Horse riding tour to the chain of seven Karakol lakes

The Karakol River, which is a tributary of the Elekmonar River, has always attracted a large number of tourists. Why? The thing is that there are seven amazingly beautiful lakes here. In ancient times, the lakes were called "the eyes of the earth", even now you can sometimes find such a name. This is not surprising, because the Karakol lakes are really like eyes: clean, perfect, of bizarre shapes and sizes. The lakes are very interestingly located. They stretch like a chain along a mountain range overgrown with fir and ancient beautiful cedars. The highest altitude above sea level is 2000 m, the lowest lake is at an altitude of 1500 m.

If you want to see snow even on a hot July day, go on a horseback trip to the Karakol Lakes, because crystal white snowfields always lie near Lake Superior. The location of the lakes also attracts attention: they are located along the ridge in the form of a "chain". How amazingly accurate, sometimes, nature is. It was as if an invisible artist decided to put beautiful reservoirs on the canvas of the earth, adhering to certain proportions.

The lakes are located in the Chemalsky district, which was the reason why tourists like to look here. But, it is not so easy to get to the lakes themselves. That's probably why nature is pristine and untouched here, which makes the place even more beautiful. To see the pristine beauty, book a horse riding tour to the Karakol Lakes with us. Horses are the most convenient way to get to these places. Traveling slowly, you can admire the beauty of the local landscapes, lakes, passes, mountain streams and waterfalls, the grandeur of the mountain taiga. The tour lies through the valleys of the Elikmonar River, picturesque mountain ranges, sometimes wading through shallow mountain rivers. You can also enjoy the view of the majestic mountains, crossing the stormy rivers on wooden bridges.

When booking a tour for a foreign citizen (including CIS countries), all data must be provided 2 months before the start of the tour. You must have a passport with you.

It all depends on the child's activity and previous hiking experience. Children of this age took this route, but still we advise children under 14 to choose another, simpler tour. One of the parents or guardians must be with the child.

Air and railway tickets are not included in the price of the tour. You can purchase them yourself or contact us for help.

the first day of the tour (the day of arrival), tourists pay for breakfast and lunch themselves. Stops will be made at roadside cafes along the way.

During the hike, the guide-guide organizes three meals a day. Hot meals are provided for breakfast and dinner, lunch is provided with a lunch package. Food is cooked over a campfire, a gas burner or a primus stove. If you wish, you can help your guide. The tourists wash the dishes (plates, cups, cutlery) themselves.

The following products are purchased during the campaign: cereals (rice, buckwheat, hercules), pasta, milk powder, sausage, stew, cheese, dried fruits and nuts, chocolate, condensed milk, coffee, tea, bread, crackers, sweets, cookies, vegetables (potatoes, carrots, cabbage), fruits. The choice of products depends on the type of tour, its complexity and duration. On the route, the food is supplemented with fresh fish, berries (depending on the season and the area – raspberries, blueberries, currants, rosehip, shiksha), wild onions.

When hiking, we take water from streams, rivers, or, during winter mountain hikes, we drown it from snow and ice.

Tourists are sure to help the guides to prepare firewood for the kitchen and evening campfire.

The kitchen fire is served by a guide.

It is forbidden to dry personal and group items during cooking. Clothes can be dried on a campfire built for this purpose. Tourists maintain such a campfire on their own, without using firewood prepared for a kitchen fire.

Special information for vegetarians, vegans and people on a special menu for medical reasons.

If you do not eat meat, fish or milk, they will be put into a common pot before cooking, and you can set aside soup or porridge without them. However, products are purchased based on the needs of the majority of tourists. The list includes meat and fish pates, stewed meat, cheeses, sausages, condensed milk and powdered milk. Vegetable products are also present: cereals, vegetables, nuts, fruits and dried fruits, but their quantity is calculated for each of the participants of the hike in equal volume.

Important! Unfortunately, we cannot purchase special products and add them to the menu. There are usually no more than 1-2 vegetarians in a group of 10 people, and trying to provide them with vegetarian products means organizing individual meals. This will distract the guide's attention, which he needs for a high-quality tour organization. Therefore, if you adhere to a certain food system for personal beliefs or medical reasons, we recommend that you take your usual nutritious foods with you for a snack and as an addition to a hot meal.

Please let us know by which transport and at what time you arrive in Novosibirsk, Barnaul or Biysk. Also specify the flight or train number. Time difference between Moscow and Novosibirsk/Barnaul/The time limit is +4 hours. That is, if it is 12:00 in Moscow, the local time is 16:00.

The meeting of tourists is carried out:

• at the railway station of Novosibirsk from 03:00 to 04:00 local time;
• at the airport of Barnaul from 07:00 to 08:00 am local time;
• at the railway station of Barnaul from 08:30 to 09:00 am local time;
• at the railway station of the city of Biysk approximately from 11:00 to 12:00 local time;
• at the Gorno-Altaysk airport, approximately from 13:00 to 14:00 local time.

A bus will meet you at the appointed time. Look for it in the car park near the train station or airport. If you can't find the bus, you can contact the driver. It is possible to wait at the meeting points and in the office in Biysk on the day of arrival.

We will send you the exact information: the registration number of the bus, its make and the driver's phone number in an SMS the day before the meeting. Wait for the message at 14:00 – 15:00 local time. In case of force majeure (bus breakdown, driver change), there may be a slight delay in the mailing list.

Backpacks and equipment are transported in the trunk or cabin, depending on the size of the bus. The driver does not make unplanned stops in the city, so please arrive at the designated meeting place on time.

If your flight is late, try to inform the tour operator immediately.

The day of arrival is considered the day of the start of the Altai tour.

After gathering the group, you will arrive in Biysk at the transshipment base (office, warehouse). Here you can apply for documents, including insurance, pay for the tour, as well as get acquainted with the guide and get equipment.

Things that are unnecessary on the route can be left in the luggage room. Be sure to sign your bags and packages! Valuables (computers, phones), documents, tickets and money are not accepted in the luggage room. The company is not responsible for the safety of valuables.

From Biysk, the group travels to the starting point of the active part of the tour, traveling from 4 to 11 hours, depending on the route, with small stops. Please do not delay the group at the stops.

Important information! The distance from Novosibirsk to Biysk is about 350 km. It is 160 km from Barnaul to Biysk.

From Biysk, you will have to get to the starting point of the active part of the tour. For example, from Biysk to Chibit — 450 km, to Tyungur — 570 km, to Bolshoy Yaloman — 350 km.

We recommend calculating the route so that you arrive in Biysk the day before the start of the tour and relax at the hotel. Another option is to choose a night train flight, which will tire you less than a daytime one. For example, you can take a train that leaves Novosibirsk at 22:12 and arrives in Biysk at 07:41.

Attention! The tour operator's service begins at the beginning of the active part of the route (Biysk), at the time of meeting with the conductor, and ends at the end of the active part (Biysk).

The return trip at the end of the tour in Altai is carried out depending on the program of the last day. Approximately in Gorno-Altaisk / Biysk / Barnaul / You will be in Novosibirsk:

• in Gorno-Altaisk, approximately: 18:00 - 19:00 (local time);
• in Biysk approximately: 20:30 - 21:30 (local time);
• in Barnaul, approximately: 23:00 - 00:00 (local time);
• in Novosibirsk, approximately: 03:00 – 04:00 (local time) the next day.

It is possible to arrive a few hours earlier than the designated time.

It is better to take a return ticket from Barnaul on the day following the last day of the tour. If the tour ends on July 10, then you need to take a ticket back on July 11. You can stay overnight in hotels or hostels.

The bus does not deliver to hotels, but follows only the designated route. Gorno-Altaysk Airport – Biysk railway station – Barnaul railway station – Novosibirsk railway station. If you need to go to the hotel, then provide additional taxi costs.

You need to take a return ticket with a margin of at least 2 hours from the time of arrival. This is especially true for the train departing from Barnaul railway station at 00:30, we usually catch it, but on the road, for various reasons beyond our control, delays are possible. If you do not catch this train or other transport without a 2 o'clock time reserve, then the company is not responsible. Drivers will not participate in the race against time.

Those who travel to Novosibirsk, in particular to the airport, need to set the travel time from the railway station in Novosibirsk itself to the airport.

There are practically no mosquitoes and midges on the route, if there are, then not in large numbers and as an exception. The tick is active mainly in April, May and June. There are practically none in July and August.

To prevent a tick bite, you should follow the following rules:

1. Clothes should fit snugly to the body, preferably with elastic cuffs on the arms and on the legs of the trousers. It is easier to notice a tick on plain clothes.

2. Special chemicals, creams, and aerosols should also be used. One of the means of prevention and treatment of tick-borne encephalitis is "Iodantipyrin", a drug that has antiviral, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. This drug is sold in pharmacies.

3. When a tick is bitten, it is not recommended to try to remove it yourself. It is necessary to contact medical professionals or route instructors who have experience in such situations. Remember that the sooner the tick is removed, the lower the dose of the pathogen it will transmit.

Yes, we have a sauna on the first and seventh day of the tour.

There is no cellular connection in the mountains, you can only call home on the day of arrival and the day of departure.
It will be possible to charge gadgets only at the base in the Karakol tract, so if you plan to take a lot of photos, it is better to take a spare battery.

Our standard tents are for three or two people. Instructors always try to make the participants as comfortable as possible for everyone, since psychological comfort in the group is the most important component. It is also possible to move from one tent to another during a hike. If you are going as a couple, then we will not get a third person to join you. If you want to take your tent, then it's possible.

1-2 instructor guides and 1-2 grooms will work with you on the route, depending on the number of people in the group.

Check-in on other dates is possible, but only on condition that you arrive with your own company or a group of 2 people or more. Please check with the manager the possibility of individual check-in and the cost of this tour.

The temperature in the mountains ranges from +35 at noon to 0 at night. The mountain climate is changeable and harsh – frosts are possible in September, May and even in summer. The weather is changing rapidly – a clear and quiet day can suddenly turn into rainy and windy. Fog is often present, sleet is possible, unexpected thunderstorms and gale force winds. Therefore, we ask the tour participants to bring clothes suitable for all types of weather. Your comfort on the hike, your health and safety directly depend on the right clothes and equipment.

The main condition for participating in the tour is the ability to withstand moderate physical activity. The technical skills necessary to pass obstacles, organize overnight stays and others are acquired directly on the route. Therefore, if you have no health restrictions, you can book a tour.

There are certain requirements for the weight of the tourist. It is desirable that the weight of the traveler does not exceed 100-110 kg, but exceptions to the rules are allowed. Be sure to inform us additionally that your weight exceeds the established norm. If your weight is more than 100 kg, but not more than 120, then you will need to take an additional horse for the load, which is paid additionally.