Lake Talmennoe. Horse riding tour to Altai

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A horse-riding tour to the upper reaches of the Katun River to the Talmenye protected lake passes through places where tourists rarely visit. On the trails of the route, there are mainly rangers of the Katun Biosphere Reserve, one of the cordons of which is located on the shore of Lake Talmen.

The tour takes you through the wild places of Ust-Koksinsky district. It has amazing panoramas of mountain ranges and valleys, is practically not mastered by tourists, will be especially interesting to lovers of wild, pristine nature, rare plant species, as well as fishermen.

Location

Altai Republic, Gorno-Altaisk

Horse riding tours

from

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Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)

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Tour highlights

Equestrian adventure

We will pass fords and mountain passes riding on faithful horses, enjoying the primeval nature of the wild

Hot bathhouse

Before and after the hike, we will steam in a real Siberian bathhouse, recharge our batteries and wash away fatigue

A rich catch

Fishing enthusiasts will be able to try their luck in the mountain lakes and cook their delicious catch, there are a lot of fish in the lakes

The stormy Soloukha Waterfall

We will walk to the picturesque waterfall with a drop height of about 40 meters

With the breeze on the boat

We will race along the water surface of the beautiful lake Talmenye – with greenish-turquoise water and protected shores

Itinerary

Day 1 - Taezhnik tourist complex – Kaitanak village – Maly Sugash tract
Tourists will have a day trip with a length of about 380 km, part of the way runs along the famous Chui tract, then the road goes south-west towards Ust-Koksa and then about 30 km to the small village of Kaitanak.
The group will overcome a number of passes (Seminsky, or Chakyrsky, as well as Yabogan), including the breathtaking Gromotukha Pass just before entering Ust-Koksa.
At the end of the trip, tourists will find a winter quarters – a parking area equipped with a wooden house and a sauna.
Tourists will travel the last 8 kilometers from Kaitanak to the parking lot on the Maly Sugash River by tractor.
On the way, parking lots are supposed to be taken in the most picturesque places, as well as lunch and a snack.
In the evening, tourists will find a sauna and a bonfire of acquaintances.
car 378 km.

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Day 2 - Maly Sugash tract – Vorovskoi klyuch – Kholodny Belok Pass – Valakchet tract
On this day, tourists will disassemble the horses, load personal belongings and provisions on them and set off on their way.
First, the trail will go along the valley of the Vorovskaya Klyuch River, then the group will climb the mountain to the Kholodny Belok pass.
Here travelers will find the first, but far from the last panorama of the Katunsky ridge spurs.
The crests of the passes, creeping one on top of another, distant squirrels – cold and inaccessible, valleys-depressions stretching for many kilometers, winding ribbons of rivers, appearing from a height like thin snakes – and as always, only one thought: in the photo you will not save this volume and space!
Descent from the pass into the Valacceta valley, where the group sets up camp for the night.
horses are 20 km away.

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Day 3 - Valakcheta tract – Zalavok Pass – Zaychonok tract – Quiet Dog River – Travel Dog River
Tourists will have to overcome several passes and ferment the Quiet Dog River.
The path to the lake runs between the passes of the Katunsky ridge, about 2 thousand meters high, which seem endless.
But the efforts to overcome them are compensated by the beautiful view that opens from a height.
Mountain streams are fast and rocky, but it will not be difficult to overcome them – horses are accustomed to cold water.
Against the background of thundering streams, the Quiet Dog River stands out – there are truly quiet backwaters with large stones, from which streams of water flow smoothly.
The group will stay overnight on the Proezdnaya-Dog River.
horses are 30 km away.

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Day 4 - The Travel Dog River – Bolsherechensky Pass – Khariuzovsky pass – Lake Talmenye
The last crossing on the way to the lake.
Bolsherechensky Pass is quite long and has severe weather conditions.
The trail is partly rocky, partly overgrown with bushes and grass.
Wet snow is possible at the top of the pass even in summer.
The Khariuzovsky Pass is quite steep.
It is usually traversed on foot, leading the horses.
A steep climb of about 500-700 meters opens up in front of you an amazing lake, turquoise and calm, like a handful of water squeezed between two ridges, as in the palms of a giant.
horses are 16 km away.

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Day 5 - A day's rest. Walking around the lake. Ascent to the observation deck
Talmenye (Taimenye, Talmennoye) lake is located at an altitude of about 1.5 thousand meters above sea level on the southern slope of the western part of the Katun ridge, a hundred kilometers from the nearest settlement.
This is the largest lake in the upper reaches of the Katun River, about one and a half kilometers long with a maximum depth of 68 m.
Grayling and lenok are found here, a relict fish that the discoverers mistook for talmen.
The lake is a natural monument and is part of the Katunsky Nature Reserve.
There are 15 species of rare plants growing in its vicinity and about 30 species of wild animals, including lynx, sable and even snow leopard.
There is a cordon on the western shore of the lake, where the rangers live.
There are gazebos, a sauna, wooden houses for tourists, electricity, motorboats.
The Katun ridge is characterized by the fact that in summer the weather is mostly warm and sunny.
The shores of the lake are flat, and therefore you can swim here safely – in hot weather, the water warms up in the coastal zone.
walking distance is 4 km.

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Day 6 - A day's rest. Radial access to the Soloukha Waterfall
The group will travel by motorboat to the eastern shore of the lake in the protected area.
A walk on the water surface will bring a lot of positive emotions.
This beautiful lake with greenish-turquoise water stretches 5420 m in length.
Its basin was formed by the movement of an ancient glacier, which left a moraine shaft at the end of its path, springing up the lake.
The maximum width of Talmen Lake is 1080 m, and the average is 700 m.
The eastern shore is gently sloping, densely overgrown with larch forest with an admixture of cedar.
The western shore is steep, with larch woodlands and tall-grass subalpine meadows, on this shore there are areas of steep cliffs with a height of up to 100 m.
The opposite shore gives the impression of absolute wilderness.
Only a gazebo, toilets, and forbidding signs remind of the existence of a person here – you can not hunt on the shore, land helicopters, or make bonfires.
The group will take a walk along the riverbed to a picturesque waterfall with a drop height of about 40 meters.
Fishing with a fishing rod is possible by agreement with the rangers.
There are a lot of fish in the lake: this can be seen both by the fry scurrying along the shore, and by the splashes of water from jumping fish.
the boat is 10 km away, on foot 4 km.

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Day 7 - Lake Talmenye – Khariuzovsky Pass – Bolsherechensky Pass – Quiet Dog River
The way back runs through the passes already familiar to tourists.
You can ride up the mountain from the lake, and then you will have to overcome a small but steep descent on foot.
How the Bolsherechensky Pass will meet the group this time depends on the weather.
Maybe it will snow here, or maybe the sun will shine.
Tourists will spend the night on the Quiet Dog River.
Here, in a quiet backwater, it is quite possible to swim, wash clothes and just wash up.
horses 28 km.

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Day 8 - Quiet Dog River – Zaychonok tract – Cheltugash Pass – Bolshoy Sugash River – Maly Sugash tract
The final day of the equestrian part of the route.
Today, the group's path will run mainly through valleys.
But it won't be boring.
Here and there the plain is bordered by ridges and bizarre rock formations.
It seems that the road going over the horizon rests against the clouds.
After crossing the Bolshoy Sugash River, the group will return to the winter quarters on the Small Sugash.
Here tourists will have a rest, a sauna and a farewell bonfire.
horses are 30 km away.

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Day 9 - Transfer to the tour complex "Taezhnik". Departure
Moving from the Small Sugash tract to the village of Kaitanak is carried out by tractor, then we load things onto the car and go to the Taezhnik tourist complex.
Exit.
Attention! The time indicated is local, the difference from Moscow is +4!
Departure by regular bus to Novosibirsk in the evening of the same day at 22:30, or the next day at 8:40, 11:30, 22:30, travel time is 9-10 hours. Departure by regular bus to Barnaul the next day at 08:40, 9:40, 11:30, 16:00, travel time is 5-6 hours.
For those who have ordered an individual transfer from Barnaul, the departure time is negotiated individually.
Delivery to the airport of Gorno-Altaisk is carried out by the time of departure of the aircraft.
car 378 km.

Difficulty

Only for experienced and physically fit hikers. Requires specific skills and equipment

Tour organizer's comments

The route is difficult, for tourists to participate in it, it is advisable to have experience of horseback riding in the Altai Mountains, or a good level of physical fitness (if in doubt, we recommend for beginners to first try their hand at the routes of the Karakol Lakes, a trip to the Red Lakes, Diving into the Altai, you can also consult on the selection of a tour).

The peculiarity of this horseback hike is that most of the route is laid through 7 passes, crossing the ridges across. Part of the active route is on foot, since the slopes along which the trail is laid are quite steep.

Accommodation

Tent

8 nights

Comfort

Basic

The tour includes accommodation in tents.

Tour conditions

Group

up to 12 tourists

Minimum age

14 years old

Duration

9 days 8 nights

Group meets at

Altai Republic, Gorno-Altaisk

Included in price

transportation, according to the tour program;
payment for camping sites (payment for a place for tents in equipped camping sites);
sauna according to the tour program;
horse rental;
payment for the work of instructors, grooms;
payment of recreational fees;
payment of accident insurance and medical insurance;
payment for three meals a day;
equipment rental.

Paid extra

air and railway tickets to Gorno-Altaysk, Baranul, Novosibirsk;
transfer to the Taezhnik tourist complex and back from any cities except Gorno-Altaysk (airport, on the day of the start of the tour);
Antiklesh insurance, it can be purchased separately, the cost of insurance is 400 rubles, its validity period is 365 days, it is issued for each tourist separately, and insurance can also be purchased at any insurance agency independently.

It's important to know

1. A backpack, a suitcase or a large travel bag, that is, something in which it is convenient to carry things to the base, special means are issued on the route for transporting things (archimak (saddlebag) and a dry run).

2. Hiking shoes you need to have boots that can be leather, rubber, or birch, the main thing is that they do not get wet and cover the boot from rubbing against the stirrup strap (putlishche), in extreme cases high boots (boots). But rubber boots are preferable, because they do not get wet from the outside, and if water gets inside, they are quite easy to dry by the fire, while they do not deform if you follow the small drying rules.

3. Running shoes or trekking boots for radial exits. Avoid new, unworn shoes. If you choose trekking boots, keep in mind that not all of them can really be dried in field conditions, and when drying by the campfire they can deform and become practically unusable.

4. Replacement shoes for camping (slates).

5. Comfortable clothing for horse crossings and radial pedestrian crossings –trousers made of dense soft fabric that do not restrict movement, without rough internal seams, made of light quick-drying material, preferably cotton. A shirt or a long sleeve T-shirt. A windbreaker made of thick material. A suit for hunters or fishermen, or something similar, is suitable, the main thing is that it is comfortable and does not rustle.

6. A set of clothes for camping and overnight stays – trousers, shirt, shorts, T-shirt, thermal underwear is ideal for overnight stays, it will also help out if the weather deteriorates.

7. A warm sweater or hoodie (preferably fleece or wool material).

8. A warm jacket (synthetic or down jacket). Keep in mind the fact that the sintepon is much easier to dry. If someone thinks that warm clothes will not be needed in July, I assure you that this is not the case. The weather in the mountains is extremely unpredictable.

9. A warm hat (fleece or wool).

10. A cap or panama hat that covers the face and eyes from direct sunlight, or a bandana.

11. Gloves (even simple cotton ones will do).

12. Socks – 2-3 pairs of cotton or linen, 2 pairs of wool

13. A splash-proof raincoat or suit that can withstand light rain. On the equestrian route, UGC (Combined Arms Protective Kit) is issued to protect against rain - a long rubber raincoat with a hood

14. A bathing suit to enjoy sunbathing or take a dip in a mountain pond.

15. Toilet and hygiene supplies. Including hygienic lipstick and sunscreen with a high protection factor (UF 50). Towels, shampoo, soap are required.

16. Sunglasses that protect the eyes from ultraviolet rays in the mountains.

17. A small flashlight (headlamp).

18. Individual medicines, the instructor takes the main first-aid kit with him, but if you have an individual intolerance to any standard drugs or need for specific or strictly prescription medicines, take your own.

19. A small water flask. You can use a plastic bottle with a capacity of 0.5 liters., but it is very desirable to have a flask that can be attached to a belt or fastened to a saddle with a carabiner, or otherwise secured.

20. A camera or video camera (optional) with hermetically sealed packaging. and do not forget a spare battery for it, or an external energy storage device, because there will be a lot of species that you want to capture, but there is nowhere to recharge!.

21. Tourist seat (hob).

22. Personal tableware (plate, spoon, mug)

23. For the convenience of packaging, it is recommended to have small bags or garbage bags, and for additional splash protection of things and protection from dirt in archimacs, I recommend having dense plastic bags with a volume of 160-180 liters in the amount of 4 pieces.

The requirement for a set of personal items. Nothing superfluous or sharp (without appropriate packages, which can damage the hermetic packaging).

Advice from the tour organizers: to buy air tickets to the airport in Gorno-Altaysk (the capital of the Altai Republic) from the arrival time to 12:00 because delivery from the airport to the Taiga takes 25 minutes.

The cost of group delivery from Gorno-Altaisk airport to the Taezhnik tourist complex (round trip) As a GIFT when purchasing this tour.

The rest of the delivery is for an additional fee.

The order of the delivery option is carried out at any time from the moment of booking the tour, but no later than 7 days before its start. When booking a tour, be sure to tell us which delivery option is preferable for you, the manager will help you arrange a transfer (a place in prefabricated cars, a regular or tourist bus).

Delivery from Novosibirsk in both directions is carried out on regular buses of the Novosibirsk bus station, or on tourist buses, depending on the selected date of the tour, if tourist buses do not run on the day you need - tickets are purchased by tourists on their own on the website https://e-traffic.ru / or on another website that sells tickets, or at the ticket offices of the Novosibirsk bus station.

To make it to the beginning of the tour, you need to purchase a ticket for the Novosibirsk - Chemal flight, to the Manzherok village stop (get off before reaching 2.5 km to the village near the monument to Shishkov, or at the Taezhnik t\ k, which you ask the driver in advance) with a departure time from the bus station at 22:15 (from the bus station located near the railway train station - 22:45), departure date on the day preceding the start date of the tour. Tickets can be purchased 10 days before departure day.

The return trip is carried out by bus from Chemal to Novosibirsk, the departure time from Taezhnik is 22:40 - 23:00, the bus must be stopped at Taezhnik (Important! tickets must be purchased from Manzherok village to Barnaul/Novosibirsk, those who purchase tickets from the village of Manzherok receive a call from the staff of the bus station and specify where to pick them up. No one calls those who purchase tickets from the Chemal bus station, their tickets are automatically canceled if they are not on board).

The arrival time in Novosibirsk is 7:15, when purchasing tickets from Novosibirsk, you need to take this into account.

The cost of delivery depends on the cost of flight tickets.

Check with the manager about the availability of the delivery option in prefabricated cars (taxis) on your date.

Delivery from Barnaul:

Meeting at Barnaul airport (from 5:50 to 7:50 am), meeting at Barnaul railway station from 8:00 to 9:00 am.

If you arrived in Barnaul in advance or live there, you will coordinate the meeting place with the driver, he will pick you up if he is on his way, if not, he will indicate the meeting place.

The car leaves if the delivery group is assembled in full.

The driver will have your contact phone numbers, along with information about the place and time of the meeting, the driver will contact you.

Cars do NOT go on the route without meeting all tourists, provided that all planes arrive on time (the waiting time can be adjusted by 1 hour).

If the plane is late for 1 hour or more, the formed cars are sent on the flight, your contact details are transferred to the driver of another car and the departure time depends on the set of the car.

We kindly ask you to TURN on your phones immediately after boarding the plane so that the drivers can contact you and take with them those phones whose numbers are indicated in the application.

Departure from the Taezhnik train station is carried out at 22:30 on the day of the end of the route (optional), or at 10:30 - 11:00 the next day.

The journey time is 3-4 hours.

In the absence of cars, departure by regular bus is possible.

The cost of delivery in prefabricated cars: from 2500.00 one way, depending on the class of car (the cost is approximate, depends on the carrier's tariff, the organizer helps to organize the transfer, delivery is carried out by local carriers (taxis).

Payment is made directly to the driver who made the delivery.

It is possible to arrange an individual transfer at any time, in agreement with us, the cost of such a transfer starts from 8000,00 rubles per car, such a transfer is ordered in advance.

The meeting at the airport of Gorno-Altaysk is carried out according to the arrival time of the aircraft.

We ask you to inform us about the actual delays in departure time (by message, NOT by phone, to 8-913-990-67-74, so that we can meet you in a timely manner.

We will inform you about which car will meet you with a message either on the evening before arrival or during your flight.

We kindly ask you to TURN on your phones immediately after boarding the plane so that the drivers can contact you and take with them those phones whose numbers are indicated in the application. A group transfer means that if you and other tourists arrive on flights with a boarding gap of less than 1 hour, those who arrived earlier will wait for the next plane and tourists arriving on it to board. It is possible to arrange individual delivery from / to the airport to Taiga, if you do not want to go by group transfer for 1000 rubles / car (one way) capacity from 1 to 4 people.

All of the above delivery options can be combined!

Attention! One day before the start of the route, tourists are sent the car number and the phone number of the driver who meets them. therefore, please specify the correct phone numbers so that it is convenient to contact the driver. for those arriving at the airport in Gorno-Altaisk, the driver's contacts and driver's number are sent immediately before arrival.

Dates and Prices

The tour dates are not confirmed yet. Please, for clarification

$736

6 – 14 Jul, 2025 9 days 8 nights

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$736

21 – 29 Jul, 2025 9 days 8 nights

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