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Rai-Iz (Raiiz) is a mountain range, where the southern part of the Polar Urals begins. Most of the massif is located on the territory of the Polyarno-Uralsky Natural Park in the Priuralsky District of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

Looking at this mountain range on the map, you will see a huge curved horseshoe. Its length reaches 55 kilometers. The mountain breaks off especially steeply to the north and west, and there are gentle slopes to the south and east.

The name comes from the Russian word "paradise" and the Komi language word "iz", which means "mountain", "stone." So the full name means "Paradise mountain" or "Paradise stone." It is known that the Komi people used to call the massif “Grana-Iz” - “Border stone”. Probably, they meant the geographical location of the mountain range on the border of the Sob River valley, which lies on the most ancient route through the Urals.

The length of the mountain range is 55 km. The highest point is 1,316 m in the central part. The massif has several peaks over 1,000 meters high. The height of the mountain of the same name in the Rai-Iz massif is 1,097 meters. At the top there is a large plateau descending to the river valleys. In some places there is snow all year round.

One of the most famous mountains is Nirdwomen-Iz, nicknamed by tourists as "Dinosaur" because of its shape. The climate in the Rai-Iz mountain range is predominantly continental, snowstorms often occur in winter, and northern winds blow in summer. The average temperature in July is +13 ° C, in January -26 ° C. The snowy season lasts on average about 200 days. On some peaks there are only stone embankments and snow, there is no vegetation, not even lichens.
Earlier, from the 1940s to 2004, the “Rai-Iz” weather station operated on the territory of the mountain range. It was located at an altitude of 862 meters, and now you can see some of the remaining buildings there.

The mountain range is home to the northernmost chromite mining in the world. In 2015, on the top of the Rai-Iz mountain, Yamal police installed a memorial obelisk in honor of the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory.

Every year in the spring, the Open District Extreme Festival of Youth and Students "Northern Lights" is held. In 2016, artists depicted the Rai-Iz mountain range on the wall of an apartment building in Salekhard during the Cultural Defense street art festival. All passers-by can enjoy the summer landscape at the foot of the massif and its snow-capped peaks.

Tourist routes to the Rai-Iz massif

The most popular time for passing the routes: July - September, April.

The massif is known for the strongest winds, so it is necessary to prepare warm clothing for the trip. In general, climbing in the harsh climatic conditions of the north is recommended for more experienced and prepared hikers.

Climbing is possible from different sides:

One of the most popular routes is along the southwest slope: from the valley of the small river Kardomanshore. You can climb from the south along the Kurumniki along the route of difficulty 1A.

The path from the Sob river valley will be more difficult - it belongs to category 1B.

The ecological route of climbing Rai-Iz can be found on the official website of the service for the use of biological resources of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The route leads from the village of Kharp to a height of 862 meters, to the buildings of the meteorological station. From there you can see the panorama of the mountain range.

Since the massif is located on the Sob-Rayizsky section of the specially protected natural area of the Polyarno-Uralsky park, it is necessary to obtain permission to organize excursion and tourist activities (for details, see the website of the service for the use of biological resources of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District). Walking along ecological paths and hiking trails is possible without written permission. The way from the village of Kharp, where the visitor center of the natural park is located, to the beginning of the ecological route in the valley of the Sob river, must be overcome by an off-road vehicle. Mountain "Dinosaur" is very popular among climbers, where climbing routes of various complexity categories are laid.