Lago-Naki is a plateau, a high, rolling upland on the northern edge of the Caucasus, and the road up to it gives you the sense of going somewhere that has not been fully tamed. The plateau lies at around 1,800 to 2,000 metres, in the Republic of Adygea, just next to the Caucasus Nature Reserve, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Behind it, a wall of white and grey mountains rises, with Mount Fisht, nearly 2,870 metres high, and Oshten forming a skyline of snow and rock above the meadows.
The ground here is limestone karst, riddled with caves, sinkholes and dry valleys, and the meadows are alpine, with a short summer of flowers, including rhododendrons, orchids and gentians. Sheep and cattle graze on the plateau, and shepherds' huts and small refuges dot the slopes. The Circassians, or Adyghe, have lived on the northern slopes of the Caucasus for centuries, and the place has a feeling of altitude and quiet. In the evening, the light on the peaks turns pink and gold, and clouds boil up in the valleys.
The road up is not for the faint-hearted. From the valley of the Belaya River, it climbs in many hairpin bends, with steep drops, mixed surface and sudden weather, and the final stretches may be gravel or broken tarmac. Fog is common, and visibility can fall to a few metres. Rain turns clay surfaces to slippery mud, and snow can close the road from late autumn to spring. A dual-sport bike is the sensible choice, and a slow, careful pace the right one. Cattle and sheep sometimes block the road, and tourist jeeps and minibuses add traffic in July and August. Early mornings are best, and September is often the clearest month.
Services are few. The nearest sizeable town is Kamennomostsky, about twenty-eight kilometres away, and that is where you should fill the tank and eat a proper meal before heading up. On the plateau itself, there are a few guest houses, cafés and campsites, with simple food and a lot of tea, but nothing you should count on late in the season. Carry water, warm clothing and waterproofs, and tell someone your plans.
Look at the line of peaks to the south. The reserve beyond is some of the wildest country in Europe, and from here you can feel it.