Arctic Russia - Momsky Nature Park

The Momsky Nature Park is located in the upper reaches of the Sakha Republic's Moma River, in the Republic's Momsky District. This place is densely settled by northern Yakuts and one of the small indigenous communities of the Arctic, the Evens. Momsky Park is interesting for its varied landscapes ranging from alpine highlands to low-lying plains, unique natural monuments and routes for enthusiasts of mountain and water sports.

The central part of the park is the Moma River valley, after which the park is named. The Moma River originates on the Ulakhan-Chistay ridge, the peak of which is Mount Pobeda, the highest point in Yakutia and northeastern Siberia (3,147 m). Pobeda is an extinct stratovolcano. The mountain was first conquered in 1966 and is still of interest to climbers who are fixated on hard-to-reach peaks. Climbing routes of various difficulty categories have been laid out on the mountain.

There are two more extinct volcanoes in Momsky Park, Balagan-Tas and Uraga-Tas, which belong to the Momsky ridge in the northeastern part of the park, on the right bank of the Moma near the Arctic Circle. Balagan-Tas is a relatively young volcano, it is only several hundred years old. It is an almost regular, quarter-truncated cone with a well-preserved crater about 15 m deep. To the Yakuts, this shape resembled a balagan yurt, hence the name.

Address: 39 Molodezhnaya st., 678860, Khonuu, Momsky district, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

Phone number:
+7(4115) 021-027
+7(4115) 021-376
+7(4115) 021-024
+7(4115) 021-679

Site on the map

Under the volcanoes Balagan-Tas and Uraga-Tas, there is the world's largest ice field, Ulakhan-Taryn ('big ice'). It is a layered ice body that is formed in winter by the successive freezing of many sources of river and ground water. First, ice forms on the surface of the gravel and boulder floodplain, then new layers of water freeze above it. During the winter, the ice field constantly grows, and by the end of March, its length exceeds 30 km, with a width of up to 5 km and a thickness of about 7 m. There are many ice fields in the Moma valley, but they are much smaller: Ulakhan-Taryn is second only to the Fedchenko glacier in the Pamirs in size. In summer, the ice field does not melt completely, but it is traversed by a powerfully flowing river, forming channels and chambers in the ice. This is a very beautiful section of the river that attracts water sports enthusiasts. In Momsky Park, there are three main rafting routes: along the section leading up to the Ulakhan-Taryn ice field, along the ice field itself (26 km) and beyond it.

On the right bank of the Tirektyakh River, 150 km south of the village of Sasyr, there is another natural wonder, Mount Mramornaya (Yuryung-Taastakh in Yakut). Geologists know this place as the Solnechnoye marble deposit.

The mountain is multi-coloured: its lower part is formed by a massive layer of white marble, the upper part is composed of layers of dark grey marmorised clay limestone, and its outcrops are white and pale pink, often with a warm fleshy tint.

In a crevice inside Mount Mramornaya, there is a tall waterfall, and the spray from it scattering in the air makes for a fabulous picture.

The park administration is located in the village of Khonuu. The village also houses the Momsky Museum of Local Lore, where you can learn about the Evens' history and life. However, most tourist routes do not start from here, but from the village of Sasyr, where the Iskar reindeer farm is located.

The most convenient way to reach the park is by air, on the Yakutsk-Sasyr route with a transfer in the village of Khonuu, or by helicopter from the village of Ust-Nera, Oymyakonsky district. In winter, you can get there by car or snowmobile. In summer, you can go up the Moma by motorboat, but it is quite dangerous.