-- The Siberian road towards the Russo-Mongolian border
The road tracklog from Barnaul to Bijsk differs appreciably from the road given by the map.
The 25/04 we left Novosibirsk with the objective to go to Belokurikha. The trip took us two days with a carpark in the south of Barnaul to the variation of the road in a forest of birches. We filled the tank with diesel on the road as well as the water tanks at the entry of Bijsk at a public fountain painted in blue. The water supply is a problem because the petrol stations did not have a water station as in the Scandinavian countries.
Forest of birches
Barnaul
25/04/2006
Lunch pause
Bijsk
26/04/2006
Belokurikha, ski resort in winter and thermal spa in summer, is located at the foot of a massif culminating at 1,379 meters. The city is organized around two centres, that of Ancien Régime with its frontages of leprous buildings and that of after with its tourist centre in development and its international standard hotels. The area produces honey of various savours. The market is well supplied out of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Tourist
centre
Belokurikha
27/04/2006
The road, Chuysky Trakt, which extends from Cherga until Tashanta and to the border with Mongolia, offers spectacular collars, canyons and view points on the mountains.
The road tracklog from Shebalino to the Russo-Mongolian border.
Shebalino is a large village with wooden houses where we established our camping in an alley of birches.
Siberian Isba
Shebalino
28/04/2006
On the road towards Inya we made
an excursion to Kulada, 20 km from the M52 road, to visit this
village of 500 inhabitants where appeared in 1904 a syncretic religion of
the Orthodox religion, Buddhism and pagan beliefs. We had the privilege
to meet the teacher speaking English and French. She organized us the
visit of a very interesting local museum as well as the house of her
director.
In the evening at the camping at “Ilgumen Rapids” we were invited by a group of Russian which offered
a snack drunk with vodka. Ambience was cordial and very
sympathetic.
Traditional yurt covered with barks of tree
The teacher and the director of the museum
Kulada
28/04/2006
From Inya, the road follows the Chuya river while curving in spectacular canyons. It is in good condition, however from Aktash some parts are very dilapidated. Kosh-Agach is located in a depression of a broad valley closed by Altaï Nuruu, natural border between Russia and Mongolia, with tops higher than 4,000 meters.
Landscape of Chusky Trakt
Kosh-Agach
30/04/2006
The Russo-Mongolian border was closed the weekend as well as the day of May 1. We found a bivouac close to the border checkpoint.
