The Stanovoy Highlands are a mountainous area between the Patom Highlands to the north and the Vitim Plateau to the south. To the northeast they border with the Olyokma-Chara Plateau —in the upper reaches of the Chara river. The ranges of the highlands stretch roughly in a WSW / ENE direction between the North Baikal Highlands in the west and the Olyokma River in the east. The latter separates it from the Stanovoy Range in the east. There are large intermontane basins, such as the Muya Depression and the Chara Depression at altitudes ranging between 500 m (1,600 ft) and 1,000 m (3,300 ft).[2]
The Stanovoy mountain system is cut across from south to north by the deep valley of river Vitim, a right tributary of the Lena. Many left (Muya, Mamakan, Mama, Bolshoy Chuya) and right (Kalakan, Kalar, Konda, Sigikta) tributaries of the Vitim originate from its ranges. Likewise for some of the left tributaries of the Olyokma, such as the Diri-Yurya, Imangra, Khani, Oryus-Miele and the Chara with the Tokko.
Rivers Upper Angara, flowing into Lake Baikal, and Chaya, a right tributary of the Lena, have their sources in the western parts of the mountain system.[4][5] There are also mountain lakes in the range, such as Dorong.[6]
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