Altai Republic, Russia ·
Altai Mountains
Late autumn in the Altai highlands. Golden larches against grey granite, the last warm light before winter.
The Altai mountains in late September exist in a state between seasons. Summer has left but winter hasn’t fully arrived. The larches are golden — that brief two-week window when the entire landscape turns amber before the needles drop.
We drove the Chulyshman road at dawn, switchbacks carved into cliff faces, the valley floor still in shadow while the peaks caught the first light. At this altitude the air is thin and sharp. Every breath tastes like cold water.