Unique places in Russia that you have hardly heard of: Kucherlinskie lakes

Greater Caucasus, Ural, Sayany, Kamchatka - ridges and hills, like a fence, surround the southern and eastern plain spaces. 72 peaks in Russia are over 4,000 m high. The highest of them is Elbrus (5,642 m). Altai is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful mountain ranges. Its complex system of ridges stretches for almost 2,000 km and in some places reaches 4,500 m above sea level.

Big Kucherlinskoe lake

Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the Earth did not yet have the relief we are used to. But with tectonic faults and glacial descents, like rough strokes, nature painted the objects at which we now look with bated breath.

One of them is the Kucherlinsky Lakes. They are located in the Altai Mountains, in the upper reaches of the Kucherla River (a tributary of the Katun). Administratively, these places belong to the Ust-Koksinsky district of the Altai Republic.

The Kucherlinsky lakes group includes three reservoirs: Bolshoye, Verkhnee and Nizhnee lakes. The last two are not as ambitious as the first.

The Upper Kucherlinskoye Lake is a reservoir 480 m long and 200 m wide, the maximum depth is 5 m. It is located at an altitude of 1,975 m above sea level, 100 m from the Big Kucherlinskoe Lake.

Lower Kucherlinskoe Lake is a reservoir 532 m long and about 300 m wide (at its widest point). In some places it reaches a depth of more than 17 m. It is located 200 m from the Big Lake at an altitude of 1 785 m.

Both are located on the northern side of the Katunsky ridge. On its slopes, there are about 400 glaciers, as well as dozens of lakes and waterfalls of glacial origin. The pearl among them is the Big Kucherlinskoye Lake.

It is located at an altitude of 1,790 m. The area of the lake is 3,000 square meters. m. The lake is considered a large reservoir of glacial origin. Its length is 5,220 m. The average width is 575 m, but towards the middle the lake expands, and in some places the distance from coast to coast is 900 m. The length of the coastline is almost 15,000 m.

Kucherlinsky lake

The lake is located at an altitude of 1,790 m

The average depth of the lake is 30 m

Photo:,, It is surprising that such a large body of water is not on the plain, but among the mountains. From the west and east, the Big Kucherlinskoye Lake, like a vice, is surrounded by mountain peaks, sometimes reaching 3,000 m.

In the south, the lake abuts against the Kucherla River, and in the north - against the glacial moraine, the place where the glacier, which ripped open the earth, stopped.

Moraine is a complex glacial sediment, which is a mixture of clay, rubble, boulders brought by the glacier during movement.

The hollow left by the movement of the glacier is now the bottom of the Big Kucherlinskoye Lake. Its average depth is about 30 m, but in the deepest places it reaches almost 55 m.

The color of the water also speaks of the glacial origin of the lake. A matte turquoise shade is created by a mineral suspension that almost never settles to the bottom. However, depending on the weather, the lake can change color - sometimes it turns dark gray.

Photo:

The local climate does not indulge in warmth: the average temperature in July on the Big Kucherlinskoye Lake is about +14 ºС. There are frosts at night even in summer.

There are frosts in these places even in summer

But neither the inaccessibility nor the unkind weather stops those who dream of seeing the Kucherlinsky lakes.

What to do near the Kucherlinsky lakes?

The beauty of the Altai Mountains is not for tourists accustomed to comfort. The visiting season for the Kucherlinsky Lakes lasts from May to mid-September. You can get to them on foot or by horse. Horse crossing takes several hours (more on that later), and walking - about two or three days.

If you decide to look at the Kucherlinsky lakes, remember: a serious hike with heavy backpacks, cold nights and long transitions awaits you. The route is quite difficult: almost always you have to go uphill, often it rains, washing the trail. You need to be prepared for wet clothes and annoying insects. But lovers of hiking, in spite of everything, will be satisfied. The unique Altai nature and fresh air more than pay for all the difficulties.

The nature of the Kucherlinsky lakes is really unique. This is confirmed by the fact that they are located on the territory of the natural park "Belukha", created in 1997.

A natural park is an area of a natural landscape under the jurisdiction of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation. No special permits are required to visit it.

Natural parks have special protection regimes. So, at the foot of Belukha (the highest mountain of the Katunsky ridge - 4,509 m) there are snow leopards - irbis. These graceful predators are listed in the Red Book of Russia, so hunting them is prohibited.

But you can get permission to hunt Siberian mountain goats, which come to graze in the local alpine meadows.

Altai alpine meadows are not at all an oxymoron. The shores of the Big Kucherlinskoye Lake are embraced by mountain peaks, between which there are picturesque mountain meadows. The last scientists are subdivided into alpine and subalpine, depending on the altitudinal zonality.

On a trip to the Kucherlinsky lakes, you can enjoy the modest beauty of mountain flowers, as well as pick honeysuckle and lingonberries (there are many berries in the vicinity of the lakes).

Among the fauna, in addition to goats, one can also find gophers and pikas. The latter are especially numerous. Be careful when getting up for the night: these animals are very agile, they often gnaw through backpacks of tourists in search of something tasty.

Altai mountain meadows

The road to the lake goes along the Kucherla river

Altai nature

Photo:, 2, But the main wealth of the Kucherlinsky lakes, of course, is fish! Grayling and mykizha (rainbow trout) are also found. Fishermen will be able to enjoy their favorite pastime to their fullest, and those who have never fished will finally try it. After all, what could be better than frying a freshly caught (with your own hand!) Fish?

A hike to the Kucherlinsky lakes is an excellent pastime for those who like active rest. But it requires a lot of physical strength and endurance.

If you prefer a comfortable bed to a tent and a sleeping bag, do not be upset - there are also recreational resources in the Belukha Natural Park. So, near the village of Tungur there are several recreation centers offering tourists not only comfortable accommodation, but also transfers from / to major cities and excursions to the lakes.

There are several tourist centers not far from the lakes

In the immediate vicinity of the Big Kucherlinskoye Lake, there is a camp site of the same name. There, in addition to the natural beauties that come "by default", guests are offered all kinds of entertainment: a bathhouse, rental of motor boats and catamarans, horseback riding, etc.

By the way, horseback riding tours to the Kucherlinsky lakes are a very common service among Altai guides and travel agencies. At the same time, the Big Kucherlinskoye Lake is usually only one of the stops. Tourists are offered 2-5-day routes to several attractions (lakes Darashkol and Akkem, Stone Town, Kony-Aira waterfall, etc.).

Horseback riding tour to the Kucherlinskoye lake

Horse trail

The path on horseback is much easier and faster

Photo:,,

How to get to Kucherlinsky lakes?

Attention! A hike to the Kucherlinsky lakes is a serious undertaking. If you have never been to Altai, then it is better to buy a tour at an agency or hire a guide (residents of the village of Tungur willingly agree to be escorts).

The closest settlements to the Kucherlinsky lakes (about 40 km) are the villages of Kucherla and Tungur. The first is almost abandoned, so all tourist routes, as a rule, start from Tungur. Therefore, the number one task is to get to it. There are two options here.

On the ground

You can get to Tungura by public transport from Gorno-Altaysk (the capital of the Altai Republic). During summer, the bus runs every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The ride will take almost 10 hours.

Back from Tungur to Gorno-Altaysk, the bus runs on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

More details on the schedule can be found here.

You can get a route to Tungur by car from the nearby large cities:

Novosibirsk - about 800 km;
Barnaul - about 600 km;
Biysk - about 550 km.

The M52 highway passes nearby.

Across the sky

In summer, you can fly by helicopter to Tyungur, as well as from the village to the Big Kucherlinskoye Lake. True, this pleasure is not cheap.

Why is it worth seeing the Kucherlinsky lakes?

Imagine: early morning, the sun's rays barely break through the jagged rocks overgrown with cedar. You leave the tent and breathe in the invigorating air. Silence is all around. Only somewhere in the meadows an unknown bird sings and the noise of a mountain river is muffled. You come to a matte turquoise lake. It is as smooth as glass; it seems that you touch it - it will crumble into thousands of fragments …

Kucherlinskoe lake

Water surface

Haze over Lake Kucherlinskoye

Photo:,, Sounds like a fairy tale, doesn't it? Kucherlinsky lakes are a rare natural object that creates a feeling of unreality. Life in such places flows according to its own laws: it is not people who dictate the rules to nature, but she to them. Looking at the clouds reflected in the blue surface of the Kucherlinskoye Lake, time, the value of things and their place in the world are felt differently. If you want to know a little more about yourself and people, go hiking in Altai.