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Altai Horseback Riding Ecotour
form the 7th to 31st of August 2007
That was a 25 days ecotour with 14 days of horseback riding part. The big duration of the tour allowed us to make long varied Horseback riding trip. In addition, the group had special days (days-off) that have free of schedule. During these days, the participants had a possibility to take the horses for trips on they own on the most beautiful places. The road of the trip lay in the undisturbed Altai nature between the mountain lakes and small clean rivers through the Mountain passes. The highest one has been 2422 meters above sea level.
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Participants of the tour:
3 adults
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References of the tour
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Guides of the tour:
Julia Reziabkina
Valia Smirnov
Anton Barsoukov
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Schedule of the ecotour
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Map of the tour
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At the same time, it was possible to visit the biggest lake in Altai Mountains – lake Teletkoie. That lake situated on the territory of the huge Altai National Park. That is the beautiful Mountain Lake with many untouched places. It was possible to reach the remote places with the help of local rangers.
The cultural program was also rich. We visit the biggest cities in Siberia and Altai region, the unique Ethnographic museum about archeology and history of Siberian people in Novosibirsk, the Art Gallery, Historical museum in the city Gorno-Altaisk etc. Had a chance to enjoy the Altai traditional dinner, throat-singing concert, visited banya (traditional Russian baths) and get acquainted with other Russian and Altai traditions!
The accommodation during the ecotour has been mainly in tents. The schedule of the tour planed according to good horseback riding skills of the participants.
Schedule of the ecotour
1st day - 7th of August
Arrival at Tolmachevo airport in Novosibirsk
Travel (40 km) to town Novy Posyelok.
Breakfast and Relaxation.
Opening speech.
Lunch.
Travel (190km) to city Barnaul - capital of the Altai region - (via villages Srednesibirski, Kazachi, town Novoaltaisk).
Specific ribbon Scotch pine forest on sandy terraces appeared in middles Pleistocene (on the way to Barnaul).
Travel (30 km) to Barnaul Agricultural Scientifc Centre.
Set up camp.
Flood plain of the river Ob (30-40 km) wide, which is comparable with Amazon) viewed from the top of a steep loess cliff approx. 40 m high.
Southern part of forest steppe zone: natural combination of primary birch forest islands and steppe ecosystems.
Dinner and Overnight stay near BAS Centre on the Ob riverside.
2nd day - 8th of August
Breakfast.
Travel (30 km) to city Barnaul.
Visit of the towm.
Travel (90 km) to village Troiskoye (via village Nalobikha).
Lunch.
Travel (240 km) to village Kamlak (via village Bulanikha, city Biysk, villages Srostki, Surtaila, Maima).
Set up camp.
Russian Bath (Bannya).
Dinner and Overnight stay near village Kamlak on the Sema riverside.
3rd day - 9th of August
Breakfast.
Travel (40km) to town Shebalino.
Visit of the Ethnographic museum of the Altai’s culture with test of typical Altai’s food.
Travel (40km) to the Seminsky Pass.
Travel (90km) to the Chike-Taman Pass (via town Ongudai).
Lunch
Travel (30km) to the mouth of the Bolshoi Yaloman river (via village Kupchegen).
Travel (20km) to the Katun - Chuya River junction.
Petrogliphs.
Travel (25km) to Beliy bom
Travel [40 km] to beginning point of the horse tour
4th (10th of August) – 16th day (22nd of August) Horse riding part of the tour
1st day
Travel to station Sargaljuke near village Ak Bom
This travel will take the whole day, but from the bus window You can see small hills becoming high mountains. The legendary Chuysky road takes its beginning from Biysk city. You will see Babyrgan mountain, the Katun river, drink saint water from the Arzhan Suu flood. You will meet 2 mountain passes – Seminsky (the highest point of the Chuysky road-1894) and Chike-Taman.
Lunch on the way to the station
Here is our station. A green mountain valley, sound of the Chuya river, light of stars and a night fire.
Set up camp
Dinner
Overnight stay in the Sargaljuke station.
2nd day
Breakfast
Preparing to the riding, meeting guides and horses
Lunch
The beginning of the riding tour, Riding to the Karakel lake.
The tour begins from the first mountain pass (2000) from which you can see a nice view of mountain landscape, even Belukha (4506), the highest peak of the Altay mountains
Set up camp
Dinner
Overnight stay near the Karakel lake
3rd day
Breakfast
Riding to the Teldys-kel plateau
Mountain tundra belt, goltzovi pattern of relief, which is typical for ancient continental mountains did not subjected to cover glaciation
The way is long but very beautiful. The plateau is called Teldys-kel (star lake)because of a great number of small lakes which look like stars.
Lunch
Riding to the valley of the Shaboga river.
Dinner
Overnight stay on the station on the river bank.
4th day
Breakfast
Riding to the valley of the Shavla river
The confluence of two rivers – Shaboga and Shavla, white glaciers of ravine Aktru falling down in green valley of the Shavla
Lunch
Free time - You can have a walk, pick blueberries or lie in the sun
Set up camp
Dinner
Overnight stay on the Altay station
5th day
Breakfast
The 1st day-off. You leave horses in the camp and have an excursion(walking tour - 1 hour) to the Lower Lake Shavla which local people call «the king of beauty». If you are full of strength and optimism you will have one more excursion(2 hours) to the Upper Shavla Lake. From it you will see a more beautiful view on white glaciers, dark blue lakes and green nature.
Lunch on the bank of the Upper Lake.
Come back to the camp
Dinner
Overnight stay in the camp.
6th day
Breakfast
Riding to the confluence of the Shaboga and the Shavla
Lunch
Riding to the confluence of the Karakel and the Shavla
This part of the Shavla valley is considered to be the most unexplored and mysterious .But you will have a possibility to watch a taiga landscape from the top of the mountain. A surprise is in store for you – a hunters` house with a banya.
Set up camp
Dinner
Overnight stay in the hunters` house
7th day
Breakfast
The 2nd day-off. You may rest, walk, swim, lie in the sun or do what you want. For those who is fond of taking pictures there is good material for it. There is also a good opportunity for those who is fond of fishing.
Lunch
There is a good possibility of taking banya – and you will see what a real Russian banya is.
Dinner
Overnight stay in the hunters` house.
8th day
Breakfast
Riding father along the Shavla river
During the tour you will see how different one and the same landscape can be
Lunch (during the tour)
Set up camp
Dinner
Overnight stay on the Altay station.
9th day
Breakfast
Riding to the Kok-Kechke pass (2422)
From the pass you will see fields, Altay ranchos, mountain chains, Belukha, the valley of the Argut river, confluence of the Argut and the Shavla
Lunch on the pass
Riding to the Achik valley
Set up camp
Dinner
Overnight stay in Achik
10th day
Breakfast
Riding to the Sargaljuke station
So, making a large circle you return to your 1st station.
Lunch
Set up camp
Banya (Russian baths)
Dinner
Overnight stay on the Sargaljuke station
11th day
Breakfast
The 3rd day-off and the last riding day. If you wish you can make a gallop about the field and have a hot banya once more. On the station you can buy sheep’s milk and a lamb, and local people will make a shashlyk and cook a shurpa (an Altay national dish)for you. During the whole day you can do what you want.
Lunch
In the evening You will listen to the concert of national songs and kay (throat singing) which is typical for nations of these land
Overnight stay on the Sargaljuke station.
12th, 13th – fee days
During theses days you will have the possibility to take the horses for trips on your own in the most beautiful places of the trip
17th day - 23rd of August
Breakfast
Riding to camp - finishing of the horseback ridding part tour
Meeting with the car
Lanch
Travel [40 km] to Beliy bom
Travel [110 km] to Karakol
Altai traditional dinner and throat singing concert
Lessons with the throat singers
Set up camp
Altai diner
18th day - 24th of August
Breakfast
Travel [40 km] to the Seminsky Pass.
Travel [80 km] to village Kamlak (via village Shebalino).
Lunch
Set up camp.
Relaxetion
Russian Bath (bannyia)
Dinner
Overnight stay near village Kamlak on the Sema riverside
19th day - 25th of August
Breakfast.
Travel [210 km] to village Artybash (via village Ust-Sema, Maima, city Gorno-Altaisk, village Choja).
Stop in the Gorno-Altaisk open-air market
Lunch on the way to village Artybash.
Set up camp, Dinenr and Overnight stay near the village Artybash on the shore of the lake Teletskoie.
20th day - 26th of August
Breakfast.
Excursion along the lake Teletkoie by boat, including 2 waterfalls.
Lunch during the excursion by boat.
Dinner and Overnight stay near the village Artybash on the shore of the lake Teletskoie.
21st day - 27th of August
Breakfast
Excursion along the “3rd river’, picturesque small river with numerous waterfalls.
Lunch.
Travel (130km) to village Kyzyl-Ozeok (very close to city Gorno-Altaisk, via village Choja).
Set up camp.
Getting around city Gorno-Altaisk (capital of the Autonomus Altai Republic), air-market...
Dinner and Overnight stay near village Kysyl-Ozeok on the Maima riverside
22nd day - 28th of August
Breakfast.
Travel (310 km) to village Talmenka (via city Biisk, town Novoaltaisk).
Lunch on the way to village Talmenka.
Set up camp, Dinner and Overnight stay near village Talmenka on the Chumish riverside.
23rd day - 29th of August
Breakfast.
Travel (130 km) to town Novi Posyelok (via village Bezmenovo, town Iskitim).
Lunch.
Travel (10 km) to town Academgorodok.
Visit of the Ethnographic museum about archeology and history of Siberian people.
Travel (10km) to town Novi Posyelok.
Dinner and Overnight Stay in the town Novi Posyelok not far from the beach of the river Ob artificial lake.
24th day - 30th of August
Breakfast.
Travel (40 km) to city Novosibirsk (capital of Siberia).
Visit of the Art Gallery.
Tour of city Novosibirsk and shopping of souvenirs.
Travel (40km) to town Novi Posyelok.
Farewell party.
Overnight stay in town Novi Posyelok not far from the beach of the river Ob artificial lake.
25th day - 31st of August
Travel (40 km) to the airport Tolmachevo (Novosibirsk).
Departure
Reference letter from the participants of the Altai Horseback Riding ecotour
Here is "the goodbye song" instead of the reference letters. That is because of the specific profession of the participants. For our opinion such references are even better ;-)
On the 7th of August arrived the TРОЙКА
Stephie, Raphaela and Kristina
once they got aquainted to AНTOH, VАЛЯ + his КPYTO MAШИНА
they knew it would be a wonderful time
+ not just because of Corona Lime.
So off they went
+ camped at the OБ river
where the beauty of the sunset
made them shiver.
They did some shopping in БАРНАҮЛ
where AНTOH's KBAC kept everyone cool.
When they dropped us off at БЕЛИ БОМ
we first felt sad + a bit alone.
But after 2 ЗАЕБИC weeks
with ЮЛЕ in the beautiful taiga
we were happy when VАЛЯ on TИP
replaced our horseman AИДA.
We went to the sacred valley
returned to civilisation
ate ШAШЛИК, saw plastic bag women
+ felt a litle bit smelly.
the next day began with "Good Bye" to ЮЛЕ
our beloved guide
+ after that VАЛЯ's talents for translation
were impossible to hide.
ПOPYCCKИЙ HAЛEBO
ПOAHГЛCKИЙ HAПPABO
Rammstein ПPИЯMO
+ gadget Ti Amo.
ГOPHO AЛTAИCK was not only good for shopping
the museum was nice
+ after hopping
the main city road
about five times without one moan
the theatre and ЛEHИH
felt like home.
Picking up the tired TOHИ
was the goal of the day
off road we went
+ ended in ШAMИЛ's hai.
On a beautiful lake,
we are scientists at work
dinner with mushrooms
the director a jerk
the bear was a KOHЫЙ
we went away sad
when the next idea came up in our head:
PЫБAЦKИ ПЛAЩ !!!
that was the call
KOHEЧHO AНTOH knew exactly the mall
where we could fullfill the desire of our dreams
in the evening we camped at one of the many streams.
"Guten Morgen, Du Schune" at the campfire site,
brought AНTOH's romance to an unknown height.
VАЛЯ's ДАЧA was a great idea
we feel very touched
as you can hear.
We met you as guides
+ leave you as friends
to show our love
we leave you..... the cans!
(With lots of love from the "TРОЙКА" of August 2007)
Kristina Fuchs k.fuchs@planet.nl
Stephie Buttrich phiest@planet.nl
Raphaela Danksagmueller danksagmuller@hotmail.com
More references about our ecotours
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