Tour Information
In the Footsteps of the Roerich expedition through the whole Altai to the foot of the Belukha mountain
Main Information of the Footsteps of the Roerich expedition tour
Duration: 11 Days | 10 Nights
The tour starts in Novosibirsk
Length: 2.124 km
Age: From 18 years old
Children: 14 years and over
Accommodation: Tourist houses / tents
Meals: Field kitchen
Insurance: Not Included (the price is 25$)
Rent tent: Provided
Roerich expedition Tour Features
Walking Tour (trekking). During an easy ascent to the mountains (2-7 days), the public cargo is transported upwards on packhorses, the participants walk on foot. During the descent (7-9 day) each of the travelers carries their own personal cargo and part of the public (food, campfire equipment, tents). Public goods are distributed proportionally for each participant, depending on the number of people in the group.
Horse Tour. Those who chose a horse tour will be much easier, as you will climb up the route on real Altaic horses. We guarantee – you will like it! The public cargo is also transported on packhorses. Attention! Descent (7-9 day) is carried out on foot! During the descent, each of the travelers carries their own personal cargo and part of the public (food, campfire equipment, tents). Public goods are distributed proportionally for each participant, depending on the number of people in the group.
During Roerich expedition tour you will see:
Chuysky Tract
Seminsky Pass
Chicke Taman Pass
Kucherlinskoe Lake
Lake Ak-Kem
Akkem Glacier
Kara-Turek Pass
Waterfall Tikelu
Belukha Mountain
Valley of the Seven Lakes
Jarlu Valley
Belukha Mountain
Chapel of the Archangel Michael
Museum of Old Believers
Museum of N.K. Roerich
Stone of Wisdom (Roerich)
Srostki – the birthplace of VM. Shukshin
The price of the Roerich expedition tour includes:
Transfer from Novosibirsk and back, as well as all intra-route movements
Accommodation in a tourist center
Nutrition during whole trip (field kitchen)
Rent of tents
Rent horses for transportation of public and personal belongings
Off-road vehicle transportation
Work of grooms
Bathhouse (2 times)
Work of guides-instructors
The price does not include:
The price of air/railway tickets to Novosibirsk
Meals during the transfer (average price of the dinner is around 10$)
Catering in a cafe
Hire of horses
Rental of equipment
Insurance (1.200 rub – 25$)
Bathhouse extra (3.000 rub / hour)
Motor-lifting (upon request – 1.200 rub)
Additional services
Mountain Altai is a place almost unaffected by civilization. There are no chic five-star hotels with developed infrastructure. Accommodation is organized on modest, but very cozy hostels, built of cedar or larch, in abundance growing in local forests.
Accommodation Standard, wooden house (1 and 10 day). Accommodation at the hostel in two or three-bed houses from Altai cedar or larch. A bathroom and a shower are on the street.
Accommodation in tents (2 – 9 days). Tents (3 and 4-bed) are provided for living during trekking in the mountains and descent.
Nutrition during the Roerich expedition tour
The tour price does not include meals during the transfer (until arrival at the camp site on the first day and after departure from the Teletskoye Lake on the last day of the trip). Therefore, during the transfer, food is provided at the cafe at your own expense. The average cost of a check, roughly, 7-10$.
Lunches during excursions take place at local cafes. Meals in the cafe or in the camps are normal: you can order salads, first and second dishes (soups, borsch, pilaf, lagman, manti, shish kebab, fish, etc.), drinks. We recommend you to taste local cuisine: shish
kebab from maral, fish dishes from grayling and taimen.
Food on the tour is two-time, cooking takes place on a living fire, which makes the food unusually tasty. All our guides are well prepared, so you definitely will not stay hungry! Since the program of tours is very rich, there is little time for cooking. Sample menu: Breakfast: porridge: buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, tea, coffee. Snack: bread, cheese, smoked sausage, butter, cheese, sweets, tea, coffee. Dinner: second dishes, pilaf, salad, tea, coffee. For tea, coffee is served biscuits or sweets
What to take with you to Roerich expedition tour?
Documents (passport)
Also you need to receive a special issued pass from Border Service of Russia. The issued pass for the tours that pass along the Ust-Koksinsky and Kosh-Agach districts of Gorny Altai: tour “Belukha, Roerich’s trail”; Tour “Climbing Belukha”; Tour “Place of Force – Ukok Plateau”; Tour “Glacier Aktru.” Plateau Ukok. ” The application for a pass is issued at the Border Service of Russia in the Altai Republic in Gorno-Altaisk. To issue a pass, you need to show your passport and indicate the purpose of the entry in your application by writing the full route (settlements to be visited,
rivers, valleys, mountains and lakes) through which it passes. Deadline for issuance of pass for foreign citizens is not less than 60 days.
Money
We tried to save your money as much as possible, including almost all expenses in the tour price. Despite this, it is better to have some cash with you to pay for souvenirs, personal purchases, meals in a cafe (dinner costs 250-300 rubles), baths, additional services. Altai is a place practically untouched by civilization, so you will have to pay in cash, as the possibilities of non-cash payments by bank cards are very limited here.
Backpack
Trekking sticks
Windproof and waterproof jacket,
fleece jacket,
windbreaker,
sports hat
Non-inflatable and waterproof warm pants
Thermal Underwear
Sweater / sweatshirt
Warm socks (3 pairs), thin socks (3 pairs)
Tracking shoes or sneakers with thick soles
Slates (for the bath)
T-shirts with long sleeves
Shorts, light T-shirt
Towel, swimsuit or swimming trunks
A cap or panama from the sun
Gloves (cotton, fleece)
Personal utensils: mug, spoon, bowl, knife
Sunglasses
Sun protection cream
Headlamp with spare batteries
Means of personal hygiene
Medication for a case of cold, stomach upset, headache and so on.
A camera with an additional battery
Any comfortable pants / jeans – 2 pairs
Roerich expedition tour program:
Day 1 of the Roerich expedition tour
Gathering participants of the tour in Novosibirsk, meeting with the guide and the group. Transfer Novosibirsk-Ust-Koks. The road passes along the famous Chuy Tract through two majestic passes – Seminsky (1.717m) and Chike-Taman (1.295m). Chuysky Tract is one of the 10 most beautiful roads in the world according to the UNESCO version. Accommodation at the camp site “Uimon Ark” in the rooms. Dinner. Rest, preparation for the tour, briefing, evening of acquaintances.
Auto – 850 km. Walking distance – 1 km
Day 2 of the Roerich expedition tour
Breakfast. After breakfast we will go to the village of Tungur, where we will prepare the horses, we will load our things and on the military off-road car we will go on a trip. Our path lies along the river Kucherly up the path, gradually rising to the mountain ranges. Overnight in tents on the shore of a picturesque stream. Setting camp, dinner, rest.
Auto – 90 km Off-road vehicle – 17 km Walking distance – 11 km
Day 3 of the Roerich expedition tour
Breakfast, camp gathering. Today we will have a steep climb and stunning panorama of the mountain peaks. This is a great opportunity for photo and video. In the afternoon we will have an unusual view of the brightly-turquoise waters of the Kucherlinsky Lake from a height of more than 2.300 m. This is one of the largest glacial lakes of the Earth – its length is 5 km. On the elevation between the lake and the cedar glade is the place of the Force, which cleanses and soothes the mind. Passage through the pass Kara-Turek. Camp in the parking lot Stone Hut. With good weather, this place is ideal for admiring the shimmering stars, the Milky Way and the falling meteors.
Walking distance – 18 km
Day 4 of the Roerich expedition tour
Breakfast, camp gathering. During this day we will have to overcome the most difficult part of the route – Kara-Turek Pass, whose height is 3,060 meters above sea level. From the height of this pass there is a magnificent panoramic view of the famous Belukha mountain and an endless panorama of the peaks of the Katunsky ridge. Today we are waiting for an amazing night on the high-altitude lake Ak-Kem (2.010 m). Setting camp, dinner, rest.
Walking distance – 15 km
Day 5 of the Roerich expedition tour
Breakfast, camp gathering. We deserve a rest, and today is a day of rest. We will make an easy transition to the valley of the beautiful “Seven Lakes”. Transparent lakes, like the entrance to the other world, are fanned with myths and legends: you need to bathe in each of them to purify all seven subtle bodies of a person (seven chakras). After the bath you will feel amazing lightness and an extraordinary burst of energy! On this day we will take a participation in one ancient ritual – a fire rite of purification. Setting up the camp, lunch. Dinner, bath, evening of stories.
Bathhouse. Walking distance – 8 km
Day 6 of the Roerich expedition tour
Today we visit one of the places of power – Akkem glacier.
Breakfast, camp gathering. On this day we will have an incredibly beautiful route – a radial exit to the foot of Belukha Mountain, into the realm of eternal snows, glaciers and ice caves. Today we will reach and the famous Ak-Kem wall and visit the chapel Mihaila Arhangela. Setting up the camp. Dinner and rest.
Walking distance – 20 km
Day 7 of the Roerich expedition tour
Today we will visit the Place of Power – the Stone of Wisdom (Roerich’s Stone). City of Sun. Waterfall Tikel.
Breakfast, camp gathering. After breakfast we will go to the city of the Sun – the Yarlu valley, or the Edelweiss valley. These flowers in ancient legends embody Love and Wisdom. In the outline of the ridge dividing the valleys of the rivers Yarlu and Tekel, one can view the profile of a woman, and a bright violet-red rock is called the Heart of the Mother. Multicolored mountains, a white river and the purest waterfalls create an unforgettable picture.
The valley of Yarlu was one of the parking places of N. K. Roerich during his expedition and impressed him with his powerful energy. It was in this valley that Roerich found the famous Stone of Wisdom. Ancient people called it the Stone of Peace or the Sacred Stone of the Shaman. On a flat surface of the valley, entirely covered with large blocks of crushed form, among the rocks of dark saturated shades lies this unique stone. Almost white and unusually smooth, he seems to live here his own life.
The best warriors of Genghis Khan specially came to the stone to absorb its energy of Wisdom, Strength, Eternity and Immortality. Soldiers Genghis Khan was not allowed to approach the second sacred place of this valley – the Tekelu waterfall. This place of Power was only available to shamans. After the ritual at the Stone of Wisdom, the shamans descended to the waterfall to wash away all the negative energy accumulated by our thoughts and actions.
This gives spiritual cleansing, harmony and health for the whole year. Here we will hold a unique training on attracting positive events to our lives, getting rid of fears and going through the ritual of fulfilling our desires. Setting up the camp. Dinner and rest.
Walking distance – 7 km
Day 8 of the Roerich expedition tour
Breakfast, camp gathering. Today we say goodbye to Belukha and a Lake Ak-Kem and started our trip back. “Ak-Kem” in translation from Turkic means “white water”. The river originates in the Ak-Kem Glacier and carries in its waters small pieces of stone lime from the slopes of Belukha. Today there will be a romantic overnight stay on the mountainside, next to a stream. Setting up the camp. Dinner and rest.
Walking distance – 22 km
Day 9 of the Roerich expedition tour
Parking “Three Birches”. The completion of the tracking. Breakfast, camp gathering. In the morning we will continue our descent, and in the middle of the day we pass the famous “Three Birches” parking lot, where people can transfer to off-road cars, and the rest (in favorable weather conditions) – continue on foot. In the evening we will arrive in the village of Tungur. We will spend the night in tents on the territory of the tourist camp “Vysotnik”. Dinner and bath. The breakdown of the camp. Dinner and rest.
Walking distance – 20 km
Day 10 of the Roerich expedition tour
Breakfast. After breakfast, you can get a generous portion of adrenaline on the rafting on the Katun River or make an exciting trip to the village of Old Believers Verkhny Uimon, where the museum of N.K. Roerich and the Old Believers’ Museum are located. Accommodation in the camp site “Vysotnik”. Dinner. Farewell party.
Auto – 40 km. Walking distance – 2 km
Day 11 of the Roerich expedition tour
Breakfast, collecting things. Transfer to Novosibirsk. Our amazing journey came to an end. After breakfast we will start the return journey. On the way we will visit the souvenir markets, from where you can take away a piece of the Great Altai!
Auto – 850 km