Stone towers are the signature of the Kurtat Gorge. The valley of the Fiagdon River runs south from the plains of North Ossetia into the high Caucasus, and along its slopes stand the fortified towers, crypts and cliff fortresses of the Ossetian clans who lived here for centuries, guarding their pastures and feuding among themselves. The most dramatic is the Dzivgis cave fortress, a wall of stone built into a shallow cave high in a cliff face, where villagers sheltered in times of danger. Walk up to it if you can; the view down the valley is worth the climb.
Ossetians trace their descent from the Alans, an Iranian-speaking people who once controlled much of the steppe and the northern Caucasus, and who converted to Christianity in the early Middle Ages. In the gorge stands a modern Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Assumption, set dramatically on a slope near the village of Khidikus, along with old shrines and sacred groves that still play a part in local life. In the summer, families come up from the cities to picnic and spend time in their ancestral villages, and the gorge fills with smoke from barbecues and the sound of Ossetian music.
The road up the gorge is paved for most of the way, but narrows as it climbs, with tight bends, rough patches, and sections where rockfall or washouts are common after rain. Traffic is light, apart from weekend visitors and cattle on the road. The Fiagdon river, clear and cold, runs alongside, and the slopes are covered in beech and birch forest giving way to high meadows. In autumn the colours are spectacular, and the light in late afternoon turns the towers golden.
Up the valley there are small guesthouses and cafes in Verkhny Fiagdon, a resort village in the valley, and you may find fuel there, but Alagir, about sixteen kilometres away, is a safer bet for fuel and supplies. Try local honey and the famous Ossetian pies, and if offered, a glass of araka, the local spirit, but only when the riding is done for the day. Then sit and look at the towers, standing as they have for centuries, guarding a valley that still feels a world away from the plains below.