Short answers, pulled from the story.
Belukha Mountain in Russia is the highest peak in the Altai Mountains, with twin summits reaching 4,506 m and 4,400 m above sea level. It is located in the Sailughem Mountains and gives rise to several glaciers, including the Berel and the Katun glaciers.
The Denisova hominin, a previously unknown branch of the human family, was discovered in Denisova Cave in 2008 and dated to approximately 40,000 years ago. The cave is the only known site in the world where Denisovans, Neanderthals, and Homo sapiens are all confirmed to have lived. Knowledge of the Denisovans derives primarily from unusually well-preserved DNA and artifacts, as no complete skeletons have been found.
Altai derives from an ancient Turkic root meaning "gold" or "golden," preserved in Old Turkic as altun. The mountains are called Altain nuruu in Khalkha Mongolian, Altajskije gory in Russian, and Altay Taghliri in Uyghur, among many other names across the languages of the region.
The Golden Mountains of Altai is a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering 16,178 square kilometers in the Russian Altai. It incorporates the Altai and Katun Natural Reserves, Lake Teletskoye, Mount Belukha, and the Ukok Plateau. UNESCO designated it in part for its role in preserving globally endangered mammals including the snow leopard, Altai argali, and Siberian ibex.
The Altaigate Scandal arose from the death of several Russian VIPs in a helicopter crash early in 2009, reportedly during a poaching excursion in the Altai. It brought allegations of violations of the protected status of Altai argali sheep and other species, alongside accusations of corruption related to the UNESCO-protected Golden Mountains of Altai.
Cave petroglyphs in the Altai Mountains in modern China depict human figures on skis and were estimated by a 2016 study from the Australian Rock Art Research Association to be between 4,000 and 5,250 years old, potentially as old as or older than Scandinavian skiing evidence. The oldest known written description of skiing, from a Chinese text of the Western Han Dynasty dated 206 BC-24 AD, refers specifically to skiers in the Altai Mountains. Precise petroglyph dating remains difficult, so the claim is considered plausible but disputed.