The extent of glaciers during the local last glacial maximum (lLGM) for the Altai and neighbouring mountain systems is more or less identified. Pleistocene moraines resulting from valley glaciers, plateau glaciers, cirque glaciers and ice streams can be found. The most extensive Late Pleistocene glaciation occurred in the western part of the Russian Altai. However, the extent of Late Pleistocene ice is still a matter of debate in the Russian Altai. Whilst an ice sheet formed in the western Russian Altai, the Pleistocene glaciers have been restricted to several isolated mountain systems in the eastern part of the Russian and Mongolian Altai. To show the variations in the ice extent, the modern and Late Pleistocene equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) and the glaciated area are presented in two maps from the Russian and Mongolian part of the Altai. The ELAs are relatively low in the more humid outermost ranges especially in the Russian part of the Altai and rise towards the central part of Mongolia. The limited extent of present and Pleistocene glaciers in the eastern part of the Russian Altai and in the Mongolian Altai is the result of reduced precipitation gradient from west to east. This results in a rise of present and Pleistocene ELAs towards the east. However, this was more pronounced during the Pleistocene than today. There is an essential lack of absolute dating of glacial sediments in this region. Nevertheless, on the basis of the present knowledge, most Late Pleistocene glacier advances in Mongolia and in the Russian Altai took place in the MIS 2 and 4. OSL and CRN dates from the Chinese Altai and the Khangai suggest also maximum ice advance during the MIS 3.