"Baikal - Amikan", individual tours and nature at Baikal Lake

"I take a step and with the cracking sound I fall down with two feet under the ice. For some seconds I become numb and shocked. Pictures rush through my head like ice water is now pouring into boots and the river flow starts carrying me away under the ice. "Get out"  - a signal bumps into my head but heavy backpack is pulling me down. I get my feet out to the edge of ice and look down — it’s empty and the dry ice has broken off, and only at the bottom there is rushing water :-) Uh, thanks God! - I breathe out with relief. From this ice-hole we took drinking water for dinner, and the next morning the river got frozen again. " - notes from the diary of the weekend hike on the river. M.Zangisan, January 2019. Along the canyon of Zangisan river Frozen shores of the river Trekking in the frozen forest in Siberia At this place I fell down under the ice Camping in the forest in winter, Tunkinskaya valley

Dreaming about travelling among endless spaces of frozen Baikal? Baikal lake is freezing very soon, it is -31C today! And in southern corner of Baikal there is already thin layer of ice! Can't wait to walk on the ice just like we do? Then you have a real chance to join us for ice-trek to cross Baikal from Listvyanka to the opposite shore! It is avaiable from middle of February till end of March. During this tour you will ice-trek in the middle of frozen Baikal lake, spend one night in tent on ice, listening to Baikal breath, walk on skis in deep snow of wintry taiga, experience warm sauna and spend the night in wooden hut in the silence of surrounding forest. Also you will try traditional Russian cuisine and may experience dog-sledding (optional). The approximate itinerary is: Day 1.Transfer Irkutsk - Listvyanka (70 km). Start of trekking on ice. Day-distance is about 20-25 km. Overnight in tent. After you arrive to Irkutsk you will be met by a local guide. Transfer to...

We had a wondeful weekend skiing in Khamar-Daban mountains. That's the place where you get the feeling of real winter, with snow-covered trees around, frozen river and frost on your face. The feeling of freedom and hapiness comes from the surrounding nature. Once more I thank the Universe for being born here, this place has so much to offer, to teach, to discover and to learn. A "Winter fairytale" is a name of the tour which we offer to anyone who would like to experience and enjoy real winter!  During this journey you'll    plunge into fabulous atmosphere of wintry fairy-tale of southern Baikal shore,  you'll fall in love with ancient mountain ridge – Khamar-Daban,   ski (or trek) the distance of about 50 km (during 3 days), spend a night in a wooden cabin in the forest, will feel the atmosphere of real winter in all its beauty with snow-capped mountains and cedar-trees deep in the carpet of snow.  You will climb one of the highest mounts of thi...

We invite you to join us on "Crystal Baikal ice" tour from Feb 19 to Feb 25, 2017.  THERE ARE TWO PLACES LEFT!  The cost is 56 000 rub.  Broken ice of Baikal lake in the sunset During this tour you will explore wintry Baikal lake while snowmobiling in the forest, dog-sledding (optional) on the ice, aeroglisseur ride to the biggest island on the lake - Olkhon, admire the ice-grottoes and laced ice on the rocks, try ice-fishing and relax in steam sauna - Banya, as well as to get familiar with local traditions and cuisine. This is where the snow, ice, wind and frost meet. Significant turquoise ice-blocks, fields of ice, fresh breeze from the mountains near-by, crystalling Baikal ice under your feet is so transparent that the brain refuses to understand that there is a support under your feet, and the sky, which is reflected in the ice.  For detailed tour itinerary, please, visit our site.

I am an amateur photographer. And I try to take my camera with me when I'm travelling around Baikal. When people ask me: "Why do you take pictures of this place - is it your first time here?" I say "Just because I love these places so much!" And they are surprised on how excited I get even if I have been there before. Well, enjoy some of my video scetches which i made during different tours to wintry Baikal. And if you may find our winter tours to Baikal lake here.

Looking for a winter tour to Baikal lake? According to our past experience and positive feedback from our guests we are happy to announce you a new tour to Baikal in winter 2017  " Crystal Baikal ice". During this tour you will explore wintry Baikal lake while snowmobiling in the forest and over the ice of Baikal, have a hover (aeroglisseur) ride to the biggest island on the lake - Olkhon, admire ice-grottoes an laces oce on the rocks, visit open-air museum of wooden architecture, try ice-fishing an relax in steam sauna - Banya, as well as get familiar with local traditions, meet a shaman and taste local cousine. See you at Baikal!!!

I haven't been on my blog recently. But now I'm available on Instagram as sweetlana_baikal  Baikal lake is not frozen yet, due to warm temperatures this year. I don't remember such poor ice-condition before. Usually it was already frozen in the middle of January. The ice is still very thin and every day once the wind blows, it gets broken and sometimes (which happens very often during the past week) even people can be carried away being on an ice-piece and need to be resqued to get back to the ground. It happens on Olkhon, in Listvyanka, in Sludyanka - in any part. In Listvyanka the ice reaches just 10cm thick near the shoreline (measured yesterday by the captain of the ship which stands in Baikal by the shore). Thus black waters of sacred sea don't want to be covered by ice-shield and Baikal is still awake. Still we are getting ready to organise and guide two french groups this month to wintry Baikal lake. It is amazing anyway, in any weather, any season.

Each year Lake Baikal is covered by a thick layer of ice. At the beginning of winter (December), storms form types of stalactites and stalagmites on the rivers, some reaching as much as 10 meters. As the temperatures decrease further and the snow comes, these ice formations, "choulga" begin to join together on the lake to create large plates. In certain areas, water is frozen so quickly by the cold that the ice it forms is absolutely smooth and transparent. Once temperatures drop below -20'C, for 3 or 4 days, the sea ice thickens very quickly, from 5 to 7 cm per day. During the first half of the month of January, the sea ice covers the lake. From the North to the South the thickness varies between 70 and 130cms. The ice blocks can obtain a height of 3 meters and in some instances as much as 5 meters. Composed of fresh water, the ice of Lake Baikal is solid: one square meter of ice with a thickness of 50cm can support 15 tonnes. In winter, we can move around on the...

You can book the winter tour to Baikal 2015 already! Baikal ice is so transparent and smooth as it seems we are walking right on the water!  The temperatures are getting colder and we can smell the cold fresh breath of winter! And this means that dog-sledding, skiing, skating, walking on ice, snowmobiling, hovers, ice-fishing and beautiful sparkling snow and transparent ice are coming! Winter tours to Baikal are available here. Have a great winter season!!!

Blue fresh snow. Blue sky. Shadows on snow - like blue lightning. Blue distance, blue ice floe. Blue footprints in the snow. Blue forest far away. Blue puddles and blue icicles. Blue brook running in blue Baikal. And on the horizon - blue stripe of blue mountains. The whole world is blue! In the morning it is frosty and fresh, and in the afternoon steaming from the warm breath of spring ... and drops of icicles melting ... turned out a marvelous day for a trip to Lake Baikal.

Day 2. This day happened without me this time, accompanied by Vika. Today as per itinerary - Listvyanka – Bolshie Koty by dog-sledges and snowmobiles. The luggage was succesfully transfered by a mini-van to Bolshie Koty.  The trip begins in Listvyanka village and goes for about 20 km to Chernaya (Black) valley. The route starts along a river valley and goes through the forest, climbs the Black pass which seemed quite difficult for both dogs and the participants, then comes quite steep down to the Black valley, the dogs are happy to run fast at this part of the route and thus quite soon the group reached the Prospector's Retreat lodge where everyone could enjoy lunch. Further the route for dog-sledding goes over the ice of Baikal Lake to Bolshie Koty village which is about 4 km away.  A walk around the village, sightseeing, walk over the ice of frozen Baikal. In the evening  Russian steam sauna – Banya. Dinner and overnight at the wooden houses. For me this day was spe...