Unusual natural landscapes - dubbed ‘stone rivers’ or ‘stone runs’ - can be found in the Urals and Siberia. Locals call them ‘kurums’ or ‘kurumniks’. Usually, they are formed in mountainous terrain where there are height differences. They are piles of stones that slowly move from the top and form a “stream”.
Pavel Kuzmichev
We got acquainted with them during a hike across the Putorana Plateau (read our exclusive report about Lama Lake, one of the most picturesque places on the plateau), however, they were rather small ‘kurums’. It turns out that the largest ‘stone runs’ in the world are located in the Urals!
Where can you find ‘stone rivers’?
Svetlana Zaitseva / Getty Images
The ‘stone run’ in the Taganay National Park in the Urals stretches for 6 km and reaches up to 700 meters in width, at times. The weight of the largest stones amounts to roughly 10 tons. This is the largest ‘stone run’ in the world. At the same time, the ‘Big Stone River’ is comparable to ordinary rivers, as it also has water flowing in it. At a depth of several meters, hundreds of streams flow directly under the rocks and, when you walk along the stones, you can hear the rushing of water.
By the way, you may find the green aventurine gemstone among these stones in Taganay!
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You can also find stone rivers in other parts of the Urals and Siberia; many of them are located in remote places among the taiga mountains. For example, at the foot of the Big Iremel mountain in Bashkiria (also in the Southern Urals, on the border with Chelyabinsk Region) the unusual Tygyn River can be found. Its peculiarity is that most of it passes under ‘kurumniks’ - for about 6 km. After that, it turns into a normal river. There are similar ‘stone rivers’ in Perm Territory, near Mount Martay and in the Sayan Mountains in South Siberia.
Alxleo 74 (CC BY-SA)
But, in addition, ‘kurums’ are also sometimes found in the European part of the country. In northwest Russia, there is the remote Gogland Island in the Gulf of Finland. A few families live there and work at lighthouses and a weather station. And ‘stone rivers’ can be found all over the island. They consist of rounded stones without vegetation.
How did the ‘stone rivers’ form?
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There are several versions about the origin of this natural phenomenon. The most common one connects the stone streams with the last ice age.
About 10,000 years ago, the mountain tops were covered with glaciers and, when they began to melt, the mountain stones slowly began to slide down. Next, the rocks would collapse, debris would form, on which the next rocks would then fall and so on.
Alexei Danichev / Sputnik
The rocks are still moving to this day. The rate of their movement is from a few centimeters to half a meter a year.
As you can see, these rivers are practically bare, with no trees or flora.
That is why you should walk with great caution on ‘kurumniks’! Hint: it’s safer to step on the stones overgrown with moss, as they are more stable.
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