Valley of the Katun river in Altay

The valley of the great Altay river Katun looks very picturesque. Altayans call this river "The Hostess of Altay". From the Altay language "Katun" is translated as "Hostess". In some places, the current of the Katun River is so rapid that thresholds of a high complexity category are formed. 

The Katun River originates at the foot of Mount Belukha from the Gebler Glacier at an altitude of about 2000 meters. The height differences in most of its course are so significant that Katun has become one of the most famous locations in Russia for mountain rafting on rivers. 

Katun is divided into three sections: Upper Katun, Middle Katun and Lower Katun. The Upper Katun bends around the Katun ridge. The length of the Upper Katun reaches 186 kilometers. Dynamic routes for rafting are laid out in these places, but only the cascade of thresholds Five Cheeks has a high category. In general, the stages of the Upper Katun rafting are evaluated by the 3rd category of complexity. 

A segment of the Middle Katun begins from the village of Ust-Koksa. In this place there are the most difficult routes for rafting. The highest difficulty category is the Akkem Breakthrough threshold (Akkem pipe). The threshold length is 6 kilometers. It consists of 9 cascades and runs in a canyon. The two rapids of the Teldekpen pose a real danger during high water due to underwater currents and whirlpools. When the water level is low, they have 3 difficulty categories. 

After the confluence of the Chuya with the Katun, the river becomes wider, but the current in many areas still remains rapid. In many places on the river there are shivers, and even rapids of low difficulty categories, where beginners usually raft. In the Middle Katun there is one of the most famous thresholds of the Sabbath. Depending on the water level, its category ranges from 4 to 5.

Along the Chuya Highway, the Katun River flows only 30 kilometers and on this stretch you can admire the beautiful mountain terraces. They descend to the river in huge flat ledges. The height of some reaches 200 meters. Usually terraces have several layers. 

Scientists are arguing about the reasons that could form these terraces. One of the versions is the water flow of a huge mass, which happened in these area 15 thousand years ago after the breakthrough of the glacial Chui Lake. In the Kuray steppe, this water flow formed a giant ripple of the current, and in some places mountain terraces formed along the Katun riverbed. 
During the active melting of glaciers in spring and summer, the color of the water in the Katun River becomes milky gray. In autumn and winter, when the melting of glaciers stops, the water acquires a turquoise hue. At this time, Katun is especially beautiful, especially in places where larch trees grow on the shore, which turn bright yellow in autumn.