The maximum height of the Altai mountains. Mountains, Altai: Belukha - the highest peak, Mount Sinyukha, Babyrgan, Charming, mountains of the Mountain Charysh region, Altai mountains, Gorny Altai

ALTAI (from the Turkic-Mongolian "altan" - golden), a mountain system in Asia, in the south of Siberia and Central Asia, on the territory of Russia (the Republic of Altai, the Republic of Tyva, Altai region), Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China. It is elongated in latitude from 81 to 106 ° east longitude, in longitude - from 42 to 52 ° north latitude. It extends from the northwest to the southeast for more than 2000 km. It consists of high mountains (the highest point is Mount Belukha, 4506 m) and mid-mountain ranges and intermountain basins separating them. In the north and northwest it borders on the West Siberian Plain, in the northeast - on the Western Sayan Mountains and the mountains of South Tuva, in the east - on the Valley Big Lakes, in the southeast - with the Gobi desert, in the south - with the Dzungarian plain, in the west by the valley of the Irtysh river it is separated from the Kazakh hills. Altai - a watershed between the Northern Arctic Ocean and drainless region of Central Asia. Orographically, the Gobi Altai, the Mongolian Altai and the Altai proper, or the Russian Altai, are distinguished. The latter is often identified with the concept of "Altai" and is part of the sublatitudinal mountain country Mountains of Southern Siberia, forming the western end with a length of over 400 km in latitude, from north to south - about 300 km (see map).

Relief. The relief of the Russian Altai was formed as a result of a long-term impact of exogenous processes on the growing uplift and is characterized by a wide variety of forms. Most of the ridges of the northwestern or sublatitudinal strike form a fan, diverging in a westerly direction. The exceptions are the ridges of the northern submeridional orientation and the southern periphery. There are a number of vast plateaus (Ukok and others), highlands (Chulyshman and others) and mountain ranges(Mongun-Taiga, etc.), as well as large intermountain basins occupied by steppes (Chuyskaya, Kuraiskaya, Uimonskaya, Abayskaya, Kanskaya, etc.). High mountain ranges and massifs are located mainly in the east and southeast. Ridges rise above 4000 m: Katunsky (up to 4506 m), Sailyugem (up to 3499 m), Severo-Chuysky (up to 4177 m). The ridges are significant in height: South Chuisky (up to 3936 m), Southern Altai (up to 3483 m), Chikhachev (up to 4029 m), Tsagan-Shibetu (up to 3496 m) and Shapshalsky (up to 3608 m). The isolated Mongun-Taiga massif (3970 m) is distinguished by high-mountainous relief. The highlands are characterized by peaked ridges, steep (20-50° and more) slopes and wide valley bottoms filled with moraine or occupied by glaciers. The landslide-scree slopes are widely developed, formed by intensively proceeding gravitational processes. Glacial landforms are widespread: cirques, glacial cirques, troughs, carlings, moraine ridges and ridges. The mid-mountain and low-mountain ranges are located mainly in the west and north of Altai. Among them, the most significant are: Terektinsky (up to 2926 m), Aigulaksky (up to 2752 m), Iolgo (up to 2618 m), Listvyaga (up to 2577 m), Narymsky (up to 2533 m) and Baschelaksky (up to 2423 m) ridges. In the middle mountains, alpine relief features are found fragmentarily. Wide massive interfluves with flattened and plateau-like peaks dominate, where cryogenic processes are developed, leading to the formation of kurums and altiplanation. There are karst landforms. River valleys are often narrow steep gorges and canyons 500-1000 meters deep. The peripheral low mountains of Altai are characterized by a relatively shallow depth of dissection (up to 500 m) and gentle slopes. The valleys are wide, flat-bottomed, with a well-defined complex of terraces. Fragments of ancient leveling surfaces have been preserved on the flat tops. The bottoms of the basins are occupied by sloping plains of proluvial origin and by moraine amphitheatres, bordering the ends of the trough valleys. In the east of Altai, the bottoms of the basins are complicated by thermokarst forms.

Geological structure and minerals. Altai is located within the Paleozoic Altai-Sayan folded region of the Ural-Okhotsk mobile belt; is a complex folded system formed by Precambrian and Paleozoic strata, intensively deployed in the Caledonian epoch of tectogenesis and the Hercynian epoch of tectogenesis. In the post-Paleozoic time, mountain-folded structures were destroyed and turned into a denudation plain (peneplain). According to the features of the geological structure and the age of the final folding, the Caledonian Mountain Altai in the northwest (occupies about 4/5 of the entire territory) and the Hercynian Rudny Altai in the southwest and south. The anticlinoria of Gorny Altai (Kholzunsko-Chuysky, Talitsky, etc.) are mainly composed of the flyschoid terrigenous series of the Upper Cambrian - Lower Ordovician, overlying Vendian-Lower Cambrian ophiolites, siliceous shale formations, and presumably Precambrian metamorphites, which in some places protrude to the surface. Superimposed depressions and grabens (the largest - Korgon) are filled with molasses of the Middle Ordovician - Lower Silurian and early Devonian. The deposits are intruded by Late Devonian granites. Within Rudny Altai, which has a Caledonian basement, rocks of the Middle Devonian-Early Carboniferous volcano-plutonic association and Late Paleozoic granitoids are widespread. In the Oligocene-Quaternary, Altai experienced uplift associated with regional compression of the earth's crust, caused by the convergence of the lithospheric microplates limiting it (Dzhungar, Tuva-Mongolian). The formation of the mountain structure proceeded according to the type of a large arch, which at the last stages of development was deformed by a system of ruptures, as a result of which a series of block morphostructures in the form of high ridges and depressions separating them formed in the central and southern parts. Instrumental observations record vertical movements of the earth's crust, the speed of which reaches several centimeters per year. Uplifts occur unevenly, are accompanied by overthrusts, which causes the asymmetry of the ridges.

Altai is one of the most seismically active inland regions of the world. One of the largest seismic catastrophes (9-10 points) occurred in the high-mountainous Kosh-Agach region on September 27, 2003. Traces of ancient catastrophes (paleoseismodislocations) are known.

The main wealth of the interior of Altai is the deposits of precious metals and pyrites of lead-zinc-copper-barite ores (Korbalikhinskoye, Zyryanovskoye, etc.), which form the polymetallic belt of Rudny Altai. In Gorny Altai there are deposits of mercury, gold, iron, tungsten-molybdenum ores. The deposits of ornamental stones and marble have long been known. There are thermal mineral springs: Abakan Arzhan, Belokurikhinskiye and others. The climate of Altai is continental in the foothills, sharply continental in the interior and eastern parts, which is determined by the position in temperate latitudes and a significant distance from the oceans. The winter is severe and long (from 5 months in the foothills to 10 months in the highlands), which is facilitated by the influence of the Asian anticyclone. average temperature January is (in the foothills) from -15 to -20°С; in the northeast it is somewhat higher and on the shores of Lake Teletskoye it reaches -9.2°С; in basins where temperature inversions are common, it drops to -31.7°C. The recorded minimum temperature is -60°С (in the Chuya steppe). Strong cooling is associated with the widespread development of permafrost, the thickness of which in some places is up to several hundred meters. Summer is relatively short (up to 4 months), but warm. The average July temperature ranges from 22°C (in the foothills) to 6°C in the highlands; in the basins and southern foothills it is possible to rise to 35-40°С and more. The values ​​of 14-18°С are typical for the middle and low mountains. The frost-free period at an altitude of up to 1000 meters does not exceed 90 days, above 2000 m it is practically absent. Precipitation is associated mainly with western moisture-bearing flows and is distributed extremely unevenly over the territory and over the seasons. The exposure asymmetry is clearly expressed, in which the windward slopes of the ridges, especially the western periphery, receive significantly more precipitation than the inner basins. Thus, in the highlands of the Katun and South Chuya ranges, up to 2000 mm of precipitation or more falls annually, while the Kurai and Chui steppes are one of the most arid places in Russia (up to 100 mm of precipitation per year). The lack of moisture in the hollows is also explained by the drying effect of mountain-valley winds - foehns, especially in winter and autumn. In the low and middle mountains, an average of 700-900 mm of precipitation falls annually. The maximum precipitation occurs in summer. The thickness of the snow cover in the northern and western regions and in the highlands reaches 60-90 cm or more, in the hollows - less than 10 cm, and in years with little snow, a stable cover is practically not formed. Over 1500 glaciers with a total area of ​​about 910 km 2 are known in the Altai mountains. They are most common in the Katunsky, South and North Chuysky ridges. The largest glaciers are Taldurinsky, Aktru (Akturi) and Maashey (Mashey), which are 7-12 km long.

Altai. Katun river.

Rivers and lakes. Altai is dissected by a dense network (several tens of thousands) of mountain rivers, which, according to their diet, belong to the Altai type: they feed on melted snow waters and summer rains; characterized by a long spring flood. Most of the rivers belong to the Ob basin, both of its sources - Katun and Biya - are located in Altai and are its main water arteries. The western spurs are drained by the right tributaries of the Irtysh River, among which the Bukhtarma River stands out. The rivers of the northeastern part of Altai (Abakan, etc.) have a drain into the Yenisei River valley, the southeastern outskirts belong to the drainless region of Central Asia. The total number of lakes in Altai is over 7000, with a total area of ​​over 1000 km2; the largest are Markakol and Lake Teletskoye. Many small (usually 1-3 km 2 or less) ancient glacial lakes often fill picturesque deep trough valleys. In the north of Altai there are karst lakes.

Landscape types . In Altai, the altitudinal zonality of landscapes is well expressed. In the lower landscape zone there are steppes, in the north mainly meadows, with areas of forest-steppes. In the south, the steppes form a wide belt, rising to a height of 1000 meters or more, and in some places have the features of deserts, turning into semi-deserts. Of the mountain-steppe animals, ground squirrels, voles, hamsters, and badgers are common; from birds - steppe eagle, coccyx, kestrel. The appearance of the steppes in the intermountain basins is similar. The gazelle antelope, the Mongolian marmot, the cat's manul, etc. are found there. Leached and podzolized chernozems are developed in the steppe lowlands, and peculiar dry-steppe chestnut and dark chestnut soils are found in the basins. The insignificant forest-steppe belt is associated with the expositional asymmetry of humidity and illumination, when larch (rarely birch, aspen or pine) grows on the northern slopes of the low mountains, and meadow steppes grow on the southern slopes. The forest belt prevails in the Altai mountains. Mountain taiga forests dominate here: dark coniferous, so-called black taiga from fir, spruce and Siberian cedar pine (or “cedar”), and light coniferous from larch and Scotch pine. Among the inhabitants of mountain forests, taiga animals are typical - bear, lynx, Siberian weasel, squirrel, musk deer, maral, etc.; from birds - capercaillie, hazel grouse, nutcracker, woodpeckers, crossbills. The black taiga on deep podzolic or brown forest soils rich in humus is widespread in the western foothills and in the northeast. Fir forests tend to the middle part of the mountain slopes, cedar taiga - to the upper parts. In dark coniferous forests, the herbaceous layer is made up of large-herb and tall-herb species; the undergrowth is often absent or consists of ground cover (mosses, lichens), to which shrub and shrub layers are added. Larch forests occupy significant areas in the basin of the middle reaches of the Katun River, on the Terektinsky and Kurai Ranges. Pine forests, often of a park type, are distributed mainly along the valleys of the Katun and Chulyshman rivers. In light coniferous forests, the grass-shrub layer is diverse. Gray forest soils above 1700 m turn into forest-tundra and mountain-tundra. The upper limit of the forest in height ranges from 1600 to 2400 m; sparse taiga grows here with well-developed tall grasses, shrubs and grass-shrub layers. Above - cedar and larch light forests, alternating with thickets of shrubs (derniks) and subalpine meadows. Among the shrubs dominate birch round-leaved, willow, juniper, Kuril tea. Tall grass meadows contain many valuable species: maral root, hellebore Lobel, blueberries, bergenia, etc. Alpine meadows, common in the highlands of western and central regions Altai, alternate with spots of moss-lichen cover or stony placers. There are formations of large-grass, small-grass, grass-sedge and cobresia meadows. The highlands also feature landscapes of subalpine meadows, mountain tundra, rocks, stony placers, glaciers and eternal snows. Most of the highlands are occupied by mountain tundra, which are not distinguished by a wide variety of species. There are meadow, moss-lichen, shrub and rocky tundras. Above 3000 meters there is a nival-glacial belt. Of the animals of the alpine belt, the Altai pika, mountain goat, snow leopard, and reindeer are characteristic. A special type of intrazonal landscapes of Altai are swamps, which are distributed almost everywhere on flat interfluves and plateaus.

Specially protected natural areas. 5 objects of Altai (Altaisky Reserve, a protective strip around Lake Teletskoye, Katunsky Reserve, natural Park Beluga whale and the Ukok Quiet Zone), called the Golden Mountains of Altai, have been included in the list since 1998 world heritage. Natural landscapes and individual natural monuments are also protected in the Markakol Reserve. A number of reserves have been created. For the economy of Altai, see the articles Altai Territory, Altai (Republic of Altai) and Tuva.

History of discovery and research. The first scientific studies of the nature of Altai date back to the 1st half of the 18th century, when ore deposits were discovered in the west and the first copper smelters were built. Russian settlers, mostly runaway factory and state peasants, appeared in the north of Altai in the middle of the 18th century. The first Russian settlements, including those of the Old Believers, began to appear in the 1750-70s, mainly along the valleys of the middle course of the rivers. In the 19th century, the upper reaches of the rivers began to be settled, mainly by Kazakh nomads from China and Kazakhstan. In 1826, K. F. Ledebur studied the flora of Altai. In 1828 alluvial deposits of gold were discovered. In the first half of the 19th century, geological research was carried out by P. A. Chikhachev (1842), G. E. Shchurovsky (1844) and engineers of the mining department. In the 2nd half of the 19th century, numerous expeditions worked in Altai, including the Russian Geographical Societies, the Academy of Sciences, which included V. A. Obruchev, V. V. Sapozhnikov, who studied the modern glaciation and vegetation cover of Altai for a number of years. Since the 1920s, a systematic study of the nature of Altai has been carried out: large-scale topography, and geological surveys, as well as the study of various natural resources in connection with the development of the mining industry, hydropower and agriculture.

Lit .: Kuminova A.V. Vegetation cover of Altai. Novosib., 1960; Mikhailov N.I. Mountains of Southern Siberia. M., 1961; Gvozdetsky N.A., Golubchikov Yu.N. Mountains. M., 1987.

Beluga is the most high mountain Altai. The sacred mountain has many local names: Kadyn-bazhi - "Top of the Katun", Ak-suru - "White Giant", Musdutuu - "Ice Mountain", Aktau - " white mountain»; judging by the names Uch-Sumer, Uch-Syuri, Uch-Ayry - "Three hills", "Three spiers", "Three branches", the mountain once had three peaks. Poets, philosophers and religious thinkers call it the "Silver Thread of the World", "Planetary Throne", "Shield of Fiery Power", "Tower of the Mother of the World", "Fortress of the Diamond Throne Buddha", "Stronghold of the One God".
Scientists see, first of all, a granite massif covered with glaciers, composed of rocks of the Cambrian period. Tectonic movement continues to this day - an uplift that began in the Paleogene era, so this mountain is a real museum of all kinds of geomorphological processes and landforms. Two peaks in the form of irregular pyramids - Eastern Belukha (4506 m) and Western Belukha (4435 m), with a drop to 4000 m (the so-called "Belukha Saddle") between them, crown the Katunsky ridge of Central Altai in the south of Western Siberia, where the borders of four countries converge: Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. The mountain is almost steep in the north (the so-called Akkem wall from the side of the Akkem glacier) and more gentle in the south, where the Katun River originates from the Katun glacier (otherwise the Gebler glacier).
People have been inhabiting the intermountain valleys of Altai since the Paleolithic era (the first settlements appeared about 1.5 million years ago. In the 7th-3rd centuries BC, the Altai was inhabited by the Pazyryk Scythians, then they were replaced by the Huns and Sarmatians, from the middle of the 5th century by the Turks, the ancestors of the modern Altaians, who formed a large medieval state of the Turkic Khaganate (monarchy), which, along with Altai, included the territories of Man Churia, Mongolia, East and West Turkestan, Kazakhstan and North Caucasus. In the XVII-XVIII centuries. Altai is part of the Dzungar state, liquidated by the Qing dynasty (China) during the Third Oirat-Manchurian War (1755-1759). In parallel, there was an expansion of the Russian Empire, during which in 1717-1747. Northern, and in 1756 and Southern Altai became the possessions of the Demidovs.
The study and conquest of this not the highest, but difficult to climb and spiritually significant mountain peace has become a matter of honor for many. But only in the 20th century.
The slopes of Belukha, on average, up to a height of 2600 m, are covered with glaciers (currently 169 are known, with a total area of ​​about 150 km 2), which is reflected in the name Belukha, i.e. "White". Due to the difficulties of climbing the glacial slopes and the sacred tradition of the local population to bypass Belukha, no one dared to climb to the top for quite a long time, as one of the encyclopedic publications of 1891 complains about. Its height was approximately calculated in 1835-1836. German doctor of medicine, geographer Friedrich August von Gebler (1781-1850), who worked in Russia. The Russian botanist, geographer and traveler Vasily Vasilyevich Sapozhnikov (1861-1924) reached the Beluga Saddle in 1895, who brought greater accuracy to the measurements.
The Tronov brothers, glaciologist (ice researcher) and climatologist Mikhail Vladimirovich (1892-1978) and chemist Boris Vladimirovich (1891-1968), were already engaged in a detailed study of the Belukha glaciers in Soviet times. They also own the honor of the first ascent of Belukha in 1914: they managed to conquer its higher eastern peak only the third time (the first unsuccessful attempt to climb was made back in 1907 by a group of Russians, and in 1909, equally unsuccessfully, by a group of English climbers).
The snow-white crown of the beauty of Altai was captured in their paintings by Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947) and the outstanding landscape painter of Altai origin Choros-Gurkin - Grigory Ivanovich Gurkin (1870-1937). In the wake of the revolution in 1917, he, as the most famous representative of the indigenous nationality, was persuaded to head the Karakorum-Altai district government, and in 1919 Kolchak arrested him "for separatism and treason." Released on bail, the artist hastened to flee abroad. In 1925 he was persuaded to return to Soviet Russia, where he paints pictures, draws posters and illustrates folk epics until 1937, when he was accused of nationalism; died in the dungeons of the NKVD, rehabilitated in 1956
At the end of the XX century. Beluga whale turns into the center extreme sports and tourism. Today, different routes of ascent are known, all of them are rock-ice.
Among animals and birds, there are rare specimens, for example, the snow leopard and golden eagle listed in the Red Book. The mountain, together with its ecosystem, was first declared a natural monument of the Gorno-Altai Autonomous Okrug, and then a World Heritage Site. natural heritage under UNESCO official name « ».

general information

The highest point in Siberia.

Administrative affiliation: border Ust-Koksinsky district, Siberian Federal District, Russian Federation.

Ethnic composition: Altaians (indigenous people) - the majority, Kazakhs - up to 6%, there are a few groups of Russian Old Believers who moved here more than 200 years ago.

Religions: Burkhanism (local belief with elements of Buddhism and shamanism), Buddhism (Altaians), Orthodoxy (Russians), Islam (Kazakhs).

Major river: Katun.
Major lakes: Kucherlinskoye, Akkemskoye.

Major glaciers: the Sapozhnikov glacier is 10.5 km long, with an area of ​​13.2 km2; The Big and Small Berel glaciers are 10 and 8 km long and 12.5 and 8.9 km 2 in area.

Immediate settlements: the village of Ust-Koksa.

Distance from China and Mongolia: about 100 km.

Numbers

Eastern Belukha: 4506 m.
Western Belukha: 4435 m
Beluga saddle: 4000 m.
First ascent: 1914, Tronov brothers.
Glaciers of Mount Belukha: number - 169, area - 150 km 2, 50% of all glaciers of the Katunsky ridge.
Ice movement speed: from 30 to 50 m per year.

Climate and weather

sharply continental, with short hot summers and long frosty winters. Changes in accordance with altitudinal zoning.
Average annual temperature in the valley: 0…+5°С
Average annual temperature at the summit:-6°C
Minimum summit temperature: in winter up to -45°С, in summer up to -20°С.

Curious facts

■ Complicated cosmological concepts connect Belukha with Tibet and India. Local residents are sure that real cave passages connect Belukha with Tibet. According to one version, the Indian mythological sacred mountain Meru (the center of all universes) is the Altai Belukha.
■ The number three carries an important symbolism for the Belukha. It is believed that three religions meet here: Christianity, Buddhism and Islam; Altai, the Himalayas and the Pamirs are connected through Belukha; the mountain is located at approximately equal distance from three oceans: the Pacific, the Arctic and the Indian.

Golden Mountains of Altai (Republic of Altai, Russia) - detailed description, location, reviews, photos and videos.

• Tours for May in Russia
• Hot tours in Russia

Previous photo Next photo

The Golden Mountains of Altai is the name of the area inscribed on the UNESCO List in 1998 for its unique natural features. The total area is more than 16 thousand square meters. km, this includes three natural attractions of the Altai Mountains at once: the Ukok plateau and two reserves - Altai and Katunsky. It is in these territories that such pearls of the Altai Republic as Teletskoye Lake and Mount Belukha are located - they are known not only in Russia, but also far beyond its borders among tourists who love extreme sports and adrenaline and natural beauty.

On the territory of the Golden Mountains of Altai there are such pearls of this area as Lake Teletskoye and Mount Belukha.

These significant places were chosen because it is here that one can observe the nature of the Alpine geographical zone most vividly and fully, and not only its vegetation, but also animal world, among which there are very rare species. In addition, some historical sights are located here, for example, the Pazyryk burial grounds - Scythian burial mounds of the Iron Age. Tourists often call the Golden Mountains of Altai an open-air museum.

In 2000, the Katunsky Reserve received the status of a biosphere reserve, which means that it is open for tourists to visit, and the purpose of its creation is precisely to demonstrate the harmonious interaction of man and nature. Belukha Mountain is located in this reserve - the highest peak of Altai, also called the Three-Headed. Tracking is very common here - hiking with climbing to the top, and on the slopes there are several camp sites.

Teletskoye lake is not only unique natural place, but also a "place of power", a shrine for many Asian peoples - located on the territory of the Altai Reserve.

The territory of the lake is considered the most popular place for tourism in the entire Altai Territory. There are many waterfalls here, and on one of them - Korbu - there is tourist centre Altai Reserve. In addition, it is worth visiting the delta of the Chulyshman River, stone bay, picturesque grottoes and caves. The Altai Reserve was formed back in 1930, and the area it occupies is almost 10% of the entire territory of the Altai Republic.

The natural park on the Ukok Plateau, in its southern part, is called the "Quiet Zone". This area belongs to Russian Federation, but borders on Mongolia and Kazakhstan. There are three functional zones, only one of which allows excursions. It is on the Ukok plateau that rare species of plants grow, endangered species of birds and even animals such as the snow leopard and argali mountain sheep are found.

Practical Information

Getting to the Golden Mountains of Altai is not difficult, but all three objects included in this natural attraction are quite far from each other. Therefore, it is worth planning your trip in advance and decide on the places you want to visit.

• Altai Reserve: Gorno-Altaisk, Naberezhny lane, 1;
• Katunsky Reserve: with. Ust-Koksa, st. Zapovednaya, 1;
• Natural park "Ukok Quiet Zone": with. Kosh-Agach, st. Communal, 14.

Remembering the legendary and beloved Vladimir Semenovich Vysotsky, I want to admire the indescribable beauties of the Altai Mountains again and again, enjoy the silence of the mountains, the silence of sunsets and dawns, the murmur of freezing rivers ... Better than mountains there can only be mountains….

“In the bustle of cities and in the streams of cars, We are returning, there is simply nowhere to go. And we go down from the conquered peaks, Leaving in the mountains, Leaving our heart in the mountains. So leave unnecessary disputes, I have already proved everything to myself, Only mountains can be better than mountains, On which I have not yet been, On which I have not yet been.

Gorny Altai is an amazing and very beautiful land, about which many enthusiastic words have already been said and written. "Golden Mountains" - this is how Altai is translated from the Turkic languages.

Altai is located in the very center of Asia, in the south of Western Siberia, and borders on such countries as China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan.

It should be noted that Gorny Altai is also the cleanest region of Russia, there are neither industrial enterprises nor railways. I am sure that there is no person in the world who would remain indifferent to the beauty of these places.

I was in Altai for the first time in 2010, and then I was so impressed by the diversity of natural landscapes and the crazy beauty of landscapes that Altai became my favorite place. Indeed, such a variety of nature, in a relatively small area, is rare, where else can be found. In Altai, you can see not only alpine meadows, but also landscapes reminiscent of Canada, South America, the steppes of Mongolia and the classical landscapes of Central Asia. And this is all, in the aggregate, including the native taiga-Siberian landscapes - and there is the Altai Mountains.

In the village of Ust-Kan

Local school. Children in a physical education class. Here, a healthy lifestyle in children begins with the purest air, and light physical activity. Real physical education can only be in the fresh air, and no fitness center with its expensive air conditioning system can ever compare with Altai freshness. My sympathy for the children of megacities, and the experience of course.

Having passed the Kansk steppe and entering the Ust-Koksinsky region, the landscapes began to change again. Forests have appeared, there is again a lot of greenery around, horses graze in the meadows. In general, when you imagine a classic Altai landscape, the following picture is drawn in your head: green grass, horses grazing in a meadow, and all this against the backdrop of mountains shrouded in clouds. And now, these landscapes can simply be observed from the car window!

At the entrance to the Multinsky lakes, we stopped at the Dead Lake to take pictures and collect firewood at the same time. Early in the morning, on dead lake sometimes deer and bears come to drink water.

On the slopes of the Katunsky Ridge in the territory of the Katunsky Reserve. These places - real paradise. Wild and untouched alpine landscapes, cedar forests, crystal clear lake waters - this is all that makes you come back here again and again. Multinsky lakes are beautiful in any weather. No clouds, no rain, no cold - nothing will stop you from truly falling in love with these places.

In the evening, the weather began to gradually clear up, and the four of us went for a walk to the Lower Multinskoye Lake. The sun shone for the first time in the whole day. In the distance, a lone fisherman busy catching grayling.

The very next morning, we were to see another Altai. During the night, about 10 cm of snow fell, and since the snow quickly melted from the rising sun, we had to have time to capture everything as it is. In pristinely beautiful, dazzling white snow covers, another Altai appeared.

This morning was unforgettable. Everything that we filmed yesterday has changed beyond recognition today, everything has sparkled with new colors. The snow adorned the surrounding landscapes so much that I perceived all this as a real gift from the Multinsky Lakes.

The water in the lakes is so clean and tasty that you can drink it without boiling it first!

The next point of our journey through the Altai Mountains was the valley of the Chulyshman River and the famous "stone mushrooms". From Zamulta to Chulyshman is far, about 550 kilometers. Along the Chuisky tract along the Katun and Chuya.

It got dark very quickly, and we entered the Chuisky tract itself in complete darkness. Along the way, on the Chuisky tract, quite a lot interesting places worthy of the photographer's attention. One of such places is Chui-Oozy, the confluence of two great rivers of Altai - Katun and Chui. That's where we planned to stay tonight. After some time, the dark September Altai night began to lighten, and soon, it began to look more like the northern "white night". The fact is that a very bright and full moon appeared in the sky. The moon turned out to be so bright that everything around began to cast shadows, it was possible, without problems, to read a newspaper. I have never seen such a bright moonlit night.

Here the unclear Chuya flows into the Katun. The rivers have different colors, and it is very clear how one river dissolves into another. The spectacle is impressive. It is noteworthy that both Katun and Chuya change their color of water, depending on the season. For example, the water in the Katun is either dirty gray, or muddy green, or light green, or turquoise, or blue. We caught the period when the color of the water, both in Chuya and Katun, was turquoise, the most unusual and beautiful.

I would like to say a little more about the Katun itself.

First, this largest river Altai. Originating in the glaciers of the southern slope of the Katunsky Ridge, the Katun flows through high mountain ranges, then through the middle and low mountains covered with forests, and finally, in the steppes of the West Siberian Plain, merges with the Biya River, forming the fifth longest river in the world, the Ob River. The length of the Katun is 688 km, the total difference from the source to the mouth is 2000 m. The unique and diverse landscapes along the coast and the possibility of organizing rafting of different categories of difficulty make the Katun the most popular holiday destination in Altai.

After the morning photography of Chui-Oozy, we drove further along the Chuisky tract. Now the Chuisky tract ran along the Chuya River, a lot of interesting panoramas opened from the route. No wonder the Chuysky tract is a separate tourist route.

Finally, we drove up to the same Katu-Yaryk pass. Albert could not believe his eyes when he saw the panorama before us. "Pinch me, I must be dreaming!" Albert exclaimed. From a kilometer height, a valley of crazy beauty opened up to our eyes, below the swift river Chulyshman meandered like a snake, compressed on both sides by bare rocks that formed a majestic canyon. Here you can not only see, but also hear the noise of waterfalls, bringing down, from a height of several hundred meters, their powerful, seething streams.

And here is the winning photo of The Best of Russia 2013.

Found an error? Select it and left click Ctrl+Enter.

The earth's surface in the Altai Territory is mostly flat, but there are also low mountain ranges. In the east, the Pre-Altai Plain is bordered by a hilly territory, from the south by spurs of the Anuysky, Tigiretsky, Cherginsky, Seminsky and Baschelaksky ridges, in the southwest there is a popular for tourist travel Kolyvan ridge.

The land surface of the territory of the region gradually rises from the northwest to the southeast. highest point edge has a height of 2490 meters, it is named Shangin Lighthouse in honor of famous researcher Altai. It is located in the Korgon Range at the head of the Kumir River.

Geology and tectonics of mountains

The geological formation of the territory of the region took place over 2 billion years. In the north of the region, where a plain is observed in the modern relief, there is the outskirts of the young West Siberian platform or plate. In the east and south of the region there are tectonic structures of mountain structures of different ages.

The earth's crust here has a three-layer structure, the thickness of which under the mountain structures increases and reaches 50-55 km. The Altai-Salair folded system was formed in the east and southeast of the territory of the region. In the southwest, it is associated with the tectonic structures of the Western Altai.

In the marine and oceanic waters of the ancient sea with big amount island chains in the distant geological past, powerful strata of sediments were formed. Clayey, sandy and calcareous deposits were deposited near the islands. It is they, in the form of crystalline schists, that today compose the shores and the Terektinsky Range.

After the geological period of sedimentation, active volcanic activity began. Powerful lava flows intruded into sedimentary rocks and formed volcanic-sedimentary and metamorphic rock strata. About one and a half billion years ago, calcareous and calcareous-siliceous rock strata were again formed along the outskirts of the extensive underwater swelling formed in the process of volcanism.

Lime-siliceous rocks with the remains of marine organisms, quartzites and intrusive granites, diorites and gabbro today compose the rocky ledges of the northern face of Altai. In relief today, these are beautiful and bizarre remnant rocks of Babargan and Maly Babyrgan, Mokhnatoy and Sinyukha, Pleshivay and Makarevka rocks, Tserkovka rocks and the “Four Brothers” in Belokurikha.

The relief of the Altai mountains

The relief in the Altai foothills is very diverse, low mountains and partly middle mountains, ancient intermountain valleys are concentrated here. Low-mountain landforms rise in the south of the region above the plain up to 500 m, and gradually continue to the south with mid-mountain ridges up to 2000 m.

The low mountains of the Altai Territory are characterized by dome-shaped ancient peaks substantially destroyed by erosion with remnant rocks. Low-mountain and partially mid-mountain landforms were formed as a result of volcanism on the site of an ancient plain. These landforms are heavily dissected by the erosion of glaciers, wind and water currents.

Mountain ranges here stretch from the northwest to the southeast. Their destruction under the influence of frost and heat, atmospheric precipitation, wind and flowing waters strongly dismembers the relief of the foothills. The forces of nature destroy, crush sedimentary rocks on the surface and carry them away from the slopes. As a result of this process, granite, marble, porphyrite, diorite remains are exposed. From the tops of collapsing mountains, detrital materials roll down in taluses and accumulate at the foot.

Minerals

The bowels of the industrial "Rudny Altai" (Gornyak, Zmeinogorsk) are rich in ores of polymetals. Here they contain compounds of lead, copper, tungsten, zinc, molybdenum, precious and rare earth metals. The Salair Ridge is rich in bauxites; magnesium ores occur at the junction with Altai.

In addition to metal ores in mountain systems In the foothills of the region, in the sedimentary strata of the ancient sea, many deposits of building materials, various types of sand, sand and gravel mixtures, marls, marble, clay, limestone, ornamental stones, quartzites, porphyrites, and jaspers were formed.

In the foothills on the territory of the Cherginsky Range, the richest reserves of thermal radon waters were found, on the basis of which the balneological resort All-Russian health resort operates. Together with thermal waters here the mountain coniferous air is used for healing, the unique relief forms of Mount Tserkovka, the rock "Four Brothers", ethnographic and event tourism is developing.

Climate

Climatic conditions of the foothills southern territories The Altai Territory is moderate, continental with a large difference in the amount of sunlight and heat throughout the year. In winter, the territory of the foothills becomes very cold during anticyclonic weather, and it warms up well in summer.

By the amount of solar radiation, the territory of the Altai foothills is not inferior to the well-known Crimean resorts Sochi and Anapa. To the south, in the mountain spurs, the cloudiness becomes stronger and more precipitation falls, up to 800-900 mm per year. In the foothills there are many days with winter snowfalls, the territory is promising for the development of ski tourism.

Average temperatures during long winters range from -15°C to -20°C, and in January the minimum temperature can drop to -50°C with cold arctic air intrusions. In summer, dry warm winds blowers from the Iranian highlands and Central Asia significantly soften the climate of the foothills. The average July temperatures are +18оС, +20оС, they can rise up to +38оС during southerly winds. Humid cyclones come from the west, from the shores of the Atlantic, bringing with them heavy rains with winds and thunderstorms.

The transitional seasons of the year are characterized by frosts and cold snaps caused by the Arctic air. Spring comes to the Altai Territory from the southwest, with the arrival of warm winds from Kazakhstan from the foothills. Snow melts very quickly with dry southwesterly winds. In autumn, after the first frosts, clear warm weather usually sets in, which is called "Indian summer". After that, cold winds and long dank autumn rains come.

Hydrography

Foothill areas, spurs of the northern Altai ranges with an abundance of precipitation have a dense hydrographic network. Many abundant freshwater streams, springs and springs, streams, mountain karst and glacial lakes are formed here.

The Suenga, Ik, Alambay, Chem, Konebikha, Bachat rivers originate from the slopes of Salair, flowing into Inya and rushing to Chumysh Kara-Chumysh and Tom-Chumysh. Salair reservoirs support the hydrological regime of groundwater in the Ob-Irtysh interfluve.

The right tributaries of the Charysh and the upper reaches of the sources of the Alei flow along the reserved specially protected territory of the Tigiretsky Range. The basin of the Belaya River, the upper reaches of the Bolshaya Khankhara River, which is richest in species biological diversity, is located here. The Anui Range is a natural watershed of the Anui and Peschanaya rivers.

The Cherginsky Range separates the basins of the Peschanaya and Sema rivers. On the Seminsky ridge, the rivers Peschanaya and Sema, Emurla and Bertka, Apshuyakhta and Anos originate. Peschanaya and Sema are rich in placer gold. The Baschelak Range separates the basins of the Charysh and Anuy rivers, are far known deep lakes Bashchelakskoe and Talitskoe. In the area of ​​​​the Kolyvansky ridge, the Belaya River flows, flowing into the Charysh, the eponymous White Lake and a natural monument, Lake Savvushkino, which is often called simply Kolyvansky.

The nature of individual mountain ranges

The highest peak of the Kolyvansky ridge in the Kurinsky district is Mount Sinyukha with a height of 1210 meters. Its slopes are covered with virgin forest, which, with rarefied air, from a distance has the shade of Sinegorye and is covered with a bluish haze. Nearby is the village of Kolyvan with the famous stone-cutting factory.

The highest peak of the low-mountainous strongly dissected Salair in the relief is Mount Kivda, 618 meters high. In the Altai Territory, the spurs of the Salair are located in the catchment area of ​​the Sary-Chumysh River. In the karst limestones of Salair, there are many forms of relief of karst origin of caves, funnels, basins, dry dens and ponors.

In the mountains of the Tigiretsky Ridge, there is an eponymous forest formed in 1999 to preserve the richest species biological diversity of the nature of the black taiga and forest-steppe communities of the Altai foothills. Tourists will be interested in the ecological trail "Big Tigirek", its length is up to 70 km, and the wonderful excursion "Mount Semipeshchernaya".

The most popular tourist attraction of the Cherginsky Range is Mount Tserkovka with a height of 815 meters and bizarre unusually shaped rocks on top. The rocks crowning the mountain really look like the domes of an Orthodox church; a worship cross is installed on the top. From the balneological resort Belokurikha, located at the foot of the mountain, a funicular was built to the top.

Baschelaksky ridge "byzhi-ak" "white peak" has a peculiar shape, reminiscent of the relief of the Great Chinese wall. Its remnant peaks in the form of a skillfully built wall were formed as a result of wind and water erosion processes. A lot of detrital material has accumulated at their foot.

most north summit Seminsky ridge is the handsome Babyrgan with a height of 1008.6 meters, which is like a giant giant clock face of Altai. At the top of Babyrgan, high granite and syenite Devonian remnant rocks and walls are of great interest to tourists. Over the mountain from time to time locals and the guests see a vision medieval city with towers and loopholes.