The Bzerpinsky Cornice is the only day hike in Krasnaya Polyana that gives a full mountain panorama in a single day and needs no athletic training. The cornice sits at 2,063 m above sea level (sources vary, roughly 2,050–2,100 m), yet from the upper cable-car station, the Pikhtovy shelter at 1,660 m, it is only about 680 metres of climbing — or around 750 with a side trip to Lake Maloye. On a clear day you can see the Main Caucasus Ridge and the Olympic venues on the neighbouring resorts, and from Pik Bzerpi, in good visibility, even the Black Sea. If one day is not enough, the route stretches easily to two to five: the summits of Tabunnaya and Pik Bzerpi, a trek to Lake Maloye, the Kholodny glacier and nights in tents right at the top.
What the Bzerpinsky Cornice is
The cornice is a cliff, not a peak or a ridge: a rocky edge between Tabunnaya Yuzhnaya (2,351 m) and Perevalnaya Yuzhnaya (2,503 m), dropping to the valley at 2,063 m. It opens a panorama over Aibga, Perevalnaya South and North, Chugush and Pseashkho, and from nearby Pik Bzerpi — over the sea.
At the top there is a tent camp, a viewing spot and simple shelters for a rest. It is an equipped viewpoint of the reserve, but a point above a cliff — treat the edge with respect.
Lake Maloye
About 4 km from the cornice lies Lake Maloye — formed by avalanches, more than 12 metres deep, with a stream flowing into the Urushten river. From the cornice it is about an hour along the trail through flowering subalpine meadows — the simplest extension of the route if you have time and energy left.
Pik Bzerpi (2,482 m)
The peak needs extra time and effort: first you climb Mount Tabunnaya, and the trail to the peak goes on from there. To make it in one day, set out early and head straight for the peak, leaving the cornice for the way back. At an easy pace it is best done on an overnight trip.
Mount Tabunnaya (2,351 m)
Tabunnaya is the neighbour of Pik Bzerpi, the same massif; both summits are taken in sequence along the ridge with almost no loss of height. From Tabunnaya you see the Mzymta gorge, Esto-Sadok, the Olympic venues and the ski runs. An alternative way to the cornice itself runs through Tabunnaya, from the Bear Gate.
