This is not a screen saver from a computer desktop or a wrapper from Swiss chocolate. This is not a photo wallpaper with views of the Alps. Pictures show us quite domestic beauty. The harsh splendor of the mountains seems to contrast with the whiteness of the glaciers and the gentle turquoise water. To get to all this has to, however, also on domestic roads. In some places, asphalt, somewhere gravel, and in some places just “direction”. But the reward for the hardships will be marvelous landscapes, wonderful pictures and a sea of positive mood. And how nice, going down the mountain trails, take a steam in a real Russian bathhouse. Here you will read a summary of excursions and multi-day hiking trips to the Multi Lakes. Traveler reviews will give you an idea of how to relax in this charming corner of the Altai Territory.
What it is
We will not dwell on the history of the emergence of these reservoirs. Suffice it to say that in the last global cooling, the giant tongue of the glacier crawled down from the mountains, pushing and rolling huge boulders along the way, and pushed its bed with the weight of the future river Mult. When it got warmer, cascading Multinskie lakes appeared on the spot of snow. They are separated by moraines - natural dams made of stones. Since the lakes are cascaded, waterfalls form between them. The most famous of these riffles is Noises. The name of the waterfall speaks for itself. Moraine lakes are deeper than karst and more of them. In the clear water surface reflect mountain peaks. Hiking will allow you to see all the lakes without exception: Lower, Middle, Upper, Cross, Kuiguk and a group of Strong. Part of the path runs through the reserve. Evening gatherings around the campfire, overnight in a tent on the banks of the river, cedar forests and alpine meadows - all this is given by Multi Lakes (Altai).
How to get there
Tourists usually start their journey from Barnaul, but you can choose the starting point for the city of Biysk. Regular buses run from the bus stations of these settlements to the village of Maralnik (Ust-Koksinsky district of the Altai Republic). The name of the village is beautiful - by the name of the flower. And already fifteen kilometers from the village of Maralnik are the Multinsky Lakes. How to get on your own car? On the Chuysky highway, you need to go in the direction of Tuketa and, before reaching it, turn towards Ust-Kan. Arriving in the town, you need to find the road to Ust-Koksa. Passing the jaeger post of the reserve in the village of Talda and breaking the Gromotukha pass, after fifteen kilometers you will reach Maralnik. In the village there are tolerable hotels, good guest houses, campsites. A car, if it’s not an all-wheel drive SUV, is best left parked in the village.
Excursions
You can visit the lakes not only on foot, as part of a multi-day hike. In the villages of Maralnik and Zamult, many enterprising residents earn by organizing interesting excursions. The tour "Multinsky Lakes, Altai" takes place on GAZiki and UAZ. In one day, you can see the three main reservoirs, visit Mount Krasnaya, see rock paintings of primitive people in the Kuilyu grotto. During the high water period, you can take a canoe tour throughout the cascade of Multi Lakes. Or take a ride along the northern slope of the Katun ridge, swaying peacefully in the saddle. Local villages are inhabited by Old Believers, and in the town of Belukha there is a museum of life professing this religion.
Where to stay
As already mentioned, in the village of Maralnik you can find housing. But it is best to live directly at the lakes. On the Middle is the cordon of the reserve. Nearby are several guest houses, which are rented to vacationers in the winter. You can recommend the Eternal Wanderer. Its owner is a professional guide himself, very fond of his land. There is a camp "Multinsky Lakes", where you can rent houses, or you can put your own tent. On the territory there is a kitchen, a bath. Horse and car excursions can be booked there. This campsite is located in the Old Believer village of Zamult, thirty kilometers from Ust-Koksa, the regional center. Along the shores of the lakes and the river Multa there are many convenient campsites with places for tents and bonfires.
Hike!
Most of those who want to go to the famous Altai reservoirs live in tents at the very entrance to the Katun Biosphere Reserve. Thus, the Lower Lake, lying at an altitude of 1700 m above sea level, is located two hundred meters from the parking lot. You can swim in it in the summer. Although this reservoir and the deep (up to 22 m) upper layer of water warms up in July-August to +14 ... + 15 degrees. Bathing, to put it mildly, invigorates, but the mountain sun warms. The middle and lower Multinsky lakes are connected by the Shumi waterfall. A powerful stream, falling from a height, declares its presence throughout the district. Passing the middle lake, the excursionists move up the path among the forests and alpine meadows. To get to the reserve, you must fill out a form. And before my eyes appears the most beautiful Upper Lake. It lies at an altitude of 1860 meters. Oval, turquoise, surrounded by glaciers and snowy peaks. Therefore, the water in it is very cold. Even in July, its temperature is only +8. Eleven streams cast their waters into the bowl of the lake. The height of the largest roll is 60 meters.
Other lakes
In the Upper takes its source the river Mult. But there are still numerous tributaries. They also feed from alpine lakes. Cross is located in the reserve. It gives rise to the river of the same name and lies at an altitude of 1885 m. Until the end of June, a small Verkhnyaya Pereperechny lake is icebound. After all, it is located at an altitude of more than 2000 meters. Multinsky lakes include four turquoise reservoirs, united under one name - "Strong". All of them are located in the mountain circus. From them flows the river Strong. And if you cross the Norilchan pass (2650 m), you can see Lake Taimenje.