Belukha Mountain

Belukha Mountain (/bəˈluːxə/; Russian: Белуха, IPA: [bʲɪˈɫuxəl], also known as Beluga Mountain, Icemount Peak (Kazakh: Мұзтау Шыңы / Mūztau Şyñy [mʊsˈtɑw ʃəˈŋə]), or The Three Peaks (Altay: Ӱч-Сӱмер / Üç-Sümer [ʏc͡ç sʏˈmer]), is the highest peak of the Altai Mountains in Russia and the highest of the South Siberian Mountains system.^[2] It is part of the Golden Mountains of Altai World Heritage Site.^[3]

Belukha Mountain
The top of Belukha in the Altai Mountains in Russia is shown here in 2006. The mountain range is thought to be the birthplace of the Turkic people.
Highest point
Elevation	4,506 m (14,783 ft)[1]
Prominence	3,343 m (10,968 ft)[1] Ranked 59th
Listing	Ultra
Coordinates	49°48′27″N 86°35′24″E[1]
Geography
Belukha Mountain Altai Republic, Russia Show map of Russia Belukha Mountain Belukha Mountain (Altai Republic) Show map of Altai Republic Belukha Mountain Belukha Mountain (Kazakhstan) Show map of Kazakhstan
Parent range	Altai Mountains
Climbing
First ascent	1914 by B. V. Tronov & M. V. Tronov
Easiest route	basic rock/snow climb

Since 2008, one is required to apply for a special border zone permit in order to be allowed into the area (if travelling independently without using an agency). Foreigners should apply for the permit to their regional FSB border guard office two months before the planned date.^[4][5]

Geography

Located in the Altai Republic, Belukha is a three-peaked mountain massif that rises along the border of Russia and Kazakhstan, just a few dozen miles north of the point where this border meets with the border of China. There are several small glaciers on the mountain, including Belukha Glacier. Of the two peaks, the eastern peak (4,506 m, 14,784 ft.) is higher than the western peak (4,440 m, 14,567 ft.).

History

Belukha was first climbed in 1914 by the Tronov brothers. Most ascents of the eastern peak follow the same southern route as that taken in the first ascent. Though the Altai is lower in elevation than other Asian mountain groups, it is very remote, and much time and planning are required for its approach.

In the summer of 2001, a team of scientists traveled to the remote Belukha Glacier to assess the feasibility of extracting ice cores at the site. Research was carried out from 2001 to 2003: both shallow cores and cores to bedrock were extracted and analyzed (Olivier and others, 2003; Fujita and others, 2004). Based on tritium dating techniques, the deeper cores may contain as much as 3,000–5,000 years of climatic and environmental records. A Swiss-Russian team also studied the glacier.^[6]

See also

• List of highest points of Russian federal subjects
• List of Altai mountains
• List of Ultras of Central Asia
• List of glaciers of Russia
• Siberia portal

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Geological Survey.

1. "The Central Asian Republics Ultra Prominence Page" Archived 29 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine Listed as "Gora Belukha" on Peaklist.org. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
2. "Mount Belukha". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 22 June 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2007.
3. "Golden Mountains of Altai". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 18 August 2007. Retrieved 31 July 2007.
4. "Thorn Tree - New border zone regulation/ Altai concern". Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
5. "dont you ever mind :: the great outdoors :: altai, russia, 2008". dontmind.freeshell.org. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
6. L. DeWayne Cecil; David L. Naftz; Paul F. Schuster; David D. Susong & Jaromy R. Green. "Glaciers of Asia— THE PALEOENVIRONMENTAL RECORD PRESERVED IN MIDDLE LATITUDE, HIGH-MOUNTAIN GLACIERS—AN OVERVIEW OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY EXPERIENCE IN CENTRAL ASIA AND THE UNITED STATES" (PDF). US Geological Survey (public domain). Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 April 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2012.