3 day / 2 night hike from Listvyanka to Bolshie Koty. Period: from 1st of February till 31st of March and May - December.
Make sure you've got a tick vaccination if you plan this hike in early-mid summer !
This is an active tour for outdoor seekers. It involves hiking 18-20km along the lake Baikal shore with ups and downs, staying in a small Siberian village for a day and returning back by foot. Experienced local guide carries all food and cooks all meals on fire.
This tour can be challenging for unfit people!
Description of the 3 day / 2 night hike from Listvyanka to Bolshie Koty
Day 1
The tour starts and ends in Listvyanka, a village on lake Baikal shore, 70km from Irkutsk. You can get there by public minibus , departing almost every hour from the bus station (70-80R one way)or a private car transfer can be arranged upon request (1500R per car).
You will be met by your guide in a certain place in Listvyanka and begun the hike.
Your guide is a biologist by diploma and a hiker by nature named Valera Semeykin. He's been working as a guide since 1981. His English is enough to get around.
The trail is located on a slope and it has countless uphill and downhill sections. You'll be walking through the birch tree and pain tree forest and seeing lake Baikal in its wild beauty (spoiled somewhere by litter unthinkingly left by wild Russian tourists.
En route: lunch cooked on fire.
Eventually - usually in 5 hr - you will reach a little village called Bolshie Koty (meaning Big Boots in Russian). In 19 century that was the place to wash gold. The gold washers wore big boots to be able to stand cold water. Presently, Irkutsk State University runs a summer bio lab for its students in this village.
This settlement is inhabitant by 300 people. Strangely enough it has no road connection with Listvyanka or any other villages. Surrounded by deep forest from one side and severe lake Baikal from another, villagers can only reach the main land by water or ice.
There are couple of little shops with limited range of food products.
Overnight in a Lesnyaya 7 Hostel: few nicely decorated wooden cabins with lake view. Running water, shared hot shower. Outside toilet.
Dinner (included)
Day 2
Full board. Your guide cooks for you breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Another half a day of pleasant walk to explore the surroundings of the village. You will walk to the top of the cliff called Scripper. It is 2-3 hr walk North of the village along the shore.
The view from the cliff is really breathtaking.
Russian banya (steam sauna!) can be arranged for extra charge.
What
is Banya and What To Do There
Day 3
Breakfast. Hiking back to Listvyanka.
Lunch cooked on fire.
Price per person: from 6500R |Currency converter|
Price depends on the number of people and season. Min number of people for the tour is 1. Ask the final price!
Price includes:
2 nights accommodation in the village of Bolshie Koty (guide's stay is included)
Meals as noted: Day 1 L, D. Day 2: B, L, D. Day 3: B, L.
Local guide services
What to take: sun glasses, appropriate cloth.
To book a tour please contact Jack Sheremetoff
View Hiking from Listvyanka to Bolshie Koty in a larger map
Section of the hiking trail from Listvyanka to Bolshie Koty
Your place ot stay in Bolshie Koty: one of the cabins
View from the Scripper Cliff
Your hard core guide - Valera Semeikin.
