Baikal on a winter morning… A magic harmony of endless snow expanses and bright sky lit by the sun… Baikal on a winter evening… The frozen Lake is taking in the dark blue coldness of ice and the purple warmth of the last sunrays… The harmony of contrasts, combination of the eternity and evanescence, fire and ice, mountains and taiga, grandeur and beauty... that’s Baikal in winter.
We will explore winter Baikal crossing it by snowmobiles from the west to the east.
Day 1
Arrival in Irkutsk by a morning flight from Moscow, meeting at the airport. Transfer by mini-bus to Listvyanka settlement located on the shore of Baikal, in the mouth of Angara-river, 70 km away from Irkutsk. Today, we will not stay in Listvyanka – we will immediately set off for snowmobiling on Baikal ice, whose thickness in winter reaches 2-3 m. We get outfitted for snowmobiling, and after a short safety briefing and practice, we head northwards along the western shore of Baikal, for Bolshoe Goloustnoe settlement. We will make stops on the way at the CircumBaikal railway, currently non-used part of the Transsiberian railway considered a monument of architecture and engineering art, to have a better view of its tunnels, bridges, supports, and walls cut in the mountain bridge along the shore. Marvelous views of the Lake, mountain ranges and taiga forest along the east shore of Baikal will accompany us all through the way. Lunch as a light field snack.
In Podlemorie lodge, the cosy rooms and hot dinner will be waiting for us. In the evening, we will enjoy a real Siberian banya (traditional steam sauna) with birch-tree whisking and dipping in the snow.
Night in Podlemorie (DBL, WC outside).
Day distance snowmobiling: 65 km
Day 2
After breakfast, we are leaving for a further discovery of Lake Baikal in winter. Today, we will cross Baikal from the west to the east. Our destination is Kultushnaya area located at Posolsky Bay famous for its omul-fish. Separated by the ice strip, the two shores of Baikal in this place are very different from each other. The western shore mountain range covered with taiga boasts a softer winter with lots of snow and warmer water (you can even bathe here in summer), while the eastern shore has more striking views and harsher winter. If we are lucky, we might spot Baikal endemic – a freshwater seal – who comes to the water surface to gulp the air or lie in the sun.
Today, we shall be very careful while snowmobiling: the cracks in the ice of Baikal, which are formed as a result of the sudden changes in temperature or because of the passing water currents, can be 0.5-2 m wide but hidden by the snow. Some of these cracks do not freeze all through the winter, extending or shrinking. When such a crack starts “running” towards you with a frightening loud cracking noise, you come to realize the power of Baikal at its fullest. The experienced locals determine the crack areas by the light characteristic shade of the ice, and it is very important to follow the pathway of the lead instructor.
Accommodation in the cosy rooms. Rest, dinner and night in Kultushnaya (DBL, WC/shower).
Day distance snowmobiling: 100 km
Day 3 After breakfast, we check out and continue our Baikal journey. The destination of the day is Vydrino settlement located on the south-east shore of Baikal. Here, along the Snezhnaya (“Snow”) river, runs the border between Irkutsk region and Buriatia. Lunch as a light field snack.
In the afternoon, we will approach the mouth of Snezhnaya river (all the rivers flow in Baikal, and only one river – Angara - flows out), make the last 10 km up the the river – and we are in the lodge Teplye Ozera (“Warm lakes”). From this place, a view is fantastic over the scenic mount Monomach’s Hat and the snow-dusted peaks of Khamar-Daban mountain range (2150m).
Accommodation in the huts, rest and dinner. Night in Teplye Ozera (in huts, biotoilet inside).
Day distance snowmobiling: 100 km
Day 4
Today is the last of our snowmobiling safari. After breakfast, we are setting out towards Listvyanka. In March, the sun melts the snow away, and the pure Baikal ice is revealed in all its light-blue transparency. It gives a very special feeling when you are standing on the ice, peering into the depths of the Lake, and the small cracks go from right under your feet into the thickness of Baikal...We will make a stop for late lunch on the way in Chernaya Pad’, at the Prospectors Retreat. Once upon a time this place was popular with luck & gold prospectors and witnessed the real gold fever.
We will arrive in Listvyanka in the afternoon. After check-in at the brick cottage and a quick shower, we will visit Baikal Ecology Museum to learn interesting stories about the lake’s formation, its endemic flora and fauna, and to see an interesting video about Lake Baikal.
Farewell dinner. Night in the cottage in Listvyanka (DBL, shared WCs/showers).
Day distance snowmobiling: 100 km
Day 5
After early breakfast, pack your luggage and leave for Irkutsk (40 min by car). Departure from Irkutsk by the morning flight for Moscow.
The Tour Operator reserves the right to introduce alterations to the itinerary due to weather conditions or other factors out of control by the Tour operator.
