Altai Mountains (Altai)
The attraction is related to the countries:RussiaRussia , KazakhstanKazakhstan , MongoliaChinaGolden Mountains – this is how Altai is translated from Turkic languages. Indeed, a rare place on Earth can rival the Altai Mountains in terms of natural riches, marvelous landscapes and purity.
.The Altai Mountains are a system of ranges located in the territory of several Eurasian countries – Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. Russia’s Altai Mountains, which are the highest part of Siberia, are located in two subjects of the country, the Altai Republic and Altai Krai. The northern neighbor of the mountainous region is the Novosibirsk Region, and the eastern neighbor is the Kemerovo Region. “Siberian Alps”, “Russian Tibet” – this is how they call this amazing place, which attracts with its pristine beauty, power and grandeur. Rushing mountain rivers, crystal clear lakes, gushing waterfalls, endless coniferous forests and alpine meadows – the generosity of Altai nature mesmerizes and conquers forever. The vast area of the region, including the Ukok Plateau, Katun and Altai Reserves, Lake Teletskoye and Mount Belukha, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name “Altai-Golden Mountains.”
Video: Traveling to Altai
ContentsGeneral Information
The relief of the Altai Mountains is diverse, there are: areas of ancient plains, alpinotype glacial high mountain relief, mountains of medium (1800-2000 meters) and low altitude (500-600 meters), deep hollows. The ridges are cut by numerous snow-fed rivers. Rapid water streams flow into lakes, famous for their beauty, lying in picturesque valleys. In the Altai Mountains originate the Biya and Katun rivers, which, merging, form the Ob, – one of the fullest and longest rivers in Russia.
.The highest ridge of the Altai Mountains is the Katun Range. With its snowy slopes, sharp peaks, picturesque lakes and glaciers, this part of the Altai mountain system resembles the Alps.
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The Altai Mountains are famous for caves, of which there are more than 300, especially many of them in the basin of the Katun, Anui and Charysh rivers. The Altai Mountains are a land of waterfalls, the highest of which is the 60-meter Tekelyu, flowing into the Akkem River.
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The weather in the Altai Mountains is unpredictable, so you should not rely on the forecasts of forecasters. Being in the mountains on a warm clear day, you may witness the sudden birth of a cloud and be in its thickest part.
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The climate of the region is sharply continental with cold winters and warm summers. The weather in each particular place depends on its altitude and prevailing winds. Gorny Altai is home to both the warmest place in Siberia and its cold pole. The climate is formed under the influence of Arctic masses, warm and humid winds of the Atlantic and hot air of Central Asia. Winter in the region lasts from 3 to 5 months, one of the coldest places is the Chui Valley, where the temperature drops to -32°. It is much warmer in the southern areas of the Altai Mountains, for example, in the area of Lake Teletskoye the winter is pleasant with a comfortable ten degrees of frost.In spring and fall there are frequent cold spells and frosts that last until mid-June in the high mountainous areas. The warmest month is July with an average temperature of +14 to +16°; in the highlands – from +5 to +8°, here the temperature decreases by 0.6° with increasing altitude for every 100 meters.
.In summer, the daylight hours in the region last 17 hours, which is more than in Yalta or Sochi.
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The Altai Mountains are famous for its rich flora and fauna. On the relatively small territory of the region grow almost all types of vegetation of Asia, Kazakhstan and the European part of Russia. The Altai Mountains are home to taiga, steppe, mountain tundra and alpine meadows.
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Each natural zone is inhabited by animals adapted to certain environmental conditions. Some of them – bears, maral, sable – migrate from one area to another. In the Altai Mountains there are also moose, musk deer, roe deer, gopher, fox, wolverine, squirrel and ermine. In the highlands lives the rarest animal on Earth – the irbis (snow leopard), as well as the Siberian goat and the red wolf.
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The Altai Mountains have also developed endemic species that live only here: mountain turkey, tundra partridge, Altai sarych. Other feathered species of the region are the gray goose, mallard duck, gray crane, snipe, owl, pine nutcracker.
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Sights
Lake Teletskoye is a true gem in the scattering of Altai lakes. The purest waters framed by mountains and centuries-old cedars, alpine meadows and magnificent waterfalls, remoteness from civilization are the sources of the famous lake’s charm.
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Ukok Plateau is a protected natural area, a place of concentration of burial mounds of different chronological eras. The locals believe that the plateau is the vestibule of heaven, “the end of everything”, a special sacred place to which they entrust the bodies of the dead. In many mounds, cooled by permafrost, perfectly preserved household items of great historical value have been found. The unique nature of the plateau and the surrounding Altai Mountains inspired the artist Nikolai Roerich to create world-famous paintings. In the village of Verkhny Uimon there is a house-museum of the painter, where you can see his paintings and buy copies of them.
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Chemal is a picturesque area of the Altai Mountains, where the Katun River carries its waters past mesmerizingly impregnable rocky mountains.
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Karakol lakes – 7 water bodies of amazing beauty, stretching in a chain along the western slope of the Iolgo Range. To admire the lakes, lying at an altitude of 2000 meters, you will have to use horses or a specially equipped vehicle.
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Lower Shavlinsky Lake is surrounded by the mountains Dream, Fairy Tale and Beauty in the vicinity of the village of Chibit. Pagan idols are installed on the shore of the reservoir.
The discovery of Denisova Cave, located in the valley of the Anui River in Soloneshsky District, was a notable event in world archaeology. Human remains 42,000 years old were found in the cave. In addition, the oldest cultural layer of people who lived in the cave 282,000 years ago was found here. More than 80,000 different stone household items, ironware from the 14th century, and bronze knives from later periods were found at the site of the ancient human settlement. The cave is accessible for a person with any level of physical fitness. Before the eyes of a tourist who was not too lazy to come here, there is a unique so-called “layer cake” consisting of more than 20 cultural layers formed in different eras of human existence.
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Altai Cave, one of the deepest and longest in Siberia and Altai, goes down 240 meters, and its length is 2540 meters. This natural attraction, protected as a geological natural monument, is located in the village of Cheremshanka in the Altai Territory. Altai cave is actively visited by amateur tourists and professional speleologists.
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Mount Belukha, part of the Katun Range and revered by locals as sacred, is the highest point in Siberia and Altai, towering above the picturesque valleys of the Ukok Plateau at 4,509 meters. Belukha is located at an equidistant distance from the four world oceans and is the geographical center of Eurasia. Many people who have been on Belukha or near it admit that they felt enlightenment of consciousness and incredible energy of these places. Here reigns a special atmosphere that adjusts to a philosophical mood. And it is not self-indulgence, many scientists claim that there are really powerful bioenergetic fields around the mountain. Buddhists believe that somewhere on the top of the mountain is the entrance to the fairy-tale country of Shambala, which can be seen only by the chosen ones. The sources of the main Altai river Katun originate in the glaciers of Belukha.
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Chuisky trakt is a highway Novosibirsk-Tashanta, ending at the borders of Mongolia. Driving along it, you can get acquainted with the Altai Mountains and see all their diversity.
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Other Altai Mountains sights worth seeing:
.- Aya Lake;
- Multinskiye lakes; .
- Kucherlinskie Lakes; .
- Lake Manzherok; .
- Rock paintings of primitive people in the tract of Kalbak-Tash;
- Scythian barrows of Pazyryk;
- Tavda caves;
- Altyn-Tu Mountain;
This is only a small part of the natural and man-made wonders that the Altai Mountains are rich in.
.Why go
Adherents of sports tourism have known and visited the Altai Mountains for decades. Altai’s mountain rivers are ideal for rafting on them. Speleologists descend into mysterious caves, mountaineers storm mountain peaks, paragliders soar over picturesque landscapes, for lovers of hiking nature has prepared countless places of stunning beauty. Equestrian tourism is well developed in Altai, which gives an opportunity to visit the most inaccessible corners of the region, where you can see red-listed argali rams, lakes of unreal beauty, to hear the inimitable and heart-rending cries of red deer during the rut.
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Tourist Information
It is not difficult to find suitable accommodation in the tourist areas of the Altai Mountains – everywhere there are campgrounds of different comfort levels, hotels and pensions. Many locals offer accommodation in the private sector for a very reasonable fee.
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Communication in the Altai Mountains is available in all major tourist destinations. It is not unreasonable to have SIM cards of two or three operators, because in some areas the connection is better in some areas with Beeline, and in others – with Megaphone.
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Going to Altai even in the height of summer, be sure to stock up on warm clothes – in the mountainous areas night temperatures can drop to +5 °.
.Altai is a region where the ixodid tick is widespread, carrying encephalitis, borreliosis, Lyme disease and other dangerous infections. In order to protect yourself, it is recommended to get vaccinated in advance or purchase medical insurance, which entitles you to a free injection of immunoglobulin in case of a bite from an infected insect. If you plan to visit forest areas, it is necessary to take with you special clothing that prevents access of the dangerous parasite to the body. Also stock up on appropriate repellents. While in nature, be sure to periodically examine yourself and remove the ticks that have attached themselves to your clothes. If the insect does bite you, it should be removed by throwing a loop of string over it. Slightly wiggling, slowly pull the tick out of the bite site, being careful not to crush it so that its stomach contents do not enter your bloodstream. After removing the parasite, lubricate the wound with iodine and wash your hands thoroughly.
.Popular souvenirs from the Altai Mountains – honey, antlers, pine nuts, teas from high-mountain herbs, original wooden products of local people, amulets, national musical instruments and household items.
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In places that are sacred to the Altai people, you should not indulge in partying, shouting and littering. Do not indulge your ego – do not leave ugly inscriptions “Here was…” on man-made and natural sights of Altai. From tourists, locals expect respectful attitude to their land, ancestors and wildlife.
.How to get there
It is most convenient to get to Altai from Novosibirsk – by train or bus to Barnaul or Biysk. From these cities there are several flights a day to Gorno-Altaisk and other settlements in the region. If you are traveling by car, from Novosibirsk you should take the M-52 highway (Chuisky trakt).
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