Exploring the Golden Mountains of Altai. Trekking, rafting, 4WD, sightseeing.

Cost: for an offer!

Included: meeting and transfers in Barnaul, 1 night hotel accomodation (DBL), transportation to the Tungur (start point) and return, all permits, tent accommodation at base camp in Tungur for Days 1,2,5,9; FB (except meals in Barnaul and on the way Barnaul - Tiungur - Barnaul); rafting and camping equipment listed above.

Not included: Travel to and from Barnaul, visa fees, alcoholic beverages and other luxuries, personal items.
Options. Visa support. The arrival and departure point can be changed to Novosibirsk, Omsk, Biysk or Gorno-Altaisk. Additional excursions: Ust-Kan cave with paleolithic sit (600,000 BCE), Pazyrik burial mounds (Scythian culture, VII-II c. BCE), Kalbak Tash and Elangash Rock Arts sites (from Stone Ages to Turkish times). Helicopter flights from/to Gorno-Altaisk, Barnaul, Novosibirsk.

Itinerary (Variant 2 excursion tour 9 days):

Day 1	Meeting in Barnaul at 7 a.m. Transfer to Denisova cave – a unique archeological monument in the Northern Asia, the place where ancient human lived from the Paleolithic epoch (300 thousand years B.C.) to the Middle Ages. Excursion to the cave takes 1-1,5 hours. It’s necessary to have water and wind proofs in case of rain. Transfer to Tungur BC, village Tungur. 310 km, 5...6 hrs. Lunch not far from Ust-Kan in Oybok. Excursion to the cave with paleolithic seat (optional). Accommodation at the BC in the Tourist Shelter in rooms for 3-4 persons each. Dinner at a cafe. Rest.
Day 2	Excursion to Mt. Kyzyl slopes, to a panoramic observation point on the Katandinsky Pass: great panorama of Mt. Belukha! Excursion includes the lecture about history, culture, domestic life and traditions of the tribes settled in the Uimon valley, villages of Tiungur, Kucherla, Katanda: Altai people and Old Believers. The evening of legends and myths. 4...5 km, 3...4 hrs.
Day 3	4WD and foot excursion to the petrogliphs (stone arts) in the valley of the Kucherla river. By car pass through the village of Kucherla (the last populated area on the way to Mount Belukha, population is about 100 people, all the inhabitants are Altai people) via the valley of milky-green Kucherla river to the tract Elan (broad hay fields with berries). 12 km. Further hike 7...8 km to the Shaman rock with the petrogliphs. Lunch at the bank of the Kucherla. The valley of the Kucherla is very picturesque – it’s very vast and is surrounded by the slopes covered with primeval forests with some snow flowers. The return way is the same – on foot to Elan and then by car to Tungur BC.
Day 4	Excursion to the museum of the village Upper Uimon which is an ancient village of Old Believers (it’s older then 300 years), it’s situated in the valley of the river Uimon, at the river Katun at the distance of 60 km from Tungur. There are several museums in the village: the department of Gorno-Altaisky Regional museum, the museum of Old Believers arranged by a local school teacher from the family of Old Believers, the museum of Nikolay Roerikh which is situated in the house of the Old Believer Atamanov. The Asian expedition of Roerikh stayed in this house. Start is at 10 a.m. from the Tungur BC. It’s necessary to take wind and water proofs. The duration of visiting of every museum depends of the group’s wish. The guide organizes lunch between visiting of the museums. 120 km by car, 3..4 hours – whole excursion.
Day 5	Rafting to staging horse post by the river Antara. Loading horse. Pass by horses along the river Katun till the village of Inegen. Car transfer gathers tourists - duration 22 km. Transfer to the village of Inya, confluence of rivers Chuya and Katun, 12 km, 1 hour. Horseback riding tour goes through the most ancienst road of the Terektinskii Range above the Ak-Kem tube (the biggest rapids of the Katun river). Accommodation at the hostel in the village of Inya. There are quadruple rooms in the hostel. Outdoors facilities. Supper. Sauna is on request.
Day 6	Confluence of the Katun with its main tributary stream Chuya is considered to be an energy place. You can observe fascinating views and visit petroglyphs of Kalbak-Tash, including famous Giant Monster and The Aliens. Kalbak-Tash is petroglyphs of ancient carvings of Turk tribes. Lunch a the bank of confluence of the Katun and Chuya. Transfer to Chuyskii trackt (highway), which is the main way which connects Altai and Mongolia and China. You go through the Chiketaman Pass and enter to national nature park “Uch-Enmek”, distance is 110 km. Chuiskii trakt is a genius engineering project and it’s very wonderful and picturesque. You make stops to see and take some photos of old way and amazing views. Uch-Enmek Park. Accommodation in the ail, outdoor facilities. Lunch boxes during the way. Supper in the cafe. Folk program, throat singing, sauna are on request.
Day 7	Excursion in Uch-Enmek along the valley of the river Karakol, which is full of ancient relics – balbals (stone images), burial mounds, petrogliphs. Transfer Uch-Enmek – Tchemal village. Guest house. Accommodation in rooms with the facilities outside. Free time, walking in the surroundings, beach at the bank of the Katun. 300 km, 4...5 hrs.
Day 8	After breakfast – excursion to Tchemalskaya hidroelectro station (GES) and the chapel at the Patmos island which is in the center of the river. It is a very picturesque place with rich history. 5 km car, 2...3 km walking. Transportation Tchemal - Gorno-Altaisk, 100 km, 1...2 hrs. Visit to ethnographical museum and Handicraft centre in Gorno-Altaisk (with Princess Ukok hall). Transfer Gorno-Altaisk – Barnaul, hotel accommodation. 270 km, 3...4 hrs.
Day 9	Transfer to airport or railway station. Departure from Barnaul.

Trip conditions: The route is not difficult and doesn’t require any special skills. Kids of 10-18 y.o. a allowed only with a parents. Hiking and trekking experience is an advantage. The day temperature is +10...+30, temperature at night 0... +10, sometimes downn to -5. The route for rafting isn’t difficult, I grade. The guide has the right to change the program due to bad weather and the other unfavourable circumstances.

Meals: We provide the participants with 3 meals a day. In the base camps meals are served in a cafe. On the trek the food is cooked on the open fire by a guide or cook. We also provide vegetarian meals upon inquire.

Equipment: We provide the group with group canopy, foam mats, lunch boxes, rafting gear (incl. life vests, helmets, waterproof bags), horses and horseman, first-aid kit. You should have the following gear in private use: 3 seasons jacket, shorts, t-shirt for hot weather, warm clothes (in the night it gets cold), trekking boots, waterproofs, backpack of 60-100 liters, sun glasses, UVF cream, personal tin ware, usual sneakers and wooly socks will also do. For rafting: wooly tracksuit, footwear - special, neoprene slip-peers are ideal. One should have two complete sets of clothes, at the minimum. One - for rafting, which is prone to get wet, the other - for the camp (there can be a shirt, jeans, a sweater, etc.) .

Any possible tailor-made trips are available! Just us of fill in the request form!

Services in Tungur base (available separately):

• meals served in national Altai dwelling- ail. Exclusive offer - cooking of the set of Altai national meals from the ram on demand!
• Russian bania including cedar barrel option;
• gear rental;
• horse riding trips;
• stay upgrade to permanent camp, hut or hotel