Akkem Lake

Seen from a high mountain pass Akkem Lake shines like a jewel set in green pastures. After 5 days of traveling--a faster route exists, but we took a detour--we arrived in Akkem, Altai at White Lake. Locals consider this lake "dead" and the lake we’ll visit next – Kucherla – "alive".

I liked the view from above and looked forward to seeing the lake from up close. But once there, I noticed lots of backpackers who were camping on the bank of the lake. And I wanted the place to myself, just like the woman I had talked to earlier. She arrived here late September, in a blizzard. No one in sight! Her guide was the son of the couple that runs the metereological station in Akkem. So they were given a warm welcome after a terrible journey and a freezing cold night in the snow, without a tent.

With so many people around, Akkem felt like a tourist resort. Although attractive and beautiful, somehow the magic was gone.