Glaciers in the Trans-Baikal?

Somewhere between Nichatkoy and Charoy in his diary appeared a strange note: "the pass was very difficult due to cracking glaciers ... Our passage through these heights was accompanied ... sad case: one of my Tungus died from falling into a crevasse of the glacier and was buried in the deepening of the rocks under rocks ... "Glaciers in the Trans-Baikal? One thought about it seemed absurd, even a great scientist. Academician VAObruchev, resulting in record-Martin, celebrated their skeptical question mark. Geologists surveyed in 1928-1930 years. Charsky basin and surrounding ridges directly qualified open-hearth describe as "fantastic" and "not credible". A Professor SP Suslov in his monograph on the physical geography of the Asian part of the Soviet Union in 1954, dryly concluded that, in Transbaikalia, "in spite of considerable height ... and harsh climatic conditions, glaciation is absent because of a small amount of winter rainfall, low snow pack and the exceptional dryness of the air. " However, in the first 50 years of geologists, geographers and then confirmed the existence of Kodar glaciers. First, they accidentally met on the route as a separate small glaciers, the second was lucky in the comfort of rooms, as the saying goes "on the tip of the pen" by analysis aerofotomaterialov open here the whole glacier area. Problem Kodar glaciation engaged young geographer VS Transfiguration. Under his leadership, Kodar went to a small expeditionary force. In 1960, based on two-year observation was published book of the Transfiguration "Kodar glacial area. Finally, the details of the glaciers Transbaikalia were well known. Why so long denied myself the probability of glaciation? The fact that the climate of Transbaikalia, how it showed all the local weather station, appears to be very little snow and sharply continental. This excluded the possibility of the existence of glaciers. Of course, the scientists took into account the poor location of stations and mountain ranges were introduced certain amendments, no amendments were clearly modest. And indeed, it was difficult to assume that the 20-30 km from the Chara basin, where 300 mm of annual rainfall, two-thirds of falls in summer and winter is not even installed sledding, there may be an area with more than threefold increase in rainfall, with a ten-snow winter and year-round blizzards. It was difficult to use (not having this data) the situation Kodar - three-kilometer altitude range - a barrier to the northern air masses - and the alpine terrain that promotes avalanche and wind redistribution of snow. And most importantly, it was difficult to abandon the usual view that "in Transbaikalia no ice." The opening of the ice area could not make a "geographical revolution: three decades Kodar glaciers - a drop in the thousands of completely insufficiently lednikov who discovered over the past decade in the north-east of the country. But if you compare to the Urals or Kodar Sayan glaciation, it would prevail and the size of glaciers (length up to 2,2 km), and their total area (15 sq. km.). Kodar glaciers are located in deep narrow paths and carts at heights (on the snow line), about 2500 m to the south and 2050-2300 m for the northern slopes. Small snowfields glaciers steep ups turn into a fan of avalanche cones coming down with rock outcroppings. Glacier tongues are characterized by lateral asymmetry, horizontal striped, low contamination and to move is not an obstacle: biases are less than 10-12 °, cracks a little, ice glasses, the mill is almost never occur. More difficulty is access to language through the steep end moraine height of 50-1.-0 m and an ice forehead against deviations 20-30 °. Even harder to climb out of the firn basin at Avalanche trains, as there has to overcome bergshrund 1-2 m wide and often lead ledorubnuyu work. Further rise in the rocky saddle is usually impossible. Used only individual cases (the pass of four) it leads to a path into the next valley. But glaciers Kodar for tourist interest, not as interesting parts of the route, the path to the pass or the top, they are remarkable in themselves, as new and not yet studied the objects of nature. While the human eye could only see half Kodar glaciers. Others identified from aerial photographs, but the shortcomings of the decryption can sometimes lead to some errors. This is probably why even the first tourists have taken exploration in high Kodar, managed to open two new glacier. One of them, named Valentine Teterina, geographer and traveler, was found in the short side of the valley of an unnamed stream, which flows into the river on the left glacial. The second, named in memory of Yuri Cassina tourist, was found near the highest point Kodar - the peak of 2,999.8 m. In terms of features (grade language 18-20 °, width greater than the length, end and lateral moraine almost not pronounced, the forehead is missing) He is not like other glaciers, the region and therefore of particular interest. However, by the tourists was "closed" a number of objects that are in the analysis of aerial photographs could be evaluated as glaciers. There is no doubt that even now in Kodari for tourists a wide field of activities. A half dozen glaciers needs survey. In addition, it is possible that in the sombre hard hanging valleys, sheltering from the sun and the human eye to anyone yet unknown glaciers. There is also a second, more complex, the direction of focus for tourists. After approval of geographers on the nature of glaciers Kodar about mnogosnezhii alpine winter of frequent avalanches and heavy snowstorms based only on circumstantial evidence. Therefore, any direct observations of weather and snow accumulation in winter Kodar could provide valuable material for science.