions, the level of the beam is extremely slowly, but constantly decreasing. But the lying slabs and blocks of conglomerates serve as a natural protection for the soil, thereby forming a "leg" of a mushroom under itself. True, these creations of nature are short-lived. In the 80s of the last century, one of the most slender and beautiful mushrooms suffered a "wreck" - its "hat" is located right next to two still living specimens. Phenomenal unique specimens are taken under protection : the Sotera valley has been declared a state natural monument since 1960, and since 1980 it has acquired the status of a reserved tract.
