The Oroktoy Bridge is one of the most photographed spots on the Chuya Highway, and for good reason. The road crosses the Katun River on a long steel span near the village of Oroktoy, with the water below a startling milky turquoise, tinted by glacial flour carried down from the high mountains, and the green, forested walls of the valley rising on both sides. It is the classic Altai view: a bright, fast river, a ribbon of road, and layer upon layer of blue ridges receding into the haze.
The Chuya Highway, known as the Chuysky Trakt, is the great road of the Altai. It runs for about 950 kilometres from Biysk, on the edge of the Siberian plain, to the Mongolian border, following an old caravan route along which traders carried tea, silk and cattle between Russia and Mongolia. The modern road was built in the 1930s, and it has been called one of the most beautiful roads in the world, a claim you start to believe on this stretch. It climbs through birch and larch forest, along river gorges, over passes, and into the high steppe, and each section has a distinct character.
The Katun, the main river of the Altai, rises from the glaciers of Mount Belukha, at 4,506 metres the highest peak in Siberia, and runs north to join the Biya and form the Ob. The water is cold, fast and clear in the upper valley, and the gravel bars are good places to stop for a rest. The region is part of the Golden Mountains of Altai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and rich in wildlife, including ibex, argali sheep and snow leopards in the remote high country, though you will see none of these from the road.
For riders, the Chuya Highway is a gem, with smooth tarmac, wide curves, and long views, and it is popular with motorcyclists in the summer months. The road is generally well maintained, though frost heave and patches occur, and rockfalls are possible. Traffic includes tourist buses, trucks and cars, and it can be heavy at weekends. The weather is variable, with sun, rain and wind, and temperatures drop quickly at altitude. The best months are June to September, and September, with golden larches, is especially lovely.
Onguday, about twenty-seven kilometres away, has petrol stations and shops. Villages along the road have small shops and cafés, but fuel can be sparse, so fill up whenever you can. Pull over at the bridge, and let the turquoise water fill your eyes. It is a colour you rarely see in a river.