Ural Alpine Club. Description

Accommodation while traveling

On the first and penultimate days of the tour, you will live on tourist center "Vysotnik" located near the village of Tungur, in the Altai mountains, not far from the high peak Altai Mountains - Belukha Mountains, on the banks of the Katun. You will be accommodated in triple tents on a specially equipped territory of the base, where there is a fire pit, firewood, a shed with tables and benches, as well as toilet cubicles with toilet bowls and wash basins with cold water. On the base there is a cafe, a bathhouse and a sauna, a volleyball court.

For an additional fee, more comfortable accommodation at the Vysotnik base is possible:

• triple/quadruple room in a wooden two-story house (facilities on site): +400 rubles per person. per day
• double room in a wooden two-story house (conveniences on site): +500 rubles per person. per day
• double room in a hotel (conveniences on the floor): +900 rubles per person. per day
• double room in the hotel (comfort in the room): +1200 rubles per person. per day
• single room in a hotel (conveniences on the floor): +1300 rubles per person. per day

On the third and ninth days you will stop at mountain shelter "Ak-Kem", located at an altitude of 1950 meters in the forest zone of the Ak-Kem gorge, on the banks of the river of the same name. You will live in four-person campsites. Campsites can accommodate up to 32 people. There are two compartments in stationary summer 3-4-seater tents in the height of a person: a vestibule for things and shoes and a compartment for sleeping with a rubberized bottom. Sleeping bags and mats are required. It is possible to rent a bed set: a mattress, a blanket, a pillow, bed linen.

For an additional fee, more comfortable accommodation is possible in the Ak-Kem shelter:

• a room in a wooden house (1st floor) with a stove and firewood, with shelves and hangers for things, electricity: +4500 rubles per day per room (with your own sleeping bags on the floor, up to a maximum of 10 people), +500 rubles per person. per night (surcharge for IKEA cot with bed linen)
• a room in a wooden house (2nd floor) with a stove and firewood, with shelves and hangers for things, electricity: +4000 rubles per day per room (with your own sleeping bags on the floor, up to a maximum of 8 people), +500 rubles per person. per night (surcharge for IKEA cot with bed linen)
• a room in a new wooden house with a view of Belukha (with a stove, bedside tables, shelves and hooks for things, electricity): +5000 rubles per day per room (with own sleeping bags, up to a maximum of 4 people), +6000 rubles per person in night per room (overnight stay on mattresses 10 cm with bed linen, up to a maximum of 2 people).

During the transitions and climbing Belukha you will spend the night in triple tents.

Turbaza "Vysotnik", hotel
Turbaza "Vysotnik", tourist shelter
Turbaza "Vysotnik"
Tourist base "Vysotnik" Tourist center "Vysotnik"
Turbaza "Vysotnik"
Turbaza "Vysotnik", sanblok
Turbaza "Vysotnik", bathhouse
Turbaza "Vysotnik", bathhouse
Turbaza "Vysotnik"
Turbaza "Vysotnik", cafe

Mountain shelter "Ak-Kem", camping

Mountain shelter "Ak-Kem", bathhouse
Mountain shelter "Ak-Kem", bathhouse
Tomsk overnight stays
Tomsk overnight stays
base camp

It's important to know

Answers to popular questions

How will they feed

The cost of the program includes three meals a day (on day 1 - dinner, on day 12 - breakfast). At the camp sites you will eat in cafes and canteens. During the transitions and ascents, you will be given food, and you will cook your own food on a fire or gas burner, based on the menu recommended by the guide for each day.

Can I participate +

To participate in the tour, you need good physical fitness, experience in climbing or mountain hiking. The route is classified as 3A. The maximum elevation difference in the transitions is about 1000 m per day. Participants carry personal belongings and part of the food, group climbing equipment and the bulk of the food is already at the base stations.

If the rate of movement of one of the group members is much (1.5-2 times or more) lower than the rate of the rest of the group, the group guide has the right to leave him at the Ak-Kem base. There it is possible to make radial exits with a guide or as part of other trekking groups. Accommodation and meals in the shelter are not additionally paid.

Can children participate +

You can participate in this tour from the age of 16, but accompanied by parents.

Group transfer to the base +

You can get to the base "Vysotnik" (Tungur village) on your own or use the services of a paid group transfer. Those wishing to get a gradual acclimatization, as well as go on excursions that are not included in the program, can call in in advance. Check with the manager for details.

Transfer to the base "Vysotnik" on the first day of the program:

• at 08:00 - from Barnaul airport (meeting in the arrival hall)
• at 10:00 - from the railway station of Barnaul (meeting on the porch of the station)
• at 11:30 - in Biysk (Sovetskaya st. 42, opposite the Museum of Local Lore)
• at 12:00 - in the village of Mayma on the Chuisky tract (the name of the cafe or shop is specified before arrival)
• at 13:00 - at the airport of Gorno-Altaisk

The return transfer from the Vysotnik base on the final day of the program will be carried out in the morning from 06:00. Estimated time of arrival:

• to Gorno-Altaisk airport - 16:00
• to Biysk (stop near the museum on Sovetskaya street, 42) - 18-00
• to Barnaul airport - 21:00.

What to take with you +

• warm clothes for climbing (down jacket or warm jacket, gloves, warm mittens, hat)
• running suit
• climbing boots (plastic or hard trekking boots with a welt for attaching crampons)
• backpack (volume from 70 l)
• warm sleeping bag (comfort temperature up to 0)
• individual set of dishes (mug, spoon, bowl, knife)
• torch
• sunglasses with good UV protection
• high SPF sunscreen

What equipment is provided +

On the ascent and during the transitions, participants are provided with:

• a set of general equipment: tents, ropes, ice axes, carbines, avalanche shovels, walkie-talkies, gas burners and cylinders, first aid kit, campfire equipment for crossings, rugs
• a set of personal climbing equipment: harness, climbing crampons (suitable for boots), helmet, ice ax, self-insurance (sling or piece of rope 5-6 m), jumar, descender (figure eight), carabiners with a clutch (3 pcs).

Do you need insurance +

The price includes medical insurance INGOSSTRAKH in the amount of 400,000 rubles. and accident insurance in the amount of 100,000 rubles.

In the event of an insured event on the route, the administration of the Vysotnik tourist center helps the victim to get to the medical facility, establishes contacts with the insurance company and the medical center, receives receipts from individuals who have provided paid assistance, etc. But it is important to understand that from the moment the insured event occurs, all issues related to it are issues of the relationship between the victim and the insurance company. The victim pays all expenses by collecting receipts, papers and receipts so that, after reviewing all the documents by the insurance company, he can get back the spent amounts. You need to have a certain amount of money with you in case you have to bear these expenses.

Do I need a pass to the border zone +

All tourists are required to have a border pass, since the route runs within a 5-kilometer strip from the state border.

Submission of documents for issuing a pass is carried out 25 days (for citizens of the Russian Federation) and 45 days (for foreign citizens) before the start date of the tour.

What will the weather be like +

Belukha is a snowy mountain all year round, even in July there is snow and hail. The climbing route abounds in snow-ice slopes with a steepness of up to 45 degrees. Please be careful with your choice of clothing.

About the hike

The freshest air, alpine meadows, snowy peaks, mountain rivers and waterfalls. Mirror surface of lakes and deep starry sky. Two weeks without civilization. Difficulty category 3A (mountaineering). During the hike, training is provided in the skills of working with climbing equipment.

Passes
We issue passes to the border zone. You must provide us with your passport details in advance. For Russians, the period for issuing a pass is 1 month, for citizens of other countries - at least 2 months. Choose your travel dates in advance!

Advantages

• ALL Transfers are included in the price! Including travel from Barnaul to Tungur at the beginning of the campaign and from Tungur to Barnaul after the end of the campaign. You don't need to pay extra to travel. Also included in the price is a transfer by GAZ 66 to the Three Birches parking lot and back.
• We make climbing as comfortable as possible:
  - There are 4 tent camps organized along the entire route of the ascent (Tungur, Ak-Kem, Tomsk, Berelskoye). All bivouac equipment and tents are in these camps all the time. We do not carry tents!
  - All products and gas are thrown into the upper camps by helicopter. On the route we carry only a personal snack for one day
  - All climbing equipment and ropes are located in the Tomsk camp (3200 m), participants carry only their personal belongings and a snack
  - All camps have satellite communications and radio communications (walkie-talkies)
  - In all camps, participants can leave extra things until their return
  - In the camps Tungur, Ak-Kem, Tomsk there is the possibility of staying in a hotel or shelter (for an additional fee)
  - A helicopter flies between all camps, and it is possible to travel on it (for an additional fee)
  - In the camps of Ak-Kem and Tomsk, mountain boots are rented (for an additional fee)
• The cost of the trip already includes the rental of personal climbing equipment: crampons, harness, eight, jumar, 3 carabiners, ice ax and helmet.
• During the hike, training is provided in the skills of working with climbing equipment. Experienced instructors will teach everything participants need to know.
• The program provides spare days, which maximize the possibility of a successful ascent.
• At the end of the ascent in the Tungur camp, the organizers provide participants with various leisure programs free of charge: rafting, excursions, hiking.

Route features:

• Duration 12 days (10 running days + 2 on the way from Barnaul to Tungur and back); – Length: we will drive about 1500 km by car, the pedestrian part will be ~140 km. – Day trips from 10 to 30 km! – The temperature in the mountains varies from -4 at night to +30 degrees during the day. Frequent weather changes during the day, precipitation in the form of snow, hail is possible at the passes; – It is recommended to have hiking experience and good physical shape; Day trips from 5 to 30 km - for unprepared people, this is tolerable with a properly assembled backpack. The climb per day is up to 1200 meters. Be sure to use trekking poles!
• Please take only necessary equipment. It is better to take mountain equipment on the spot in order to lighten your backpack and not spend money on carrying it. The bases in Tungur and Ak-Kem have baths, communications, cafes and toilets. Helicopter communication has been established between the bases.
• The weight of backpacks is the main problem (but if you don’t collect unnecessary unnecessary things, then this problem will not exist), if it’s hard for the participants, the instructor can adjust both the pace and the trip program on the spot, and the program can also be adjusted depending on weather conditions.

Accommodation conditions for all routes:

• In the camps of Tungur, Ak-Kem, Tomsk, we live in a campsite - in tents near the base. This means that we can use the toilet, sauna and cafe at the base. There is also electricity at the base in the evenings. There is no cellular communication at the base on Lake Ak-Kem. There is a satellite connection for emergency calls.

We make your ascent as comfortable as possible. Follow our recommendations and responsibly approach the selection of equipment and do not forget: Climbing is Difficult! It's a risk! and heavy loads. Take good stock of your strengths. Together we will succeed.

It is recommended to come to Barnaul the day before the start of the trip for the last meeting with the benefits of civilization and recreation. The Moscow-Barnaul train arrives at 7 am, and after two days on the road, it is tiring to immediately get on the transport to Tungur. The same is recommended for those who travel by plane. From the railway station in Barnaul to the familiar hotel "Tourist" - 20 minutes walk, the rooms are quite inexpensive (prices on the hotel website: http://www.turist-barnaul.ru)

Insurance: all participants must get insurance in advance indicating the type of sport - mountaineering for the entire period of ascent.

Necessary equipment (in addition to the usual hiking):

1. mountaineering pants (membrane/windstopper),
2. membrane windbreaker - warm thermal underwear.
3. puff,
4. 2 pairs of gloves
5. Glasses,
6. Cream and lipstick from the sun (factor not less than 50).
7. mountain boots

We provide climbing equipment to all participants of the ascent to Belukha:
Cats (soft or hard).
Strapping.
3 carbines.
1 eight.
1 jumar.
Ice ax
Helmet.

Daily program

Day 1

Meeting in Barnaul at the hotel Tourist 08:00 in the morning (please do not be late. Arrive no later than 07:00).

Transfer from the city of Barnaul to the village of Tungur (735 km). On the road 12-14 hours, there will be stops, there will be several cafes along the way. The trip is carried out in a comfortable minibus with air conditioning. Backpacks travel separately in a trailer. They should be packed in a dust bag.

Today is a long day, but with good weather we will see the whole Altai outside the windows and a change in terrain: from endless fields with wheat, steppes and real mountains, we will drive along the Katun, we will even see snow in the distance!

In Tungur - late dinner in the dining room at the base, setting up the camp, overnight in tents at the campsite at the base. The base has a toilet, electricity and a cafe. There is a left-luggage office and a hotel.

Day 2

Today is a long and difficult day: we have to get up early, pack our things and first drive to the Three Birches parking lot through the pass on GAZ 66. The road is usually very bad. Further we have to walk along the trail to the base camp Ak-Kem 27 km. Altitude 2000 m. But we do not carry tents, equipment and food. We go only with our things, because all products are dropped into the base by helicopter, and our mountain equipment is already waiting for us at the Tomskie camp.

Evenly distributing the load, stopping for rest and snacks, in the evening we will reach our base, where we will have dinner, and, possibly, a bath. (Altitude gain per day 1000 m)

We set up camp at the campsite. At the base are available: a toilet, a shop, a cafe, satellite communications.

Day 3

After breakfast, we dismantle the equipment and get ready to go to the second base camp - Tomsk sites.

You can leave some things here until you return.

Today we have the most difficult transition ahead of us: in addition to a distance of 15 km and a climb of 1200 meters, we have to go through different types of terrain: swamp, trail, glacier, scree, snow. Half of the route passes through the glacier. There are no paths, stones.

Before going to the glacier, we will definitely visit the chapel of the Archangel Michael in memory of all those who died on the Mountain.

But in the evening we we will be right at the foot of Belukha- at the very Ak-Kem wall! Best photos guaranteed! A permanent camp has been set up at the Tomsk sites. Facilities - Alpine.

Day 4

Today we have snow and ice practice. We will receive and set up all climbing equipment. Then we will work out the technique of walking in crampons, in bundles, the very detention on the glacier, work with ropes.

The training takes place right at the stops on the Arbuz glacier.

So are we walk under the Delaunay Pass is our goal for tomorrow.

Day 5

Today we pass two passes and we reach the assault camp on the Big Berel saddle.

Early exit to the Delaunay Pass. Ascent to the pass along the railings (climb 400 m). Descent to the Mensu glacier, climbing the glacier in bundles, climbing the Big Berelskoye saddle pass to our assault camp. (The camp is already standing, amenities are in the snow)).

Early break.

Day 6

Scheduled for today in good weather exit to the top.

Rise at 00-01 in the morning, gathering for the ascent. At 2-3 am the beginning of the ascent.

CLIMBING to Belukha Peak Eastern height 4506 m. Climbing usually takes from 6 to 12 hours depending on the weather and the preparedness of the group.

In the upper part of the route on the ridge, guides hang railings.

From the top of Belukha good weather offers a view of the entire Katunsky ridge, the territory of neighboring Kazakhstan and the valley of the Ak-Kem river. At the top is a commemorative ice ax with a bell.

At the top we will rest, take memorable photos. Then we begin the descent.

At 12 return to the camp. Possible descent to the Tomsk sites.

Days 7-8

spare days. Will be used to adjust the route in case of bad weather. Or for a radial exit (without backpacks)

Day 9

Descent to Ak-Kem. Relaxation. Bath. A radial exit to the valley of the Seven Lakes or the Yarla is possible.

After the group returned to the base camp on Ak-Kem different types of programs are possible: descent along the path of ascent along Ak-Kem to the lower base; crossing the Kara-Turek pass to the valley of the Kucherla river and descending to the lower base; rest and radial exits from the upper base and departure to the lower base by helicopter (for an additional fee).

Day 10

Today we have to repeat our way from the base camp to Tungur, but in reverse order. We go light and down. Walking is easy. The usual travel time to the Three Birches parking lot is 5 hours. A cafe and GAZ 66 are waiting for us there. Another 1.5-2 hours by car, and we are at the base. There are already all the benefits.

Day 11

Day of rest at the base in Tungur or an active program at the choice of participants:

Rafting down the Katun to the mouth of Ak-Kem and the tract with stone sculptures "women",

Excursion to the museums of the village of Upper Uimon (Museums: Old Believers, Roerich, Local Lore, stone-cutting workshop),

Hiking to Mount Bayda or along the valley of the Kucherla River to petroglyphs.

In the evening, a festive dinner and a sauna.

Day 12

Wake up at 4 am, early departure (05 am) to Barnaul. Return trip takes 10-12 hours, because the road is mostly downhill.

On this day, you can leave by evening train from Barnaul, by bus to Novosibirsk, or spend the night again in a hotel and leave the next day.

Tell your friends!

Climbing Belukha August 9th, 2009

Current Music: Winds

General information: length - 112 km (actually more); difficulty category - 3b, 3a; distance from Barnaul - 735 km; 12 walking days + 2 days of travel. Height in. Belukha zap. - 4506m above sea level! The number of groups that climbed to the top - 2!

The following items were included in the itinerary:

• Transfer Barnaul - Tyungur settlement. We hire horses to Lake Akkem for transportation of equipment;


• Tyungur village - Kucherla village - Kara-Turek pass - "Meteorological station" parking lot or "Kedrovaya" parking lot;


• pass Kara-Turek - lake Akkem;


• Training day. Customization of personal equipment. Basic skills training;


• lake Akkem - "Tomsk parking";


• Training day. Ice classes on the glacier "Arbuz". Hanging the Delaunay pass;


• "Tomsk sites" - "Berel saddle";


• Reserve day in case of bad weather;


• Ascent to Belukha and descent to the "Tomsk parking";


• "Tomsk parking" - Lake Akkem, bathhouse;


• Daytime. Day of rest. Radial exits are possible (Yarlu Valley/Seven Lakes Valley/Edelweiss Valley);


• lake Akkem - river Akkem;


• Akkem river - "Three birches" camp - Kuzuyak pass - Kucherla village - Tyungur village;


• Transfer Tungur - Barnaul.

The approach to Lake Akkem takes 3 days through the Kara-Turek pass: beautiful, picturesque, tiring. On the lake, we check in with the Barnaul rescuers, wash ourselves in a bathhouse, adjust equipment, teach participants to hold jumars (rope clamps), refuel eights (descending devices).

The "Members," as the world-class lifeguards call them, are top-notch beginners. They know about mountaineering from books, some even went to Elbrus, the latter is remembered as a fairy tale.

Trekking to Belukha is not easy: avalanches, rockfalls, long and exhausting crossings, changeable weather. Several times a day it rains, snows, groats, storm winds come up. An insurmountable obstacle for women is a large scree and rappelling.

During the ascents, I managed to get a burn on my face, and, at the same time, I got a little bit of frostbite on my toes. On top of that, during the descent of the second group of participants, they fell into a thundercloud. His clothes hissed from static electricity, his helmet was on fire, and sparks seemed to shoot from his eyes. And how much iron hung on the systems (safety harness) - drills, carbines, ice axes and more! But overall everything was great! The summit opened up to us, and the endless mountain expanses were forever imprinted in the memory of cameras.

With the first group we stormed the summit along the route 3A of the difficulty category. Exit from the Berel saddle along the Berelsky peak. Then they unraveled the icefall, overcoming huge cracks. (Khumbu is resting!)

Further to the Belukhinsky pass and walk along the ridge. They trailed "I don't want to", in some places up to the neck. We returned from the summit at 10 pm, barely moving our legs. It should be noted that this year on Akkem turned out to be snowy, there is a high avalanche danger in the area. Wow!

With the second group, we decided to go the classic route. Achtung! For those who are in the tank and think that 3A is a classic. The classic passes through the Berelsky peak, and further from the Berelsky pass along the ridge - 3Bk.s. The main thing is not to fall with snow cornices into the so-called "pocket". The route is a little technically more difficult, but much safer.

They were seen off cheerfully and under the button accordion. Thanks to Roman and Krasnoyarsk colleagues for musical accompaniment!

The way back was overshadowed by heavy backpacks (Vasya's backpack weighed 40kg, mine was 25kg) and a small excess (but about that shhh!). We went down the lower path, along Akkem through the Kuzuyak pass (or maybe even Khuzuyak or Kuzuyakh!). Blue sky, green hills, wild strawberries, honeysuckle, currants - so this is what summer is like!

Bonuses:

• swimming after the steam room in the alpine lake Akkem


• accordionist Roman Buratinov concert


• summer snowy living room on a Berel saddle, live flute


• hoisting the flag of the Airborne Forces on Peak Peak


• wandering in milk


• overnight stay under bunks in a rescue house at an altitude of 3020m


• instructor's coffee with cognac


• mama akkemskaya


• ice watermelon


• visiting the high-altitude chapel


• badges "for climbing Belukha" from LenAlpTours.

author: Ilya

The purpose of the route was determined two weeks before the start. For two weeks I ran around the shops, at the end I started to get bored, but still I bought everything, with the exception of very little things, without which you can do without. We bought a new tent, sleeping bags at -10 degrees, new membranes, completely waterproof suits, as we wanted, thermal underwear, fleece, warm vests, boots, socks, flashlights, crampons, ice axes, ice screws, jumars. They even took an ice drill. Found very decent compression bags, almost airtight. It was very difficult to get a good stew, but in the end they found it. We sent an application to Ust-Koksa to visit the border area (sent a month in advance, as expected). They put it all together and, of course, did not understand how it could be carried away. Yes, to hell with him, we'll figure it out on the spot.

We started in the morning along the route Yekaterinburg-Tyumen-Omsk-Novosibirsk-Barnaul, etc. to Ust-Koksa, and then to Tungur. Only about 3 thousand kilometers. In general, up to and along the M-51 and further along the M-52. Route options appear only at the entrance to the mountainous part of Altai, and all of them are approximately equivalent. The asphalt part of the path is interesting only insofar as there is nowhere to look especially anyway. The asphalt is more or less tolerable, there was absolutely no time to see the sights of transit cities (except for grocery stores), the weather was quite flying, so we drove almost non-stop.

On the evening of the first day of the journey, we caught up with a huge thundercloud, there is no more rain, but everything around is flooded with water, lightning flashes ahead, blackness to the very sky. I did not want to climb into the cloud, so we spent the night in the field, finding an excellent exit and setting up a tent. The second night had to be spent in the car - there was nowhere to go, the hotels also somehow did not meet. In the morning, having passed Barnaul, we entered the Altai Territory.

The path in that direction through the mountainous part of Altai was vaguely remembered, because all the time I felt sleepy. Up, down, up, down, then asphalt, then gravel, then primer. The road goes along the river valleys, climbs the passes and again along the valleys. Lush greenery, a sea of ​​flowers, a blue sky, hills, hills, valleys, stormy rivers. Very beautiful. Funny animals, such as chipmunks, sit in columns on the road, scurry along the roadsides, and when cars approach, they hide in minks.

About 80 kilometers from Ust-Koksa the road ends at a checkpoint. In a few minutes I find out that since we are going not to the border, but to the border region, the pass must be issued at the outpost in Ust-Koksa. The border guard at the checkpoint gives a temporary pass to Ust-Koksa and advice: no one is officially allowed to enter Belukha (it is right on the border), therefore, indicate Lake Akkem in the application as the final destination of the route.

It is difficult to understand what the outpost in Ust-Koksa, fifty kilometers from the border, is doing, but the pass was issued quickly and after 80 kilometers, having finally overcome the suspension bridge over the Katun, we entered the territory of the Vysotnik camp site.

On the territory of the camp site there is a hotel, a shelter, a dining room, a bathhouse, a tent camping, tent sites, a summer kitchen, a washroom, etc. Everything is quite comfortable. We took a room in the shelter and went to bed, not understanding how tomorrow we will drag all the junk that we brought with us. Dinner and a walk to the village of Kucherla showed that you can throw junk in your car to Kucherla, but further ...

In the morning, Kuzuyak's problem resolved itself. We were offered to raft before the start of Akkem. Excellent. We accept the offer, load all the junk into the car that will go along the shore (to pick up the raft from below), get into the raft and set sail. The Katun is a fast river, there are no rapids in this part, there are standing waves that ridiculously toss the boat. The water is blue and very cold.

The banks rush back and two hours later, after a short crossing, we unload on the right bank of the Katun at the mouth of Akkem. According to the guide, the bridge over the Akkem is intact, and we decide to go along the right (orographic) bank of the Akkem.

We walk through the fields, through the meadows, sometimes it rains, but in general the weather is good. I hope we will be lucky with her in the future.

The bridge over Akkem is in good health, although it is not clear where and why people go over it. The water in the river is cloudy with a soapy taste. Not suitable for drinking. Therefore, all parking lots are only near streams. The ascent to the left bank of the valley exhausted the reserve of forces by ninety percent. The remaining ten will be used to reach the Three Birches.

They did not reach Three Birches a little, the interest ran out even for Roma, who this time is loaded in a way that is not childish at all. We stood in a clearing by a stream. Cooked dinner. I think how far we got if we went through the pass. Conclusions do not hunt. We go to bed with gloomy forebodings.
The next day, gloomy forebodings were fully justified. With great efforts, by 3 o'clock in the afternoon we reached only the Black Stones. It is only 5 kilometers from the Three Birches. The speed of movement is 1 km per hour. I walked the last two hundred meters for perhaps forty minutes. It's not even sad, but the fact that there is no strength left at all. Need more or less long rest. We cook dinner and go to bed for two hours. Yes, the burden is really overwhelming. Okay, morning is wiser than evening. By six o'clock, having thought that if the load is unbearable, then the distance is completely fine, we decide to make a drop. We leave Roma in the camp, take half of the load with Vanya and go forward. After a morning nightmare, twenty-kilogram backpacks are not felt at all. We fly forward as if on wings. At first they wanted to go an hour, then they added another thirty minutes. We walked six kilometers in total. We hide the equipment in the moss and almost run back.

We arrive in the dark.

That's better. Tired, of course, but at least without overload. The morning brought beautiful weather. We will have breakfast, pack our equipment and start the route. In the daylight, we consider what was indistinguishably rushing past yesterday. The trail gradually descends down to the bank of Akkem and no longer goes far from the river to the lake itself. Yes, we famously ran yesterday, only before lunch we get to the bookmark.

We quickly set up camp, hang things out to dry, cook dinner. There is no time left to “roll around”. We take out a bookmark, throw it into backpacks, leave Romka in the camp and again run, run, run.

At one of the turns of the trail, the peak of Belukha flashed in the distance.

The bookmark was dragged to the waterfall on the stream. It got noticeably colder. On the slopes of the mountains surrounding the Akkema valley there are snowfields from which noisy streams flow. We are considering an ancient bathhouse, built, probably, by the pioneers. We run back, with lightning speed we remove the camp. We really want to reach the bookmark, we pass several wonderful places for spending the night, just like in a fairy tale: a stream, a clearing ... We admire the opened panorama of Belukha. How we will climb there, we don’t think yet.))) Another couple of kilometers, but ... night falls, it starts to drizzle, and we get up for the night in the middle of the forest, in some kind of swamp. It's sad, but potatoes with stew quickly restore the mood to the proper level. We are far behind the schedule, but we did not leave the route plan - we have a lot of spare days. With such a speed tomorrow should be on Lake Akkem.

A sunny morning showed that the clearing was not at all wet, and the swamp was very beautiful, and I never saw mosquitoes and midges in Altai. No one. We dry a little and tune in to the transition immediately to the lake. The swamp ends quickly, we go along winding paths. A huge number of tourists pass by us. In one of the groups, we counted 40 people. They go in twos, threes, ten, twenty; children, boys, girls, grandparents. And everyone is stomping cheerfully, skipping and saying hello.))) Hello, hello! What do they have there? Nest? Finally we meet the first climber. The fact that this is a climber is evident not from the ice ax and the rope, but from the fact that he does not jump, and his backpack is not a toy. We ask. Was at the top. Lots of snow, little ice. There are even fewer people. Yep, we're on the right track.

However, there is no time to look around. From the bookmark we walked, neither more nor less, 12 kilometers. We must return for the bookmark and bring it to the parking lot. Until dark about 4 hours. Leaving Roma to set up camp, we almost run along the path in the opposite direction. After two and a half hours we pick up the bookmark and again go to the lake. Yes, and twenty kilos to the fortieth kilometer breaks your back. We decide not to hurry too much: when we arrive, then we will come. It gets dark quickly and gets very cold. Feels like 10 degrees or less. We leave the forest on a wide Morin shaft. The Akkem glacier once lay here and left huge rounded boulders. Now the glacier has receded by almost 15 kilometers, and the Akkem River is gradually eroding the moraine. We dragged ourselves into the camp in the thick twilight. The sky is clear. The top of Belukha stands out like a white block against the darkening sky. beauty. That would be such weather for climbing!

The weather has been beautiful since morning. We throw out all the things in a pile, and start sorting: what to take with us and what to leave at the bottom. “Leave” gained 15 kilograms, and that’s good. I put things in a little leaky herm and take them to the house to the rescuers. Re going. The weight is decent, but no longer fatal. We cross the bridge over the waterfall and along the foot of the huge moraine shaft we begin the ascent up the Akkem. The trail crosses several moraines, crosses from shore to shore a couple of times on shaky bridges and goes to the upper lake. The moraine shaft dammed the river flowing from under the glacier. Once there was a lake, and now a large silted basin. There is also a small chapel - a place of pilgrimage for almost all lake tourists. We pass the upper lake on the left, along the edge of the river we rise higher to the end of the Akkem glacier.

The wall of the glacier rises ten meters above the bed. On the upper edge lie stones that from time to time fall down with a crash. A dirty, dirty stream flows from under the ice - this is the source of Akkem. The glacier is alive, it moves and grinds stones into powder with its sole. This powder is carried out by streams of melt water, then it enters the river. Because of this, the river in Akkem is muddy. And the snowfields along the edges of the Akkem valley do not move, they just lie. Therefore, the water in them is clean-clean. Some of the lake tourists reach the end of the glacier. Some of them somehow climb onto the glacier, get lost, wander among the cracks, run wild and howl at night. We have seen it ourselves.

Just in time for lunch, it starts to rain. In some places you can find streams of more or less clear water, so we decide to cook dinner here. We put on waterproof jackets, fill the pot with water, sit under the largest moraine boulder and cook buckwheat with stew. The rain is now stronger, then weaker, by the end of lunch it ends completely.

Looking up, we understand that we will no longer need sneakers, we put on mountain boots, and hide the sneakers under the “conspicuous stone”. Access to the glacier is quite difficult, since the sides of the valley are cut by deep cracks (the glacier continues under the moraine) with steep edges. I had to climb high on the side of the valley, go forward, and then go down to the glacier. We put on cats. Roma just burns with curiosity, and so do I. We connect and go out to the glacier. The first steps on cats are very convenient. The glacier is open, without cracks, cut by bizarre mounds. A little further, where the steepness decreased and the ice field became wider, large and small stones appeared along the edges, rolling down from the sides of the valley. Some are several meters across, but stand on a tiny platform. It seems to push and roll down. Pushed - does not roll.))) Trickles, streams, streams of water flow along the glacier. There is a "squeak" of melting ice in the air.

Seems to be solid. It's warm and quiet inside. We cook dinner, drink tea with sweets and cookies. Order. Now only bad weather can stop us. I don’t have the strength to wash the dishes, and there’s no water either - with the sunset, all the streams amazingly quickly disappeared, there was not a single one left, the water was only in puddles, which could not be reached from the tent. I throw all the cups into the vestibule - the morning is wiser than the evening, and we go to bed.

The wind howled all night, avalanches and rockfalls rumbled along the slopes of Belukha. By morning it was relatively quiet. Waking up, I look out into the vestibule and am horrified. During the night, the surface of the glacier around the tent sank ten centimeters, there was no trace of the snow sprinkling, the ice screws, screwed up to the ears in the evening, almost completely melted, there was no trace of the sprinkling, the wind is walking in the vestibule, the canopy is splashing in the wind, you can see in the hole Akkem lake. Pots, cups, mugs and spoons were prepared for the downhill skiing on bare ice. I still don’t understand what prevented them from rolling out into the wild and flying down. I quickly hide everything, running to restore the sprinkling of the vestibule.

I count the dishes with horror. There is only a small bottle-mixer for powdered milk. Yeah. The tent was not demolished only because I also twisted the ice drill with all my heart, but it could not completely melt.)))

We cook porridge, wash the dishes, get dressed and go up. The plans for today are to get to the Tomsk overnight stays and spend the rest of the day on Arbuz. We go to the left - to the edge of the icefall. Deep cracks appeared, which have to be bypassed with large hooks. The left tongue of the glacier is covered with fairly dense snow. Getting dressed in the morning, we came to the unanimous opinion that we no longer need nylon pants. I tie them with a rope and put them under the second "remarkable" stone. We continue the ascent with short breaks. You can see several thawed trails. The snow holds, we almost do not fall through. We climbed a little higher than the Akkem icefall and sat down to drink tea. Everything above us is covered by clouds. Sometimes there are gaps of blue sky. And the sky is closer and closer.)))

Watermelon is very beautiful. At the foot of the ice wall is almost vertical, and above it quickly flattens out. We learn how to turn the drills, organize a station, work out the rise on the jumar and the descent with a basket. We try to make ice eyes and descend on a double rope. All this is relatively easy. Since the bottom belay is not expected and the slopes are small, we decide to use the jumar secured with a carbine as the main belay device. At the end we work out self-detention with an ice ax.

Because of the late lights out, we woke up only at ten o'clock. I laid out my things to dry, had breakfast, smeared myself with cream, got ready and went to the Delaunay pass. Should have left before! The day was sunny in the morning, the snow was blown in the sun. We walk in the likeness of the path, periodically falling above the knee. Periodically - this is at every third step. Sweat hail, not enough air. Two people are walking towards. We approach; it's a boy and a girl. "Were you at the top? - They weren't - they didn't let me in. We stood in a snowstorm for three days and returned.” Wow! Tired, we approached the ascent to the pass. The ascent is covered with snow, no ice. The first part of the ascent to the crack is just going with our feet. I can go further - the angle is about 45 degrees, but I decide to hang a railing. I take a couple of ice screws, hook a rope and climb up with a backpack. It's hard, however. After 50 meters I spin the station, the guys rise. No, you can't get through with a backpack. I leave the backpack at the station, I climb without a backpack. It’s better, but longer, then you have to go back down and lift the backpack, helping yourself with a jumar. The next climb is made by Vanya, who proves that he knows the matter tightly - the ice screws twisted by him can only be unscrewed with an ice ax. Roma is the most fun of all, he is understood by the rope at a time without smoking breaks. I make the last rope up. I press against the rocks to the left, find a platform, dig into the ice, spin around, the guys get up. A little to the left of the pass we find a platform for a tent. It has already been used. I fasten myself to the rope, go down for a backpack, get up, fold the rope and crawl on all fours to the platform to catch my breath. Tired just horror.

We decide to spend the night here. We clear the site, set up a tent, cook both lunch and dinner at once - we simply throw two cans of stew into the pan. As soon as we got into our sleeping bags, a snow load hit the tent. It snows all night, flows down from the tent in streams. From time to time I wake up to check whether I fell asleep with my head; I really don't want to get out and dig. Headache, Roma also complains.

Morning meets with absolutely blue sky and hot sun. There was not so much snow at night and poured - from a quarter of a meter, and even less in the basin. We have breakfast, get ready and run downstairs. In time. Yesterday's group is already approaching the pass, there is no desire to contemplate them at the course all day.

Smeared with cream, put on glasses. The sun burns, glasses fog up, eyes refuse to look without glasses, the snow is deep, the backpack is heavy. Heat, like at the equator. They took off their jackets, took off their hats, put on panama hats.

Here you don’t have a plain, here the climate is different, avalanches come one after another ... Avalanches, indeed, go, now to the left, now to the right, and rockfalls roar. In general, fun. The cold of millennia blows from the giant ice breaks. Passed the icefall of the Mensu glacier. Far below you can see green hills, alpine meadows, rivers, lakes, flowers grow there. And here is the kingdom of eternal snow, absolute whiteness. How much ice is under us: ten meters or all one hundred? Somewhere there dormant bottomless cracks, and frozen mammoths are in them.))) In order not to become frozen mammoths, we go in bundles. We reached the ascent to the Barel saddle and sat down to drink tea.

Half an hour of sweet afternoon nap is quickly coming to an end. Behind the tent, noise and din - the old group caught up with us. We pack up and leave, hoping to get to a place called TKT. The trail goes along the left side of the mountain, crossing numerous avalanche drifts, one of which is very large and completely fresh. I really don't want to lose the altitude meters gained with such difficulty. I turn down, I make a new path around the longest avalanche tongue. Walking is terribly hard. Vanya, and then Roma, come to the rescue, overtaking me on the rise, so gradually I find myself in tow at the end of the bunch. It is much easier to follow the tracks, but the breath still does not translate properly. Top-top, began to count the steps, one hundred steps, then look up, then another hundred steps. Periodically clouds fly in, visibility disappears, it becomes stuffy like in a bathhouse.

After an endless ascent, having given our last strength, we go out to the icefall of the Berel glacier. The icefall is covered with snow. On an island between the cracks, someone cleared a large area for a tent. We decide to stop here. The beluga whale is not yet visible - clouds swirl over the site. We put up a tent, securely fasten the stretch marks, pour higher walls around the tent in case bad weather happens at night.

The evening is surprisingly quiet. The top of Belukha opened before sunset: the clouds left, leaving an absolutely blue sky. We have one day left to climb. Lucky or not lucky? Asking the weather for tomorrow from the Belukhin shaman and setting the alarm for 5 am, we go to bed. At night, my head hurt, the wind howled, so I fell asleep only in the morning, constantly waiting for the alarm to ring.

Before the alarm, we were awakened by creaking footsteps behind the tent. These are climbers from Vysotnik. It is not known what the instructors said to them there, but they look so brave that my “hello!” they ignored. I look at the sky. Oh yeah! The weather (so far, pah-pah) is just fantastic. Same as yesterday morning. There will be no lunch, so we have breakfast with a double portion of semolina porridge with breadcrumbs, pour a thermos of tea, take snickers (yes, we have snickers, wrinkled, true, but there is!), the remains of dried apricots and nuts, dress tightly, throw warm vests into the backpack , close the tent and go out. We have only one attempt to climb, so we will not invent anything, we will follow in the footsteps of the last group - their instructors know exactly where they are going.

We leave cheerfully. The snow has been completely solid since morning. Cats leave only scratches. We're walking on asphalt. Absolute white underfoot, absolute blue in the sky. Good. After overcoming a small crack and climbing up to the rise of the icefall, we find the stunning beauty of the southern wall of Belukha. Huge blocks of ice hang from it. What happens if this falls?

The weather is getting warmer and going well. We are suspiciously quickly catching up with the group from Vysotnik. They've been there for an hour now. A steep ascent begins, we work with a rope. There is no ice. I go upstairs, making steps, then I clean the platform, hammer in an ice ax, sit on it, Roma rises, secures with an ice ax, then Vanya. Then everything repeats. Catching up with stranded tourists. Yeah, they're not stuck, they're just walking slowly along the rope. Their bases are made of rope loops around stones. A couple of times, having asked for their bases, we quickly overcome the rocky slope and climb out into the frying pan. Who called her that? This is just a flat area in front of the top dome.

There are no steps to the top. There are barely noticeable traces of previous climbers. We look like this, and this way - it seems normal, you can go the same way. Before storming the summit, we refresh ourselves with Snickers and finish our tea. Stunning views of Altai open from the platform. The whole mountainous region is below us, and above us are clouds. The beauty is indescribable.

We go on the assault in the same way. There are approximately 3-4 pitches on the dome, closer to the top the slope becomes steeper, it's scary to hang on an ice ax. I dig to the ice and spin. That's better. I take, as it turned out later, the last picture from the ascent. I look around and I'm horrified! A black cloud is flying towards us from the west - a thunderstorm. Faster, faster we run to the top. I'm going over the ridge. The most high point twenty meters to the right. Roma rises, then Vanya, and immediately then a cloud with a snow charge swoops in. It is getting colder, strong wind and streams of snow pellets - visibility is 3 meters. We connect and go to the right to the top, the benefit is nearby. Well, like the very top and then only down. Sad "Hurrah!"

We return a little lower. The wind howls, it snows, wet things freeze. We put on vests: they don’t help much from above, but I don’t risk putting them on underneath in such a wind. We gather in a heap and decide: we wait 10 minutes, if it doesn’t inflate, we go down. I'm sorry we don't have puffs.

The first tourists from Vysotnik appear at the top. Despite the bad weather, they stubbornly climb up. And we froze, especially Roma's legs. Snow from the sky is just streams. Pours palms with a boat in a minute. Everything, apparently, there will be no weather, and we will not see Altai from the top as our own ears. Well, okay, we thank Belukha for letting us in here at least. Now we have to go down.

Vanya fastens to the rope and runs down. I insure with a basket. Fun, 50 meters in 30 seconds. He's been fiddling with the station for a long time. Finally, he gives a signal, just as quickly I lower Roma. I myself stick two ice axes into the snow and just drive to the station on my stomach. The descent is repeated. Yeah, that's why Vanya took so long - he twisted two ice screws so that I could hardly unscrew them with the spout of the ice ax. Yes, Vanya doesn't know his business very well. At the next station, I am convinced that Vanya knows the matter even more tightly than I thought - he dug a huge hole in the slope, dug into the ice and again twisted the ice screws to the very ears. We go down. A few more tourists from Vysotnik are waiting for their turn here. Where are they taking them in this weather?

While descending, the direction was clear, but as we descended into the frying pan, the question arose: where to go? Nothing is visible, and the tracks are almost covered. Somehow, on the remnants of traces, we get to the stones. Visibility has already appeared here, and it has become warmer. Continuing the descent in the same way, we pass a rocky area, and then we go without insurance, in a bunch.
Also, we almost run through the avalanche area and after 15 minutes we approach the tent. There is no wind, no snow, no cold. Yes, we have already warmed up. The descent took two hours. We look at the top: bad weather is still raging there. It only seems to get darker. We climb into the tent, cook food, boil tea. The beauty.

We climb into sleeping bags and bastard for two hours. I look out of the tent. The bad weather rose a little higher, but the top of Belukha was tightly closed by a thunderstorm. Sometimes there is thunder. It's already 10 pm. It starts to get dark. The group from above did not return, and the top is still covered by a cloud. Finally, at 11 pm, the clouds melt in the approaching night, and far away, at the very top of the rocky area, a figure of a man appears. Wow, they still have two hours to go down.

Already in the darkness, creaking steps were heard near the tent. I get out - people are so cold that only their eyes move. I congratulate you on the ascent and offer you tea - I specially prepared a whole thermos with sugar. However, the female instructor proudly answers for everyone: “Let's get there,” and leads her group down. I can't stand the instructors, the poor fellows have to walk another hour and a half to the tents.

At 6 o'clock in the morning there was a terrible roar. The mountain shook. It was another block of ice that fell off. I look out of the tent and look up with some apprehension: what if it comes this far? But the earthquake quickly subsides, and absolute silence hangs over the mountain again.

In the morning, the top of Belukha, as if nothing had happened, shines with dazzling whiteness. But it's time for us to go down. Today we want to reach the Tomsk overnight stays. Going down is much easier than going up. Again we go around the avalanche drifts from below, and from the Barel saddle we generally move out on our ass, one after another. Again we soar under the sun to the basin of the Mensu glacier. However, by the time we got to the pass, everything had changed. The weather has begun to rage again, a large and black cloud is approaching us in the back - another thunderstorm. Therefore, the ascent to the pass passed somehow imperceptibly, and as soon as we began the descent, dirty-gray snow shreds flew over the top.

We descend from the Delaunay Pass in the same way as we descended from the summit. The most difficult was the segment from the foot of the pass to the rescuers' house. The snow has completely melted, the legs are sinking to the knee, and below is water. Boots are completely wet. We go in zigzags, trying to choose areas that are firmer. Finally, I generally fell waist-deep into a crack full of water, after which I didn’t give a damn about the path and went at random. We arrived at the house at the end of the day. Cooked both lunch and dinner. Have eaten.
Gradually a group of commercial tourists approaches. They sit down at the table, loudly congratulate each other on a successful ascent, etc.

The weather is gloomy in the morning. Clouds fly low, sometimes it rains. We leave late, but in the morning there was no frost. Snow does not hold at all. We go on top of the glacier, trying to keep to the rocky areas, and still we fall through to the water many times. The descent from the glacier to the moraine took a lot of time: steep slopes, large stones, unstable rock formations. Somehow, having made a big detour and bypassing many cracks in the sides of the moraine, we go down from the glacier to the river and try to find the sneakers that were put under the “noticeable” stone. It turns out that all the "conspicuous" stones are similar to each other. We search for a long time, in the end, we find it, change our shoes and stomp down more fun. They came to the parking lot by the lake so exhausted that they decided not to go further. We set up camp, dry things, cook a large pot of pasta and potatoes with stew. The beluga whale apparently took offense at us: the top is completely covered with clouds, although below it is warm and the sky is blue-blue.

We devote the evening to contemplation. The only moment on the route when we do not need to hurry. Roma is going to post another tour, but then he thinks about it. We make ourselves some poop and have fun. We take out toothbrushes and brush our teeth - also good.

The next day, the plan is to reach the black stones. We break camp and stomp down the Akkem. It's going well. Near the waterfall (where there is an old bathhouse) we get up for lunch and rest, and by the evening, almost exhausted, we get to the black stones and settle down at the highest parking lot. Tomorrow we need to start storming the Kuzuyak pass. Something I can't believe.

Expectations were justified. We could only reach three birches. Then the strength ran out. We sit and think how we will go through the pass. With our speed and the remnants of prowess - this is three days, no less. Help comes unexpectedly. A family of tourists comes to us and offers to cross the pass on… a tractor, especially since the tractor is already there. This is salvation! We load into a tractor cart, and Belarus, puffing and shooting smoke from a locomotive chimney, drags us along the crooked mountain paths, first up and then down to the Katun valley. There is a huge amount of red currant around, everything is just red red. Along the way we meet several horse caravans. Downcast horses go sadly up the slopes, dragging riders and bales of cargo on their backs. Next year, we also want to go on a horse route, but not on sad fillies, but on hot horses.))) There are tourists who, apparently, did not get a horse. Looking at their tired appearance, I am glad that we happily escaped this fate by agreeing to raft to the mouth of the Akkem.

By evening we reached Vysotnik without incident. We occupy two rooms in the hotel, order a bathhouse for the evening and go to bed for two hours. After a little rest, we stomp in a cafe, order everything that is on the menu, and overeat. I got the children badges "Belukha", and the Vysotnik instructor solemnly presents them with certificates of conquerors of the Altai peak. In two hours we go to the bath. The bath is a large dressing room, a cold sink and a red-hot steam room, in which there is a huge iron stove up to the ceiling. The heat is so high that it can be baked in a minute. Fortunately, I already have some experience dealing with such baths. I soak two sheets and hang them next to the stove. After 10 minutes in the steam room it becomes quite comfortable. With great pleasure we take a steam bath and wash ourselves several times in a row, and then we go to the hotel and sleep sweetly until the alarm clock rings.

We made our way back along the same route. This time I was able to properly examine the Altai Mountains from the driver's seat. Beautiful, do not say anything. It will be necessary to come again, especially since we didn’t get the view from the top. Near Novosibirsk it began to rain and it went non-stop almost to Tyumen itself. Thousands of kilometers drowned in endless slush. Only towards the evening of the third day did we see a narrow strip of bright sky on the horizon, which gradually approached, approached, and, finally, our car drove out from under a huge rain cake. We looked at this "pie" from the side - it occupied the entire space from the earth itself to the sky and was multi-layered, white and gray. It was raining under the cake, but here it was completely dry and the sun was shining.

We arrived home late at night. The entire journey took 19 days.

Photos and other albums can be viewed here.

Altai. Beluga whale 2010,July 20 - August 2Route thread: St. Petersburg - Moscow - Barnaul - pos. Tungur base "Vysotnik" - rafting on the river. Katun to the mouth of the river. Akkema - camp "At three birches" - camp "At the cedar" - camp at Lake Akkemskoye - camp "Tomsk nights" - camp Big Berel saddle - top of Belukha mountain - camp Big Berel saddle - Akkemskoye lake - through the Karatyurek pass to the camp - parking lot Kedrovye polyany - Kucherlinskoye lake - r. Kucherla - pos. "Tungur" base "At Tatyana" - Biysk - Barnaul - Moscow - St. Petersburg

Members: Dmitry, Ekaterina, Timofey

Barnaul - Gorny Altai - Mount Belukha (Tomsk overnight stays)

1 day

Together with Timofey, they arrived in Barnaul by train from Moscow. At the station, recognizing us by our backpacks, the drivers approached us. They began to actively impose on us a transfer to Tungur (for 10 thousand rubles), from where our route was planned, the purpose of which was Mount Belukha.

But Timokha said that we would find it cheaper. And we stayed at the Barnaul Hotel for 700 rubles. per person per day. Later we found out that there are cheaper hotels. At night, we took a taxi to the airport, met another participant - Katya, who flew in from Sochi. There were three of us. Tim called his friend and he agreed to drop us off for 6,000 rubles.

In principle, “shuttles” - “Gazelkas” with a trailer, go from bases located in Tungur (“Vysotnik”, “White Golden Eagle”, etc.), perhaps if you call them in advance, it will also turn out cheaper.

2 day

At 7 in the morning we got into the car and set off on our way through the cities of Biysk, Gorno-Altaisk, along the Chuisky tract. For a snack, we stopped at roadside eateries - located in ails (a remake for the national dwellings of the Altaians).

The border pass was issued right at the border post. It's free. But you need to fill out a lot of different pieces of paper, and since there were still those who wanted to, the whole process took us about an hour.

In the village The Tungurs arrived at 19:00, i.e. spent 12 hours on the road. We stopped at the Vysotnik tourist center - in double camping tents for 400 rubles. from a person. Shower and bath for a fee. You can set up your own tent for 100 rubles.

We also remember the base with Italian toilet bowls installed in wooden booths of the “toilet” type, and also with a lethal extra charge for alcohol - the cost of a bottle of vodka is 1000 rubles. (in the village nearby - 150 rubles). It is forbidden to drink your own alcoholic drinks at Vysotnik. Nevertheless, a commercial group with their guides celebrated the successful ascent of Belukha in the cafe. The guys washed the badges.

We were immediately offered a ride to the mountain on horseback. Our group needed 5 horses - this is 5000 rubles. Another option is to drive through the Kazuyak pass to the Three Birches camp (3 hours, which replaces one walking day). Unfortunately, there were no seats in the car, we had to wait another day before a new shipment. Even though this is one of the most economical options, we wanted to get to the mountain faster, so we chose another option.

On the "Vysotnik" they organize a transfer - rafting on the Katun River. This shortens the path a little and gives additional adventures. Cost - 800 rubles. Travel time is about two hours.

Useful articles:

• Legends of Belukha Mountain
• Bases of Altai
• Mountain Altai
• Lakes of Altai
• Mountains - Altai for climbers and tourists

3 day

At about 11 am we plunged onto the raft and swam. We had a guide on the boat with us. He told us about the Altai Territory - Belukha Mountain is just one of the many attractions of these places. Altai gravestones floated past us, the slope where Comrade Sukhov, the legendary red commander, was ambushed and died (not to be confused with the hero of the same name in the film “White Sun of the Desert”). So we got to the place where the Akkem River flows into the Katun. We unloaded, put on backpacks, and went forward along the path, through the Altai meadows up the Akkem.

This place is rich not only with all sorts of natural beauties and medicinal herbs, but also with vicious ticks that were eager to profit from us. What the signs along the way said.

In the evening we reached the parking lot "At three birches" - this is a standard place for setting up a camp. But there was no one else besides us.

Day 4

In the morning we moved along a well-filled path, which, winding, went either into a cedar forest, or pressed close to the river. By 16 o'clock we reached the parking lot "At the Cedar" - this is an equipped tourist bivouac. There were already people there. We pushed them a little. The weather turned bad - it rained in the evening and at night.

Day 5

In the morning the weather improved and we moved on. The forest gave way to forest-tundra, and then to alpine meadows. There was a lot of honeysuckle. I tried this berry for the first time. By 15 o'clock we reached the "barrels" - this is the base of the Ministry of Emergencies and the shelter of the same "Vysotnik". We registered, left supplies with the rescuers, designed for the return trip. Passing a little past Akkemskoye Lake, on the shore of which the Roerichs and other esotericists were based, we camped on a stream at the place where it flows into the lake - from here Mount Belukha, where the highest point of Altai is located, seems especially huge.

Day 6

Crossed the bridge. The trail took us up to the glacier. We passed by the chapel, stopping for a moment. The trail got lost and we went to the kurumniks. Crawling along the kurumniks on four bones, we saw a good path below the glacier, which we lost. But they decided not to lose the height and continued to crawl over the stones. The slope pressed against the glacier and we crossed to it. Walking became much easier.

Went without cats. The glacier is quite even, dry, cracks are bypassed. And ahead is the Great Wall of Akkem - the most difficult route to the top of the mountain. On the left we saw a rocky hill with a house. This is the first camp from which the ascent to Mount Belukha begins. They call it Tomsk overnight stays (or parking lots). They turned back, they came up. There are many people there: some practice on the ice, others wait for their friends from the mountain, sunbathing in the burning mountain sun. There is also a kind of altar from the things of the dead climbers. Rare items such as wooden ice axes and such self-welded cats are also kept in the shelter.
We got acquainted with the people, learned that tomorrow two groups are going to the mountain - guys from Slovakia with a guide and a commercial group with two guides from the Ministry of Emergency Situations. We were offered to join the commercial group as assistants. We didn't mind.

mountain storm

Day 7

Climbing. We got up early in the morning. They just rubbed their eyes and saw how a huge avalanche descended from the Akkem wall. An amazing sight when you look from the side. The ascent began with overcoming the Delane ice pass.

Previously, railings (ropes) were hung on its ice slope, but since they tempted unprepared people (especially those for whom Mount Belukha has, first of all, spiritual significance) and they climbed the pass, creating a problem for the local Ministry of Emergency Situations, the ropes were removed. Now each group hangs and removes their ropes independently.

Among the climbers there was a good ice climber. He went first. They hung the railing and everyone climbed on the jumars. There is very little space at the crossroads. Therefore, all those who climbed immediately descended to the other side, to the closed Mensu glacier. On the glacier, 5 people got in touch and went through the snowy fields, since there was a trail of previous climbers that competently bypassed the cracks. So we got to the pre-passage take-off called the Big Berel saddle.

We climbed up. It was 16 o'clock. There was a camp at the pass. They were the ones waiting downstairs. They have already gone up the mountain.

They dug out places for tents and a hole for a toilet. The rise was scheduled for 3 in the morning, but according to the weather. She messed up at night. Everything tightened, it warmed up sharply and a strong thunderstorm began. Dreams of the Summit began to slowly melt away.

Day 8

At 3 am it was still overcast and a strong wind was blowing. We decided to sleep on. But at 6 o'clock all the bad weather was blown away. The wind was still strong, but the sky was blue. We decided to go with the Slovaks and their guide, breaking away from the commercial group. At night, avalanches came down on our route, we had to crawl in a bundle over huge piles of sticky snow. Having overcome a couple of bergs, we entered the field of the Belukhin circus. We started climbing the Belukhinsky pass. The slope is quite steep, but snowy. Holds well.

We climbed the pass. There the snow was dense and rocky teeth stuck out. Taking a breath, we moved along the ridge to the top. There is a small hole in front of the top. Then takeoff - and here it is. We went in - congratulated each other, took pictures.

The weather began to deteriorate. Mount Belukha, whose height is 4560 m, towered above the clouds into which we were to descend. And we hurried down, passing the commercial group and cheering its members.

We went down to the pass, threw the rope and rappelled in turn. Avalanches started in the middle of the slope. One caught us. But everyone was at the station and secured, and Katya was already downstairs on a rope. Therefore, everything worked out. Only a full mouth, nose, and everything else, snow. But, spitting, they came to their senses and went down.

Below, having contacted, we went along the path, met a group that, for some reason, left so late. They looked at us and the avalanches, and returned to the camp. When we arrived at the camp, it was already getting dark, an hour later a commercial group approached. They had their own adventures there, but everyone remained alive and well.

Day 9

In the morning there was heavy fog, but there was almost no wind. We packed up the tents and set off - we got down from the saddle, walked through the snowy fields of Mensu to the Delane pass. They hung the ropes and everyone went down to the Tomsk camps. The commercial group stayed in the house, but the Slovaks and I decided to go to Lake Akkem.

While we were walking along the glacier, the weather deteriorated again, the wind blew, it began to snow. Just before the camp, I was so tired that I could hardly move my legs. Rest every 10 minutes. In the evening we reached the lake, in the places where we had previously set up a tent and fell down.

Useful articles:

Trekking in Altai after descending from Belukha mountain

Day 10

We got up late and decided to take a day off. A group approached, which remained at the Tomsk sites. Ministry of Emergency Situations invited us to the bath. After the bath we sat and talked about this and that. Because we have days left for bad weather, decided to go back the other way, i.e. take a walk.

Day 11

From the lake we went past the rescue "Barrels", past the weather station, along the path to the Karatyurek pass. The ascent is simple, but very long, the path is well packed, but winding in a serpentine. There were squeaky animals that looked like guinea pigs all around.

day 12

We continued to walk down the path, it led us into a dense forest and split there. Not knowing the way, go to the right. This path led more downward than the left. And they weren't wrong. She led us to Lake Kucherlinskoye. We rested a little by the lake and went down the river that flows out of it. There are many parking lots along the path that goes along the river, choosing one of them, we stopped for the night.

day 13

We continued to walk along the path, which turned into almost a road. The place was serpentine - a couple of vipers were basking right in our path.

We saw a private trader's announcement on a pole about the abandonment with a phone. Cellular communication has already appeared. They called. A man arrived in the Niva. We talked along the way. He advised us to stay not at Vysotnik, but at Tatyana's, saying that it was better and cheaper there. And so it turned out.

Tatyana, a very sweet and friendly woman, received us and found us places in the Gazelle, which went to Biysk the next day. At the base we set up a tent for 100 rubles, ordered a bath - 50 rubles. from a person.

In the evening, itinerant musicians entertained Tatiana's guests by playing the Tuvinian musical instruments: harp (khomus) and tambourine. So we got a real creative farewell evening with Gorny Altai and Belukha Mountain.

day 14

We drove all day to Biysk, and then we took a bus to Barnaul. We bought tickets without any problems. Therefore, in the evening we were already in the city. At night, Katya flew away by plane. I saw her off, and in the afternoon I had a train to Moscow.

Dmitry Ryumkin, specially for

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