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 Chuisky tract.

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

The frequent change of scenery, photo shoots in the maralnik flowering areas, and small walks in the brightest locations of the highway will delight and make this day unforgettable.

We will arrive at the 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.

Difficulty of the day: crossing 340 km — travel time, including stops, is 9-10 hours; the mountainous area of the Seminsky pass is characterized by sharp temperature fluctuations and has a harsher climate than in the valleys.

Breakfast and back on the road.

Today we are waiting for the most remote region 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 Chuya Range, the largest in Central Asia.

Next, we will switch to off-road transport 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".

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 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, it is possible to organize an additional excursion (an excursion to the repeater is carried out at the request of the group and for an additional fee, subject to favorable weather) by off—road car to one of the peaks of the Kurai ridge - Verkhnaya Mountain.

A 360° panorama of the surroundings opens from the mountain: the spacious Chuya Valley and the North Chuya 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, you can see Belukha, the highest peak of Gorny Altai, 4506 m, beyond the North Chuisky Ridge.

Impressions of the day: Geyser Lake; Kuraiskaya and Chuiskaya steppe; Severo-Chuisky ridge; "Altai Mars".

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

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

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

We will make several stops along the way to admire the beautiful scenery and take photos.

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

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

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

Here we will see a mysterious Dead Lake, a completely turquoise lake, an elongated Uzun-Kel and Lake Kidelu-Kel, which is visible from the mountainous 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 yourself by 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 magnificent 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.

Difficulty of the day: 100 km car ride, including 50 km dirt road; 3.5 km foot descent into the valley; height difference – 800 m.

After breakfast, we will 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 scenic 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 (extra charge, from 2000 per person) along the Chulyshman river with a visit to the Tyul waterfall.

The wide Tyul waterfall, also known as Chul-Oozi, 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 its 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.

Difficulty of the day: radial exit 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 rapids.

Then a walking tour in the Ak-Kurum tract to the Stone mushrooms.

The 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 the way back towards the village of Aktash.

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

In the evening, accommodation at the base, rest.

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

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

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

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

Difficulty of the day: crossing 340 km — travel time, including stops, is 9-10 hours; the mountainous area of the Seminsky pass is characterized by sharp temperature fluctuations and has a harsher climate than in the valleys.