Kolyma Mountains

The Kolyma Mountains or Kolyma Upland (Russian: Колымское нагорье, romanized: Kolymskoye Nagorye) is a group of mountain ranges in northeastern Siberia. Most of these mountains are found in the Magadan Oblast, close to the Sea of Okhotsk.

These mountains help separate water that flows into the Kolyma River from water that reaches the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean.

The tallest peak in these mountains is Mount Nevskaya (гора Невская), which is part of the Omsukchan Range. This mountain stands at 1,828 meters, or about 5,997 feet, above sea level. The Kolyma Mountains are known for their tough climate and beautiful, wild landscapes, making them an important natural area in Russia.

Geography

The Kolyma Mountains stretch for about 1,300 kilometers (810 miles) from northwest to southwest. They have plateaus and ridges, with granite peaks usually between 1,500 to 1,800 meters (4,900 to 5,900 feet) tall.

These mountains are part of several highland areas. To the west and southwest are the Upper Kolyma Highlands, bounded by the Seymchan-Buyunda Depression to the north and the Ola river basin to the south. Nearby highland areas include the Yukaghir Highlands to the northwest, the Anadyr Highlands to the north and northeast, and the Koryak Highlands to the east.

The Kolyma Mountains include many smaller ranges, mostly in Magadan Oblast. Some of these ranges are the Korkodon Range, Kongin Range, Molkaty Range, Kilgan Massif, Maymandzhin Range, Kedon Range, and Molongdin Range. In the far north, in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, are the Kuryin Range, Oloy Range, and Ush-Urekchen.

Many rivers begin in these mountains. Rivers such as the Bakhapcha, Buyunda, Balygychan, Sugoy, Korkodon, and Omolon start on the northern and northwestern slopes. Rivers flowing from the southern and southeastern slopes, like the Ola, Yama, Gizhiga, Paren, and Penzhina, empty into the Sea of Okhotsk.