Nov/22

Putorana Plateau – the land of lakes and waterfalls

No comments · Posted by Sergei Rzhevsky in Nature, Regions, Travel

Putorana is a mountain range (plateau), located in the heart of Siberia, in the northern part of Krasnoyarsk Krai.

The maximum height of the plateau is 1,701 m. Its area is about 250,000 square km, which is about the same as the area of the UK (242,495 square km). The Putorana Plateau on Google Maps. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

Putorana State Natural Reserve is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Most versions of the origin of the name of the plateau are associated with the Evenki language: “petoromi” (smoking) or “kutorama” (swampy).

The Putorana Plateau was formed after the eruption of a supervolcano about 252 million years ago, which caused the great Permian extinction.

Putorana is indented by a number of large gorges and valleys, the bottom of which is often flooded with lakes. Rivers, making their way through the multi-layered rocks, form deep canyons, rapids and waterfalls. By the number of waterfalls, it ranks first in Russia.

There is no infrastructure on the Putorana Plateau, no roads are built here, there are no settlements. Therefore, despite the stunning nature, there are very few tourists here.