Blue ice of the Sayan Mountains

1 Day

Arrival to Irkutsk. Meeting with a local guide followed by a sightseeing city-tour (*). Lunch in one of the restaurants at your own expenses. After lunch transfer by minivan to Arshan – a small village located at the foot of Eastern Sayan mountains. (3,5 hours drive).
Accommodation at a guest log-house in Arshan village. Dinner at a local café.  Overnight in guest house. (D)

* You'll visit the place where Irkutsk was founded 350 years ago at the confluence of two Siberian rivers: Irkut and Angara. The place is framed by three churches, two of which are Russian Orthodox with golden domes and the third one is Roman Catholic

After breakfast we’ll take all the necessary equipment and walk up the gorgeous rocky canyon of Kyngarga river. In about 1 hour we’ll approach 2 huge icefalls. During lunch time our guide will introduce you to the basic course of ice-climbing technique and personal safety (*). After lunch you’ll fit personal equipment and try your first steps up the icefalls.

This evening as we return back to the guest house you’ll be welcomed with Russian steam sauna. Dinner at a local café. Overnight in a guest house. (BLD)

* During the climbing trip our guide will provide your safety and lead you to the top of the icefall through the chain of sparkling ice cascades. Even people who had never done any climbing before find this activity quite easy and exciting.

Today we’ll spend the day climbing up one of the nearby peaks. But first we’ll first visit a holy place to follow a traditional ceremony of local worshipers. We’ll ask spirits to give us a good day that is a necessary condition for a successful ascent.

The trail traverses the steep mountain slopes with several natural observation points from were one can appreciate a magnificent view of the so called Tunka valley lying underneath. The height of the Peak is about 2000 meters. There you’ll have a great chance to take some memorable photos. In the evening we’ll come back to Arshan village for dinner and overnight. Overnight in a guesthouse.   (BLD)

* Locals believe that to have a lucky day one should tie a colored ribbon around a tree trunk or on a branch. In the area you’ll see lots of trees covered with thousands of ribbons.

After breakfast you’ll be offered a walking excursion to a Buddhist temple - Datsan which is located next to Arshan village.

After that we’ll leave Arshan village and travel by car to natural hot springs. You can take a hot steaming bath with a great open view of the snow covered peaks. The difference of water and air temperature can be extremely high: the water is +48C while the air temperature can be -30C. That’s why the huge cloud of steam covers the whole area of these thermal springs. After bathing we’ll head back to Irkutsk. It will take us 3 hours to get back. (B)

Native people of Arshan village  - Buryats are mostly Buddhists. If lucky we might have a chance to watch a traditional morning Buddhist ceremony which includes reading mantras.