Katun River Loop

A compact Altai loop following turquoise Katun River scenery.

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Why this ride

A compact Altai loop following turquoise Katun River scenery. The road: Chemal Highway and regional roads. Distance and riding time are estimates from the checkpoints until the road is measured on this page.

Roadbook

1. Gorno-Altaysk start

   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.

2. Manzherok stop

   Manzherok is where the Altai begins to feel like mountains. The village sits on the Katun River, which runs a startling turquoise, colored by glacial silt, through a valley of larch, birch and meadows with snowy peaks beyond. It is the first of a string of resort villages along the Chuysky Trakt, the old highway that runs from Biysk through the Altai Republic to the Mongolian border, and for many riders it is the first moment the road starts to climb in earnest.

   The Chuysky Trakt, M52, has a reputation as one of the most beautiful roads in Russia, even in the world, a claim made by travel writers for decades. It follows an ancient caravan route that Russian engineers turned into a proper road in the 1920s and 1930s, and it passes through steppe, taiga and alpine country in the space of a few hundred kilometers. Here at Manzherok, the surroundings are gentle: a small lake, a ski slope with a chairlift that runs in summer for the view, and holiday camps tucked into the trees. Gorno-Altaysk, the republic's capital, is about eighteen kilometers away.

   The ride beyond is where the character emerges. The road follows the Katun upstream through green gorges, with the river flashing below, and then climbs through the Seminsky Pass before descending toward Onguday. Surfaces are generally good, but trucks and tour buses make passing awkward, and cattle sometimes graze beside the road. Weather changes quickly in the mountains: bright sunshine can give way to sudden rain, and mountain mist can hide the peaks.

   The village has shops, cafes and some fuel along the main road, but Gorno-Altaysk has the bigger stations and supermarkets, so fill the tank there before the climb. In summer, horse flies and gadflies are a nuisance, and in September the nights turn cold. The best months are June and early September, when the air is clear and the larches begin to turn gold. Altai honey, sold at roadside stalls, is a local specialty, and a jar makes a good souvenir. Always check the road conditions after heavy rain, as landslides and washouts can close sections.

3. Chemal stop

   Chemal sits on the Katun River in the Altai Republic, a village of about three thousand people spread along the water, with the hills closing in on both sides and the river running milky green through the middle. Elekmonar is the closest neighbour, and the only real choice for supplies is here, which is useful to remember: fill the tank in Chemal or earlier before heading further up the valley.

   The riding in this area is among the most pleasant in the Altai. The road follows the Katun upstream, with long open bends and views across the water to forested slopes, and as you continue toward Oroktoy the valley narrows, the surface becomes more patchy and the traffic thins. This is a ride for steady speed and frequent stops, because there is so much to look at. The best seasons are late spring, when the slopes turn green, and September, when larch needles go gold. Midsummer brings tourist traffic, and the afternoons can be hot.

   Chemal is famous for a tiny rocky island in the Katun called Patmos, reached by a footbridge that hangs over the water, and for the small church of John the Baptist that stands on it. Pilgrims and tourists walk across, and the view from the island up and down the river is the postcard picture of the region. A hydroelectric station was built on the river here in the mid-twentieth century.

   The valley is also a place of old rock art and burial mounds, and the Altai as a whole is a UNESCO listed area for its natural diversity. Nearby, the Katun cuts through limestone and granite, forming rapids and pools, and the forests hold cedar, pine, birch and larch. Maral deer, bears and sables live in the surrounding hills, though you are far more likely to meet a cow standing in the road than anything wild.

   Chemal has plenty of guesthouses, cafes selling grilled fish, honey and local herbal tea, and small shops. Prices rise in summer. The area can see rain at short notice, and gravel washes onto the road after heavy storms, so ride with care on the bends beyond the village.

4. Back to Gorno-Altaysk finish

Where this sits

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