The Chulyshman Valley has long been known among tourists in Altai. It was formed as a result of the convergence of a huge glacier. There are many interesting and picturesque places in the valley. The site on the map where it is located is the Ulagansky district of the Altai Republic. It is one of the hard-to-reach places in the republic.
Chulyshman River
The Chulyshman Valley got its name from the water stream of the same name. From Lake Dzhulukol to Lake Teletskoye (Altyn-Kol) a swift and meandering river carries its waters. Her name is Chulyshman. According to one version, the river got its name from “chulushken” - “earthworm” because of the many bends.
Its length reaches 240 km, it is one of the most important tributaries of Lake Teletskoye (up to 70% of the tributary, the water collection area is almost 17 thousand square kilometers).
Beautiful and powerful river attracts the attention of extreme water tourists. Rafting on it is quite difficult, there are many rapids. For example, the famous Yazulinsky threshold lasts for 15 kilometers.
OhChulyshman Valley
The Chulyshman Valley itself also impresses with its magnificent views. Sheer impregnable walls either converge almost closely, up to several hundred meters, then again move apart for several kilometers.
Above p. Almost no one lives in Yazul, only occasionally come across hunting lodges and winter huts. But the most popular part of the valley, which is located north of the Katu-Yaryk pass.
Katu-Yaryk
The Chulyshman Valley begins for visitors from the pass. How to get there is a difficult question. This pass is one of two possible routes to the valley, and in winter, perhaps, the only one (with the possible exception of traveling by helicopter). It got its name from the Altai "katu tyaryk" - "difficult road". Indeed, until the middle of the twentieth century, when the Ulagan-Koo-Balykcha road was built, it was possible to enter the valley only by the lake or on horseback, through a difficult and dangerous pass.
Despite the fact that today Katu-Yaryk is a normal gravel road, it continues to be considered a rather difficult and dangerous section, which only experienced drivers with strong nerves who are not afraid of heights dare to cross. But for such drivers, as well as their passengers, a rather exciting journey with breathtaking views awaits.
There is one more subtlety in a car trip to the valley - since the pass is quite steep, only powerful cars can climb back. The rest can either be melted down by ferry (and the cost of such a crossing reaches 7 thousand rubles), or, for a fee, use the services of local motorists.
Uchar Waterfall
The valley is replete with waterfalls that cascade into beautiful foamy streams on both sides of the river. There are especially many of them in the spring, when temporary waterfalls are added to the permanent ones. But the most impressive is the famous Uchar.
The name "Uchar" can be translated as "powerful" or "roaring". And indeed, already a hundred meters from its foot, in order to hear each other, you have to shout. Throwing down several ledges from a great height - 160 meters - it amazes with its beauty and grandeur.
This is the most beautiful water stream that the Chulyshman valley has. Uchar waterfall enchants many with its power.
But getting to him is not easy. To do this, having bought tickets at the ticket office of the reserve for a small amount of 100 rubles, you will need to travel a distance of 3-5 hours. The route is quite difficult, and it is better to use the services of a guide. But an experienced tourist in good he alth can easily overcome the route alone. Travelers who decide to take such a walk will get a lot of impressions along the way and will be rewarded with opened views and swimming on a convenient beach near the waterfall.
Stone mushrooms
The second most popular tourist pilgrimage site in the valley is the Stone Mushrooms, striking with their unique, nowhere else found view. This is a geological formation thatAccording to the calculations of geologists, it will stand no more than half a century, it is a real forest of stone mushrooms. Massive boulders lie on a rather thin base, holding by some miracle. Moreover, the "mushrooms" themselves vary from very small, no more than a meter high, to huge, ten meters high.
The road to Mushrooms is quite simple, but in some places it goes uphill steeply, it takes about an hour. As in the case of Uchar, you will first have to cross the river using the services of Altai boatmen. Having overcome the path, you will be able to admire the wonderful panorama of the valley, as well as take a series of impressive pictures next to the stone giants.
South of Lake Teletskoye
In the north, the valley rests on the southern shore of Lake Teletskoye, which Gorny Altai is proud of. The Chulyshman valley, as it were, passes into this Altai "sea". Another name for it is Altyn-Kol. In the southern part of it there are very picturesque places, this is a real pearl of the valley. Two majestic mountains - Altyn-Tu and Tualok - give it a unique charm, throwing their reflections into the cold water surface of the Golden Lake.
Here is a magnificent huge sandy beach and, perhaps most importantly, there are quite a few vacationers. Due to the inaccessibility of the southern coast, the bulk of vacationers concentrate on the northern coast of the Teletskoye, giving space to those who like to be in silence and truly relax in communion with nature. At the same time, there are three camp sites on this shore of the lake, with housesand campsites, where you can take advantage of the necessary minimum of civilizational benefits.
The Chulyshman Valley is one of the most picturesque places in the Altai Mountains. The mountains surrounding the valley are striking in their height. Although it is difficult to access, many tourists continue to strive for the Ulagansky district of the Altai Republic.
