From the Argut to the Chuya on the Katun: all adds up to more meditative fun!

As I already mentioned, after conquering the wildest ride the Katun has to offer – the Akkem Rush (or “the Pipe”) – we stopped at Argut Camp, aka the Rafters’ Museum, at the junction between the (turquoise) Katun and the (milky) Argut:

The Argut is a seriously challenging river – definitely not for beginners. We hiked along its banks during covid in 2020 and saw for ourselves: rafting here was just about the last thing you’d want to try…

Back to this year, and back to Argut Camp, where we set up camp early. With plenty of time to spare and given the glorious sunshine – off I popped to snap some photos of the area. Meanwhile, some of the others… ->

While the more active set about collecting firewood:

And we actually had a chainsaw with us!

But the firewood wasn’t for the campfire; it was for… the banya! ->

The following morning brought more gorgeous weather and a leisurely day of rafting – this time from the mouth of the Argut to where we’d meet another lively river: the Chuya…

You’ll surely agree: these slow-changing views are the kind you could observe and meditate upon forever…

But as usual, the day starts with waking up, breakfast, striking camp, and loading everything onto the rafts…

…And once all done, off we set – gliding along the swift Katun, paddling through gentle riffles, and picking up speed on the calmer stretches:

All the while, just soaking it all in – appreciating and peacefully contemplating the beauty around us:

And today there was plenty to peacefully contemplate upon!

Later, as I was looking through the day’s photos, a strong sense of déjà vu swept over me. What was it that this picture reminded me of? ->

You won’t believe it! Here’s what ->

Back to this year on the Katun:

And back again to…

That’s us on the Syagannakh–Deputatsky winter road (a “road” upon the frozen-over river) on our road trip to the Arctic town of Tiksi in 2024. But I digress…

And since this day was so relaxed, I even got to take the helm of the raft – a highlight for me! It’s great being “truck driver” for a while. Plus, you get a new perspective on your fellow travelers:

And with views like these, even the locals – who’ve seen it all – simply sit back and soak it all in…

Honestly, it’s just beautiful out here.

Yet another perfect day!

Though we did have to set up camp in a rather uncomfortable spot…

No biggie though; the main thing: the following day we had the Chuya to look forward to, but more on that in the next post…