The journey began with a long journey: from Krasnoyarsk through the Chests mountain range to Abakan. The road network of Khakassia is quite developed, and most routes have good asphalt, so you can get to popular tourist spots with almost any car… However, of course, not everyone.
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“Chests” is a natural museum-reserve located in the valley of the White Iyus River. The age of these mountains exceeds 370 million years, and the first settlers used this place to observe the Sun.
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The ridge of several outlier mountains received the name “Chests” because of its regular rectangular shape, which is reminiscent of ancient chests.
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Part of the route from Shira to the mountain range has no asphalt surface
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Natural Museum-Reserve “Chests”. Part of the journey was in lowlands not yet covered with snow. And somewhere the fallen snow had already melted and mixed with clay. We do not recommend seeking adventure in those places in a passenger car.
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The off-road capabilities of the Dargo (especially in skillful hands) were sufficient to climb the plateau where the legendary burial mounds of Khakassia – the Safronovsky menhirs – are located.
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Safronovsky menhirs are an ancient cemetery with tombstones. The gigantic 7-meter megaliths are approximately 2.5 thousand years old.
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As with the pyramids, there is a lot of speculation surrounding menhirs about how people installed blocks weighing more than 2.5 tons. But none of the versions has been reliably confirmed.
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Dargo X against the backdrop of ancient sculptures.
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Among other things, petroglyphs have been preserved on the plateau, depicting people performing rituals, as well as sacred figures of birds and animals.
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The further route ran through the high-mountainous part, a steep climb to the top and an equally steep descent down. The road connecting Khakassia and Tyva passes through the picturesque Sayan Pass, located at an altitude of more than 2200 meters.
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On high mountain roads, turbocharged engines have an important advantage: unlike naturally aspirated engines, they do not lose power as pressure drops with increasing altitude.
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Let us remind you that Dargo is equipped with a two-liter gasoline turbo engine with a capacity of 192 hp. and a 7-speed robotic transmission with two clutches.
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2214 meters – the Sayan Pass rises to this height, connecting the two republics.
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The second, unofficial name of the pass is Hundredth. Allegedly because from the Tyva side it is a 100-kilometer climb from the city of Ak-Dovurak to the top of the pass.
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After the pass, the expedition headed to Mount Uttug-Khaya – this is a sacred place for the Tuvans. According to legend, Genghis Khan himself used this mountain as an observation deck. At the same time, historians claim that this is nothing more than a myth and only his eldest son visited Uttug-Khaya.
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The main feature of the place is something else: at the top of the mountain there is a through cave, similar to the eye of a needle. According to legend, it is a real portal that fulfills cherished desires, so its entire area is filled with notes in which people ask for secret things.
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All vehicles successfully negotiated the inclined and slippery sandy and rocky surface. Two cars with a characteristic radiator lining made of black plastic are the Dargo X version. It is equipped not only with all-wheel drive, but also with a rear cross-axle differential lock.
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A plain of incredible beauty unfolded in all its glory on the last day of the expedition. This is the path to the “Valley of the Kings” – to the most ancient burial site in Central Asia.
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The local mounds are more than 2800 years old. The area got its name from the many Scythian burial mounds found, where the rulers of the ancient nomadic people were buried. About 5,700 objects made of gold were found inside the burials, and the total weight of the find was 20 kg.
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The museum-reserve of the same name “Valley of the Kings” helped to understand the history of the Scythians and their famous gold.
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The Haval Dargo is one of our most thoroughly researched cars. If you want more details about it, here are several materials to choose from. First we released [тест-драйв Dargo](https://motor.ru/testdrives/haval-dargo-kitaiskii-avtomobil-ne-dlya-vsekh.htm), then two videos, [Ефима Репина](https://motor.ru/testdrives/video-test-haval-dargo.htm) and [Ильи Фролова](https://motor.ru/lab/novyi-haval-iz-rossii.htm) from PrivetTachki, then collected private [мнения редакторов](https://motor.ru/testdrives/obsuzhdaem-haval-dargo.htm) about the crossover, and finally [протестировали версию Dargo X](https://motor.ru/testdrives/haval-dargo-x.htm) with rear differential lock. By the way, if you want to read about other travels of “Motor”, then [вам сюда](https://motor.ru/label/puteshestviya).
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“Hunters of anomalies”—that’s what motorsportsman, traveler and longtime friend of Motor, Andrei Leontyev, called his expedition to Khakassia and Tyva. In Southern Siberia there are many places with a mystical and even anomalous flair that attract researchers, adventurers and tourists interested in the secrets of nature. Now we will find out what “chests” and menhirs are, as well as where the mountain portal leads.
