On the land of the snow leopard. Diving in Altai

In the morning we will get to know the Karakol valley closer — we will visit the royal burial mounds, see the three-headed peak of Uch-Enmek, collect water from healing springs. 

And then — back to the Chuisky tract. 

How many interesting things await us ahead: the Chike-Taman pass, the first bridge over the Katun, the confluence of the Chuya and Katun. 

You will get acquainted with petroglyphs in the Kalbak-Tash tract and see how the Geyser Lake paints its pictures. 

In the late afternoon, we will enter the high-altitude Kurai steppe and, if there are no clouds, we will see the magnificent peaks of the North Chui ridge. 

The mountains here reach 4000 meters and above, their peaks are covered with eternal snow and glaciers. 

We will stay in guest houses for 2 nights. 

Accommodation: guest houses with amenities (2, 3-bed accommodation).

Meals: 3 times.

By car: 210 km. Walking distance: moderate.

Today we will devote the whole day to the Kurai steppe. 

How many riddles and secrets she keeps! 

Turkic mounds, ancient ditches, warriors carved from stone. 

The road winds through the steppe, sometimes climbing a hill, then going down. 

But it is likely that these are not hills at all, but only ripples in the sand. 

Our main goal is Lake Dzhangyzkol, the dream of photographers.

It is quite small, but it is conveniently located at the foot of the North Chui ridge, and in it, as in a mirror, the majestic peaks are reflected. 

Hopefully, we will be lucky with the weather, and the lake will be calm. 

Today we have our first trekking. 

We will climb the hills surrounding the lake, walk along the ridge, admiring the reflection of snowy mountains in the water surface, and descend to an amazingly beautiful wetland with bizarre saucers of water and a river winding between them. 

We will return to our guest houses in the evening.

Accommodation: guest houses with amenities (2, 3-bed accommodation).

Meals: 3 times.

By car: 60 km of mountain road. Walking distance: about 5 km, small ascent, 100-150 meters.

In the morning we pack up and leave for the Kokkol mountain base. 

It is located at an altitude of 2500 meters, in the valley of the Naryngol River, which literally "rests" on the harsh rocks of the Chikhachev ridge. 

But the way to the base is not only difficult, but also extremely interesting. 

Therefore, the road will take us all day. 

First, the huge Chui steppe opens up in front of us.

Beyond the village of Kokorya, we will admire the Kyzylshin gorge with hills of incredible burgundy shades. 

Then our way will go along the Yustyd River, famous for its archaeological sites. 

We will definitely stop and look at the handiwork of the ancient inhabitants of the steppe – stone circles, triangles and other figures created thousands of years ago for a purpose that is still incomprehensible even to scientists. 

Next, the incredibly beautiful Kindyktykul Lake awaits us — a real paradise for waterfowl. 

Here you can see mountain geese, turpans, cormorants drying their wings. 

And in the mountains above there live steppe eagles, golden eagles, falcons. 

Accommodation: guest houses (2, 3-bed accommodation) with toilet and sink in the house, in the evening - sauna).

Meals: 3 times.

By car: 85 km asphalt, 50 km off-road. Walking distance: moderate.

Today we will rise above the lake and the Naryngola valley to an altitude of 3,000 meters. 

With each step to the top, majestic views of black rocks with bowls of turquoise lakes on one side and velvety steppes stretching into the distance on the other will open up in front of us. 

It is here, deep in the high ridges, that snow leopards and manula cats live, which means that there are also pastures of mountain goats and mountain sheep. 

It is not so easy to see them, but with a high probability we will meet marmots, foxes and hares may get caught in our lens, we will see eagles and vultures soaring in the sky. 

The flora of the highlands is also amazing. 

The plants and flowers familiar to us are significantly reduced copies.

Blooming yellow mountain poppies and blue Alpine forget—me-nots are very pleasing to the eye, here you can also find rare medicinal plants - rhodiola rosea, red brush and others.

Of course, we have a very low chance of seeing a snow leopard, but we still have it. 

Most likely, the leopards will be watching us from their safe hiding places. 

In the evening, at the base, we will definitely watch footage from camera traps from the Chikhachev Ridge, and you will learn familiar places. 

Accommodation: guest houses (2, 3-bed accommodation) with toilet and sink in the house, in the evening - sauna).

Meals: 3 times.

By car: 15 km. Walking: very intense 7 km, altitude difference 500 meters.

Today we will cross the entire Chui steppe by car, heading to the visit center of Sailugem National Park in Chagan-Burgazy. 

This is the only national park in Altai, and its main task is to preserve snow leopards and Argali mountain sheep. 

On the way, we will stop at the Telengit Museum in Kokorya village. 

Very interesting archaeological finds and historical objects from the Chui steppe are kept here. 

In Kosh-Agach, we will visit the local market where you can buy cashmere, woolen products and souvenirs from Mongolia. 

Today we will stop at the foot of the Sailugem ridge.

Although the national park is still several tens of kilometers away, already here we begin to get acquainted with its inhabitants. 

Near the visitor center there are whole colonies of pipits and ground squirrels, red-billed Alpine jackdaws are jumping merrily on the roofs of the houses, and a hare can run between the houses. 

Well, steppe eagles, vultures and golden eagles are rightfully dominating the sky. 

Accommodation: guest houses-villages (rooms for 4-5 people, a rustic toilet on the street, a washbasin in the house, a sauna in the evening.

Meals: 3 times.

By car: 120 km. Walking distance: moderate.

Today we will go to the very heart of the Altai wilderness. 

First, we will drive deep into the Sailugem ridge in a high-speed car, and then we will walk about 5 km. 

Sailugemsky Park is a habitat for many species of animals, including rare ones. 

We will be joined by a park inspector, thanks to whom we will have a good chance to see marmots, foxes, argali, vultures and eagles with our own eyes. 

Once we were even lucky enough to see a very rare Sailugem bear. 

And of course, this area is the habitat of the snow leopard. 

Together with the inspector, we will check the camera traps.

Perhaps the leopards were here just a few days ago. 

Our way back will pass through real fields of Edelweiss. 

We will return to the park's visitor center in the evening. 

Accommodation: guest houses-villages (rooms for 4-5 people, a rustic toilet on the street, a washbasin in the house, a sauna in the evening).

Meals: 3 times.

By car: 50-60 km.

On foot: intensively 5 km, altitude difference of 300 meters.

Today is the final day of our tour in the wild. 

And we will visit a unique point with a 360-degree view of almost the entire Southern Altai. 

But first we will land on Mars, and not one, but at least two. 

Unique geological processes have transformed the valley of the Kyzyl-Chin River into a real Martian landscape. 

Red, cracked earth, hills painted with stripes of yellow, cream brown and white colors, bizarre canyons and streaks of clay — this place deserves special attention. 

In addition, ancient mollusks and fossils can be found here. 

But the most important thing is ahead! 

We will climb to the observation deck at an altitude of 3000 meters, from where you can see the whole land of the snow leopard in full view. 

We will see 4 ridges, the entire Chuya steppe, the Chuya winding below and the Chuya tract repeating its bends.

We will take a last look at the places we have already visited and choose the places for the next tour. 

In the evening we will go to a local restaurant to share the emotions of our trip. 

Accommodation: guest houses (2-bed, 3-bed accommodation with amenities).

Meals: 3 times.

By car: 100 km | Walk: intensive, distance 4 km, altitude difference 200 meters.

Today is our final move to Gorno-Altaysk.

It is never boring on the Chui highway. 

And we have interesting stops in stock. 

We will arrive in Gorno-Altaysk around 17:00-18:00. 

If you have a flight the next day, we will help you book a hotel. 

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

By car: 460 km. Walking distance: moderate.

Due to weather conditions or other circumstances, changes may be made to the program with the replacement of excursions with equivalent ones.