Great Baikal Ice Trekking
Difficulty
Comfort
Tour Overview
Highlights
- Skiing across the frozen Lake Baikal from east to west
- Viewing the spectacular mountain scenery of Northern Baikal
- Listening to the dunes of the «Singing Sands»
- Overnighting in traditional indigenous villages
- Staying with the crew of a remote weather station
- Visiting Stone Age dwellings and rock paintings
- Marveling at the stunning alpine Lake Froliha
- Sleeping in remote hunting cabins
- Bathing in outdoor hot springs with +50C water
- Meeting a Buryat shaman and observing a ritual
Itinerary
Day 1: Shaman ceremony and outdoor hot springs
Flight from Irkutsk to Nizhneangarsk. Visit a point on a cliff overlooking the lake where a shaman of the indigenous Buryat community will do a blessing ceremony for your trip.
Afterwards we will transfer to the hot springs at Goudzhekit deep in the forest and mountains for a few hours skiing or relaxing in the local hot springs. The water here can reach +50C, whereas the air temperature can be -30C, so you can have an 80 degree difference between your head and body temperatures!
Overnight in small local hotel.
Day 2: Boguchin Island’s Stone Age dwellings and rock paintings
Transfer Goudzhekit – Severobaikalsk. From here the skiing / trekking part of the itinerary begins. Ski from Severobaikalsk to Boguchin Island out on the lake. Visit the Ludar caves, once inhabited by the stone age people who painted the area’s bronze age red-ochre petroglyphs, visit the nearby stone fortifications, possibly left by the Mongol hordes.
From Boguchin Island ski to the indigenous Buryat village of Baikalskoe, made up mostly of quaint log cabins. 35km total skiing today. Overnight.
Day 3: Ski to Kotelnikovskiy hot springs
Baikalskoe village – Guilga river – Kotelnikovskiy hot springs, set in stunning surroundings on the shore of Lake Baikal. 32 km total skiing. Kotelnikovskiy hot springs has a small log cabin hotel connected to it where you will spend the night.
Day 4: Reserve day at hot springs
Reserve day off at Kotelnikovskiy hot spring.
Day 5: Ski across Lake Baikal from east to west
Today we cross Lake Baikal from east to west from Kotelnikovskiy hot spring – Tompa Meteorological Station. Total 42 KM. Overnight at Tompa Meteorological Station.
Day 6: Weather station and «Singing Sands»
Tompa meteo Station – Turali Cape and its “Singing Sands», several kilometres of sand dunes where the wind makes bizarre singing noises. Overnight in hunter’s cabin nearby.
Day 7: Ski to Hakusy hot springs.
Singing Sands – Cape Samdaki – Hakusy Hot Springs. Overnight in log cabin hotel near hot springs. 15 KM.
Day 8: Reserve day at hot springs
Reserved Day off at Hakusy Hot Springs, one of the most beautiful hot springs around Northern Baikal.
Day 9: Ski to Ayaya Bay
Hakusy hot spring – Ayaya Bay. 18 KM. Overnight in hunter’s cabin.
Day 10: Round trip to alpine Like Froliha
20km round trip from Ayaya Bay to the stunning alpine Lake Froliha. Overnight in hunter’s cabin.
Day 11: Ski to Cape Tokshaki
Ayaya bay – Cape Tokshaki, 28 KM. Overnight at Tokshaki hunting camp.
Day 12: Return to Nizhneangarsk
Tokshaki hunting camp – Nizhneangarsk, 30 KM. Overnight at Nizhneangarsk hotel
Day 13: Flight from Nizhneangarsk Airport to Irkuts
Transfer to Nizhneangarsk Airport and flight to Irkutsk.
Photos
Price
Number of people: {{ currentPerson }}
Price per person: $ {{parseFloat(price).toFixed(0)}}
Price includes:
- Flights Irkutsk – Nizhneangarsk – Irkutsk
- All transfers
- Snowmobile support vehicle following 1 – 2 days behind you for the whole duration of the trek
- All accommodation
- All food and non-alcoholic drinks
- English-speaking guide throughout the trip
- All entrance fees and activities as per the program
- Invitation for Russian visa
Price does not include:
- Flights or train from Moscow – Irkutsk – Moscow. This can be added at extra cost if required.
- Personal expenses
- Personal travel insurance
- Clothing or equipment rental (other than skis)
