Tracing the Stoneworkers’ Legacy
Stoneworkers were settlers who, in the 18th century, actively explored the hard-to-reach lands of the Kazakh Altai. This is not an ethnic group, a nationality, or a religious community. It was a broad nickname: they lived in high-mountain areas among cliffs and stone. Over time, the stoneworkers blended with local residents and other settlers, giving rise to an unusual, distinctive culture. On this journey, we’ll trace its echoes and visit places most people never reach.
and huts in the taiga
places and
interesting people
berries, and tasting
local delicacies
Arrival in Ust-Kamenogorsk. Meet at the airport, transfer to the hotel, and check-in. Lunch and a short city tour, including a visit to a unique hydraulic structure. Dinner with a gradual immersion in Altai culture.
Return to the hotel for rest.
Breakfast at the hotel. We head towards the Kazakh Altai. Gradually, we move away from the city, immersing ourselves in a state of peace and serenity. The landscape outside the window changes from rolling, colorful hills to a winding road along the coast of the "dream road."
A picnic lunch en route.
In the evening, we arrive at an Old Believer village. We'll cross the river on an authentic boat. We'll check into a Kerzhat farmstead and visit a banya.
*The Kerzhat farmstead is a very simple wooden house, consisting of one room and a veranda. It's called a "five-walled house." The house has a comfortable bathroom. Don't expect 5-star comfort here; this place has a completely different vibe.
*The banya is performed using Old Believer techniques, using fermented herbal infusions, essential oils, and locally sourced birch, fir, and nettle branches. This isn't just a trip to the bathhouse—it's a ritual of "cleansing" the body.
After the bathhouse, dinner and rest.
Early rise, with dawn.
Breakfast in the best traditions of Old Believers: cottage cheese, sour cream, butter, freshly baked bread, pancakes, porridge, jam, honey. We get on the dump and go on our way, today we study the villages that were founded and populated by the most "merchants" and Old Believers in ancient times.
A very busy day awaits us, museums, communication with local residents, including descendants of Kerzhaks. We will wander through half-abandoned villages and yards, look into an abandoned house - where elements of local culture are still preserved. We serve locally: home-style, simple and truly delicious.
In the evening, we get to the hunting lodge, settle down, prepare dinner, go to the bathroom and rest.
*Hunting house is a very simple structure, with two rooms, where there is little furniture: beds, tables, chairs. It's slow here, but it's clean, dry and warm. The main feature: the house is in the middle of a dense forest, filled with the sterile smell of needles. Where there is no electricity or communication, there is a lot of time to be alone.
We rise early at dawn.
We have a shepherd's breakfast – homemade bread, a skillet omelet with dried meat, and kumys. We eat our fill and head to one of the most important destinations on the trip. We climb through a serpentine forest road that will take even the most experienced off-roader's breath away, to the Valley of a Thousand Thoughts.
A picnic lunch at the foot of the mountain.
After lunch, we ascend to the summit, where we'll enjoy a 360° view, encompassing the entire Kazakh Altai and the three-peaked Belukha Mountain. Here, we'll perform a special ritual of "cleansing" the soul.
We return to the cars and, already in the twilight, we drive through the Valley of a Thousand Roads, where it's truly difficult to get lost and where it often feels like a valley of thousands of eyes. It feels as if a bear is watching you from everywhere, displeased at the disturbing of its peace. We descend to the abandoned village. You can wander around a bit to experience the lost spirit of this once bustling village.
By evening, we reach Katon-Karagay, check into a hotel, have dinner, and rest.
We'll have breakfast at the hotel, perhaps with a hint of 5-star service. After breakfast, we'll pack up and head out. Today will be a leisurely day, with walks, stops, photo ops, and plenty of socializing. We'll travel along the Bukhtarma River, where dense birch forests give way to shady banks, with calves, kids, and other "locals" constantly running out onto the road. We'll wander through several interesting villages and stop by an authentic village store, where you can still find goods long forgotten in big cities. We'll chat with the locals and be generously applauded by the local kids (and others).
A picnic lunch will be held by a haystack in a hayfield or at a local home.
After lunch, we'll stop in a village with an interesting name. We'll wander through the courtyards, collecting moments, details, and elements with our eyes.
By evening, we'll reach Klimov's farmstead, where we'll learn all about honey and bees, which are capable of much more than just collecting nectar. We'll check into a guesthouse and head to a Kerzhat bathhouse, where Anatoly will host his signature program.
We'll have a simple but filling dinner, in the Old Believer style, featuring dishes cooked in a real Russian stove. After dinner, there's apitherapy for the more adventurous.
An early rise and breakfast in the best Old Believer traditions: blini, pancakes, sour cream, cottage cheese, jam, and most importantly – porridge baked in a Russian stove!
After breakfast, we pack up and head out to the "Heavenly Village." The route isn't easy: a tight, rocky gorge winding along the river, old wooden bridges creaking treacherously under the wheels of a heavy SUV, currant bushes, and raspberry bushes. The opening panorama of rolling blue hills and a dense fir forest gives an unforgettable feeling. It's like standing on a cloud.
We'll wander around the village. We'll visit the old school, the first-aid post, and a couple of houses. If we're lucky, we'll chat with the village's only resident. *If you're feeling fancy and want to, you can take a photo during the walk.
A picnic lunch will be served in a clearing in the middle of the village overlooking Fitzroy.
After lunch, we'll ground ourselves and continue on to our culinary overnight stop. Along the way, we'll stop in the Valley of the Kings, where we'll learn many fascinating historical facts about this area dating back several millennia BC.
By evening, we'll reach our home, settle in, and prepare the main dish of the trip together.
Breakfast in the finest traditions of Katonian cuisine. Porridge with homemade butter, jam, pancakes, and sour cream. Fragrant herbal tea with honey.
After breakfast, we leisurely pack up and head back. We'll cross the longest bridge in Kazakhstan, spanning the largest reservoir in Central Asia. Afterward, the desert landscapes gradually give way to winding serpentines between the rolling hills of the Kalbinsky Range and endless fields.
A picnic lunch is available, depending on the situation, at any location you like.
We'll reach the city in the evening. Upon arrival, we'll check into our hotel and take a short break to freshen up and change.
Dinner will be served at a small but cozy wine bar.
The cost of the trip starts at 1.670.000 KZT per person.
The price includes:
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Comfortable SUVs for the entire route;
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A professional guide/driver;
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Accommodation in guesthouses and small hotels in Katonah;
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Full meals three times a day, snacks along the way, and local delicacies;
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Picnic supplies;
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All entrance fees and environmental taxes along the route.
The price does not include:
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Transportation to and from Ust-Kamenogorsk;
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Hotel accommodation in Ust-Kamenogorsk;
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Personal and other expenses not specified in the itinerary.
