Inya is a small village on the Katun river in the Altai Republic, on the Chuya Highway, and it feels like a place that exists mainly for the river. A bridge crosses the Katun here, and the water runs wide and fast beneath it, a milky turquoise that changes shade with the light and the weather. The surrounding hills are steep and covered in larch and pine, and the village has the unhurried look of a place where people are used to travellers stopping briefly and moving on.
The Katun is a young, wild river, fed by glaciers, and it carves a long valley through the mountains of Altai. In the area around Inya, the river meets other rivers coming in from the high ranges, including the Chuya, and the confluences make a landscape of braided channels, gravel bars and clear tributaries. The colour contrast where waters meet, milky and clear, is a visual treat, and you can often see it from the bridge or from viewpoints on the road.
The area has long been inhabited, and archaeologists have found many traces of ancient peoples, with burial mounds, standing stones and rock carvings scattered across the Altai. Local people, Altaians, have traditional beliefs rooted in the mountains and rivers, and you may see small offerings of ribbons or coins at passes and springs. Respect for these places is part of travelling here.
The road from the Chike-Taman Pass to Inya follows the Katun through a series of bends, where the river is often just below the road, with views of cliffs, rapids and forested slopes. The asphalt is generally decent, with occasional patches of rough surface, and traffic includes trucks, buses and the occasional horse. Rafting companies run trips on the Katun in summer, and the sight of colourful boats bouncing through the rapids is a feature of the river.
There is a shop or two and a few cafés in Inya, and fuel may be limited, so it is wise to fill up at the larger villages along the route. The local food includes grilled river fish and meat dumplings, and the tea is served hot and strong. Summers are warm by day and cool at night, with the best months from June to September. Winter closes in with snow and hard frost.