Day 1
Arrive in Barnaul by night flight rom Moscow. Wait in the airport for the arrival of other tour participants who might arrive by later morning flights. 07.00 - meeting of the group with an English-speaking representative of the company and departure from the airport. Travel with your group by bus first to the railway station in Barnaul to pick up those tour participants who arrive by train, and then from Barnaul to the camp Vysotnik, with a stop on the way for lunch (at your own expense) and later in the evening for passport control (Belukha is considered a borderzone that requires a special permit). See how the landscape behind the window changes from woods and countryside to magnificent steppe. The destination of the day is the base camp Vysotnik, which is situated at altitude 850 m, in a picturesque place on the bank of the Katun River, near the village of Tiungur (750 km, 12-14 hours). At Vysotnik camp, you will meet your English-speaking activity guide. Dinner and overnight at Vysotnik.
Accommodation at Vysotnik: in 2-storied wooden cottage, in rooms housing 2-4 people each. Wooden communal toilets and sauna are in a separate nearby building. There are also a café, a sports ground, a parking and a small hiking/climbing equipment rental center. Clothes and items not required for the trek can be left at the check room till return from the trekking tour.
Day 2
After breakfast at Vysotnik, pack and start off trekking. Pass through Kucherla, the last populated area on the way to the mountains. We will follow a path through the forest and observe plenty of mushrooms, berries, various kinds of trees and grasses, and may even spot a hare or a deer. Today we have to go up the Kuzuyak pass (1513 m). The pass isn't high but the walking is pretty hard, through the forest - it is a test of our stamina. An alternative for this day hiking is rating along the river followed by a not long walk to the camping spot (decision to be taken by the group on the eve of Day 1, to be paid on the spot). We will set a tent camp in a nice meadow on the banks of the Oroktoy brook (1100 m). Lunch as a light snack on the way, dinner cooked over fire by your guide. Night in tents.
6-8 hours hiking, 19 km, 600 m altitude change.
Day 3
Today, we continue trekking up along the Oroktoi brook to the Tukhman River (2000 m). We can see how the panorama changes from taiga (Siberian forest rich in conifers) to the high alpine meadows. By the end of the day we will reach a very scenic site with a great panorama of Mt. Belukha - the highest mountain of Siberia - and the surrounding peaks. Here we will set up a tent camp. Lunch as a light snack on the way, breakfast and dinner cooked over fire by your guide. Night in tents.
7-8 hours hiking, 14 km, 900 m altitude change.
Day 4
The trail we are following today has the same height level across the mountain tundra, and leads us to the picturesque Kulduairy Lake (2000 m). On the way, we may have a chance to see a Moral (deer) or a marmot. We will set up a tent camp next to the lake. Lunch as a snack on the way, breakast&dinner cooked over fire by your guide. Night in tents.
7-8 hours, 20 km, 100 m altitude change.
Day 5
The distance of our walking is short today.
A moderate ascent - and we find ourselves at a plateau with weirdly shaped rocks and stones, with a great view over the mountains. After a short but rather steep descent into the river valley, we will reach our next campsite on the banks of the Tekeliu River (1800 m). In the afternoon, we can have an optional hike upstream, through the woods along the river to see a waterfall (4 km).
3-4 hours hiking, 10 km, altitude change 500 m.
Day 6
Today we will cross the Tekeliu River and make a steep descent on the other side of the valley along a dirt trail through the woods.
On the top of the valley, we will reach Sarybel pass from where you can have a grandious view over sharp hat of the Yarlu peak and the black Karatiurek pass. We continue a ridge traverse with a breathtaking view over Ak-Kem lake of the amazing bright blue colour, and we are coming down into the Yarlu valley. Here, we should cross the Ak-kem River and in a half of an hour we reach our day destination - our second base camp Ak-Kem (1950 m). Dinner and night at Ak-Kem.
7-8 hours, 15 km, altitude change 600 m.
Accommodation at Ak-Kem shelter: there are stationary tents with mats for 4-5 persons. There is also a canteen (no electricity), good wooden sauna and a traditional Altai structure - ail (some kind of wooden yurt) for group gatherings in the evening. This camp boasts hypnotic views of the huge snowy massif of MountBelukha.
Day 7
Today is a day for a radial trip to the picturesque surroundings of Ak-Kem. We suggest either trekking to the Ak-Ojouk valley, which is famous for its seven lakes all of different hues (5-7 hours hiking, altitude change 400 m), or to the Yarlu valley - the high energy place with «stones town» which was created by people visiting Yarlu for a meditation, or to the small but scenic Lake of the Mountain Spirits. The final choice will depend on the weather and the group preference. Dinner and night at Ak-Kem.
Day 8
Today we leave our Ak-Kem camp and start the 2nd part of our trekking. We will have a long and strenuous ascent on the severe Karatiurek pass (3060 m). The descend from the pass is not easy either - it is steep and goes on talus. We camp in the cedar forest.
6-8 hours hiking, 15 km, altitude change 1000 m (1000 m up and 1000 m down).
Day 9
Short ascent on the plateau – and we are descending, through the taiga, to the the Kucherla Lake (1760 m). The water of the Ak-kem and Kucherla Lakes is believed to be «dead» and «alive» accordingly. There is a lot of fish in Kucherla. We will set a tent camp at the shore of the lake.
4-6 hours, 13 km, altitude change 300 m.
Days 10 -11
Today is a calm trekking day - we are gradually descending along the Kucherla River, in the forest. On the way, we will make a stop to have a look at the petroglyphs (ancient rock drawings). Return to the familiar base camp «Vysotnik» from where we started the tour. Time at leisure, farewell dinner and night at Vysotnik.
4-6 hours in each day. 45 km.
Day 12
After breakfast, we will say good-bye to the hospitable staff of Vysotnik and leave by bus for the city of Barnaul (750 km, 12-13 hours). Stops on the way for lunch (at your own expense) and to buy souvenirs. Arrive in the center of Barnaul by the evening. Check-in at the hotel (double-basis). Dinner in the city on your own.
Day 13
Check-out of the hotel, transfer to the airport for a morning flight (without a guide)
The Tour Operator reserves the right to introduce changes in the itinerary due to weather conditions or other factors out o Tour Operator's control
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