A car tour of the Altai Mountains. When the maralnik blooms

At 9:00 we vacate the rooms, have breakfast and hit the road to enjoy the scenery of the Chuisky tract.

According to National Geographic magazine, the road ranks fifth in the list of the most beautiful roads on the planet.

The frequent change of scenery, photo shoots in the maralnik flowering areas, and small walks in the brightest locations of the highway will delight and make this day unforgettable.

We will arrive at the accommodation later in the evening.

Check-in at the base, rest.

Impressions of the day: the Seminsky pass, the Chike-Taman pass, the Yalomanskaya Arc, the place of power – the confluence of the Chuya and Katuni rivers, the Katun Terraces, the archaeological complex Adyr-Kan, the old Chuisky tract.

Breakfast and back on the road.

Today we are waiting for the most remote region of the Altai Republic with exotic landscapes similar to the neighboring territories of Mongolia.

We will stop in the Kurai steppe and enjoy the views of the glaciers of the North Chuya Range– the largest in Central Asia.

Next, we will switch to off-road transport and plunge into the atmosphere of space travel in the valley of the Chagan-Uzun River.

The Martian and lunar landscapes of the tract give the impression that you are on another planet.

After lunch, we will admire the beauty of the Blue Lake on the Mena River.

Underground springs erode silt and blue-white clay at the bottom and create bizarre patterns.

What kind of drawings will we see today? Return to the campsite, free time.

Impressions of the day: Geyser Lake, Kurai and Chuya steppe, North Chuya ridge, “Altai Mars", "Moon".

Difficulty of the day: moving to UAZ-loaf, 40 km of dirt road.

At 9:00 we vacate the rooms, have breakfast and set off along the Ulagan highway along the Chibitka River to the land of a thousand lakes.

The landscape around you will gradually change, the trees will become lower, the temperature will drop, and the picture will resemble a high-altitude tundra.

We will visit the complex of five large mounds of the Pazyryk tract and touch the ancient secrets of Altai.

The burial mounds belong to the elite of the Pazyryk society and date back to the 5th–4th centuries BC.

Then, from the observation deck, from a height of 800 m, we will admire the magnificent view of the valley of the Chulyshman River and the surrounding mountains.

After lunch and accommodation at the recreation center, we will cross the Chulyshman river and walk to the Kurkure waterfall.

At the end of spring, the waterfall is especially impressive with its rapid rapid flow.

Impressions of the day: Red Gate, Ulagan pass, "Royal" mounds, Uzun-kel Lake, Uch-kel lake, Katu-Yaryk pass, Kurkure waterfall.

Difficulty of the day: hiking down the Katu-Yaryk pass – 3.5 km, height difference – 800 m, dirt road, dust; trekking to the waterfall, without climbing the mountain – 3 km; dirt road – 100 km.

At 9:00 we vacate the rooms, have breakfast and go deep into the Chulyshmansky canyon.

On the way, we will stop on the banks of the Chulyshman River and from the observation deck we will be impressed by one of the largest waterfalls in Russia – Kuluzun and the power of the Tudan rapids.

Then a walking tour in the Ak-Kurum tract to the Stone mushrooms.

The unusual rock formations resemble mushrooms, thanks to their “caps” and “legs”.

They seem to live their own lives, changing shape and size under the influence of natural forces.

Going up to the Stone Mushrooms, we will enjoy a stunning view of the winding waters of the Chulyshman River and its quiet tract.

After lunch, we set off on the way back towards the village of Aktash.

We will make a stop at the Ulagan pass, walk to the observation deck and Kidel Lake.

In the evening – dinner, accommodation at the base, a farewell bonfire.

Impressions of the day: Stone mushrooms, Tudan threshold, Katu-Yaryk pass, Kedelu-Kel Lake, Red Gate.

Difficulty of the day: hiking up the Katu-Yaryk pass – 3.5 km, height difference – 800 m, dirt road, stones, dust; trekking on Stone mushrooms – 2.5 km, height difference – 500 m; dirt road – 180 km.

At 8:00 we vacate the rooms, have breakfast and set off along the Chuisky highway on the way back.

To make the road interesting, we planned to visit several fascinating places: the Ilgumen threshold on the Katun River, the Ininsky sand pillars and the Tsaplinsky Bridge.

In the evening, with a lot of emotions and a lot of memories, we return to Barnaul.

Impressions of the day: Chuisky tract, Ilgumen threshold, Ininsky sand pillars, Tsaplinsky Bridge, Seminsky Pass, Chike-Taman pass, Yalomanskaya Arc, Katun Terraces, old Chuisky tract.