Altai Reserve
Altai Reserve is located in the mountains of Southern Siberia. It is a land of mountains and rushing mountain rivers, a realm of giant trees and a country of ancient wild animals. A walk through the mountainous taiga landscapes of the reserve mesmerizes with its unpredictability. Vertical belts, steppe, forest, subalpine and alpine, changing each other while climbing up the mountains, hide their secrets. Even the forests on the territory of the reserve are different. In the north there are almost only fir trees, to the south – cedars, in the south – deciduous species.
- General information
- History of creation
- Plant life
Animal World - This is Interesting
- Visitor Information
General Information
On the tops of the Altai Mountains you can see perhaps some of the most beautiful places on the planet – alpine meadows. Here, the “realm of permafrost” above has not yet begun, but the monotonous tundra has already ended. Alpine meadows are not only found in the Alps. It is a collective name used to refer to low-grass vegetation at the upper limit of its existence in the Pyrenees, Apennines, Cordilleras, Caucasus and Altai. In an extremely short warm period, a real miracle is formed here – a continuous carpet of grasses and flowers.
.
The world of Altai animals is rich and diverse: from squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) and Asian chipmunks (Tamias sibiricus) to marals (Cervus maral), bears (Ursus arctos) and wolverines (Gulo gulo). One of the most remarkable animals is the lynx (Lynx lynx). It has mastered all landscapes and habitats of the Altai, climbing trees, running and swimming. Lynx fur is considered an object of special chic, so these animals are endangered.
Wolverine is a predatory animal of the marten family, resembling both a bear and a badger. Having disproportionate proportions of the body long paws (with a maximum body length of 86 cm average length of limbs – 10 cm), the animal easily, as on skis, moving on the snow cover.
.
Among all the inhabitants of the Reserve, birds most clearly characterize its main feature: altitudinal zonality. In general, 323 species of birds inhabit the Altai Reserve. Black-throated loon (Gavia arctica) and red-cheeked grebe (Podiceps auritus) are found in water bodies. In the forests one can always see the warbler (Phylloscopus collybita) and the song thrush (Turdus philomelos).
.There are 14 species of fish in the waters of Lake Teletskoye, among which the most common are taimen (Hucho taimen), Taurus grayling (Thymallus arcticus), and lenok (Brachymystax lenok).
.This is interesting
The main attraction of the Altai Reserve is Lake Teletskoye, which is 78 kilometers long and has a maximum depth of 325 meters. About 400 years ago, along the shores of the lake lived tribes that called themselves Teles, thanks to which the name appeared. But the local population called it Altyn-Kel – “Golden Lake”. Besides the main river Chulyshman, 70 rivers and more than 150 temporary watercourses flow into it. Lake Teletskoye flows into the Biya River, feeding the Ob with its waters. Korbu Waterfall, a natural monument since 1978, is located at the foot of the Korbu Ridge, a hundred meters from the shore of Lake Teletskoye. It, as well as the whole right bank of the lake, is on the territory of the Altai Reserve. The only way to get to Korbu is by boat on the lake. And such excursions are very popular among tourists.
.
There is a unique natural phenomenon in the Uimonskaya steppe near the Chulyshman valley – stone mushrooms, rock formations that have formed over millennia under the influence of erosion and weathering.
.Information for visitors
Reserve regime
The Altai Reserve can be visited by agreement with its administration. The Teletskiy school of youth ecological tourism has been established at the reserve. A number of interesting ecological routes are constantly operating.
How to get there
You can get to Gorno-Altaisk by train, further – by car or shuttle bus to the village of Artybash at the mouth of Lake Teletskoye. After that – lake communication. By car you can get to the village of Yailyu – the central estate of the Altai Nature Reserve.
.Where to stay
In the villages of Iogach, Artybash, located near the reserve, at the mouth of Lake Teletskoye, there is a network of campsites, tourist bases and “green” houses. There is an information center of the Altai Reserve, where you can find out all the information about accommodation, excursions and other tourist services. In the village of Yailyu there is a guest house, as well as “green” houses of local residents, where you can stay by prior arrangement.
.
