Lake Teletskoye
Teletskoye Lake is one of the most beautiful and purest lakes in the Altai Mountains. Local peoples have long called it the "Golden Lake".
The lake was given its current name by Russian pioneers, who got acquainted with the local Turkic tribes of the Teles. Before that, since the time of the Mongols, the lake was called Altan-nuur, which means "Golden Lake". Perhaps this name is due to the gold placers found, or perhaps because of the legends. According to one of them, the Altaian had a huge piece of gold hidden for a rainy day. One day it was hungry time, and the resident ran out of food and drink, so he shouldered a bag of gold and went to exchange it for food. I approached one, the second, the third, no one wanted to exchange food for a shiny piece of metal. Then he climbed to the top of Mount Altyntu, cursed his fate and the gods, threw a piece of gold into the lake and jumped himself. The inhabitant disappeared in the water surface of the lake. Since that time, the lake was named Altyn-Kel, which means Golden.
Teletskoye Lake is located in the northeastern part of Altai, surrounded on all sides by ridges. The water surface is located at an altitude of 436 meters above sea level. Lake Teletskoye is 77.7 kilometers long with an average width of 2-3 kilometers, and the greatest known depth is 325 meters. The lake is famous for its clear water, which allows you to see objects underwater at a distance of up to 15 meters. In total, 70 rivers and many seasonal streams flow into the lake, and only the Biya River flows out. The main volume of water is carried by the Chulyshman River. Teletskoye Lake is sometimes called the brother of Lake Baikal.
Due to the mountainous terrain, Lake Teletskoye has very sharp and steep shores, but there are also magnificent coves, which, as a rule, are equipped with recreation centers. Tourism has been well developed in Lake Teletskoye since Soviet times. Almost 20 camp sites provide their services for tourists. You can enjoy the lake by choosing a suitable excursion for yourself: on foot, by car, bike, boat or even by helicopter. In the USSR, the most popular route was route 77, which includes a walking section and 3 days of boating. There are also many fishing enthusiasts who are attracted by the abundance of fish. In total, the lake is home to 14 species of fish: grayling, pike, taimeni, perch, uskuchu, lenki.
In spring and autumn, it is better not to go on vacation to the lake. At this time, very strong winds are blowing, which makes it very difficult to disembark from a boat.
