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Taimyr Peninsula is one of the least accessible regions in Russia and can be compared in this respect with Antarctica or the North Pole. Some areas in Taimyr cannot be reached even with helicopter. This year we offer you a unique opportunity to visit this genuinely pristine corner of the planet on the shore of the Laptev Sea, joining the scientific expedition. During this trip, you can observe the Laptev walruses, polar bears, musk oxen and reindeer in their natural habitat, as well as learn about traditional lifestyle of local indigenous peoples – the Dolgans, Nganasans and Nenets.
The expedition will take place at Cape Tsvetkov (latitude 74 °N, 450 km to the north-east of Khatanga). A stationary tent camp will be set up in the immediate vicinity of a walrus rookery. The rookery is stretched along a huge spit jutting several kilometres into the sea. This time of the year is the breeding season for the walrus, and the growing offsprings are particularly interesting to observe. The migration routes of the polar bear also lie through this area, where the walrus rookeries are their main attraction, so that visitors can witness some unique episodes of interaction between these giant animals.
While our group will further move from the coast upward, into Byrranga mountains, the reindeer and herds of musk oxen can be encountered.
Excursions will be done by marine rubber boat along the coastline. Between the Cape Tsvetkov and the Bay of Maria Pronchischeva, at the 40-m high rocky coast, there are fantastic geological objects enlisted in the UNESCO Heritage List. With luck, you will be able to see the mammoth tusks or other remnants of prehistoric fauna.
Additionally, excursions by pneumatic all-terrain vehicles “Bronto” will be arranged to the Byrranga Mountains – the least visited mountains in the world. You will enjoy incredible landscapes and very high chances to watch musk oxen, reindeer (the biggest reindeer population inhabits the areas east to Putorana Plateau), polar wolves. Fishing in local rivers is beautiful: omul, chir, muxun, Arctic char, marine char.
At a distance of 25 km from Cape Tsvetkov lies the magnificent rocky Island of Transfiguration (Ostrov Preobrazheniya), discovered by the Great Northern Expedition (V. Pronchitschev, S. Tchelyuskin, Kh. Laptev) in 1737. This famous bird rookery can be visited by helicopter.
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The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) occupies most of the northeastern part of the Asian subcontinent. It constitutes one fifth of Russia’s total territory and almost two thirds of the territory of Western Europe. More than 40% of the republic’s land is located above the Arctic Circle. Yakutia is located entirely within the permafrost zone. The mighty mountainous rock masses, which have been frozen for a millennium are known in the West as the ''Siberian Sphinx''. For a long time, European scientists were unable to believe that even at depths of 100 meters, the ground in Yakutia was frozen solid. In the Tiksi District, the thickness of frozen earth reaches depths of 500 meters. In the Arctic and in most of Siberia, by the end of summer, the uppermost layer of soil- ranging in depths from 30 centimeters to 2 meters- thaws, while deeper, at depths of 100 meters, the frozen mountainous rock masses extend, unthawed for centuries. This is the permafrost, or cryolithic zone, which appeared almost 2 million years ago. The world learned of its existence only in the 17th century.
The vast majority- seventy-two percent- of Yakutia’s territory is blanketed by taiga, while the rest is covered by forest-tundra, tundra, and arctic half-desert. Notable and unique features include mineral deposits of charoite, which is a semi-precious stone unique to Yakutia; fossilized mammoth remains; and curative mineral springs. Yakutia is also the only natural breeding habitat for the rarest Siberian crane and rose gull.
Yakutia’s largest river is the Lena. It is among the ten longest rivers in the world. Where the Lena feeds into the Laptev Sea, its delta occupies a total territory of 30,000 km², which makes it the largest in Russia and the second largest in the world after the Mississippi. It is renowned for its amazingly beautiful and austere northern nature; the diversity of it landscapes- inaccessible mountains, powerful rivers, dense forest, endless tundra; and its unique assemblage of plant and animal species.
Ust-Lensky Zapovednik- the largest strict nature reserve in Russia and one of the largest in the world- is located here; it was created to preserve the irreplaceable natural features of the Far North for future generations. Here, on tundra lakes, in the many tributaries of the Lena, and along the sea shore, almost 110 bird species- mostly water and shore birds, nest. Among them are rare and endangered species including: Bewick's swan (Сygnus bewickii), red-throated loon (Gavia stellata Pontoppidan), whooper swan (Cygnus сygnus), Baikal teal (Anas formosa), Ross’s gull (Rhodostethia rosea), white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), and others. An even rarer visitor is the Siberian white crane (Grus leucogeranus). Ust-Lensky Zapovednik protects the polar bear (Ursus Maritimus), Laptev walrus (Odobenus rosmarus laptevi), Koryak snow sheep (Ovis nivicola koriakorum), reindeer (Rangifer tarandus pearsoni), Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus), and lemming (Lemmus sibiricus). Inhabiting the forest-tundra which dominates the southern parts of the zapovednik are the brown bear (Ursus arctos), wolverine (Gulo gulo), lynx (Felis lynx), and moose (Alces alces). Musk ox (Ovibos moschatus), which were brought from Taimyrsky Zapovednik, are also successfully acclimatizing.
In the Pliocene Era (1.5 million-10,000 B.C.), mammoths, wooly rhinoceros, musk ox, and bison inhabited a submarine plain which was then located here. It was here that the first known mammoth remains were found, and to this day, the bones of ancient animals are not an uncommon find.
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2570 Euro per person in a group of 8 pax, 3100 Euro per person in a group of 6 pax. |
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The Kabarda-Balkarian Nature Reserve was established in 1976 to protect the highest and extremely picturesque mountain area of the Main Caucasian Ridge.
The Reserve with it’s glaciers and rocks, alpine meadows and forests occupies the territory of 741 sq.km. Glaciers cover more than one third of the territory. The most scenic part of the Main Caucasian Ridge – the 15 km long Besengi Wall – is known among mountaineers as Russian Himalayas or the ''Presidium of the Central Caucasus''. It includes 9 peaks, 5 of them are higher than 5000 m. The second longest glacier in the Central Caucasus – 15 km Ullu Chiran Besengi – descends from the foot of the Besengi Wall.
Flora of the Reserve counts around 1000 species of higher plants. 74 of them are endemic of the Caucasus, 6 species are endemic of the Republic. A lot of rare beautiful flowers could be found in subalpine zone, many of them are endangered and listed in the Russia Red Book. At the end of summer slopes are red from wild strawberries, bilberries, stone berries.
Around 5200 Caucasian turs (endemic species of ibex) – the biggest population in the Caucasus – inhabit the Reserve. Chamois, roe deer, wild boars, brown bears, lynx, martens, foxes, hares all could be seen here. More than 150 bird species are found here, including endangered, like Bearded Vulture, Black Vulture, Imperial Eagle, Golden Eagle, which nest here. In the buffer zone of the Nature Reserve, you have a unique opportunity to watch the nesting behavior of these birds of prey from the wooden hides made for ornithological observations. Caucasian Snowcock, Caucasian Black Grouse and Great Rose Finch can be found only in the Caucasus. Wall Creeper, Rock Partridge, Dipper and other rare birds could be observed here as well.
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Walking or riding pass with camels to Khoton-Noor Lake. View of Petrogliphs near bottom of Shivet-Khairkhan Mountain. Elevation up to Khara-Salagiyn-Daba passes. Transfer along Tsagan-Us river.
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September 7, 2010
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The Russian Far East, known as the “northern jungle”, is one of the world’s most interesting natural regions. It is famous for the unique mixture of species typical to the northern taiga and southern subtropics, which reside in the same neighborhood. The region possesses the highest flora and fauna diversity in Russia, as well as a great number of endemic and rare species. It is the primary habitat for the Amur Tiger, Far Eastern Leopard, Himalayan Black Bear, Amur Goral, Blakiston’s Fish Owl, Red-crowned, White-napped and Hooded Cranes, Scaly Merganser, etc.
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1580 Euro per person in a group of 14 pax, 1725 Euro per person in a group of 12 pax. |
September 21, 2010
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