Fisht — the beginning

REST = Day 18 =

The day passed calmly, in Belorechensk, at Andrey's place. Today is my rest day. I sat on a bench in the yard near the house, thinking about plans for the future. Tomorrow, back to the mountains…

A burning bonfire
Was for its own
Eternally imperishable;

And there was no firewood,
But the flame for their
Hearts blazed;

But even a conflagration
Cannot kindle the bonfire –
It won't warm strangers…

FISHT – THE BEGINNING = Day 19 =

Today is the beginning of my journey to Mount Fisht. This is the main goal of my stay in Adygea. I traveled through Khadzhokh with a transfer that lasted 6 hours, and during that time I managed to visit the Rufabgo waterfalls again. This time the area was more familiar, and my backpack wasn't as heavy, so I walked quickly. I decided to do what I hadn't managed to do the previous time – reach the wild pear orchard.

There's a secret trail that a young guy told me about – either a local or someone who's just here often. According to him, to get to the pears, you need to turn right before the first waterfall and climb up the stairs.

After reaching a large rock, you should go right, and at the next fork, left-straight-right, keep going straight. Walking a bit further ahead, I found what I was looking for here – the wild pear orchard. The fruit, though, was still green. They'll probably only ripen closer to September.

This orchard is located at the very top of the mountain, offering a beautiful view of the mountains opposite.

After the pears, I decided to take another walk to the waterfalls I'd visited a few days earlier. And I met that same local wild-man actor there again, and was glad to see him. I made it to "Maiden's Braid" and headed back.

There were still a few hours left before the bus to Guzeripl, and during that time I decided to sit by a small waterfall, to reflect on the path, the meaning of life. These themes came on their own, and they weren't intrusive. On this wave of reflection, I walked to the gazebo at the "Khadzhokh Gorge," where I continued my meditation, simultaneously listening to a beautiful melody coming from a nearby stage. I was alone with my thoughts. People passed by, each with their own paths and goals; they come here to spend time with their loved ones. It's so important for us to find time for those we love. Simple human happiness. There was sincerity in their eyes, as in their smiles. By evening at 7:00 PM, I reached the stanitsa of Guzeripl. This is where the entrance to the Caucasian Nature Reserve is located. I immediately bought a ticket for 2 days – that's exactly how long I planned to stay here. On the way to Guzeripl, I reflected on the meaning of my journey. What am I actually looking for? Am I interested in anomalous zones, is that what I'm seeking here? Do I need Places of Power to find Power? What's next? Signs were coming, I felt a flow arriving from somewhere outside, contact with it happened

on an intuitive level. As soon as a question arose in me, I immediately received an answer in the form of an image or direct knowledge. There were no long deliberations; everything happened instantly, in the moment. Vision is always expressed in action. Vision is action. Power – that's what one should seek and strive for. Direct abiding in the present moment leads us to seeing what is, to the real and eternal "here and now." You are the world, and the world is you. Everything fell back into place. Abiding in the present moment gives birth to many interesting realizations. Knowledge about oneself is revealed, and this inevitably finds its echo in the outside world. Such knowledge only becomes real when the inner rests upon the outer, when these two poles merge into one. One without the other has no value. To awaken in reality, we must engage in the process with our whole being, employing the full extent of our awareness. To arrive at true control of thought, one must achieve a stop, leaving behind any attempts to hold onto one's world out of fear of losing it. Only by losing all attempts to control the process do we gain true control, emanating from the depths of your being. And every feeling that arises in this becomes a command. Detachment – that is the consequence that arises from this. The distance from Guzeripl to the Partizanskaya campsite was 18 km. I felt tired. It had already gotten dark, and I had to walk in the darkness. Along the way, I met a man selling honey by the road. At this hour, he was sitting by a fire and, apparently, no longer expected to see anyone here. He treated me, and we chatted a bit. He told me that I had just passed by a year-old bear – a loner. It had already left its mother and lives nearby, right by the road. It periodically destroys anthills. Some tourists know about it and sometimes feed it as they pass by.

I continued on my way; the darkness very soon became pitch-black. Along the way, I sometimes sang songs, clanked metal objects, tried to make loud footsteps to avoid meeting any unwanted animals. Animals are afraid of people, choosing in most cases to keep their distance. This way, you can make your path safer when you have to cross unfamiliar forests. There are no people here at this time; along the way, I met only one traveler, coming back down from the mountain. The moon periodically lit the road, but more often than not, the trees blocked the moonlight, creating pitch-black darkness, and I almost always had to walk blindly. Even though my flashlight was broken, I could rely on my hearing. I was on alert, focused and cautious. My state was – "on tiptoes." Walking forward in absolute darkness, alone through an unfamiliar forest, knowing it's inhabited by wild animals – all of this gave an interesting range of feelings. I finally reached the Partizanskaya campsite. The time was 11:15 PM. I started to realize I was approaching the shelter when I began encountering horses on my path. It was completely dark, and I immediately started looking for a place to sleep. A guard came up to me and offered to spend the night in the shelter for just 100 rubles, with all amenities. I refused – I'd already set up my tent, and I planned to sleep only briefly. I decided to leave everything as it was. The guard didn't like my decision, and with hostility in his voice, he told me not to wander around here at night and not to do anything stupid – they might shoot suspicious people here. I didn't take his words seriously, crawled into my tent, and fell asleep very quickly…