The diversity of the original Altai
The name of this tour is self-explanatory! You will see the most interesting places off the beaten path that not a lot of tourists have visited, which keeps them as authentic as they can be.
We will show you the legendary Chuysky Tract – one of the most scenic routes in the world according to National Geographic. There are so many books written and movies filmed about it! You’ll get a chance to make unique selfies and panoramic photos — on every turn of Chuysky Trakt you’d want to stop and take breathtaking pictures of the beautiful picturesque views…
The route is not difficult to follow, it’s suitable for grown-ups and kids alike.
Your adventure begins when we meet you in Biysk or Gorno-Altaysk. From there, on a van or a car we’ll drive along Chuysky Tract to the Belukha campsite. We’ll get acquainted with each other and get accomodated in the campsite rooms. After lunch we have a small tour by the Chemal Tract, and we’ll visit the famous Altai Patmos island and the Temple of John the Evangelist, hike by the “goats’ path” to the place where Chemal and Katun rivers confluence, and we’ll see a legendary Soviet-era Chemal Hydroelectric Station.
We’ll take a better look at Chuysky Tract today. Our first stop is at the observation deck of Seminsky Pass. It’s the highest and probably the most scenic mountain pass of Altai mountain range. The rise and descent of the pass are very sloping. And right after the pass the real, authentic Altai begins! We are going to show you the Caracalskaya valley, Bashadar kurgans — the ancient Iron Age burial mounds.
From there, we’re going to the Chike-Taman mountain pass. The spectacular mountain vista, Katun river from the serpentine road will impress you with its wondrous and powerful aura!
Another stop that we will make is a merging point of Katun and Big Yaloman rivers — a beautiful place where most of the Altai rafting tours, both sporting and sightseeing, begin.
Today after breakfast we’re going to see one of the most charming places of Chuysky Tract – a place where two beautiful rivers, Chuya and Katun, meet. Not a single visitor would remain indifferent to the beauty and majesty of this area!
You’ll see river rapids today. A place where a raging mountain river and stubborn rocks clash – absolutely fascinating to see, even if you’re only looking at this dance of elements from the shore! You will see the “Turbine” rapid today, and in the following days a few more, each one more beautiful than the other.
After lunch, we’ll get to see the ancient Kalbak-Tash sanctuary and prehistoric wall carvings: a star map, a scheme of the world, hell and heaven and the others.
At the end of the day we will see the older part of Chuysky tract and the Shirlak waterfall.
That day after breakfast we’ll visit Geysernoe – the lake of turquoise color, non-freezing in the winter and stunningly beautiful. The water of the lake is crystal clear, and mysterious round-shaped spots at the bottom of the lake can be seen. These spots are created by underwater geysers that burst from the bottom and spew blue clay into the water. Maybe you’ll be lucky to see this moment with your own eyes and shoot it on your camera! Then, we’ll travel further to the Kurai steppe and enjoy the view of the North-Chuya Range snow-covered mountaintops. We’ll set up a tent camp near the Kuyekhtanar river.
On day 5 you’ll see the martian view on Earth. Kyzyl Chin seems like a place out of this world because of the unusual colors of the mountains. Bright red, orange, lemon-yellow, brownish-pink are just some of the colors of clay covering the slopes of the mountains. A perfect place for fans of unusual view, photographers, geology enthusiasts. The pictures and selfies you’ll take would make an art photographer envy. After that, we’ll be on our way to the Small Yaloman river. We’ll camp by a place where it merges with Katun river.
On the last day of the tour we’ll come back by Chuyskiy Tract, making stops to take pictures along the way. As in the beginning of your journey, you’ll see more of the river rapids of Katun. Ilgumen rapids is one of the few that have a webcam streaming on the Internet. «The Russian Cup in whitewater rafting» competition is held here.
We will also show you the most beautiful valley of the Ursul River.
And with that, our tour is over.
