The Kokkol Mine: Mining History
The Kokkol Mine lies at an altitude of 3,000 metres in the valley of the Bolshoy Kokkol River. It is considered a mining monument and an open-air museum. Tungsten and molybdenum mining began in 1938; operations ended in 1954. The cold climate helped preserve the buildings and equipment. The mine thus combines its high-altitude setting with a clearly dated mining history, centred both on the extraction of the two metals and on the traces of its former operations.
Multi-day tours: distance and duration
A 2022 park description calls Altai Trails a seasonal tourist excursion route for travel on foot and on horseback. It gives a distance of 100 kilometres and a duration of seven to nine days. Check whether the route is currently operating before travelling. The season and multi-day duration are important factors in planning.
The “K podnozhiyu Belukhi” trek is listed as 95 kilometres and nine days. The route runs through the valley of the White Berel River and leads to the Kokkol Waterfall. As seasonal operations may vary, confirm current availability before travelling. The river valley and waterfall give this tour a specific connection to the landscape.
The two listed distances differ by five kilometres. Altai Trails takes seven to nine days, while the Belukhi trek takes nine days. Both descriptions therefore refer to multi-day tours. They also differ in their stated character: Altai Trails offers travel on foot and on horseback, while the Belukhi trek runs through the White Berel Valley and includes a visit to Kokkol Waterfall.
East Kazakhstan as a wider natural region
In the wider destination of East Kazakhstan, Katon-Karagay National Park is part of the transboundary Altai Biosphere Reserve. The Kokkol Waterfalls are among the park's natural landmarks. Kokkol Waterfall is about 80 metres high and lies near tourist routes to Mount Belukha. Belukha attracts mountaineers, tourists and trekking enthusiasts.
Lake Yazevoye offers another perspective on East Kazakhstan's natural landscape. It is a high-altitude freshwater lake of glacial origin and is popular with tourists, mountaineers and trekking enthusiasts. Mountain taiga ecosystems are protected in the West Altai Nature Reserve. Cedar, fir and spruce forests grow there, and the area is also home to rare plant and animal species listed in the Red Book.
Culture and history in East Kazakhstan
An open-air museum has been established at the Berel burial mounds. The burial site comprises more than 100 burials, as well as funerary and memorial structures. This archaeological focus differs from the mining history of the Kokkol Mine: Berel centres on burial sites and memorial structures, while the mine centres on tungsten and molybdenum extraction.
Literary history is also among the cultural themes of the wider destination of East Kazakhstan. The Oralkhan Bokei House Museum is located in Chingistai, the writer's home village, where he was born and spent his childhood. The collection includes personal belongings, manuscripts, photographs and books. Alongside archaeological heritage and mining history, the region thus offers insight into a writer's life and work.
Discover more destinations
Petrova, Akzhar, Aqsu, Semei, Vasil'yevskiy, Pervomayskiy, Ridder, Ă–skemen
For the wider travel overview: East Kazakhstan.
