Around Altay, Chulyshman valley

Before reaching the Northern part of the Golden Lake we would need to stop at the Chulyshman valley, which is represented by a big canyon with more than 130 km length. It is said that the Chulyshman valley is the warmest place in the Altai Mountains. And definitely it is one of the most secluded and peaceful places. 

We are travelling by car, so the only way to reach this place was through the Katu-Jaryk pass. It was a real challenging road and a true test of our vehicle. There are 3,5 kilometres of the earth serpentine road, and there are 9 turns to overcome, and there are 800 metres of height. It is worth mentioning, that any car can go down the pass, but only a four-wheel drive is able to ascend.

Around Altay, To The South

The Northern part of the lake is well developed and easily accessible, but we stayed here for one night only. In fact, our main aim is to reach the Southern part, which can be entered only through the Katy-Yaryk pass or by boat. So, there are 600 kilometres ahead to get to the cherished place by car.

Around Altay, The Golden Lake

Lake Teletskoye is one of the deepest lakes in Russia, with the maximum depth of 325 meters. It is also compared to Lake Baikal in terms of purity. As a matter of fact, the transparency of Lake Teletskoye is up to 12-15 meters.

The lake is surrounded by high mountain ranges up to 2,500 meters in altitude. About 70 rivers and 150 small streams flow into the lake. The Chulyshman River, which is the largest one, delivers over half of the lake’s water. The Biya river is the only one river, which is going out of the lake.

Around Altay, Tavdinskie Caves

Tavdinsky Caves are the most popular caves in Altay. This unique place is situated on the left bank of the Katun' River on the territory of tourist's zone "Biruzovaya Katun". Here, you can find many shallow caves, interconnected by underground vertical and horizontal passages. Unfortunately, we did not have an opportunity to walk through these passages on that day. However, we have had some interesting stories from their history. It is said, that the caves used to be a shelter and home for many people in different times. During the excavations there were found pottery items, fishing equipment, some trappings and another evidence of the human's presence.

Around Altay, The Road Trip

Russia is extremely rich in beautiful places to visit and admire. One of the most remarkable sites near the city of Novosibirsk, where I am currently living, is the Altay region. And it became my next point of destination.

Surely, there is countless number of the breathtaking views in Altay, so I tried to do my best to select the best pictures from this journey.