Going to the mountains of Altai, it is always advisable to look into the area of the Katun ridge. It is there that the Kucherlinsky lakes are located (how to get there is described below), which attract everyone with their unusual appearance. The thing is that the water has a turquoise hue, which is so rare in the territory of the Russian Federation.
It's no secret that most of the great power is located on a flat terrain. But even with this nuance, the number of mountain peaks reaches 2 thousand. The plains are surrounded on all sides by massifs: Kamchatka, the Urals, the Sayan Mountains, the Caucasus. Some mountain peaks have a height of more than 4 thousand meters. The greatest in Russia is considered Elbrus. But Altai belongs to the most beautiful. It is in this ridge that Kucherlinsky lakes are located, photos of which are posted below.
Reservoir characteristic
The lake occupies a fairly large area. It is 480 m long and 200 m wide. The depth of the reservoir does not exceed 5 m. The height of the water surface is calculated from the sea - almost 2 thousand meters. It was about the Upper Kucherlinsky lake. Big is only 100 m from it. But Nizhny stretched for 530 m, and the widest place overcame the mark of 300 m. In some areas, the depth can exceed 15 m.
Kucherlinsky lakes
A few thousand years ago, the terrain of the Earth fluctuated greatly, and some changes are still taking place. Thanks to tectonic plate breaks and melting ice, nature was able to “draw” many memorable places. All of them make the hearts of travelers freeze from what they see. Kucherlinsky lakes are no exception. How to get there This can be done both in the sky and on the earth. However, those who have not been to Altai need to hire a guide.
The group of lakes includes three reservoirs: Upper, Large and Lower. Only Big has really impressive dimensions.
The rest are located in the northern part of the Katunsky mountain range. On the slope of the surface there are more than 400 glaciers. Here you can also see several waterfalls and dozens of other lakes. All of them are of glacial origin. The most interesting of them will be Big Kucherlinsky Lake.
Big Kucherlinskoe lake
The height of the lake is 1790 m. The reservoir is located on 3 thousand m 2 . On the territory of the Russian Federation, it is not the last among those that arose as a result of the melting of glaciers. And all because its length is more than 5 thousand m. Width has an average of 575 m. However, in some places it grows to 900 m. And the most amazing thing is that the lake is located in a mountainous area, and not on a plain. From the west and east, it is surrounded by various heights, squeezed by a reservoir, like a vice.
In the southern part of the Kucherlinsky lakes they run into a larger stream, and in the northern part - into a glacier, which has long ceased to move, resting on the ground.
Due to the movement of the moraine, a basin was formed, which is the bottom of the Big Pond. Thanks to the color of the water, one can also judge how the lake was formed. Minerals that give a turquoise hue do not settle to the bottom, due to which the color is retained for a long time. But depending on the weather, the hue varies to dark gray.
Climatic conditions
Kucherlinsky lakes are located in such a climatic zone in which the temperature in the reservoir even in summer does not exceed 14 degrees of heat. And at night, frosts appear at all. This is due to the fact that the waters are in the mountains.
How to captivate yourself at Kucherlinsky lakes?
It is immediately necessary to clarify that Altai is not a place for those tourists who are accustomed to constant comfort. You can come to the lakes at any time from May to September inclusive. And even at the end of the tourist season, Kucherlinsky lakes remain regularly visited. How to get there? You can use a horse (the journey will take several hours) or walk (two days).
Those who conquered the pond will have to endure rather heavy backpacks, cold nights and long hikes. The route doesn’t really indulge in easy ways - you have to go uphill all the time, and after frequent rains the path will be blurred. Wet clothes and a constant influx of insects - true mountain lovers will definitely be satisfied, which cannot be said about those who are not interested in such “walks”.
Kucherlinsky lakes are located on the territory of the Belukha park, which protects and constantly maintains the beauty of nature.
In the surrounding area there are many species of rare animals, so hunting for them is strictly prohibited. At the foot of the mountain you can find snow leopards - snow leopards. But in the local meadows, a mountain goat can be called a frequent guest , which, just the same, “waits” until the hunter catches him. The fauna is rich in representatives of not only the ungulate family, but also gophers and pikas. The latter often like to gnaw things of tourists in search of delicious food.
On the way to the lakes you can find a huge variety of berries growing on shrubs.
How to get there?
It’s easy to get to the capital of Altai . Kucherlinsky lakes are relatively close to it. You can take a bus that takes a tourist in 10 hours. If you choose a car as a vehicle, you must move along the M52 highway.
An expensive helicopter will also be a free ride for a traveler.