Munch-Sardyk. Highest peak of the Sayan Mountains

Munku-Sardyk is the highest point of Buryatia and the highest peak of the Eastern Sayans. What is Sayan? This is the name of the mountain system, which unites two large tracts located in the south of Siberia. The territory they occupy belongs to Russia and Mongolia. Sayans are divided into Western and Eastern. In total, the mountain massif has 7 peaks. The eastern system completely passes through our state, stretching for a thousand kilometers between the Yenisei and Baikal. It is here that the highest peak of the Sayan lies.

Hydronym

The name of the peak in the Buryat language means "eternal loach". Why did indigenous peoples have such associations? And everything is extremely simple. Mount Munku-Sardyk is constantly covered with ice and snow. And the word "char" is the name of the bare rocky peaks used in the Far East.

This mountain has had a huge impact on the cultures of local peoples, the mention of the mass is in a variety of old tales, legends and legends, which only old people remember now that they heard from their fathers. Even the 7 peaks of the massif received their names for a reason, they were named after the sons of Abai-Gesar Khan.

Mongolian legends

In many Mongolian tales there is a saying that mentions a hero whose father was the sky, and the mother is the Earth. He lived on the shore of the blue sea, at the foot of the mountain and had a palace whiter than snow, where the door sills were of silver, and the doors were pearls. This hero had a throne with 23 legs, also of silver. The owner had many subjects and cattle. Nobody knows where the mythical palace was and whether he was at all. Ancient tradition gave only one more name to the mountain - the Silver one.

Legends of epic inhabitants

For local people, this mountain is a sacred place, the abode of Abai-Geser Khan (an epic hero in the culture of the peoples of Central Asia) and other spirits. Entrance here is prohibited, and only men, after asking permission from the spirits, can ascend the mountain, where the sacred religious rites are held.

Description of the slopes

The height of Munku-Sardyk is 3,491 m. The peak is located on the border of Mongolia and Buryatia. Mountain valleys of glacial origin. Now on the slopes there are four glaciers. The main one is northern, has a thickness of up to 85 m and a depth of up to 6 m. Today, the area of these glaciers is sharply reduced. The northern slopes of the mountain abruptly break into the valley of the Irkut River, the southern slopes descending to the Khubsugul lake are more gentle.

Geographical features

The Okinskoe plateau (the plateau in the Eastern Sayan) is located to the northeast of the mountain, it is the origin of such rivers as Oka, Irkut and Kita. In the east of Munku-Sardyk there are Tunkinsky Goltsy. It is a mountain range, the easternmost spur of the Eastern Sayans. Exactly in the north there is a glacial lake Aikhay, at an altitude of 2,613 meters. The local landscapes enchant and amaze with its beauty. Lake Hubsugul is located to the south, at a distance of 12 kilometers from the peak Munku-Sardyk. Granites predominate in the rocks, in the river valleys and on the slopes there are forests that can be found up to an altitude of 2,100 m.

Tourism

It is not surprising that tourism is very developed in this area. The mountain is located on the border of Russia with Mongolia, so ascent is possible on both sides without a visa, but with registration with the border guards. Often a group ascension to Munch-Sardyk takes place. At a time, several thousand people can go at once.

Russian naturalist Gustav Radde in 1858 made the first ascent. Munku-Sardyk he conquered from the side of the lake Hubsugul, that is, from the south. Today a lot of mountaineering routes of different complexity are laid along the top. From the Russian side, the most difficult way is considered to be a head-on climb from the icy north, and the easiest from the south, where the slope is more gentle.

A popular route for Russians

The majority of those wishing to climb in early May from the north side of the summit. Recently, this tourist route is very popular, especially among Russian citizens. About 5000 people visit the mountain every spring, of which about 800 climb to the massif. The ascent begins in the valley of the Bely Irkut River, where the most popular place is the Mugoveka gorge, with a narrow canyon 2 km away, where you can see a lot of unusual ice waterfalls and ice sheets with stairs . Climbing is greatly complicated by the presence of ice with a large slope, in such cases claws, ski poles and other climbing tools are required. However, after overcoming this site, you can enjoy a beautiful view from the top, from where you can see the mountain ranges of the Eastern Sayan and Lake Hubsugul.

Ascent from Mongolia

Mountain peaks beckon many people with their unknown riddles and enchanting views. Those who want to visit these parts, but are not ready to overcome difficult routes, it is recommended to go the way from Mongolia. Here, climbing is much easier, since the slope is not very steep, almost to the very top. This side of the slope is actively used for skiing or even hang-gliding, because the snow lies here until the end of July. All 7 peaks of Munku-Sardyk are covered with snow, many climbers testify to magnetic storms and difficult weather conditions. At the moment, negotiations are being actively conducted with Russia on the establishment of a ski resort here.

The top of Baysagalanta

At a distance of about 9 kilometers from Hankha (a small town), there is the mysterious peak of Baysagalanta, where there is a large enough kereskur (funerary construction), about 12 meters in diameter. This place is sacred to local residents, and women there are strictly forbidden entry. None of the old-timers can remember or learn something about the history of this place, it is so much older. Only the stories of lamas about 1944 are known, when they erected here a religious building made of stones, decorated with ribbons and flags.

Legend of the border

The local people have a tradition about the first conduct of the border between the Chinese and the Russians, in which folk heroes appear. According to legend, from Russia came to divide the territory of Gun Sava, and from China - Sasen-Ugans. They divided the land, set boundaries, and Mount Munku-Sardyk was on the Russian side. The Chinese wished to win the summit and invented a trick: he asked Gun-Sava to give him a piece of land from this mountain the size of a bull's skin and when he allowed, he found the biggest bull, took off his skin, cut it into belts and wrapped it all over Mountain and, thus, the highest peak has moved to China. But on the mountain, according to legend, there is a Russian seal, the Chinese are scraping the mountain to remove the seal, but can not.

Let's sum up the results

In the end, we can say that the mountain peaks of the Sayany massif are undoubtedly a significant tourist attraction. The local places are perfect for a pleasant vacation with health benefits. Studying these territories and conquering the peaks will help broaden the horizons, will give an opportunity to plunge into the rich culture of Central Asia. Those who want to climb to the top, it is worth remembering that the slopes here are quite dangerous, so you need to have a good physical training.

Every year, many tourists visit Munku-Sardyk, mainly to relax, enjoy wonderful views of the Eastern Sayans and take part in the mass ascension, which is held annually.