Tour to Bolshie Koty

THE 2 DAY / 1 NIGHT HIKE FROM LISTVYANKA TO BOLSHIE KOTY. BY FEET THERE, BY BACK BY A FISHNG BOAT 

AVAILABLE: MAY – DEC

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 boat.

Experienced local guide carries all food and cooks all meals on fire.

PHOTOS OF BOLSHIE KOTY, ITS SURROUNDINGS. JUNE 2013

PHOTOS OF WALKIG THERE IN WINTER. APRIL 2008

FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE TOUR

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 (150R one way) or a PRIVATE CAR TRANSFER can be arranged upon request (3000R per car).

You will be met by your guide in the central square of Listvyanka to begin 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 6 hr – you will reach a little village called Bolshie Koty (meaning Big Boots in Russian). In the 19th century that was the place to wash gold. Gold washers wore big boots to be able to stand in 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 the ice.

There is a little shop in the middle of village with good range of food, smoked Omul fish, pies and puffs with different fillings, beer and bread. It also has a table to eat inside.

Overnight in a LESNAYA 7 HOSTEL: few nicely decorated wooden cabins with lake view. Running water, shared hot shower. Outside toilet.

Dinner (included)

Russian banya (steam sauna!) can be arranged for extra charge of 2000R per group.
WHAT IS BANYA AND WHAT TO DO THERE

DAY 2

Full board. Your guide cooks for you breakfast and lunch.

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.

Returning to Bolshie Koty ot take a boat to Listvyanka at 6PM

Price*:

1 person pays 13000 Rub  (if it is only 1 person) + 3500 R per boat

1 person pays 7700 Rub (if the group is 2 – 4people) + 3500 R per boat PER GROUP

Please ask the price if the group is bigger!

* in Rubles. Cash only! |CURRENCY CONVERTER|

Price includes:

1 nights accommodation in the village of Bolshie Koty (guide’s stay is included)

Meals as noted: Day 1 L, D. Day 2: B, L.
Local guide services.

WHAT TO TAKE sun glasses, appropriate cloth.

Make sure you’ve got a tick vaccination if you plan this hike in early-mid summer ! This tour can be challenging for VERY unfit people and people with 1 leg!

TO BOOK THE TOUR PLEASE CONTACT JACK SHEREMETOFF Te385 @ yandex.ru