The Kodar range is the highest in the Transbaikal region. 3,072 meters (10,079 ft) high Pik BAM (Baikal Amur Magistral) is the highest summit of the range and the Stanovoy Highlands, as well as of Zabaykalsky Krai. Some sources claim that neighboring Pik Martena, rising 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) to the WSW, beyond the border, is the highest point of Irkutsk Oblast.[4][5]
The topography consists of narrow, deep valleys that descend over 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) from the surrounding terrain. According to a 2013 study, the range contains 34 glaciers. With the exception of some tropical glaciers, they are the most isolated glaciers the world, over 1,200 kilometers (750 mi) away from any other glacier.[3] The glaciers are small, at most 2.1 kilometers (1.3 mi) in length.[3][6]
Climate
The area experiences a subarctic climate, with the Siberian High resulting in very low temperatures and precipitation from November to March. Meteorological measurements taken in 1960s reported between 850 and 1,000 millimeters (33 and 39 in) of precipitation a year at an elevation of 2,500 meters (8,200 ft), with 50 percent falling as snow. Although snow can occur any time of year, 80 percent falls in late Spring and early Autumn.[3] The snow line is between 2,200 and 2,600 meters (7,200 and 8,500 ft).[6]
Panoramic view of the Kodar Range from the Chara river valley.
