Altai Republic
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Altai Republic
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| Information | |
Country:  |
Russia |
| State: | Altai Republic |
| Population: | 200,000 |
| Major roads: | R256, R375 |
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Altai Republic (Russian: Республика Алтай) is a republic within the Russian Federation, part of the Siberian Federal District.
On the northwest, Altai Republic borders Altai Krai, to the east it borders the republics of Tuva and Khakassia, to the northeast the Kemerovo Oblast, to the southwest the Republic of Kazakhstan, and to the south the People's Republic of China and Mongolia. The area of mountainous Altai is 92,000 sq.km. Population is about 200,000 (with only 24% urban). The distance from Moscow to mountainous Altai is approximately 4,000 km.
There are no railways within the republic or connecting it to other regions of Russia.
Contents
Hitchhiking out and Traveling Features
- Hitchhiking from Biysk to Gorno-Altaysk is easy (there are also minibuses, buses, and a busy highway). The R256 (Chuysky Trakt) highway passes close to Gorno-Altaysk but not directly through it, instead through the satellite town of Mayma. From the intersection in Mayma to the bus station in Gorno-Altaysk it is about 5 km.
- From Gorno-Altaysk to Chemal stretches a tourist area with decent hitchhiking; after turning in Ust-Sema onto the bridge over the Katun river, hitchhiking becomes even better, though the number of cars drops significantly. During tourist season (June - August), hitchhiking is great. Outside of the season, there are noticeably fewer cars and waiting times increase.
- Along the Katun river from Gorno-Altaysk to Chemal and further, all the riverbanks are rented out, so pitching a tent freely is not possible. The landowner will show up and demand payment. In other places, choose free spots in advance, using an OSM map for example or by checking reports from other travelers.
- Attitudes from locals range from extremely friendly to somewhat hostile. Indigenous locals have a low tolerance for alcohol—become drunk quickly, and when drunk can be aggressive. There was a case in 2007 where local shepherds killed a family from Omsk for refusing to share cigarettes. Afterwards, the authorities conducted educational work with locals; since then, nothing of the kind has been reported. It is advised to be cautious and avoid suspicious groups in remote areas, especially if alcohol is involved. If you have alcohol yourself, don't try to use it to befriend locals—it won't end well. Also, in steppe areas, don't pitch tents on grassy spots: in winter, every bit of grass in remote parts of Altai is valuable as hay, and spoiling it will not endear you to locals. The same goes for places considered sacred.
- Although hitchhiking is generally good in the republic, it's recommended to discuss riding for free in advance with the driver. Some locals will try to get some kind of compensation for the ride. However, sometimes this "payment" brings added value: the author, for example, was taken by local hunters into a remote canyon in Onguday district for three days of hunting and fishing after paying for half a tank of fuel.
- Border zone: The mountain belt along the borders with Kazakhstan, China, and Mongolia—including Chuyskie Belki and the village of Dzazator—is a popular tourist area. The 5-km border strip is accessible by permit only (it’s hard to reach by road at all, only on foot), and the permit can be arranged in Kosh-Agach during business hours. Since 2013, a passport is enough for the rest of the border zone (except for Russian citizens with only international passports—those will be turned around). Only the Soloneshensky checkpoint on the way to Dzazator remains operational.
Nature Reserves
- "Altai State Natural Biosphere Reserve". 649000, Russia, Altai Republic, Gorno-Altaysk, Naberezhny Lane, 1. Phone (fax): 8 (388-22) 2-14-19 [email protected] www.altzapoved.ru Duty service (24/7): in Gorno-Altaysk: 8-903-074-00-44, in Yaylyu (satellite phone): 8 (495) 645-22-62, press *4512 at the auto-operator, in Artybash: 8 (388-43) 8-960-967-53-51. Ranger service email in Yaylyu: [email protected]
- Federal State Institution of Katunsky State Natural Biosphere Reserve. 649490, Russia, Altai Republic, Ust-Koksa, Zapovednaya St, 1. Phone/fax: (388848) 22946 E-mail: [email protected]
Towns
Settlements with populations above 2,000:
- Gorno-Altaysk
- Mayma
- Kosh-Agach
- Turochak
- Shebalino
- Kyzyl-Ozyok
- Ust-Koksa
- Ongudai
- Ust-Kan
- Chemal
- Ulagan
- Aktash
Motorways
- "Soltonsky Trakt" R375 — regional road connecting the southeastern districts of Altai Krai with the northeastern districts of Altai Republic. It connects Biysk with Artybash and Lake Teletskoye.
- "Ulagan Trakt" — road Akhtash–Ulagan–Balyktuyul. Entirely within Ulagan district, most of it crosses the Ulagan plateau via Ulagan pass (2040m).
- "Chemal Trakt" — road Ust-Sema–Chemal–Kuyus along the right bank of Katun river. Asphalt up to Yelanda, then gravel. At kilometer 78, a road branches off to Oroktoy via Oroktoy bridge, at kilometer 80 there’s a turn to Edigan. Length is about 90 km.
- R256 "Chuysky Trakt" (formerly also M52) — federal road Novosibirsk–Novoaltaisk (with access to Barnaul)–Biysk–Mayma (access to Gorno-Altaysk)–state border with Mongolia. Passes through Novosibirsk Oblast, Altai Krai, and Altai Republic. Total length from Novosibirsk to the border is 962 km.
- There are no roads to Khakassia from Altai Republic, only trails! There is a mountainous dirt road to Tuva (Kosh-Agach–Kokorya–Ak-Dovurak), traffic is 0–10 cars per day (mainly fishermen, who won’t take you all the way). Sometimes you might be lucky to catch a UAZ with Tuva plates (region 17) in Kosh-Agach.
Border Crossings
- MAPP "Tashanta" — international year-round automobile crossing into Mongolia. All nationalities allowed. Located at 943 km on the "Chuysky Trakt" R256. Open 9:00–18:00 daily. There are 25 km between the Russian "Tashanta" and the Mongolian "Tsagaan-Nuur" checkpoints, crossing a pass. Pedestrians are not allowed. In July, the border generally closes around July 10–18 due to Mongolian national holidays. In July 2017, there was an instance where Mongols requested an invitation from a Ukrainian citizen (who did not have one) and denied entry. Belarusians did not have this problem.
- There are no border crossings from the Altai Republic into China or Kazakhstan.
Hitchhiking in
Places to avoid
Accommodation and Sleep
Along the Katun river from Gorno-Altaysk to Chemal and further, the riverbanks are mostly rented, and wild camping is usually not possible without being asked for payment by landowners. In other regions of the republic, choose free camping spots in advance—using OSM maps or advice from other travelers is recommended. In steppe regions, avoid pitching tents on grassy patches, as this is valuable hay for locals in winter, and damaging it may cause conflict. Also, avoid camping on spots that may be considered sacred.
Other useful info
- For travel in border areas, be aware of border zone permits and checkpoints, especially near Kazakhstan, China, or Mongolia.
- Attitude of locals can be highly variable—caution is advised in remote areas, especially if alcohol is involved.
