Photo tour «Golden Altai»

In September Altai paints the forests and mountains into bright autumn colours. The second decade of the month is an Indian summer time. This is the best time for a photo tour. The nature paints Altai's forests and mountains into bright autumn colours (red, yellow, green, the water of The Katun river obtains a unique turquoise shade).

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Nature has endowed this corner of Siberia with countless big and little wonders: mountains, waterfalls, geyser and mountain crystal-clear lakes, turquoise-colored rivers, caves, pictures of ancient people, mountain crossings, from where marvellous landscapes show up- one’s look stretches the dozens of kilometres.
In this tour we will drive you along this road to the border of Mongolia and show you the most amazing places located in this area.

• Drive along Chuya Highway is one of the most beautiful roads of the world (according to National Geographic).
• Visit Chike-Taman and Seminsky Pass.
• Enjoy powerful «Ilgumen», «Hippo», Oroktoy bridge's rapids on The Katun and The Chuya rivers.
• See The Geezer lake, that paints bright pictures on it surface.
• Walk on the «Mars» (the coloured mountains of Kyzyl-Chin, called Martian because of bright red, yellow and green loam, covering its sides).
• Observe The Confluence of Katun and Chuya rivers.
• Try a traditional Siberian dishes and different types of honey, which is famous for its health benefits, and drink delicious herbal tea.

The tour is suitable for children and adults.
Programme of the tour
Day 1 Gathering of the group at 8.00 in Biysk city, at 9.40 in the airport of Gorno-Altaisk city (if requested, we can meet you in the international airport of Novosibirsk). We will meet and transfer you to our campsite, located on the Katun river bench, next to Ust-Sema village.
After the lunch, short rafting the Katun river to make photos of Barangol ridge panorama (all equipment will be packed in a dry bag).
Day 2 Breakfast and early departure. We drive you to the Oroktoy bridge. During the route we make a few stops and make photos of Biyka rocks, panorama of The Katun river, «Elandinsky» and «Elephant» rapids.
Day 3 We are setting off for Chuya highway. The first stop will be at Seminsky mountain crossing-the highest one in Gorny Altai. The real Altai starts right onwards. On this day we will show you Karakolsky valley (native Altaians believe, it is sacred; there are groups of Kurgan antique graves - one of Altai Mountains riddles), Bashadar burial mounds. After that, we will go up Chike-Taman mountain crossing. Although it isn’t as high as Seminsky mountain-crossing, the landscapes, revealed from there are much more impressive.
This day you will stay in a room of the campsite, located at the confluence of Bolshoy Yaloman and Katun rivers. We will view the suburbs. Confluences of powerful Siberian rivers are very picturesque. In lots of religions of the world they are considered to be places of energy flows’ accumulation. You will experience it yourself and feel all the power and force of the water nature.
Day 4 This will be a very exciting day. We will see Ininsky stelae – the place of Chuya and Katun’s confluence (the big rivers of Altai Mountains). A lot of people think it’s the most beautiful place on Chuya highway.
Rapids are the places of cliffs and water power’s oppositions, which began hundreds of thousands years ago and still continue. The cliffs cut the water making it «boil», seethe, whirl, producing deathful swirls. Today we will show you Turbinny rapids, and the following days you’ll see some others, which will make a deep impression.
Then there will be an excursion to the ancient sanctuary of Kalbak-tash area. The pictures of an ancient human, who inhabited this part of Siberia thousands of years ago, remain unchanged there. Among these pictures there is a map of the starry arch and water lens, which was used as the first simplest telescope; the calendar, displaying the main light events of the year (the days of solstice etc.);the notion of the ancients about the world order – the diagram of the world, hell and paradise.
If the weather is fine, the guide will make a decision about visiting the Bely Bom cave. In the end of the day you will see the old Chuya highway and Shirlak waterfall.There will be a stop at a campsite in the region of Kuekhtanar brook.
Day 5 The program of the day will start with visiting Geyser lake, its surface is decorated with colorful moving circles. After that, there will be a transfer to Kurai heath and a panorama of the snowy peaks of the North-Chuya range (the most picturesque place, according to our guide).
If there is nice weather, we’ll have a radial walk to Kuekhtanar lakes (the distance of the trek is 2 kilometres one way). In the evening there will be a concert of Altai overtone singers. We’ll spend the night at the same campsite.
Day 6 This day you’ll visit the unique Kyzyl Chin – colored mountains, which are rightly called Martian because of bright red and bright yellow and green loam, covering its sides, thereafter we’ll continue our journey to the river Maly Yaloman, which is Katun’s confluent. We will encamp right next to these rivers’ confluence.
Day 7 . On the last day of the journey we will go back along Chuya highway, making stops on the way. The most beautiful one will be near rapids Ilgumen. The annual competitions are held there – Russian rafting championship.
Moreover, we will demonstrate an unbelievably beautiful ravine of the river Ursul.
The conclusion of our tour will be in Biysk city. The approximate time of arrival is 19.00.
The cost of the tour includes:

• Transfer en-route from Biysk,
• tour-guide services,
• meals,
• overtone singing concert,
• accommodation

Additional information
The international flights arrive in Novosibirsk- the biggest city of Siberia. In case you arrive there, you will need to have one day before the tour and one day upon its completion for the transfer. Our staff members in Novosibirsk will meet you, arrange the excursions, order the meals and the accommodation for you. Biysk and Novosibirsk are cities, connected by a branch of Trans-Siberian railway. We can organize a transfer by train or by car to the starting endpoint of the tour.