Tour: Belukha mountain climb

Day 1

Arrive in Barnaul by night flight from 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 attendant with a sign "Vysotnik/Lenalptours" 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: standard accommodation in tents for 3 persons. However, on request and for supplement, accommodation is possible 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

Itinerary: the base camp «Vysotnik» (850 m) – mountain pass Kuzuyak (1513 m) – the Ak-kem river (1100 m).

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 rather long, through the forest, and can be rather demanding after the rain.

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 on a nice site «Three birches». Overnight is in the tents. Food is cooked on the fire.

4-5 hours, 17 km.

Day 3

Itinerary: «Three birches» – the base camp « Ak-kem» (1950 m). The trail we are following goes along the river Ak-Kem. The place from where we can see the magnificent Belukha for the first time is called «Panorama». Dinner and night at the 2nd base camp Ak-kem situated at the beautiful azure Ak-Kem lake.

7-8 h, 22 km.

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 4

Itinerary: the base camp «Ak-kem» – the Ak-kem  glacier – «Tomskie Nochevki» (3000 m). We will walk in the forest along the Ak-kem River and then along the impressive waterlogged flood-lands of the Ak-kem Lake. We proceed further and reach the moraine and then the glacier. The two mountain tops – Eastern Belukha (4506 m) and Western Belukha (4400 m) serve as the reference-points. Overnight in tents at the place named «Tomskie Nochevki».

7-8 hours, 17 km.

Day 5

Ice training on the «Arbuz» glacier. If the weather is favourable we will climb up to the Delone pass (3400 m). Overnight in tents

Day 6

Early start. Weather permitting - ascent. «Tomskie Nochevki» - the Delone pass (3400 m) - the Mensu glacier – the Berelskoye Saddle mountain pass (3520 m) - the plateau (3800 m). Mountain pass Delone represents a snow-ice wall 35° - 45° steep with the length of 300 m, (5-6 fixed ropes). Descent to the Mensu glacier and further ascent to the plateau over the Berelskoye Saddle mountain pass. Overnight in tents on the glacier.

7-8 h, 7 km.

Day 7

Weather permitting - attempt at the Belukha summit ascent. Mount Belukha (4506 m), with its impressive two-crest body, abundance of snow, severity and steepness of ice and snow walls, is undoubtedly the most beautiful and interesting mountain top of the Altai range. The start is at 6 am in the morning. We fix 6 ropes to the Belukhinsky pass (3A) and climb the pass (40°- 45°), then passing 250 metres along the ridge after 10-15 min we are at the summit. The way back is the same with fixed ropes.

7-9 hours, 12 km.

Day 8  

Backup day in case of bad weather.

Day 9

Descend the plateau - the Mensu glacier - «Tomskie nochevki» – the base camp «Ak-kem». Rope parties of 2-3 pax the Delone pass using at . Sauna (Russian banja). Time at leisure at  the base camp Ak-Kem.  

7-9 hours, 17 km.  

Days 10-11

Trek to the base camp «Vysotnik», from where we started our trekking (possible to do it in 1 day depending on your fitness). Sauna (Russian banja). 

5-6 hours per day, 39 km.

 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