Places that are not enough just to see, they must be felt and heard. Such places include the Yarlu Valley. In addition to the amazing beauty of the mountains, forests and hollows, the gorge amazes with its sacred power. Here the power of nature is felt physically. One can describe a lot about the feelings of travelers to the valley, but it is possible to realize the power of the local land only after personal presence. The valley stretches to the left of Lake Akkem. Its height is 2000 m. The name of the valley means “place with cliffs.” A stream runs along the bottom of the gorge, which is also called Yarlu and flows into the Akkem River.
People are attracted to the valley by magical power and curiosity. It was Jarlu who was noted by Roerich. His followers often visit the scientist's research sites. Here he stopped during his expedition in search of the fabulous Belovodye.
The greatest curiosity is caused by Roerich's stone, marked with his sign. This is a large smooth boulder embedded in the ground. It doesn't look like the rocks around it. According to some statements, the stone “grows” by 5 cm per year. The block is called the Master Stone or the Stone of Wisdom. A town was built around it from rock fragments. This place is a center for the release of powerful energy; mediums and esotericists come here to restore the biofield, meditate and understand the meaning of life.
The upper part of the Yarlu valley is surrounded by a mountain range. This is the watershed of two rivers - Tekel and Yarlu. The ridge resembles a lying woman; her profile is especially clearly visible. It is more convenient to admire the ridge from the Kara-Turek pass. In the area of the stone woman's chest, the mountains have a red tint. It seems as if blood is running from the heart. The rock is called the Heart of the Mother.
Colorful rocks are another feature of the gorge. Multi-colored rocks, clay deposits and minerals are densely compressed by time among sedimentary deposits, which makes the Yarlu Valley look unusual. The bright colors of the mountains come to life even more after the rain. The valley changes its appearance depending on the season. The time of day and the intensity of the sun's rays also affect the color of the stones, so in Yarlu there is always a sense of movement - thoughts, colors, matter and energy. There are many legends about the valley. It is called a place of special power. There is a statement that the valley does not allow people with flawed, twisted morals. Such people cannot enter the gorge, they begin to feel pain, become panicky, or have important things to do.
It is not surprising that it is in such a magical place that a wonderful flower grows - edelweiss. This plant symbolizes wisdom and mystery. Due to the color composition of the mountains, the streams flowing along their slopes are also multi-colored. They take on a shade of blue clay or milky limestone. Sometimes the waters have a light blue tint, sometimes slightly emerald.
The easiest way to go down to the gorge is through the lake by boat. They depart from the Ak-Kem weather station. It will cost a small amount of money and take an hour and a half. You can get to the Yarlu Valley for free via a suspension bridge; the journey will take about three hours. You can walk downstream, which will also take about three hours. Near the lower descent, tourist camps are most often set up, since the nearby deciduous forest provides abundant firewood for fires.
I want to start my story about my trip to Altai with an amazing place - the Yarlu Valley. Firstly, this is an incredibly beautiful place, multi-colored rocks and sunset spots of light create a fantastic picture. Secondly, there is simply a huge number of legends, myths and stories of especially impressionable people associated with this place - from encounters with UFOs to portals to North America. This is where I will start my story
1. Our hike lasted 9 days, 4 of which we spent at the base camp near Belukha. And from there we made several radial trips to the most interesting places. One evening we went out to the Yarlu Valley. It was worth going there, at least from the road through windbreaks and following the traces of a fresh mudflow - just a few weeks ago it significantly changed the approaches to the valley. The path was washed away, and in some places we trampled it again, and in others we simply jumped between stones along the disfigured river.
2. For the overall picture, I’ll run ahead and show you the view of the Yarlu Valley from the Karaturek Pass. Looks like a dam. The rocks are mostly bluish-gray in color, which is why they are usually called Blue. The ridge in the center is called the Dragon's Spine.
3. This valley has long been considered a place of power. Crowds of people flock here to meditate and recharge their energy. In the center of this stone temple there is a stone - the “Stone of Wisdom” (“Master Stone”) - almost white, unusually smooth for these places.
Many claim that it is “grown” 70 cm into the ground. Or, on the contrary, that this stone “grows” from the ground, rising 4-6 centimeters above its surface every year.
There are beliefs that since ancient times the Master Stone has been called the Shaman’s Stone or the World Stone. When we approached the stone, a couple of women were sitting on it, apparently meditating with their eyes closed. Sometimes you really regret that you don’t feel what other people who are prone to esotericism and mysticism feel. maybe there is a really strong energetic place there..
4. Surrounded on all sides by beautiful rocks - bluish-blue, as they consist almost entirely of blue clay combined with layers of other rocks, equally bright and saturated in color. That is why most of the streams here have a milky turquoise or milky greenish tint. During the shooting, it rained several times and the rocks simply changed color before our eyes - they became darker, then lighter.
5. They say that the upper part of the ridge looks like a lying woman and call it the Mother of the World. No matter how closely I looked, I didn’t see a woman) But perhaps over a long time the contours were erased. It is noteworthy that on the body of the “lying woman” there is a place with an outcropping of red rock. This part is called the Mother’s Heart, and the reddish exit is the bleeding from the heart. One feels uneasy from such a comparison...
6. I was very lucky with the weather - it changed every five minutes. Heavy rain and snow clouds were blowing from Belukha, and the wind drove them downstream along the Akkem valley, only occasionally driving streams of rain into Yarlu. And when the sun peeked out from behind it, it slightly illuminated the slanting stripes of rain. In the photo - the Karaturek pass in a rain shroud.
7. The Yarlu Valley is also called the Valley of Edelweiss. When tested, they turned out to be extremely inconspicuous flowers)) So I was even too lazy to take them off) But then the rocks began to glow, and all attention was focused on the amazing play of light
8. A little later I was lucky to see a piece of the rainbow over the rocks. Roerich believed that somewhere on the slopes of Belukha the entrance to Shambhala was hidden. Roerich followers still flock to the valley in droves. they say that that same white stone serves as the entrance to this mythical country. On the other hand, he does not allow people with bad thoughts and a negative attitude into the valley. I don’t know, he let me in)) Although I had only positive things on my mind - from what I saw. The place is still magical, but in its own aesthetic sense.
9. They say that especially impressionable people feel an influx of strength and an unusual flow of energy. that day we just descended from the Valley of the Seven Lakes and walked several kilometers to the Yarlu Valley, so we didn’t feel anything other than fatigue)) Although we had to ask the guys. maybe they got something from cosmic energy...
We have to plunge into the space of this world, meet its magical heroes (positive and negative), knowledge that leads to understanding and awareness, freeing the soul from the captivity of illusions. We pay attention to the signs that the wise Universe gives us, unraveling them, we make decisions to change our lives for the better.
We are just approaching one of these places.
Yarlu Valley - Ray of the eternal Divine femininity. The Spirit of Co-Creation and Creation gathers in the earth and on its surface; the Pearl of the Soul, the Great Mother of the World, rules here. Yarlu Valley is located in the heart of the mysterious and enigmatic mountains. This sacred place is a place of special power, the air is saturated with the spirit of greatness and holiness. According to legend, here is one of the entrances to the mysterious country of Shambhala. This is a source of spiritual and physical healing, into which the Power and Energy of the compassionate love of the Mother of the World flows and is preserved.
The path to this extraordinary place of power follows the Akkem and Tekelyu rivers with their picturesque waterfalls and natural phenomena.
The first waterfall is the gateway to the Yarlu valley, which is guarded by the spirits of these sacred places.
Water is associated with emotions, feelings, intuition and the subconscious, as well as feminine energy and strength - a symbol of motherhood. In the sounds of the waterfall one can hear the name and voice of the Mother, without whose blessing no action can be successful.
We ask for permission to bathe and cleanse ourselves before setting foot on this earth, and also to receive signs of fate that will lead us to the right path and show the way to the lost.
It is pleasant to stand in the crystal coolness emanating from the waterfall, dissolving in space and eternity. But not everyone manages to gather the strength and enter the very center of a raging waterfall with transparent, clear icy water.
Having connected with the streams of the waterfall, we continue our journey and climb the mountain range called Mother of the World, which separates the valleys of the Yarlu and Tekelyu rivers. The closer we get to the place, the more clearly the silhouette of a lying woman with a clearly defined profile of the head is visible. The middle part of the mountain has a bright purple-red hue, as if blood is oozing from there.
The main silhouette is sharp edges that curl into spirals and rush upward, as if they are about to take off. The spiral principle is often found in nature. All development occurs according to the principle of a spiral. Spiral is a manifestation of the rhythm of life. It is remarkable that a flat spiral is similar to a labyrinth, which is characterized by two components - development and regression.
In the valley of the Mother of the World, other surprises await us, one of them is the Stone of Wisdom - a special Place of Power, which imparts the highest, holistic, spiritual and practical knowledge, which is achieved through the spiritual and vital search for truth and the objective state of affairs - this is the Wisdom of God. Spiritual purity, perfection, beauty, creativity and harmony reign here.
The Stone of Wisdom is the Great Alatyr - the source of healing and nourishing rivers; it contains a powerful power that has no limit. If you touch it with your hands, you can feel extraordinary vibrations and increasing energy. You must allow these vibrations to enter your space. The power of the stone, being an energy accumulator, affects a person as a whole and can help him tune in to the right mood, attract into his life what a person needs.
This place is also called the Edelweiss Valley; there are a huge number of these mysterious flowers here. The Russian generic name of edelweiss comes from the words “noble”, “white”. Edelweiss is a symbol of mountains and appears in legends as an image of inaccessibility, love and luck, helps to gain wisdom, open the heart, and has enormous vitality. Under no circumstances should you pick a flower, as you may incur the anger and rage of the spirits of the area. Ancient legends say that only those who are courageous and loving at heart can reach this flower.
There is an opinion that the spirits of the area do not allow people with negative energy, bad thoughts and bad intentions here.
And we continue our journey...
The place is quite famous and popular. Every year, hundreds of tourists flock to this valley like bees to honey. I would not even say tourists, but followers of various teachings and beliefs. And they are attracted there by a large stone and a stone “city” erected around it.
As I already wrote, the center of everyone's attention in the Yarlu Valley is a large monolithic stone. According to various sources, it is called the Roerich stone, the master stone, and many other options. To be honest, in all my visits and communications with the “old-timers” of the stone city, I have never heard the same story. Every person I came across there gave his own description of this stone, its origin and purpose. It is for this reason that I will not write and insist on any particular truth. I would like to simply describe my personal impressions of staying in this place.
I'll start from the road. Getting to the valley is not difficult; it is located next to the famous Akkem Lake. In fact, all visitors to Yarlu are people who went on a journey to Belukha. From Lake Akkem to the stone town in Yarlu, the walk takes about 2 hours, not long. But, it is necessary to cross to the other side of the Akkem River. There are two ways: the first - the entire path runs along the Yarlu valley, from the very mouth. Where Yarlu flows into Akkem there is a small bridge across which you can cross to the other side. The second is a boat crossing on Lake Akkem itself, and your journey to the stone city will be shortened by about a third.
For ease of understanding, I have presented a map below:
This place makes a strong impression on me personally. There is usually deathly silence around the city; it is rarely bustling there. Sometimes time flies by next to a stone, you can sit there for hours and think about different things, and all thoughts are not “everyday”, so to speak. Usually you sit and think about the global or completely forget where you are and just enjoy the silence. The stone itself is a large, monolithic piece of rock, smoothed in shape. Interestingly, it is always the same temperature.
On cold days it seems warm, on hot days it seems cold. The stone depicts the so-called Roerich sign - “past, present and future in the circle of eternity.” They say this symbol appeared there on its own, which is probably why there is such attention to this stone.
I remember on my first visits, I even felt rather bad in this place, sometimes I felt sick and dizzy. The place definitely has its own power, and everyone who comes here will probably feel exactly how it manifests itself.
In any case, if you are traveling to Belukha, be sure to check out this valley. Yarlu itself is a very beautiful and bewitching piece of Altai, even without the stone and the city..
On the banks of the Akkem River, not far from Mount Belukha, at an altitude of 2000 meters, lies the amazing Yarlu Valley or Valley of EDELWEISS.
Very beautiful flowers grow here - edelweiss, in honor of which the valley received its second name. Edelweiss is a flower of the genus of dicotyledonous herbaceous plants of the Asteraceae or Compositae family, growing in the highlands of Europe and Asia.
The appearance of the inflorescence resembles a lion's paw. The Russian name of the flower comes from the merger of the name of the flower from the German, meaning “noble” and “white”. The flower is listed in the Red Book. Edelweiss trees dot the valley in huge quantities, covering it with an unusual carpet.
The unusual landscape, original combination and variety of colors make the valley amazingly beautiful. During the daytime, the mountain slopes are painted in light blue tones; in the evening and at sunset they acquire soft pink-violet shades. And in autumn, the combination of yellow-orange vegetation with the rich colors of the mountains creates stunning landscapes. After the rain, all the colors become especially bright.
The Valley of EDELWEISS is famous for its colored rocks, one of which was named Mother's Heart for its color. The colors are arranged as if brown blood is flowing from the wound.
The valley is also notable for the fortress located in it, built by hand from river stones. This place is revered and considered sacred by the ancient inhabitants of the valley. There is usually deathly silence around the stone city; it is rarely bustling there.
Nearby, the “Stone of Wisdom” (“Master Stone”) seemed to have grown into the ground - almost white, unusually smooth for these places. Like a living creature, he, like a guest from ancient legends, lives his own life here. According to legend, once upon a time, on the site of Lake Akkem, a city stood in front of Belukha, and Stone was the place where ancient princes resolved issues of the world.
“Knowing” people said that Alexander the Great himself visited Altai and lived for several weeks in the Yarlu Valley, drawing strength and wisdom from the Master Stone.
Some also talk about aliens who brought this Stone from another planet.
This stone is believed to have powerful energy, and according to legend, it guards the entrance to Shambhala at the foot of Belukha. There is a belief that when people with negative energy and bad intentions approach the stone directly, the stone seems to push them away, not allowing them to continue their journey, and people’s well-being sharply and noticeably deteriorates. The rest consider it a great blessing to meditate on it or simply touch it, feeding on its powerful energy.
It is believed that one should climb onto an “energy” stone barefoot, sit on it in silence and meditate.
From the peaks surrounding the sources of Yarlu, a picturesque view of the peaks of Yarlu, Kara-Oyuk, Ak-Oyuk and the Crown of Altai opens.
#edelweiss valley #arlu valley #mountain altai #rest in Russia #RFARUS
