Belukha Mountain
| Belukha Mountain | |
|---|---|
The Belukha massif in the Altai Mountains, as seen from Russia in 2006. | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 4,509 m (14,793 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 3,345 m (10,974 ft)[1] Ranked 59th |
| Listing | Ultra, Ribu |
| Coordinates | 49°48′27″N 86°35′24″E / 49.80750°N 86.59000°E[1] |
| Geography | |
Belukha Mountain Belukha Mountain Belukha Mountain (Altai Republic) Belukha Mountain Belukha Mountain (Kazakhstan) | |
| Parent range | Altai Mountains |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1914 by B. V. Tronov & M. V. Tronov |
| Easiest route | basic rock/snow climb |
Belukha Mountain (/bəˈluːxə/; Russian: Белуха, IPA: [bʲɪˈɫuxə], 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 mountain of the Altai Mountains and the highest of the South Siberian Mountains system.[2] It is part of the Golden Mountains of Altai World Heritage Site.[3]
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
Belukha is a multi-peaked massif that rises along the border of Russia (specifically the Altai Republic) and Kazakhstan (specifically the East Kazakhstan Region), just a few dozen miles north of the China-Kazakhstan-Russia tripoint. There are several small glaciers on the massif, including Belukha Glacier. The highest peaks of the Belukha massif range from about 4,350 meters to just over 4,500 meters in elevation.
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.
- ^ a b c Belukha. Peak Visor. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
- ^ "Mount Belukha". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 22 June 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2007.
- ^ "Golden Mountains of Altai". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 18 August 2007. Retrieved 31 July 2007.
- ^ "Thorn Tree – New border zone regulation/ Altai concern". Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.