The Urals are famous for the mountain rivers and the steep cliffs. One of the most interesting routs there is rafting on Usva river.
Usva River is the biggest tributary of the Chusovaya river, it originates in the western slope of the Urals, from Hariusnaya mountain, which is 816m height. The Usva is 270km long. The river relates to the flat area more than to the mountainous area, though there are many stones on its banks at the upper and the middle flow, and there are for about 200 shoals along its whole length. The name of the river comes from the komi-perm phrase “the water falling with noise”, and as you can see it’s rather correct. The river is famous for its steep rocky banks and, in particular, for the outstanding parts of the banks such as the Usva Pillar and the Devil’s Finger Mountain.
The Usva Pillar – is a big rocky massif with a lot of ledges, which is separated from the main rock. The tops of these 120m-high steep cliffs are particularly inaccessible, though some daredevil people try to conquer them, but of course with some special equipment. The Pillar Stone is situated 3km beneath the railway bridge that is down the river. The Pillar Stone is often visited by tourists either while rafting or with excursions. There’s a well-made path that leads to the top of the Stone. There is a great view of the Usva valley that opens from the top. One of the sights there is the Devil’s Finger; it is a separate mountain of a huge size.
The Devil’s Finger Pillar is the most interesting part of the Usva Pillar. It reminds of a giant’s finger. It is the most separated part of the main mountain and is less covered with wood, that’s why it is well-visible. There are well-made routs for rock-climbing on the Finger that are available for mountain-climbers only.
Река Усьва, Чусовской район, Пермский край
