Arshan mondy. Oh, how many wonderful discoveries we have. White Mountain Buhe-noyon - the main sacred place of the Tunka Valley
The Tunka Valley is probably the most unique place in the Baikal region, covered with a mass of ancient legends and tales.
Many centuries ago, along this road along the banks of the Irkut River lay the path of Genghis Khan and his army of thousands.
Numerous sacred places, some of which are a thousand years old, miraculous mineral springs, the majestic Sayan Mountains surrounding the picturesque Tunka Valley create the impression of an unreal paradise.
The Tunka Valley is a continuation of the Baikal depression and is unique for its healing springs and alpine meadows.
From the west, the valley is limited by the high Tunka char with pronounced alpine relief forms, and from the east by the less steep slopes of Khamar-Daban. The mountains spectacularly frame the valley with high alpine charrs, which begin immediately from the flat meadows of the valley and rise to a height of up to 2500 meters. Already at the end of September, the peaks of the mountains are covered with snow and look spectacular against the backdrop of the unfallen colored foliage of the forest areas of the valley.
Beautiful natural landscapes in most places have not yet been affected by the destructive traces of human presence: it is quite easy to find a virgin clearing on the edge of a forest or on the bank of a river.
HOW TO GET THERE
The Tunkinskaya Valley starts from the southern tip of Lake Baikal - the village of Kultuk and is connected to Irkutsk by a good asphalt road.
The village of Kultuk can be reached along the Kultuksky tract from Irkutsk along the M-55 highway. In terms of distance and arrival time, the trip is comparable to the popular car route to the Small Sea. You can drive from Irkutsk to the Mongolian border in Mondy (304 km) through the entire Tunka Valley in 5 hours, to the Nilova Pustyn resort (257 km) in 3.5-4 hours, to the Arshan resort (210 km) in 3 hours. The distance from Irkutsk to the beginning of the Tunka Valley - the village of Kultuk - is 98 km, which can be covered in 1.5 hours.
The best option to get acquainted with all the sights of the Tunka Valley is to drive along it in your own or rented car. This option will allow you to see all the sights in 2-3 days off.
For fans of regular routes, there are several options to start exploring Tunka:
By bus (Irkutsk - Arshan):
There is a regular bus from Irkutsk directly to the Arshan resort (Flight No. 520). Departure from Irkutsk daily at 8.30, 9.30 from the bus station (October Revolution Street, 11 Bus Station stop, tram No. 4). Travel time is 5 hours. In the opposite direction, the bus leaves from Arshan at 10.30, 15.30, 16.00. Route schedule.
You can also get to Arshan by minibus from the Irkutsk railway station.
By train (Irkutsk - Slyudyanka):
Every day you can get from Irkutsk to Slyudyanka by train (several flights per day, schedule). Travel time is about 3 hours. Then you can travel from Slyudyanka to Arshan by regular bus, departing daily at 13:00.
The advantage of this route is the opportunity to explore the unique building of the Slyudyansky railway station (the only building in Russia entirely built from unpolished white and pink Baikal marble) and the private mineralogical museum, where more than 10 thousand exhibits of minerals are collected.
In both cases, when traveling to Arshan by regular transport, you will have to admire the unique landscapes of the valley from the bus window without the opportunity to turn off to explore roadside attractions.
For lovers of active recreation, we can recommend an alternative and most valuable route from the point of view of a closer acquaintance with the Tunka Valley - this is a bicycle route through the entire Tunka Valley. The distance of 130 km from Slyudyanka to Arshan along an excellent and lightly used asphalt road by bicycle can be covered in 1-2 light days. It will truly be an incomparable feeling of unity with the unique nature of Tunka.
Every year, during the May holidays, hundreds of cyclists from all over the Irkutsk region make the already traditional crossing Slyudyanka-Arshan-Slyudyanka.
FEATURES OF THE ROUTE
The Tunka Valley begins at the southern tip of Lake Baikal, near which the village of Kultuk is located.
A trip to the Tunka Valley does not require special expedition equipment. There are cafes along the highway, incl. at the entrance to Tunkinsky Park, at the turn to Arshan and to the village. Kyren. In the Tunkinskaya Valley you can stay in comfortable conditions at any time of the year in the sanatoriums and boarding houses of Arshan, Nilova Pustyn or in the private sector according to your taste. A picturesque spacious valley and a good asphalt road with a continuous panorama from the car windows of close high mountains and sacred Buddhist places leave a vivid impression of the trip.
On this route you can visit mineral springs in Arshan, Zhemchug or Nilovaya Desert. Each mineral spring of the Tunka Valley, and there are almost 400 of them in total, differs from the others in temperature, mineralization, taste of the water and the level of carbon dioxide and radon in it.
In the middle part of the valley, the Irkut River takes on the character of a flat river and flows leisurely among steep banks, often forming loops, oxbow lakes, and intricate bends with sandy beaches.
Higher up, where the valley narrows, the Irkut flows violently through a rocky gorge, rumbling on continuous rapids and rifts. The asphalt road in the valley often comes close to the shore of Irkut, and in front of the village. Mondy, when the valley narrows, goes directly into the rocks above the turbulent river, which allows you to observe the river almost to the very source from Lake Ilchir.
In the evening and in conditions of poor visibility, drivers should be extremely careful, since right on the road near populated areas there are a large number of cattle, who consider the highway an excellent place for relaxation and a leisurely walk.
Also at the entrance to the village. Mondas should apply for a pass to stay in the border zone at the border outpost.
The combination of mountains, rich vegetation, beautiful lakes, and crystal clear rivers create the uniquely picturesque landscapes of the valley. Despite the fact that people began to develop the Tunka Valley since time immemorial (settlements of ancient people date back 13.5 thousand years), the nature of Tunka has been preserved in almost pristine condition. The Tunka Valley is a continuation of the Baikal depression. It stretches for 200 km, gradually rising to 1200 m above sea level and narrowing from 30 to 20 km. From the west, the valley is limited by the high Tunka chars of the Eastern Sayan Mountains with pronounced alpine relief forms, and from the east by the less steep slopes of Khamar-Daban.
The main river of the valley, the Irkut, originates from the confluence of two rivers - the White Irkut, flowing from the Munku-Sardyk mountain range, and the Black Irkut, the source of which is Lake Ilchir. The climate is moderate continental: summers are warm, winters are cold and long. The main wealth of Tunkinskaya is its unique healing springs.
Most tourists and travelers come to the Tunka Valley only to spend idle time in the popular and therefore very crowded resort of Arshan. At the same time, few people pay attention and know about the many other even more unique attractions of this area. And there are plenty of them here.
To make it easier to navigate the location of attractions in the village of Kultuk, I recommend switching the car’s daily mileage counter to zero.
1. Slyudyansky railway station building
The Slyudyanka train station is the only building in Russia entirely built of white and pink unpolished marble. The station project was developed specifically for Slyudyanka and the Circum-Baikal Railway. Initially, it was planned to build a brick station in Slyudyanka, but the Italian architects and builders who were involved in the design and construction of tunnels and viaducts on the Circum-Baikal Railway decided to change the construction material and use marble as the main natural material mined in these places.
2. Private Museum of Minerals V.A. Zhigalov (Slyudyanka)
In the private museum "Gems of Baikal" by local resident V.A. Zhigalov, a former photojournalist for the Slyudyanka and Tiksi newspapers, now a passionate collector of minerals, has amassed a collection of 8,960 exhibits. The collection includes all minerals known to modern science (3,450 species). There is a trading shop at the museum, where you can also get advice on the minerals of the area. A detailed summary of the minerals of the area includes about 200 species and varieties. The Slyudyanskoye deposit is unique in its diversity of minerals. In our country, only two are comparable to it: in the Urals and the Kola Peninsula.
You can learn more about the museum’s description and its private collection on the museum’s website.
3. Estate-motel of animator Andrei Mikhailov (18 km from Kultuk)
At 18 km, to the left of the road before entering the village. Quick, you can have a snack and even spend the night in a cozy motel - the creative dacha of cartoonist Andrei Mikhailov “Chas” (which he designed and built with his own hands). Today, the entire household is run by Mikhailov’s mother, Tamara Alekseevna: formerly a police major, now an artist and meteorologist. The dacha has five double rooms, a Russian bathhouse, a small art gallery, an exhibition of various souvenirs, and a picnic area. A few years ago, only foreigners were accepted here “by recommendation.” Now the dacha has become publicly accessible, the cost of living is 150 rubles per day. You can prepare your own food in the kitchen; a visit to the bathhouse will cost 50 rubles per person. For barbecue lovers, a special Russian-style oven was built nearby.
4. Lapis lazuli deposit (21 km)
At the exit from the village. Bystrogo, turning left in the upper reaches of the river. Malaya Bystraya, there is a deposit of lapis lazuli. A beautiful ornamental azure stone is an opaque mineral of a dark blue color. In ancient times, lapis lazuli was credited with healing properties: the ability to ease breathing, strengthen vision, and help in the treatment of epilepsy. This deposit is the main supplier of high-quality lapis lazuli to the world market and is considered the second most important in the world (after Badakhshan in Afghanistan).
In ancient times, lapis lazuli was credited with healing properties: the ability to ease breathing, strengthen vision, and help cure epilepsy. Lapis lazuli has long been used to produce high-quality paint - ultramarine. The best paintings of the Renaissance were painted using natural ultramarine.
5. An ancient burial mound of the leader of the Mongol-Tatar army from the time of Genghis Khan (34 km)
In the village of Tibelti, there is a small hill on which there is an ancient but active cemetery. This is nothing more than the remnant of the ancient burial place of one of the leaders of the Mongol-Tatar army from the time of Genghis Khan.
During the Tatar-Mongol invasion, a detachment of the Mongol-Tatar army passed through the Tunka Valley. Where the village is now located, the leader of the soldiers died and was buried with full honors. According to the old Mongol custom, each person from the detachment had to pour sand from his own helmet onto the ashes of the leader. This could form a small hill - a kind of sand pyramid. Indeed, if you look closely at the hill, you will notice that it has a regular, slightly flattened shape of a triangular pyramid.
This legend is partly confirmed by finds made in the churchyard. For example, in 1963, a golden Mongolian smoking pipe mouthpiece and pouch were found here. And three years ago - several gold antique coins.
6. Buddhist complex “Many Doors of Happiness” (39 km)
Opposite the entrance sign “Tunkinsky District National Park” in the summer of 2004 under the leadership of Dagmo Lama L.R. Domshivaeva, the Dashi Gama stupa was built, translated from Tibetan means many doors of happiness. A stone staircase, guarded by two stone lions, leads from the road to the Buddhist complex: a stupa, a gazebo, and young cedars. The prototype of this stupa was erected in India in ancient times in memory of the Buddha's threefold explanation of his teachings. Dashi Gama Stupa was consecrated by Venerable Yeshi Lodo Rinpoche on August 14, 2004.
On the opposite side of the road, nearby there is a post office working around the clock. In terms of distance, it is located approximately halfway from Irkutsk to Mondy, so it is convenient for stopping for lunch. The local Buryat dish - buuzy (poses) - is prepared excellently here. Instead of the usual tea we all know, here you can order real Mongolian tea with milk.
7. Sacred place of the Tunka Valley (51 km)
When approaching the village of Tory from the road on the right side, a white spot on the slope of the ridge is clearly visible - one of the cult places of the Tunka Valley - Bukha-Noyon (translated as bull, master, leader). The bull is one of the mythological ancestors - totems of the Buryat people, a symbol of the power of nature, an object of shamanistic cult. There are many legends and folk tales about him. In a cult place at an altitude of 1050 meters there is a picturesque rock formation made of white marble, on top of which stands a Buddhist shrine. In its outline, the rock really looks like a lying bull. The marble is gradually being destroyed, so a large white scree descends from the mountain down the slope. This place has been worshiped by people for centuries, and it has not lost its significance even now.
8. Panorama near the Irkut River (77 km)
At 77 km the road comes close to the Irkut River. There are several switchbacks to the river bank and it's worth stopping for a short rest and some great photos.
9. Arshan resort (112 km)
The most famous and visited resort in the Tunka Valley, Arshan, is located 28 km from the A-164 road (112 km from the village of Kultuka, 210 km from Irkutsk and 479 km from Ulan-Ude) at the foot of the Tunkinsky char at an altitude of 893 m above sea level. The first written report about Arshan mineral springs dates back to 1894. The Arshan resort was founded in 1920. Arshan translated from Buryat means “healing spring”. Each arshan has a place for sacrifices. As a rule, rituals of a petitionary and grateful nature (treating Ezhin Arshan with wine, tying ribbons) are performed twice: on the occasion of arrival - with a request to give health, to be freed from illness, and on the occasion of departure - as a sign of gratitude. A whole sacred grove arose near the springs on Arshan, decorated with multi-colored ribbons.
The resort's mineral waters have a wide range of temperatures: from cold (11-13 °C) to hot (45 °C). Arshan mineral waters have a complex composition and are rich in microelements; in terms of physicochemical properties they are analogous to Kislovodsk Narzan, but are significantly superior to it in mineralization. Water is used for medicinal purposes for drinking, bathing and showering.
There are several attractions located near the resort, some of which can be reached by car. Of greatest interest are trips and walks to the waterfalls of the Kyngyrgi River, Crystal Lake, and extinct volcanoes. The closest of the volcanoes, Khara-Boldok (Chersky Volcano), is located near the village of Khurai-Khobok. The Talskaya Peak volcano (near the village of Taloe) is also not far from Arshan, about ten kilometers. The highest of its brothers is the Kovrizhka volcano - 1374 meters.
One of the most accessible and popular routes along the Kyngyrga River allows you to see all twelve waterfalls, the largest of which are the first and second, as well as the Marble Bottom natural monument.
Those who wish can take a short ride on horseback; this opportunity is provided by local residents.
More details about the Arshan resort and routes to all its attractions can be found in post about Arshan resort .
10. Mineral baths in the village of Zhemchug (99 km)
If time permits, beyond the village of Zhemchug at 99 km of the route you can turn right along the gravel road and stop at the Vyshka spring, where you can take a hot shower directly from the gushing mineral spring and bask in mineral and mud baths.
An area called Vyshka is located 5 kilometers on the banks of Irkut. Here, as a result of drilling a well in 1954, thermal water was discovered, and the well was named Zhemchugskaya. Water with a temperature of 36.5° to 44°C comes from a depth of more than 700 meters, the release amounts to up to a thousand cubic meters of water per day. Well water is methane, with a small content of hydrogen sulfide and radon, and is used to treat diseases of bones and joints, the nervous system, the consequences of injuries to the musculoskeletal system, and skin diseases.
11. Main Buddhist temple (119 km)
At the entrance to Kyren, on the right, slightly to the side of the road, is the main Buddhist temple of the Tunka Valley - the Tushite datsan.
The spread of Buddhism in the Tunka Valley began in the 18th century by Tibetan monks, 100 years later, in 1817, the first datsan was built here - the Tushite datsan. For a long time it was the main Buddhist temple, responsible for the spread of teachings in the Tunka Valley, and is currently the main temple of the Buddhist community of the Tunka region.
12. Nilova Pustyn resort (156 km)
The Nilova Pustyn resort is located at an altitude of 915 m above sea level in the foothills of the Eastern Sayan Mountains, 7 km from the village. Turan, in a narrow gorge on the banks of the river. Ikhe-Ukhgun, 156 km from the village. Kultuk and 254 km from Irkutsk. A good asphalt road leads to the resort (the last 7 km from Turan is an improved gravel road), and you can get to the Nilova Pustyn resort from Irkutsk in 3.5-4 hours. Around the resort there are picturesque mountain slopes with dense virgin mixed forest, dominated by pine. The narrow gorge narrows so much in several places that between the steep cliffs there is only room for a seething stream and an embankment of the road.
Even if there were no radon source here, the gorge and the road along it are attractive in themselves. Above the Nile Desert, on the banks of the river there are secluded sandy beaches, rapids with large boulders and picturesque large stones on the shore, densely entwined with colored lichens.
The pride of the health resort of this resort is the radon spring. Its mineral waters, containing a lot of silicic acid and fluorine, are not suitable for oral consumption, but are unique for the treatment of skin diseases and joint diseases.
The resort got its name from the Archbishop of Irkutsk and Nerchinsk Nil Isakovich Stolbensky (in the world Nikolai Fedorovich), who, after visiting the springs discovered here in 1840, organized the missionary Nilovskaya men's Hermitage. At the same time, the first chemical studies of waters were carried out. One of the sources was named Serebryanka for its high content of silver ions. Neil, with the support of the Irkutsk governor, as well as Irkutsk merchants, raised funds to support the Desert. At that time, many of the buildings at the resort were privately owned, and treatment at the resort was quite expensive. In 1851, Emperor Nicholas I approved the Regulations, where Pustyn was called the “Non-Stat Men's Pustyn”. The resort was very popular; many famous people visited here, including the Decembrists who were serving exile in different parts of Siberia: Volkonsky, Trubetskoy, the Bestuzhev brothers, Poggio, Wolf, Pushchin, Raevsky.
From the resort, along the only gravel road, you can go to the museum of the Buryat village of Khoito-Gol, to the Nilovsky datsan, or to the beginning of the trail to the Shumak springs.
13. Nilovsky Buddhist datsan
4 km upstream of the river from the Nilova Pustyn resort, in a dense forest at 10 km of the road on Mount Kholma-Ula, the Nilovsky Buddhist datsan is located. According to ancient legend, the mythical god Khan Shargai Noyon, the head of five haats sitting on the ridges of the Sayan Mountains, landed in this place. In honor of this, in 1867 a small log house for prayers was built on this site. Subsequently, two wooden datsans were built. Nobody guards the temples. They say that once sacred relics were stolen from the datsan. Those who stole them were unable to take them away from the valley: the entire family died in a car accident, and the relics returned to their place.
In the summer of 2003, the Buddhist stupa Namzhal Stupa of Longevity was built here. In Buddhism, this is one of the eight stupas dedicated to Buddha, translated from Tibetan means “Victory over the demon of death.” The Namzhal stupa has three levels, rises above the ground on supports and is unique in its architectural design. The design of the stupa expresses all the stages on the path to enlightenment.
In the center stands a tower made of a long, smooth log (now replaced by an iron post) with a round tin barrel on top. This design is not found in any other datsan in Buryatia. Old-timers say that when the lamas converted the local population to Buddhism, they first gathered all the shamans in this place and convinced them to accept the Buddhist faith. All the tambourines and shamanic costumes were burned. Sacred Buddhist relics and silver coins were placed in the barrel and raised up so that Buddha could see the gifts. The sand at the landing site of Khan Shargai Noyon is considered holy. It is widely believed that this sand, taken by a man, gives him strength.
On the territory of the datsan you can see many bushes and trees with narrow strips of multi-colored material. In Buryat it is called "zalaa", ribbons that are tied to the branches of sacred trees. It is believed that by tying a strip of material in the ezhin’s habitat, a person turns to him with a request or makes a wish. Sacred prayers or individual mystical sayings are sometimes written on the material. Buryats believe that when the wind sways a ribbon with prayers written on it, the prayer written on the ribbon rises to heaven, even if at that time the one who wrote the prayer is busy with other things. The tying of colorful ribbons by pilgrims in certain places near monasteries was previously attributed to the miraculous power of driving away all evil from the monastery walls.
14. Hoyto-Gol
At 15 km of the road from the Nilova Pustyn resort to Khoyto-Gol there is a car turnoff (about 15 km) to the right at the foot of the Shumak Pass, leading to the beginning of the trail to the Shumak springs. In the village Khoyto-Gol (translated as “northern valley”) you can visit the local history museum. Here visitors will be told about the history of the region. After the annexation of Buryatia to Russia, in order to protect the territory on which in the 16th-17th centuries from Mongol raids. people did not live permanently; from each Buryat clan, one family was sent from Arshan to organize an outpost in the village. Khoyto-Gol. These were the births of Badarkhan, Hongoodor, Shoshoologist. Historical evidence of this event is on display in the museum.
15. Healing springs of the Shumak River valley
The famous healing springs in the valley of the Shumak River, one of the tributaries of the Kitoi River, deserve a special mention. These are the youngest mineral springs on the planet and one of the most inaccessible springs on Earth. You can get to them on foot or by helicopter. Here, more than 100 springs with thermal carbon dioxide waters come to the surface, which are dominated by calcium and magnesium bicarbonates, and also contain gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and radon. Such waters are effective in treating diseases of the musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular, nervous and genitourinary systems, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, urolithiasis and diabetes.
16. Panoramas of the Tunka Valley (165 km)
Behind the village of Turan, the most picturesque places of the Tunka Valley begin. This section often offers beautiful panoramas of the Irkut valley and the snowy mountain peaks sparkling in the distance.
The last 10-15 km before the village. Monda road goes in a narrow gorge above the fast-moving Irkutsk, there are no exits to the water. In many places, if you stop and walk to the edge of a rocky cliff above the river, a beautiful panorama of the river quickly flowing among the steep cliffs opens up. This section of the river is attractive for organizing rafting on inflatable boats or rafts. Picturesque shores with waterfalls falling from rocky ledges into the river and the convenience of accompanying a rafting group along the road make it possible to organize exciting short-term rafting trips for tourists here.
17. Place with the standard of the highest air purity (203 km)
Not far from the village. Mondy, on the border with Mongolia, is the Sayan Solar Observatory of the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics SB RAS, founded in 1962. Driving along the main highway, you can see white domes and pavilions of bizarre shapes. There, on the Chasovye Sopki (altitude 2000 m above sea level), using a number of telescopes, observations of the solar corona and polarization measurements are carried out, requiring high transparency of the earth's atmosphere. Regular automated measurements of cosmic ray intensity are also carried out at the observatory and on Mount Hulugaisha (3000 m above sea level). This place is also known to specialists who study the degree of pollution of the earth’s atmosphere as a local “standard of the highest air purity.” The Sayan Observatory is equipped with three unique solar instruments: a horizontal solar telescope with a magnetograph, an out-of-eclipse coronagraph and a solar telescope for operational forecasts. The Sayan Observatory houses one of the largest solar telescopes in Russia (with a mirror of 80 cm, focal length 20 m). A universal automated solar telescope with a complex of magnetographs and spectrophotometers ensures continuous monitoring of the Sun. In terms of its size and quality, the telescope's optics are the largest in Russia, and the AST itself is among the largest solar telescopes in the world.
18. Mount Munku-Sardyk (210 km)
Behind the village of Mondy, the main attraction of these places is the sacred mountain Munku - Sardyk (3491 meters), this is the highest point of the Eastern Sayan Mountains and the border with Mongolia runs along its top. But if you wish, you can climb to the top of the mountain. To do this, at the outpost in Mondy you will again need to issue a pass. At the very top the snow does not melt even in summer. The climb to the top is possible both from the Russian side (from the Irkut valley at the confluence of the tributary - the White Irkut) - this climb requires special equipment and preparation and takes 2-3 days, and from the Mongolia side, where the climb is more gentle, not requires special physical training and, thanks to the possibility of driving up to half the mountain by car, it takes place in 1 day along with the descent. But a trip to Mongolia requires a foreign passport and a Mongolian visa, and that’s another story.
The 204 km long route along the Tunkinskaya Valley runs along a convenient asphalt highway A-164 from the village. Kultuk to the village of Mondy (via the settlements of Kultuk, Tibelti, Tory, Zun-Murino, Zaktui, Zhemchug, Kyren, Turan) with radial exits along dirt and gravel roads to the described attractions, many of which are located in close proximity to the highway.
You can travel around all the main attractions by car in two to three weekends, depending on the chosen routes.
ACCOMMODATION
You can stay overnight either in a tent on the picturesque bank of the Irkut River, which runs almost the entire route along the highway, or in any of the motels along the roads or hotels in the settlements of Arshan, Zhemchug, Nilova Pustyn, Mondy.
It’s probably rare that an Irkutsk resident has not visited Arshan at least once in his life. I know only one such woman - my mother, but she has never been to Lake Baikal, although she was born and raised in Irkutsk.Arshan is located 210 km from Irkutsk in the Republic of Buryatia. The border with Mongolia, which passes in the village of Mondy (emphasis on the first syllable), is only 146 km from Arshan. By the way, we have a visa-free regime with Mongolia.
Unfortunately, I didn’t take a camera with me, and my phone’s capabilities don’t allow me to take normal photos, so I took the photo from baikalsky .
Arshan is located in the Tunka Valley at an altitude of 893 m above sea level. “Arshan” translated from Buryat means “healing spring”. And this is the view that opens while you are driving to the village.
This part of the Eastern Sayan Mountains is called Tunkinskie loaches
True, this photo was taken a little earlier - in the spring, so now the picture looks a little different - greener, and the mountains are not so white, the snow has already melted.
Getting to Arshan from Irkutsk is very easy - minibuses and buses go there, and of course you can also use your own car. They go there for the mineral springs, mountains, waterfalls and even to eat real Buryat food.
One of the sources
According to Buryat custom, rituals of a petitionary and grateful nature (treating the Ezhin (spirit) of Arshan with wine, tying ribbons) are performed twice: on the occasion of arrival - with a request to give health, to be freed from illness, and on the occasion of departure - as a sign of gratitude. A whole sacred grove arose near the springs on Arshan, decorated with multi-colored ribbons.
Sacred Grove
Ribbons made of silk or any other material are called zalaa, jalama, hadag or hadak
The Kyngyrga River (translated from Buryat as “drum”) flows through the village, the bottom of the canyon is lined with pink and yellow marble.
About a kilometer upstream there is a 5-6 m high waterfall, which is very popular among tourists. I dug up an old photo of a waterfall, taken with a point-and-shoot camera.
And here is another photo of me, digitized from paper:
Previously, near the waterfall there was a bridge across the river, along which you could cross to the other side and go further along the path to the next waterfall. Last summer, a powerful mudflow hit the village, which destroyed part of the village, killing one woman. Now there is no road to the second waterfall, and instead of a bridge there are two logs, along which daredevils still cross the river.
Landing video
And we lived in the village of Zhemchug, which is about 40 km from Arshan. It contains two mineral springs. One is methane, with a water temperature of 38°C, the other is carbon dioxide, with a temperature of 55°C. Their water contains the elements of lithium, strontium, titanium, and molybdenum. The medicinal properties have not been fully studied; it is not recommended to stay in them for more than 20 minutes. A visit to the pools with springs costs 200 rubles for adults, 100 rubles for children.
There is also a water park in the village - well, that’s just the name, of course. The water in it is cold, there are only two slides, and there were a lot of people because the weather was hot. A visit to the water park for adults – 400 rubles, for children – 300 rubles.
You can go for free to the Irkut River - a beautiful sandy beach, very shallow, suitable for small children.
Now a little about Buryat cuisine. It is similar to Mongolian, which is also well represented in local cafes, where food is inexpensive.
The poses are similar to khinkali and manti, stuffed with minced meat and onions, and steamed. The peculiarity of eating poses is that meat juice is drunk through the bitten hole. I heard that if the pose was torn and the juice leaked out, then the Buryats will replace the “defective” one with a whole one.
One pose costs 55-60 rubles. Recently, more and more often, instead of the word “poses,” they began to use “buuzy,” which is phonetically closer to Buryat. In addition, visitors are perplexed by the “Hot Poses” signs.
This time I also tried khushuurs - they are like poses, only fried in oil.
In one cafe we ate khushuurs like in the picture. A serving of 4 pieces costs 280 rubles, they also came with a vegetable salad. I could only manage three pieces alone.
In another cafe, the khushuurs were like this, they are also called meat pears:
One piece costs 60 rubles.
The last three photos are from the Internet.
You can eat poses in Irkutsk, but real Buryat ones are only in Buryatia.
In Arshan and Zhemchug markets you can buy Mongolian goods and various herbs. Of course, you can also buy them in Irkutsk, but we always traditionally bring sagaan dali from Arshan - a powerful energy stimulant, but we love it not for this, but for its very pleasant indescribable aroma. To enjoy it, you just need to add 3-5 herb leaves to regular tea. If you are in Irkutsk or Arshan, be sure to buy it.
The most famous and visited resort in the Tunka Valley, Arshan, is located 28 km from the A-164 road (112 km from the village of Kultuka, 210 km from Irkutsk and 479 km from Ulan-Ude) at the foot of the Tunkinsky char at an altitude of 893 m above sea level. The first written report about Arshan mineral springs dates back to 1894. The Arshan resort was founded in 1920. Arshan translated from Buryat means “healing spring”. Each arshan has a place for sacrifices. As a rule, rituals of a petitionary and grateful nature (treating Ezhin Arshan with wine, tying ribbons) are performed twice: on the occasion of arrival - with a request to give health, to be freed from illness, and on the occasion of departure - as a sign of gratitude. A whole sacred grove arose near the springs on Arshan, decorated with multi-colored ribbons.
The resort's mineral waters have a wide range of temperatures: from cold (11–13 °C) to hot (45 °C). According to the chemical composition, the mineral waters of Arshan, according to the classification of V.A. Alexandrov, belong to the 1st class, being carbon dioxide with a high gas content. Arshan mineral waters have a complex composition and are rich in microelements; in terms of physicochemical properties they are analogous to Kislovodsk Narzan, but are significantly superior to it in mineralization. Water is used for medicinal purposes for drinking, bathing and showering. Indications for treatment: diseases of the digestive and circulatory organs, cardiology, pulmonology, nephrology, neurology.
Mineral water is captured from wells (985 m3/day) and supplied through pipelines to the drinking pump rooms and to the bathroom building. Drinking pump rooms are open from 7.30 to 9.30, from 12.00 to 14.00, from 17.00 to 21.00. There are two mineral water pump rooms - warm and cold. Warm mineral baths can be arranged with the resort administration. A natural outlet of mineral water has been preserved in only one place - this is the so-called eye spring, it is easy to find, its location is indicated by a sacred grove. Eye spring water contains iron, up to 600 mg/l.
Currently, the Arshan resort can simultaneously accommodate about 980 people. In 1989, the Sayany sanatorium with 500 beds was put into operation, and in 1996, the Sagaan-Dali boarding house with 100 beds.
NUTRITION. In the village of Arshan there are many small cafes, pozny and cheburek, actively working in the summer. You can pay for meals to the accounting department of the Sayany sanatorium and eat in the sanatorium canteen.
Accommodation
PRIVATE SECTOR. Near the bus station, when the bus arrives, you can meet local residents offering accommodation in the private sector.
BOARDING HOUSE "SAGAAN-DALI". A quiet and clean new modern building is located in a pine forest, on the right at the entrance to the village. Arshan. Turn right (500 m) at 26 km, immediately after the Arshan sign. 2- and 3-bed comfortable rooms (bathroom, hot and cold water); 2-room deluxe rooms (telephone, TV, refrigerator); rental of sports equipment.
ARSHAN RESORT. SANATORIUMS "SAYANY" AND "ARSHAN". Tunkinsky district, Arshan resort. The resort is designed to accommodate 985 vacationers. The Sayany sanatorium has a swimming pool.
JSC BAIKALKURORT. Irkutsk
RECREATION CENTER "ENERGETIK". Two-storey sleeping complex with 1-, 2- and 3-bed rooms. There are 11 rooms in total in the boarding house: 2 single summer rooms, 7 double rooms and 2 triple rooms. The rooms are poorly equipped, toilets and washbasins are on the ground floor. There is a bathhouse on the territory of the base. All rooms, except single rooms, are equipped with TVs. Each floor has a kitchen equipped with a stove, refrigerator and kitchen utensils for self-catering.
GUEST HOUSE "CLIMBER'S SHELTER", Adventure and Travel Center "In the World of Fantasy". Tel. in Irkutsk: 335-835, 432-647, tel. in Arshan: 6-97. Email: [email protected] Pos. Arshan, center, 300 m from the bus station, st. Brothers Domyshev, 8. The guest house is designed in an adventure style. Double accommodation in 7 rooms, fireplace room, sauna, bar, fenced parking lot. Accompanied by professional guides, you can make hikes to the Arshansky Pass (2 days), climbing the Peak of Love (1 day), to Mount Three-Glava and Peak Bratchanka (2 days), to the valley of the river. Buhota (2–3 days), to the river valley. Bugataya (2–3 days). Hire of tourist equipment.
BOWL OF VIRGINS - a stone bowl of water in the riverbed, located in the upper reaches of the Buhota River, flowing 3 km from the village. Arshana. An amazingly beautiful place, filled with strength and energy. According to local Buryat customs, the bride bathes in this bowl before the wedding. Typically, Buryat weddings take place in the summer or early autumn during the full moon or new moon. There was a belief that the beginning of family life, timed to coincide with the full moon or new moon, promised happiness and a successful and rich life in the future. A big role was given to pre-wedding rituals. The bachelorette party, or the ceremony of seeing off the bride, was widely celebrated throughout Buryatia. The farewell ceremony for the bride lasted 2–3 days and attracted many young people from the surrounding uluses. On the last night before the wedding, the bride and her bridesmaids went to a secret place and performed the ritual of ablution and offerings to the family spirits - the ongons of the clan. Near Arshan, a similar ceremony took place in the upper reaches of the river. Buhoty. The bride bathed in a stone bowl at night, if she was pure in her thoughts, and the ceremony went well; it was believed that the spirits of the family blessed her for marriage.
PEAK OF LOVE, 2412 m, one of the peaks of the Tunkinsky loaches. Conquering this peak is a popular route among fans of extreme tourism in Arshan. Usually the ascent takes 4–5 hours in summer, 5–6 in winter.
The Arshansky Pass is more difficult to climb than the Peak of Love. From here you can make interesting radial routes.
Lovers of simple travel are attracted by the mountain lake located at the source of the Artemyev River. The lake is called both crystal and dead, but its beauty and mystery fascinate everyone who gets to it. The route can be completed in one daylight.
9 mineral springs Khongor-Uuly - a place in the Tunka Valley, located a few kilometers from the village. Kyren is worth a visit if you are interested in folk traditions and customs. People who received healing at the springs leave their crafts and sculptures as a souvenir of this place, and the area of the springs, decorated with numerous offerings, resembles an open-air museum.
KYNGARGA RIVER. The surroundings of the resort are very picturesque. Near the springs, the trunks of the pine grove, according to Buryat custom, are tied with khadaks - sacrificial ribbons of material. Along the path to the spring in the summer there are many sellers with medicinal herbs. Here you can buy sagandailya, the golden root. Near the resort (500 m up the path) there is a canyon of the river. Kyngargi (kyngarga means “drum”), inaccessible in summer, but in winter you can take a fascinating excursion along the frozen river among the icy rocks. Rapidly flowing water is visible through the ice. The length of the river from its source to its mouth is more than 27 km. The bottom of the canyon is lined with pink and yellow marble polished by water. A little higher (1 km along a wide path) there is a powerful waterfall 5–6 m high, before the fall of which there is a bridge; it is easy to take a short excursion here. To get to the second waterfall, you need to climb further along the rocks, along a narrow and unsafe path for small children, about 300 meters. The second waterfall is a wide cascade of several rocky steps, the largest of which does not exceed 3 m. In total, there are 12 waterfalls on Kyngarga, you can reach them walk along the path along the river (11 km). The highest waterfalls have a drop of about 10 m.
Near Arshan, traces of volcanic activity that occurred here 10–15 thousand years ago, at the end of the Ice Age, have been preserved. Not far from the road leading to Arshan, on the right you can see two small cones of extinct volcanoes and several low hills of volcanic scoria.
7 km from Arshan, west of the village. Ulyabory, the Khara-Boldok volcano, 100–120 m high, overgrown with forest, is clearly visible, the crater diameter is 80–100 m. In shape, it is a typical cone with a torn northern edge and consists entirely of highly porous, spongy basalt slag.
10 km north-west of the resort are the Koimor Lakes, they can be reached through the village. Tagarkay. The lakes are connected by channels and are rich in fish and waterfowl. The banks are swampy, and you can only get close to them on horseback.
In the vicinity of the village. Tunka, on the sandy hills along the Akhalika and Tunka rivers, various stone, bronze and iron tools of primitive man, shards of pottery, as well as bones of fossil animals were found: mammoth, rhinoceros, primitive bull.
SOURCE PEARL. The village is located at 94 km. Zhemchug, after which 99 km beyond the river. Kharagun there will be a gravel turn (3 km) to the Zhemchug mineral spring. If time permits, you can stop by the spring and take a hot shower. On the right bank of the river. Irkut, there are healing hot springs and mud baths widely known among the local population. In 1954, 1.5 km from the village. In Pearl, a well was opened at a depth of 1026 m, and at depths of 728–732 and 754–766 m there was methane thermal water. Radioactivity 6 eman. Currently, the well is self-flowing with a flow rate of 8 l/s. Water temperature +37...+38 °C. There is a shared shower cabin, for the use of which a nominal fee is charged, and wild mud baths on the banks of the Irkut, around which there are many vacationers in the summer. The medicinal properties of source water containing elements of strontium, lithium, traces of titanium and molybdenum have been poorly studied. The local population recommends taking a shower no more than 2 times a day for 10 minutes. It is believed that water helps with diseases of the joints and nerves.
KYREN, village Regional center of Tunkinskaya Valley village. Kyren (118–125 km, population about 6,000 people) stretches along the road for 7 km. This is the largest settlement in the Tunkinskaya Valley. At the entrance to the village, to the right of the road, in a two-story brick building, the directorate of the Tunkinsky National Park is located, where you can get additional information about the attractions of the park.
At the entrance to Kyren, on the right, slightly to the side of the road, is the main Buddhist temple of the Tunka Valley.
For the village With Turan, the Tunka Valley noticeably narrows. Increasingly, the road comes close to Irkut, sometimes rising high above it. The road enters the forest foothills of the Sayan Mountains. From 141 km the gravel section begins. The road goes through the mountains with steep climbs of up to 10%, through dense forest. Before Turan, 150 km to the left of the road, there is a spring where you can replenish your drinking water supplies.
From Turan to the Nilova Hermitage there is 7 km of gravel road, to the village. Khoyto-Gol 18 km.
25 km from the village. The Turan road is crossed by the river. Dalbay. In a narrow valley along the banks of the river, multiple outlets of mineral water were discovered. The local population calls them Dalbai khalun arshan. The water from the springs is used for drinking and medicinal baths.
After 135 km, a small section of a good gravel road begins, and then again there is an asphalt road to the village. Monds. This section often offers beautiful panoramas of the Irkut valley and the snowy mountain peaks sparkling in the distance.
It is better to stop for the night before reaching the village. Monds. The last 10-15 km before the village. Monda road goes in a narrow gorge above the fast-moving Irkut, there are no exits to the water, and it is impossible to find a secluded place away from the road.
In the village Mondy has a guest house for 3 people with basic amenities. The car should be parked in the yard of local residents for the night.
TOP OF ANGARYA
Perhaps the most attractive peak in the vicinity of Irkutsk is Mount Munku-Sardyk located in the Eastern Sayan. The road to its foot passes through the picturesque Tunkinskaya Valley. You can travel along this route for several days - there are many beautiful places, tourist centers and healing mineral springs Arshan and Zhemchug. The road here is good, and there are many comfortable places to spend the night. The trip is especially popular during the May holidays, when nature is just beginning to awaken. Thousands of fans of mountain tourism and bard songs will gather at the foot of Munku-Sardyk these days; this event in itself - the most massive ascent to the highest peak of the Eastern Sayan - is a worthy goal for the trip. According to information from the organizers of the festival, a prayer service for the veneration of Buren-Khaan, the owner of the sacred mountain Munku-Sardyk, will be held on May 1 (beginning at 12.00) in the traditional place - in a clearing near the bridge across the river. White Irkut on the left bank of the river.
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TABLE OF DISTANCES: IRKUTSK – MONDY (A-164) (km)
| Irkutsk | Shelekhov | Kultuk | Arshan | Kyren | Nile. Empty. | Mondas | |
| Shelekhov | 17 | ||||||
| Kultuk | 98 | 81 | |||||
| Arshan | 210 | 193 | 112 | ||||
| Kyren | 215 | 198 | 117 | 58 | |||
| Nile. Empty. | 251 | 234 | 156 | 98 | 40 | ||
| Mondas | 304 | 285 | 204 | 146 | 82 | 55 | |
| O. Ilchir | 370 | 353 | 272 | 214 | 250 | 124 | 68 |
TO THE TOP – THROUGH THE PICTURE VALLEY
You can drive to the border with Mongolia from Irkutsk (304 km) through the entire Tunka Valley in 5 hours, to the Nilova Pustyn resort (257 km) in 3.5–4 hours, to the Arshan resort (210 km) in 3 hours.
Tunkinskaya Valley stretches for 200 km, it gradually rises to 1200 m above sea level and narrows from 30 to 20 km. It is a continuation of the Baikal depression and is famous for its healing springs and alpine meadows. On this route you can visit the mineral springs of Arshan, Zhemchug or Nilovaya Desert.
Each mineral spring in the Tunka Valley, and there are almost 400 of them in total, differs from the others in temperature, mineralization, taste of the water and the level of carbon dioxide and radon in it. It will take very little time to visit the source in village Pearl(95 km), located 3 km from the highway. In front of the village there is a good and spacious roadside cafe “Pearl”, there are a lot of poseurs at the source itself, and a souvenir market opens on weekends. There are many tourist centers built around where you can always find a place to stay overnight, for example, the Krasnaya Polyana guest house. The local population advises taking a therapeutic shower no more than twice a day for 10 minutes. It is believed that water helps with diseases of the joints and nerves.
WHERE TO STAY OVERNIGHT |
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| The largest selection of comfortable private estates, tourist centers and hotels is located in the resorts of Arshan and Nilovaya Pustyn, the Pearl Spring. South of the village. Kyren and at the foot of Munku-Sardyk you will have to spend the night in tents. Arshan has the largest offer - from the private sector to hotel suites (from 2,600 rubles with breakfast). Pay attention to popular hotels among tourists "Princess Christina"(Traktovaya St., 115 a, tel.: 8950 083 6650, restaurant, bar, swimming pool, bathhouse, cedar barrel), landscaped private estate "Marina Grove" next to the Church of Peter and Paul (Traktovaya St., 95, tel.: 8902 578 1125, cafe, Russian bathhouse with swimming pool, children's playground, billiards), private estate "Mint"(Traktovaya St., 89, tel.: 8950 007 3332, rooms in 2-story houses made of Siberian pine, satellite TV, bathhouse). There are also sanatorium "Sayany" for 500 places, boarding house "Sagaan-Dali" for 100 seats. Next to the Sagan-Dali boarding house there is a children's health resort "Edelweiss". |
The most famous and visited resort in the Tunkinskaya Valley Arshan located 28 km from the A-164 road (112 km from the village of Kultuk, 210 km from Irkutsk) at the foot of Tunkinskie Goltsy at an altitude of 893 m above sea level. Arshan translated from Buryat means “healing spring”. Each Arshan has a place for sacrifices, and a whole sacred grove arose on Arshan, decorated with multi-colored ribbons.
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| Kyngarga waterfall in Arshan |
After 135 km of the A-164 highway, the most picturesque places begin. There are often beautiful panoramas of the Irkut valley and the snowy mountain peaks sparkling in the distance.
IN village Turan can be turned to resort Nilova Pustyn(the road to the village of Khoito-Gol is 18 km), which is located at an altitude of 915 m above sea level in the foothills of the Eastern Sayan Mountains, 7 km from the village. Turan, in a narrow gorge on the banks of the river. Ihe-Uhgun. Around the resort there are picturesque mountain slopes with dense mixed forest. The narrow gorge narrows so much in several places that between the steep cliffs there is only room for a seething stream and an embankment of the road. Even if there were no radon source here, the gorge and the road along it are attractive in themselves. Above the Nile Desert there are secluded sandy beaches, rapids with large boulders and picturesque large stones, densely entwined with colored lichens. From the resort you can go to the museum of the Buryat village of Khoito-Gol, to the Nilovsky datsan or to the beginning of the trail to the Shumak springs.
Not far from the village of Mondy there is Sayan Solar Observatory of the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics SB RAS. Driving along the road, you can see white domes and pavilions of bizarre shapes on the Chasovye Sopki (altitude 2000 m above sea level), where telescopes are used to observe the solar corona, requiring high transparency of the earth's atmosphere. Regular automated measurements of cosmic ray intensity are also carried out at the observatory and on Mount Hulugaisha (3000 m above sea level). This place is also known to specialists who study the degree of air pollution as a local “standard of the highest air purity.” The Sayan Observatory houses one of the largest solar telescopes in Russia (with a mirror of 80 cm, focal length 20 m).
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| The most beautiful high-altitude ridge Munku-Sardyk, the main peak of which reaches a height of 3491 m, is located on the border of Russia and Mongolia and is dominant in the Eastern Sayan |
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| The seven peaks of Munku-Sardyk were named by the Mongols in honor of the seven sons of Abai Geser Bogdo Khan, an epic hero whose legends are widespread among the peoples of Central Asia |
SPECIAL REGIME AND BORDER CONTROL |
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| From the Russian side, the ascent begins in the valley of the White Irkut, from its confluence with the Black Irkut |
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| Last year there were so many applications for the ascent that in narrow places during the ascent there were jams of climbers, and there were several dozen people at the top at the same time, and... a squad of border guards who were on duty on the day of mass ascents right at the top |
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| If on ordinary days you can admire the mountain views alone, then on the May holidays, in order to climb to the top, you need to stand in line |
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| The top of the mountain is covered with a glacier all year round, so the Mongols respectfully call it the Silver Mountain, and the Russians call it the Eternal White Golts |
TURN TO THE TOP
In the 90s of the last century, a road was built from Monde to Orlik, which passes through the starting point of the ascent to Munku-Sardyk. Since 2010, the Interregional Mountain Festival Munku-Sardyk has been held with a traditional bard song competition and thousands of tourists in the tent camp. In 2011, 1.5 thousand people came here for the May holidays, more than two thousand from 50 cities are expected this year. Due to the difficult and steep climb, not everyone reaches the top. In 2011, out of 643 registered participants, only 250 of the most determined climbers reached their goal.
Depending on the route chosen, the climb is classified in four different difficulty categories. The ascent to the main peak of the ridge, Mount Munku-Sardyk, along the easiest route from the Russian side, is along the northwestern ridge.
From the main peak of the massif a beautiful panorama opens up: in the south all the bays of the northern end of the Mongolian Lake Khubsugul are clearly visible, the mirror of which is lost in the haze beyond the horizon, in the north there is a palisade of pointed rocky peaks of the Eastern Sayan.
The most difficult is considered to be a frontal ascent along the northern ice slope, and the easiest is along the southern glacier from Khubsugul. The most interesting section of the route is the eight-kilometer Mugovek gorge with a narrow two-kilometer canyon and many beautiful ice waterfalls and steps. In February, the river freezes, and a huge layer of ice forms throughout the gorge, which lasts until summer. The ice evenly covers all the boulders, so in winter it is much easier to walk along the gorge. The slope of the ice in the gorge in some places reaches 40º, so crampons, an ice ax or ski poles are required when climbing. At an altitude of 2613 m there is a glacial lake called Echoy, where rescuers set up a base camp. Usually it takes about 2.5 hours to get there from the arrow. In winter, the lake is covered with snow, in spring it shines with a turquoise round saucer of ice, and in summer, on its shore you can see a magnificent virgin sand spit washed up by a stream flowing into the lake.
From the lake there is a steep climb to the top - it takes another 2-3 hours. The cliffs at the summit have a steepness of about 50 degrees. Not everyone can overcome it: you have to stop often to catch your breath, and if the weather starts to deteriorate, you definitely need to go back. It may be possible to climb to the top in bad weather, but it is unlikely to go down with hypothermia and complete loss of moral and physical strength. Many climbers note characteristically difficult weather conditions and frequent electrical storms, with winds reaching 40 m/sec. In the most difficult places, the emergency rescue service has installed safety railings. Strong winds on the ridge and on the mountain itself, firn and “live” stones complicate the climbers’ path. The peak itself is a flat area approximately 5 by 20 meters with a slight slope.
The peak of Munku-Sardyk today is one of the most popular among mountain tourism lovers. The difficulties of climbing are more than repaid with vivid emotions. The poems of V. Vysotsky surprisingly accurately convey the sensations of the climber when he “stood at the top as if drunk,” something similar can be experienced at the top of Munku:
- Who has not been here, who has not taken risks,
He didn't test himself.
Even if he was snatching stars from the sky below.
You won’t find it below, no matter how hard you reach.
For all my happy life
A tenth of such beauties and wonders!