My first higher education was as a geographer, which largely determined my entire adult life. When you are so regularly in the field, far and high in the mountains, you can't and don't want to live any other way!
In fact, one can go on and on listing these "expedition trips" that last fr om several days to a month: geological expeditions in the region of Multinskie and Karakol lakes, a glaciological expedition on the glaciers of the Tabyn-Bogdo-Ola massif... Even today I shudder when recalling the hydrological expedition in the valley of the Ak-Alakha River on the Ukok Plateau, wh ere to measure the river depth one had to undress and stand up to the neck in water whose temperature was extremely close to zero!
Rarely have expeditions been without adventures: I have fallen through a crevasse in a glacier, pulled a GAZ-66 out of swamps, drowned in icy water and put out wildfires)) But that's the beauty of the decision to hit the road! And it's also love! At first sight, at first breath! Love that does not pass with the years, but only grows stronger! Love in this wonderful world which name - Altai!
Do you know what "wolf run" means? In the distant 2002 we were making our way to the Sofia Glacier on the South Chuya Ridge. Delayed with morning departure, while the water in the river is not yet so great from the active melting of glaciers, our "shishiga" (GAZ-66) stood right in the middle of the river ... The car had stopped in the middle of the river) It was about 30 kilometers away from the nearest village of Beltir.
The leader of the expedition sent me and my friend Michael for help. In the backpack: a loaf of bread and two cans of tinned fish - for us for lunch, a possible dinner or breakfast) And also 500 rubles and ... two bottles of vodka - to hire a KAMAZ or tractor, and with their help get out of the water car-wreck))
So, the wolf's run - this is when you change the step to a run (to speed up the movement). 10 or 20 minutes you run, then the same amount of walking, recovering breath and strength. And you run, of course, not on the road) And the most that neither is, rough terrain: sharp rocks kurumov, swamp, numerous streams and creeks ...
Of course, this story also ended successfully: we hired a tractor, by morning we had pulled the truck out of the river, rebuilt the engine in two days, drained the water from the bridges, started and continued our journey...
For several years now I've been driving tours. Or as it is customary to say nowadays - author's tours. They pass through the most fascinating places of Altai. As a rule, you spend three days on the most beautiful Chuisky road with unforgettable Altai landscapes. It's inexpressible in its beauty sunsets and sunrises. It's snowy peaks on hot summer days. It's fog and clouds, which you "cut" with your body!
Of course, you can spend a long time researching the accompanying sights on the Internet, writing down their geolocations. Rent a car and drive yourself. But, believe me, you won't see half of what I can show you).
Good luck to you all and see you soon! More