One Day In Altai | Guide Club

City life dictates its own rules. Traffic jams, the way to and from work, queues at the checkout in the hypermarket. All this, day after day, makes us forget that we are just a part of the big world. That we are just a small grain of sand in it. And the wind of life has driven us under a rock, from where, most often, no one can get out, and many do not even want to. But it happens that when we come home and turn on a TV channel about nature, we watch and admire its beauty, its aesthetics. And it all seems so far away, so unattainable. However, you just need to decide for yourself and get up, pack up and move to Altai! This is the only way you will embark on the path of adventure, freedom from the hustle and bustle of the city, traffic jams, constant calls and annoying ads.

And here you are in a small house in the mountains. It’s early morning, and your guide woke you up. It’s time to hit the road. Shivering under the covers, you reluctantly go out into the cool morning, and your adventure colleagues are already waiting on the porch and drinking coffee! What a beautiful morning it will be! And it doesn’t matter what the weather is or the time of the year. What is important is that the path that everyone has been waiting for will begin now.

You have never gone on such an adventure before, and therefore there is a slight chill in your soul. After all, it is unclear whether you will be able to keep up the pace, whether you will not fall behind. But this feeling is not only yours. It lives in everyone! Everyone looked at each other and, having finished their coffee, got ready to leave.

Briefing, backpack on your back, and go ahead! Here they are, the first steps into the unknown! The first views!

The first couple of kilometers were quite simple, and the view did not change much. But now, turning off the usual path, we find ourselves on a path winding upwards, uphill. And then the question sounded in the team: “A halt, maybe?”. Everyone threw off their belongings and settled down on the bank of a mountain stream, listened to her song and talked. And that song was about how she gathers a drop from the melting ice above and how she takes a couple more jets from the spring. How that river runs down, hurrying to bring moisture to the village, jumping from pebble to pebble, winding between the roots of trees. And in the summer heat, it gives coolness to tired travelers resting on its shore.

But you can’t listen to all the songs, and therefore, having enjoyed the views of the flowing singer, the travelers moved on. And the path leads higher and higher, getting steeper. But the team spirit is strong, and curiosity leads forward.

And so our squad moves forward like a snake, watching what is happening around. Suddenly, a squeak attracted my attention! Squeak! This little animal works tirelessly with its little paws! He carries food for his babies into his burrow and creates supplies for the winter. Summer in the mountains is short, and its fertile period is even shorter, and you need to make it. Here is the father of the family, risking his life, rushing into the burrow with food, then out of it for a new batch of nature’s gifts.

But he’s not the only one with kids. A feathered predator appeared in the sky! He hovered in the air, fixing his sharpest vision on the surface of the slope. He is looking for a squeaker and other small inhabitants among the stones. His hungry chicks are counting on him, and he just has to cover the last shadow of a not very careful animal.

This time the squeaker was lucky, and the sharp eye flew on. It’s time for us to go too.

Step by step, our squad moved towards the goal. Somewhere the ascent was steep, and somewhere we were walking on the plain. And suddenly a ridge opened up in front of the travelers. He captivated the eyes of our heroes, and they threw off their backpacks and stopped for a rest again. After getting a snack, they arranged an impromptu lunch, ate and could not take their eyes off the incredible view.

The North Chui Ridge rises above the steppe. It frames the Kurai steppe like a tiara. And its glaciers, like huge diamonds, shine on the slopes. The wind blowing from this giant brings with it the freshness of the ice and a kind of calmness, as if nothing is more important than looking at the splendor of this landscape. Dots circle over the expanse of the ochre steppe – these are feathered predators looking for a victim for themselves and their offspring. And gophers are running around the Kurai, hiding in the grass and behind stones, making supplies for the future. Life in the steppe does not stop for a minute.

Our travelers, breaking out of their stupor, moved on. It was only a short distance to the parking lot. But this path still needs to be traversed. And our group is moving on.

We got to the parking lot in the late afternoon. After setting up tents and having dinner, we watched the sunset together.

The fireball inexorably went behind the mountains, giving the world the last warmth and light, and the clouds, catching its radiance, played with it, arranging a light presentation for the group of travelers. Those, warming their hands on mugs of hot tea, silently watched what was happening, seizing the moment. Someone in their memories, and someone on the memory card of their camera or phone. And so yarilo, having flashed at last, completely disappeared behind a ridge of mountains, but the clouds, still not having played enough, did not let go of his rays.

After a while, the sky darkened and the mountains turned blue. This is the so-called blue hour. The beauty of tranquility! This blue sorcerer robbed the travelers of sleep, forcing them to observe the metamorphoses of nature. He did not come suddenly, but as the clouds released the last rays. And only when the last ray was released and ran away after the luminary, the blue covered the world, making it fabulous.

The dark friend of the blue hour, night, followed. This time she pleased us by bringing the stars with her. As the blue receded, these small rays of light filled the sky. At first I wanted to count them, but very quickly it became clear that this would not work. They took over the entire firmament very quickly.

After enjoying the beautiful view, and someone filmed it, the guys went to bed. Tomorrow was going to be an equally exciting day, and it was necessary to have a good rest. Overwhelmed with emotions, the guys fell asleep very quickly, and the morning greeted them with a bright sun, which, after sleeping well, generously gave warmth to the world.

The past day will remain in the memory of travelers for a long time and in the photos they took. But that was only the first day, and there are still a lot of such days ahead. The journey has just begun. And our squad moved on, collecting impressions and new shots! Of course, you can see everything on TV or on a smartphone screen, but neither one nor the other is able to give you a sense of achievement, the joy of what you see without a plastic frame. Not to mention the feeling of a cool and humid breeze, icy water on your face, scooped up by your own palms from a mountain river, the rays of the sun on your body, drops of warm summer rain. I can list it for a long time, but you can only understand what I’m talking about by arriving and seeing on your own, getting your feelings and sharing this charge with friends and family.