Observation excursion in West-Altay reserve

Hiking tour on Lineysky columns - lakes Cedar.

Tour sights on Lineysky columns and the lake Cedar.

Observation excursion in West-Altay reserve.

“Travel far enough, you meet yourself”

David Mitchel. “Cloud Atlas”.

Short description of a route of a tour from town of Ridder in West Altai Nature Reserve:

Ust-Kamenogorsk – Ridder - Gulbiche watershed moor - Lineysky columns («Stone town”) - lake Cedar – settlement Poperechnoe – Ridder - Ust-Kamenogorsk.

Distance of route: 458 km.
Distance of an active part of a tour: 47 km.
Season: June - September.
Best time for an tour: June, July, August.
Duration of tour: 7 days, 6 nights.

Detailed program of a tour day after day on natural sights of West Altai Nature Reserve:

Guided tour from Kazakhstan to Russia.

Video film: On horseback from Lake Kedrovoe to Black Knot valley. Western Altai Reserve. Eastern Kazakhstan.

Day 1. Ust-Kamenogorsk - the town of Ridder (146 km, 3.5 hours).
Transfer to Ridder, arrival, transfer to hotel, accommodation, a lunch. Town history Ridder begins since 1786. At the time of Catherine II reign, in May, 1786 9 search expeditions, one of which was headed by the 27-year-old mountain officer Philip Ridder, were sent to Altai. On May 31, 1786 he finds the richest field containing gold, silver, polymetals.
On February 6, 1941 the town Ridder was renamed into Leninogorsk. On June 28, 2002 the historical name - Ridder was returned to the town of Leninogorsk. After a lunch visit of the local history museum, in the local museum it is collected rich quantity of exhibit about city stories, in funds of the museum there are more than 28 thousand exhibits.
Visit of the museum of zinc plant, there are very interesting exhibits and materials about history of the zinc mine here. Visit of the Altai botanical garden which began the work in 1935. The founder of a botanical garden Pyotr Aleksandrovich Ermakov is buried in the territory of a garden.
The unique collection fund of live plants Altai a botanical garden is presented by 3745 types, forms, grades, samples, the collection of fruit and berry cultures consists of 342 types. A sightseeing tour on the town, visit of the central square of the town. Dinner and overnight.
Day 2. Ridder - the Lineysky pass - the river Black Uba - Koksa cordon - Gulbiche watershed moor - Lineysky columns (The stone fairy tale) (68 + 8 = 76 km, 3,5 hours).
Breakfast. Transfer: Ridder - the pass Lineysky - Koksa cordon (68 km). Our way from Ridder conducts on the automobile grader on the East to border with the Russian Federation. We pass turn on the settlement Poperechnoe to which there are only 4 kilometers from here. We pass tourist centers the Grey meadow, Klimovka which are to the right of the road, also we pass two cordons of huntsmen of West Altai Nature Reserve White and Black Uba. Arrival in vicinities of a cordon of Koksa, preparation for trekking.
Hiking: vicinities of a cordon White Uba - a stream of Sikhoi 1710 meters above sea level (2 km, 1 hour). A lunch in way. Rest at a stream. Slightly below than the ford through a stream Dry there are small picturesque falls.
Further transition: a stream Sukhoi - a stream of Shwamp 1765 meters above sea level (2 km, 1 hour). Rest, small lunch.
Hiking: a stream Shwamp - the watershed moor of Gulbiche of 1870 meters above sea level - the natural boundary Lineysky columns (4 km). Arrival in the natural boundary Lineysky columns, pitch up a tent, dinner and overnight.
Day 3. Lineysky columns (10 km).
Breakfast. Hiking around Lineusky columnus. In the central part of the natural boundary Lineysky columns are concentrated the highest stack on 35 meters. It is the most unique and attractive a sight not only West Altai Nature Reserve and all Kazakhstan Altai, widely known outside Kazakhstan.
Natural boundary extent from the North on the South 2 kilometers 500 meters and from the East on the West the natural boundary was stretched on 3 kilometers. The area the natural boundary Lineysky columns makes 750 hectares. Walks in the environs of Lineysky columns. Lunch, dinner, overnight in tents.
Day 4. Lineysky columns - lake Cedar 2200 meters above sea level (7 km).
Breakfast. Hiking: the natural boundary Lineysky columns - riverheads White Ulba - the lake Cedar. Walk in the environs of the lake Cedar. Pitch up a tent, lunch, dinner, overnight.
Day 5. Vicinities of lake Cedar (7 km).
Breakfast. Walk to the lake Cedar II being in the northwest party from the lake Cedar (1500 + 1500 = 3 km). Return to the Cedar lake. Lunch. Walk to the Southern thin lake (1 km). Walk in environs. Hiking: The southern lake - Group of two lakes (1 km). Walk in environs. Hiking: Group of two lakes - the lake Cedar (2 km). A dinner and overnight in tents.
Day 6. Lakes Cedar - a cordon Palevsky (15 km).
Breakfast. Hiking: the lake Cedar - the Ivanovskiy ridge - a cordon Palevsky (15 km). From the lake Cedar we rise by a crest of the Ivanovskiy ridge. From a crest of the ridge majestic views of the Altai taiga, of the valley of Belaya Uba open. In good weather in the West it is visible top the Vysheivanovskiy 2778 meters high above sea level.
On our way the taiga reminds the Alpine tundra with a cedar Siberian dwarf pine gradually more vegetation changes. A lunch in way. Further our way goes along the river Palevskaya Razlivanka among a dense Altai taiga, gradually the track passes into the road and we come to an forest cordon. Accommodation in the guest house on the Palevsky cordon, a dinner and overnight.
Day 7. Cordon Palevsky - settlement Poperechnoe - Ridder - Ust-Kamenogorsk (197 km).
Breakfast. Transfer: The Palevsky cordon - the village Poperechnoe (20 km). On the way visit of the village Poperechnoe. The ancient settlement Poperechnoe, is the taiga village with the rich, interesting, unique customs and traditions which remain locals for more than 250 years.
The cozy village consists of one street and it rests against the river bank White Uba, from here and there was a name of the village - Poperechnoe. Around the village there are picturesque natural sights - the mountains which overgrew the century wood hills overgrown with dense deciduous and coniferous trees, abundance fragrant разнотравья and flowers. It is a lot of around the village of the small marvelous rivers which bear the waters in White Ubu. Walk on the settlement and its vicinities.
Transfer: the village Poperechnoe - Ridder (31 km). A lunch in cafe.
After a lunch transfer: Ridder - the settlement of Ulba - the settlement of Cheremshanka (41 km). A stop in the settlement of Cheremshanka. The village is in Glubokovsky district, is the administrative center Cheremshansky of the district. Through the village the river Cheremshanka - the right inflow of the river Ulba flows. It is founded in 1799 in the Ridder district of the Zmeinogors district by conservatives Poles. In the central part of the village there is a local market on which it is possible to see taiga gifts.
On a market it is possible to buy birch brooms, officinal herbs, pine nuts, salty mushrooms including legendary local milk mushrooms, different wild berries jam, medical tinctures - pantocrine ((medicament prepared from antlers of young Siberian stag) and others. Also on a market in various quantity local souvenirs of a product of local handymen from birch bark, woodcarvings are presented.
Further transfer: the settlement of Cheremshanka - Ust-Kamenogorsk (105 km). Arrival in Ust-Kamenogorsk, end of a tour.