Yamal is a word that we associate with cold and endless snow-covered expanses. But there are people who have inhabited this harsh and, in their own way, beautiful land for centuries: a world that does not forgive weaknesses and mistakes. A world full of secrets and a world of amazing beauty. I invite you to visit this amazing place! Why would you ask? To see and understand, to communicate with these people, to touch their everyday life, to live their lives for a few days and to walk with them a short segment of the traditional migration route to the summer pastures.
ПЛАН ПОЕЗДКИ:
There are two transfer options to the starting point of our trip: fly to the city of Salekhard from Moscow by plane (estimated airfare is $ 220-250, departure from Moscow at 3:15 a.m.), then follow the current section of the Transpolar railway to a small stop in the valley of the Polar Urals mountains, where Nenets people with sleds will be waiting for us. The second option is to take the Moscow - Vorkuta train with a transfer at Seida station. The second option will take almost two days, but it is much cheaper in price: the cost of train tickets is about $ 90-100.
TRAVEL PLAN:
Our trip will begin at the Polar Geologists station in the valley of the Polar Urals. Nenets will be waiting for us at the station on snowmobiles and sleds and will be taken to a camp 40-50 kilometers away. We will spend several hours on the road. May is a winter month in the Polar Urals, so you need to dress as warmly as possible for such a long journey on sleds. The purpose of our trip is a reindeer herders' camp in the area of Lake Estoto or on the Bolshaya Pipudyna River.
We will spend several days visiting this family: we will need to wait for the right weather in order to roam (transport the camp) with them to the new parking place. While waiting for the right weather, we will delve into the peculiarities and details of the life of the nomads of the North, learn how to make skins, weave a thread from a deer's vein, repair sleds, communicate with the indigenous population and try to understand why these nomads do not exchange life in the tundra for a simple and comfortable life in the city. We will visit the herd and see the reindeer, we will ride a reindeer sled. We will eat at a common table with the Nenets on their food, which is dominated by deer meat and fish (including raw stroganina), cereals, bread and flour products. It is strictly forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages with Nenets people!!!).
We will spend the night in chums in sleeping bags on reindeer skins.
On migration day, we will get up very early (6-7 a.m.). After making sure that the weather is suitable for a long trip and having a hearty breakfast, we will begin to pack our things and load them onto the sled. After that, it will be the turn to dismantle the chum and lose the only warm shelter in these cold and harsh conditions. We will have to fight the cold and wet spring snow under our feet until the evening. When the things are collected and put on the sled, they will be used to build a deer enclosure in the form of a horseshoe. In the Nenets language, this construction is called "va". Then the dynamic and difficult stage of trapping deer and harnessing them to sleds will begin. By the middle of the day, after extensive preparation, we will be on our way. To be able to choose the best angle or remove an argish (a string of sleds) from a drone, we will move parallel to the sleds on snowmobiles, periodically overtaking them. At the pre-selected location of the new camp, we will have to build a chum and equip it. Only by 7-8 o'clock in the evening we will be able to relax again in the warm chum next to the stove, enjoy a hearty dinner and relax.
Based on the fact that the purpose of our trip is to get acquainted with everyday life, to film the traditional migration of reindeer herders to summer pastures, I plan 5 or 6 nights in chums. On the last day, we will be taken by snowmobiles and sleds to the city of Vorkuta or to the railway station so that we can get to the city of Salekhard.
Early in the morning departure from Salekhard airport or departure from Vorkuta by train. Upon departure from Salekhard, we will spend the night before departure at the hotel and celebrate the end of the tour at the Okhota restaurant.
TRAVEL DATES: May 14-19
The number of participants in a group is up to 8 people.
The tour program depends on the actual weather conditions and can be adjusted.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: medium. This implies that it is desirable for you to have basic hiking skills and moderate physical fitness. Be prepared for the cold, hardships and hardships associated with living in a plague.
COST OF PARTICIPATION:
The participation fee is $750.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE:
● Transfer from the Polar Geologists railway station, activities, accommodation and meals provided by the program
● Guide services
● Photography
● Shooting workshops
● First aid kit
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE:
● Medical insurance
● tickets to Salekhard or Vorkuta and back
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PERSONAL EQUIPMENT:
● Backpack or suitcase for things
● Karimat (foam mat) (despite the fact that deer skins are laid out in guest places in the chums, which conduct heat very poorly, it is better to put karimat on top of the skins)
● A sleeping bag with comfort at - 5-10 degrees (at night they do not heat in the chums and the temperature in them can drop to -5 degrees). Warm sleeping bags can be provided by the tour organizer.
● Seat with elastic band
● Warm trekking socks 3-4 pairs
● Thermal underwear
● Hiking pants + insulated fleece pants
● Fleece jacket or sweater, down jacket or any very warm hooded jacket
● Warm hat and balaclava
● Warm gloves and mittens over gloves (it is better to have several pairs of gloves)
● Trekking warm boots or warm winter fishing boots (made of thick foam rubber). When using trekking boots, it is recommended to wear insulated shoe covers over hiking boots.
● Head-mounted flashlight with spare batteries
● Ski goggles
● Personal hygiene products
● Personal first aid kit
● Thermos flask
If you have questions about personal equipment or you do not understand the meaning and purpose of one or another of its elements, you should ask the guide a question before starting the trip, and not during the process.
ANSWERS TO THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What kind of flights should I take to Salekhard?
- For a flight from Moscow, we recommend taking Yamal Airline tickets. Flight number YC-32 departing from Moscow at 3:15 a.m. Return flight YC-131 departing from Salekhard at 9:15 a.m.
What is the situation with hygiene issues in the chums?
- We carry groups exclusively to the chums, where hygiene standards are normal - the chums is clean (as far as the nomadic lifestyle of the owners allows). There is NO shower or toilet in the chums. You should bring sanitary napkins with you. Of the sanitary facilities in chums, there is only a washbasin with warm water and soap. Before traveling, you should be aware that you will need to go to the nearest bushes.
I don't eat meat, but I really want to go on a trip to Yamal with you. How can I resolve the issue of nutrition?
- When visiting reindeer herders, we eat with them at the same table with their usual food, which is based on meat and fish. But on the table, as a rule, there are side dishes, pickles, sweets and pastries for tea. If you don't eat meat, you can try eating fish and side dishes. But it is pointless to expect that you will be offered a separate vegetarian dish. The diet of these people was formed not from a whim, but from the realities of the conditions in which they survive. It is not dangerous to eat raw frozen venison.
Will I be able to recharge my phone or camera?
- In the evening hours, the Nenets run gasoline generators and you have the opportunity to recharge the electrical equipment within 4-6 hours. It is advisable to have your own splitters, as there are always not enough outlets.
Are we going to a plague specially set up for tourists?
- no. We're going to real nomadic families. This allows you to better understand the way of life and culture of these people. But their way of life is not exclusively tailored to work with tourists. Although most families have experience receiving guests and are free to work on camera.
Are we going to freeze?
- Everything will be determined by your personal equipment. The minimum temperature we should expect in May is -10 degrees. During the day, the temperature will fluctuate around 0. It is very warm in Chums during the day. The stove in the chums is NOT heated at night. Photographic equipment tolerates such frosts quite easily, but between shots, the battery should be removed from the camera and hidden in the inner pocket of a jacket or fleece.
Do Nenets speak Russian?
- Yes: Russian is their second language after Nenets, and they speak it fluently. They can communicate with each other in their native language in the presence of guests, but if the topic of conversation concerns tourists, they switch to Russian.
Why can't you drink alcohol on a trip?
- There is practically no enzyme responsible for the decomposition of alcohols in the blood of the indigenous population of the North, so they become intoxicated and addicted to alcohol almost immediately. In order to avoid a provocative situation, we strongly recommend against taking alcoholic beverages to the plague.
Are we going to drive the snowmobile ourselves?
- no. We will travel on a sled tied behind a snowmobile or a reindeer team.
