Die Besteigung des Belukha Berges

The route’s category of complexity is 3A (requires good physical training)
Distance 131 km.
Tour programme
Day 1 Meeting at the airport in Barnaul / at the airport of Gorno-Altaisk or at the railway station in Biysk. Transfer to Tungur, 600-750 km (depending on the point of your arrival), 12-13 hours. Accommodation at the tourist camp in three-seater tents on a special site with a shed, a fire pit and firewood. Meeting with the guide. Dinner at the cafe.
Day 2 Trekking — Kuzuyak pass (1 513 m) – the meadow "Three birches". Overnight stop in tents on "Three birches". There is a possibility to start trekking from rafting to the mouth of the river AK-Kem, as well as rent horses for caring the equipment.
The active part of the route is 17 km (4-5 hours).
Day 3 Trekking "Three birches" – the mountain shelter AK-Kem (1 950 m). The trail along the river. The place where the top of Belukha is seen for the first time is called "panorama". AK-Kem mountain shelter is 1.5 km below the famous AK-Kem lake, by a stream with a waterfall. Accommodation in quadruple stationary campgrounds. Tea in an Altaian settlement (plays the role of the club).
The active part of the route is 25 km (7-8 hours).
Day 4 Mountain shelter AK-Kem – the AK-Kem glacier – "Tomskie nochyovki" (3,000 m). The ascension is of about 1,000 m. Сrossing a shakey bridge over Ak-Kem river in the beginning of the lake. The outlet to the glacier is indistinct. You can either climb very carefully for a long time on the loose rock and the rocky moraine to the left of the glacier during the ascent, or walk directly on the glacier. The icefall should be crossed to the left of the course of movement up the moraine. Overnight stop in tents.
The active part of the route is 17 km (6-8 hours)
Day 5 Activities on the glacier: the organization of insurance, mastering the technique of movement on the ice in crampons, working in a team. Under favourable conditions, acclimatization escape under Delone pass (3 400 m).
Day 6 Start. Ascent. Early departure from "Tomskie nochyovki" in full mountaineering equipment. The rise on Delone valley shoulder before Delone pass. The rise of the pass in teams. A length of about 300 m of snow – ice slope of 35-45 degrees. The further path on the glacier is simple. Setting the base camp. Overnight staying on the pass in tents.
The active part of the route 7-8 hours.
Day 7 Climbing Belukha East. Coming from the glacier under the ridge in teams on the snow-ice slope with steepness up to 45 degrees. Further climb up the rocky-ice ridge leads to the gentle summit ridge. Peak (4,506 m). Descent on the same way back. The active part of the route is 7-8 hours.
Day 8 Reserve day in case of bad weather.
Day 9 Descent. Base camp – Delone pass – "Tomskie nochyovki" – mountain shelter Ak-Kem. Russian sauna. Dinner in the canteen. The necessity of rental of horses for equipment carriage must be reported prior to the route on Day 2.
The active part of the route: 8-9 hours.
Days 10-11 Return to the tour base. Accommodation in tents, sauna, dinner in the cafe.
The active part of the route is 39 km.
Day 12 After Breakfast, transfer from Tungur to the Airport/Railway station.

The conditions of ascent
Climbing Belukha - the route of difficulty category 3 A. Good physical training and a medical certificate, confirming that the participant is healthy, are necessary. The experience of climbing or mountaineering is desirable. Weather conditions in the mountains change quite often. The maximum elevation difference in the crossings is about 1 000 m per day. In the campaign, participants carry their personal belongings on their own, as well as food and public equipment — tents and ropes distributed by the guide between the participants, taking into account individual characteristics. Children are not allowed on the route.
The program may change due to weather and other adverse conditions. The decision to change the route is made by the guide.

The climbing equipment
During the ascent and a mountain hike the participants are provided with a set of the General equipment: a tent, fire accessories, an awning, ropes, ice screws, carbines, radios, gas torches and cylinders, avalanche shovels, the first-aid kit.
It is necessary to have in personal use: warm clothes for climbing (down jacket, or warm jacket, gloves, warm mittens, hat), running suit, boots for climbing (plastic or hard trekking shoes with a rand for attaching crampons), backpack 60-100 liters, warm sleeping bag, sleeping bag mat, individual dishes (mug, spoon, bowl, knife), climbing harness, climbing crampons, suitable for shoes, helmet, ice pick, 2 ice drills, self-insurance (a sling or a piece of rope 5-6 m), a jumar, a descender, 3-4 carbines with a clutch, torches, spats, sunglasses with a good degree of protection from ultraviolet radiation, sun cream with a high degree of protection.

Some equipment can be rented (reservation is needed).
While climbing meals are organized 3 times a day in camp sites in cafes or canteens. During a trek cooking over a campfire is practiced, during the ascent — cooking on the gas (cooking yourself). All products are issued.