Backpacking in Siberian Mountains

Victor –

Looks gorgeous.

Is this a commercial trip? Are you charging for it?

I see this is your first post here – it would be nice to know a bit more about you and your intentions.

Spasibo i dobro pozhalovat'

No it isn't a commercial trip, we just decided that it'll be a good idea to introduce Siberian Mountains to international community, because the Sayan Mountains unfrequented and there are few information about them the Web.

I've updated my profile, so you can read some information about me.

Later, when I have more free time (now I'm taking my exams), I'll post some trip reports and information about the Mountains in the Former Soviet Union.

Steve: Do you know Russian?

That's great, Victor. I live in Kiev and would like to travel around wilderness areas in Russia in the upcoming years (and Central Asia, too). One problem is permits — everywhere you go it seems there is some special zone or border area with a special permit required.

Permits is a problem if you don’t know alternative routes. For instance last summer we made two-week backpacking trip in the South Ural Mountains, and during this trip we crossed two prohibited areas; one of them was a military reservation (although authorities claims that it was created for the environmental purpose) – there wasn’t footpaths (since this area is unfrequented) so we didn’t meet the staff of this reservation (although there were cases when hiker met with them but it happens quite rare); and another was a national park which has entrance fee but we avoided the staff by passing round the huts (in which the staff live).
In Russia permits is a way to get money (for people who work there). If local authorities want to get some money, they just declare their area as a national park or a reservation – it’s easy way to get money by doing nothing.
For example in the Altai there is a free entrance, but to get there you have to make out many receipts (since the Altai border on Mongolia) – a lot of time-consuming paperwork. So to avoid this paperwork you have to pay some money.
Despite of this fact there are many alternative routes.

Fortunately there is no any reservations in the area we are going to hike this summer.

As for Central Asia, there are so many mountain ranges and they are so high. It’s an interesting area not only for mountaineers but also for backpackers, bikepackers. For example you may made a big mountain trip – start in the Russian Altai or Sayans and then pass through the Dzungaria, the Tien Shan, the Pamirs, and finish in the foothills of the Himalayas

Thanks, Victor – good to know. I'll look forward to learning more about the trip, as I'm sure others here will as well.

(I da – govoryu nyemnozhka russki, ponimayu bol'she.)

We have returned. It was perfect experience to hiking and watch wildlife :-)
There is a part of photographs from the trip:

Looks like an amazing area. How uninhabitated is this?

Wahu!

Wonderful!!!

I am new to the BPL forums and rather inactive (as I don't post so much), but from time to time, I have a look here and find super interesting threads such as this one!!
Pity that I just find this one so late!!! Argg… :(

Hey Victor, if ever you're planning such trips in the future, please keep us updated!! :)
I would really love to come, seriously!!

In fact, I'm dreaming of a hiking trip in Russia for a long time already, but as I don't speak russian, I fought it might be a bit tricky… and to be honest, I don't have the guts to travel (edit: travel => hike ) alone in Russia. :/ and I'm sure it would be terrible for me to find the maps, etc…

but if I find some hiking partners, I'm ready to go!!!

So, hopefully, see you soon! ;)

and thanks for the posts!

Johann: thx. This area is almost uninhibited. We met only one family of tuvunian people. They live without cell phones and electricity.

xavier dor: It's not so much problem to travel in Russian without knowlegde of russian language. I met people from France and Finland travelling here in couchsurfing or hospitalityclub system.

Next year i'm going to organise hiking combined with languages study. I think it's a good idea :-) In the daytime we'll make the walk from base camp and in the evening try to talk foreign language, russian for example:)

Huh?! :)

wasn't it…. me!?! :D

Actually, I used to live in Finland for 2 years, and came a couple of times in Russia with the university (Kostamushka, Petrozavodsk, St-Petersburg).
As I don't really like "organized" trips, I decided to return in Russia on my own during the spring 07 while I was living in Oulu (Finland).
I went there with a french friend who can't speak any russian neither. We have been visiting a few other places including Moscow and cities of the Volga region. We surfed a few couches in Moscow, St Peter, and Nizhny Novgorod…

But "backpacking and travelling" are in my opinion quite different than "hiking". While I'm sure I could find a few friends to go to travel in Russia, I don't really have anyone who would come with me for hiking trip "into the wild Russia"… :(

And while I think I would be ok to travel in Russia by myself (understand "going from cities to cities"), I don't really know if I would have the guts to hike there for an extended period… especially in Siberia… (to much things I don't know, including bear safety rules, etc.)

So, that's why if you're proposing such a trip, that… might interest me!!! :)

Heh! It was Pascal Dumont :-)

I met from time to time people from Europe who are travelling by Trans-Siberian railway, but I always said to oneself how many impressions and beauty of Siberian mountains they leave behind glass of train.. They even don't suspect about this.