The Eastern Sayany

This Highland - one of the most beautiful areas of the south of Siberia, adjoining Mongolia, is situated near the geographical centre of Asia. The Sayan mountains occupy the territory about 250 thousand sq.км, they are one of the most almost impassable and sparsely populated areas in Siberia. The population density here is less than 1 person per 1 sq.km.

In this area there are the highest tops of the East- Sayan mountains, they are the mountain of Munku-Sardyk (3491 м), the Alpine tops of the Tunkinsky (3266 м) and the Kitoysky (3215 м) mountains.The highest top of the Sayansky Highlands located in Tuva, the pass of Tannu-Ola is the peak of Mungun-taiga (Khelizar-Dubkhu-Ula) ,3976 m. high. In watershed of the upper stream of the Oka-river at height of 2000-2200 m there is a Central plateau of the Eastern Sayany, figuratively named “Tibet in miniature” by an outstanding researcher of the north-east Siberia S.V.Obruchev (the son of the well-known traveller and the scientist V.A.Obruchev), because from different sides - from the north, the east, the west and the south – mountain chains raise there up to 1000 m high.

The mountains received their name after the Tyurk-speaking tribe of the Sayans inhabiting the upper reaches of the Yenisei and the Oka-rivers, which, having mixed up with other Tyurk tribes became the part of the Tuva people. The cossacks V.Tjumenets and I.Petrov who visited the estate of Altyn-khan in 1615 were the first to inform about the tribe of the Sayany.. Tу костраhis tribe belonged ethnically to the Samodian tribes. The Syany called mountains where they lived "Kogmen”, the Buryats called them "Sardyk”. The name “Sayany”, “the Sayanskie mountains" first appeared in the records of Russian travellers, and soon it was included in general use.

The Sayan mountains are young mountains, their formation began about 400 million years ago, but they were made from ancient rocks, including volcanic ones. Some billions years ago on the place of the Sayan mountains was an ocean, and geobotanical finds - the hardened ancient seaweeds frequently found in the breaks of rocks, testify to it.

The climate of the Eastern Sayan mountains is sharply continental. Cold and moderately severe winter lasts from November till March, the average temperature is - 22-25 degrees below zero C. In spring prevail dry unstable weather, summer is moderately cool and rainy, the average temperature is 15-18 degrees C. Autumn comes early and it is colder than winter. On some winter days the temperature falls down to 52 degrees below zero, while in summer it can raise up to 38 degrees above zero. In winter it snows much in the mountains, up to 1200 mm per year, the height of a snow cover reaches up to 1,5 meter. The greatest amount of snow is gathered on northern slopes. Many parts of mountains are dangerous because of avalanches.

The fauna and the flora of the Sayan mountains are unusually rich and various. Due to their isolation and thinly populated places such kinds of animals which in other places practically disappeared have been kept here: the red wolf and the snow leopard (irbis), the arkhar or argali (the mountain ram), the Tuva beaver and the northern deer. In total it is known about 36 kinds of animals and 27 kinds of the plants included in the Red books of Russia and Buryatia.

Spiritual culture The Eastern Sayan mountains are not only the most interesting geological, botanical, zoological Обо в Саянахobject, they are also the object connected to spiritual culture of local population. In mythology of peoples living here the Eastern Sayan mountains are the place of residence of gods and heroes. One of such God-men is Geser-khan. The heroic epos of peoples of the Central Asia "Geser-khan” says that all mountains of the Sayany are hardened warriors – Geser’s bogatyrs.

Many tops of the Sayan mountains are described in legends and have ancient names, partly forgotten now. Therefore, often on the tops of mountains and in the places pointed by Shamen, and later by Buddhist Lamas, people establish "Obo” - cult constructions in the shape of a pile from stones and poles. This custom came from Tibet. In these places people leave donations to gods - masters of the place and pray for good luck.

Tourism The Sayan mountains had been studied by scientists and explored by tourists for a long time, therefore, many places got new names later. The mountains are very perspective areas for the development of various kinds of tourism and rest. Traditionally a plenty of ШумакПривал в горахdifferent on categories of complexity and kinds of tourist routes are held here. Most of all tourists come here in summer, anyhow, there are frequent campaigns in inter-season period and in winter. A lot of popular tourist routes are known here, many of them are classified including a number of passes. There are sites suitable for mountaneering, rock-climbing and other kinds of sports.

The mountains have a great number of picturesque river canyons, waterfalls, mountain circuses, the Alpine glades where it is possible to make good pictures. Air in the mountains is surprisingly pure and transparent, in the zone of forest and the Alpine meadows it is filled with phitontsids and smells of trees, grass and flowers. One of the unique places of Eastern Siberia - a valley of the river Shumak named “ the Valley of 100 springs” is also situated here. This place is included necessarily in the routes by the tourists travelling in this area. Other interesting places are “ the Valley of volcanos ” and springs of Khoytogol which are found on the territory of Okinsky region, but the tourists travelling there, as a rule, prefer to pass the Tunkinsky valley.

In previous years the number of tourist groups and single travellers is increased. It causes the introduction of measures regulating loadings from tourism and its development, and also making traveling for visitors more safe.