ALTAI (from the Turkic-Mongolian “altan” - golden), a mountain system in Asia, southern Siberia and Central Asia, on the territory of Russia (Altai Republic, Tyva Republic, Altai Territory), Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China. It extends in latitude from 81 to 106° east longitude, in longitude - from 42 to 52° north latitude. It extends from northwest to southeast for more than 2000 km. It consists of high-mountain (the highest point is Mount Belukha, 4506 m) and mid-mountain ridges and intermountain basins separating them. In the north and northwest it borders with the West Siberian Plain, in the northeast - with the Western Sayan and the mountains of Southern Tuva, in the east - with the Valley of the Great Lakes, in the southeast - with the Gobi Desert, in the south - with the Dzungarian Plain, in the west The valley of the Irtysh River is separated from the Kazakh small hills. Altai is the watershed between the Arctic Ocean basin and the drainless region of Central Asia. Orographically, the Gobi Altai, Mongolian Altai and Altai proper, or Russian Altai, are distinguished. The latter is often identified with the concept of “Altai” and is part of the sublatitudinal mountainous country of Southern Siberia, forming the western end with a latitude length of over 400 km, from north to south - about 300 km (see map).
Relief. The relief of Russian Altai was formed as a result of long-term exposure exogenous processes on a growing rise and is characterized by a wide variety of forms. Most of the ridges with a northwestern or sublatitudinal strike form a fan diverging into westward. The exception is the ridges of the northern submeridional orientation and the southern periphery. There are a number of vast plateaus (Ukok, etc.), highlands (Chulyshman, etc.) and mountain ranges (Mongun-Taiga, etc.), as well as large intermountain basins occupied by steppes (Chuyskaya, Kuraiskaya, Uimonskaya, Abayskaya, Kanskaya, etc. .). High mountain ranges and massifs are located mainly in the east and southeast. The following ridges rise above 4000 m: Katunsky (height up to 4506 m), Sailyugem (up to 3499 m), Severo-Chuysky (up to 4177 m). The following ridges are significant in height: South Chuisky (height up to 3936 m), Southern Altai (up to 3483 m), Chikhacheva (up to 4029 m), Tsagan-Shibetu (up to 3496 m) and Shapshalsky (up to 3608 m). The isolated Mongun-Taiga massif (3970 m) is distinguished by its high mountainous terrain. The highlands are characterized by peaked ridges, steep (20-50° or more) slopes and wide valley bottoms filled with moraine or occupied by glaciers. Landslide-talus slopes, formed by intense gravitational processes, are widely developed. Glacial landforms are widespread: cirques, glacial cirques, troughs, carlings, moraine ridges and ridges. Mid-mountain and low-mountain ranges are located mainly in the west and north of Altai. Among them, the most significant are: Terektinsky (height up to 2926 m), Aigulaksky (up to 2752 m), Iolgo (up to 2618 m), Listvyaga (up to 2577 m), Narymsky (up to 2533 m) and Baschelaksky (up to 2423 m) ridges. In the middle mountains, alpine relief features are found fragmentarily. Wide, massive interfluves with flattened and plateau-like peaks predominate, where cryogenic processes are developed, leading to the formation of kurums and altiplanation. There are karst landforms. River valleys are often narrow, steeply sloped gorges and canyons 500-1000 meters deep. The peripheral lowlands of Altai are characterized by a relatively shallow depth of dissection (up to 500 m) and gentle slopes. The valleys are wide, flat-bottomed, with a well-defined complex of terraces. Fragments of ancient leveling surfaces have been preserved on the flat tops. The bottoms of the basins are occupied by sloping plains of proluvial origin and moraine amphitheaters bordering the ends of trough valleys. In the east of Altai, the bottoms of basins are complicated by thermokarst forms.
Geological structure and minerals. Altai is located within the Paleozoic Altai-Sayan folded region of the Ural-Okhotsk mobile belt; is a complex folded system formed by Precambrian and Paleozoic strata, intensively dislocated during the Caledonian era of tectogenesis and the Hercynian era of tectogenesis. In post-Paleozoic times, folded mountain structures were destroyed and turned into a denudation plain (peneplain). By features geological structure and the age of final folding, the Caledonian Mountain Altai in the north-west (occupies about 4/5 of the entire territory) and the Hercynian Rudny Altai in the south-west and south are distinguished. The anticlinoria of the Altai Mountains (Kholzun-Chuisky, Talitsky, etc.) are mainly composed of flyschoid terrigenous series of the Upper Cambrian - Lower Ordovician, overlying Vendian-Lower Cambrian ophiolites, siliceous-schist formations and presumably Precambrian metamorphites, which in some places protrude to the surface. The superimposed depressions and grabens (the largest is the Korgonsky) are filled with molasse of the Middle Ordovician - Lower Silurian and early Devonian. The deposits are intruded by Late Devonian granites. Within the Rudny Altai, which has a Caledonian basement, rocks of the volcanoplutonic association of the Middle Devonian - Early Carboniferous and Late Paleozoic granitoids are widespread. In Oligocene-Quaternary times, Altai experienced an uplift associated with regional compression of the earth's crust caused by the convergence of the lithospheric microplates that bound it (Dzhungar, Tuva-Mongolian). The formation of the mountain structure took place according to the type of large vault, which last stages development was deformed by a system of discontinuities, as a result of which a series of block morphostructures in the form of high ridges and depressions separating them were formed in the central and southern parts. Instrumental observations record vertical movements of the earth's crust, the speed of which reaches several centimeters per year. Uplifts occur unevenly and are accompanied by thrusts, which causes the asymmetry of the ridges.
Altai is one of the most seismically active inland regions of the world. One of the largest seismic disasters (9-10 points) occurred in the high-mountainous Kosh-Agach region on September 27, 2003. Traces of ancient disasters (paleoseismic dislocations) are known.
The main wealth of the subsoil of Altai consists of deposits of precious metals and pyrite lead-zinc-copper-barite ores (Korbalikhinskoye, Zyryanovskoye, etc.), forming the polymetallic belt of Rudny Altai. In the Altai Mountains there are deposits of mercury, gold, iron, tungsten-molybdenum ores. Deposits of ornamental stones and marble have long been known. There are thermal mineral springs: Abakansky Arzhan, Belokurikha, etc. The climate of Altai is continental in the foothills, sharply continental in the inner and eastern parts, which is determined by its position in temperate latitudes and a significant distance from the oceans. Winter is harsh and long (from 5 months in the foothills to 10 months in the highlands), which is facilitated by the influence of the Asian anticyclone. The average January temperature is (in the foothills) from -15 to -20°C; in the northeast it is slightly higher and on the shores of Lake Teletskoye it reaches -9.2°C; in basins where temperature inversions are common, it drops to -31.7°C. The recorded minimum temperature is -60°C (in the Chui steppe). Strong cooling is associated with the widespread development of permafrost, the thickness of which in some places reaches several hundred meters. Summer is relatively short (up to 4 months), but warm. The average July temperature ranges from 22°C (in the foothills) to 6°C in the highlands; in the basins and southern foothills a rise to 35-40°C or more is possible. For mid-mountain and low-mountain areas, values of 14-18°C are typical. The frost-free period at an altitude of up to 1000 meters does not exceed 90 days, above 2000 m it is practically absent. Precipitation is associated mainly with western moisture-carrying flows and is distributed extremely unevenly over the territory and over the seasons. There is a clearly expressed exposure asymmetry, in which the windward slopes of the ridges, especially the western periphery, receive significantly more precipitation than the internal basins. Thus, in the highlands of the Katunsky and South Chuysky ranges, up to 2000 mm of precipitation or more falls per year, while the Kurai and Chuyskaya steppes are among the driest places in Russia (up to 100 mm of precipitation per year). The lack of moisture in the basins is also explained by the drying effect of mountain-valley winds - hair dryers, especially in winter and autumn. In low and mid-mountain areas, an average of 700-900 mm of precipitation falls per year. Maximum precipitation occurs in summer. The thickness of the snow cover in the northern and western regions and in the highlands reaches 60-90 cm or more, in the basins - less than 10 cm, and in years with little snow, practically no stable cover is formed. More than 1,500 glaciers with a total area of about 910 km 2 are known in the Altai Mountains. They are most widespread in the Katunsky, South and North Chuysky ridges. The largest glaciers include Taldurinsky, Aktru (Akturu) and Maashey (Mashey), whose length is 7-12 km.
Altai. Katun River.
Rivers and lakes. Altai is dissected by a dense network (several tens of thousands) of mountain rivers, according to their feeding regime they belong to the Altai type: they are fed by melted snow waters and summer rains; characterized by long spring floods. Most of the rivers belong to the Ob basin, both of its sources - Katun and Biya - are located in Altai and are its main waterways. The western spurs are drained by the right tributaries of the Irtysh River, among which the Bukhtarma River stands out. The rivers of the northeastern part of Altai (Abakan and others) flow into the valley of the Yenisei River, the southeastern outskirts belong to the drainless region of Central Asia. The total number of lakes in Altai is over 7000, with a total area of over 1000 km 2; the largest are Markakol and Lake Teletskoye. Many small (usually 1-3 km 2 or less) ancient glacial lakes often fill picturesque deep trough valleys. In the north of Altai there are karst lakes.
Types of landscapes. In Altai, the altitudinal zonation of landscapes is well defined. In the lower landscape zone there are steppes, in the north there are mainly meadows, with areas of forest-steppes. In the south, the steppes form a wide belt, rising to a height of 1000 meters or more, and in some places they have desert features, turning into semi-deserts. The most common mountain-steppe animals are gophers, voles, hamsters, and badgers; birds - steppe eagle, coccyx, kestrel. The appearance of the steppes in the intermountain basins is similar. There are gazelle antelope, Mongolian marmot, manul cat, etc. In the steppe low mountains, leached and podzolized chernozems are developed, and in the depressions there are peculiar dry-steppe chestnut and dark chestnut soils. The minor forest-steppe zone is associated with an exposure asymmetry of moisture and lighting, when larch (less often birch, aspen or pine) grows on the northern slopes of the low mountains, and meadow steppes grow on the southern slopes. The forest belt predominates in the Altai Mountains. Mountain taiga forests dominate here: dark coniferous, the so-called black taiga of fir, spruce and Siberian pine (or “cedar”), and light coniferous of larch and Scots pine. Among the inhabitants of mountain forests, taiga animals are typical - bear, lynx, weasel, squirrel, musk deer, deer, etc.; Birds include wood grouse, hazel grouse, nutcracker, woodpeckers, and crossbills. Black taiga on humus-rich deep podzolic or brown soils forest soils widespread in the western foothills and northeast. Fir forests gravitate to the middle part of mountain slopes, cedar taiga - to upper parts. In dark coniferous forests, the herbaceous layer consists of large-grass and tall-grass species; the undergrowth is often absent or consists of ground cover (mosses, lichens), to which are added shrub and subshrub layers. Larch forests occupy significant areas in the basin of the middle reaches of the Katun River, on the Terektinsky and Kuraisky ridges. Pine forests, often of a park type, are distributed mainly along the valleys of the Katun and Chulyshman rivers. In light coniferous forests, the herb and shrub layer is diverse. Gray forest soils above 1700 m turn into forest-tundra and mountain-tundra. The upper limit of the forest in height ranges from 1600 to 2400 m; sparse taiga grows here with well-developed tall grass, shrub and grass-shrub layers. Higher up there are cedar and larch woodlands, alternating with thickets of shrubs (erniks) and subalpine meadows. The dominant shrubs are round-leaved birch, willows, juniper, and Kuril tea. The tall grass meadows contain many valuable species: maral root, Lobel's hellebore, blueberry, bergenia, etc. Alpine meadows, common in the highlands of the western and central regions of Altai, alternate with patches of moss-lichen cover or rocky placers. Formations of large-grass, small-grass, grass-sedge and cobresia meadows are distinguished. The highlands also feature landscapes of subalpine meadows, mountain tundras, rocks, rocky outcrops, glaciers and eternal snow. Most of the highlands are occupied by mountain tundras, which are not distinguished by a large variety of species. There are meadow, moss-lichen, shrub and rocky tundras. Above 3000 meters there is a nival-glacial belt. Among the animals of the high mountain zone, the Altai pika, mountain goat, snow leopard, and reindeer are typical. A special type of intrazonal landscapes of Altai are represented by swamps, widespread almost everywhere on flat interfluves and plateaus.
Specially protected natural areas. 5 sites of Altai (Altai Nature Reserve, protective zone around Lake Teletskoye, Katunsky Nature Reserve, Belukha Natural Park and Ukok Quiet Zone), called the Golden Mountains of Altai, have been included in the World Heritage List since 1998. Natural landscapes and individual natural monuments are also protected in the Markakolsky Nature Reserve. A number of nature reserves have been created. About the economy of Altai, see the articles Altai Territory, Altai (Altai Republic) and Tuva.
History of discovery and research. First Scientific research The nature of Altai dates back to the 1st half of the 18th century, when ore deposits were discovered in the west and the first copper smelters were built. Russian settlers, mostly runaway factory and state peasants, appeared in the north of Altai in the mid-18th century. The first Russian settlements, including Old Believer settlements, began to emerge in the 1750-70s, mainly along the valleys of the middle reaches of rivers. In the 19th century, the upper reaches of the rivers began to be settled, mainly by Kazakh nomads from China and Kazakhstan. In 1826, K. F. Ledebur studied the flora of Altai. In 1828, placer gold deposits were discovered. In the 1st half of the 19th century, geological research was carried out by P. A. Chikhachev (1842), G. E. Shchurovsky (1844) and engineers of the mining department. In the 2nd half of the 19th century, numerous expeditions worked in Altai, including Russian Geographical Societies, Academies of Sciences, which included V.A. Obruchev, V.V. Sapozhnikov, who studied modern glaciation and vegetation cover of Altai for a number of years . Beginning in the 1920s, a systematic study of the nature of Altai was carried out: large-scale topography, and geological surveys, as well as research into various natural resources in connection with the development of mining, hydropower and agriculture.
Lit.: Kuminova A.V. Vegetation cover of Altai. Novosibirsk, 1960; Mikhailov N.I. Mountains of Southern Siberia. M., 1961; Gvozdetsky N.A., Golubchikov Yu.N. Mountains. M., 1987.
Belukha is the highest mountain in Altai. The sacred mountain has many local names: Kadyn-bazhi - “Top of the Katun”, Ak-suru - “White Giant”, Musdutuu - “Ice Mountain”, Aktau - “White Mountain”; judging by the names of Uch-Syumer, Uch-Syuri, Uch-Ayry - “Three hills”, “Three spiers”, “Three branches”, the mountain once had three peaks. Poets, philosophers and religious thinkers call it the “Silver Thread of the World”, “Planetary Throne”, “Shield of Fiery Power”, “Tower of the Mother of the World”, “Fortress of the Diamond Throne Buddha”, “Stronghold of the One God”.
Scientists see, first of all, a granite massif covered with glaciers, composed of rocks of the Cambrian period. To this day, tectonic movement continues - an uplift that began in the Paleogene era, so this mountain is a real museum of all kinds of geomorphological processes and landforms. Two peaks in the shape of irregular pyramids - Eastern Belukha (4506 m) and Western Belukha (4435 m), with a drop to 4000 m (the so-called "Belukha Saddle") between them - crown the Katunsky ridge of Central Altai in the south Western Siberia, where the borders of four countries meet: Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. The mountain is almost vertical in the north (the so-called Akkem wall from the Akkem glacier) and flatter in the south, where the Katun River originates from the Katun glacier (otherwise known as the Gebler glacier).
People have inhabited the intermountain valleys of Altai since the Paleolithic era (the first settlements appeared about 1.5 million years ago. In the 7th-3rd centuries BC, Altai was inhabited by the Pazyryk Scythians, then they were replaced by the Huns and Sarmatians, from the mid-5th century - Turks, the ancestors of modern Altaians, who formed a large medieval state of the Turkic Khaganate (monarchy), which, along with Altai, included the territories of Manchuria, Mongolia, East and West Turkestan, Kazakhstan and North Caucasus. In the XVII-XVIII centuries. Altai is part of the Dzungarian state, liquidated by the Qing dynasty (China) during the Third Oirat-Manchu War (1755-1759). At the same time there was expansion Russian Empire, during which in 1717-1747. Northern, and in 1756 southern Altai became the possessions of the Demidovs.
Studying and conquering this not the highest, but difficult to climb and spiritually significant mountain peace has become a matter of honor for many. But only in the 20th century.
The slopes of Belukha, on average up to a height of 2600 m, are covered with glaciers (currently 169 are known, with a total area of about 150 km 2), which is reflected in the name Belukha, i.e. “White”. Due to the difficulties of climbing the glacial slopes and the sacred tradition of the local population to bypass Belukha for quite a long time, no one dared to climb to the top, as one of the encyclopedic publications of 1891 laments. Its height was approximately calculated in 1835-1836. German doctor of medicine, geographer Friedrich August von Gebler (1781-1850) who worked in Russia. The Russian botanist, geographer and traveler Vasily Vasilyevich Sapozhnikov (1861-1924) reached the “Belukha Saddle” in 1895, who brought greater accuracy to the measurements.
A detailed study of Belukha glaciers was carried out already in Soviet time Tronov brothers - glaciologist (ice researcher) and climatologist Mikhail Vladimirovich (1892-1978) and chemist Boris Vladimirovich (1891-1968). They also have the honor of the first ascent of Belukha in 1914: they managed to conquer its higher eastern peak only the third time (the first unsuccessful attempt to climb was made back in 1907 by a group of Russians, and in 1909, just as unsuccessfully, by a group English climbers).
The snow-white crown of the Altai beauty was captured in their paintings by Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (1874-1947) and the outstanding landscape painter of Altai origin Choros-Gurkin - Grigory Ivanovich Gurkin (1870-1937). In the wake of the revolution in 1917, he, as himself famous representative indigenous nationality, he was persuaded to head the Karakorum-Altai district government, and in 1919 the Kolchakites arrested him “for separatism and treason.” Released on bail, the artist hastened to flee abroad. In 1925 he was persuaded to return to Soviet Russia, where he paints pictures, draws posters and illustrates folk epic until 1937, when he was accused of nationalism; died in the dungeons of the NKVD, rehabilitated in 1956.
At the end of the 20th century. Belukha is turning into a center of extreme sports and tourism. Today, different climbing routes are known, all of them are rock and ice.
Among animals and birds there are rare specimens, for example, the snow leopard and golden eagle listed in the Red Book. The mountain, together with its ecosystem, was first declared a natural monument of the Gorno-Altai Autonomous Okrug, and then a World Heritage Site. natural heritage UNESCO under official name « ».
general information
The highest point in Siberia.Administrative affiliation: border Ust-Koksinsky district, Siberian Federal District, Russian Federation.
Ethnic composition: Altaians (indigenous people) are the majority, Kazakhs - up to 6%, there are small groups of Russian Old Believers who moved here more than 200 years ago.
Religions: Burkhanism (local belief with elements of Buddhism and shamanism), Buddhism (Altaians), Orthodoxy (Russians), Islam (Kazakhs).
Largest river: Katun.
Largest lakes: Kucherlinskoye, Akkemskoye.
Largest glaciers: Sapozhnikov Glacier 10.5 km long, area 13.2 km 2; The Big and Small Berel glaciers are 10 and 8 km long and 12.5 and 8.9 km 2 in area.
Nearest settlements: Ust-Koksa village.
Distance from China and Mongolia: about 100 km.
Numbers
Eastern Belukha: 4506 m.Western Belukha: 4435 m.
Belukha Saddle: 4000 m.
First ascent: 1914, Tronov brothers.
Glaciers of Mount Belukha: number - 169, area - 150 km 2, 50% of all glaciers of the Katunsky Range.
Ice movement speed: from 30 to 50 m per year.
Climate and weather
Sharply continental, with short hot summers and long frosty winters. Varies according to altitudinal zonation.Average annual temperature in the valley: 0…+5°С
Average annual temperature at the summit:-6°C
Minimum summit temperature: in winter up to -45°C, in summer up to -20°C.
Curious facts
■ Complex cosmological ideas connect Belukha with Tibet and India. Local residents are sure that Belukha and Tibet are connected by very real cave passages. According to one version, the Indian mythological sacred mountain Meru (the center of all universes) is the Altai Belukha.■ The number three carries important symbolism for Belukha. It is believed that three religions meet here: Christianity, Buddhism and Islam; Altai, Himalayas and Pamirs are connected through Belukha; the mountain is located at approximately equal distance from three oceans: the Pacific, Arctic and Indian.
The Siberian Alps, Russian Tibet - that’s what this amazing place is called. The Altai Mountains, the photos of which are amazing, are not in vain included in the UNESCO list. And not only tourists admire the pristine beauty of this region; for the indigenous people it is also unique and unique.
height and main ridges
The Altai Mountains are a complex system of ridges located on the territory of several states. Their Russian part is concentrated in This is the highest part of Siberia, which attracts with its harsh beauty and snow caps. Travelers, scientists, tourists, climbers, artists, photographers, and pilgrims come here every year.
Altai are mountains whose heights are different. The highest is the Katunsky ridge: its peaks rise on average 3200-3500 meters above sea level. Outwardly, it resembles the Alps: sharp peaks, steep slopes, powerful glaciers and eternal snow. This is why this part of the system is visited most often. In addition, Belukha is located here - the highest of the mountains (4506 m) - and many picturesque lakes.
Belukha and Altai (mountains): height and legends
This peak is considered not only amazing but also a real shrine of the region. It is interesting that it is located at equal distances from the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, being the geographical center of Eurasia. It is surrounded by glaciers, where the Katun River originates. For many centuries, local residents consider the mountain to be a refuge of evil spirits who punish anyone who disturbs their peace. Buddhists believe that somewhere up there, at the top, is the fabulous Shambhala.
The peak received its name because of its ever-white cover. Although Belukha has been conquered more than once, it remains difficult to access, and the seismic activity here is quite high. And in 1997, a natural park was opened in the vicinity of the mountain.
Chuisky ridge
Altai is not only proud of these peaks. Mountains, the height of which is not much lower, make up the Chuisky ridge. Essentially, these are two chains - southern and northern. The first is located far from well-known tourist centers, difficult to access by transport, and wild. The highest point is Iktu Peak (3941 m). The other is more developed, since there are not only highlands, but also colorful meadows, lakes, rich flora and fauna. Here is the second highest peak of the system - Maashey-Bashi, 4137 meters - this is the height of the mountain. Altai in this part is generally rich in huge peaks, which attracts climbers here.
This is another interesting peak that rises only 1210 meters. This is the very Kolyvanovsky ridge. Climbing it, you can see fantastic landscapes: the Kulunda steppe, the famous pine forest, blue-eyed lakes and other snow-capped mountains. The fir forests on the Sinyukha slope gave it an unusual color, which formed the basis of its name. It is also sacred to the inhabitants of these places, and on the northern slope there is a healing spring.
Altyn-Tu, located next to Lake Teletskoye, is especially revered by local residents. Beautiful views it will give to the river from its peak, which is near Lake Aya. Tourists also do not miss small rocks of bizarre shapes - the Big Monastery (near the village of Ust-Pustynka), the Castle of Mountain Spirits (Akkainsky Pass), Stone Mushrooms (near Lake Teletskoye) and many others.
Altai region is the most wonderful place on earth!
Altai will certainly be of interest to numerous tourists. This is truly a country of unique beauty, known for its majestic mountains, vast valleys and deep rivers. The Altai Mountains are a rather complex system of mountain ranges. For more than a hundred years, the Altai mountains have been attracting artists, scientists, climbers, photographers and simply those who like to relax in nature.
Golden Mountains
In 1998, the Altai Republic was included by UNESCO in the List world heritage. There are three objects in total on this list: the Altai and Katunsky nature reserves, as well as the Ukok plateau. The protected area, which exceeds 16,000 km2, includes Lake Teletskoye and Mount Belukha. Here you can also find several Pazyryk burial grounds.
All these places were not chosen for conservation by chance. It is here that you can find such rare animals as the Altai argali, snow leopard, and snow leopard. Unfortunately, despite the efforts made to protect this area, poaching continues to flourish here.
Mount Belukha
Mount Belukha is the highest point in Siberia. The height of this grandiose peak is 4506 meters above sea level. It is represented by two pointed pyramids of irregular shape, Eastern and Western Belukha. Between the peaks there is a small depression called Belukha Saddle.
For the first time, Professor Sapozhnikov was able to measure the height of Belukha. The barometer showed the following results: the height of the Eastern peak is 4542 meters, the Western peak is 4437, and the height of the saddle is 4065 meters above sea level. The subsequent measurement of the mountain took place in 1935 by climber D.I. Gushchin. He managed to climb to the top of Eastern Belukha and get very unexpected barometer results - 4630 meters.
It is worth noting that the Belukha area is located in a zone of increased seismic activity, so small earthquakes are not uncommon here. As a result, avalanches are often observed, landslides occur, and the ice shell breaks. The territory of Belukha is characterized by tectonic uplift, which continues to this day.
Belukha Climate
The climate of Belukha is quite harsh. Winters here are long and cold, and summers are short and rainy. Depending on the altitudinal zonation, it varies, starting from the top of the mountain and up to the glacial climate. At the moment, instrumental observations are being carried out by two weather stations at once - Akkem and Karaturek. Previously, another weather station, Katun, operated near the Gebler Glacier. According to research results, in the summer the weather at the top of Belukha is quite cold, reaching -20 0 C.
In winter, negative temperatures can reach 48 degrees. Temperature inversions are quite common here. The norm of annual precipitation, according to weather stations, is 533 mm. Foehns and mountain winds are widespread in the nival-glacial zone of the mountain. Currently, 169 glaciers are known to be located on the slopes and valleys of Belukha.
Rivers, vegetation and fauna
Most of the rivers of the Altai Mountains belong to the river basin. Katun, which originates on the southern slope of the Gebler glacier. The rivers Akkem, Kucherla, Idygem, Bukhtarma and others also flow here. Rivers that were born near glaciers belong to a special type of Altai rivers. The precipitation that falls here does not play a special role in feeding the rivers, unlike snow and glacial meltwater.
Rivers in Altai are distinguished by their transience. Waterfalls are often found - for example, the magnificent Rossypnoy waterfall, located on the right tributary of the Katun. In the valleys of Altai there are numerous lakes that appeared in connection with the activity of ancient glaciers. The largest and most picturesque of them are Nizhneye Akkemskoye and Bolshoye Kucherlinskoye.
Animal world Altai Territory truly unique. Very rare species of birds and animals are found here. Birds are the most diverse. Here you can often find white partridge, chough, and alpine jackdaw. Much less common are the Siberian mountain finch and even quite exotic species, such as the juniper grosbeak. You can also see the golden eagle, great lentil and Altai snowcock - all these birds are listed in the Red Book.
The Altai Mountains are characterized by variegated vegetation. The forests here are mainly represented by dark coniferous species - Siberian spruce, fir, cedar. Deciduous trees such as mountain ash, larch and birch are found everywhere here. Among the shrubs, the most popular are meadowsweet, caragana and honeysuckle. Lingonberries are becoming more common with altitude.
In Altai there are many tourist routes and destinations, horseback riding and hiking are very popular. The beauty and diversity of the nature of the Altai Mountains will not leave anyone indifferent: quiet lakes and fast rivers, high mountains and mysterious caves - all this has been attracting numerous tourists and travelers from all over the world for many decades.
Posted Fri, 03/27/2015 - 08:50 by Cap
Southern Altai is a mountain range in the south of Altai, the western part of which is located in Kazakhstan, the eastern part of the ridge separates Russia from China. Length about 125 km. Height up to 3871 m. In the foothills up to an altitude of 1400-1500 m there are steppe landscapes, park larch forests reach an altitude of 2100-2200 m; subalpine and alpine meadows dominate in the high mountain zone. About 180 glaciers (including Adakhinsky - length 5 km, area 19.5 km2). It starts to the west from the Karakoba River, separating it from the Kalbinsky ridge located even further west. Passes from west to east. In the east it ends at the Tavan-Bogdo-Ula massif, which begins the Sailyugem ridges (to the east) and the Mongolian Altai (to the south).
Mongolian Altai is a mountain system in Mongolia and China (on the border). It consists of several ridges separated by valleys, stretching for 1000 km from southeast to northwest. The width varies from 150 km to 300 km, the highest point is Mount Munkh-Khairkhan-Ula (4362 m). The tops of the ridges are plateau-shaped and covered with glaciers, the total area of which is 830 km². Most of them, including the largest Potanin glacier, are located in the Tavan-Bogdo-Ula massif. The ridges are mainly composed of crystalline schists, porphyries, porphyrites and granites. On the moist slopes of the southwestern side there are meadows and forests, on the dry northeastern slopes there are steppes and semi-deserts.
In the north it approaches the highlands of the Altai Republic, in the west and south there are semi-deserts and deserts of Dzungaria and Gobi, and the entire northeastern part of the system borders on the semi-deserts of the Great Lakes Basin. In the east of the Mongolian Altai there is the Alag-Nur depression, which separates it from the lower Gobi Altai (altitude up to 3900 m). At the northwestern extremity of the ridge is Kanas Lake.
On the territory of China, the mountains are located in the Altai District in the Ili-Kazakh Autonomous Region of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China with its capital in Altai.
The Gobi Altai is a mountain system in the south of Mongolia, a southeastern continuation of the Mongolian Altai. The Gobi Altai consists of chains of sublatitudinal ridges and ridges, separated by dry valleys and basins and surrounded by sloping plains (bels). The length of the system is over 500 km, the prevailing heights are from 1500 to 3000 m. The highest point is the peak of Barun-Bogdo-Ula (3957 m) in the Ikh-Bogdo ridge. The vegetation in the lower zone is desert, in the upper zone it is steppe. The mountains are composed of crystalline schists, granites, sandstones and limestones. The Gobi Altai region is highly seismic. In 1957, a catastrophic earthquake of 11-12 magnitude occurred here; noticeable soil vibrations were observed over an area of 5 million km². In 1958, another earthquake occurred in the Gobi Altai, with a magnitude of 10, called the Bayan-Tsagan earthquake.
Steppe Altai is part of the Priob Plateau on the territory of the Altai Territory, gradually turning into the foothills of Altai in the south. The average height is 250-260 m. The Priob Plateau rises 50-75 m above the Kulunda Basin, the plateau is dissected by wide and deep (40-100 m) hollows, stretched parallel to each other from northeast to southwest. The bottoms of the hollows are filled with sand, the surface of which, under the influence of the wind, has acquired a hilly-ridge character. Modern rivers laid out their valleys in these hollows. The largest of them are Alei, Kasmala and Barnaulka.
In the hollow of the Kasmalinskaya ribbon there are bitterly salty lakes Bolshoye Gorkoye and Maloe Gorkoye. The climate of the plain is warmer and drier than other zones of the West Siberian Lowland. The average annual temperature on the Priobsky plateau is +2.5 °C, the average annual precipitation is 450 mm. Due to the almost flat terrain, it is subject to influences strong winds and intrusions of air masses from both the Arctic Ocean and Central Asia. Soils are formed on loess-like loams. Open steppe spaces on chernozem soils predominate. In some places, birch trees are found, mainly on dark gray forest soils; belts are confined to the hollows of the ancient drainage pine forests(under which soddy-podzolic soils are formed), swamps and lakes. Most of the territory of the Priob Plateau is plowed.
Mount Belukha is located in the Ust-Koksinsky region of the Altai Mountains. She happens to be highest point Katunsky ridge and the highest point of Siberia. Belukha has two peaks in the form of irregular pyramids - Eastern (4506 m) and Western (4435 m), between which there is a depression - “Belukha Saddle”, 4000 m high. The two peaks of Belukha together with the peaks Delaunay and The crown of Altai forms the Akkem wall, falling almost vertically down towards the Akkem glacier. 
On the territory of Russia, beyond the Urals, only in Kamchatka there is a peak higher than Belukha - Klyuchevskaya Sopka. But it’s not so much its height that attracts this mountain. As climbers say: Belukha is not for records, but for the soul. It gives off some special influence that is noticeable even at a distance from its foot. Seeing it for the first time, a person is filled with delight. In the valley of Lake Akkem, at the foot of Belukha, there is generally an atmosphere of openness and brotherhood with everyone nearby, even strangers. What Turistka.ru felt when she visited here in August 2008.
Altaians revere Belukha and consider it a sacred mountain. Altai names (peak of Katun), Ak-Suru (majestic), Musdutuu (ice mountain. Belukha is not an easy mountain, it is an antenna that receives information from Space, transforms it, and distributes it to the whole Earth. People are prepared, harmonious, in connection with nature, can “communicate” with Belukha and “read” from her the information that she carries. Belukha has a harmonizing effect on a person, increasing his sensitivity and love for nature.
The famous mystical artist, artist-traveler Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich, who visited Belukha in 1926 during his Central Asian expedition, also noted the unusualness of the space around Belukha. He wrote: “We saw Belukha. It was so clean and loud. Straight to Zvenigorod.” The artist felt that there was an energy bridge between Belukha and Everest, like two space antennas. “Altai - the Himalayas, two poles, two magnets” - this is what he wrote in his diaries. Roerich did a large number of sketches in the Belukha area. And after visiting Belukha on the southern side, he painted the painting “Belukha”. In 1942, Nikolai Konstantinovich painted the painting “Victory”. In the foreground is a warrior in ancient Russian armor who slayed a dragon. On the second are the shining peaks of Belukha. In honor of N.K. Roerich and his family members are named 
The first records about Belukha appeared more than 200 years ago, when the Russian scientist and traveler P.I. Shangin, in his expedition to Altai, having visited the Uimon Valley, recorded stories about Belukha hunters and miners.
Gebler Friedrich Vilgelmovich, a well-known scientist and researcher in Altai, a doctor at the Kolyvano-Voskresensk factories, managed to reach Belukha for the first time in 1835. In order to collect and study medicinal plants, he traveled a lot throughout Altai and in 1836, striving for the source of the Katun, he approached Belukha from the south and discovered the Katun glacier, which was later named after him and the Berel glacier. Gebler then climbed the southern slope to the border of the non-melting snow and made an attempt to determine the height of Belukha. Later, in his article “Note on the Katun Mountains,” Gebler speaks of Belukha as the highest peak of the “Russian Altai.”
A faithful researcher of Belukha for many years was the Siberian researcher and scientist, professor of Tomsk University Vasily Vasilyevich Sapozhnikov, who in the period from 1895 to 1911 was repeatedly in the Belukha area from the northern and southern sides and discovered and described the Belukha glacier massif: Akkemsky, Iedygemsky glaciers , as well as their tributaries and satellites, the Cherny glacier, Myushtuairy (Tronov Brothers) and several other glaciers in the upper reaches of Kuchurla. In 1898, after two unsuccessful attempts In previous years, Sapozhnikov and his companions reached the saddle of Belukha and measured the height of its peaks.
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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads
N. G. Seledtsov, N. E. Shpilekova. "To help tourists." Gorno-Altaisk, 2000
Sapozhnikov V.V. Across Altai. - M.: Geographgiz, 1949. - 579 p.
Galakhov V.P., Mukhametov R.M. Glaciers of Altai. - Novosibirsk: Science, 1999.
http://www.altai-photo.ru/
Altai Mountains - article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Altai landscape region in the book: N. A. Gvozdetsky, N. I. Mikhailov. Physiography THE USSR. M., 1978.
Golden Mountains of Altai on the website of the Natural Heritage Conservation Foundation
Murzaev E.M. Dictionary of folk geographical terms. 1st ed. - M., Mysl, 1984.
Murzaev E.M. Turkic geographical names. - M., Vost. lit., 1996.
Altai // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional ones). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
http://www.turistka.ru/altai/
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