Accommodation during the trip
Languages
Accommodation during the trip
Languages
Experiences you'll have
Belukha is, at 4509 meters, one of Russia's highest peaks. The streams of mighty Katun, Altai's river #1, flow from there. The foot area is abundant in scenic rivers, lakes, and plants. Belukha is considered to be a sacred mountain peak for many indigenous peoples of the Altai. According to Buddhist legends, the legendary kingdom of Shambhala is located here. And the Altai Old Believers are convinced that in the area of Belukha Mount there is a secret entrance to the Belovodye "land of happiness".
Despite the fact that Belukha is lower than Elbrus, the ascent to this peak is more difficult.
If you have no previous climbing experience and you are choosing between these two peaks, we recommend starting with Elbrus.
Before climbing the peak, you will go trekking over this amazing place. Hiking to the foot of Belukha in the first days will give you an opportunity to see the picturesque Lake Akkem, as well as to get acclimatized for a successful ascent. The schedule includes a training day for you to learn how to climb snow-and-ice slopes.
Border permit is required for this tour. Personal data should be submitted minimum 30 days before the date of arrival
Itinerary
The journey begins in Novosibirsk or Gorno-Altaisk, where you need to travel to by your own. We are ready to help with the purchase of tickets, if necessary, leave a comment in the application.
Note: climbing the Belukha Mount along the classic route from the Russian side has been closed by border guards since September, 2020. At the moment, negotiations with the government of Kazakhstan are underway to create a special tourist zone for climbing. If this agreement is not reached by the beginning of the summer season of 2021, we ask you to be prepared for the fact that the border service may not allow the group to go to the top of Belukha. In this case, an alternative program will be organized for you on the spot, including training in a mountaineering school and climbing one or more mountain peaks in the vicinity of the Belukha Mount: Altai Сorona Peak (4178 m), Delaunay Peak (4260 m), Ak-Oyuk (3860 m), Kara-Oyuk (3825 m).
The program in the mountains can be changed due to weather conditions. Decision about changing the itinerary is made by guide.
Day 1 Arrival to Tyungur
After meeting at the airport of Novosibirsk and Gorno-Altaisk, you will be transferred to Gorny Altai, to the village of Tyungur. The road will pass through mountain passes and will take from 6 to 14 hours. Meals on the way will be arranged at cafes (extra charge).
The route length is 850 km from Novosibirsk (12-14 hours), 460 km from Gorno-Altaisk (6-7 hours).
Day 2 Preparing for a hike
In the morning you will arrive in the village of Tyungur, stay at the campsite on the base and have breakfast. After that you will start preparing for the active part of the route: pick up equipment and help to collect and load things on pack horses.
Then you will receive a safety briefing and a lecture "Dangers in the mountains" from a mountaineering instructor. After that, you will have free time. If desired, and for an additional fee, you can book an excursion to the museum of Old Believers in the Uymon Valley. Or go to the Tolono place: here, on the high bank of the Katun River, a whole complex of stone warriors of the Pazyryk culture of the VI-II centuries BC has been preserved. This tour can be combined with a 3-hour rafting on the Katun river.
In the evening after dinner you will discuss the upcoming program with the guide and, if desired, go to the sauna (additional charge).
Day 3 Off road transfer to "Tri Berezy" camp
Today after breakfast you will take a ride on Gaz-66 cross-country vehicles through the Kuzuyak mountain pass (1513 m) to the "Tri Berezy" (Rus.for "Three Birches") camp. From here, after lunch, you will start a trekking route along the forest trail to Lake Akkem.
During the route you will carry backpacks with personal equipment and food for 1.5 days. Pack horses will be used to transport group climbing equipment to the Belukha foothills. In the evening you will stop for the night in tents on the bank of a mountain stream.
The length of the route is from 9 to 18 km on GAZ-66, 7-15 km on foot.
Day 4 Route to the base camp near Lake Akkem
Today you will go to the base camp, located at the foot of Belukha in the vicinity of Lake Akkem. The trail runs along the riverbed of the same name, along the way you will enjoy picturesque views of the Tekelu Waterfall and the main peak of the Altai.
The base camp is located in the forest, 1.5 km below Lake Ak-Kem. The advantages of this location are that there is always firewood and there are no cold gusty winds from the glaciers. All this will allow you to recover better after the climbing. At the camp you will have a safety briefing before leaving the forest area for the glacier area. In the evening after dinner, if you wish, you can visit the sauna (paid additionally on site). You will spend a night in tents.
The length of the route is from 7 to 15 km on foot
Day 5 Akkem Glacier
Today you will hike through the Akkem glacier. You will cross the flow of the Ak-Kem River on a shaky bridge at the beginning of the lake, visit the chapel, and then go out to the glacier grotto and continue trekking along it to the foot of the Belukha. On the way you will see the huge icefall of the Akkem glacier. It can be seen for tens of kilometers at the foot of Belukha. Huge ice blocks and cracks are striking in their scale.
On the route you will need to clearly follow the guide's instructions, and in this case, you will be able to pass the glacier without climbing equipment. For the night, you will stop at the famous "Tomskye Stoyanki" camp (at 3000 m high).
The length of the route is 17 km on foot.
Day 6 Recreation and training sessions on the glacier
This day you will spend preparing for the ascent and training sessions on the glacier. You will learn how to use ice axe and to move in crampons. Try different scending and descending rope technique, self-arresting and alpine group moving technique.
If weather conditions are good, you will acclimatize and make it to under the Delaunay pass at a height of 3400 m. In the evening, prepare your equipment for the ascent, have dinner and relax.
Day 7 Delaunay pass
Early in the morning you will set off to the Delaunay Pass. First, you will have to overcome a rather difficult part of the snow-ice slope with a steepness of 35-45 degrees and a length of about 320 m. The ascent to the pass will take place on the railing ropes fixed by the guides with special safety equipment. This will ensure safety for the participants of the ascent.
Then you will pass through the Mensu Glacier and climb the Bolshoe Berelskoe Sedlo (Rus. for "Great Berel Saddle") pass. Here you will set up a camp, have dinner and spend the night in tents.
The length of the route is 6 km on foot.
Day 8 Climbing Belukha
Today you will climb the eastern peak of Belukha Mount (4507 m high). You will start moving from the camp at night, and you will meet the dawn at the top (under favorable conditions).
You will climb the Belukhinsky Pass on a rope fixed by guides (120 m), and then continue ascending along the ridge to the top. At an altitude of 4507 meters, you will see a breathtaking panorama of the snow-capped peaks of the Altai Mountains, wrapped in clouds. You will go down to the base camp on the same way. The round-trip route will take 7-8 hours.
The length of the route is 8 km on foot.
Day 9 Reserve day
This is a reserve day in case of bad weather or if additional acclimatization is necessary for the expedition participants.
If the ascent took place on the previous day, you will return to the base camp at Lake Akkem a day earlier and make a radial hikes to the Yarlu Valley or the Valley of the Seven Lakes.
Day 10 Descent to the base camp
On this day you will start the descent along the same route: first through the Bolshoe Barelskoe Sedlo Pass to the "Tomskye Stoyanki" camp. Then through the Delaunay Pass to the base camp near Lake Akkem (8-9 hours on the way). In the evening, you will have dinner, relax and, if you wish, you can go to the sauna (paid additionally on the spot).
The length of the route is 20 km on foot.
Day 11 Return trip to the Tekelu Waterfall
On these days you will be able to return from Akkem Lake to the Tekelu Waterfall and the "Tri Berezy" camp. The route will pass along the picturesque Akkem trail. The name of the Ak-Kem River means "white water"in the Turkic language. Indeed, the water in the river has a milky white hue. The river originates from the Akkem glacier and carries in its waters small pieces of stones from the slopes of Belukha.
From the "Tri Berezy" camp you travel to the base in the village of Tyungur by all-terrain vehicles Gaz-66. Here you can stay in a campsite or in guest house (for an additional fee, advance booking is required). In the evening you will visit the bathhouse and rest at the base. You can have dinner in the cafe (extra charge).
The length of the route is from 9-18 km on Gaz-66, 15 to 20 km on foot.
Day 12 Transfer to Gorno-Altaysk and Novosibirsk
In the morning after breakfast, a minibus transfer to Gorno-Altaysk and Novosibirsk will be arranged. You will arrive in Gorno-Altaysk on the same day and stay in a hotel (extra charge). The approximate time of arrival in Novosibirsk is in the morning of the next day. We recommend buying tickets from Novosibirsk with departure after 6 pm.
The length of the route is 460 km to Gorno-Altaisk, 850 km to Novosibirsk.
Day 13 Departure
On this day, you will go to the airport for your flight home.
Accommodation during the trip
Languages
Accommodation during the trip
On days 1 and 11 you will spend the night in tents at the "Green House" base in the village of Tyungur. On the territory there is a cafe and a sauna (for an additional fee). If desired, and for an additional fee, you can choose to stay in a guest house or summer houses (advance booking is required).
In Lake Akkem area, you will stay in tents at the base camp (days 4-5, 9-11). It is located in the forest, 1.5 km below the lake. The forest protects against the cold, gusty winds from the glaciers, so the group recovers better after the climbing. Also, if you wish, these days you can stay in the mountain shelter "Ak-Kem", located at an altitude of 1950 meters in the forest zone of the Ak-Kem gorge, on the bank of the river (for an additional fee). Here you can rent bed linen, mattress, blanket, pillow.
During the hikinf and ascents of Belukha (days 3-4, 5-8) you will spend the night in standard two -, three-or four-person climbing tents.
Common questions
During the entire program, you will be accompanied by an experienced guide, as well as a mountaineering instructor. Before going on the route, he will conduct a safety briefing and a lecture on "Dangers in the mountains", and before the start of the ascent — training sessions on the glacier.
Before entering the route, the group is provided with a first aid kit, radio communication and GPS-navigators, as well as a satellite phone with 100% coverage for emergencies.
To take part in this tour, you must be physically fit, have some climbing and mountain hike experience. This is a 3B route. The length of the hiking day routes is from 6 to 20 km. Maximum altitude variation may amount to 1000 meters in a single day.
Pack horses are used to transport group equipment and food to the base camp in the Akkem Lake area. For the first two days of the active part of the route, you will carry only personal climbing equipment and food for 1.5 days (6-15 kg) in backpacks. The rest of the days, in addition to personal belongings, you will also have to carry food, personal and public equipment in backpacks (tents and ropes distributed by the guide among the participants, taking into account individual characteristics, the weight of the backpack is 15-25 kg). If desired, and for an additional fee, you can use the services of a porter or rent a horse to transport your personal belongings.
The program price includes three meals a day on the active part of the route. In addition, you will need to pay for meals at the cafe during the transfers (days 1 and 12) and during your stay at the base in the village of Tyungug (days 2 and 11).
On the tracking part of the route (on days 3-5 and 10-12), the food will be prepared by the cook on a fire, primus or gas burner.
On the ascent at an altitude of more than 3 000 meters, it is impossible to prepare standard hiking meals due to the peculiarities of the highlands. Therefore, the food is prepared by tourists themselves: each tent is provided with a burner, gas, dishes and a set of products. Also, each participant on the ascent will be given standard freeze-dried products of light weight, which do not require cooking.
Clothing and shoes for Belukha climbing:
Personal equipment for Belukha climbing:
The cost of equipment rental services when climbing Belukha (the price is indicated for the entire tour period):
The list of things that you would like to rent, you can specify in the application form — it will be sent to you by the manager when booking the tour.
Common hiking equipment and alpine gear :
Personal hiking equipment and alpine gear:
For tourists arriving in Novosibirsk, a transfer to the village of Tyungur will be organized at 18: 00 on the first day of the program. You will be met at the office: 146/1, Nemirovich-Danchenko st., office 7, Novosibirsk (from the airport you need to get by taxi).
Tourists arriving in Gorno-Altaisk on the first day of the program are recommended to stay in one of the hotels in the village of Maima (for example, in the hotel "Nika") or on the Chuysky tract. The bus will pick you up along the way.
Transfer from Novosibirsk and Gorno-Altaisk to the village of Tyungur and back will be organized by tourist minibuses Mercedes Sprinter, Peugeot Boxer, Mitsubishi Delica, Hyundai Grand Starex (H-1) or similar. Buses are equipped with trailers for transporting equipment and backpacks.
The transfer from the village of Tyungur to the "Tri Berezy" camp.and back will be carried out on Gaz-66 cross-country vehicles.
The price includes medical insurance in the amount of 40 000 USD for the climbing part of the route (days 6-10). The insurance provides for rescue operations using a helicopter if necessary.
If desired, and for an additional fee, you can apply for extended insurance for all days of the trip.
To participate in tour it is necessary to submit the following information not later than 40 days before start of the tour:
The issue of border permit is included in the tour.
You can perceive and sense all of the seasons in just two days. It can snow or hail here in July. Belukha is snow-covered round the year. If it rains in the valley, then it snows on Belukha. The ascent route contains a lot of snow-and-ice slopes up to 45 degrees. The temperature in summer during the day is +10 + 30°C, at night 0 +10°C, in autumn it can drop to -15°C. Please, select your clothing carefully.
We highly recommend to get a tick-borne encephalitis vaccination, especially for May-June arrivals. In Russia vaccination is done in 2 parts. The first vaccine is made 45 days before arrival to Russia. The second vaccine — 7-14 days before arrival to the Altai region. The vaccination process might differ in your country. For details, please contact your doctor. If you are not willing to go through vaccination process, please, be assured that your medical insurance covers tick-borne encephalitists.
Booking
Accommodation during the trip
Languages
accommodation in standard climbing tents (for 2-4 people)
three meals a day on the active part of the route
transfer from Novosibirsk or Gorno-Altaisk to Tyungur village and back; off road transfer to Kuzujak Pass
mountain guides and instructors' services
rental of common and personal apline gear and travel equipment
common gear and food horse carrying to the base camp on Akkem Lake
medical insurance with helicopter evacuation to the climbing part of the route
visit to bathhouse in the village of Tyungur on day 12 (2 hours)
all necessary permits
meals while transfer and staying in Tyungur village
hotel accommodation at the base in the village of Tyungur and in the mountain shelter on Akkem Lake (advance booking is required)
extra bathhouse visits at the base camp on Lake Akkem
extended insurance
personal belongings carrier services (+35 EURO / day in the forest area; +45 EURO/day above the forest area, up to 14 kg in weight and up to 30 liters in volume)
rental of a horse to transport your cargo to the base camp (50 kg max per horse, +17 EURO per day)
helicopter transfer from the base in Tyungur to the base camp in the Akkem Lake area (+920 EURO per flight); to the Tomskye Stoyanki camp (+1000 EURO per flight)
rent of additional personal equipment and gear (see the details in "Common questions" section)
satellite phone for private calls (4 $ per minute), border pass and migration registration for non-Russian citizents
accommodation in standard climbing tents (for 2-4 people)
three meals a day on the active part of the route
transfer from Novosibirsk or Gorno-Altaisk to Tyungur village and back; off road transfer to Kuzujak Pass
mountain guides and instructors' services
rental of common and personal apline gear and travel equipment
common gear and food horse carrying to the base camp on Akkem Lake
medical insurance with helicopter evacuation to the climbing part of the route
visit to bathhouse in the village of Tyungur on day 12 (2 hours)
all necessary permits
meals while transfer and staying in Tyungur village
hotel accommodation at the base in the village of Tyungur and in the mountain shelter on Akkem Lake (advance booking is required)
extra bathhouse visits at the base camp on Lake Akkem
extended insurance
personal belongings carrier services (+35 EURO / day in the forest area; +45 EURO/day above the forest area, up to 14 kg in weight and up to 30 liters in volume)
rental of a horse to transport your cargo to the base camp (50 kg max per horse, +17 EURO per day)
helicopter transfer from the base in Tyungur to the base camp in the Akkem Lake area (+920 EURO per flight); to the Tomskye Stoyanki camp (+1000 EURO per flight)
rent of additional personal equipment and gear (see the details in "Common questions" section)
satellite phone for private calls (4 $ per minute), border pass and migration registration for non-Russian citizents
Heart of Altai
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