Myths and dangers of Gorny Altai, which frightened us before the trip. Safety tips - stick to them to avoid difficult situations
Our trip... For a month and a half we traveled by car in Gorny Altai. The team visited all the most interesting places from Manzherok to the border with Mongolia. We share our experience with you in a series of articles about rest in Gorny Altai.
Gorny Altai: communication with locals and mentality
The devil is not so terrible as he is painted. Before traveling to Gorny Altai, we read many reviews about the mentality of the locals and various scary stories. We ourselves did not get into unpleasant situations, but we heard about such situations from tourists and the Altai themselves.
Based on the feedback, our experience and the warnings of local residents, we have compiled a set of rules and tips that should be followed during your vacation in Altai Mountains.
- Always carry your self-defense equipment with you. Pepper sprays and a penknife will do. It is better to keep the ax at hand in the tent at night.
- Travel with a company.
- Behave polite and friendly, because you are visiting.
- Stay in safe places - we have always settled in guarded bases where you can put up a tent, or in hotels. Learn about the best places for families with children in Altai.
- If you decide to have a wild vacation, do not draw attention: do not make a fire (use a burner), do not make noise. Place the tent more than 10 km from settlements and roads, in a secluded place.
- Do not "shine" valuable things and do not voice their value. Do not leave unattended.
- Don't defile sacred places. Behave and dress modestly. Do not litter, because the Altai people are sensitive to nature.
- Avoid socializing with drunks, try to get away quickly.
- According to reviews of tourists, never don't drink with the locals! When asked if there is alcohol, answer negatively. Don't mention alcohol at all.
What if you put up a tent in a secluded place, and uninvited guests come to you and, threatening, demand to pay or leave? As the huntsman of the Uch-Enmek natural park Uchural explained to us, in Gorny Altai, almost the entire territory is private property. Many sites in the reserves are leased. Therefore, the "uninvited guest" is likely to be the host. It is unlikely that he will like that you are making a fire on his mowing. In this case, act peacefully: leave calmly or ask the owner to suggest where you can pitch a tent. If the "guest" requires money and looks suspicious, ask him to show the documents with the title to the land. Well, if you are threatened with a gun at the ready, it is better to pay and leave on hand.
On the Dzhumalinskiye springs, a Kazakh from Kosh-Agach, who was resting in a neighboring house, warned that the practice of pouring gasoline was widespread in Altai. Also in Ulagansky district, according to him, there are attacks on tourists with guns: they break the windows of cars, extort money.
We never had any clashes with the locals, all the Altaians with whom we spoke were polite and tolerant. Perhaps because they never closely interacted with anyone. According to tourists, the Altai consider themselves the masters of the land (typical "come in large numbers"). The locals are annoyed that vacationers spoil nature and the land, behave uncivilized. Many are jealous of the wealth of tourists.
What we encountered during our vacation in Gorny Altai:
- with laziness and ignoring requests, putting it on the back burner (for example, the promised firewood or bed linen can wait a very long time - you have to remind it several times);
- with untidiness (it is better to wear shoes in hotel rooms);
- with the impoliteness of camp workers (what is only "I'm tired of your questions" from the administrator of one recreation center!).
Once in the center of Aktash, a drunken beggar asked for money, and in Ulagan we experienced the close attention of local drunks (one even stuck a little) and caught the Airborne Forces Day - the whole village was walking. By the way, the Ulagan region was previously considered a criminal one.
Wild and domestic animals, poisonous snakes
We were also worried about wild animals and snakes (especially our companions, who were in the mountains for the first time). However, we have never seen anyone more terrible than squirrels, chipmunks, ground squirrels, marmots and various birds, although we lived for a long time in the taiga at an altitude of 1500-2000 meters on the Ulagan lakes and in the Uch-Enmek reserve. We were especially afraid of bears, which live at such a height - where cedars grow. The huntsman explained that a bear with her offspring should be feared - she immediately shows aggression. If you see a bear cub, leave immediately and do not draw attention.
Snakes love to bask on rocks, so watch your step and avoid rocks. By the way, it is the snakes that the locals advise to beware of, since mammalian predators themselves avoid meeting humans.
An additional danger in Gorny Altai is cattle on the road, especially at night. Be careful when cornering. Usually, oncoming drivers warn about animals on the road by flashing their headlights. Once we saw a knocked-down cow on the side of the road.
Ticks in Gorny Altai
Ticks are perhaps the most terrible thing that can be found in Altai - this is an endemic region. In various places we saw signs with the words "Caution, ticks".
How to protect yourself from ticks:
- Give vaccinations against tick-borne encephalitis in advance (we put down an express course a month before departure).
- Wear tight-fitting clothing that covers your entire body tightly. We tuck our trousers into socks or boots, put on long-sleeved shirts and a hat. We do not leave any loopholes for ticks.
- Treat clothes with special repellents if you are going to the forest.
- Try not to walk on tall grass and bushes, follow the paths.
- Check yourself regularly. The tick takes time to suck. He will crawl over the body for a long time until he finds a place.
If the tick does suck, it is important to remove it correctly, pack it in a jar and give it alive for examination (within 72 hours). We found an address on the Internet where you can submit it: Gorno-Altaisk, Kommunistichesky Ave., 17. The address was not checked, since no one picked up the tick. Even if you are vaccinated against encephalitis, see your doctor, as ticks also carry Lyme disease.
There is an opinion that after the middle of June ticks in Altai are gone. According to other sources, they are there until the end of autumn. Ticks do not live above 2000 meters.
Going on vacation to Gorny Altai, be sure to collect a hiking tourist first-aid kit (follow the link - our recommendations). Are you planning a trip to Altai by car? Check out our tips for independent car travel.
Plague in Altai Mountains
The fact that the Kosh-Agach region of Gorny Altai has been a hotbed of bubonic plague since some dense year, we learned only in Ongudai. In 2016, there was an outbreak of the disease. It is carried by cute and harmless-looking gophers and marmots. Local residents who are engaged in hunting (which, by the way, is prohibited) get sick - the meat of gophers and marmots is considered a delicacy. Tourists are not in danger, besides, the plague can be cured, but just in case, contact with animals is best avoided. Also, do not touch the bones, corpses of animals and the remains of the table of birds of prey.
Conclusions
Despite all the difficulties and possible dangers, in Gorny Altai definitely need to go! Gather a good team (preferably drive several cars), prepare properly for a long trip and life far from civilization, get the necessary vaccinations, collect a first-aid kit. If you are smart about organizing your trip, everything will go well!
