This is not a desktop screensaver or a Swiss chocolate wrapper. This is not a photo wallpaper with views of the Alps. The pictures show us quite domestic beauty. The harsh magnificence of the mountains seems to contrast with the whiteness of the glaciers and the gentle turquoise of the water. It is necessary to get to all this, however, also on domestic roads. In some places asph alt, somewhere gravel, and in some places just a “direction”. But the reward for the hardships suffered will be marvelous landscapes, wonderful pictures and a sea of positive mood. And how pleasant it is to go down from the mountain paths and take a steam bath in a real Russian bathhouse. Here you will read a generalized report on excursions and multi-day hiking trips to the Multinsky lakes. Traveler reviews will give you an idea of how relaxing in this charming corner of the Altai Territory.
What is this
We will not dwell on the history of these reservoirs for a long time. Suffice it to say that during the last global cooling, the giant tongue of the glacier slid down from the mountains, pushing and rolling huge boulders along the way, and crushed the bed of the future Multa River with its weight. When it got warmer, cascadingMultinsky lakes. They are separated by moraines - natural dams made of stones. Since the lakes cascade, waterfalls form between them. The most famous of these rolls is Noises. The name of the waterfall speaks for itself. Moraine lakes are deeper and larger than karst lakes. Mountain peaks are reflected in the clear water surface. Hiking will allow you to see all the lakes without exception: Lower, Middle, Upper, Cross, Kuyguk and the Strong group. Part of the path runs through the territory of the reserve. Evening gatherings by the fire, spending the night in a tent on the banks of the river, cedar forests and alpine meadows - all this is given by Multinsky Lakes (Altai).
How to get there
Tourists usually start their journey from Barnaul, but you can choose the starting point and the city of Biysk. Regular buses run from the bus stations of these settlements to the village of Maralnik (Ust-Koksinsky district of the Altai Republic). The name of the village is beautiful - after the name of the flower. And already fifteen kilometers from the village of Maralnik there are Multinsky lakes. How to get there with your own vehicle? You need to go along the Chuisky tract in the direction of Tuekta and, before reaching it, turn towards Ust-Kan. Arriving in the town, you need to find the way to Ust-Koksa. Having passed the gamekeeper's post of the reserve in the village of Talda and having overcome the Gromotukha pass, after fifteen kilometers you will reach Maralnik. In the village there are tolerable hotels, good guest houses, campsites. The car, if it is not an all-wheel drive SUV, is best left in the parking lot in the village.
Tours
You can visit the lakes not only on foot, as part of a multi-day hike. In the villages of Maralnik and Zamulta, many enterprising residents make money by organizing interesting excursions. Tour "Multinsky lakes, Altai" takes place on GAZ and UAZ. In one day you can see three main reservoirs, visit Mount Krasnaya, see the rock paintings of primitive people in the Kuilu grotto. During the high water period, you can take a canoe tour around the entire cascade of the Multinskie lakes. Or ride along the northern slope of the Katunsky ridge, peacefully rocking in the saddle. Local villages are inhabited by Old Believers, and in the town of Belukha there is a museum of the life of people professing this religion.
Where to stay
As already mentioned, in the village of Maralnik you can find housing. But it is best to live directly by the lakes. The cordon of the reserve is located on the Middle. Nearby there are several guest houses that are rented out to vacationers in the winter. We can recommend "Eternal Wanderer". Its owner is a professional guide himself, he loves his land very much. There is a camping "Multinsky Lakes", where you can rent houses, or you can put up your own tent. On the territory there is a kitchen, a bath. There you can book horse and car tours. This campsite is located in the Old Believer village of Zamulta, thirty kilometers from Ust-Koksa, the regional center. Along the banks of the lakes and the river Multa there are many convenient parking lots with places for tents and fires.
On the hike
Most of those who want to go to the famous Altai reservoirs live in tents at the very entrance to the Katunsky Biosphere Reserve. Thus, the Lower Lake, lying at an altitude of 1700 m above sea level, is located two hundred meters from the parking lot. You can swim in it in summer. Although this reservoir is deep (up to 22 m), the upper layer of water warms up in July-August to + 14 … + 15 degrees. Bathing, to put it mildly, invigorates, but the mountain sun warms. Srednee and Nizhnee Multinskie lakes are connected by the Shumy waterfall. A powerful stream, falling from a height, declares its presence to the entire district. Having passed the Middle Lake, the tourists move up the path among the forests and alpine meadows. To enter the territory of the reserve, you must fill out a questionnaire. And now the most beautiful Upper Lake appears before your eyes. It lies at an altitude of 1860 meters. Oval shape, turquoise, surrounded by glaciers and snowy peaks. Therefore, the water in it is very cold. Even in July its temperature is only +8. Eleven streams overthrow their waters into the bowl of the lake. The height of the largest rift is 60 meters.
Other lakes
The river Multa takes its source in the Upper. But there are still numerous tributaries. They also feed from high mountain lakes. Transverse is located on the territory of the reserve. It gives rise to the river of the same name and lies at an altitude of 1885 m. Until the end of June, ice binds a small Upper Cross Lake. After all, it is located at an altitude of more than 2000 meters. Multinsky lakes also include four turquoise reservoirs, united under one name - "Strong". All of themlocated in the mountain cirque. The Strong River flows out of them. And if you overcome the Norilchan pass (2650 m), you can see Lake Taimenye.
