Small Chegem Waterfall

Aday-Su, the Small Chegem Waterfall in Kabardino-Balkaria, belongs to the protected Chegem Waterfalls complex. Water drops about thirty metres through a stone chute carved by the Sary-Zharlasu River before joining the Chegem. Its name is translated either as “maiden’s braid” or “water bursting from a mouth.” In summer the cascade is powerful; in winter it freezes into an icy shell while water continues to run inside. A small pool at the base is suitable only for cooling one’s feet.

The cliffs around the waterfall seem to weep with ancient tears and are often called the “crying rocks.” Visitors sometimes make out faces and figures in the stone, including the hero Soslan from the Nart epics and the imprint of his enormous foot, as though old legends had come alive in the rock.