Rest in the Altai Mountains
All on Altai! In the Altai Mountains! Perhaps it is from this appeal should start this article. There is almost everything for recreation here – mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, cozy hotel complexes and cabins in the forest, as well as fertile nature, which gives health and harmony to vacationers.
Mountain Altai
Gorny Altai is a unique natural-recreational complex in Russia. This is a wonderful combination of picturesque mountain landscapes and various climatic zones, a journey through which will give a lot of impressions and enrich your horizons.
We have found at least three reasons to visit the Altai Mountains. So …
Extreme entertainment and eco-tourism
Mountain Altai offers excellent conditions for various types of recreation – rafting, caving, mountaineering, multi-day trekking tours (walking).
Rafting or water tourism, one of the most popular types of recreation in Altai. Clear, nature favors – rivers lakes, lakes and rivers. There are more than 20 thousand of them in Gorny Altai! The most famous lakes – Aya, Teletskoe, Manzherok, rivers – Katun, Charysh, Biya. As part of water entertainment and rafting guests are offered rafting on the rivers and boat trips on Lake Teletskoye, the reputed pearl of Gorny Altai.
Rafting in the Altai Mountains
The diversity of the rivers of the Gorny Altai allows you to go on multi-day rafting tours of various levels of difficulty (up to the 5th grade).
The most common rafting on the Katun River and its right tributary is the Chuya. You are waiting for wonderful mountain landscapes, clean air and adrenaline.
Speleotourism is also well developed in the Altai Mountains: there are more than four hundred caves on the territory of the region. You can choose an underground route of any complexity, from simple to extreme, combined with mountaineering and speleological diving.
For those who want to enjoy untouched nature, the region offers many hiking trails. So equestrian routes allow exploring the remote areas of Gorny Altai, access to which by road is practically impossible, for example Karakol lakes.
Hunting and fishing
Gorny Altai has long attracted hunters and fishermen.
The duration of the hunting tours is from one to ten days. Hunters live in tents, hunting lodges or caravans, and move on horseback or on foot. If you do not have your own gun, you can rent it. As a trophy you can get maral, mountain goat, bear, wild boar, wolf, fur animal. By the way, the cost of such tours usually already includes the primary processing of trophies.
Fishing in the Altai Mountains
The most humane and modern type of hunting is, of course, Photohunting – a type of bloodless hunting acceptable to lovers of fauna. A rather interesting kind of recreation due to the fact that rare species of animals are found on the territory of Gorny Altai. Throughout the tour, a photo hunter is accompanied by an experienced huntsman who knows the habitats of rare animal species. The duration of such tours is from 4 to 10 days.
The Katun River, Chulyshman, Biya, Lake Teletskoye, as well as the highland lakes are famous for their fish wealth. Among the valuable fish in Mountainous Altai are taimen, grayling and burbot. The best time for fishing is from August to October. In late June – early July, you can catch grayling in the Katun, in its mouth parts – tributaries. All equipment – fishing tackle, boat, fishing rods, tents, can be rented.
Do you like fishing, but far from the Altai Mountains? Then choose one of the fishing bases in the Astrakhan region and the problem is solved. We advise you to choose the base “Pena”, conveniently located in a picturesque place in the Volga delta.
Horse tours
In the Altai Mountains nature created excellent conditions for equestrian tourism. Most of the routes pass through the picturesque places where the riders enjoy beautiful mountain and forest landscapes.
One can only understand how rich and diverse Gorny Altai is in equestrian routes – dwarf birches coexist with mighty cedars, and colorful flower meadows with mountain snowfields are fixed clusters of snow in places protected from wind and sun.
Horse tours in the Altai Mountains
Horse trekking, passing through the Altai taiga, is perfect for lovers of excursion rest with elements of extreme sports. Horse riding tours are offered for beginner riders. For experienced ones – tracks of increased level of complexity.