214 SIBERIA 



wind comes very suddenly and from all points of the 

 compass . 



The pass to the west of the Akkem valley is very 

 long and narrow. This valley leads straight to the 

 Katunskie-Belki, and gradually rises from 3,800 feet 

 high to the Akkem lake, at an elevation of 8,000 feet, 

 a rise of 4,200 feet in 40 miles. The Akkem river 

 has a very strong current. The road, for about 

 30 miles out of 40, is over forest -clad slopes. Before 

 my visit, no one had ever been there in winter, and, 

 considering the frozen state of the slopes, we were 

 fortunate to get our horses there and back without 

 any serious accident. Professor Sapozhnikoff, whom 

 I have already mentioned, was the only man who had 

 been up this va.lley before, and his expedition was in 

 the summer. The Akkem valley, or any part of the 

 Belukha mountain, is thought to be inaccessible in 

 winter, and, after my experiences, I do not recom- 

 mend exploration of the Altai Mountains during that 

 season. The cold is so intense, that every living 

 thing, from bears to birds, is either hibernating or 

 has withdrawn to a more congenial climate, and 

 we did not come across a;ny animals except a few 

 herds of wild sheep, ibex, and stags, and a flock or 

 so of ryabchiks. The best and most delightful time 

 for a journey in these regions would be the month 

 of July, as the aspect of the Altai flora alone would 

 repay the visit. 



There is a great deal to be learned in regard to 

 the mountain districts of Siberia. My own theory 

 of their formation is that the earth's pressure must 

 have pushed them up, and at no distant date. The 

 rocks are quite new and soft, yet the edges have 

 not been worn smooth. Notwithstanding their soft- 

 ness, moreover, there is very little crumbling. The 

 pieces of rock at the head of the mountains indicate 

 that falls have taken place on a tremendous scale. 



