«Golden Ring of Altai» active version

Morning arrival in Barnaul.  Meeting at the airport.   Accommodation at hotel “Barnaul” (double rooms). Breakfast in a café, rest. Meeting with guides in the foyer of the hotel. Transfer to a restaurant, lunch*. Excursion around the central and historical parts of Barnaul. Visit to Altai State Local History Museum. Nowadays museum collection contains more than 150 thousand exhibits; among them is the only model of steam engine in the world, which was invented by I.I.Polzunov in 1763 in Barnaul. Archeological finds are of a special interest, they tell about history of ancient Altai; home appliances, embodying ethnical and social features of local people, as well as historical and technical (including military remnants), numismatic and mineralogical collections, natural-science collecting, representing biodiversity and natural resources of Altai. Then visit the museum of pharmacy of the Altai mountains. The exhibition includes medical items, glassware, tools for the preparation of medicinal tinctures and pills. Here everyone has the opportunity to use the shredder of plant materials for the processing of medicinal herbs. In the museum you can find also production of various biopharmaceutical Altai companies, medicine consists of the Altai honey, local herbs, sea buckthorn and products of reindeer antlers, which can be purchased. Dinner in a restaurant*.

Breakfast in the hotel. Ride to Altai foothills through Biysk. Then you visit a resort town Belokuriha known around  Russia for its healing aeroionized air and  radon water. Belokuriha is situated in south-east of Altaisky krai framed by grand rocky mountains of Cherginsky range. Its stone grey peaks create unimaginable beauty of forms and images. Lunch in a café. Excursion to the mountain Tserkovka by cable road.  The length of hoisting is 2050 m. The height above sea level is 801 m. The Cable road of the mount Tserkovka satisfies modern European safety standards and touristic comfort. Then you ride along the Anuy river up to tourist complex “Iskra”. Accommodation in twin rooms with the facilities on the floor. Dinner in a tourist complex café.

After breakfast we are going to see waterfalls of the Shinok River.  The word Shinok in Turkic language means inaccessible and precipitous. The river mainly flows through a picturesque ravine, which is surrounded by the rich cedar forest, covering mountain slopes and creating an amazing view of Shinok River Valley.   The cascade of waterfalls begins about 13km away from the mouth of the river.Tourists have a ride in an off-road truck for 6km, the rest 7km they go on foot.On the way to the waterfall you have to cross ~ 14 fords and a pair of log crossings. That is why you should concern yourself with appropriate equipment. The river is not deep. It enough to have rubber boots or any shoes with rubbersoles. The first waterfall is a steep water drain with a drop of 8m high. The second waterfall is situated 0.5km away from the previous one and is about 28m high. And finally, 1km away from the second one the highest waterfall is situated, its height of fall is about 72m. The water in the Shinok River is quite identical to mineralized springs.  About 259 species of plants grow in the area of the Shinok River. Shinok is the highest waterfall of Shinok River and of Altaisky krai.  In comparison to others the Shinok River is unmatched by the number of waterfalls on the whole territory of Altai. After the excursion we come back to the tourist complex “Iskra”. Dinner.

Breakfast. Excursion to the unique archeological monument of world importance – Denisov Cave. Nowhere else you can see in one place and on one monument different stages of mankind development from the very beginning till the modern times, all in all more than 20 cultural layers.  The monument is dated to 300 thousand years BC. In 2008 a unique find of a 5-7 year-old girl’s phalange of the little finger dated back to 40-35 thousand years ago was made. As a result of DNA analysis of the find, scholars suggest that it is belonged to the third, before unknown, species of Homo altaiensis or “Altai Human”. After the excursion is a ride to Chuysky Trakt through a village Ust-Kan. In the village we visit the Local History museum where written materials in Altai language are gathered (documents, letters, manuscript and etc.)  Exhibits devoted to the White Belief of Altai folk are exhibit in the rooms. It is thoroughly said about religious beliefs and customs there. Many interesting ancient objects of household life and implements are there. Lunch in the village. After it we move to a valley of the Karakol river. Accommodation in tourist complex “Karakol” four-bed felt yurts or ails. Facilities are on the territory. Dinner. Late in the evening at the light of a fire and bright stars you will enjoy a folk program with throat singing and playing national musical instruments. This performance awakes deep personal background, helps to feel the spirit of Altai people, natural devotion, allows enjoy unsurpassed skills of musicians, some of whom are international festivals winners. And later, coming back to the ail, you will feel like traveling in a time machine back to ancient times. Before going to sleep, they make a fire in the center of ail and the smoke will go out through a hole on the roof. Ancient Altai household facilities, which decorate the habitation, create a special flavor and a spirit of the time.

Since ancient times Karakol valley among the local population (Altai people) was considered as a sacred land. Here are located the whole group of ancient burial graves and a large number of petroglyphs. They belive that all the ancient monuments of the valley through the prism of traditional culture present an informational code of the laws of the Universe. The population of the valley is different kind of mentality and consider themselves to be a spiritual kinship with nature of the valley. During the tour the travelers come in contact with the history of Altai, get acquainted with archaeological complex of the ancient Pazyryk culture, rock carvings and runic inscriptions. The unique opportunity to discover the secret knowledge, traditions and customs of the people entrusted with the preservation of the cultural wealth of Altai.  Outdoors Lunch. Walking tour to the mountain lake Aru-Kem. In the waters of the lake reflected the sacred snow peaks Uch-Enmek, this mountain is one of the three holy peaks of Altai – it has a particular importance in the lives of the people living in Karakol valley. Return to the camp, dinner, visiting of the sauna “bania”. Night in hotel. All the conveniences on the story.

Breakfast at the tourist complex. Drive along  Chuysky Trakt up the Katun and the Chuya rivers. On the way go on through picturesque and serpentine Chiket-Aman pass (1295m above sea level). After we’ll visit Kalbak-Tash Hole and sightsee rock paintings – petroglyphs. More than 500 formations with more than 5 thousand pictures are drawn on the rocky flattened elevation, situated across the valley of Chuya River. They all are carved with stone or metal tools mainly in a dotty way. The most ancient pictures are dated to the 8^th century before Christ. On our way we’ll have lunch in “Chui-Oozy” café with Altai traditional cuisine. Arrival at ecotour complex “Kochevnik”. Accommodation in wooden houses. Facilities are on the territory. Dinner in the canteen. Russian banya (bath-house).

Early breakfast. Departure  on the Chuyski tract towards the Mongolian border. From a huge intermountain hollow of the Kuraisky veld opens spectacular views on the North-Chuya Range white tops with highest peaks Aktru-bash (4075 ft) and  Kara-Tash (3534 m). Bypassing Kurai Valley  reach the ancient moraine shaft. Trekking to a  Glacier “ Malyi Aktru” starts from a camp site “Perevalka”. Climb ~ 600 m. The Glacier is 3 km long and area of about 3 square km which occupies the Valley  between two peaks of ”Kara-Tash” and” Kupol” going down into the gorge. Ice thickness for about 92 meters. Snowless glacier tongue descends to an altitude of 2235 m., the small streams flow from it and uniting follow form the stream falling into Aktru which is called “Malyi Aktru”. The convenient tracking footwear is necessary for excursion. After the excursion outdoors Lunch. Return to Chuyski tract. Transfer to the tourist complex “Kochevnik”. Dinner, visiting of the sauna “bania”.

Breakfast. Transfer to Chulyshman river. On the way we make a foot walk to the picturesque  Lake gayser. A unique Lake in Altai of rare beauty, clean and frost even in winter with amazing turquoise color. On a mirror of the lake it is possible to notice stains of a rounded or oval form, which in fact only reflection of the processes at the bottom of the lake. There, in the mysterious depths, from time to time come to life “the geysers,” throwing out onto the surface of the mixture of bluish clay and sand that form on the bottom the visible circles. Further moving through “Red gate”, a place where the road passes between rocks of a reddish shade, lakes of the Ulagansky plateau. On the road visit of the natural boundary Pazyryk, location of the well-known Scythian barrows representing graves of patrimonial or tribals leaders. Descent from the pass Katu-Yaryk to the Chulyshman River. The pass represents the serpentine of the road which is cut down directly on a mountain slope, goes down from height of 1200 meters. From one side is a slope, on the other side break one hundred meters high. Length of  descent is 3,5 km — is on foot, the luggage in the car. The magnificent view opens from the pass on the Chulyshman Valley and the falls on the opposite side falling from height of one hundred meters opens.  Chulyshman Valley is one of the most beautiful places in the Altai, added to the list of World Natural Heritage. Accommodation in twin rooms on the camp site “Ezen”, conveniences on the territory. Dinner. Russian banya (bath-house).

Early breakfast. Moving by the Chulyshman Valley to the mouth of the river Chulcha. The Ferry boat  across the river the Chulyshman. Radial hike to the waterfall Uchar ((in translation from Altai “unapproachable”), to one of the largest cascade falls in Altai (height of falling of 160 meters). At first, the trail passes through the Valley Chulyshman. Closer to the mouth of the Chulcha, we can see the remains of the ancient irrigation systems. There are not a lot of places in Altai where the similar constructions meet! Further the track goes on the top terraces of the right coast  of  the river Chulcha, some difficult sites are overcome with a special insurance.

At the bottom of the thunderous noise of the river flows. The Magnificence of the fall – an award for a little tiresome trekking. Outdoors Lunch. Moving to the South of  Teletskoye Lake to the cape Kyrsay. Accommodation in twins room, conveniences on the territory. Dinner, visiting of the sauna “bania”.

Excursion along the water area of the Teletskoye lake to the northern part by boat. The Teletskoye lake belongs to the 20 world deepest lakes. Length is 77,7 km. Average width is 2-3 km. Maximal width is up to 5 km. Its area is not large – 223 км². However, due to its depth (average depth is 175 m, maximum is 325 m) it contains huge amount (40 km³) of excellent fresh water saturated with oxygen, and  transparent to the depth of  12-15 meters. About 70 rivers flow into the lake, though 70 % of all water is given by Chulyshman  flown from south. Giving its waters to the Biya river (98% of drain) the lake feeds the Ob to a considerable extent. On the way we will visit Waterfall Korbu – the most picturesque waterfall in the surroundings of the Teletskoye lake. It is situated on the territory of Altai reserve in 100 meters from the mouth of the Big Korbu river flown into the Teletskoye lake in its eastern part. The waterfall height is 12,5 meters. In the middle of the Teletskoye lake opposite the waterfall is situated the deepest place – 325 meters. Old altai legend says that a gold sword of khan Tele fell down at exactly this place and because of this the lake appeared. Accommodation in hotel “Artybash” situated at the Biya river source. Walking around the village Artybash to the bridge over the river Biya to continue to souvenir shops. There will be an opportunity to purchase honey, local herbs, art, items made of cedar. Dinner in a cafe.

Breakfast. Departure to Gorno-Altaisk where a visit to National museum named after Anohin A. V. with one of its main exhibits, mummy of “Altai Princess” found on Ukok Plateau, is waiting for you. Lunch in the Gorno-Altai cafe. Arrival to Barnaul, accommodation in twin rooms. Dinner in a restaurant*.

Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer to the airport.