ASU Tourist Club climbed the Babyrgan Mountain

On 2–3 December 2016 ASU Tourist Club consisting of 16 people ascended the Babyrgan Mountain (1,008 m). This event was a preparation for climbing to the Shangin’s Peak, which is higher (2,490 m) than the Babyrgan.

This season is characterized by the short daytime period, so the tourists had to rely on their flashlights. Bad weather and snowstorm also took place but did not keep students from successful climbing to the top of the mountain. ASU students could not reach the peak on 2 December, as there were snow showers and rough wind, so they set up a camp near the forest border. In the morning on 3 December fog was observed. However, ASU students set off. They walked along a small brook surrounded by winter forest until reaching the peak of the Babyrgan Mountain at 12:15 pm. There they hoisted a flag of the Faculty of Geography, which celebrates the 30th anniversary in 2016 and is a center for training specialists in tourism industry.

The Babyrgan Mountain is a rock guard of Altai. There is a beautiful legend dedicated to this mountain. It says that there once lived an old man named Altai. He had a daughter named Katun. One day she decided to run away. Altai got furious and sent his strongest nights to catch Katun and bring her home. The bravest and the most powerful knight was Babyrgan. He followed Katun and almost caught her, when she ran out of mountains to the plain. But she managed to escape and flow further as a river, while Babyrgan remained staying on the border of North Altai Mountains. Since then the Babyrgan has been the mountain located on the fringe of Altai.

Currently, this mountain is very popular among tourists due to its beauty and good transport accessibility.