Top 7 beauties of Altai. Car tour

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

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

Frequent landscape changes, photo shoots in the maralnik flowering areas, small walks in the brightest locations of the tract will give delight and make this day unforgettable. 

We will arrive at the place of accommodation later in the evening. 

Check-in at the base, rest. 

Impressions of the day: Seminsky Pass; Chike-Taman pass; "Yalomanskaya Arc"; the place of power is the confluence of the Chuya and Katuni rivers; "Katun terraces"; old Chuisky tract.

The difficulty of the day: moving 340 km - travel time, including stops, is 9-10 hours; the mountain zone of the Seminsky pass is characterized by sharp temperature fluctuations and has a more severe climate than in the valleys.

Breakfast and back on the road. 

Today we are waiting for the most remote area 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 Chui Range, the largest in Central Asia.

Next, we will change the transport to off-road and plunge into the atmosphere of space travel in the valley of the Kyzyl-Chin River. 

In the Turkic language, this name sounds like "Red Gorge", and among tourists the valley is known as "Altai Mars".

And indeed, the 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 the silt and blue-white clay at the bottom and create bizarre and unique patterns. What kind of drawings will we see today?

Return to the campsite, free time. 

In the evening, an additional excursion can be organized (an excursion to the repeater is carried out at the request of the group and for an additional fee.the fee is subject to favorable weather) by off—road cars to one of the peaks of the Kurai ridge - Mount Verkhnyaya. 

A 360° panorama of the surrounding area opens from the mountain: the spacious Chui Valley and the North Chui Ridge rising behind it, the peaks of which are covered with snow all year round. 

On the other sides are the peaks of the Kurai range. 

In clear weather, Belukha, the highest peak of the Altai Mountains, 4506 m, can be seen behind the North Chui Ridge. 

Impressions of the day: Geyser Lake; Kurai and Chui steppe; North Chui ridge; "Altai Mars".

Difficulty of the day: walking 5-7 km per day, height difference 200 m; car 170 km, including moving to UAZ- loaf 30 km dirt road. this place.

Today you will have to go to one of the most picturesque places in the Altai Republic – the valley of the Chulyshman River. 

This is a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the majestic nature of Altai, learn more about its history and culture, and enjoy spectacular views. 

Along the way, we will make several stops to admire the beautiful scenery and take photos. 

The first stop is the Red Gate, a narrow passage among the red rocks. 

This place is a symbol of the Ulagan district - "the gateway to the land of a thousand lakes."

Next, we will go to the high-altitude lakes of the Ulagan plateau. 

Here we will see a mysterious Dead Lake, a completely turquoise Uch-Kel, an elongated Uzun-Kel and Kidelu-Kel Lake, which is visible from the high-altitude Ulagan pass.

The next stop will be the Pazyryk mounds – unique treasures of the ancient culture of Altai, the Scythian graves of great warriors, which are more than 2000 years old. 

The main impression of the day is two observation decks overlooking the Katu-Yaryk pass.

First, let's stop at one of the sites where you can test your courage while standing over a precipice. 

From here you can see the Kaya Bazhi waterfall, running underground, and the entire Chulyshman Valley in full view. 

After that, we will go to another observation deck, where from a height of 800 meters we will admire the grandiose view of the Chulyshman valley, the serpentine mountain and the surrounding mountains. 

Hiking down the Katu-Yaryk serpentine to the Chulyshmansky Canyon. 

Check-in at the base, rest. 

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

The difficulty of the day: 100 km by car, including 50 km of dirt road; 3.5 km on foot descent into the valley; elevation difference – 800 m.

After breakfast, we go to the Kurkure waterfall — one of the most beautiful and powerful waterfalls in the Altai Mountains, reaching a height of 30 meters. 

The trail runs along the banks of the Chulyshman River, and since there is no uphill climb, you can enjoy the picturesque views of the mountains and the river. 

If desired, you can camp by the water in the shade of the trees. 

After lunch, free time or, at the request of the group, a walking rafting trip (paid additionally, from 2000 per person) along the Chulyshman river with a visit to the Tyul waterfall. 

The wide Tyul waterfall, also known as Chul-Oozy, is located on the right bank of the Chulyshman River, in a picturesque place where its waters descend from the rocky ledges of the Katuyaryk River. 

The waterfall is notable for the almost complete absence of splashes, which allows you to take high-quality photos a few meters away from it without fear of getting wet.  

Impressions of the day: Kurkure waterfall.

The difficulty of the day: a radial exit of 2.5 km in one direction over rough terrain; there is no height difference.

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 threshold. 

Next, a walk in the Ak-Kurum tract to the Stone mushrooms.

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 our way back towards the village of Aktash. 

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

In the evening, accommodation at the base, rest. 

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

Difficulty of the day: radial access to Stone mushrooms - 2.5 km, rough terrain; height difference - 500 m.; hiking up the Katu-Yaryk pass - 3.5 km, height difference - 800 m, dirt road, stones, dust.

At 8:00 we vacate the rooms, have breakfast and set off along the Chui 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 pile of emotions and a pile of memories, we return to Gorno-Altaysk.

Impressions of the day: Ilgumen threshold; Ininsky sand pillars; Tsaplinsky Bridge.

Difficulty of the day: moving 340 km - travel time, including stops, is 9-10 hours; the mountain zone of the Seminsky pass is characterized by sharp temperature fluctuations and has a more severe climate than in the valleys.