Visiting the Aktry Glaciers is one of the most wonderful sightseeing routes in the Altay Mountains. However, the road from the Chuya Highway to the Aktry Mountaineering Camp is passable only for specially prepared transport, so few tourist companies offer a visit to Aktry.
When you drive along the Chuya Highway from Kosh-Agach to the north, you can see the beautiful view of the North Chuya mountain range. The peaks of the mountains are covered with snow even in summer. In one of the gorges of this ridge is the valley of the Aktry River. Translated from Turkic, it means "White Camp". Since 1936, a Mountaineering camp was founded here, which has comfortable residential buildings, as well as places for installing tents.
Numerous climbing routes to the surrounding mountains begin from the Mountaineering Camp: the Dome of Three Lakes (3556 m), Snezhnaya (3714 m), Yubileynaya (3403 m), Karatash (3534 m), Kurkurek (3982 m). The highest peak is Big Aktry (4044 m).
Between these mountains, there are 7 glaciers of different types (kar, domed, flat-topped, hanging). The Big and Small Aktry glaciers are visible from the Mountaineering Camp. Climbing routes among glaciers and mountain peaks can only be done by climbers with special equipment.
For ordinary tourists on the Aktry Glaciers, only the route from the Mountaineering Camp to the Blue Lake is available. However, it is enough to see all the beauty of the Altay Mountains: snow-covered peaks, mountain valleys, rapid rivers, stone scree, and glacier tongues. The uniqueness of Aktry is in the fact that the mountain peaks, covered with eternal snow and glaciers, are located in the immediate vicinity of the Mountaineering Camp, and they are accessible even for unprepared tourists.
Transport accessibility of the Aktry Glaciers
It is impossible to get from the village of Kurai to the Aktry glaciers by car. Even people on "pumped-up SUVs" do not risk going here. The easiest way is to leave the car in the village of Kurai or Kyzyl-Tash and contact the locals on UAZ or GAS off-road vehicle.
The distance from the village of Kurai to the Aktry Intermediate Base is 27 km. The road passes through the Kurai steppe and is quite accessible for all types of off-road vehicles. However, there will be several obstacles along the way in the form of large puddles, as well as riverbeds. The water depth in these places can reach up to half a meter, so it is impossible to drive here by an ordinary car.
No less difficult is the ascent to the Intermediate Base. Its length is about 300 meters, but there are a lot of large stones that are an obstacle even for off-road vehicles with high clearance. The cost of the UAZ from Kurai to Intermediate Base is about 5 thousand rubles per car (4 people). There are 4 guesthouses, cafes, places for tents and a sauna on the Aktry Intermediate Base.
The second leg of the way, the distance from the Intermediate Base to the Mountaineering Camp (8 km) in the Valley of Aktry river, is even more difficult. The price of UAZ car for this stage is also 5 thousand rubles for 4 people. Right at the Intermediate Base, you need to ford the Aktra River. The water will reach the middle of the car. Pedestrians pass over the bridge. After that, a section through the taiga with large stones on the road, mud puddles and deep ruts will immediately begin.
