Tomsk State University: TSU has developed a lesson route in Altai
A safe route for conducting sports and educational lessons has been set up in the Aktru Valley in Gorno-Altai, where the TSU Aktru Center for Collective Use and the Aktru mountaineering camp are based. The route is available for participants with any level of physical fitness and without individual sports equipment.
The Aktru mountain-glacial basin is a chronicle of nature. This unique area has been the object of scientists’ close attention for more than a century. “Live” Lessons in this area enable visitors to visually study the stages of the Earth’s evolution and see rare flora and fauna while enjoying the mountain air and views.
– The length of the Live Lesson route is 5 km, of which more than 700 meters is the newly equipped Via Ferrata race track. For about 5 hours, participants move through various forms of mountainous terrain with a climb from 2,100 to 3,100 meters above sea level using special equipment. The track is equipped to meet all safety standards and is accessible for children and older people, – says Sergey Astakhov, director of the Aktru TSU Center for Collective Use.
The lesson begins at the TSU research station, where the participants are told the history of the study and reclamation of the Aktru Valley and are introduced to the results of scientific observations. Then the ascent begins along the vegetation part of the slope of Kyzyltash Mountain led by an instructor-guide.
– Thanks to professional equipment during the lesson, participants can reach the most interesting corners of nature, where only experienced climbers used to be. The principle of work is not to leave a person without insurance for a second, – explains Sergey Astakhov.
The main observation point of the route is the Tronova Kar, located at an altitude of 2,800 meters above sea level, from which a beautiful view of the Kurai steppe and the peaks of the region opens. The descent to the station passes through the rarest ecosystems of the area, where the visitors can see 24 endemic plants and track the results of climate change, which the lecturer will speak about in detail. These lessons can be conducted on an ongoing basis throughout the summer.
The project is located in the only geopark in Russia, and Aktru, the only stationary mountaineering camp beyond the Urals, operates here. TSU oversees it with the International Academy of Mountains and the Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing of the Tomsk Region.