Gamsutl is a ghost village on a ridge in the mountains of central Dagestan, a cluster of stone houses clinging to a steep spur above a deep canyon, and it is one of the most photographed sights in the republic.
Getting there is half the point. The mountain roads of Dagestan are narrow, steep and often cut straight across rock faces, with hairpins that tighten without warning and long drops on the outside. The surface varies between good tarmac and rough patches, and in places the final approach becomes a track. A road like this rewards patience: ride slowly, keep your line, and expect livestock and oncoming cars on blind corners. Early morning is cleaner and cooler, and the light on the canyon walls is wonderful. Avoid riding in or after heavy rain, because the rock is crumbly.
Gamsutl itself is a place of silence. It was once a thriving village of the Avar people, built in tiers on the mountainside, and for generations its inhabitants farmed, herded and traded from this eagle's nest. The last families left in the twentieth century, and the stone houses are now mostly empty, with doorways open to the wind. Standing among them you can feel how hard life was, and how clever the building was: houses stacked like steps, roofs doubling as neighbours' yards.
The landscape is astonishing. Gunib, famous for the final surrender of the imam Shamil to the Russian army in 1859 after his long resistance in the Caucasus wars, sits just along the plateau, and the whole area is layered with that history. The canyon below Gamsutl is cut in limestone and glows orange in late light. Eagles and griffon vultures ride the updrafts, and in spring the slopes are green with grass and scrub.
Take water and food, since there is nothing at the top, and tell someone where you are headed. Phone signal is patchy, and the roads are slow. Respect the place, because locals still consider the old village a heritage site.