Translated material
Eshtykol plateau, land of wandering water...
There are many beautiful places in Altai, but, unfortunately, not all are as praised by tourists as, for example, Belukha or Lake Teletskoye. Today I want to tell you about the Eshtykol plateau, a small plateau with numerous lakes and streams. It is located near the village of Chitib, Ulagansky district, Altai Republic. A “classic” trail runs through the plateau leading to the Shavlinsky lakes. It is mostly transit, and people often pass through it. The plateau may seem boring, really, what's interesting? A large field stretching for tens of kilometers, and the weather here is most often bad, and then you can’t see anything around except your own feet. Yes, this is partly true, but only if you don’t stay here longer.
The Eshtykol plateau is surrounded on almost all sides by mountains and glaciers, there is almost no high vegetation here, the entire area is dotted with numerous lakes and streams. The location of the plateau allows you to experience simply enchanting sunsets and sunrises here. Almost in the center of the plateau there is a small hill from which good views of the North Chuysky and Kuraisky ridges open. It’s worth climbing if you want to get a lot of pleasant emotions and good shots. As I wrote above, the weather on the plateau is very changeable; even at the height of summer, snow is not uncommon here. Wild, harsh, unpleasant, but this is exactly what is needed for a beautiful picture.
How can you get to the plateau? Those who go to the Shavlinsky lakes, according to the classic version, in any case pass through it. For such people, it is recommended to stop for the night somewhere in the area of the Oroi Pass, where it is very close to the plateau, and you can easily set up a camp in a cedar grove.
For others, the option of walking from the village of Chibit for two or three days is possible. From the village you need to follow the road along the Chuya River, upstream. Next, cross the river over a small bridge in the area of the Oroi stream (the bridge is toll, locals charge 100 rubles per person) and continue along the horse trail. The path itself will go up quite steeply and wind along the slope; soon you will come out into a small valley of the Oroi stream, rising from which you will reach a plateau. For an unprepared person, the road to the plateau will take about 6-7 hours. For you, this will be a real walking trip, perhaps for two or three days.
Below are a few photos I took at Eshtykol: