Altai river Katun is widely known in tourist circles. She is equally respected both among lovers of water rafting on various means, and among those who prefer less extreme forms of relaxation on her coast.
Geographical Information
The Katun River, whose total length from the source on the slope of the greatest Altai peak, Belukha Mountain, to the confluence with the Biya River is 688 kilometers, is the main waterway of Altai Mountains. The river makes its way downstream through many obstacles. This is due to the large number of thresholds along the entire length of its upper and middle course. The entire Katun River is divided into three main sections, characterized by the strength of the current, the width of the channel and the nature of the surrounding area. Upper Katun - from the source on the Gebler Glacier on the southern slope of Belukha Mountain to the mouth of the Cox River . The length of the site is 210 kilometers. Middle Katun is a two-hundred-kilometer section from the mouth of Koksa to the mouth of Sulta. And Lower Katun - 280 kilometers to the geographical point of Biya-Katun, the confluence of two equally large rivers. This place is considered to be the beginning of the great Siberian river Ob, which has two sources. In the lower reaches, Katun acquires a predominantly flat character.
Historical information
Mountain Altai, Katun, like many other remote areas of Siberia, have traditionally been considered inaccessible territories. They were separated from capitals and large industrial centers by large distances and the absence of trunk lines of communication. These circumstances significantly impeded the economic development of the region’s wealth. And an unconditional positive consequence of this situation is the relatively favorable state of the environment that the Altai region possesses at the beginning of the twenty-first century. To evaluate this, just compare it with the Urals. In the Soviet period of history, there were numerous plans for the construction of dams and hydroelectric power stations on Katun. These plans aroused objections in the scientific community and protests from those who care about the ecology of their native land. And today we can only rejoice that the hydropower potential of the main Altai river has remained undeveloped.
In Altai
The Katun River has traditionally attracted those who, for various reasons, sought to temporarily or permanently sever their relations with the civilized world. In past centuries, these were Old Believers and other persecuted religious minorities. They fled to the Altai Mountains from persecution and founded their secluded settlements on the banks of the Katun. Traces of their existence can be found in Altai today. And at present, Katun attracts the attention of various tourists from all over the world, as well as ordinary connoisseurs of untouched nature. Mountain Altai does not deceive the expectations of either one or the other. To make sure of this, just open any tourist media and read reviews. Katun is marked on the tourism forums with the most enthusiastic responses. It is difficult to find another similar route for travel, where pristine nature on the coast serves as a backdrop for extreme rafting through rapids and whirlpools.
For a dose of adrenaline
It is lovers of extreme rafting along mountain rivers that make up the most significant part of the flow of tourists, each summer rushing to the shores of the main waterway of Altai. Rafting on Katun is traditionally carried out in two ways. On light and manoeuvrable kayaks or on more stable (and less agile) inflatable multi-chamber rafts, called "rafts". Each of the two possible alloy options has its advantages and disadvantages. The kayak is designed for a trained rafter, who managed to pass simpler routes before getting to the shore of Katun. This is a prerequisite. Without its implementation, the Katun rafting is highly likely to be the last in a sports career. Therefore, most of the unskilled public rafts on inflatable rafts, under the guidance of an experienced instructor in the group. Sometimes alloy is carried out on catamarans, structures of two hulls. They are quite difficult to manage and require high coordination of actions from the crew. But with any variant of rafting, overcoming the rapids on a mountain river is a very fascinating affair. Those who have at least once experienced this adventure are usually tempted to continue such extreme trips. And Gorny Altai traditionally pleases with the variety of routes for a possible rafting along its waterways.
What should not be done?
You should not try to raft on the Katun River yourself. And especially alone. Only steep extreme sportsmen can do this, behind whom there is experience of passing difficult tracks. But such people, firstly not so many, and secondly, they do not need advice and certainly know the level of complexity of the Katun alloy. For all other tourists, such an adventure will be close to suicidal. Rafting on Katun is the very case when you should not save on the services of an experienced instructor, team leader. The Katun River does not forgive self-neglect, for many tourists rafting on it was the last. This is evidenced by memorial tablets that can be found on coastal cliffs. This should be remembered when heading to Altai. Katun, by the way, is not the only dangerous river. Some of its tributaries are not inferior in extremity to the main stream.
Katun, map of tourist routes
It is customary to start any serious journey with a visual routing on a topographic map. In this case, the matter is complicated by the fact that the number of natural attractions and simply beautiful places on both banks of the river is difficult to quantify and map. But when rafting along the river, the location of rapids and other obstacles must be known without fail. This is vital, you should not rely solely on the instructor in the alloy. Fortunately, all the thresholds available on Katun are thoroughly studied and mapped with small details of approaches to them. This work has been done by generations of tourists. In addition, the map shows significant natural objects on both banks, which should not be missed, carried away by overcoming obstacles in the riverbed. Also, one should not neglect the advice of experienced people on tactics for overcoming thresholds. Each of them requires an individual approach.
Middle Katun
In the upper reaches of the river, rafting is practically not carried out. To these inaccessible places, sometimes walking groups of lovers of unknown paths are sent. The main routes of the alloy are located in the middle reaches. This is where most of the rapids that Katun is famous for is located. Photos illustrating the overcoming of these obstacles were certainly seen by everyone. These vivid visual images are familiar even to those who have not yet been fortunate enough to visit the Altai Mountains. Most tourist structures that offer customers rafting in Katun under the guidance of experienced instructors, lay their routes precisely along the middle reaches of the river. Where, by the way, it is relatively easy to get to the starting point of the route and return home from the place where the rafting is completed. Those who plan rafting on the Katun River should remember that inflatable rafts, although they do not drown, are very much turned over on steep rapids.
Lower Katun
In the lower reaches, the river loses its rugged mountain character and gradually becomes flat. It is even navigable over a thirty-kilometer section, from the confluence with Biya to the settlement of Shulginka. The calm nature of the current makes it possible to rafting in kayaks and light boats. Despite the fact that high mountain ranges with snow-white peaks are left behind, nature on the banks of the Katun River is also expressive in its lower reaches. The places here are more inhabited. Among the attractions should be noted the village of Srostki, the birthplace of the outstanding Russian writer and film director Vasily Shukshin. In the lower reaches of the river there are a significant number of recreation centers and tourist camps.
Chuysky tract, how to get to Katun
This is the main highway connecting the Altai Mountains with the outside world. The historic Chuysky tract, which is today part of the federal highway from Novosibirsk to the Mongolian border, runs for a considerable length in the immediate vicinity of Katun. It is on this road that tourists-rafters get to the starting points of the route. And along it they return back to the city of Biysk, located on the Bie River, two tens of kilometers from its confluence with Katun. Biysk is located on the railway, which makes it relatively easy to reach from anywhere in the Russian Federation. True, this will most likely have to be done with transfers. Since Biysk is located on the periphery of the main directions. But in the city it is not difficult to find hauliers specializing in the delivery of tourists to the Altai Mountains. Travel time along the Chuysky tract to the starting point of the route along the Katun can be several hours.