Mugodzhary, my love!

"Better than mountains are just mountains ..."
Who among us does not know what the largest and highest mountains in the area - Mugodzhary? But here's what is on the border with the Orenburg region, they split into two parallel wings, not everyone knows. The western part - less extended and less high - creates an amazing landscape of the area and Kargaly completes its path by small hills near Zhuryna. East - and wider, and more. In the south it reaches the Shagan River Valley, in Shalkar area.
Mugodzhary, according to scientists, some of the oldest mountains in the world. Now, even hard to imagine what they were hundreds of millions of years ago. Possibly as high as the Tau. Today, even the eastern, more of them surviving is not a single mountain range. Rather, it is a series of long chain of mountain ranges, separated lowlands.
The author, through a trip organized by the Department of Tourism, Sport and Physical Education, recently had occasion to visit in the middle of the Western Mugodzhar. Seen and heard experiences with earlier collected data into a coherent whole. About their experiences and want to tell.

On Aktasty
Even a glance at the physical map of the area is enough to suggest that Mugodzhary - roughly from the village to the town Borly Altyndy - a separate mountain region. Perhaps the author for his life is not always able to visit and the proposed district boundaries must be adjusted, but the nature of mountain peaks and surrounding terrain suggests that you see in front of a once unified, but later disintegrated ridge. This is evidenced by the height of the highest mountains in the north - is Akkarlyk (525 meters) to the south - Aktasty (565) and Kenkus (557), in the south - Dautau (622). Between them runs a number of vertices of smaller caliber.
Thoroughly acquainted with the mountain was Aktasty and the surrounding area.
Aktasty for urban residents - show striking.
Time mercilessly. Even such a strong rock, like granite (and here there is also red and white) in front of him powerless. Granite does not break like some other rock formations on - or it forms a single rock, or sand, like a pebble on the river bottom. So do not create the impression of complete collapse.
Aktasty from afar looks like a dinosaur: the edge of ledges and rocks - like spikes on its body Gorbaty. The rocks of unusual shapes, but not as diverse as chalk on the mountains. But here you can find caves and large and small grottoes.
Almost to the mountain peaks buried under the sand. And reminiscent of the huge sand dunes to rocky ridge. Here's a peculiar symbiosis of mountains and desert.
Themselves on the mountains a little vegetation, but it is. Amazing picture are trees (Osinki) growing on bare rocks. Like a tree could take root in such a baseless substrate? Indeed, the triumph and majesty of life.
On one of the peaks Aktasty archaeologists have discovered carvings in stone - the rock carvings. How old is unknown, it is clear only that they were made when people did not know the alphabet. So these mountains harbor many surprises in his ...
At the root of the Emba
To the east of the main mountain peaks Aktasty briefly extends more or less flat terrain. But it just seems that before you just desert steppes. Individual projections of boulders from the ground, scattered stone fragments of various sizes and colors clearly indicate that it is a gentle slope Aktasty covered with earth. Dig a little deeper and find that under a layer of soil - a monolithic slab of granite.
The road continues to display a wide valley. On its eastern slope - some aspen groves. The other side, as the valley floor and dry. This is one of the many tracts. Just south of Mount Aktasty originated the largest river in Western Kazakhstan Emba (length - 712 km). What could give life to so great a river, drained by the winds and sizzling desert sun? Spring - meltwater flowing down the ravines and the tract of mountains and hills, and in summer - fountains. In the birch grove, located at the point of shepherd without a title, there are two. One is equipped, the other - there is no: enough of one to the nearby cabin. Springs - a sign of the presence of groundwater near the surface of the earth. The latter, incidentally, is the cause of the rocky soil of small woodlands.
Water in a spring or sweet, with no glandular, as sometimes happens, the flavor, but just nice.
Interestingly, in this place Emba flowing not from north to south and from south to north, and only rounded ridge Aktologay, the highest peak of which - Mount Kenkus, rushes to the south.
It is hard to imagine how much should the springs to the river appeared, filled with water and denounced her to the mouth. Land everywhere is dry, and in 50-100 feet beyond the forest brook not find. But if the springs hundreds, thousands? In such's agony born Emba.
In winter quarters in question, the forest is made up of birch and aspen is located nearby. Birches are the most fantastic trunks. Photophilous tree to get its share of the sun, growing up, how can excel. Understorey trees in there, but the variety of grasses and flowering species in their most impressive fall season. I knew from the plant will call sorrel horse, burnet drug, everlasting sand, endive ordinary slumber white, cumin ordinary and ubiquitous tansy, thistle spiny, licorice naked ... there are also some mushrooms greasers, svinushka thin. Such splitting - an oasis in the realm of rock and dry steppes and deserts.
The slope of the valley dotted with burrows of rodents. Judging by their size and nature, living here is not one type of these families. But with one of the high aspen flies a kite that is, whether the buzzard - a distance not make out. Under the tree - the feathers of rooks and partridges.
Finishing the story of Mugojar impressions, I want to wish the readers of one thing: do not forget that these places are almost no people, and relaxing at these beauties, do not throw garbage anywhere, because there is no one after you remove it.