Belukha Mountain

Belukha rises to 4,506 metres on the Katun ridge, the highest point in Siberia and the whole Altai, with two summits and a large glacier system - about a hundred and seventy square kilometres of ice on the massif, feeding the Katun and the Belaya Berel. It sits inside the Golden Mountains of Altai UNESCO site and on the border with Kazakhstan, which means a border zone permit is required in addition to everything else, arranged well in advance. In Altai tradition the mountain is Uch-Sumer and is sacred; climbing to the summit is regarded by many Altaians as improper, and the upper slopes are formally restricted, with the Ak-Kem valley and the lakes below being where most trekking stops. The standard approach is from Tyungur over the Kuzuyak pass to the Ak-Kem lake, three or four days each way, with the mountain reflected in the lake as the classic view.

What you actually see

• The twin summits - 4,506 metres, the highest ground in Siberia.
• The glaciers - about a hundred and seventy square kilometres of ice on the massif.
• Ak-Kem lake - the standard trekking destination with the north face above it.
• The sacred status - Uch-Sumer in Altai tradition, with climbing regarded as improper.

When to go

July to September for trekking; the climbing season is short and technical. A week to two weeks. Border permits take weeks to arrange.

Honest expectations

Border zone permits are compulsory, take time and are checked - without one you are turned back. The trek from Tyungur is three or four days each way with river crossings and passes. Climbing is serious mountaineering with regular fatalities. Altai views on the sacredness of the summit deserve respect.

Nearby

Tyungur is the trailhead; the Katun river and Multinskiye lakes are west.