the Land of Baikal’s Taiga (hiking project)

Project dates:  August 18 - 31, 2010

Project Duration:  Two weeks

Languages:  Russian & English

Project Location: Pribaikalskiy National Park, in the Primorskiy Mountain Range region, along the southwest shores of Lake Baikal, within the Irkutsk Region of Russia. The project site is located some 100 km east from Irkutsk.

(If you have  Google Earth program, you can see a map of this project).

Setting:  The project will involve a good amount of hiking; there will be 3  campsites along the way between the tourist town of Listvyanka and the small fishing village of  Bolshie Koty. The project itself will be to complete the trail between Listvyanka and Bolshie Koty.  In the end this trail will cover some 22.5 km (13 miles) along the shoreline of Lake Baikal.

This trail itself lies within Pribaikalskiy National Park, one of GBT’s closest partners. Pribaikalskiy is home to a variety of wildlife, including brown bears, moose, and over 250 species of birds. The park comprises a very long stretch of coastline, as well as the famous Olkhon Island, the biggest inland island in the world.  Our trail runs mostly along the coast between the villages of Listvyanka and Bolshie Koty and then continues all the way to the village of Bolshoe Goloustnoe (some 60 km, or 36 miles north).  It offers spectacular views of the lake and its opposite shores, as well as a closer look at the plant life that abounds in the forests and cliff-tops of the park. The work that GBT has accomplished here in recent years is a testament to the importance of cooperation: the GBT has partnered with the administration of the Park and various Rotary clubs from around the world to provide many kilometers of safe trails to Park visitors.

One of the interesting things about this project is that this is a heavily used trail, and hikers who have used it prior to our improvements have been extremely thankful for all of the work done by our volunteers.  These heartfelt words of gratitude affirm our belief in the importance of building environmentally friendly hiking trails for tourists and local people alike.

Long-term Goal: The main goal of this project is the construction of a safe trail between the picturesque villages of Listvyanka, one of the most popular tourist destinations on Baikal, and Bolshoe Goloustnoe, a Buryat village some 60 km to the north. The trail goes through a tiny fishing village  Listvyanka about 20 kilometers to the north of Listyanka. For years it has been the only means of reaching the village of Bolshie Koty by land; the only other way to reach the village is by boat. The existing hiking trail had been in sub-par condition, traversing unsafe cliffs and rocks as well as poorly-maintained bridge structures. 

Five years ago the GBT made a plan together with the staff at the Pribaikalskiy National Park to make this trail much safer for hikers.  So far our GBT volunteers have succeeded in building nine kilometers of brand new trail as an alternative to the old, un-maintained trail. The new section of the trail begins by climbing quickly up behind Listvyanka for a good distance, until it reaches beyond the cliff areas, and meets the old trail (which the GBT has also been recently improving further to the north).  Now the section of the trail between Listvyanka and Bolshie Koty is competed and needs annual maintenance. The main goal for the next several years is to work on the trail improvements between   Bolshie Koty and Bolshoe Goloustnoe.   

Project Work: The main construction along this trail was finished in 2008; because of heavy use, the trail needs annual maintenance and improvement. We also need to establish and widen the trail bed in areas where such work is necessary.  Plus we plan to: clear fallen trees, reroute some sections of the trail, build small bridges and dikes, reinforce the trail along the slope, lay gravel on the trail bed in boggy areas, and build walkways across streams.

Work Schedule: The group will work 5 days a week, 6 hours a day with rest breaks and a longer break for lunch. Please read the description of a typical day at the camp.  Depending upon weather conditions, and on the mood  and mobility of the group, the crew leader has the authority to change the daily working schedule. From three to four days of work will be followed a day off so that the group will have long rest breaks between hikes.

Meals and Accommodations: This project will work at different sites along the trail, which means that it will be necessary to move camp several times during the two week duration of the project. The work schedule will be similar to the following: the group will hike to their first campsite, set up a camp and work in its surroundings for several days; then they will pack up and move about the same distance to the next station. The last camp site will be in the vicinity of Bolshie Koty itself, where the scope of work will take us to the furthest portion of the trail; it is there that the group will spend a few days off to enjoy the lake.

You will live in primitive wilderness conditions: in two-person tents, cooking over a campfire, with Baikal nearby to swim in, and pit latrines for general use.

Note that there are no hot showers at this camp – but you can always boil the water yourself or take a refreshing swim in Lake Baikal!

There will be three hot meals and two snacks a day, and volunteers will share cooking and cleaning duties during the project.  The GBT staff will buy all the food in advance of the project. See our MENU for examples.

Entertainment and Relaxation: For two weeks you will live and work together near the shoreline of Lake Baikal.  All the camp locations will give you plenty of opportunities to relax and explore the beautiful natural setting around the lake.  You can enjoy fabulous sunrises and sunsets, take walks along the shore, go for a quick dip in Baikal in the morning or after a day of satisfying work, go fishing, or simply watch the waves crash on the shore.  And don’t forget the evenings, which you will spend talking and laughing by the camp fire under the starry Siberian sky, getting to know a group of new friends who were recently strangers, your new crew-mate family for the full two weeks of this unforgettable adventure.

During days off  your crew leader will organize a visit to the village of Bolshie Koty to enjoy its local culture and scenic bay-side views.  One can still find open-pit gold mines in the forests around Bolshie Koty.  And Baikal’s waves often wash up smooth pieces of colorful glass, leftovers from the old days when Bolshie Koty had a glass factory. A visit to a local biological museum will be arranged at Bolshie Koty (this village is a research center for regional universities). Another hike is planned to Sciper Rock, one of the most spectacular places in the southern reaches of Baikal.

Contribution Fee: 13900 Rubles (approximately $ 450 US or  ˆ 320;  please check the current exchange rate at   http://www.cbr.ru/eng/currency_base/daily.asp.)  The contribution fee covers: a special invitation from the GBT organization, which you can use to apply for a Russian visa; GBT staff person meeting you at the airport or train station in Irkutsk; help with arranging your accommodations in Irkutsk; visa registration with the Russian authorities; arranging transportation to Bolshie Koty, the project starting point (cost for transportation to Bolshie Koty is not included in this overall fee, but is not a large sum of money); all transportation within the project area; all meals on the project; the services of a crew leader and interpreter during the project; all administrative expenses; project entertainment costs including week-end excursions; tools and other equipment, including a tent for two persons to sleep in. 100% of the project fee goes for direct project expenses.

Required Experience: None

Age Range:  18-45 years

Additional Requirements:  Please make sure to carefully read the General Information for Volunteers and the List of Necessary Equipment.

Fitness: on GBT hiking projects the group will have to move  from one camp site to another, each time for a distance between 3 and 10 km. it will involve hiking over steep sections of the trail with heavy rucksacks. You will need to carry your personal stuff and project gear and food to the project site, so it may turn out to be physically challenging. Trail building includes: walking 1 - 4 kilometers a day through forested area on the trail; using pick, shovels, and other tools to dig out vegetation to make a path; lifting logs and other debris; hand sawing; and carrying and using other tools. There will be day hikes on the days off, including a steep climb to the local rock promontories.

Transportation and Meeting Location: Volunteers travel independently to Listvyanka. In Irkutsk the GBT staff will help you by organizing a minibus to Listvyanka and a boat from Bolshie Koty to Listvyanka on the way back; or, if weather allows, a hydrofoil all the way from Bolshie Koty to Irkutsk. It takes 1,5 - 2 hours to get from Irkutsk to Listvyanka and costs between 200 and 300 rubles (about $9 US and  ˆ6 ).. On the way back the hydrofoil from  Bolshie Koty to Irkutsk costs between around 500 and 600 rubles (about $27 US and  ˆ16).  This project starts in Listvyanka and ends in Bolshie Koty village. 

If you have questions regarding transportation, contact our volunteer coordinator.

Irkutsk by air:  Moscow – Irkutsk (5.5 hours)

Irkutsk by train:  Moscow – Irkutsk (3.5 days)

Please note that your contribution fee does not include any expenses incurred while getting to the starting point of the project, which is the village of Listvyanka.

Important Visa Information:

1. The Great Baikal Trail is registered in the Federal Migration Service as an organization with the permission to obtain invitations to foreign visitors. This process takes between 4 and 6 weeks. However, it may take even longer, which is why we accept personal data for invitations only up until April the 1st. After April the 1st you will still be able to obtain an official invitation through specialized agencies like Get Russian www.getrussian.com/order/forms.php?a_aid=BaikalInfo and Red Star at www.waytorussia.com

2. Every foreigner traveling through Russia has to comply with the obligatory visa registration process in any location where you stay for more than three business days. Since this process takes at least a day, project participants should arrive in Irkutsk no later than August 17th.

3. If you participate in one GBT project, we can offer an invitation for 20 days visa. If you are going to take part in two or more projects we can accommodate your needs. In the case that you would like to stay longer and travel around Baikal: it is possible only in the company of GBT people (and that MUST be arranged beforehand). The GBT invitation is for a cultural connections visa, which makes our organization strictly responsible for every second of your being in Russia. We’d have problems if a person with our registration travels somewhere on his/her own.

Contact Yulia Misevich, international volunteer coordinator, at gbt.volunteers@gmail.com, with any questions.

If you are interested in participation, please fill in GBT volunteer application form

Note:  In the past we have had a few instances of technical difficulties where some information sent to us through the website was lost in transition.  If you do not receive a response within a week of writing us please email us at these addresses: gbt.volunteers@gmail.com and yulia@greatbaikaltrail.org.

Project Personnel:

Project Manager: Vladimir Khidekel, GBT staff member since 2004, trail building specialist and the head of GBT educational programs.

Responsibilities: The project manager is responsible for the overall planning, coordination and implementation of the project.  However, while the manager will be in frequent contact with the volunteer group throughout the duration of the project, she will not always be present at your project location.  Your crew leader will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the project.

Crew Leader: TBA. We will send you background information about your crewleader several weeks before the project starts.

Responsibilities: The main GBT staff member on the project, the crew leader coordinates the day-to-day trail work and the organization of the camp.

Assistant Crew Leader: TBA.

Responsibilities: The Assistant Crew Leader will help the crew leader in the management of the project. 

Translator: TBA

Responsibilities: The translator is responsible for translating for the crew leader (who may or may not speak English) and helping with communication between Russian- and English-speaking crew members. The translator also plans and conducts the social activities of the group. 

Past Volunteers’ comments and quotes about this project:

• Great time in nature and good people!

• Pleasant further travels and many more good friends!

• GBT volunteers are awesome workers who have made nice improvements to the trail which gives all users a wonderful hiking experience and improves the economy of the villages on the lake.

The Rotary Clubs of Irkutsk and Alaska (Homer) and Origon, USA, provided invaluable sponsorship assistance to the GBT on this project by conducting field seminars, working on the trail, and supporting us in every way possible. 

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