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Published: August 12th 2010
Foreword
Altai is a mountain range in Russia. The mountains are not as high as the Himalayas, but they offer plenty of possibilities for tourism and active rest. You will find the general information about Altai somewhere in the Internet. My idea was to join an organized group of tourists on the route called “Kolban and Kuiguk: Route for Men of Spirit” (the word “men” means here human beings of both sexes); groups are invited there each year on different routes. Please visit www.altaystrannik.ru for more information. The site is in Russian.
I had this idea somewhere in April or May. Why did I decide to go there? I found an advertisement about tourism on Altai in some group of the popular Russian social network “vkontakte”. I found it cheap and rather interesting, and almost at once made my mind to join the trip. You know, I am fond of mountains, though I have seen so little of them. During the 8 days I was making small notes for the future blog. Now I will be putting everything down.
There are plenty of mountain ranges all over the world; one does not need to go
far away in Europe or South America to find mountains. However, consider this an invitation to visit Altai and join one of the several routes. You’ll be delighted unless you are too fastidious. You’ll be very close to nature with 99,999% absence of human signs for miles and miles. Except for tourists, of course.
I miss Altai very much. That was pure pleasure during each and every moment of my stay there. I’ll not be too pathetic.
The Vechny Strannik Camp (The Eternal Wanderer)
It’s located in the vicinity of the Multa-Maralnik Village and since 1990 is managed by Alexei Shkarupily who’s head of horse trips. His wife Raisa is responsible for meals and some other things. Agnia Serzhantova (was our instructor) handles organizational issues and is the leader of hiking (journeys on foot). The camp is very cozy, it has several wooden buildings, a bath house, place for tents and some other premises.
Multa-Maralnik lies 750 km from Barnaul, and the camp is located at the Multa River bank. Just come and join one of the several trips! Please visit altaystrannik.ru for more details.
Summary of the Trip (taken
from the site)
Day 0. Meeting at the camp, accommodation in wooden houses, bathhouse, supper
Day 1. 21 km. From the Camp to Akchan River. Delivery of backpacks on horses. The path rises from the forest area to alpine meadows. Descent to Akchan River and camp at the waterfall stream. Horses deliver the backpacks directly to the camp site.
Day 2. 14 km. Radial rise to Akchan Lake, delivering wood & food.
Day 3. 10 km. Ascent to Kolban Mountain 3130 km. A panorama of three mountain ranges.
Day 4. 10 km. Getting to Akchan Lake. Overnight stop at the lake, near the mountain pass.
Day 5. 15 km. Passing the Kuiguk Mountain pass (categ. 1А). Kuiguk Lake. Overnight stop near the cedar forest.
Day 6. Rest.
Day 7. Radial rise to Vysokogornoye Lake.
Day 8. 21 km. Return to Vechny Strannik camp. Bathhouse, supper.
What’s in the Backpack
An experienced tourist does not need to be reminded of the things needed during a mountain trip. My personal decision was to take as few things as possible, leaving home everything I could do without. Weight behind your back is very important when you go
many miles a day. My backpack was not heavy. There are also routes when the backpacks are carried by horses. A convenient backpack will make your life much easier during the trip.
The People
I am going to speak very little about the people in the group. Each of them is a vivid personality, to say the least. I dislike communicating in a group of people, but find it quite all right to talk privately to single persons. I feel uncomfortable when the group, i.e. the majority of it, is very positive, lively and cheerful, make jokes very often and laugh, meanwhile I am sitting deep in my own thoughts and invent jokes not that often. But, as I said, speaking to people privately is different.
In the end of this piece I’ll give my warm thanks to several persons from the group.
There were 5 girls and 4 men from different Russian cities. Agnia was the instructor. I am not sure whether I want to speak of them in more detail. May be it is better not to discuss other people who I know so little about even after having spent
8 whole days with them. There is one girl, however, who will appear during and at the end of this story. I fell to liking her quite a lot. I hope she smiles when reading these notes.
Preparations
There is little to speak about preparations. I bought some necessary things such as the backpack, the sleeping bag and some minor items one or two days before departure. I also deposited part of the fee for the instructor’s work and the accommodation for 2 days (the 1st and last day of the journey, and meals etc). Surely, I bought tickets (by plane and train there, and by train back). That’s quite all concerning the preparations.
To Novosibirsk and Barnaul
Novosibirsk is the third largest city in Russia. I flew there by plane. There are no direct flights from Ufa, so I went via Moscow. The Vnukovo Airport was hot and stuffy and crowded. All in all, the flight takes 6 hours and a half, approx., 2 hours from Ufa to Moscow and 4.30 or something from Moscow to Novosibirsk. One can also fly directly to Barnaul, it’ll be somewhat less cheaper. Anyway, it’s
a matter of personal choice. It’s more than 30 hours to Barnaul from Ufa by train. The road from the Novosibirsk Airport Tolmachevo is a “treat”, it’s not comfortable at all. I came to the railway station and took a 5-hour train to Barnaul, arriving at about 2 o’clock in the night, and then had a sleep in the “lounge” - there are very comfortable and soft chairs; you can sleep on them. The train was very cold and I slept badly. The weather was very cold as compared to +30 deg. in my hometown.
To Multa
Multa is the village where the tourist camp “The Eternal Wanderer” (Vechny Strannik) is located. It’s a 12-hour drive by the Gazelle bus (a small one, 8-10 persons) from Barnaul. We took off at 7 o’clock in the morning. I was sleepy. Somehow I didn’t show much interest in the people with whom I was to spend the journey, but I hope to be forgiven. I was too sleepy and unwilling to communicate and had music to listen. From time to time I got up and looked in the window to see the picturesque landscape. Hills were getting higher
Waterfall Stream
the first camp was hereand higher with every hour. The road also passes near the Katun River. You can enjoy rafting there.
If you decide to go to Altai, please note that people from abroad are to have a pass ordered in advance. Since I don’t want to misinform anybody, please ask the relevant authorities for precise information. There is the Mongolian (or Kazakhstan) border if I am not mistaken. We had no trouble passing it, though it took some time.
The weather varied during the day. Somewhere it rained, somewhere it was cloudy with the sun shining in some places. On the whole, it was nice weather.
The bus stopped several times so we had the opportunity to have a snack and rest. Also took pictures. I remember D. (the girl) coming up to me and having a small conversation. I can be really stupid sometimes when I just get to know people. Mumbling or keeping silent… But it’s just a matter of time.
Here we are! The base (I feel it’s better to call it a camp) lies in a quiet little spot several kilometers from the Multa Village. The roundabouts make you feel
you’re already with the Mother Nature, and it’s cozy and peaceful. There are several wooden houses, a bath house on the territory. Our group occupied a small white house with a huge bed for 7 people. There was a lot of fuss with the paraphernalia for the trip. Exchanging backpacks for larger ones, adding missing items, leaving out unnecessary things which would only make it heavier…
Agnia managed the backpacking business with utmost confidence and promptness. She’s a very skillful and clever instructor. I’ll speak about her at the end.
Then we had a supper, and a most tasty supper that was! Potatoes with meat, vegetable salad and tea. Food is much tastier in the countryside, I suppose. We also went to the bathhouse - that’s also a place for the body and soul. Was there anything more interesting? Not quite, because it was late evening already. Everybody was busy with their things, then took their sleeping bags and went to sleep.
There is something going on in my heart and soul when I put this down. I seem to be very gloomy. The trip is over, and I’m home. Willing to get back
with the same people, on the same… or may be a different route. Or, just living those very eight days once again, and again, and again…
Day 1. The Beginning. To the Akchan River Camp
We got up early, had breakfast (pancakes with honey and condensed milk!) and gave final touches to our backpacks. The larger portion of things was to be carried by horses to the camp at Akchan River, it’s the usual practice on the first day. We carried backpacks with snacks, warm clothes, and some other items. Three of us went on horses and six - on foot.
I took pictures almost everywhere with my simple Canon camera. It does not grasp the beauty of it, but it gives me pieces to remember. The Sony alpha camera is better. The smaller camera is very convenient to use when walking.
We were to reach the mountain pass. I was short of breath most of the ascent, however, my legs and body on the whole felt very good. Breathing is my weakest point. We had several short periods of rest. Trees, grass and flowers are abundant everywhere; I suppose the humidity
level is high there, which makes flora flourish. Huge masses of forest are covered with lichen. One of our group was a specialist in plants. Two, to be exact. There also was a specialist in electronic microscopy (engineering), a senior citizen - he has traveled all his life.
Having reached height 2326 m, we had a snack and rest, looking down on the Akchan River valley and the mountain ranges far away, mountain Belukha standing proud in the middle of it. The descent was rather steep and looooong. It was trampled by animals (horses, sheep and grunting oxen - yaks), so there were tussocks and holes everywhere. There are also bushes of the dwarf arctic birch. We met a flock of sheep bleating so funny and a herd of horses. Horses can attack people, by the way, but that depends on the leader horse as they say.
After that we were going up again to the Akchan River. Every tree was covered with lichen. Akchan River is not very wide, only several meters, nor deep; we forded it. The water was very cold, and the current swift. There were some breathtaking views - rocks and snow
on mountains.
Finally, we’ve reached the camp. The camp was near a long waterfall (they call it “the Waterfall Stream”). Our friends (on horses) had already pitched the tents and made a fire and cooked borsch. I was very satisfied with the trip. It was evening already, so we pitched the third tent and prepared some wood for the fire. I feel as if a billion years have passed since that first day in Altai...
The notes say I had a bad sleep that night. There were four of us in the tent; I, being the largest, couldn’t stretch my aching legs and was turning from one side to another all night and managed to fall asleep only around 3 o’clock or later. There also were animal sounds in the night - I heard horses, that’s for sure, and some other noises - I though it might be a bear, but others say those were also horses. A bell jingled, I thought it was because the tent was shaking - may be my mind in the night wasn’t so clear - it was a horse with a bell. Finally I got asleep and had some dreams.
Day 2. Taking Food & Wood to Akchan Lake
I got up in a bad mood. How strange to think about having bad mood there. I now think it was perfect mood all the time. The weather was fine, the sun was shining brightly and there were no clouds. We had cereal for breakfast and then again prepared some wood. After that it was time to get to the Akchan Lake to bring there food and wood for the future stay there; there are no trees in the vicinity. Our backpacks were not too heavy, only wood and some food products. The road was rather simple, without long ascents or descents.
We again forded the small Akchan River. If you are not careful, you can slip on the stones and fall into very cold water. To the right, there was a long and high waterfall, not very close to the sight. I liked it; I like waterfalls. We had a short rest near another waterfall and took pictures on stones near it. Girls have a very interesting way of refusing to be taken pictures of: “I don’t look enough beautiful now”. I think it’s
a silly excuse, hoping that no girl will take this as an offence.
There are plenty of streams, rivers and waterfalls. You can drink from any of them and, be sure, it’s safe and the water tastes very cool and pleasant. Some streams have the mineral water taste. It’s completely pure. After the waterfall there was a piece of land covered with boulders of all sizes which can be dangerous when slippery. It’s convenient to walk on them, but be careful all the time, falling on stones can be painful.
The Akchan Lake is magnificent. It is not big and has a peculiar colour. The mountain Kolban rises near it; there are also some smaller mountains.
I slipped on a stone in the stream because I held the camera in my hand, which distracted me. So I slightly hurt my knee and a finger. After that I tried not to walk on stones with the camera in my hand. When going up, the knee ached and I hoped it would recover by the next morning when we were to climb Kolban.
We hid the wood and food in bushes and had a
bite and rest. We would return to the camp near Akchan Lake on the fourth day of the trip. Then we returned to the initial camp and spent a usual evening. People talked much at the fire. I did some bodily exercises to stretch my muscles. I slept much better than the previous night.
Day 3. To Kolban!
We got up early in the morning. The weather was still fine.
Kolban was my primary destination on that trip. I had not climbed any mountain before. D., the girl, also said she had a firm intent to climb the mountain. It’s 3130 meters high, and it’s a sacred mountain.
The sun burns one’s skin very quickly in the mountains. You’d better wear long-sleeved clothes or cover your open skin with a protective cream.
The height of the camp site is about 1900 m, so we climbed about 1200 m (it’s 5 kilometers on foot one-way). The road is up almost all the way. First, there was a hill covered with bushes, soft grass and moss. I carried a most inconvenient small backpack. Then there was a long and quite dangerous (slippery in
places) Waterfall Stream. One could slip on wet grass or earth and fall down on stones, though it wasn’t too high. We were going on the right slope of the waterfall. I was short of breath sometimes. The higher we went, the more picturesque landscape opened to our view. I conversed with D. a little. The water in the stream tasted exactly like the bottled mineral water we buy at home.
Here is a statement from the note-book: “I confess my physique is Very Poor”. I will disagree with myself here, because it was actually quite all right during the trip. Only when going to Kolban I felt short of breath and the backpack pressed on my breast. As to breathing, it’s a matter of training. Perhaps I will start running some day. It’s too hot and stuffy for running now, though. The only trouble was the backpack - it was attached by a belt taken from the bag of the photo camera.
There is only a small piece of flat land on the way to Kolban. By the way, the mountain does look majestic and powerful in close-up. It was enjoyable to go on flat
land for at least a while and that gave me extra strength and revived my energy. From the edge of the rock you can see several lakes in the Eshtu Valley and take wonderful pictures with them and the Kolban on the background. Be careful not to fall down. The ascent lies near the sloughing rock edge. The whole side of the mountain overlooking the Bolshoy Akchan Lake is covered with small, large and huge boulders - you are climbing right on them. They are not slippery (but I guess it’s terribly dangerous during rain when they ARE slippery). Lichen all over stones makes them still more convenient. Later I will try to find out a description of Kolban from the geological viewpoint. I hope you will get an idea of Kolban from the photos, though my photos grasp little of the actual scenery.
Kolban took all breath out of me. I got tired after each several minutes of ascending. I stopped and tried to breathe deeply and then climbed again. Three of us, who are more trained, reached the top much earlier, also D. was quick to reach the top. I felt nausea when I reached the
top. Oh, I forgot to say that the “rivers” of boulders are called “kurum”. We had much kurum during our trip.
Some smaller stones fall down under one’s feet when climbing. One might also feel giddy because the view down on the lake and the surrounding hills and mountains is really astounding. For me personally this was a very emotional ascent, and there were only one or two thoughts in my mind - get to the top, you “weak sister”!
I will say that I’m quite proud of myself for the ascent… Getting to the top at the first try without any relevant preparation is a very good result for me. What’s more, I will be thinking over some other mountain trips (not professional alpinism, of course). Professional rock climbers could laugh heartily at us, but we don’t care, since Kolban was our own achievement. I am particularly proud of two girls who got to the top without having any previous mountain experience.
The view from Kolban should be better judged from photos, I will not attempt to describe it. Some natural wonders are the Belukha Mountain, Maly and Bolshoy Akchan Lake, Alaaskhyr Lake,
several other lakes and mountain ranges. Belukha looks like the mother of other, smaller mountains. The colour of the lakes is that peculiar shade of blue.
We took pictures to our hearts’ content and had a bite. Ice-cream made of snow - that was a big surprise for me. I won’t disclose the secret of it; may be it’s widespread among mountain tourists. The ice-cream is definitely one of my favourite desserts and I’m sure to make it at home when I go skiing the coming winter. Fortunately, we’ve got no polluting plants so our snow is pure.
Thank you, Kolban, for your mighty and severe beauty and hospitality; and thank you, Mother Nature, for the cloudless sky, warm sun and the wonders you’ve made and will make.
The descent, for me, was very easy, a lot easier than the ascent. Really, one gets more confident in oneself. The descent is simpler, but no less dangerous. I became rather talkative after having reached the top and conversed with the girls a bit. The road back to the camp was the same, along the Waterfall stream.
I love mountains. They offer so many
natural wonders and many of them aren’t easy to reach. Several times I felt bad in the stomach, but when we reached the Waterfall stream, it was all right, and I started feeling the home. There is no mobile network (it was available when we got higher), so you can be completely cut off from the civilization and no one can bother you. I didn’t feel lonely because time was full up with various events, talking and listening and walking and making wood etc. I took two books with me but didn’t read a single page.
Kolban was the most emotional experience for me during the trip. After a hearty meal we went to sleep.
Day 4. Camp at the Akchan Lake
We gathered all our things to go to the second camp, on the Akchan Lake, where we took wood & food on the second day. The backpacks were full up and rather heavy this time. The weather was supposed to be less nice that day because of the warm night and no dew on the grass in the morning. There were also clouds in the sky. Weather did indeed change in several
hours.
For me it was all right to walk with the backpack. I didn’t have too much personal belongings; everybody took some food products and divided the tents. You remember that part of the food and a stock of dry wood were taken there previously.
D. was getting tired with her backpack. I helped her to walk on the kurum and in some other difficult places. It was pleasant to take her by the hand and help. Weather was already changing at that time. Anyhow, we reached the camp and pitched the tents. A long rain began right after that. It rained for the whole day and during the whole night. It was drizzling some times and some times it rained heavier. Clouds were very low and nothing was to be seen in the vicinity except for the nearest places. Everybody was busy with their things, while I was bringing the hidden wood closer to the fire. A fire is an excellent friend during a rain. The fire was under a tent (a piece of cloth above the fire, attached by ropes to bushes and supported by two long sticks joined together).
There was
Belukha Mountain
the highest on Altai nothing to do that evening except to dry shoes by the fire, eat, drink tea, look at the clouds and converse. We had cheese soup that evening and sandwiches with green wild leek. Cheese soup was a treat, I’ve never tasted it before.
We also had some games in the tent. At first I didn’t join the others because I had no wish, and then I played the game with words - we wrote many words on pieces of paper and the task was, for one person, to try to explain their meaning, and for the other (teams consisted of two persons) - to guess the word, as many words as possible in 20 seconds. It was fun. I remember D. explaining the word “unitaz” (the toilet bowl) like “a place where business is done”. Everyone laughed. The first game, which I didn’t join, was to guess a famous personality by asking questions, it was fun as well.
That night I slept very good and had many dreams.
Day 5. The Mountain Pass Kuiguk
In the morning the weather was fine, the rain was over, and there were fewer clouds; however, weather
would be changing that day. The wind was cool.
We were to cross the mountain pass Kuiguk. The way also lies on kurum (you remember, it is strips of land covered with boulders of various sizes).
It was not very difficult to ascent to the Kuiguk, though the backpack was full. I suppose I didn’t think about the heavy backpack or the difficulty of the road, I was just going up and taking deep breath at times. D. was getting tired. I speak of her mostly because she’s the most interesting one for me. Four of us went quicker than the rest. Another girl and Viktor, the senior citizen, somehow chose another route and were going right upwards after the rest have already reached the top. Later, our instructor and a man (his trade is selling some mountain outfit, and he’s experienced in hiking and has vast experience with caves) went to help them and they climbed the same way we did. It’s better not to deviate from the path.
I was going hand in hand with D. in some areas. It’s so nice when one can be of help for others. There was
also a small piece of rock where one could slip and fall easily. Climbing skills might be needed there; you have to be sure that your feet stands firmly before making the next step. I felt a bit afraid there.
We had a bite at the top of the mountain pass and then it hailed, hail-stones being very small. We put on our raincoats and warm clothes. The sky was gray and gloomy, but the scenery was pleasant to the eye, though a bit rough. Various flowers could be seen everywhere.
After several kilometers we reached Lake Kuiguk and the way now lied on kurum again. The boulders are huge sometimes. Actually, they are pieces of the fallen rock. There are waterfalls all around, big and small. When going on kurum, try to step on larger stones and avoid small ones because they may slip or fall down. The balance of the body is quite important. I guess my skiing this winter has helped me a lot during the trip.
After the kurum ends, there is only a short distance left to the camp site. Close to the camp there is, perhaps, the loveliest
waterfall I saw there. It is large, wide and high. The camp also hosted several other groups of people.
The evening brought drizzling rain and I was sitting by the fire trying to dry my socks and shoes.
Day 6. Rest
On this day we only rested, doing nothing particular and not going anywhere. The weather was fine from the very morning and the tops of rocks were covered with fresh snow.
The boulders are home to funny animals called mouse hares (or rock rabbits), “pischukha” in Russian. They move very quickly and it’s not easy to take pictures of them. They squeak often.
I decided to rise up a bit and saw another small waterfall and then decided to go to the big waterfall and then to Lake Kuiguk. However, I forgot to take my extra battery for the camera and had to return. I also saw an interesting waterfall on the left side and decided to have a look at it as well.
D. suggested our walking together to which I agreed with utmost content. The plant specialist, L., also joined us to take pictures by
the waterfall and at the Kuiguk Lake. We had fun and I even immersed myself into the ice-cold water of the lake for several seconds. Gee, that’s something! We talked, the girls laughed and discussed some private affairs. I was considered a friend and had the opportunity to hear some really private stories. I won’t disclose them here, of course. I took some pictures of the girls. We didn’t spend much time on the lake because dinner time approached. After dinner I and D. went together to look at the waterfall. It is so peculiar - a thin jet of water falls from a height of approx. 3-4 meters; it looks like a nature-made water shower. We lied on the stone and a soulful talk. I listened to D.’s stories with much interest, she’s so lovely, lively, positive and emotional and funny (here I smile). So are the other people, of course.
We talked about books, relations between boys and girls etc. and she was very eager to hear a horror story… I’m poor as a story-teller, and my humble attempts at remembering St. King’s stories and movies failed, I’d say. Perhaps those moments of our conversation on
rocks were the best during the whole trip because I started to get accustomed to the person and feel comfortable. I fell very warm in the heart remembering those moments. I hope I’m not too sentimental, I just express my emotions.
How bad the sleep was! I lied on a hard tree root; I don’t like sleeping on the back, so I had to turn over and over, and the root made my thighs ache. Somehow I managed to lie above or below that root.
On that day I listened to my music player for a while. It gave me extra energy. In the evening some of us sat by the fire and talked. I mainly listened. Somehow I felt myself an outsider in their talks, especially when two of the girls talked or someone talked about business affairs, trip to Goa, yoga, or films which I didn’t see… I really didn’t think any talks of mine would be of interest to anybody. Am I too self-centered, egoist, or “selfish pig” as one good girl called me? Perhaps…
Day 7. Vysokogornoye Lake
On day 7 I felt it was time to get
home… I wonder why the third, and final, camp was of such importance for me that I mostly miss it. May be it’s because I got accustomed to everything. I suppose I could live another week or more there. We met a lot of people in that area and there were several other groups camping at the same site. Agnia said the area was popular with tourists.
This day we had a short ascent to the High-Mountain (Vysokogornoye) Lake. I bathed twice in the chilling water, oh, the way it freshens you! It like bites your whole body. After bathing we rested and ate canned fish, cheese and sausage, oranges and drank water. I went to another top to have a look on the lake and the Kuiguk Valley from above. That’s striking. I suppose I’ve got to learn more adjectives.
So, after the descent to the camp there was quite nothing to be done. The next day we’d be going home…
That evening the three of us - me, D. and L. - sat by the fire and talked. I mainly listened again. I don’t like talking in a group of people (more
than two), as I said, only in private. Before going to sleep, we saw the night sky and it was astonishing, so many stars and the Milky Way!.. If only I could get back for a moment.
Day 8. Going Home!
We got up early, gathered our things, had breakfast and started off. The way was along the Kuiguk valley and then through the forest. It’s about 20 kilometers. First we were going along the river, and then across hills, finally finding ourselves outside the valley, in a forest. There were supposed to be many mosquitoes because of the humidity, but I saw few of them. The way home was very simple; but my shoulders got tired. On the whole, I felt good and, generally, not tired. Going home is always a pleasure. We met several small groups of people on our way.
That last day we went to the bathhouse, washed and had supper with champagne and sweet things. Agnia gave us little presents - a booklet, a notebook and a pen. Everyone felt happy and positive.
The evening was busy. Gathering things, making calls to the relatives, etc. I did
it all quickly and rested.
Back to Barnaul, Novosibirsk, and Ufa
It was sad to leave the camp. We had a little breakfast early in the morning. We got to Barnaul by the same small bus. The journey was 12 hours but they flew like one. We bought honey and some souvenirs. I myself bought the musical instrument “koubyz” and a mirror for my sister and also a small jar of honey. I generally don’t buy souvenirs. People were enjoying themselves the whole day, I was listening to music, all immersed in thoughts about the trip and about girls also.
When we came to Barnaul everybody decided to exchange their train tickets in order to get to Novosibirsk earlier. We had a 5-hour train trip during the night and arrived to Novosibirsk in early morning; here I decided not to have any walks, but exchange my ticket - there was a convenient train in 1.5 hours so I would get home earlier. However, my first intent was to walk round Novosibirsk. Next time I’ll do it for sure. The two girls, D. & L., stayed until late evening and had a nice walk. I
wish I could stay with them, but I got sort of homesick. We said good-bye to each other and I left. I slept for several hours and then read H. Miller’s ‘Tropic of Cancer’. From Ufa, I got home by bus.
I suppose my soul now is wandering somewhere out there in the Altai. Miss you.
Summary of Impressions
I enjoyed every moment of my stay in the Altai. I liked everything I saw there and I liked the people though I didn’t talk much. I took to like one of the girls most of all. On the trip you can see hills, rocks, lakes, rivers, streams, trees, animals, waterfalls, the amazing blue sky, flowers, mountain ranges, large boulders etc. It’s sort of spiritual rest and a drive to your physical vigour. It’s completely positive experience. But, of course, provided that you’re careful.
Acknowledgements
I’d like to express gratitude to Agnia and other “members” of the camp Vechny Strannik for the wonderful time, hospitality, lively atmosphere and the opportunity to see so much.
I’d like to say thanks to the very lively and charming girl D. for support
and conversations, and for the good mood she arouse in me. I seem to be missing you and hope to see you again soon.
Thanks to the rest of us who also were a source of lively mood and positive energy.
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Ralph
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