Winter Fairytale

1 Day

Early transfer by car from Irkutsk to a small tourist facility located at the south-eastern shore of lake Baikal. It takes about 4 hours to get to the spot with a short stop for lunch in a road café built at a view point overlooking the southern extremity of the lake.
As we get to the tourist camp we’ll spend some time adjusting our equipment and special “hunters” skies (*).
The route for today runs along Snezhnaya river valley to the confluence of 2 rivers (**). Before it gets dark we should find a small hunters’ log cabin cook dinner and prepare some fire wood for the night (***). Total distance: 17 km.  (LD)

* From times immemorial hunters in Siberia used wide wooden skies to walk through deep snow in Taiga forest.
** Usually there is not much snow on the river ice because the wind blows it away and sometimes you have to walk right over the clear ice.
*** This tiny but cozy log cabin was built by local sable-trappers.

After breakfast we’ll continue our skiing adventure along the river valley (*).
In a couple of hours we’ll reach the highlight of the trip - the spectacular Sable Lakes (**).
After crossing both lakes we’ll make a short stop for lunch.
Not far from the Sable Lakes there’s one more wooden winter hut – the so called “the house of old man Beard”.  In the mid sixties of the past century there was an old man who built that hut and actually spent his entire life in the woods. Dinner and overnight in a tiny log cabin. Total distance: 15 km.  (BLD)

* Since snowfalls happen here virtually every day there’s hardly any ski track and one has to make a path of his own.

** The area around those 2 lakes is populated with sable. This small animal is highly valued for its durable fur. Local hunters use special traps to catch it

After breakfast we’ll leave our backpacks at the winter hut and ski up a small creek into a rocky canyon at the end of which there’s a small beautiful icefall.
After a short rest we’ll return back to the winter hut for lunch, pick up our backpacks and head back to the log cabin where we spent the first night. Total distance: 18 km.  (BLD)

* The sight is attractive both in Summer and Winter. In summer time the water crashes onto the opposite wall of the rock making an effect of a small rainbow.

Today we’ll head back to our starting point. The way back is always easier: first - the ski track is already there, secondly – at least 2 kilos of food in your backpacks will be gone and thirdly – skiing down the river is much faster.  In the evening before dinner you will enjoy the warmth and relaxing atmosphere of Russian sauna. Dinner will be served for you at the guest house. Total distance: 17  km. Overnight in a guest house. (BLD)

5 Day

After breakfast we’ll load our bags and skies into a van and drive back to Irkutsk with a short stop for lunch in a road cafe. (B)