"Golden Mountains of Altay" is a collective definition of the most beautiful places of the Altay Mountains, which were included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List in 1998. These places are part of two biosphere reserves: the Altay Reserve and the Katun Reserve, as well as tourist areas on the Ukok Plateau and Mount Belukha.
The word "Altay" in translation from the Turkic language means "Golden Mountains". The Altay mountain system is located in the geographical center of the Eurasian continent. The central point is located near Mount Belukha, the most famous attraction of Altay. Some followers of esoteric teachings considered Mount Belukha to be the mystical center of the Earth, where the legendary country of Shambhala is located.
Altay is a mountainous country where many types of activities are available to tourists: trekking along beautiful mountain routes, rafting on mountain rivers, horse riding, fishing and much more. There are two ski resorts here. Altay also has one of the four Russian centers where casinos are allowed.
The transport infrastructure of Altay is just being formed. From south to north, the Mountain Altay is crossed by the comfortable Chuysky Tract road. This road has been the only trade route between China and Siberia since ancient times. For tourists, the most interesting segment is between the villages of Manzherok and Kosh-Agach. Its length is 400 kilometers. There are many interesting sights here. However, the road itself is a tourist attraction. Most of the other roads in the Mountain Altay are unpaved.
In the Golden Mountains of Altay, trips on separate tourist routes go to Mount Belukha and to the Ukok Plateau. All other attractions are combined into a wonderful route of the Golden Ring of Altay. Most of it can be driven by off-road car, but some will have to go by boat, crossing 80 kilometers of Lake Teletskoye.
Teletskoye Lake and the Chulyshman River Valley
The northern shore of Lake Teletskoye can be reached by car. Here are the resort villages of Artybash, Iogach and the Teletsky ski resort. The lake is a tectonic fault between the mountains. In this, it is very similar to Lake Baikal and is the second drinking water reservoir in Russia after Lake Baikal. People come to the lake for fishing, there are many opportunities for active recreation. June is the rainy season in Artybash.
From the south, the Chulyshman River flows into Lake Teletskoye. The Chulyshman Valley from Lake Teletskoye to the Katu-Yaryk pass is very beautiful. There are many campsites here, where tourists can enter the excursion routes to the Uchar Waterfall, to the Chulcha River gorge, as well as to the unique Altay attraction - Stone Mushrooms.
Katu-Yaryk Pass and the Ulagan Highlands
To drive from the Chulyshman River valley to the Ulagan Highlands and further to the Chuysky Trakt (Highway), you have to climb the Katu-Yaryk pass. It is a steep serpentine rising up the mountain above Chulyshman. Here you can admire exceptionally beautiful views, fully feel the positive energy of the Altay Mountains.
After the Katu-Yaryk pass, you can see several sights in the Ulagan Highlands: Red Gate, Ulagan lakes, ancient Pazyryk mounds. Here tourists cross the highest Ulagan pass (2080 m) by car.
Chuya Highway
The most interesting section of the Chuysky Trakt (Chuya Highway) is located between the villages of Manzherok and Kosh-Agach. Most of this route passes in the valleys of the Katun and Chuya rivers. The most beautiful mountain landscapes of these valleys open literally at every turn.
Here you can see the Martian landscapes of Altay in the rocks of red and yellow color. Almost all tourists visit a small Geyser Lake. The confluence of the Chuya and Katun rivers is called the Altay Place of Power. During the journey along the Chuya Highway, you need to overcome the Seminsky pass (1717m) and the Cheke-Temen pass (1295m).
Since the Chuya Highway has served as a transport artery between Siberia and China since ancient times, rock petroglyphs of the Paleolithic era have been preserved here in many places. The most famous archaeological reserves are Kolban-Tash and Adyr-Kaya.
Aktry glaciers and Kuray Steppe
When you cross the Kuray steppe along the Chuya Highway, you can see a wonderful view of the snow-capped peaks of the North Chuya Ridge. The highest mountain Aktry (4044m) rises above them. You can get to the Aktry Valley by special off-road transport, and this will be one of the most impressive trips in the Altay Mountains.
The Aktry Mountaineering Camp is located at the foot of Mount Karatash. On the way to the Camp you can walk along the Valley of the Aktry River on foot to enjoy the beautiful nature of the mountain valley. In the Mountaineering Camp, you can settle in comfortable conditions.
The Big and Small Aktry glaciers are visible directly from the camp. Around Aktry there are several peaks from 3 to 4 thousand meters and 7 glaciers. There are many routes of varying complexity between them. For untrained tourists, there is only one route – from the Aktry Mountaineering Camp to the Blue Lake (5.2 km), but here you can see some of the most beautiful landscapes of the Mountain Altay.
