the altai mountains straddle the border where siberia, mongolia and china meet in the heart of the asian continent. the abundance of wild cascading rivers, remote mountain lakes, and flower carpeted meadows, makes this one of russia's most beautiful ranges. the white, stark faces of the towering mountains shimmer above the verdant, green ridges and valleys. the taiga, siberia's legendary forest, covers the area with a dense, dark, leafy cloak.

the very best time for hiking in altai is july and august. the average temperature is about 25ºC during the day and about 5ºC at night. it rains often in summer during the afternoon but like colorado, extended periods of rain are very uncommon. the wonderful thing is that there are no mosquitoes in the altai forests.

the altai mountains are remote, vast and hundreds of miles removed from any major city. politically the altai is the quietest region of russia. it's almost as though it has been reserved just for adventures.

the vast, fertile region derives its name from the mongol word - altan - meaning "golden". it was the centre of the great nomadic culture in the time of the great khans. the altai is full of fascinating legends, the most intriguing regales the legendary kingdom of shambala, which will, it is said, once again become the birthplace of a future civilization after humanity has destroyed themselves.

wilderness ways has joined with our partners, lenalp tours to bring the following incredible programmes to europeans and americans, so that we can all dispel the "evil empire" myths of the 50's and 60's and discover that the centre of what was once the great russian, socialist empire is as pristine and beautiful as it was aeons ago.

these programmes are handpicked to show you the very best that there is in altai and enables us all to enjoy the scenery and wildlife that abounds in this unspoilt region.

we urge you to take this opportunity to explore this region now whilst the russian exchange rate is low in comparison with the dollar, the pound and the deutsche mark. you will also be at the forefront of the tourism trend and see the area before it becomes a little more populated by tourists. unfortunately all areas of natural beauty eventually become tourist attractions but with sensible management, the visitors can be educated to leave as little impact as possible. hiking is one of those activities that can keep the natural beauty in tact and create as little disturbance to the ecological balance as is possible.

these tours are available to groups of 4 or more. if you have a group of 8 or more and would like to be guided by gordon and or angela on one of these trips we can arrange for this at an extra charge per person.

day 1

arrive in barnaul. a representative of lenalp tours will meet you at the airport. travel by bus to reach the base camp vysotnik which is situated in a picturesque spot on the shore of the katun river, near the village of tiungur. a russian sauna and welcome dinner will relax you after your journey.

note: the vysotnik tourist camp is owned by lenalp tours. it includes wooden buildings built in the russian style - 2 storey hostel, canteen, sauna and administrative houses. there is also a sports ground and small tourist equipment rental centre. clothes and items not needed for the trek can be left at the check room. all meals are served at a set time. all in all you will be well catered to.

day 2

rest at base camp.

day 3

today we start rafting down the katun river from our base camp to the mouth of the ak-kem river. while rafting we'll see a wonderful panorama of the katunski & terektinski mountain ranges. the rafting is not technically difficult but is exhilarating. after that we start trekking along the banks of the ak-kem river, eventually crossing it and walk up the hills along the oroktoi brook.

day 4

today we keep walking the hills along the oroktoi brook until we reach the tukhman river. we then walk along a forest trail, there are plenty of mushrooms, wildflowers & berries to munch on along the way. we will see how the landscape changes from taiga - deep siberian forest, to alpine meadows. we overnight at a picturesque spot with a great panorama of mt.belukha - the highest mountain of siberia - and its surrounding peaks.

day 5

a relaxing day as the path is very even with little elevation change and we only have to follow it turning from time to time to the left or right. we overnight at a place near a small mountain tarn. the area is complete wilderness, there is almost no chance of meeting other people. don't be surprised if you come up close and personal to the natural inhabitants, maral (a type of deer) and marmot.

day 6

the distance today is not far. first we walk uphill from the lake, then the path winds its way along a swamp and through alpine meadows. the rocks and stones to the right of the path have unique shapes and allow your imagination to run riot making out various shapes. after a short but steep descent we come to the tekeliu river. here we make our overnight camp and as we still have plenty of daylight left, we walk the upstream and visit two waterfalls.

day 7

after breakfast we cross the tekeliu river and start climbing on the forest path to a pass. from the top the path traverses alpine meadows and finally we descend into the yarlu valley. there is a spacedrome for ufos in the yarlu valley so keep a keen eye on the skies... we cross the ak-kem lake by boat and within a half of an hour we reach our second base camp (2000m) where we will stay for a couple of days. the camp has a canteen, sauna and a traditional altai building called an "ail" (a type of wooden yurt.)
the camp is dominated by mt. belukha (4506m.) - the highest mountain in siberia. this is huge snowy mountain massif. the scenery is mesmerising and it is almost impossible to tear oneself away from it.

day 8

a free day, time to relax.

day 9

we have an excursion to the ak-ojouk valley which is famous for its seven lakes. each of the lakes has its own individual colour and character.

day 10

we have an excursion to the ak-kem glacier today where, time allowing, we might be able to visit the ice-cave which is the source of the ak-kem river.

day 11

today we visit to the "lake of mountain spirits".

day 12

today we descend down into the valley - along the ak-kem river.

day 13

today we leave our base camp 2 and start the second part of our trekking. we will have to work by climbing up the karatiurek pass (3060m). the descend from the pass is steep and goes on talus. after crossing the pass we are in the kucherla valley which looks so wide and full of air and sun after the narrow ak-kem valley. descending along the tekeliushka river we have superb views of small canyons. camp at the mouth of the tekeliushka river.

day 14

a day trip to the kucherla lake.

day 15

we continue to descend along the banks of the kucherla river. our camp place is situated close to a unique monument to the past: rocks decorated with petroglyphs (ancient rock paintings). we also visit the altar stones where sacrifices to the shamaan gods were made.

day 16

today we return to our base camp at vysotnik, from where we started our trek. we have the opportunity again to soak in the sauna, and unpack our backpacks.

day 17

free day. we can also take short walks, relax and explore the area around the base camp. souvenirs of altai herbs, honey, etc. are on sale at the camp.

day 18

travel by bus from the base camp to the city of barnaul. overnight at a hotel. next morning ­ time to say our goodbyes and fly back to moscow and our onward connections. lay overs in moscow can also be arranged for you.

trek conditions

this itinerary includes 5 days of trekking from base camp vysotnik to base camp 2 at ak-kem. the path is essentially moderate and traverses alpine meadows. all overnight camps are in the forests. the hiking requires no special skills but you should be in good health and be able to walk between 8 to 18 km. (5 to 11miles) per day on mountain paths. normally the participants carry their backpacks with their own belongings plus 2-3 kg of common articles (lunch-packet, tents).

meals

3 meals a day throughout the trip are included (except dinner in barnaul on day 13). in the base camps at vysotnik and ak-kem lake - meals are taken in the canteen. during the trek, meals are prepared by the guide or cook and assisted by members of the trip.

essential equipment to bring with you

sleeping pad, 3 seasons sleeping bag, 3 seasons jacket, hat (for sun and cold), good lightweight high-ankle hiking boots, waterproofs (clothing and boots), backpack. any special snack that you like to chew on (no shops to buy powerbars!). most essential is your sense of fun and humour.

price per person

group of 4-6 pp $749
group of 7-9 pp $692
group of 10 and more $661

the price includes:

accommodation at vysotnik base camp and base camp 2 at ak-kem lake, sauna
full board during the altai trip
english-speaking guide
cook
horses for group luggage transportation (2-3 for a group)
bus transfer barnaul ­ tiungur ­ barnaul (with picnics on the way)
overnight at the hotel in barnaul.

the price does not include

any airfares
horses for the transportation of personal luggage or riding ($20 per horse per day)
airfare to and from moscow