Red Gate, Altai. How to get to a unique place?

Mountainous Altai is a land that does not get tired of surprising travelers. It seems that he has already traveled and examined everything, but suddenly the sun hid behind the cloud, and it seems that familiar places would not be recognized. The famous Red Gate also "led" itself. Altai did not want to miss people, forming an obstacle in the form of rocks, standing like two friends, close to each other.

People have corrected this with a series of explosions, and now all travelers can pass by the "friends" who have parted a little so that the road lies between them, and depending on the time of the day and the weather, they always look in a new way.

Red Gate

The famous Red Gate (Gorny Altai) became a landmark after the highway was paved through them. Before that, it was two rocks of red shade, composed of effusive rocks, in which there are many cinnabar.

The height of the rocks is 50 m, but they stood only ten meters from each other, which made it impossible to travel. The old road was dangerous, and it was possible to move only on horseback. After blasting, cleaning the site and building a bridge over the Chibit River, a popular tourist route appeared, which opens the way for the travelers to the splendor of Altai.

The route from Biysk to the Red Gate

As the local people say, all roads to the Altai Mountains lead through Biysk. This city appeared thanks to the decree of Peter I of 1708 on the construction of fortified fortress at the confluence of the rivers Biya and Katun. Its task was to protect the Russian border from the attacks of the Teleuts.

Only in the middle of the 18th century Biysk became a real impregnable fortress, which received the status of a district town of Tomsk province. Even today it is clear that once this city was a real merchant center, from which trade was conducted with Mongolia, China, Germany and France.

The village of Srostki continues the route Gorny Altai - Krasnye Vorota. How to get there from Biysk? The road is not difficult, the village is located only 35 km from the city along the Chuysky tract. This settlement is just over 200 years old, and it was formed by the merger of several rural farms into one big one. Hence its name.

The Chui tract is as famous as the Red Gate. Altai has long traded with neighboring countries, and on the site of this tract there was a well-trodden path, which later became known as the Mungal tract, which is mentioned in Chinese chronicles of a thousand years ago.

The further way lies from the fork near the village of Ust-Sema to the right, towards Tashanty, where the Seminsky Pass begins soon .

Seminsky pass

This is the highest pass on this track. Its height is 1717 m, the climb to it takes 9 km, and the descent - 11 km. It is the watershed of the Sema and Tuyet. Here you can perfectly relax on tourist bases or practice at the sports camp "Seminsky", where the skiers are preparing for the competition. It works all-the-year-round, only in the summer for training use special tracks for skis, and in winter - downhill skiing, to which the lift takes.

The route on the pass has a good infrastructure with cafes, toilets, souvenir shops, shops and parking lots. All the way is easy enough for both the car and the driver, regardless of the time of year. Experienced travelers know that it is behind the pass that the true, untouched by the Altai civilization begins.

Further the path lies through another pass, without which you can not go to the Red Gate in the Altai.

Chicke Taman Pass

This pass is more difficult than the previous one, and the views from it open simply stunning. Chick-Taman, which means "straight soles" in South Altaic, has a height of 1295 m, and once there was a horse trail, wide enough for a cart to pass through. Archaeologists dated her 10th-12th century age. It was used until the 20th century, and only in 1903 a road was built, which travelers in Altai know well today.

Work on the construction of the route continued in the 1920s. At the same time, half a million tons of soil was transported and several rocks were blown up. At the top of the pass there is a special observation deck, from which a spectacular view opens, but to reach it you will have to overcome 47 zigzags of serpentine road. The further way leads to the area of the confluence of the rivers Chui and Katun. To get from Biysk to the Red Gate (Altai), you will have to overcome 320 km of the mountain path.

Chuya and Katun

Two of the most majestic rivers - Chuya and Katun - meet in a place that has been known locally since ancient times as Chui-Oozi and is revered as a shrine. Here found a lot of evidence that in ancient times he was treated with the same reverence as today. For example, Kalbak-Tash is a tract on the walls of which is the largest collection of hieroglyphs that convey the life of people who lived here from 1000 to 5000 years ago.

Rock paintings are conventionally divided into 4 epochs:

• Neolithic (6000-4000 years BC), which transmits images of deer and camels.
• The Eneolithic and Bronze Age (3000-1000 years BC) are already characterized by figures of people, carts with drovers and chariots, warriors, unknown animals.
• The Age of Scythians - 8-3 century BC. E. - rock drawings of scenes of hunting and animals, both wild and domestic.
• The ancient Turkic era (7-10 century BC) conveys the image of predators and runic signs.

Near the confluence of the rivers an observation deck has been built, to which one can drive by car, and the Chui tract further along the Chui River. Here with what sights you can get acquainted, driving along the road Biysk - Krasnye Vorota in Gorny Altai.

Aktash village

The further way lies through one of the largest villages in this area - Aktash. This is a border facility, so a further pass for the nearest neighborhood will require a pass.

The village was formed near the mercury mine, and its inhabitants were miners. Until now, the local mining and smelting enterprise remains the only one in Russia, where it produces metallic mercury.

This place is very popular with tourists, as immediately behind the village is the famous Lake of Geyser, which any national park can envy.

The further way to the Red Gate (Altai) turns from Aktash village to the left, towards Ulagan. The road here is changed to a gravel site, at some stages it is better not to accelerate more than 30 km / h. After 8 km, the Gate will appear.

Lake of Geyser

This pond has a diameter of only 30 meters and a depth of 2 m, but thanks to the thermal springs that beat it right in the middle and lift up the beautiful blue mud, it is popular. Its waters have crystal clearness, and only a turquoise circle with divorces manifests itself at the next eruption of the geyser. Everyone who goes to the Red Gate (Altai, see the photo in the article), come to look at him.

The lake does not freeze even in severe frosts, so you can admire its unusual circles at any time of the year. To reach it, you need to overcome some obstacles in the form of mosquitoes, gadflies and swamps. With the latter you can cope by walking on the logs laid on it. For safety it is better to take a stick with you, so that you can rely on them in case of loss of balance.

Just behind the swamp begins a trail, which is difficult to get down, as it is marked with red ribbons. For precaution, to avoid injuries, clothing and shoes must be closed. On occasion, in Lake Geysern you can swim, but you should know that the water in it is quite cold.

Hostels on the road

Throughout the way, Biysk - the Red Gate (Altai, how to get there, described above), you can perfectly relax and stay for sightseeing. To stop, you can choose one of the hostels. The most popular recreation centers are located in the village of Aktash.

In the "Nomad" complex, for example, one can live in a real yurt, but in general it consists of 4 yurts, ten two-story houses and the same number of two-storied one-story houses.

It is suitable for active or married couples with children. To services of visitors here is:

• 3 baths;
• A restaurant in a yurt with a national cuisine;
• conference hall;
• 14 verandas for summer holidays;
• Two showers and 6 toilets;
• Volleyball court;
• parking;
• Places for tents;
• Campfires and barbecues.

Accommodation here will cost from 1400 rubles per room. The place is quite popular, especially among those who travel through Altai by their transport.

On the territory of the base you can stop with tents (for four people there is 200 rubles per day), there is a kitchen in the gazebo. It is most often visited by those who go or return to the Aktru glacier or the Severo-Chui ridge.

Hotels

Hotels in the village of Aktash offer an equally comfortable holiday with all the conditions for those who came to the Altai for a tour of the surroundings.

"As at home" - a mini-hotel that justifies its name. Here, guests are waiting for 20 seats, all amenities, hot and cold water, delicious food in the cafeteria. Those who prefer to be closer to nature, can put a tent on a special site near the river or pool.

In general, almost all tourist centers and hotels offer places for parking with tents, so you can not worry if there are no available rooms. Since the Lake of Geysers is only 1 km away, and the Red Gate is 8 km from Aktash, there is a year-round active tourist route, so you can make sure and reserve places in advance.

Recreation centers

Many travelers are interested not only in the Red Gate itself (Altai). The first inscription that appeared on them, dates back to 1946 and conveys the delight of a man who returns home. Someone SD Kuryukov immortalized himself by writing on a rock: "With God I return to my homeland !!!"

Today it became the same attraction as the route Biisk - Krasnye Vorota. Tourists like to climb these rocks, which is best done in the morning. To meet the dawn in the Red Gate, you can stay in one of the houses nearby.

For people active, the recreation center "Red Fox", which is located 7 km from the village of Aktash, meets its guests from May to October. Near it are the most popular tourist attractions of the Altai Mountains - the Dead and Blue Lakes, the Valley of Flowers and the Red Gate.

The base offers 3 houses with 4 seats in each and 2 houses with three beds each. The area near the cottages is large, so you can put tents, if you prefer to be closer to nature, but use the amenities of the hostel. Horse, pedestrian and car excursions around the Altai are held here. At guests' disposal:

• Bath;
• Arbours and campfires;
• Hammocks;
• Swings and a volleyball court.

Mountain Altai is a wonderful place for rest, in which there is enough room for everyone.