TOUR «The Heart of the Altai Mountains»
June 29 – 3 July 3, 2019
Chuya Highway, Chulyshman River Valley, Chike-Taman and Katu-Yaryk Mountain Passes, Uchar Waterfall, and Lake Teletskoe
This tour is arranged for travelers who are curious and want to treasure every moment of their lives. The high dynamics of the travel and change of the way and means of transportation will help you feel all the delights of the Altai nature, and you will have a rest after the intense rhythm of the conference.
Dear tour participants!
During the tour, you will visit the heart of the Altai Mountains and see the most interesting and amazingly beautiful places:
- Chike-Taman and Katu-Yaryk mountain passes.
- Chulyshman river valley, where pathways descend from the mountains through the picturesque forest, past waterfalls and caverns to the crystal waters of the Chulyshman river.
- You will see one of the seven wonders of the Altai mountains – the Kara-Su valley and its “Stone mushrooms”.
- You will take a walking tour to the Uchar waterfall, largest in the Altai mountains;
- Everyone knows Baikal Lake, but this time you will see no less beautiful Lake Teletskoe. Depths of this lake keep many secrets. The view of the water surface surrounded by mountains will amaze you while traveling on the lake.
You will spend unforgettable days in a unique, magical, and mysterious land, and get a charge of vivacity and strength for many months.
Total tour duration: 5 days/4 nights
Type of route: mixed
The number of tourists in the group: about 20 people
Meal: three times a day
Arrival/departure dates: June 29 – July 03, 2019
This tour does not require special physical training or skills; therefore, even a novice traveler can safely participate in it.
The cost of the tour for 1 person: 33900 rubles.
APPLICATION (Deadline for submission: March, 15)
TOUR PROGRAM
Day 1 (June 29, Saturday). 6:00 am – Departure from Novosibirsk; travel by Chuya Highway along the rapid the Katun river of incomparable beauty; night at a campsite between Cherga and the Seminsky pass.
Day 2 (June 30, Sunday). After breakfast, which will consist of local cuisine, we will continue our way through the Seminsky and Chike-Taman passes. You will take a photoshoot against the passes and the panorama of the confluence of the Chuya and Katun rivers, the “Red Gate” and formidable roads to the most picturesque pass of the Altai Mountains – Katu-Yaryk pass. At an altitude of 900 meters, you face a magical secluded place of waterfalls and rocks – the Chulyshman river valley. You will remember for long the breathtaking views from the pass and the descent from the pass (on foot or by car) 3.5 km along the mountain serpentine. The narrow valley of the deep river in a frame of high rocks stretches to the right and left. Moreover, right in front of you, on the other side of the canyon, from the altitude of almost one kilometer, a beautiful waterfall pours its water into the valley. At the bottom, directly in the middle of the valley, there is a dirt road, on which no vehicle is fast. Tour participants will have accommodations in wooden houses in a recreation facility. After accommodation, we will have a short walk to the Stone Giants in the Kara-Su valley. This is one of the seven wonders of the Altai Mountains, “Stone Mushrooms”. In the canyon, there are several dozens of nature-created 5–7 m high “giants with huge hats” (Massive boulders, “hats” of these “mushrooms”, rest on “legs” of clay, sand, and fine rubble without any cement!) Wind, water, and years erected this mysterious miracle of tons of stone and you can see it firsthand.
Day 3 (July 1, Monday). A walking tour (11 km one way) to the Uchar waterfall, biggest in the Altai mountains (and possibly in all of Siberia). We will walk along a beautiful canyon, along a mountain pathway, where only mountain goats and tourists go. We will pass a small route segment directly on one of the rocks; then we will cross several mountain streams and streamlets, drink spring water of amazing taste, and enjoy the amazing views and our courage. The one-way travel time takes about 3–4 hours. However, as a reward you will find a grand cascade of the Uchar waterfall and an incredible photoshoot with millions of water splashes sparkling under the bright Altai sun. The bravest of you will be able to swim in the mountain water of the numerous creeks and get a boost of energy for many months! Just imagine: a huge mass of water at the speed of the train rushes down and breaks on the giant stones! After a picnic near the waterfall we will go back to the campsite on the banks of the Chulyshman river.
Day 4 (July 2, Tuesday). A trip to the pearl of the Altai Mountain, Lake Teletskoye, and a trip on its water surface await us. You will enjoy the views of waterfalls and rivulets that are flowing into the lake, views of rocks, and the beauty of the coastal reserve. We will spend the night at a campsite on the shore of Lake Teletskoye.
Day 5 (July 3, Wednesday). We will return by a beautiful forest road that runs from Artybash on the shore of Lake Teletskoye to Novosibirsk. We will arrive in Novosibirsk late in the evening.
The tour price includes:
- transportation,
- support by a guide-interpreter (or guide and translator),
- three meals a day,
- accommodation on campsites and in wooden huts (no showers or toilets)
The program is subject to minor changes.
