The Mystery of Ukok

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

A border zone has been established in the border territories of the Kosh-Agach district of the Altai Republic and the rules of the border regime apply. Entry, temporary stay, movement of persons and vehicles in the border zone is carried out for citizens of the Russian Federation — according to identity documents; for foreign citizens – according to passes for the right of entry (passage), temporary stay in the border zone and identity documents. 

Russian citizens need to obtain an appropriate pass if they want to enter the territory located within a 5-kilometer strip of terrain along the state border (our route partially passes through this area, therefore, a pass must be issued for all travelers). 

To receive a pass, you will need to fill out an application form (we will send it by mail), the tour operator will take care of further registration of the pass. 

Terms of registration of passes: for Russian citizens – up to 30 days, for foreigners – up to 60 days. In this regard, an application for participation in the tour will need to be submitted no later than 30 days before the start of the tour.

1. Movement during the active part of the tour must be carried out strictly along the path indicated by the instructor guide.
2. Keep up with the group. Be sure to inform the guide-instructor about your intention to leave the trail or stay late. If you are still behind the group and do not know the road (or doubt its choice), immediately stop driving and go out into the open, where you will be easily noticed. If there is no such place nearby, stay where you are. Wait until they come back for you.
3. Do not make amateur ascents on high ground (especially rocks), crossings, etc. This may turn out to be much more difficult than you initially thought, and lead to an accident.
4. During parking, do not leave the camp beyond the line of sight without the consent of the instructor guide. If there is a desire to explore the surroundings, the decision on this must be made collectively.
5. It is necessary to protect yourself from the sun. Remember that there is a high level of solar activity in the mountains, do not forget to wear sunglasses that have a high degree of UV filter protection.
6. Do not allow overheating or hypothermia. Remember that in the area of the tours, the weather may suddenly change several times a day. When climbing, the temperature will inevitably decrease. No matter how hot it is during the day, it always gets cold in the evening. You should be dressed according to the current weather and temperature conditions, even if you have to change a set of clothes several times a day. To make it convenient to do this, it is recommended to always have warm and waterproof clothes (fleece jacket, windbreaker, raincoat), as well as spare socks and a hat in a small backpack. Do not sit on cold stones without a seat.
7. Do not allow dehydration. During active movement, especially in the heat, your body loses a lot of water. The water balance must be constantly replenished. You should always have a personal plastic bottle (or flask) of a volume convenient for you (0.5 - 1 l) with water or tea.
8. Take care of your feet! Take measures in advance against corns: choose only comfortable, worn shoes; before going on the route, as a preventive measure, stick a patch on all problem areas in advance.
9. Setting up a tent. The place to set up the tent should be flat and dry. The presence of anthills is undesirable. It is better to learn how to set up a tent before hiking, or, at least, carefully read the instructions. It is necessary that in the finished form it does not wrinkle and does not sag.
10. Making a fire. First, you need to kindle kindling – it can be paper, birch bark, something that gives a short-term large flame. It should ignite thin, match-sized twigs, splinters from dry logs, they are also called cobwebs. Then you can add more branches. Gradually, thicker and thicker firewood is put on the fire. It is necessary to know that twigs and splinters flare up more easily in an inclined position. Firewood should be laid so that there are gaps for air access. Dry matches are the main condition. To do this, they must be properly stored (in an airtight package). The fire should not be lit under the trees. When leaving the campsite or going to spend the night, it is necessary to put out the fire.
11. Promptly inform the guide-instructor about the deterioration of your well-being. Have a personal first aid kit with you, tailored to your individual needs.
12. Be careful when moving around the camp and its surroundings at night, be sure to use a flashlight.
13. During the tour, it is prohibited to consume alcoholic beverages in doses exceeding medical, narcotic and psychotropic substances. This can lead to a sharp deterioration of your well-being in high-altitude conditions, disruption of the acclimatization process and other adverse consequences. In case of violation of this rule, the responsibility for the consequences lies with the tourist.

The Ukok plateau is located on the territory of the mountainous Kosh-Agachsky district of the Altai Republic. The prevailing absolute heights are 2200-2500 m. The territory of the Ukok plateau is permafrost. The climate in Ukok is harsh, sharply continental. Daytime summer temperatures rise to +22 on some days, taking into account the scorching sun at such a height, you can get sunburn. But nighttime temperatures often drop to minus values. Summer is very short – from the end of June to the middle of August, but even at this time snowfall is not excluded.

Food: starting from the evening of the first day and until the morning of the sixth day, tourists will be provided with three meals a day. 

The menu on the tour is quite diverse:

• soups: borscht, pickle soup, noodle soup, bean soup, fish soup, etc. on stewed meat or canned fish;
• milk porridges: millet, rice, oatmeal with dried fruits on dry and/or condensed milk;
• main dishes: buckwheat with stewed meat, pilaf, pasta with stewed meat, bigus, roast, rice with vegetables, etc.;
• drinks: black tea, herbal tea, coffee, cocoa, wild berry compotes, jelly;
• snack: sausage, cheese, meat and fish pates, squash/eggplant caviar, cookies, gingerbread, tea, bread, etc.

Transportation on the tour: day 1-6 – Mercedes-Benz, day 2-5 – UAZ Loaf.

The length of the automobile part of the route: 1200 km, of which 300 km is off-road.

The maximum number of participants in a group is 5 people per car.

Mobile communication on the route: starting from lunch on the 2nd day and until the evening of the 5th, there is no mobile connection and it will not be possible to charge the phone. We recommend that you have a Powerbank with you.