When it comes to extreme travel, we usually think of the Sahara, the jungles of Southeast Asia, Antarctica or the Amazon. A retired British Army captain, Ed Stafford, walked along this river, becoming the first person on the planet to make such a journey. Since then, he has traveled to many non-resort destinations, and his new travels and tips for survival are featured on the Discovery Channel's Ed Stafford: Survivor. But in fact, in Russia there is a place for an extreme tourist to go. Here are three destinations to take note of.
Hamar-Daban: crunchy journey
“And underfoot, through the fog, the Khamar-Daban ridge crunches,” Yuri Vizbor sang in a song well-known among hikers. And it really crunches - even where there is a trail, hikers will have to walk with obstacles from the fallen trees. However, everything starts much more optimistic - the Khamar-Daban ridge starts from Lake Baikal, and in this area it is traversed. The closer to Baikal, the wider the paths and the more people come across on the way. To experience a real extreme, you need to move 40 kilometers away from these places - for example, go beyond the pass with the promising name of the Devil's Gate. And after that, the same crunch underfoot, sung by Vizbor, will begin, which, however, will be accompanied by squelching in boots if it's spring, autumn or summer. The climate in these places is rather humid, it rains frequently,every now and then you have to wade rivers, so you can only dream of dry socks.
By the way, water is one of the main hazards here. The level of mountain rivers depends on how long ago it rained. A small stream overnight can turn into a stormy stream that will wash away anyone who tries to cross it, so the hike sometimes resembles a labyrinth, where passages can close at any moment. You go to the ford - and it is no longer there, and you have to look for a new path. There is another serious danger associated with this. You can go through the local forest only along the rivers, but not all banks are passable - sometimes they are too steep, and sometimes too swampy. In addition, getting lost in numerous streams and tributaries is easier than ever: more than once groups of tourists who planned to wander for only a few days spent a couple of weeks to finally get out to people with a fair amount of luck.
Despite these difficulties, Khamar-Daban is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in Russia. In addition, this is the oldest mountain range on the planet, and for this alone it is worth visiting here. Rivers with clear water, the singing of fearless birds, magnificent views from the passes, an indescribable feeling of unity with nature - all this is guaranteed on a trip to Khamar-Daban, and what will happen next depends on experience and luck.
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Yakutia: there is a road, there is no road
The conqueror of the South Pole Roald Amundsen said that a person can get used to everything except the cold. But the inhabitants of Yakutia every winter refute this statement and confirm another - a person can do anything. Indeed, temperatures in the area of Oymyakon and Verkhoyansk drop below 60 degrees, and the period of extreme frosts can last for weeks, but this will not surprise anyone here.
A separate story is the roads of Yakutia. In spring, some of them are impassable due to mud; in summer, rivers block the path - for example, to get from the capital of the republic to the city of Mirny, where diamonds are mined, you need to cross the Lena and Vilyui rivers five times. In winter, when ice rises, you can drive along almost any road, but it is difficult to do because of severe frosts. Local drivers put a second windshield on the car in order to provide at least some visibility - one glass quickly becomes covered with a layer of ice, and anti-freeze at such temperatures is ineffective. In addition, the distances between settlements are solid, and there are very few cars, so in the event of an emergency, help will not always come, especially since there is not much cellular communication in the wilderness. Therefore, drivers try to drive in two cars so as not to get stuck in the middle of the road and freeze.
But you shouldn't think that Yakutia is a living hell on Earth. Here you can see streams and river sections that do not freeze, even when the temperature drops to -60 degrees. In winter, due to the severe frost, almost every evening the sky shimmers with different colors - something, and you will not surprise the inhabitants of Yakutia with the northern lights. And, of course, there is also summer here - short, but quite hot.
East Siberian taiga: was there a meteorite?
The East Siberian taiga is almost 4 million square kilometers of forest, where there are no roads or people, the largest territory in the world occupied by untouched forests. The World Wildlife Fund has included the East Siberian taiga in the list of 200 most important ecosystems of the planet, and more and more tourists come here.
The Tunguska Nature Reserve is especially popular, where a huge meteorite exploded over the surface just over 100 years ago - as a result, trees were felled within a radius of more than 2,000 square kilometers. No debris or debris of the alleged celestial body has yet been found - reports of them periodically appear, but none have yet been recognized as reliable. Therefore, lovers of riddles again and again strive to the shores of the Tunguska, but this journey is one of the most extreme, since orienteering in the taiga is another quest.
Anyone can get lost in the taiga labyrinth of tall pine trees, even those who know the forest like the back of their hand. Well-known extreme expert Ed Stafford advises to climb a tree to get a better look at the surroundings and choose the best path down the slope towards the river. This old technique has repeatedly helped the brave master of survival in the wild, and he walked through the forests enough - at one time he even walked along the Amazon, spending two years on this adventure. Moving through the taiga, Ed advises, you should constantly look back and look at the chain of your footprints - just to make sure you are not walking in circles. If you have to spend the night in the taiga, it is important to keep the fire going until morning - there are no people here, but there are plenty of wild animals, and the flame will help scare away intruders. However,these are not the only survival tips from Ed that will be helpful, and to get them first hand.