Mount Belukha

Belukha rises to 4,506 metres on the border between Kazakhstan and Russia, the highest point of the Altai range, a twin-summited massif carrying substantial glaciers, of which the Berel glacier flows down the Kazakh side. It has long held significance in Altai and Old Believer traditions and in the writings of Nicholas Roerich, who associated it with Shambhala. From the Kazakh side the usual approach is from Rakhmanov Springs, with a viewpoint above the lakes giving the classic view of the north face, and a walking route to the glacier tongue; ascents are technical and mostly made from the Russian side. Because the summit is on the frontier, border zone permits are required and enforced.

History

The Tronov brothers made the first ascent in 1914, by the southern route most climbers still follow, and ice cores drilled on the Belukha glacier from 2001 to 2003 may hold 3,000 to 5,000 years of climate history (Wikipedia, Belukha Mountain).

The landscape

• The north face - the twin summits and the glaciers from the Kazakh side.
• The Berel glacier - the ice flowing down toward the Bukhtarma head.
• The viewpoint above Rakhmanov - the standard vantage on the massif.
• Alpine valleys - the high country on the approach walks.

When to go

July to August is the reliable window; snow closes the approaches from September to June and weather in the Altai is unsettled even in summer. Cloud frequently hides the summit for days.

Things to know

A border zone permit is compulsory and takes weeks; without it access is refused. Climbing the peak is a technical mountaineering undertaking, not a walk. Weather often removes the view entirely. Facilities are the sanatorium at Rakhmanov and camping beyond it.

Nearby

Rakhmanov Springs lie below; Berel is down the valley.

Key facts