TRAVEL: Wild and mysterious, enticing and frightening - "Ulagan"! Part 1

ianboil (62)in #travel • 7 years ago (edited)

Hello Steemit!

That's the time for great adventures, so today I decided to tell you about my return to Ulagan, after 13 years! In the course of the story, there will be a lot of photos from the phone and through the car's glass ... Driver we had a nervous and on demand never stopped :)

Ulagan district in front of the village of "Aktash"

Foreword

The Ulagan district is located in the Altai Republic and is the most remote and difficult to access. Famous for such attractions as: "Pazyryk" Mounds, Princess of the Ukok, Valley of Lakes, "Dead Lake" (Cheybek-Köl), Ulagan Pass, Valley of "Chulyshman" River and of course - "Katu-Yaryk" Pass. Nearby are the: glacier "Aktru", cascading waterfall "Uchar" (160m), stone mushrooms and Lake "Teletskoye".

Route

Barnaul → Biysk → Srostki → Maima → Manzherok → Ust-Sema → Chemal → Ust-Sema → Shebalino → Seminsky pass → Ongudai → Aktash → Ulagan → Katu-Yaryk

In childhood, I only once happened to visit Ulagan. It was in August 2003, right before the strongest September earthquake according to the legends associated with the Princess of the Ukok. It was in August 2003, right before the strongest September earthquake according to the legends associated with the Princess of Ukok. Impressions from those times there were many, both positive and not so, but now everything has changed dramatically.

Ulagan district, Lake "Gemini". I, in 2003

First we decided to go to Chemal and have a rest before a long journey. There we walked around the area, observed how people repair buildings destroyed by flooding, and then went to the hydroelectric station. Nothing much happened until we decided to go back by taxi.

Chemal district, village "Chemal", hydroelectric power station

Chemal district, the construction of a new bridge at the confluence of the rivers "Cuba" and "Chemal"

In the morning we returned to the village of Ust-Sema, and drove along the large bridge across the "Katun" River. The path passed through "Cherga", "Shebalino", "Seminsky" pass and "Chike-Taman" pass.

Chemal district, village of "Ust-Sema", Chuysky tract, bridge over the "Katun" river

The first and short stop was in front of the village of "Shebalino", near the roadside cafe. But I'll tell you about it on the way back))

Shebalino district, the bridge over the river "Sema"

The second stop was on "White Bom" in "Ongudai" district. This area is known all over the country thanks to Putin's farm :) At the bridge, near which the closed road to the farm begins, there are always many onlookers who have nothing to do. The "White Bom" is also a tourist attraction - it is a large white steep rock, where the "Chuysky" tract is tightly pressed against it and to the "Chuya" River. Near the rock there is an obelisk of memory to the deceased "Red Guards", and nearby the monument to "Kolka Snegirev", the hero of the song, and is dedicated to all the drivers who died on the tract.

Ongudai district, "White Bom" the rock

Ongudai district, obelisk to the memory of the deceased "Red Guards"

Ongudai district, a monument to "Kolka Snegirev"***

On the way there were many incredible species of one of the most stunning tracts - "Chuysky". And I, as a photographer, every 10 minutes had a desire to go out and take pictures of everything around, but knowing that this is not always possible, I tried to take photos on the phone through the car's glass.

Ongudai district, "Chuysky" tract

Arriving in Ulagan district, near the village of "Aktash", we began to look for places to stay overnight. First we visited the base "Nomad", but because of a large number of people decided to look for a quieter place. But in itself the base is not bad, it stands on the river, is surrounded by indescribable beauties, has well-groomed territory and places for rest, entertainment and sports.

Ulagan District

In the village of "Aktash" there were several more bases and a good hotel "Rasul". But we decided to go further for the village of "Ulagan". The road to the village is very bad, and after, and at all awful. The entrance is guarded by two large rocks called the "Red Gate".

Ulagan district, the "Red Gate"

But here the places are truly wild and untouched (well, almost). Highlands, everywhere there are lakes, meadows, somewhere even snow globes of glaciers are visible, the view is truly breathtaking!

Ulagan district

On the way there were already bases, though with free places they have difficulties in the midst of the season. But near one of the lakes we still managed to find a couple of not occupied rooms on the basis of "Uzun-Köl". Rooms, of course, "quiet horror", it is easier to sleep in tents. By the way, in these places there is absolutely no cellular communication, and in some places electricity is provided at all according to the schedule and only for a couple of hours. By the way, almost all the bases in this area belong to the Altaians, unlike, for example, Chemal, where the majority of bases are owned by residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk.

Ulagan district, near the entrance to one of the bases

Ulagan district, Ivan-tea and a mountain lake

Ulagan district, the lake at the base "Uzun-Köl"

After we settled on the base, Andrew went to chop wood for the stove, while I was wandering around the territory and taking photos. There are a lot of fishermen in these places, there is even a "Trout" base near us)) I tried to find a quiet place on the stones by the lake for contemplation of the sunset, but the number of anglers constantly passing by did not give me any peace. So I went to do the second popular activity - to look for mushrooms in the bushes :)

Ulugan district, tourist center "Uzun-köl"