Hanging Stone
 Hanging Stone | |
| Continent | Asia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 52°50′04″N 93°21′13″E / 52.834444°N 93.353611°E |
| Largest lake | Lake Raduzhnoye |
| Terrain | Mountain |
The Hanging Stone Russian: Висячий камень is located in Ergaki Nature Park in southern Siberia, Russia. It is a 500 ton granite rock seemingly hanging 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above Lake Raduzhnoye.
Background
The Siberian Times has said the stone has been in this position for "tens of thousands of years". The Hanging Stone is on the edge of a cliff above Lake Raduzhnoye (also known as Rainbow Lake) in the Western Sayan Mountains in southern Siberia, Russia. It is thought that a glacier receded during the Ice Age and the Hanging Stone was left behind.[1]
Legend
Local legend states that when the stone falls into Lake Raduzhnoe the Sleeping Sayan will wake up. Another legend teaches that the monolithic stone is the heart of the Sleeping Sayan. Several groups of tourists attempted to push the block off of it's perch and into the lake, but they were unsuccessful. Some people even brought winches to try and dislodge the stone. It did not fall; it is held on with stone chips supporting its base.[2][1]
Description
The stone is perched on a precipice giving the impression that it may fall. The weight of the stone is estimated at 500 tons.[3] It is positioned approximately 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above the lake. The rock is made of granite and it is attached to the cliff by a 1 m (3 ft 3 in) contact point.[1] The stone is 15 m (49 ft) long.[4]
There is a trail that can be navigated between June and September and it leads to the stone. The trail is 12 km (7.5 mi) long and takes five to seven hours. The Ergaki Nature Park charges a fee of 4,800 rub to use the trail in.[5] The weather in the region changes quickly and can even receive snowfall in the month of June.[6] In 2012 a crack has appeared in the stone.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Gertcyk, Olga; Salnitskaya, Vera (2 January 2016). "Hanging Rock 'defies gravity', above a 1,000 metre abyss". siberiantimes.com. The Siberian Times. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "Фоторепортаж: Легенды и факты о парке «Ергаки»". News Laboratory LLC. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "НаЕнисее Висячий камень". naenisee.ru. Tourist portal of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the republics of Khakassia, Tyva. 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Где отдохнуть с ребенком в Сибири: термальные источники, Висячий камень и Долина гротов | Новосибирская область". FederalPress Editorial Board (in Russian). 6 April 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Висячий камень". ergaki-park.ru. Ergaki Natural Park. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Snow fell on the highway in Ergaki and in the mountains in the first week of summer". НГС24 - новости Красноярска (in Russian). 6 June 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
