The Chuya River valley several kilometres upstream of its mouth. On a close plane there is a dry steppen southern foot of the Aigulakskii Mt. Range covered with xerophytic vegetation and spiny Caragana bushes. Behind the river, which is hidden in a narrow gorge with entranched meandres, seen is the northern slope of the Yuzhno-Chuiskii Mt. Range covered with a coniferous taiga. Such a contrast of vegetation of southern and northern slopes is typical for semiarid and arid continental regions of Eurasia.

Ongudai DIstrict, Altai Republic, the Altai Mts., West Siberia, Russia. 10th July 1998. O. Kosterin.