Kodar




Hydraulic Power

On our way to the Kodar mountains we visited the electrical power plant in Bratsk. The dam is 106 m high and creates a gigantic lake of 500 km length, covering 5470 sq. km of land with more than 48 cubic km of water. A maximum electrical power of 4,500 MW more than exeeds Lenin's parols upon electrification of the whole country.

Angara

A view from above can barely show the real dimensions of this river. Due to the Lake Baikal and the many dams its water is absolutely clear. The Yenisei is known as one of the "big" Siberian rivers, however, the Angara is the bigger river at the place where it joins the Yenisei.
Bratsk Hydroelectric Power Station From the dam


Valley

The long valley of the Verkhny Sakukan river took us three days until we reached the watershed to the Levaya Sygykta. Local people use some places as pasture for reindeers.

Mountains

A view from the Prokhodnoy pass (2,300 m) in the direction of the Izumrudnaya river.
Forest Mountains


Lake

This lake is a child of a glacier as so many other mountain lakes. Seen from the heights of the Medvezij pass it reminds me of an ink-stain.

Rain

Raindrops hit the surface of this small lake in the upper Izumrudnaya valley. The weather was below expectations throughout long parts of this trip.
Lake Rain


Lake

Further up the Prokhodnoy pass the trail curves around this beautiful lake on its right bank.

Glacier

The Azarov glacier is one of the many but small glaciers of the Kodar range. On the upper end there is the pass named Three Gendarms.
Mountain lake Glacier

Waterfall 1

On the Lednikovaya river (Glacier river) right below the Medvezhij pass.

Waterfall 2

A tributary of the Levaya Sygykta seems to be too small to carry a name on our map. Its waters form this fall just before it flows into the Sygykta.
Waterfall Waterfall


Izumrudnaya valley

The high walls block the morning sun to warm up our campsite. Before we could leave the shadowy places we got hit by the next wave of rainshowers.

Colors

Maybe the only good thing of rain is a rainbow. This one was given as replacement for an expected sunset below the Prokhodnoy pass.
Izumrudnaya Valley Rainbow


Rock

Many mountains in the Kodar range are steep rocks like this 2,778 m high peak, seen from the way up to the Prokhodnoy pass.

Cloud hat

On the morning the mountain hasn't yet taken off its hat. A little bit of blue sky was all we could hope for.
Rock Cloud hat



Panorama

From the Medvezhij pass. Left hand the valley of the Azarov glacier, on the right side the valley we came from, the Lednikovaya river.

Panorama


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