In The Footsteps Of Siberian Evenks

The Evenks, nomadic people, were once the most numerous in Siberia. They inhabited undeveloped lands of the northern Baikal and were reindeer herders, fishermen, and hunters. Currently, their population numbers no more than 2000 people on Lake Baikal. Although the Evenks do not live in raw-hide tents any more, they did not forget their traditional occupations and take the ancient paths of their ancestry to find some food in generous taiga.

We invite you to follow these paths in beds of frozen rivers in the company of Evenk hunter. That was a wise thing of the Evenks to choose frozen rivers in impenetrable taiga and in the mountains of the Barguzin range to go to the most favourable places and protected from predators pasture lands. Snow-covered ice is not slippery and facilitates proceeding through dense taiga.

We will experience hiking along frozen rivers in full autonomy, 3-day cross-country skiing in snow-covered places, and sleeping in winter huts of Evenk hunters (heated with stoves). The capacity of these huts does not exceed six persons, that is why this travel is organized in small groups. We will carry our luggage ourselves for it is impossible to resort to the help of porters due to the lack of space in huts. It would be necessary to make sure that you took minimum things needed for the passage and that your backpack has no more than 8 kg in weight.

Anyway, day walking passages will not exceed 15-km/9-mi and phisical efforts will be recompensed with the beauty of wonderful landscapes - majestic mountains, glacial lakes full of never disturbed fish, snow-covered taiga with wild animals. We will also see deer reared by the Evenks. At present deer are not that numerous as they were in the 19th century since their meat and skin are not in popular demand any longer in Russia. However, local Evenks keep traditions of their forefathers and tend a small herd of these noble animals.

We will follow the same itinerary on our way back but splendidness of the route well deserves it. If lucky, we will see wild animals (sable, squirrel, Manchurian deer, elk, musk deer etc) or their traces. In the huts we will leave some food left over in the end of the journey and, according to the unwritten law of taiga, will prepare some firewood for future hunters.

Despite its adventure character, this journey does not require a high level of fitness, to be in good form is enough. But good spirits and sens of humour would be indispensable to overcome unconveniences of accommodation during 10-day trekking to an isolated land of Evenk hunters.