Aldan River
The western section is backed by the Dzhugdzhur Mountains which reach 600 to 1,000 metres. They drain westward to branches of the Aldan River and Maya River. Once over the mountains one could travel by boat with few portages all the way to the Ural Mountains. On the east side numerous short, swift rivers cut valleys down to the sea. Their lower floodplains and the negligible coastal strip are the only flat land. The climate is monsoonal. From October to February cold heavy air blows seaward from the interior. From May to July damp air blows landward bringing a cold foggy drizzle. Average temperature is around 10 °C in summer and around zero in winter. Growing season rarely exceeds three months. Only root crops grew well. The few peasants found fishing and trapping more profitable. The high value of sable pelts made it possible to buy imported food. This and the poor soils meant that the Russians had to import food despite the abundance of Salmon.