The Chuya River Valley is the main transport corridor of the Altay Mountains. Along this river, the famous Chuya Highway is laid, which connects Siberia with Mongolia and China. It is recognized as one of the most beautiful roads in Russia. There are a large number of attractions in this area, as well as different climatic zones.
The Chuya River originates on the border with Mongolia. Two rivers Yustyt and Kyzylshin flow out of the mountain spurs of Chikhachev range and merge to form the Chuya River. The length of the river from the source to the confluence with the Katun River is 320 kilometers. For more than 200 kilometers along the Chuya riverbed there is the famous Chuya Highway.
The Chuya Valley in Altay is very picturesque. Beautiful mountain landscapes, thanks to which the Chuya Highway was called the most beautiful road in Russia, are located in the Chuya Valley. It is sandwiched between two mountain ranges: North-Chuya and Katunsky.
Kuray steppe in Chuya valley
In the southern part of the Chuya Valley is the famous Kuray steppe. Geologists have discovered an interesting natural phenomenon called "giant ripples of the current" here. It is very similar to the ripples on the sand with the rapid flow of water in a stream, but here these waves have a height of 5 to 10 meters. Their appearance is associated with the breakthrough of the glacial Chui Lake about 15 thousand years ago, when huge volumes of water rushed down the Chuya Valley down the slope. Not far from these places are the famous colored mountains of Altay Mars.
The Kuray steppe stretches along the Chuya Valley for 20 kilometers. On the northern side of the steppe is the village of Kuray, where you can rent a car to go to the Aktry Glaciers. Here you will see the incredible beauty of the Altay Mountains. On a small area there are several glaciers, along which there are many categorical routes for climbers. For ordinary tourists there is only one route to the Blue Lake, but it is enough to see in all its beauty the glacial zones of Aktru at an altitude of 2840 m.
On the northern side of the Kuray steppe in the Chuya Valley there are viewing platforms where the most beautiful views of the North-Chuya ridge can be seen. It seems that the Chuya Highway rests on the peaks of the mountains, which are covered with snow even in summer.
To the north of the Kuray steppe, the valley of the Chuya River meanders for 150 kilometers among endless boms. The word "bom" in Altay means a ledge of rock that descends into the river. In the lower part of the Boms in the 1930s, a road was laid that follows the contours of the mountains.
Some places of the Chuya Valley are swampy, but this makes them even more picturesque. Near the village of Aktash in 2005, the famous Geyser Lake was found, which is visited by almost all tourists traveling through the Chuya Valley. At the bottom of the Geyser Lake there are springs that raise blue clay from the bottom, forming circles. The drawing of these circles is updated every half hour.
Rafting in Chuya Valley
For most of its course, the Chuya River is too shallow for rafting. The flow of the river along the Chuya Highway is quite calm, but in the lower reaches of the Chuya River there are several river rapids, which are assigned high difficulty categories. The Petrel (3c), Dusky (3c), Slalom (4c), Behemoth (5c) rapids are very well known.
The rapids of the Mazhoy Cascade have the highest complexity. They are located near the Aktru Glaciers, where the Mazhoy (Maashey) River flows into the Chuya. The Mazhoy cascade passes through the gorge and consists of 30 rapids, 10 of which have the highest difficulty category 6. During high water, the Mazhoy Cascade is very dangerous for rafting.
The Mazhoy Cascade hosts the highest-rated kayaking and rafting competitions in Russia. Since 2006, they have the status of the Cup of Russia (Asian part).
At kilometer 713, near the village of Inya, the Chuya River flows into the Katun River. Here the Chuya Valley ends and the Katun Valley begins. Altayans call the Place of confluence of Chuya and Katun the Place of Altay Power. In 2012, a nature park named Chui-Oozi was created here.
