Dubki stands on the rim of one of the deepest canyons on the planet. The Sulak River, draining the mountains of Dagestan toward the Caspian Sea, has carved a gorge here that drops close to two kilometres from the surrounding ridges to the water, deeper than the Grand Canyon in places. The view from the edge, near this small settlement built in Soviet times for the workers of the Chirkey hydroelectric dam, is startling: sheer walls of layered limestone and shale, and far below, a ribbon of impossibly turquoise water.
That colour comes from the Chirkey Reservoir, formed when the dam was built across the Sulak in the 1970s. Mineral particles in the water give it a vivid blue-green tint, especially in sunlight, and the boat trips that now run along the reservoir and through the narrow canyon below the dam have become one of Dagestan's most popular attractions. The rocks around the canyon are full of fossils, and the slopes are dry and scrubby, with juniper and thorny bushes, and eagles circling on thermals overhead.
The road to Dubki climbs from the plains near Kizilyurt, winding up through dry hills and past villages, with tight bends and steep gradients. The surface is generally paved but can be rough, with potholes, loose gravel and some sections without barriers on the canyon side. Traffic includes buses and cars full of tourists in summer, so keep your eyes on the road and leave the views for the stops. Spring and autumn are the best seasons; summer can be very hot, and winter brings fog and occasional snow.
Dubki is a small town of about five and a half thousand people, with a shop, simple cafes and viewpoints that have become busy in recent years. Fuel should be available nearby, but filling up in Kizilyurt or Buynaksk is wise. Most of Dagestan is devoutly Muslim; cover up a little when you get off the bike and ask before photographing people. Linger at the edge of the canyon, early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the light is softer, and watch the colours change on the rock and water below.