Cradle of nations

The itinerary begins from the capital of Altay region – Barnaul city. A short acquaintance with the city and we head south-west – to Kazakhstan border, Kolyvanskoye Lake, that was formed several million years ago. The itinerary begins from the capital of Altay region – Barnaul city. A short acquaintance with the city and we head south-west – to Kazakhstan border, Kolyvanskoye Lake, that was formed several million years ago. Eroded and very picturesque grey stone rocks remember us about the Ice Age.

In the town of miners – Zmeinogorsk – one can visit the oremining museum, have a look at hydraulic constructions of the 18th century that are still running.

Over the Glyaden heights, following the old abandoned road, the group stalks to the Kolyvan village where they visit the stonecutting museum. A stonecutting plant that was established in 1802 continues its work up to the present moment. “The queen of vases” was produced here and from the end of 19th century it has been exhibiting in Hermitage museum, St. Petersburg.

Next day of the track brings us a deep wade over the River Belaya and a difficult up climbing the Osinoviy Heights. Over the river you’ll find no traces of civilization. After the heights the road winds through the Tigiretskiy range spurs – along the border of the national reserve. Several tens of off0road and we arrive to an almost abandoned Tigirek village where the remnants of old ground fortress can still be found. It protected the Russian inhabitants from Mongol nomads’ rides in the 18th century.

Next checkpoint is the Sentelek village that has a unique kurgan of Scythian times in its suburbs. It has quite a big diameter – about 46 metres and it’s 2 metres high. This is a chief’s grave dating back to the 5th century B.C. The uniqueness of this kurgan is that it has 19 stone plates in the east direction, with each next plate taller than the previous one..

In the Sentelek’s centre you can find a small pantohospital, the first one in Altay region. Velvet antlers are supplied from marals’ nursery in Pokrovka village. The special technology of antlers preparation lets the hospital to work all year round. It’s worth to note, that visiting of this nursery made a great impression on Russian president V.V.Putin, that spent three of his holidays in these places.

The rest of the itinerary through the Baschelakskiy range and the heights of the same name will lead us to the valley of Anuy River. You are free whether to believe or not many different legends about these places. But there is one fact that you have to know. A famous artist and sophist, India and eastern religion expert, Nikolay Konstantinovich Rerikh, entered the Denisov cave on his way back from the sacred mountain Belukha in 1926. In his notes of the famous Altay-Himalaya journey he wrote about this cave as of a special place that connects different worlds.