Kucherlinsky lakes - a sight of Altai

Going to the mountains of Altai, it is always advisable to look into the area of the Katun Ridge. It is there that the Kucherlinskie lakes (as described below) are located, which attract everyone with an unusual appearance. The thing is that the water has a turquoise hue, which is so rare in the territory of the Russian Federation.

It's no secret that most of the great power is located on a flat terrain. But even with this nuance, the number of mountain peaks reaches a mark of 2 thousand. Plains are surrounded on all sides by massifs: Kamchatka, the Urals, Sayan, and the Caucasus. Some mountain peaks have a height of more than 4 thousand meters. Elbrus is considered the greatest in Russia. But Altai belongs to the most beautiful. It is in this ridge that the Kucherlinskie lakes are located, the photos of which are located below.

Characteristics of the pond

The lake occupies a rather large area. It is 480 m long and 200 m wide. The depth of the reservoir does not exceed 5 m. The height of the water surface is calculated from the water area of the sea - almost 2 thousand meters. It was about the Upper Kucherlinsky Lake. The big one is only 100 m from it. But the Lower stretched for 530 m, and the widest place overcame the mark of 300 m. In some areas, the depth can exceed 15 m.

Kucherlinsky Lakes

A few thousand years ago, the Earth's relief was highly variable, with some changes still taking place. Thanks to tectonic tearing of plates and melting of ice, nature was able to "draw" a lot of memorable places. All of them force the hearts of travelers to freeze from what they have seen. Kucherlinskie lakes are no exception. How to get there? This can be done both in the sky and on the ground. However, those who were not in Altai, need to hire a guide.

The group of lakes includes three reservoirs: Upper, Large and Lower. Only Big has really impressive dimensions.

The rest are in the northern part of the Katunsky mountain range. On the slope of the surface there are more than 400 glaciers. Here you can also see several waterfalls and dozens of other lakes. All of them are of glacial origin. The most interesting of these will be the Great Kucherlinsky Lake.

The Great Kucherlin Lake

The height of the lake is 1790 m. The pond is located on 3 thousand m ² . On the territory of the Russian Federation, it occupies not the last place among those that arose as a result of the melting of glaciers. And all because its length is more than 5 thousand meters. The width has an average of 575 m. However, in some places it grows to 900 m. And the most surprising is that the lake is located in a mountainous area, and not on the plain. From the west and east it is surrounded by various heights, compressed by a pond, like a vice.

In the southern part, Kucherlinskie lakes are supported by a larger stream, and in the northern part - by a glacier that has long ceased to move, leaning against the ground.

Due to the motion of the moraine, a hollow was formed, which is the bottom of the Great Pond. Due to the color of the water it is also possible to judge how the lake was formed. Mineral substances that give a turquoise hue do not settle to the bottom, due to which the color is kept for a long time. But depending on the weather, the shade varies to dark gray.

Climatic conditions

Kucherlinskie lakes are located in a climatic zone in which the temperature on the pond even in the summer does not exceed 14 ^o Celsius degrees. And at night there are frosts. This is due to the fact that the waters are in the highlands.

Than to carry away itself at Kucherlinsky lakes?

At once it is necessary to specify that Altai is not a place for those tourists who are used to permanent comfort. You can visit the lakes any time from May to September inclusive. And even by the end of the tourist season, Kucherlinsky lakes are constantly visited. How to get there? You can take a horse (it takes a few hours) or walk (two days).

Those who have won a pond will have to endure rather heavy backpacks, cold nights and long hikes. The route really does not spoil the easy ways - you will have to go constantly uphill, and after frequent rains the path will be blurred. Wet clothes and a constant influx of insects - true mountain lovers will definitely be satisfied, which can not be said about those who do not like this kind of "walks".

Kucherlinskie lakes are located in the territory of the park "Belukha", which protects and constantly supports the beauty of nature.

In the surrounding area there are many kinds of rare animals, so hunting them is strictly prohibited. At the foot of the mountain you can find snow leopards. But in the local meadows, a frequent visitor can be called a mountain goat, who, just the same, "waits" until he is caught by a hunter. The fauna is rich in representatives not only of the hoofed family, but also of ground squirrels and pikas. The latter often like to gnaw out things of tourists in search of tasty food.

On the way to the lakes you can find a huge number of berries growing on bushes.

How to get there?

It's easy enough to get to the Altai capital . Kucherlinskie lakes are relatively close to it. You can take the bus, which will take the tourist for 10 hours. If you choose a car as a transport, then you need to move along the M52.

A helicopter will be a cheap helicopter, which also will easily take the traveler.