Visit Lake Baikal: ice cycling
Visiting Lake Baikal during winter makes it an opportunity to have a great time. What to see in Lake Baikal here we will tell you. What activities to do on Lake Baikal during winter, come and discover it.
We have already talked about Lake Baikal before; in fact there is an article dedicated only to him and it has also been mentioned in several others.
Ice skating in frozen Baikal can be one of life’s most interesting adventures. One has only to imagine an endless expanse dotted with intricate patterns, a fair wind of freedom, and you glide along the surface of the winged lake!
When Baikal freezes at the end of January, the ice is still too thin, it is necessary to gain its thickness. This will happen in February, and the favorable time for a skating trip will last until mid-March. During this period, we can expect the trip to take place in the planned order: the ice will not be covered with snow and the air temperature will not be altered with a less profound.
Popular Routes
When choosing a route, you should focus on the ice situation. It is advisable to preselect the primary and secondary options. One day you must have the passage of 20-30 km, if you move in groups and inspect the surroundings. Snow, mounds, difficult ice can impede rapid progress.
Small sea and Olkhon Island
The probability that the ice is clean and the sunny weather is quite high in the Small Sea. Let’s take a look at the space photo of March 6, 2016:
It is clear that the south and north are visible, and the center of Lake Baikal is free of snow.
The starting point may be the area of the village of Sakhyurta (Strait of Olkhon Gate), the villages of Sarma or Kurma, the village of Khuzhir in Olkhon. Ice skating in Baikal in this part of the lake is designed for a period of 4 days, depending on the wishes. To make a circle around Olkhon, you must walk about 200 km.
To the east of the island, about 10 km from the coast, is the deepest place on Lake Baikal. Between Cape Izhimei and Khara-Khushun, the depth reaches 1680 meters deep. Do not miss the opportunity to feel on top of the underwater world!
The opinions of many tourists agree that this is one of the most beautiful routes. Along the way, you will see splashes of waves on the rocks, forming true ice castles, caves, adorned with refined icicle decorations, whose access is only open in winter on ice. Get the chance to see the best pearls of Lake Baikal, such as Shamanka Rock, from the back.
Overnight stays are possible both on ice in tents and in camps. At night, Baikal speaks especially well, sighs, breaks the ice, shows his power.
Sakhyurta – Malaya Buguldeyka – Bolshoy Goloustnoye – Listvyanka
Every year, a great “Ice Storm” race is carried out along this route, in which the participants exceed a distance of 205 km in 3 days, on skates, skis, bicycles. A true test of strength for extreme sports!
But this road can be traveled lightly on skates in 5-6 days, optionally one way or another. Buguldeyka is not such a popular place to visit in winter, as others, but it attracts attention with the color of bright blue ice and high mounds in a fanciful way. You can go from here in the direction of the town of Bolshoi Goloustnoye, on the way visiting the Bay of Peschanaya.
Cabo Malaya and the bell tower of Bolshaya will serve as reference points. And if you take your skates off for a while and get on the bell tower, it can take your breath away from Baikal’s extensions. The ice of the lake contrasts with the small amount of snow on the shore: it is simply dragged by the winds, like the sand under the roots of the trees, so it seems that they are dancing some kind of strange dance.
From Goloustnoye to Listvyanka, 45 km away, pay attention to the views of this trail: Devil’s Bridge and Skryper Cliff, where you can visit the ancient cave.
So, most of the time you have to spend outdoors, you should take care of warm clothes. Imagine that the street is more than 30 degrees below zero and dress appropriately. Believe me, you will not regret when even with a light of -10 ° C a strong icy wind blows. The team must be specially prepared for long crossings on the ice of the lake. Briefly list the most necessary:
- hiking skates; light sleds, ropes;
- protection (helmet, knee pads, elbow pads);
- trekking poles with pointed tips;
- sunscreen, balaclava.
It is important to plan your ice skating trip to Lake Baikal, accompanied by an experienced guide who will help you navigate in the choice of a direction, monitor the state of the ice and protect you from the moments that can negatively affect the outcome of the trip
What to see on Lake Baikal
Baikal can boast of being the largest and deepest lake not only in Europe but also in the whole world. Moreover, according to scientists and geologists it also holds the title of being the oldest lake on the planet. Its waters are extremely crystalline and with unprecedented purity; what makes this Siberian lake a perfect setting to take out the towel in summer and spend a quiet afternoon giving you a cool bath on its banks.
What activities to do on Lake Baikal during winter
However, when winter comes; this aquatic colossus freezes completely and has to wait several months to take a bath in it; but it becomes the perfect track for another activity: ice cycling. Many tourists, lovers of extreme experiences enjoy cycling over its frozen waters. Even 4-day expeditions are organized in which at night you will have to camp on the lake.
An original experience that you can not miss if you are on vacation in Russia, an excursion that you can only do during winter but it will be worth it.