The Chike Taman Pass is the second pass on the road to the Altay Mountains after the Seminsky Pass. Its height is only 1295 meters, however, if the climb on the Seminsky Pass is very gentle, then the road to the Chike Taman pass goes along a steep serpentine between cliffs.
At the top of the Chike Taman pass there is an observation deck, a small memorial dedicated to the builders of the Chuya Highway and many pavilions with souvenirs and cafes. Usually tourist groups make short stops at this pass. Unlike the Seminsky pass, Chike Taman can be considered as an attraction of the Altay Mountains, as there really are beautiful views of the mountain valleys and part of the old road of the 1930s.
The road to the Chike Taman Pass rises along a serpentine among numerous turns cut through the rocks. The length of the ascent and descent is 4 kilometers, while the height difference is more than 500 meters.
The Chike Taman Pass is a mountain range that blocks the Ulegema Valley. At the foot of the pass, mountain rivers Small Ilgumen and Big Ilgumen flow from different sides.
Translated from the Altay dialect of the Turkic language, "Chike Taman" means "Straight sole". This name is due to the fact that the pass in the past centuries was so steep that the muleteers in the caravan saw the soles of the shoes of the one in front.
The new road of the Chuya Highway was laid along a depression that runs between two mountain ranges. To do this, builders had to cut deep passages between the rocks. Until the beginning of the 20th century, horse-drawn or mule-drawn carts were forced to climb to the very top of the mountain. The historical section of the road has been preserved to this day and is a local landmark. There is an observation deck nearby.
