June 06, 2009

Finding Russian Adventures


Finding Russian Adventures

First you need to find a company or group of fellow-adventurers. If you don't have any friends in Russia interested in adventure travel, you can always write a letter. Say, to Gorbachev. This is no joke! In 1990, riding high on the wave of perestroika, a group of American friends wrote a letter to Russia, suggesting that the Cold War could be buried through bilateral adventure travel trips. The letter worked its way through the USSR tourism bureaucracy and landed in our laps. That year, we were among 20 Americans and 20 Russians who headed out to Karelia, to the Southern Shuya river. The Americans floated on rafts, the Russians on catamarans. Everyone spoke English, although of course the Americans picked up some Russian words along the way. Many of us keep in touch to this day.

One could also write to the Russian Federation of Sport Tourism. Their website (like most every site listed on this page) is only in Russian, but if you write in English, they will understand you and eventually answer. There are forums for people in interested in: sailboat tourism http://www.bit.ly/cssMAp; water tourism (kayaks, rafts, catamarans, baydarkas, etc.) http://www.bit.ly/apsoHi; and trekking, biking, spelunking and mountain climbing http://www.bit.ly/aEuUdH.

Keep in mind the Russian difficulty classifications. If you have never done adventure travel, you should stick to Category I trekking or river trips. Category II is considered somewhat extreme, and Category III and higher can be life threatening for those without previous experience at this level.

The website veslo.ru has a section “Looking for a fellow traveler” (Ищу попутчика) in water tourism: http://www.bit.ly/bM86Dm. You can post in English. I have seen Poles, Swedes and Brits looking for Russian comrades here. Is it safe? In my personal opinion, most likely yes, since adventure travel in Russia is as a rule pursued only by educated, responsible Russians.

This site is devoted to kayak tourism, but only at the more extreme levels: http://www.bit.ly/dpt6Vc

Clubs attached to Moscow State University have websites where they announce trips (in Russian) for mountaineering: http://www.bit.ly/d9kYK9 and water tourism: http://www.bit.ly/cwl3Dw

All the above are non-commercial offers, meaning that it is generally free or very low cost to participate. Members are responsible for the costs of their travel to and from the point of departure and return. The costs of food and equipment rentals are divided equally among the members.

There are, of course, also commercial adventure tourism options for Karelia: http://www.bit.ly/djepRP http://www.bit.ly/b9TVOx; Sayana and the Caucasus http://www.bit.ly/cjyMmv; Siberia and the Far East http://www.bit.ly/dnEhkt; and there is a clearing house of commercial tours for Karelia http://www.bit.ly/9B9xDc.

Those resident in the US should also check with reputable U.S. tour firms, such as Mir Corporation (mircorp.com – named one of the world’s best adventure travel companies by National Geographic Adventure).

Second, if you have a company or group and are ready to go, and they indicate that the conditions for your participation are that you bring your own supplies (kayak, life jacket, backpack, etc.), you would be best off looking at renting such items from a Russian company, rather than bringing them in with you. Here are some good sources:

Rental costs are roughly R200 per day for the first five days or week, R100 for the second five days or week.

Rail travel to your destination is also a cost to consider, and that can be investigated on the following sites: tutu.ru; rzd.ru. By way of example, a third class (плацкарт) ticket to Northern Karelia (about 30 hours by train), one-way, is about R1300 ($40); in a second class cabin (купе), it is about R2500 ($75). You can purchase tickets online at these sites.

Note: In Russia you cannot purchase your train tickets further than 45 days in advance. If you are planning to travel in the high season (July-August), you should plan to purchase your ticket(s) on the first day they become available.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
Russia Rules

Russia Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
22 Russian Crosswords

22 Russian Crosswords

Test your knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history and society with these 22 challenging puzzles taken from the pages of Russian Life magazine. Most all the clues are in English, but you must fill in the answers in Russian. If you get stumped, of course all the puzzles have answers printed at the back of the book.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
PO Box 567
Montpelier VT 05601-0567

802-223-4955