A mystical mountain hideaway
Intelli Gence
By Ian MacWilliam
BBC, Kazakhstan
The Altai Mountains lie at the heart of Asia, where the borders of
Kazakhstan, Russia, China and Mongolia meet. Far from any large cities and
seldom visited by outsiders, this little-known range is steeped in myth.
For years I had wanted to go to the Altai.
The Altai is the third great mountain range of the old Soviet Union, along
with the Tien Shan and the Caucasus, and was for many years closed to
outsiders.
But more than that, these mysterious mountains figure prominently in the
history of the Eurasian steppe.
Over the centuries, barbarian hordes - the Scythians, the Huns, the Mongols,
the Ottoman Turks - have tumbled regularly out of the steppe to terrorise
the settled lands of Europe and Asia.
But where did they all come from, these wild nomadic armies?
Read back far enough in any history of the steppe and repeatedly you will
come across the phrase: "They arose in the Altai."
The Turkic peoples who inhabit Asia from Anatolia to Siberia say their
original homeland lies in these mountains. Some historians trace the origins
of the Indo-European peoples to the valleys of the Altai.
Somewhere in those mountains, it seems, there was once a vast factory,
spewing out whole nations and tribes, in a new ethnic model every century or
so.
Certainly many mystics might agree.
Magnificent journey
The highest mountain of the Altai at 14,000 feet (4,270m) is Mount Belukha.
The mystics call Belukha the Navel of the World.
It is a focal point of bio-energy and leylines, they say, where the Earth
meets the heavens.
A hundred years ago, a group of Russian spiritualists from St Petersburg
went there to found a colony in the shadow of the mountain. Whatever
happened to them, I have never managed to find out.
So when the opportunity arose to drive to the Altai, 1,000 miles (1,600km)
north-east of Almaty, I leapt at the chance.
We drove for two days across the empty grasslands. On the third day we
entered the Altai foothills, on the edge of Siberia.
Our winding road passed through villages of little cottages with carved
wooden shutters.
Russian women sat by the roadside selling buckets full of berries, and
tow-headed boys splashed in the rivers.
An old couple scythed the grass in a meadow full of wildflowers.
Eventually we entered the wide valley which leads to Mount Belukha. The
scattered villages of log cabins here were inhabited by Kazakhs.
Mounted horsemen dotted the wide landscape, watching their herds of cattle
and horses.
Sanatorium
We plunged into a dark pine forest; the road became a rocky track and began
to climb.
It was well after dark when we reached the end of the road at Rakhmanov
Springs. There is a Soviet-era sanatorium there where people still come to
take the waters.
We roused the gatekeeper, and his wife, and he reluctantly let us in.
The next morning at 0830 sharp there was a rap on the door of my room. In
marched Tatiana, the sanatorium boss, as I lay in bed.
She was a business-like, 30-something Russian brunette.
"How many nights are you staying?" she demanded. "And you can pay now?" she
added, with a giggle.
In the morning light it became obvious the sanatorium was undergoing a
full-scale rebuilding.
It has been privatised and the director wants to turn it into a viable
business for visitors seeking treatment in the radon hot springs, or just
somewhere beautiful to relax.
And the setting is extremely beautiful, nestled in a shallow valley beside a
sparkling glacial lake.
Vision of heaven
I came across Tatiana again in the shop, dealing out biscuits and fruit
drinks.
She herself came from "below", the word she always used to refer to the
outside world.
She had come here at the age of three and told her mother she always wanted
to live in the Altai. She had climbed Belukha twice and told me you could
see the mountain from the pass just above the sanatorium.
So the next morning we climbed up to the pass. It was an hour's walk and as
I slapped away the early morning mosquitoes, I wondered idly whether we
would get a good view.
I was completely unprepared for the sight as I came to the top of the grassy
ridge.
It was as if a vision of heaven was suddenly spread out before me - like the
Elysian Fields in a Victorian landscape painting.
The flanks of the rolling foothills were draped with scattered woodlands.
In a wide valley, a placid river flowed through wild green meadows. This
tranquil landscape rose to a horizon full of stupendous, jagged grey
mountain peaks.
And in the centre, dominating everything else was Mount Belukha, a magical
double mountain with not one, but two soaring snow-covered peaks, divided by
an immense glacier. It seemed to have been split in two in the depths of
time by some cataclysmic bolt from the blue.
It was some time before we could pull ourselves away to return to the
village.
There we jumped into the glacial lake, then soaked in the steaming hot
springs, and our communion with nature was complete.
So at last I had come to the Altai and I had seen Mount Belukha, and if the
mystics say there is a shortcut to heaven from that fantastic mountain, then
who am I to argue?
------------ And now a word from our sponsor ------------------
Want to have instant messaging, and chat rooms, and discussion
groups for your local users or business, you need dbabble!
-- See http://netwinsite.com/sponsor/sponsor_dbabble.htm ----
Intelli Gence
> history of the Eurasian steppe.
>
> Over the centuries, barbarian hordes - the Scythians, the Huns, the
Mongols,
> the Ottoman Turks - have tumbled regularly out of the steppe to terrorise
> the settled lands of Europe and Asia.
>
> But where did they all come from, these wild nomadic armies?
>
> Read back far enough in any history of the steppe and repeatedly you will
> come across the phrase: "They arose in the Altai."
>
> The Turkic peoples who inhabit Asia from Anatolia to Siberia say their
> original homeland lies in these mountains. Some historians trace the
origins
> of the Indo-European peoples to the valleys of the Altai.
>
> Somewhere in those mountains, it seems, there was once a vast factory,
> spewing out whole nations and tribes, in a new ethnic model every century
or
> so.
Increadably, this must be true. This fits perfectly with ethnic migrations
across eurasia. BBC is sure talking sense here.
Intelli Gence
people.
"Intelli Gence" <vd1...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:41289dce$1...@clarion.carno.net.au...
John of Aix
> Somewhere in those mountains, it seems, there was once a vast factory,
> spewing out whole nations and tribes, in a new ethnic model every
> century or so.
>
> Certainly many mystics might agree.
Does not compute. Ethnology and mysticism are entirely different
subjects.
> The mystics call Belukha the Navel of the World.
>
> It is a focal point of bio-energy and leylines
Bwahaha. Yes but do they have a post office? Far more useful.
> last I had come to the Altai and I had seen Mount Belukha, and
> if the mystics say there is a shortcut to heaven from that fantastic
> mountain, then who am I to argue?
You have said it is pretty, nothing else. Just because a load of
wild-eyed Russians have set up shop there and you noticed a cutie in the
vicinity doesn't mean it is mystic or magical. Do grow up old fellow.
John of Aix
> Could there be a source of high radioactivity there, creating
> mutations in people.
Perhaps. Do they wear tinfoil hats?
Intelli Gence
"John of Aix" <j.mu...@nospamlibertysurf.fr> wrote in message
news:cgamkm$vdr$1...@news-reader5.wanadoo.fr...
------------ And now a word from our sponsor ------------------
For a quality usenet news server, try DNEWS, easy to install,
fast, efficient and reliable. For home servers or carrier class
installations with millions of users it will allow you to grow!
---- See http://netwinsite.com/sponsor/sponsor_dnews.htm ----
John of Aix
> PLONK!
Don't like to be woken from your mental sleep then.
Intelli Gence
> Intelli Gence wrote:
> > PLONK!
>
> Don't like to be woken from your mental sleep then.
Okay, I did not PLONK! you just yet. I have two more chances to make it up
to me.
John of Aix
> "John of Aix" <j.mu...@nospamlibertysurf.fr> wrote in message
> news:cgc6k1$bfk$2...@news-reader2.wanadoo.fr...
>> Intelli Gence wrote:
>>> PLONK!
>>
>> Don't like to be woken from your mental sleep then.
>
> Okay, I did not PLONK! you just yet.
You're too kind
> I have two more chances to make it up to me.
'I' have two more chances or 'you' (meaning me)?
The Black Monk
> Intelli Gence wrote:
>
> > Somewhere in those mountains, it seems, there was once a vast factory,
> > spewing out whole nations and tribes, in a new ethnic model every
> > century or so.
> >
> > Certainly many mystics might agree.
>
> Does not compute. Ethnology and mysticism are entirely different
> subjects.
>
> > The mystics call Belukha the Navel of the World.
> >
> > It is a focal point of bio-energy and leylines
>
> Bwahaha. Yes but do they have a post office? Far more useful.
Spoken like a true philistine.
BM
John of Aix
>>> The mystics call Belukha the Navel of the World.
>>>
>>> It is a focal point of bio-energy and leylines
>>
>> Bwahaha. Yes but do they have a post office? Far more useful.
>
> Spoken like a true philistine.
No spoken like someone with a brain. 'The mystics' what does that mean?
The students of the Kabbalah, the Dervishes, the Christian mystics. Who
exactly are these 'mystics' who call this mountain the navel of the
world?
And 'bio-energy and leylines? You have some proof of the existence of
these things then do you.
Sorry but the post was a lot of ignorant, childish waffle. Philistinism
has nothing to do with it, in fact any real mystic would baulk at such
bollocks.