Gorno-Altaysk lies where the Altai begins. The capital of the Altai Republic is a small city of about fifty-five thousand people in a green valley at the foot of the mountains, close to the confluence of the Mayma and the Katun, and it is the entry point to a region of snowy peaks, turquoise rivers and big skies. The mountains of the Altai, in the heart of Siberia, are on UNESCO's World Heritage list as the Golden Mountains of Altai, and they reach 4,506 metres at Belukha, the highest peak in Siberia.
From here, the Chuysky Trakt, the M52 highway, runs south-east for hundreds of kilometres, all the way to the Mongolian border. It is often named among the most beautiful roads in the world, and riders will quickly see why. It winds along the Katun River, whose water is a milky turquoise from glacial silt, climbs over passes with long views, and drops into deep valleys with small villages and herds of horses. The surface is good by Russian standards and the bends are smooth, though trucks and tourist buses make some sections busy, and rain, rockfalls or road works can slow the pace.
The Altai is also a landscape of ancient history. The Pazyryk people, nomadic horsemen, buried their chiefs in frozen tombs here more than two thousand years ago, and the ice preserved tattoos, textiles and horses with astonishing detail. The indigenous Altaians keep shamanic traditions, and sacred sites with ribbons tied to trees can be found along the road. Lake Teletskoye, to the north-east, is the deepest lake in the Altai at about 325 metres, and a rough road runs along part of its shore.
Gorno-Altaysk has fuel, food and hotels, and Mayma next door has more. Services along the Chuysky Trakt are regular, but thin out in the far south. The best season is June to September, with cool nights, and snow can arrive early at altitude. Foreign riders should check current rules before planning a trip.