Lake Markakol

Markakol lies at around 1,450 metres in the Kazakh Altai, some thirty-eight kilometres long, held in a basin between the Kurchum and Azutau ranges with larch forest running down to the shore, and it sits inside a state nature reserve, which means a permit is required and access is controlled. The lake is known for its uskuch, a lenok trout endemic to the basin and the subject of a regulated fishery. Bears, elk and sable live in the surrounding forest. Two villages, Urunkhaika and Matabai, sit on the shore. Getting there means crossing a high pass from the Bukhtarma side on a rough road, and the isolation keeps visitor numbers very low.

History

The name joins the Turkic kol, "lake", and mark, "asp", a fish. K. V. Struve and G. N. Potanin first studied the lake in 1863, after it passed to the Russian Empire, and in 1976 it became part of the new Markakol Nature Reserve (Wikipedia, Lake Markakol).

What you'll find

• The lake - thirty-eight kilometres of water in a forested basin.
• Larch forest - the taiga running down to the shore.
• Uskuch fishing - the endemic trout and the local fishery.
• The pass road - the high crossing from the Bukhtarma valley.

When to go

June to September, when the passes are open; the lake freezes in winter and the roads close. July and August are warmest. The reserve permit must be arranged before travelling.

What to expect

A reserve permit is required and refusals happen. The road over the pass is rough and slow, and impassable in wet or snow. Accommodation is village homestays with basic facilities. There is little phone signal.

Nearby

Katon-Karagay lies northeast; Lake Zaysan is west.

Key facts