1st till 7th Day

Day 1:

Arrival in Moscow and onward flight from Moscow to Barnaul.

Day 2:

After our arrival at Barnaul, the capital of the Altai region, we drive for 14 hours more over the famous "Chuisky tract" - a highway that connects Russia and Mongolia. Along the way we make a picnic lunch. We arrive at our hut in the evening. The lodge is situated at a nice spot on the banks of the Katun River, opposite the village of Tyungur. A delicious dinner and the traditional Russian sauna will help you to relax.
All the public buildings are built of wood in the traditional Russian style. Guests stay in a small hostel or in comfortable tents for two persons. There is a sports ground and a small shop where you can rent traveling equipment. Clothes and other things that are not needed on the trek can be stored in a special wardrobe.

Day 3:

Today for acclimatization we will have a hike in the nearby mountains (6 hours), and then the trek-meeting. The rest of the day we have to rest in the hut. Overnight in a hostel or in comfortable tents for 2 people.

Day 4:

In the morning we leave the hut and begin our trek. We cross the Kucherla River and hike up into the forest, which is rich in flora and fauna. Then we cross Kuzuyak Pass covered with forest at the altitude of 1.513 m. From there we descend to the Ak-Kem River.(6-8 hours)

Day 5:

Today we walk along the small Oroktoy River. The path leads through a forest that is rich in raspberry, red currants, and mushrooms. Of course we can nibble on the delicious berries along the way. The deep Siberian taiga is changing gradually into flowering alpine meadows. The camp is situated at a pretty place on the banks of the river Tukhman with a picturesque view of the Belukha Mountain and its neighbouring peaks.
(6-7 hours)

Day 6:

Almost the whole day we hike through the colourful alpine meadows. By evening we descend to a small crystal clear mountain lake on which shores we will camp. As this place is rarely visited by humans, we will in all likelihood catch the sight of Marals or marmots. The Altai Maral is a subspecies of from the family of deer. (7-8 hours)

Day 7:

After a short walk away from the lake, we come to a high mountains swamp, which is surrounded by differently shaped rock formations. Then we walk down to Tekelyu bottleneck (3-4 hours) and we go towards the fascinating Tekelyu waterfalls (2 hours). Overnight in the camp.

8th till 15th Day

Day 8:

In the morning we will cross the Tekelyu River and then hike over the pass. The path leads over alpine meadows and ends in the Yarlu gorge. We cross the Ak-Kem Lake by boat and reach the other shore, where we will camp for a few days. There are big camping tents, kitchen, sauna and a "Community Ail" (local Altai building).
(7-8 hours of walk).

Day 9:

Today we undertake a circular route to the Ak-Kemskiy glacier. We follow the path along the Ak-kem River and the Ak-Kem Lake and cross the River. Then we rise along an old moraine and then we have the best view of the Belukha. Then we return to the same camp on the Ak-Kem River.

Day 10:

We cross the Karatyurek pass at 3060 meters, which will not be easy. The descent thereafter is also pretty steep. We spend the night in the forest zone, near the source of the river Tekelyushka. The camp is surrounded by magnificent old cedars.
Ascent to the pass - 4 hours, descent - 3 hours

Day 11:

The way today runs over a slope through the clear forest. After 3 hours we descent to the Kucherla river on the opposite side of the Tegeyek waterfall, the murmur of which can be heard from the distance. We go up on a good path to the vantage point, a marvelous place from where one has a breathtaking view of Kucherla Lake (2 hours), before descending again to the lake. Overnight in the camp.

Day 12:

On Kucherla River we descend further. Our camp is located nearby the unique rocks, that are covered with petroglyphs (ancient rock carvings). A sacrificial altar is also located in our camps vicinity.

Day 13:

Today, we come back to the first hut, from where we have started our trek. There we still have enough time to enjoy the Russian sauna once again.

Day 14:

Bus trip to Barnaul. Hotel accommodation.

Day 15:

The flight Barnaul - Moscow. Departure from Moscow.

The price does not include:

Things to know

Recommended equipment:

Warm clothing is needed for the evenings and nights. Completely, light rain shelter is also essential, since we may expect rain also. Waterproof, good hiking boots, which also good ankle support are necessary. Trekking poles can be useful, especially for crossing rivers and boulder fields.

• For detailed explanations to the degrees of difficulty please follow this link: Explanation to the degrees of difficulty
• Information about visa and entry regulations, health information and tips for equipment, see this link: Things to know-1
• Please note our information about possible exchange rate fluctuations: Exchange rate fluctuation