Before this trip, I had never heard of these falls at all. And that North Ossetia has the most high waterfall in Europe, called Zeigalan. It is worth noting that Zeigalan is considered the third highest waterfall, after Niagara and Victoria.
In total, there are 13 small waterfalls from the slopes of the mountains, in addition to Zeigalan. 
Looking from afar, we were invited to climb to him Zeygalan. I’ll probably curse myself all my life now for not getting up to the very end (I didn’t come quite a bit, considering that I had already filmed everything I needed.) 
Not to say that the road up was easy. The path lay through a stormy stream of water. 
At the beginning of our journey, the Zeigalan waterfall looks like this. The waterfall is located high in the mountains and therefore has a pulsating character. Its flow depends on the air temperature. The largest runoff occurs in July-August. In the cold season, the melting of the glacier, which lies at an altitude of about 4000 m above sea level, practically stops and only ice drifts on the rocks remain in the place of the waterfall.
By the way, the territory where the waterfall is located is located in the border zone. Therefore, before you go to admire the seething water, you need to obtain permission from the border guards. 
Photo from a different angle. 
What a handsome man, huh? 
Even here you can feel the icy breath of the water, which originates from the glacier. 
The natural beauty of these places is enchanting. 
Shortness of breath worried me a little, and I trudged down, constantly turning around. 
The fog and clouds cleared away, revealing the magnificent Midagrabin Valley. 
The sun's rays reached Zeygalan. 
I will definitely come back here and go this way to the end. 
There is nothing more beautiful and more beautiful than living nature. 
General partner of the blog tour - OJSC "Resorts of the North Caucasus"
Organizer - Association of Journalists of the North Caucasus with the support of the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the North Caucasus Federal District
Communication partner - Megafon
Partners: Ministry of Tourism, Entrepreneurship and Investment Policy of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, the Media Association of the North Caucasus Federal District and the Central Sports Complex "Kavkaz".
On the border with sunny Georgia, a few tens of kilometers from Vladikavkaz. This is an unusually beautiful place full of mysteries and secrets.
Midagrabin is a mountain valley that stretches for seven kilometers in length. It ends with very large vertical cliffs that block access to the glaciers of the Zeygelan, Dzhimarai-Khokh, Donjety peaks. Very large multi-cascading waterfalls fall from these glaciers on the ledges of vertical cliffs from a height of 3100 meters.
Midagrabin waterfalls in North Ossetia are located in the valley of the same name, on one of the sides of which you can see mesmerizing rocks, from which waterfalls are rapidly falling down. The height of these waterfalls ranges from 200 to 700 meters, there are eight of these waterfalls - Takhkadon, 4 Crystal waterfalls, two Green waterfalls and the most powerful and very beautiful Big Zeigelan. The Big Zeigelan waterfall is the highest due to the fact that it is fed by the hanging glacier. All the waterfalls are a fantastic sight, but it is from the tongue of the Zeigelan glacier that ice blocks break down from time to time deep into the gorge, scattering around the smallest droplets of water, which in sunny days turn into an incredibly beautiful rainbow. In winter, these waterfalls look no less majestic - they are huge ice columns that rise over the whole of North Ossetia.
Long enough beautiful Midagrabin waterfalls have been forgotten. But in 1995, one group of tourists from an unknown local history center visited these waterfalls. The waterfalls captivated the guys so much that they filmed a small documentary... The group devoted their entire trip to the study of the Midagrabin waterfalls in North Ossetia. According to their testimony, the weather at the waterfalls is quite changeable, and it is impossible to predict it by any means. But all these insignificant flaws more than compensate for the greatness of the waterfalls and magnificent subalpine flora, as well as numerous mountain rivers with crystal clean water... Tourists proved that in fact there are not eight Midagrabin waterfalls in North Ossetia, but more than ten, just the smallest of them dry up very quickly, and you can see them only after heavy rains or melting snows.
The one cried Russian tourist, who, preferring to admire the 200-meter Swiss Rheinfals, suddenly found out that in the vastness of his homeland, a waterfall more than 600 meters high flows from sheer cliffs.
In ancient times, people deified waterfalls, legends were formed about the water falling from the rocks. The seething streams make noise because the spirits living in them chatter incessantly, the ancients were sure. They knew how to appreciate the beauty of "vertical rivers", so little studied and poorly protected today ...
Knowledgeable of existence Niagara falls, we cannot even imagine the scale of the beauty that exists on the territory of our country - a beauty that cannot be described and counted ... It can be said without exaggeration that Russia is a country of waterfalls. Some of them were formed by river waters, melted snow. Others were formed as a result of earthquakes, when deep gaps formed in the valleys where rivers flowed.
Zeigelan waterfall 
The most notable today are Talnikovsky waterfall on the Central Siberian plateau with a height of 600 meters, Kinzelyuksky (300 meters) and Grandiose (200 meters) waterfalls in the Sayan Mountains, Fisht waterfall (200 meters) in the Western Caucasus, Ilya-Muromets on Iturup Island Kuril ridge(141 meters). All these waterfalls - each in its own time - claimed the title of the highest "vertical river in Russia". Until…
North Ossetia did not reveal the secret about the pearl stored in the gorges of the rocks - the Zeigelane waterfall. The large Zeigelan waterfall takes its source from under the hanging glacier and has a total height of about 650 - 700 meters. In terms of the volume of passing water, this handsome man is far from the world's record-breaking waterfalls, but a significant difference in slope heights allows us to talk about the enrollment of a “falling avalanche” - this is how the word “zeigelan” is translated - one of the ten highest waterfalls in the world. In Europe, Zeigelan claims to be the first, pushing back the famous Gavarnie waterfalls in France (422 meters) and Krimml in Austria (380 meters).
The beauty and grandeur of Zeigelan are amazing: the rocks on the slopes of which this waterfall was born - the mouth of an ancient volcano. The seething streams rush to the bottom of the gorge and merge into one. Falling from great height the stream of water picks up the wind and shatters it into millions of splashes. The rumble emanating from Zeigelan can be heard several kilometers from the waterfall.
Zeigelan waterfall 
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE WATERFALL
Zeigalan or Big Zeigelan waterfall in Russia. The waterfall is over 600 meters high. Altitude data is approximate as it is obtained from studying terrain elevation maps.
The waterfall is located high in the mountains and therefore has a pulsating character. Its flow depends on the air temperature. The largest runoff occurs in July-August. In the cold season, the melting of the glacier, which lies at an altitude of about 4000 m above sea level, practically stops and only ice drifts on the rocks remain in the place of the waterfall.
The waterfall is located in North Ossetia, in the valley of the Midagrabindon River, seven kilometers south of the village of Dzhimara.
Despite the development and study mountainous areas Caucasus, some unique natural objects researchers and authors of descriptions undeservedly bypassed their attention.
In special literature and other publications devoted to the nature of the mountains of North Ossetia, there is almost no mention of waterfalls in the valley of the Midagrabindon River. At best, these are a few words that casually mention them. And yet, the beauty and uniqueness of these places, physical characteristics waterfalls deserve closer attention. Midagrabin waterfalls 
Upper reaches of Midagrabin
Before getting to know them better, let's turn to the terminology.
So what is actually called a "waterfall"?
Big Soviet Encyclopedia(TSB) defines a waterfall as "a fall of water in a river in places of a sharp change in the height of its bottom with the formation of an almost vertical ledge." The State Standard "Land Hydrology: Terms and Definitions" (1973) does not define a waterfall. In BA Apollov's "Teaching about Rivers", a waterfall is "a section of a river with a large dip, close to vertical." Brief geographical encyclopedia gives the concept of a waterfall as "the fall of river water from a ledge that crosses a river bed." Based on the foregoing, quite different natural objects can fit into the category of "waterfall". Not all variants of definitions of the term "waterfall" are given here, however, in all its variants it is possible to single out the main feature that makes it possible to classify hydrological objects.
In the scientific works of different authors, when presenting the material, a certain set of characteristics (height, width, average slope, amount of water per unit of time, etc.) is adopted, which makes it possible to classify hydrological objects in accordance with the nature of the author's work. "waterfall", within the limits of this article we will restrict ourselves to the variant proposed by TSB.
Fast forward to eastern part highlands of North Ossetia, in the valley of the Midagrabindon river. This region is part of the Kazbek-Dzhimarai mountainous cluster, one of the largest not only in Ossetia, but also in the Caucasus. Seven kilometers south of the village of Dzhimara, the valley is closed by a rocky circus. Behind the steep, two-stage section of "sheep's foreheads" is the third largest valley glacier within North Ossetia - Midagrabinsky.
Snow-white streams fall from all the surrounding slopes into the valley. The two highest rise from the western rocky walls of Zeigelan. Many cascading waterfalls can be seen on the opposite slope of the gorge, on the Donchenta spurs. They are also very beautiful and unique in their own way. But in terms of the height of the water fall, they are significantly inferior to the Zeigelansky ones.
The Great Zeigelan Waterfall begins from under the hanging glacier and has a total height of about 650-700 meters. Altitude data are approximate, and are obtained from the study of maps of the area and analysis of available information from various sources. Despite certain discrepancies in the assessment of the height of the waterfall by various researchers, all agree on one thing - their height is not less than the value given in this article. Separate, generally accepted, geographical name, these eastern tributaries of Midagrabindon do not have charted. There is no mention of them in the literature on waterfalls either.
Upper reaches of Midagrabin from space Midagrabin waterfalls 
The waterfalls, and especially their sources, are located in the high-mountainous zone and have a glacial-sedimentary nature of their feeding. The catchment area of rainwater is relatively small, and the increase in water level after precipitation occurs quickly. The debit of water in them strongly depends on the season and weather conditions... In the cold season, the glacier melts at an altitude of about 4000m above sea level. practically stops and only ice drifts on the rocks remind of the waterfall. But in summer, on a hot day, especially after a heavy rain, the amount of water increases many times over.
The large waterfall consists of two parts, separated approximately in the middle by a small step-ledge. When determining the height of the waterfall, it is generally accepted that the cascade can be considered as a single waterfall if the length of the horizontal part of the ledge in the profile is less than the previous and subsequent vertical segments. In this case, the dimensions of the vertical sections are much larger than the width of the flat section. Thus, the starting point in determining the height of the waterfall can be considered a place near the tongue of the Zeigelan glacier, and the final one is a talus slope adjacent to the rock wall.
Shau-Zeigelan massif. Aerial photography of 2004. Midagrabin waterfalls 
This picture clearly shows the feeding area of the large Zeigelan waterfall. The entire right part of the glacier, from the top to the rocky ridge dividing the ice stream into two parts, is the catchment that feeds the waterfall. The left side of the glacier feeds the small Zeigelan waterfall and a stream flowing along a large rocky-talus couloir going from the Kamchatsky pass.
Hanging glacier feeding waterfall Midagrabin waterfalls 
A stream falling from a great height along a steep rock wall is picked up by the wind, breaking it into millions of splashes. From time to time, blocks of ice break off from the tongue of the hanging glacier and fly down with a crash. In winter, avalanches descend from all sides to the steep circus crowning the lower valley. Despite all the charm that the large waterfall produces, it is not safe up close. Together with the stream of water, small stones often fly down. Considering the height from which they begin their journey, it can be assumed that a meeting with him for a person will end, most likely, deplorably.
View of the big waterfall from the "sheep's foreheads" Midagrabin waterfalls 
On the way to the Midagrabin glacier, a new view of the large Midagrabin waterfall opens from the "sheep's foreheads".
Small Zeigelan waterfall Midagrabin waterfalls 
These places are beautiful in their own way at any time of the year, but in the summer they make the most vivid and unforgettable impression on travelers. The sea of flowers, the hot sun, combined with the refreshing coolness of the mountain breeze, the rocky walls stretching steeply to the sky, the aromas of mountain herbs will forever be remembered and will beckon here again. Midagrabin waterfalls
Another spectacular waterfall is formed in the lower part of the Midagrabin canyon. The river, breaking through the gorge of rocks, makes the last dizzying leap into the valley. Falling down, the stream rushes into the cauldron, washed in the riverbed. Near the waterfall there is a deafening roar created by water and stones moved by the current. In the morning sundial, a rainbow can be seen in a cloud of water dust constantly hanging over the river.
Midagrabin waterfalls, despite their centuries-old history and geological development of these places, hold many more new and interesting things for researchers.
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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTOS:
Team Wandering.
Kravchuk P.A.Records of nature. - Lyubeshov: Erudite, 1993 .-- S. 65 .-- 216 p. - ISBN 5-7707-2044-1.
http://www.piligrim-andy.narod.ru/text/midvod.html
In preparing the article, materials were used from the book by G.T.Arseev "Waterfalls", Moscow, "Mysl", 1987,
photographs by E. Manukyants, I. Galushkina, space photography by NASA.
http://www.netwoman.ru/doc/1556/
The idea to visit these lands was born by chance, while browsing some site with a selection of picturesque photographs from different parts of Russia. I was then very interested in information about the alleged the highest waterfall in Europe called Big Zeigalan... At that time, I could not even imagine what kind of nature is hidden on the territory of North Ossetia, after 30 minutes of searching on the Internet and I already knew where I would spend my upcoming vacation.
North Ossetia (Alania) is the oldest cradle of Christianity. In the first millennium BC, the territory of Southeastern Europe and Central Asia was inhabited by tribes of Iranian nomads - Scythians, Sarmatians, Sakas, Massagets, who in the first century BC united under a new name - Alans. And in the IX century. the Alanian state was formed, which includes the territories of the Central Caucasus and the Ciscaucasian plain.
The baptism of Alania took place 72 years earlier than the baptism of Rus and played a positive role in the development and strengthening of the Alanian statehood. Thus, the "golden age" of Alania began, which lasted until the arrival of the Mongol-Tatar hordes in 1238 - 1240. Alania suffered devastating damage several times. It all started with the invasion of the Tatar-Mongols under the leadership of Batu Khan (grandson of Genghis Khan), at that time there were problems in Alania within the country (there was no clear vertical of power), as a result of which the state simply could not join forces in a timely manner and resist the powerful and well-organized army of the invader ...
The enemy at that time was well prepared for the main goal - the siege and capture of the main citadel of the state, the capital of Ossetia - the city of Magas. Throwing guns did their job, the city was destroyed, and the Tatar-Mongol commander ordered to cut off each inhabitant of the city's right ear - as a result, 270,000 ears were collected. The destruction of the capital of Alan, the city of Magas, put an end to the existence and development of Alania as a state. At the time, it was the largest defeat that changed the balance of power in the region and the priorities in the politics and culture of the North Caucasus.
The remnants of Alan moved to mountainous area, where they continued the family keeping the traditions of the Ossetian people. But the real disaster for Alania was the invasion of Tamerlane (in Persian "Timur-e lang"), aka "Amir Timur", which translates as "Lame Timur". In 1362 he was wounded in battle, as a result of which he lost two fingers on his hand and was wounded in the kneecap on his right leg, remaining lame for the rest of his life. But these injuries did not prevent him from destroying peoples, destroying cities and wiping out entire states from the face of the earth, leaving behind pyramids from the heads of defeated soldiers, because at that time he ruled one of the most powerful armies in the world.
In 1395-1400. Timur's army dealt the final blow to Alania. The bulk of the population was destroyed, some were captured and killed, the best forces of the Ossetians were killed in battle, and the remnants were taken by Timur to China.
We will begin our journey with a tour of the famous in the Caucasus city of the dead - Dargavs, located in the Gizeldon gorge. This complex consists of several dozen stone crypts, which are today historical monument architecture under state protection.
Rabinirag is the local name of the ridge on which the historical and archaeological complex of the city of the dead is located. The size and location of the family crypts on the hill reflects the financial condition and status of the family.
We arrived in Dargavs an hour before the opening, it was a cool sunny morning. The gate was open, but no one was around. A sign at the entrance indicated some kind of symbolic payment, deciding not to waste time waiting, we went to the territory of the complex, hoping to pay for a visit upon leaving. After walking through the territory, we headed to the exit, suddenly the question was asked behind our back: "Did you like it?" I was so impressed that I didn't even notice an elderly man watching us from the shadow of the gazebo. The old man smiled and asked where we came from.
After a short dialogue, we met: "My name is Chermen" - he said. We shook hands, after which he inquired about the purpose of our visit. In response, I took out 4 pages from the folder with the listed places, which we must definitely visit (there was one place and its GPS coordinates per line). Chermen became interested and began to study our plan with attention. Then he grinned and said that he would help us find some places in the gorge, since we, even knowing the coordinates, are unlikely to be able to do this. And as it turned out later, he was right.
Well, and still, we just could not refuse such a "gift of fate" as viewing the corners of nature incredible beauty accompanied by fascinating stories and memories of a person who has lived in this area all his life. You will not find such information in any guidebook.
Follow me, - said Chermen.
“Do you see this plain and the river flowing through it? It is called "Gizeldon", which translates as "Gizel" - red and "Don" - water. "Red water" - this is how the warriors of Tamerlane called it when they received a fierce rebuff from the Alans, after the battle for several days the water in the river had a bloody hue.
We got into the car and set off towards the Koban gorge, the very one where the legendary Koban culture developed at one time.
On the way, Chermen told a story that relatively recently people came to the village and asked questions related to the history of the formation of this village and the region, and also were interested in some Ossetian surnames. They introduced themselves as members of a community and said they wanted to write material on this topic. According to Chermen, there were even foreigners among them. The old man invited them into the house and showed a book, which he compiled on the basis of the knowledge that came to him from his ancestors, the genealogies of the families inhabiting the village. I don’t think it’s worth saying that she was very valuable to him. The guests asked for a book to write material and promised to return it. Out of the kindness of his soul, Chermen believed, but it turned out that in vain. After a long time, when the old man realized that the guests had acted dishonestly, he set about writing another copy. A terrible act on the part of young people. Chermen talked so fascinatingly that I forgot about our visit plan.
Stop here! - commanded Chermen.
We got out of the car. Our guide reminded me that we approached the place marked in the plan and, smiling, asked if I could find it with the help of my navigator. I felt the trick right away, but still tried my luck. The GPS sensor showed that we are exactly on the spot, but what kind of fortress could there be ?! On the one hand, there is a plain, on the other, a steep rock. It is clear that you need to look at the rock.
We looked "in four eyes", but we could not find the so-called Fortress of the bloodline, so much it merged with the environment, well, or I imagined it differently.
Chermen, watching us, realized that the process would be long and guided exactly where we need to look.
And now there was an unexpected turn, indeed, a barely noticeable "extension" could be seen on the rock. According to legend, this fortress was built by a guy who was declared a blood feud for his act. Which one, there are many versions, but the most popular is, of course, love: he fell in love with a girl whom he could not marry because of his social status.
Deciding on a desperate act, he stole her. The fate of the girl is unknown, but the guy suffered. For a long time he hid in this fortress, they even tried to take it by storm, but, firing back, he managed to defend his fortress. For a long time, his relatives brought him water and food, but one day he left the fortress for the purpose of hunting, at that moment he was hunted down and cut off the path to retreat to the fortress. Since the forces were superior, and, having large quantity ammunition, the pursuers, after a short battle, shot the guy, losing one of their own.
In general, blood feud is a widespread custom in the Caucasus, when retribution was obligatory for the murder or mutilation of a person. Chermen told us a story about how, in his youth, he was appointed by the elders to the role of "negotiator" in order to reconcile two families that were at enmity because of the accidental death of a girl through the negligence of a guy. Chermen managed to convince the girl's relatives to stop the persecution, but it turned out very dear to the other side, they gave almost half of the property and livestock to settle the conflict that had arisen.
By that time we were already at observation deck overlooking the Koban gorge.
Here is located children's camp, but since it was morning, the children were apparently resting. Chermen decided to arrange a tour for us and showed us the place where the electric winch was previously located for lifting heavy loads or goods purchased in other villages. The angle of inclination is high, and the delivery of goods from neighboring villages in another way was very time consuming. For this purpose, a structure was built, the functionality of which was supported by only one person. Everything was fine before the accident, one day the cable broke, the trolley with the load fell down, there were no casualties. Therefore, it was decided to abandon this method of delivering goods, the equipment was dismantled, the rails were overgrown with grass.
“We have to go,” said Chermen and headed for the car. We headed back towards the "city of the dead".
- Why were people buried in crypts before, and not buried? I asked.
- One of the main reasons is the lack of space. If everyone was buried on the plain, then even without this small areas over hundreds of years would be occupied by cemeteries, and agriculture and cattle breeding are the main activities for which a plain terrain is desirable.
According to archaeologists, burials in “ city of the dead»Belong to different eras - from the XIV to the XIX century. Local residents have fresh memories from their ancestors about the plague epidemic that raged in mountain gorges at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries and took the lives of tens of thousands of people. As a result of the epidemic, the population of Ossetia decreased from 200 thousand at the end of the 18th century to 16 thousand by the middle of the 19th century. Ossetians as a nation were on the brink of extinction. In order not to infect their neighbors, sick families with children in their arms went to crypts, where they died. Those who remained healthy left the gorge and moved to other regions.
"TO next place you have to go by yourself, ”said Chermen. The next in line was the main attraction of today and at the same time what inspired this trip - Big Zeigalan. As it turned out later, in order to get to the waterfall, you need to get a pass to the border zone. He is discharged from a military unit in the Karmadon Gorge. One road leads there - it's hard to get lost. In the military unit it was not crowded, one contract soldier walked around the territory with a submachine gun. We explained the purpose of the visit, he asked for a passport. After 20 minutes, I brought out the documents and ready-made passes. It turned out that we were lucky, the commander of the military unit was at his place, and, as I understood, only he has the authority to issue passes to this zone, in other cases it is necessary to order in advance. We had to get back to the checkpoint as soon as possible, as the sun was about to set.
When we approached the checkpoint, a young guy slowly came out to meet us, an AK was hanging around his neck, and his hands were on the machine.
“Show me your passes, please,” he said, not yet approaching the gate. The checkpoint consisted of two gates. After checking our documents, they let us in, opening one of the gates, after which the border guard closed them, the car was blocked at the checkpoint.
- "Open the trunk." Our car (station wagon) was packed to the very roof. We prepared for the trip thoroughly: the car was “charged” for several days of autonomous life. Seeing a tent, sleeping bags, cushions, bottles with drinking water, he asked if we were planning to stay overnight.
“No,” I said, we will definitely come back today. - We have already booked a hotel in Vladikavkaz.
“Excellent,” he said with relief. “Moreover, I recommend that you return before the sun sets.”
“Okay,” I replied, fully understanding the reason for his recommendation.
While planning the route, I met advice that "the sunset must be met" already at the place of residence, at least you should go to the main road. It is very unsafe to stay in the gorge overnight. These are the precautions for tourists in this area.
A metallic clang brought me back to reality - a lock clicked behind us, locking the second gate. Everything. We are located in the border zone, the Caucasus mountain range separates us from Georgia, there is not a soul here. The road goes smoothly into the depths of the gorge, internal feelings were mixed: on the one hand, there was anxiety because of what these uncontrolled territories are famous for, who lives here and what they do. But behind there was 1800 km of path, and it was so easy to turn around a couple of kilometers to the object that inspired our trip, I could not afford.
On the other hand, there is a delightful nature, silence, and the feeling that only the two of us are left in this world. Our path lies deep in the Genaldon Gorge to the valley of the Midagrabindon River to the highest waterfall in Europe - Big Zeigalan... There were only a couple of kilometers of the way to it, we passed the main part, but a few hundred meters before the waterfall the mountain river washed out the road. Our car has a low seating position and here it is unlikely to pass, I did not try, the risk of piercing the engine crankcase on protruding stones is too high. We covered the remaining distance on foot.
Having driven away from the checkpoint, we met the only ones who did not need a pass. Inimitable beauty the mountain slopes, illuminated by the rays of the setting sun, the amazing silence and the distant noise of the river made you feel truly at one with nature. Such surrounding species makes the head spin.
In total, there are several different waterfalls in the gorge, our goal is Big Zeigalan, which translates as "falling avalanche". Its height is more than 600 meters, but it is not known for sure, tk. no one has yet been able to measure it. It is considered the highest in Europe and the second largest in Russia (after Talnikovsky waterfall on the Putorana plateau, in the north of Eastern Siberia). The waterfall is "powered" by a glacier located at an altitude of more than four thousand meters above sea level. High mountains are often covered with clouds, so from the side it seems that water is flowing out of the clouds.
The rumble from the falling water from such a height should be heard for several kilometers, but there was silence, only to the side, a stream was distantly rustling in the background to the surrounding nature. By mid-September, it freezes, leaving only an icy trail on the rock. Therefore, we saw the largest icicle. Unfortunately, we were not able to admire the power of the water flying from a height of more than half a kilometer, and then breaking on the rocks into small splashes. But, by the way, in the photo it looks like a real waterfall. Very few tourists happened to see the streams of falling water from the cliff, given the little-known area of this area and its inaccessibility. Since Zeigalan feeds on water from the melting of the glacier, then in scientific language it is also called "pulsating", because water falls only in summer months.
The sun was already setting over the slopes of the mountains. It was a sign that it was time for us to get back. At the end of this bright and full of new impressions day, nature gave us an unforgettable sunset.
[i] Photo and text: Vitaly Brekhin
The Midagrabin group of waterfalls are located in the Dargav gorge, 7 km from the village of Dzhemara, at heights of more than 2000 meters, where mountain gorge The Midagrabindon river is surrounded and closed by a rocky circus, which blocks access to the glaciers of the Kazbek-Dzhimarai mountain range, the largest in the republic. From the rocky walls surrounding the valley, water flows down from the glaciers in white crystal clear streams.
From the western rocks of Zeigelan, two of the highest of the streams fall into the river valley, the highest and most powerful Big Zangelan or Falling avalanche with a height of 750 meters. On the spurs of Donchenta towering above the circus, many cascading waterfalls flow down. There are 8 waterfalls in total, they were even called groups. 4 of them are Crystal, 2 are Green. And two more, named individually - Takhkadon (or Flying Water) and the largest and most beautiful Big Zegelan (or Falling Avalanche).
The beauty, splendor and power of the Midagrabindon streams depend on the season, they are pulsating or seasonal, the largest number water falls from rocky slopes in the warm season, the maximum in July-August with intense melting of glaciers on mountain peaks... In the rest of the year, they are more modest and appear only by two or three high-altitudes.
For this reason, they do not appear in the world ratings of waterfalls, they are not indicated on geographical maps, little attention is paid to them in the local history literature. For a long time, only the Midagrabin waterfalls were known locals, and they were forgotten for the outside world, but in the summer of 1995 one of tourist groups of the local history republican center came here and shot a documentary tape, as if reopening this wonderful place to the world.
Having been here, a person is overwhelmed by the delight of seeing a truly fantastic picture. The purest glacial water flows from the rocky walls, a block can collapse with a loud roar clear ice from the nearest glacier, over mountain valley of a stormy river, the smallest splashes of moisture, falling into a sunbeam, sparkle with myriads of shades, the mountain slopes give an enchanting picture to the emerald color.
The streams freeze in the cold season, around the gorge, gigantic pillars of ice stand up like giants, presenting a picture no less mysterious and majestic. More and more travelers visit the Midagrabindon Valley to admire the manifestation of the elements, which are only slightly inferior in splendor to the highest Angel Falls. Experts predict an increase in genuine interest in the Midagrabindon Valley with construction mountain resort Mamison.
Midagrabin waterfalls in the photo
The address: North Ossetia, Davgav gorge, from the village of Dzhemara 7 km to the north-west
