The mystery of the kor-kechu. “M52 again” or Travel from Novosibirsk to Gorny Altai in a Toyota Corona “barrel Trakt was built by a new martyr
The Chuysky tract today is a federal road. Hundreds of thousands of tourists follow it every year, enjoying the nature of the Altai Mountains. But few people know at what cost this route was laid, how many human lives it cost. This path has become a kind of monument to those who fell into the millstones of the system that emerged in the post-revolutionary years.
One of the Siblag units involved in laying the road - a “business trip” at the Kor-Kechu boma - became the site of the martyrdom of Hieromonk Cyprian (Nelidov).
Along the Great Silk Road
Historians debate when the first mention of this route, connecting the vast region of Western Siberia and the Mongolian-Chinese steppes, appeared. There is a version that the Chui pack trail was related to the Great Chinese Silk Road as its northern branch. But the first information about the horse trail that ran along the valleys of the Katun and Chuya rivers in Russian records dates back to the second half of the 18th century, when part of Altai became part of Russia.
From the middle of the 11th century, with the annexation of the so-called Dvoedants (southern Altai Mountains), favorable conditions developed for the development of trade with Mongolia and China. Merchants organize transshipment points along the road: Shebalino, Topuchee, Ongudai and Kosh-Agach. In the farthest of them, Kosh-Agach, already in 1871 the Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul was built. Together with merchants, Orthodox missionary priests regularly visited these places.
At that time, the future tract was a pack trail, but at many crossings a good road had already been laid by local peasants. From the beginning of the 20th century, more active work began on laying a road along the entire route, but they were stopped by the outbreak of the First World War.
Only in 1922 was the reconstruction of the road resumed, and three years later the first experimental automobile trips along it were carried out. But there were still many dangerous places on the road at that time.
"At a communist pace"
In 1932, the chairman of the West Siberian Regional Workers' and Peasants' Inspectorate, Papparde, wrote to Moscow: “The Sibkrai RKI asks to consider the reasons for the completely unacceptable, bordering on sabotage, red tape with the construction of the right-bank version of the Chuysky tract and to bring those responsible to severe responsibility, to oblige Glavdortrans to complete the survey, the construction of the tract and a bridge across the Biya River on time.”
In the fall of 1932, the main labor force for the construction of the road became prisoners of the seventh department of the Siberian camps. Temporary concentration camps, so-called “command camps”, designed for tens or hundreds of people, were created every few tens of kilometers. But the “recruitment” of free labor for the construction of the Chuysky tract became especially active in the early thirties.
Siblag was created in 1929. It covered a vast territory of Southwestern Siberia. Siblag's administration alternately moved from Novosibirsk to Mariinsk and back.
The plans issued “from above” became more stringent with each stage of work. The impossible was demanded from people. Everything was done by hand. However, on January 1, 1935, the Chuisky tract was put into operation by the State Commission. The price of such an accelerated pace was broken human destinies and ruined human lives.
Most of the prisoners, including women, worked to level the road surface. They worked with picks, shovels, and transported soil on carts. Dozens, and maybe hundreds of people died from cold, hunger, backbreaking physical labor and disease.
Against the rock
“Business trips” were organized in different ways. Often - through the resettlement of local residents from separate settlements or on their outskirts. In desert areas, temporary camps were created from dugouts dug in open fields.
It was especially difficult during the work of breaking through rock booms: Kor-Kechu, Yaloman, Bely Bom. While in baskets suspended on a steep slope, the prisoners worked with a chisel and a hammer. The volume of rocks crushed in this way exceeded one hundred thousand cubic meters. After the boma was punched, the retaining walls were laid by hand. This required 24 thousand cubic meters of soil on the Kor-Kechu and Yaloman booms alone.
The road was built by the new martyr
The true story about the Chuysky tract and its builders has been almost unexplored. It keeps many secrets about the tragic period of Russian history in the 20th century. One of them is a “business trip” camp, where Hieromonk Cyprian (Nelidov), glorified among the venerable martyrs in February 2002, is buried.
Father Cyprian was arrested in Moscow in the spring of 1933. He was involved in the same case with Bishop Varnava (Belyaev) for attempting to create a secret monastery. Both were sentenced to three years in the camps and sent to Altai to “save” the plan for the construction of a highway of all-Union importance.
In general, for some reason there were a lot of Muscovites at the construction of the Chuysky tract. There were rumors that many prisoners were collected in Moscow at the Khitrovy Market.
Unfortunately, no materials have been published about the location of “business trips” along the Chuisky tract. In June 2002, a resident of Moscow, great-nephew of Fr. Cyprian Grigory Viktorovich Anashchenko made a request for a camp near the boma of Kor-Kechu. We, as researchers, had hope in the memories of local residents, as well as the diary entries of the nun Ekaterina (Chicherina), published in the book “Everyone is Alive with God.”
Living Testimonies
Before the trip, we were most afraid of the taiga terrain, which can hide any man-made unevenness in the landscape. But we were lucky: there is practically no forest in the Kor-Kechu boma area. The Karasuk ravine, stretching in front of the boom, is covered with low mountain-meadow vegetation. Moreover, this place is located far from settlements and was practically not cultivated. True, it shows traces of relatively recent trenches and excavations of mounds left by archaeologists.
The location of the camp near the boma was indicated only by two old-timers - the past years and the aura of fear that shrouded, especially then, the activities of the punitive authorities, also had an effect.
In the village of Topucheye, a believing grandmother named Maria, baptized, although half Tatar, told how the temple was destroyed, how icons in houses were broken and burned. To our question why the believers did not prevent this, she answered: “Don’t you know what you have brought people to? If you say anything wrong, they’ll take it away right away.”
Local residents were often hostile towards prisoners. The guards were obliged to keep an eye on the fugitives.
Apparently, the only living person who remembers the Kor-Kechu camp is Vasily Ivanovich Belsky, born in 1915, a resident of the village of Ongudai. In 1919, their family moved to Maly Yaloman, in 1830 - to the village. Inyu, in 1932 - exile to Novokuznetsk, then returned and lived in Kupchegen. The settlements in which V.I.’s family lived. Belsky, are located not far from the boma. Vasily Ivanovich recalled an incident from his childhood: he noticed a fugitive hiding in the bushes and told the chairman of the village council about it. He also remembers the camp barracks, located on the right under the mountain, far from the road, not reaching the rocky ledges of the boma.
The greatest assistance in finding the camp site was provided by a resident of the village of Kupchegen, Yuri Nazatovich Karastanov. He agreed to be a guide and show the location of the camp.
Looking for a camp
Log Karasuk and bom Kor-Kechu are located beyond the Chiketaman pass, almost ten kilometers from Kupchegen. Previously, the road to bypass the boma was on top, the climb was difficult and tiring. Now, thanks to the superhuman efforts of the Siblag prisoners, it winds along the “dug out”, literally above the very stream of the stormy Katun.
Where did the road builders live on the Kor-Kechu boma? Their small barracks “town” was located approximately five hundred to seven hundred meters from the Chuisky tract, if you look along it. The barracks were tents, or rather awnings, stretched over shallow earthen ditches. There is practically no forest around. Therefore, if there were wooden houses in the camp, it was only for security. In one of the ditches we found fragments of thin window glass, undoubtedly dating back to that time.
No permanent buildings were erected in the camp. He didn't have a fence either. The “business trip” was set up as a temporary location for prisoners - for the period of work to break through the bomb. It existed for several years. When the camp was disbanded, awnings, beds and other property were taken away, and only neatly dug ditches remained in the clearing, which to this day have retained their shape almost in their original form.
From the south the camp was pressed against the mountain slope. Almost at its very foot there is an imprint of a round-shaped structure - perhaps it was a watchtower. With respect to the watchtower, all buildings were located in the northern segment, that is, the viewing angle required for the guards was no more than 180 degrees. About twenty meters to the northeast of the tower there are two oblong depressions measuring 4 by 8 meters, which most likely served as cellars and were clearly visible to the guard.
To the west of the tower there was a large (10 by 70 meters) men's barracks, which was a long room with two rows of beds and a passage in the middle. There could only be one partition in it, separating the barracks from the large room in which the nun Ekaterina (Chicherina) lived for some time. The ditches remained so intact that one can unmistakably determine where the entrance to this barracks was.
To the north of the tower there was a complex of eight barracks located along the perimeter around, apparently, the dining room. The four buildings on the south side belonged to the guards. Three almost square buildings from the east and one elongated from the north were most likely: the first were women's barracks, and the second was a property warehouse. On the eastern side, the boundaries of the camp were limited by a long, sloppy ditch, which was either left unfinished as unnecessary, or served for storing tools (carts, baskets, etc.). At some distance from the camp on the western side there was a barrack measuring 10 by 12 meters with a clearly defined entrance. There was a hospital here, or rather an isolation ward for infectious patients. Here nun Ekaterina (Chicherina) was responsible for caring for the sick.
There was also a bathhouse and laundry at the camp. They were located on the very bank of the Katun, on a rocky ledge that the river goes around. There is a convenient gentle slope to the water. However, to get to it, you need to go down a steep path, since the Katun in this place flows in a deep canyon, which, as E.V. writes. Chicherin, no lower than a Moscow high-rise building. The camp is at least a kilometer from here.
In general, the landscape of the area today is almost the same as it was seventy years ago. Its modern appearance exactly matches the diary entries of E.V. Chicherina. The Katun is not visible from the camp, because it flows in a deep canyon, the ravine is quite flat and the path is clearly visible. There was also an old pack trail along which caravans walked, visible from the camp. From the south it is protected from the sun by a ridge that forms the Kor-Kechu bay. True, E.V.Ch Icherina writes that there is never sun in the camp, but this is only true in the autumn-winter period - from October to April. The rest of the year the sun rises above the ridge. Apparently, E.V. Chicherina was here only in the autumn-winter period.
Place of death of the martyr
It should be added that one of the Altai hunters (Alexander Popov) called this place bom Erkechu, which means “men's crossing.” He also says that the prisoners were kept in such unbearable conditions that the fugitives sometimes stole horses and, not having matches to light a fire and fry the horse meat, ate the meat raw. The caught fugitives were shot on the spot and not even buried - “like cattle.” In the diaries of E.V. Chicherina also talks about specially trained dogs that were capable of bullying people to death.
A similar picture was seen during the construction of the left bank version of the Chuysky tract. According to the memoirs of Tatyana Davydovna Tozyyakova, born in 1911, there were many unburied corpses along the road.
E.V. Chicherina indicates that Hieromonk Cyprian died and was buried in the camp near the boma of Kor-Kechu on June 16, 1934. A cross made of pebbles was laid out on his grave. Nearby was the grave of another prisoner. Most likely, both burials could be somewhere under the mountainside. But where exactly, unfortunately, is unknown.
Archpriest Georgy KREIDUN
This is a great place to enjoy the wild Altai nature!
Where the mountain beauty Katun enters a narrow gorge in the middle of impassable heights, and the Chuya tract descends from the Chike-Taman pass, there are many attractions of the Altai Mountains. There, right under the mouth of the Bolshoy Ilgumen, the Ilgumen threshold of the Katun is noisy. And nearby in the valley hides an ancient archaeological complex.
There is also a tourist complex or cordon “Kur-Kechu”. This old large tourist base will be a real find for those who like to relax in the mountains, for those keen on rafting, for organizers of seminars or festivals. On the territory of the Kur-Kechu base, houses and villages with modest camping comfort are rented, there is a bathhouse and a parking lot. Excursions, water rafting, and horseback riding are organized at the base.
How to get there
Do you want to know how to get to the Kur-Kechu cordon? The cordon is located on the banks of the Katun River near the 680th kilometer of the Chuysky tract, a few kilometers beyond the village of Kupchegen, Ongudai district of the Altai Republic, which is located not far beyond the Chike-Taman pass.
They say that in the old days there was a crossing over the Katun; those who did not have time to cross the river fell into the deadly whirlpools of the Ilgumensky rapids, which is why the place was nicknamed the fatal crossing, or Kur-Kechu, in Altai. But the guides made this up to add a little mysticism to their stories. Well, of course, there was a crossing, but upstream at the Kur-Kechu boma
Welcome to the Kur-Kechu tourist complex!
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So, day after day, we moved forward and forward along the Chuisky tract towards the border with Mongolia. The Teply Klyuch pass was the extreme point of our journey: the snow-capped peaks of the Sailyugem ridge “informed” us that it was time to turn back. The way back always seemed shorter to me than the way there. So it was this time: we covered more than 250 km from the Dzhumalinsky springs to the camp site on the Kur-Kechu Cordon, as it seemed to me, completely unnoticed. I was probably overwhelmed with impressions from what I had seen and experienced recently: the seven days spent in Altai flew by in one breath, intertwined and mixed up in my head. How many emotions and information these days contained!
In complete darkness, we arrived at the Cordon, located slightly to the side of the Chuya tact at the confluence of the Bolshaya Ilgumen River and the Katun. The very first minutes of being here literally shocked me with its “civilization” - in the village where we were to spend the night, with a simple press of a button the “Ilyich light bulb” turned on. After the double, two-level benches and solar panels in the Dzhumalinsky springs, electricity seemed to me the highest achievement of humanity!
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Photo by Dmitry Borisov
All night you could hear the mighty noise of the Katun on the rapids, lulling and calming travelers overwhelmed with emotions. And the morning brought what I had been dreaming about the whole trip: here, on the banks of the Katun, a ripe Autumn was in charge - the birch trees and streaked tips of larch branches were shining with gold, the grass and shrubs were burning with crimson. Sometimes this idyll was disrupted by wild rosemary, which mixed up the seasons, covered with the most delicate flowers. Waking up on a joyful sunny morning among this beauty, it seemed to me that I was in a piece of paradise.
2. The Bolshaya Ilgumen River, flowing into the Katun: 
3. Camp site on the Cordon “Kur-Kechu”: 
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On our September-October trip of 2009, we completely fulfilled our plans, visited all the places planned by the program, overcame all the difficulties, and almost no obstacles hindered us. Now you can calm down and relax.
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Photo by Dasha Gorshenina
Swimming in the fast Katun:
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Photo by Olivier Renck
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Photo by Olivier Renck
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In fact, our 2009 trip ended here: on the way back we stopped at Chemal, which I’ll tell you about later, and returned to Novosibirsk.
A huge thank you to all our cheerful and chaotic youth company, in which I spent so many days filled with happiness and emotions! Unlimited gratitude to the Altai Discovery Team (http://www.altaidt.com/ru) - Ksenia Svoboda, Denis Frolov, Vitaly Gulyaev, who opened the “doors” to Altai for me, showing it in such a way that I “fell sick” of these places. With this professional, highly organized team, I have visited Altai more than once, about which my stories are yet to come!)))
12. Farewell signature Ksyukhina damlyama, cooked over a fire: 
13. We all: 
My stories about traveling in Altai:
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Descending from the Chike-Taman pass, the Chuysky tract runs along the shore of Bolshoy Ilgumen among high rocky mountains and soon approaches the Katun again. At the 680th kilometer of the federal highway, a full house with a sign: “Cours Quechu Cordon” is visible from afar. A sharp turn to the left, towards Katun, and a panorama of amazing beauty and grandeur opens up from the mountain. Along the shore of the white-foamed Katun, under bizarre rocks, there are houses and multi-colored villages of the forest cordon. This is a whole village, and not a separate forester’s house in the taiga, which you have seen many times before!
On the basis of the Kur-Kechu tourist complex, rafting on the Katun, Chuya and Ursul rivers, walking, horseback, car and combined tours and excursions of various durations are organized. The base is equipped with a large stage for holding festivals and folklore concerts. In May 2007, arts festival "Chike-Taman Spring".
There is no mobile connection at the Kur-Kechu base. You can find out about available places either “from the road” or from a travel agency.
The sports and tourist complex "Kur-Kechu" is located behind the Chike-Taman pass, 6 kilometers after the village of Kupchegen along the Chuysky tract, at the confluence of the Bolshoi Ilgumen River into the Katun. Here on the Katun there is a large Ilgumen rapids. Distance from Gorno-Altaisk - 260 km, from the village of Ongudai - 44 km.
The camp site "Kur-Kechu" was built on the basis of the "Cordon" base of the Ongudai forestry enterprise, in the Kur-Kechu tract. The forestry base itself included a two-story wooden house for two families with a maximum capacity of 10 people and a bathhouse. In 2006, fifteen three-seater ails, five 4-seater and one 5-seater were built especially for the rafting competitions “Chuya Rally 2006” and “Ak-Talai Margaan”, which are also called the “Katun Cup”. , at the request of the organizers, wooden floorings along the perimeter of the village served as sleeping places in the villages. Now they have been replaced with beds. In the summer, six double stationary tents are additionally installed on the territory of the Kur-Kechu base.
On the territory of the base there is a bathhouse, a shower with hot water, a large bark village with a fireplace for evening gatherings, and a summer dining room. Three meals a day are provided and dishes of Altai national cuisine are offered. You can also cook yourself over a fire.
The threshold is located at the confluence of the Bolshoy Ilgumen and Katun. At the 680th km of the Chuysky tract you need to turn left to the confluence of the Bolshoy Ilgumen and Katun rivers. The large difference in the river flow gives rise to a fast current and powerful swells up to three to four meters high into deep water.
I couldn’t help but leave this work unattended...
This photo was stitched together from two vertical frames to convey the massive and high-speed movement of Big Ilgumen and Katun...
The Bolshoi Ilgumen River originates from the slopes of Mount Ilgumen of the Terektinsky Range and, after about 50 km of its stormy path, flows into the Katun River near the village of Kupchegen. The confluence with the Katun is known for its rapids, where high-level rafting competitions are held.
A formidable water snake, with a toothpick in its mouth, crawls its way to the confluence of rivers such as the Bolshoy Ilgumen and Katun!!!
In the weather, after the bird, I had to jump on the pebbles to take its picture... :o) Even though it’s small, it’s still caught in the picture...
The transparent water is the Bolshoy Ilgumen River, and behind it, as you can see, comes the Katun...
Valley of the Bolshoi Ilgumen River. From the Chike-Taman pass the road goes through poplar and birch groves along the valley of the Bolshoi Ilgumen River, leading to its mouth...
The valley of the Bolshoi Ilgumen River and the plateau of the Terektinsky ridge after the Cheke-Taman pass are beautiful and picturesque, replete with many places to relax.
It was very interesting to move over these pebbles for the sake of the chosen frame... I stumbled a little and that’s it, technically... :o) Accuracy is above all... Let’s walk through photographs with mountain rivers and blocks of stones...
Here I am again, putting pen to paper. This year our second (and God knows what for our friends) expedition to the Altai Mountains by car took place. The location is the same - the Kur-Kechu tract, Ongudai district. Date: August 16 – 21, 2006
Route: Novosibirsk – Biysk – Ongudai – Kur-Kechu – Aktash – Kur-Kechu – Ongudai – Biysk – Novosibirsk (1764 km).
The “vacation” was extremely delayed. Finally, we broke away from work, this time managing to be crowded with only two cars. There was little time to get ready, because... we had to get out of the city before the authorities realized that they had let us go :). In the evening on the last working day, we stocked up on groceries at Gigant and Alpi, buying some other little things. The cars were not particularly prepared - the cars were fine.
Knowing the road well, we planned our departure for 8 am, but in reality it took place only at 10 am. Two cars (Corona and Camry) set off along the M52 highway. In the salon are our wives and daughters. We also have a guest from Krasnoyarsk with us - Irina. Sergei, as the most experienced in our microgroup, led the way. Since we left late, we hit two bottlenecks along the way: in Berdsk and Biysk. There, the average speed fluctuated between 20-60 km/h. We tried to go along the highway in an economical mode of 90-110 km/h, occasionally accelerating to 120. So, of course, longer, but less on gasoline. And we weren’t in much of a hurry.
Around 13:30 – stop for lunch for about 30 minutes. We “refueled” quickly with Doshirak + vegetables and pies with tea. Tea is good because... The weather on the road deteriorated, it began to rain, mixed with a cold wind. We were getting ready to drive on, but I didn’t have the car keys: I lost the main key fob. AAAAAAAAA! Guard!!! I broke into a cold sweat, although just in case I had one more keychain with me from the kit, and there was just a third key. The thought of the cost of a new key fob flashed through my head. The whole crowd immediately launched a search operation and five minutes later I, happy, was already sticking the key into the ignition. Hooray! Let's go, comrades, on the road (intonation of V.L. Lenin).
The next “pit stop” took place in Mayma, where the girls bought tomatoes and apples at the market (as it turned out later, both of them were not very tasty). On the road again. You need to get there before dark to make barbecue and get settled, because... It is not known whether we will get a house. In the village of Ust-Sema they filled it with 92 for 18.50 rubles. at Rosneft until the tank was full, although both had about 25 liters left. I had another 10-liter canister of the 95 in the trunk, which I ride in the city.
By the way, about gasoline. The further into the mountains, the more expensive it is. In general, we tried to refuel at Rosneft, and in the Altai Territory, if anyone feels like it, they can use Oktane or Sibneft. We diligently ignored all sorts of “Kasmala” and “Oases” (in Novosibirsk “Kasmala” is not particularly favored).
Further. We passed the Seminsky pass. It was felt that the motor in the tractor was straining. Disabled overdrive, this helps. The road in the pass area, unlike the rest of the M52, which is being diligently repaired this season, will be a measly 3 points, well, with a plus. Many tubercles and pits. In general, the track is excellent, smooth, there are markings almost everywhere, it allows you to maintain a high speed, but due to the rocky surface it is noisy and contagious.
Before the Chike-Taman pass we traditionally stop for an experiment: there are places where it seems that the road is going up. We put the car in neutral, but... the car rolls forward, as if going uphill! You just can't believe your eyes. Immediately, unusually shaped clouds appear before our eyes. They look like a group of flying saucers. Sergey and I, like true photo maniacs, quickly took out our digital cameras and began looking for a suitable angle.
Further. At the pass itself we stopped for 5 minutes to review the surroundings + a bonus call home that everything was OK. However, MTS rules! From the pass the road twists and turns merrily, and such taxiing after long straight stretches is a great pleasure. It's not long until the finish line. We fly past Ongudai village, MTS is also catching there this year. Civilization is creeping to Altai, oh, it’s crawling. Then we fly over in the same way. Kupchegen. It's already very close. Here we find ourselves on a section of a bypass dirt road, because M52 is under repair in some places, as I already said. The asphalt is laid in a kind way, with a thick layer of chocolate :)
And now, hurray! Signpost "Court-Quechu Cordon". We turn left and drive a little way. This year, in connection with the rafter competition, all sorts of houses were built there, the area was fenced off and gates were installed. We drive to the “nasalnik’s” house and agree to rent one of the new houses. For a wooden yurt (the village is called) they charge the crowd only 300 rubles per day + 35 rubles per day for parking one car. Let's slobber on the papers and let's unload at a pace. It was already getting dark, and it gets dark quickly in the mountains. The yurt turned out to have electricity, and next to it there was a canopy with benches around the fire. We park our cars. The odometer shows approximately 670 km.
Quickly light the fire and prepare the barbecue. Women - wine, men - beer. Sweets for children. It’s only 11 o’clock, but everyone is tired, so we quickly spread out rugs and mattresses, sleeping bags with blankets and pillows (whoever has them). And into the lyula. All. They were all cut down quickly. I don't even remember how...
P.S. And how many stars were there in the sky!!!
We woke up not early, around 9:30. Freshly. Morning toilet, fire. Tea, coffee, sandwiches, cookies, jam. We walked for a bit near the confluence of the river. Big Ilgumen in Katun. There are a lot of huge stones piled up there and it’s like honey for the children: “Mom, dad – I want to go to the stones!” We admired the Katunya. It’s really interesting – you never get tired of looking at the water. There are many rapids in this place. Beauty! Turquoise-milky water bubbles and foams, overflowing with breakers on the rocks.
Before our arrival, it was here that the 2006 Katun International Rafting Cup was held. This explains the emergence of new houses and the explosive development of local infrastructure. Alas, and garbage too. It feels like a herd of mammoths have taken a shit. Yes, the place is no longer so wild, and this is not at all pleasing.
In the afternoon we decided to go on a route along the so-called Horse Trail. Last year we did not reach the cherished “there”. The rain stopped and it was already evening. The whole team came out, with children. After descending along a hanging ladder (on a horse trail), we entered the first valley. A little later, the “active” group (Irina, me and Sergei) decided to send the mothers and children back to cook dinner. And the children have already begun to whine. They themselves decided to take a leap forward, to see what was “out there.” The weather has been favorable so far. After one achieved landmark, the next one appeared. I wanted to get there, then there, and then there again.
We had stunning views of new valleys: the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. We took a lot of photographs. We discovered two tributary rivers flowing into the Katun from the gorges on the opposite bank. And the colors... God, what colors! On the shore at the confluence of the first river (Aylagush) we saw two abandoned hermitages.
Near the second river (Kadrin), some merry fellow left the skeleton of a cot near a stone. These two rivers flow to the left and right (respectively) of the Aigulak ridge.
We reach the end of the fourth valley. That's it, you can't go further: thickets, boulders. Perhaps, if you move away from the shore towards the ridge, there is a passage there. But it's time to go back. Lunch has long passed, I wish I could make it in time for dinner. According to the map, it’s a little more than 10 kilometers, but in reality there will be more ups and downs.
Time 16:50. We are moving back very quickly. We allowed ourselves an hour and a half for the return journey. The landscape on the way back is not so impressive. We're in a hurry. At the end of the first valley, on the approach to the rockiest part of the path, suddenly a rainstorm bursts into the valley from the direction of our camp with a squally wind. We saw it in the distance and realized that we wouldn’t have time to get to the camp. The wind almost knocks you off your feet. We barely have time to run to the rocks to take cover, but we are immediately soaked to the skin.
We wait for twenty minutes until it calms down, then we move on in the drizzle. The most unpleasant thing lies ahead - the road on slippery wet stones with waist-deep junipers. In the area of the “Deception Rock” we traditionally stray from the path. But at 18:30 we already enter the camp wet to the skin and with our pants full of happiness. We vying with each other to talk about our impressions.
Our dear wives are already waiting for us. Girls, thank you! Hot, rich cabbage soup and 100 g of cognac brought us back to life.
Then, exhausted, all three of us dozed off, as it turned out, for 2 hours. We woke up already at dusk, the kebab is ready, so are we :). Lepota! Conversations, tea, coffee. And bainki.
Ha! The morning passed so deliciously, lazily. I haven't been so relaxed for a long time. Nobody pushes you or kicks you. The sun was conducive to bliss. Despite yesterday's sprinkling, no one caught a cold. However, this is always the case here.
Closer to noon we gathered our strength for a trip to Yaloman. The journey is short and we are already there. God, how crap everything is! The mood of the morning was ruined. R. herself Yaloman became shallow. We lay on the fine warm sand and built castles with the children. Then we decided to climb the Chike-Tamansky pass to call the third member of our group (Dima with his wife and son). On the way to the pass near Kupchegen, we almost missed them, but noticed each other in time. They braked. There was a joyful reunion. The whole crowd headed to camp for lunch. There are more of us and, accordingly, more fun.
After lunch, some of the people went to see the ancient burials (or rather, what was left of them) on the plateau near the highway. Last year we wandered there, but, as it turned out, we missed the most interesting thing. There is a huge grave there, apparently of a noble person. It is surrounded by an even larger ring of stones, which we did not see at first. And what is most mysterious is that the grass within this ring was very different from that which grew outside. Moreover, the border is very clear. Miracles! We begin to build hypotheses. In addition to this discovery, we saw a cave in the rocks opposite. Immediately the idea of a new outing was born: to climb these rocks, wonder what kind of cave it was, and look at the grave from above. We took a group photo of the expedition and headed home.
After dinner, because There were three men, they opened vodka. We sat for a long time by the fire without the girls, saying “let’s live”, emptying the container. That night we settled down with Sergei to sleep in a tent. This is a different matter! Just a blast. Anyone who slept in a tent knows.
The morning was marked by drizzling rain. Some people had a headache :) . We quickly ate and were on our way.
Today we had to travel about a hundred kilometers: further south along the M52 and further towards Ulagan. We walked quickly along the highway; we flew past all the sights, leaving them for the return journey.
The road winds through the mountains, and the mountains themselves have somehow become higher. Then suddenly they parted, and something like a hilly steppe emerged. The sign says Ulagan – 56, Tashanta – 125 km. Mongolia is very close, but in the village of Aktash we turn left, towards Ulagan. Soon the asphalt ends safely and the dusty shaking of the primer begins. The road went uphill, twisting like a snake. The rocks are getting closer, almost overhanging. We stop. A little ahead, the road passes between two brown-red cliffs. This is the Red Gate.
The newcomers were impressed by the demonic landscape. I take panoramic photography and take a couple more pictures, including our group.
We drove for about fifteen minutes and noticed a lake on the left with stunningly dark water. It is narrow and long, and there is no end in sight. It turns out that some ore deposits were developed in these places. The lake is dead (that’s what it’s called, by the way), because... poisoned by mercury. That's why the color is like this. Another demonic landscape. There is not a blade of grass or an animal on the shore. Dead silence. Once again impressed, we move on.
About forty more minutes of rattling along the road, which is getting worse. The landscape is already completely steppe, the mountains seem to fan out away from the road and retreat somewhere back, snow is already visible in some places on the peaks. We stop to look at another lake with the same dark water, and at the same time have a snack. The children are hungry. It has become noticeably colder, a strong wind is tearing sandwiches out of your hands. We decide to return, since the road has become disgusting (it’s a terrible pity for the suspension), none of us have driven further, and some did not recommend it. I read that you can then climb through Kurai to Aktra. But this is far away and is not part of our plans. Another panoramic shot and we, shivering from the piercing wind, pack into our cars.
The ride back was more fun, because... suddenly the weather cleared up. The sun was pleasantly warm. In the area of Jodro, Sergei and I missed the 40 speed limit sign. Well, it happens. There is a lot of driving, there are also impressions, the roads are empty and good. So you drive. In a word, the valiant guys with sly little eyes fined us. We weren't too upset, because... it was already becoming a good tradition - at least once and run into the local traffic police. Moreover, in the evening there was a bathhouse waiting for us, to which, by the way, we were heading. Further we drove, of course, more slowly, but we made it to the bathhouse on time.
Bathhouse - relish! You fall out of the steam room and splash - into Ilgumen. Ugh! Get hurt! And so a couple of times, although I myself am not a particular fan of steaming too much. Then we ate some tea. Well, as usual, they took it a little on the chest. That evening we sat by the fire for a long time; the fire burned surprisingly well. Usually it is difficult to ignite and the wood does not burn very well. But the coals turn out gorgeous and hot. All due to low pressure, lack of oxygen, high humidity and larch firewood (oh, Altaians - they burn golden wood!). I had to take lighter fluid.
Last full day in Kur-Kechu. The sky is darkening again. But this will not spoil our mood or plans. Today we decided to definitely visit the open-air museum with petroglyphs. Simply put, with rock art. There are many petroglyphs in the Altai Mountains, you just need to know where to look for them. Everyone loaded up for me and Dima. Sergei took a break from taxiing today.
Below is a quote from the materials that I prepared for “cultural” work during my vacation: The petroglyphic complex Yalbak-Tash (or Kalbak-Tash) is one of the largest concentrations of rock paintings in the Altai Mountains of various eras from the Bronze Age to the period of ethnographic antiquity. Yalbak-Tash is located in close proximity to the Chuysky tract, which allows it to be effectively used in tourism. According to researchers, the Kalbak-Tash petroglyphic complex contains up to 8,000 drawings and inscriptions. Among them: figures of various animals, both artiodactyls and predators, carved on a smooth rock surface; lined drawings; ancient Turkic runic inscriptions. Under a large rock monolith with drawings, apparently, there was an altar for sacrifices, that is, this place is also a cult object. Research into these petroglyphs continues to this day. The museum is located 7 km west of the village of Iodro. There are petroglyphs in Yodro itself on the so-called rocky outcrops, immediately behind the last houses in the northern part of the village. In total, you can count more than 100 embossed images here (end of quote).
In my own words, I will say that it is very impressive. Last year I climbed all the stones and used up more than one megabyte of digital memory for photography, so I didn’t go this time. Besides, it started to rain again, and we sat comfortably in the car. Our children and Dima and his family went.
The people came. They didn’t really like it because the guide was not in the know. They promised to give them a photo excursion upon their return to Novosibirsk, fortunately there are plenty of photos and we still have a strong memory. They were not even shown a drawing with an erotic scene (see photo below).
After lunch we divided into two groups. Alone, with the children, she went to the “Shaman’s Cave”. If you walk along the left bank of the river. Big Ilgumen, then after this cave there are a couple of rocks, in the lower part of which there are images of goats, mountain sheep and deer. True, they are no longer visible very well. The Moscow vandals tried hard (in general, they tried a lot in Altai)
Our group of tourist activists decided to continue exploring the large grave and climb a high mountain to the cave. No sooner said than done.
We walk through the valley with a brisk step and begin to climb the mountain. It's hard, oh it's hard. Despite the cool breeze, I feel like I'm sweating a lot. This is where to lose weight! Thank God I don't need this. We came close to the cave and became convinced that it was better to storm it on the way back. After a halt, we gather our strength and climb further. The climb becomes steeper and the stops become more frequent. The T-shirt on the back is wet and the wind is cooling the lower back. The top is very close, a couple more pushes along the traverse and we are there. Eat! It turned out to be flat, surprisingly. From this peak you can go straight along the ridge deep into the ridge. Yes, there are beauties all around! Our camp below is very small. There are mountains all around with all sorts of shades, like in Roerich’s paintings. And then we notice a solid dark wall, which is again creeping into the parking lot. Although it’s very sunny on the other side, we decide it’s time to head back.
Having taken a few pictures on the sides and captured another panorama of 10 frames, we hastily begin our descent. The experience of the first hike with getting wet tells us that we have no more than 20 minutes. What a pity, the cave remained unexplored. What if there are drawings? During the descent we come across bear droppings a couple of times. The thought comes to us that the cave could be his refuge. So it’s good that we didn’t end up in it. Maybe:)
Already on the way to the camp, the rain began to pour in full. Water from the windbreaker poured onto the pants and seeped further into the ankle boots. The wind whipped rain across his face. Here's to you, damn it, a wonderful last evening.
Arriving at the house, we changed clothes, finished off the cognac and, having warmed up, fell down to take a nap again. Nice. After waking up, we lay around lazily for another hour, it was cool and we didn’t want to get out anywhere. We took turns looking at photographs taken on digital cameras and reading newspapers taken for kindling. Oh, what a thrill! Still, vacation is great!
In the city I never got around to it. Then they finally crawled out into the street. It's time to cook dinner, dry your shoes and clothes. I didn't do any of this because... I had a shift stuck just on the way back. After dinner, we nibbled another 100 grams and had a gathering around the fire. HARASHO!
At night Seryoga and I again climbed into the tent, although our wives tried to persuade us to lie down in the house. It seems to be warmer there. Nevermind, it’s always better in a tent.
The last day of our mini-vacation. We didn’t get up early; we had a hearty and leisurely breakfast. Then they quickly packed and loaded all their belongings into the cars. The last cigarette in the open air has been smoked, the windshields and headlights have been wiped clean. It's time! It's a shame to leave. We take one last look at the place. Will we come back here again?
Monday was not chosen by chance. There were a lot fewer cars on the highway. We leave in the same formation: Serge, me and Dima bringing up the rear. We sometimes change positions along the way. At Rosneft in Ust-Semakh, we again top up the tanks to full. We press non-stop to Manzherok. We have lunch there and spend money at the souvenir market.
This time there were some adventures. During one of the sharp right turns on the downhill, I feel like I won't stay in my lane. I just had to slow down (I was going 90 km/h) and choose a different line to enter the turn. And the car is loaded - 5 people + luggage. It’s too late to drink Borjomi... I understand that there’s no need to slow down, because... I'm already in the oncoming lane. After passing the extreme turning point, I turn the wheels to the right and give it gas. The “sick” grenade crunches brutally. The butt is carried out to the side of the road with a gravel pile, but the muzzle is already looking in the right direction. I feel a chill between my shoulder blades. The girls didn’t seem to notice anything; they thought that these were my usual experiments while driving. I silently promise myself and the passengers that I won’t do it again. And at one of the traffic police checkpoints they stop Dima for having a “damaged” license plate. There were two holes in the license plate that once hung on bolts. Well, they spotted it. Protocols, trawl-vali. Half an hour down the drain. Sergei and I managed to scrape off the insect corpses from the headlights and windshields. We continue on without incident.
Seryoga goes first. And as long as there were few cars on the track, everything was OK. But as soon as the cities began to pass, the highway became busier. And that's where it started. Instead of accelerating to overtake, Serge approached the truck, slowed down and trailed behind it for a long time, waiting for the right moment. In the end, I got sick of it. At the next “constipation” I brazenly overtook everyone, climbed forward and hit 130 km/h. For two hours I drove first, smoothly avoiding all the trucks and other “turtles”. The men sometimes couldn’t keep up and had to catch up. This was the situation until the next stop. Then, unfortunately, it ended. Well, to hell with it, we were already approaching the Novosibirsk region. Now the mood has changed, I already wanted to quickly get home, wash and rest. We're in a hurry. At the entrance to Akademgorodok it starts to rain again, and it gets dark quite quickly. The time is already 19:30. At nine o'clock we stop the caravan on the street. Lenin. We say goodbye to Sergei, Dima and their families. I still have 10 minutes to go to my home street. Hooray! We arrived at the house. Finish. That's all!
In total, we covered 1,764 km, using about 127 liters of gasoline, i.e. approximately 7.2 liters per 100 km. For a 1995 Corona with a 1.8 liter engine, this is not bad, considering that we were accelerating a lot when overtaking and driving the entire way back at about 120 km/h or more.
I have already posted a review about my Corona on the website, see the link https://reviews.auto.vl.ru/toyota/corona/13056/. Thanks to everyone who read my writing to the end. Sorry for the boring story, but I really wanted to describe everything in detail to you. If anyone is interested, I can post more photos. I will be happy to answer questions if anyone is going to those parts. Write to soap.
P.S. Many thanks to our girls for the hot, delicious lunches and dinners. Thanks to our children who gave us the opportunity to relax without twitching. Thanks to our tarantays - Toyota forever! Thanks to the feds for the quality of the M52. And of course – thanks to Altai for being so beautiful and so close.
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