Ukok Plateau

The Ukok Plateau (Russian: Укок) is a beautiful plateau covered with grasslands in southwestern Siberia. It sits in the Altai Mountains area of Russia, close to the borders with China, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. This special place is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site called the Golden Mountains of Altai.

The Ukok Plateau is very important for nature because it gives a home to many animals that are in danger of disappearing. One of these is the snow leopard, a big cat that is hard to study. Other animals that live there and need protection include the argali mountain sheep, the steppe eagle, and the black stork. The plateau is also one of the last places left where the ancient mammoth steppe can still be found.

However, the Ukok Plateau faces some problems. Too many ranchers use the land for their animals, and there are plans to build a road and a gas pipeline between China and Russia. These changes could hurt the plants and animals that live there.

Terminology

In Mongolian, the word uheg means something like "elongated cabinet," "box," "big mountain," or a hill with a flat top. In Kyrgyz, the word ukok was used to describe mountains that have flat tops, which are called plateaus.

Geography

The Ukok Plateau is a high, grassy plain located between the South Altai and Sailugem mountain ranges. It sits at a height of 2,200 to 2,500 metres above sea level, with some mountain peaks rising over 500 metres higher than the plateau. The highest point is Tavan-Bogdo-Ula, where Khüiten Peak stands at 4,374 metres tall, making it the second-highest peak in Siberia after Belukha Mountain. This area is similar to the ancient mammoth steppe environment.

History

Pazyryk is the name given by modern scholars to an ancient people who lived in the Altai Mountains on this plateau. They are known for amazing discoveries, including frozen mummies found in the permafrost. Many ancient Bronze Age tomb mounds have been found here, linked to the Pazyryk culture, which was similar to the legendary Scythian people. These tombs are called kurgan. One famous discovery is known as the Ice Maiden, found by a Russian archaeologist. Many tattooed mummies from around the years 2600 BC to AD 402 have been found preserved in the ice in tombs on the Ukok Plateau.

Transport

The Ukok Plateau can be reached by dirt roads that go through several border areas between Russia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. These roads lead to places like the Teplyi kluch pass, which is very high up at 2,907 meters above sea level. From a village called Kosh-Agach, it is easier to travel because there is a better road called the M52 highway.

Further south from Kosh-Agach, the terrain becomes very difficult for most vehicles. Only special off-road vehicles can manage, but they might still get stuck in muddy areas, especially after the frost melts on warm days. Most of the time, these mountain paths are covered in snow and can be dangerous because of falling snow and earth movement during the brief summer months.