Hiking: Hiking Karelia. Plus bonus: tips for a beginner hiker. Traveling around Karelia on your own Hiking in Karelia: programs

The most popular type of hike is hiking. Hiking they are also different: over the mountains, over the rocks, over the plains and over the steppes, and even over the pits, this is also a hiking trip. Hiking does not require the skills of a swimmer, rower or climber. All you need is yourself and your desire!

extreme route

Cost from: 9000 rubles.

Hiking along the Karelian Isthmus. The distance is about 50 km (this is about 8-9 hours of daily walking through the forest) through the most beautiful and fabulous places in Karelia. Wild forest, pristine lakes and streams, glacial boulders and the sun, all this and much more awaits a real adventurer. Overnight stay without tents and sleeping bags. Shelter for the night, do it yourself. With you only an ax, a knife, a rope, a flask and a bowler hat. A trip for the adventurous.

All-Union tourist route No. 30 - Thirty!

Cost from: 10800 rubles.

One of the oldest, massive and popular in the USSR tourist routes to the Black Sea through the Caucasus Mountains, about 100,000 people passed it during the season. Operated already in the mid-1930s.

This unique route covers most of the landscape and climatic zones of Russia: fir-beech forests, alpine meadows of high mountain plateaus, permafrost on mountain peaks and subtropics of the coast!

The route passes through the reserve, which helped to preserve untouched nature, rare and unique animals, birds and plants.

Karelia. Walk to the island of Koyonsaari.

Price from: 7900 rubles.

Year-round weekend trip! Clean air, picturesque places! Koyonsaari is truly the most beautiful place on Ladoga, with a sandy beach, majestic pine trees, and powerful rocks. This is a family route, designed for people of any age, i.e. quite a rare hike that can unite three generations!

Dozen lakes!

Cost from: 3500 rubles.

A pleasant, invigorating aroma of a coniferous forest, sandy mountains, 12 picturesque lakes, springs, gentle sun, deep starry sky, hot and fragrant forest tea and the deafening silence of the Karelian Isthmus. All this you will see and feel in our weekend hike "A Dozen Lakes"!

The hike takes place with a preliminary group application of 10 people at a convenient time for your group.

Big and Small Thach

Price from: 9300 rubles.

The incredible beauty of the mountains and their accessibility make this route one of the most attractive not only for experienced, but also for beginners, before conquering more serious peaks.

The natural park "Big Tkhach" is located in the Republic of Adygea and is included in the World natural heritage. And it is no coincidence, because there really is something to see!

To Yalta, through the cave cities of Crimea!

Price from: 9800 rubles.

Why do they like hiking in the Crimea? We will reveal the secret to you! - this is for an amazing variety of historical monuments, for cave cities carved into the rocks, for waterfalls and refreshing mountain streams, for a mild sunny climate. And finally, to Yalta, where we will celebrate the end of our campaign!

It is possible and necessary to be active - walking and water trip! If you want to diversify your vacation with a small but very exciting adventure, we invite you to go on a hiking trip with us one of the days. Here you will learn such tricks as Nordic walking and kayaking in Karelia!

Walking tour program

Departure to the beginning of the route (15 min.);
A relaxed and very informative walk through the Karelian forest with Nordic walking poles.
Nordic walking with sticks, also called Finnish walking, is a kind of amateur sport, which is hiking, during which special sticks are used when walking. Such walking is very useful: when walking with such sticks, the muscles of the back and shoulder girdle are very well trained. Therefore, you can relax in Karelia with health benefits, such a trip will be not only interesting, but also useful!

Picking mushrooms, berries (season from the end of July). Beautiful Karelian landscapes. Inspection of the site of a lonely monk (beginning of the 20th century);
Walking along the gati, a road made of logs;
Inspection of the first hydroelectric power station in Karelia, built at the expense of local residents (20s of the XX century);
Inspection of the defensive structures of the Great Patriotic War (1941–44);
Access to the most beautiful stretch of the Ukhta River;
Snack: dry rations and forest tea.

Here we start the water part of the route. Calm kayaking on the flat water of the Ukhta River. No rapids, only flat water and amazing views around. It is absolutely safe and also insanely exciting. Optional stop on the sandy stretches. Bathing according to the weather. Then kayaking to Lake Kuito, where our hiking and water trip ends.

Cost of a walking tour:
– up to 3 people 1100 ₽/person
- from 4 people 950 ₽/person

We invite you to take part in a hike in Karelia - a great journey through the most iconic places of this amazing lake country! We will sail through the waters of the two largest lakes in Europe - Onega and Ladoga, visit the island of Kizhi and see the main monument of Russian wooden architecture - the Kizhi churchyard, visit the largest waterfall in Karelia - Yukankoski, Ruskeala cascade rapids and the famous Marble quarry with grottoes and caves, under the arches which we will swim in rowboats. We will spend the first part of the trip on Valaam, an archipelago in Lake Ladoga. We will visit sketes (temples of the Valaam Monastery built in different parts of the island), see numerous sights and get acquainted with the unique nature and history of this unusual place. Throughout the journey, we will be surrounded by wild northern nature, many berries and mushrooms, clean rivers, lakes and forests. about a trip in 2017. about a trip in 2018. about traveling in 2019.

Main waypoints (click on the map to enlarge)

Hike plan:

Day 1 (August 7, 2020): At 12:10 the group meets at the railway station of the city of Priozersk. We get acquainted, distribute public equipment into backpacks and load into a minibus. We reach the pier, we will have some time left, we can walk to the beach, and if the weather is good, we can swim. Then on the ship (at 14:00) we sail to our goal - the Valaam archipelago! It is about 65 kilometers from Priozersk to it, which our ship will cover in about 3.5 hours. After landing on the island of Valaam (the largest in the archipelago), we immediately head to the camp (1.5 km from the pier). After arranging the camp, we make a fire on the shore and cook dinner.

Day 2: Wake up and breakfast. Then we go on a sightseeing tour of the monastery and the Nikolsky Island Skete, visit the economic zone, the lower, upper garden, and, of course, the heart of the Valaam monastery - the Transfiguration Cathedral. After the end of the walk, we will go to the camp, cook lunch and rest. In the evening, before dinner, we will take a walk to the Zimnyakovsky Bay and the Kazan Skete.

Day 3: We will have breakfast and go for a walk along the so-called distant monasteries of Valaam. First, we will go to the skete of All Saints, the main feature of which is that women are allowed into it only one day a year (but you can see it from the outside! :)) Next, we will ford the river and reach the Konevsky skete, after which we will have a halt and lunch on the shore of Ladoga. After lunch, we will climb the Mount of Olives, visit the Gethsemane Skete, see the “Prayer for the Chalice” chapel and go down to the Resurrection Skete, the church of which was built in honor of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. All these sketes are often called Little Jerusalem, since it is here that the main shrines of the capital of Israel are recreated, reflecting the main events of the last days of the life of Jesus Christ. Further, the path will lead us to the farm, where we can taste real, tasty, fragrant fresh milk, look into cowsheds, and everyone can buy local products - kefir, collection of local herbs, etc. In the evening we return to the camp. Bonfire, dinner and free time.

Day 4: Today we will make a 17-kilometer walk to the farthest point of the island - Divnaya Bay and Oboronny Island, on which the coastal artillery of the Finnish army was located until 1944 - ordinary tourists simply do not reach these places. Now on the island you can see already rusted fortifications, gun positions, bunkers, barracks and two-tier underground casemates, cut right into the rocks. We will explore the island-fortress, climb into the bunkers and casemates with flashlights, and then have lunch on the shore of Divnaya Bay. We will return back along the eastern coast of the island - Finnish fortifications (bunkers, bunkers, etc.) are also located along it, along the way we will pick mushrooms and berries, and on one of sandy beaches everyone will be able to swim in the waters of open Ladoga. We will return to the camp through the eastern cape near the Zimnyakovskiy Bay, where we have already been on the first day of our stay in the archipelago. In the evening dinner and free time.

Day 5: After breakfast, everyone will have free time, it will be possible to once again walk along the quiet coves of Valaam, through numerous shops to buy gifts and souvenirs. After lunch, we collect the camp and move to the pier, where we will sit in a meteor and say goodbye to this amazing place. Our way on the water will be only 40 minutes, during which we will be able to enjoy the views of the largest lake in Europe and the famous Ladoga skerries - steep rocky shores. Then from the city of Sortavala we go by minibus to the Finnish border to the village of Ruskeala (about 40 minutes). This place is famous for the extraordinary beauty of the local nature (it was here that the movie “The Dawns Here Are Quiet” was filmed), numerous rivers and waterfalls, but especially marble quarries, where mining stopped at the beginning of the 20th century. Since 1998, the quarries and the area around have received a protected status and are now called the "Ruskeala Mountain Park" - we will visit it. Upon arrival, we will set up camp on the banks of the Tohmajoki River, make a fire and cook dinner.

Day 6: Today we will devote the whole day to walks and excursions. After breakfast, we will go to the marble quarry, located just a kilometer from the camp. We will walk along the path from the top of the quarry itself, and then we will go down, take rowing boats and sail on them to the mysterious grottoes and caves, of which there are quite a lot in the quarry - this is the hallmark of Ruskeala! In the middle of the day we will return to the camp and prepare lunch, and then we will go to another radial exit to the Ruskeala cascade waterfalls, located 5 kilometers from the camp. In the evening, dinner, free time and gatherings by the fire.

Day 7: After breakfast, we collect the camp and go by minibus to the picturesque shore of Lake Onega, where we will set up our base camp for the next day. On the way, we will stop by the White Bridges or Yukankoski waterfall. It is believed that it is he who is the largest waterfall in Karelia (about 19 meters high). This waterfall is considered to be one of the most beautiful - at the very top, the water collides with steep rapids, foams, and then falls down from a colossal height - it takes your breath away! In summer, the water level in the river is quite low, which makes it possible for tourists to swim under the falling wall of the seething stream. Believe me, you will never forget this swim! In the evening we will have dinner and a walk along the shore of Lake Onega.

Day 8: We will have breakfast, pack up the camp and go to the pier of Petrozavodsk. There we board a rocket and sail to the island of Kizhi for about an hour, enjoying majestic landscapes Onega. Upon arrival, we will have a snack on the shore, after which we will go on a sightseeing tour of the island. Inspection of the Kizhi churchyard and the surrounding villages will take about 4 hours - everyone will have the opportunity to visit all the temples and museums, as well as get acquainted with the way of life of the inhabitants of the island. The main attraction of the churchyard - the wooden church of the Transfiguration of the Lord - has more than 300 years of history and, according to ancient legend, was built by the carpenter Nestor using only an ax without a single nail. Having completed the construction, Nestor threw an ax into the lake and said: - "There was not and there will not be another like it!". This temple is indeed the pinnacle of carpentry and the most striking creation of Russian wooden architecture. At the end of the excursion program, we sit in a meteor that will take us back to the mainland. If we have time, we will go on a city tour, visit all the famous sights, listen to the history of foundation and construction. Then we go by minibus to the railway station, where our journey will end. Train tickets should be taken no earlier than 22:00!
Attention: the route may change slightly due to weather conditions, storms on the lakes are an unpredictable phenomenon, and excursion programs may also change places depending on the weather.

List of required equipment:

Backpack tourist 80l and more (you must leave room for public equipment and products!)
- a small backpack for radial exits
- sleeping bag + rug (you can read about their choice).
- trekking boots or sneakers
- rubber boots
- thermal underwear
- T-shirts, shorts, running pants
- fleece jacket
- storm jacket (wind-moisture protection)
- raincoat
- 5 pairs of thin walking socks and 1 pair of wool socks
- hat
- Sunglasses
- a small personal first aid kit
- personal hygiene items, towels, bathing accessories
- KLMN (mug, spoon, bowl, knife)
- camera
- mosquito, tick and midge repellant
- headlamp + spare batteries
- thermos
- trekking poles (optional, but they are more convenient)
- fishing rod (optional)

Attention! If you want to purchase any hiking equipment or clothing, but find it difficult to choose - write or call us - we will be happy to help you! For our participants, they operate in many tourist shops in Moscow.

Hike cost:

Standard entry fee: 23 000 rubles

Participation fee for early booking until the end of January 2020: 18 500 rubles

What is included in the price:

- three meals a day
– all transfers according to the program (by land and by water)
– public equipment (tents, boilers, axes, awnings, etc.)
- all excursions according to the program
– payment of all fees in nature reserves and tourist camps
- the work of instructors
- group first aid kit

What is not included in the price:

- the road to Priozersk (by train from St. Petersburg)
– pocket expenses (souvenirs, additional excursions, sauna, etc.)

Payment and booking:

Participation can be paid in full directly to the instructor on the first day of the trip. Not later than two weeks before the start of the trip, you must make an advance payment of 20% of the cost of the tour. A place in the group is reserved only after receiving an advance payment.

Tour features:

11 reviews

It's hard for me to write reviews, but I'll try.
It was quite cold and rainy, but I knew where I was going, I picked up my clothes well and therefore I was comfortable. And I didn’t notice that someone from the group suffered about this.
We didn’t get to Kizhi because of the storm, so we first went on one big excursion, and then we also walked around Petrozavodsk. To be honest, I don’t even know what would be better, given that in Kizhi now it seems like a restoration and much is covered by forests. I would suggest, if it turns out in terms of time and other parameters, to add both excursions to the tour. It was very interesting and informative.
On the first night, almost no one slept, because the Onega, on the bank of which we stood, was not weakly stormy. You lie in a tent and think that you are little Ellie and now, to a vigorous stump, they will simply take you away ... But everything turned out to be not so scary. And the new tent turned out to be an excellent test drive.
The next day, my old dream came true - we ended up in the Ruskeala park. The place is absolutely magical. I've even been there twice, which I'm very happy about.
I almost forgot, before camping near Ruskeala (there is a hot shower there!), We drove to the wonderful waterfall Yukankoski (White Bridges). And I even managed to get under it. An interesting and pleasant experience. In general, on this trip I imagined myself to be a walrus and climbed into almost any body of water. Due to the rather low air temperature, the water did not seem so cold, so it was quite comfortable. But if you have weak blood vessels or immunity, then I would not advise.
Then Valaam was waiting for us. This place is hard for me to describe in words. It is worth visiting, feeling and seeing.
We were also lucky that our instructors - Zhenya and Masha - are guides on Valaam. Therefore, there was a lot of information, useful and exciting.
All in all, I would take this route again. The instructors and nature did their job.
The team was also very friendly and cool, which added positive impressions.
Many thanks to Zhenya and Masha, nature and all of us! It was wonderful!

And now a little advice from personal experience, suddenly someone will come in handy.
1) It is better to take a waterproof jacket and a poncho raincoat that you can fit into instead of with a backpack. IMHO, the coolest option for a downpour.
2) The boots came in handy a couple of times, but I didn’t regret taking them more than I regretted it.
3) A backpack for radials is a thing!
4) If frozen (like me), then the foam is better than 0.3 cm thicker and / or with foil on the back. Maybe a sleeping bag above -5 is probably not worth it.
5) Do not forget a good mood and ease of climbing. Usually, it's easier with them 🙂
Camping July-August 2019

Thanks to Evgeny and Mania for the excellent organization of the trip! During all the days I didn't have to worry about anything, all that was left was to enjoy the wonderful nature and beautiful views of Karelia. The days flew by unnoticed, I would like to walk around Valaam a little more and admire Ladoga. Thank you for such a wonderful opportunity to get to know Karelia and meet so many wonderful people

Good day! I want to express my deep gratitude to the City Escape company and, especially, to Evgeny and Maria for the trip. It was something!!! I think many will understand me when a vacation is understood as a complete disconnection from work, problems and other city bustle. A week trip around Karelia for me is a charge of internal batteries for a year) highest level! In general, I would like to say separately about Zhenya and Masha! Guys, you are awesome! You somehow immediately organized and rallied us all) Zhenya, you are definitely in the right place! You work with the soul, and not for show. Surprisingly, convey information in a calm voice in 2-3 sentences, and all the guys are already busy)) This is both impressive and captivating to go camping with you more than once!
Food. I ate too much) They don’t feed me like that at home))) Every day there is a different menu. Plus melon, watermelon, smoked trout (fantastic!), sweets, biscuits and… a cake decorated with berries from the monastery garden!
The trip was varied! We were constantly busy with something, on the move. We visited sooooo many interesting places: healing springs " Martial waters”, a tour of Petrozavodsk, Kivach waterfalls and White bridges, Ruskeala park (I was impressed with the water tour of the canyon grottoes ... the acoustics are fabulous ... they sang like the rest of our girls))), Ruskeala threshold waterfalls and ... Valaam! There are not enough words to describe the last place. Valaam must be seen with your own eyes. Truly HOLY LAND! Everything on Valaam attracts attention: giant trees, unusually bright greenery, fantastic rocks, “capricious”, but so beautiful Ladoga, the Main Cathedral, sketes, monks, novices ...
Thanks for the hike! I took home the smell of smoke)), many friends, a lot of photos and impressions for a lifetime! See you soon!

Thanks to Evgeny and Maria for the excellent organization of the trip - I didn’t have to think about anything, I just enjoyed nature and communication with new people. Although the storm prevented us from getting to Kizhi Island, the mood did not deteriorate because we visited other interesting places- Petrozavodsk itself, the Marcial Waters resort and the Kivach waterfall.
Separately, I want to say about food. We were fed very tasty! The portions were big, there was always an extra 🙂 There was even a baked trout! And Eugene also got us sweets - various cookies, sweets and cakes - that's what I didn't expect on a hike 🙂 And in the end we made a real cake and decorated it with monastery berries.
I was very happy to be a part of this trip. Thanks again! 🙂

Guys, thank you so much for this unforgettable trip. Places like Karelia, and especially Valaam, need to be seen with "feet". Looking at endless mosses and heather, touching the crown of centuries-old fir trees, breathing the wind at a rocky cliff is priceless. Walking on trails that are inaccessible to most tourists is a real gift.
This was my first trip ever and it turned out to be perfect.
* managed to see almost all the places that I dreamed of for so long;
* a combination of hiking and carrying things - for the first time in my life, it was also the most suitable;
* there are different locations on the route that allow you to see Karelia in all its glory: on the shores of lakes Onega and Ladoga, and in the calm of Ruskeala park, walk through the forest, pick wild berries; visit Sortavala and even briefly drive through Priozersk;
* food. I especially want to talk about her. I have a limited supply of products and, frankly, I bribed the individual approach ... it was even embarrassing that I was so taken care of on a hike. Thank you!
* the instructor turned out to be very responsive and attentive, and well aware of the route: he offered different options for approaching places and together we decided how to go. This is very cool!

Yes, there was really little time ... I want to go back and be there again. Karelia showed itself in all its glory and now I even want to see a storm on Ladoga, and even visit there in winter. In general, yes: I am in love and infinitely grateful for these days.
Thank you!

Finally a dream come true! I have traveled through Karelia many times by train, and all by! And now I managed to visit Ruskeala, the beautiful Kivach waterfalls and the White Bridges, and most importantly, Valaam! The nature of Karelia shocks, surprises and fascinates in any weather! Unfortunately, due to a storm, we were unable to get to Kizhi Island on the first day. But our instructor Evgeny is a good fellow, he came up with other educational excursions for us on the outskirts of Petrozavodsk and in itself. And then everything went according to plan! The hike is simple, you don’t need to carry weights on yourself, walking only with a light backpack. And it is on this trip that this is a big plus, since there are a lot of interesting things, and you can safely enjoy nature and chat with new friends! The company we got was just great - friendly, cheerful and kind! We cooked ourselves on the fire, very tasty, varied and satisfying. There was even a watermelon! Impressions are only the most positive! Zhenya and Masha, thank you very much!

I have always dreamed of visiting Karelia, since my school history lessons I wanted to see with my own eyes a church built without a nail, visit the island of Valaam, wander through the endless forests of Karelia, swim in Ladoga and Onega lakes. Luckily, I found the City Escape group on VK. Photos and reviews so impressed and inspired that I decided on a trip in six months (!). What I especially liked is that the route is long, there is an opportunity to see different parts of Karelia - from Petrozavodsk to Valaam. The itinerary is well planned. We almost never had to carry heavy things on ourselves. I know that for some this will seem like a minus, but this time I wanted to enjoy the views around me more than to die under the weight of a backpack.

During the 7 days of the hike, we managed a lot: we walked around Petrozavodsk, learned the difference between the Karelian birch and the “non-Karelian”, saw and swam in the highest waterfall in Karelia, swept over this waterfall on a zip-line, found the deepest puddle and safely, but not without help local residents overcame it on our "all-terrain vehicle", wandered around at sunset in Ruskeala without tourists and vacationers, swept boats in the grotto, ate wild raspberries, cooked a sweet cake, admired the sunsets every day ... and much, much more, it's too much to list! You just have to go there at least once...

I think that I was very lucky with the group (although do “radishes” go hiking?)) And the leader who knows literally every tree and bush in Karelia :)) Thanks to Zhenya and the guys!

This August I went on a hiking trip to Kizhi, Ruskeala, Valaam. I have long wanted to go to Karelia. The hike turned out to be excellent. First, the warm, friendly atmosphere in the team played a huge role. Full mutual understanding in the team plays a huge role. Secondly, lovers of spending time outdoors will find a lot of interesting things in Karelia. I will note the White Pillars waterfalls, even if it takes about a few hours to get to them, but the beauty of the places is worth it. I really liked the marble canyon near the village of Ruskeala. I am glad that there is a rental of boats and, having stood in line (there are many who want to sail on a boat through such beautiful places), you can enjoy the landscape of rocks, sailing through the territory of the canyon flooded with water. But of all the places I visited during the campaign, I liked Valaam the most. Very beautiful, spiritual place, Ladoga lake around, nature, Valaam monastery, many sketes. This is the place where you want to stay longer.
I am glad that I did not have to overpay for food and accommodation, as this is all included in the tour price
Guys!
Thank you all for the trip and the great time!

Everything should be perfect on the trip. That is exactly what happened. The group crept up different in age, interests and hobbies, but for the duration of the trip we became one single whole. Team. Thanks to Evgeny and Maria, thanks to all of us. Interesting and educational trip. We had a great time on Kizhi, admired the beauties of Ruskeala, touched the origins of Orthodoxy on Valaam. Organization of the trip, travel, food - everything is fine. Thank you!

Thanks for the trip to Eugene, Maria and everyone! The campaign was successful, the route is beyond praise! Despite the rain in the last three days, everything was very cool!

No problem! Karjala Park tours are designed for both professionals and beginners. Due to the incredible number of rivers, lakes and other water bodies, water tourism in Karelia is very developed, they are especially successful.

After all, this is not only a way to move along the river - it is a separate art that allows the participant not only to show their physical strength, struggling with the rapids of whimsical rivers, but also have time to enjoy the picturesque places. What can you see while rafting on mountain rivers:

• historical and modern villages: Rubchoyla, Keret, Kinerma, Umba and Lower Pulonga. Many of which are known for their uniqueness and historical significance. Each of the villages has its own distinct characteristics and cultures;
• the second largest in Europe - Lake Onega, the beauty of which fascinates, and makes true artists take out canvases and perpetuate all the mystery and mystery of this place;
• the largest freshwater lake in Europe - Ladoga. Its area is 18,400 km! Creating Lake Ladoga, nature did its best. Numerous islands that adorn the lake, give it a special uniqueness and will not leave anyone indifferent;
• "Devil's chair", also known as Mount Bolshaya Vara. A huge stone mass, which from afar really looks like a huge chair;
• Botanical Garden. Plants from all over the world are collected in the Botanical Garden. Here you can find African, American and European exhibits. Karelian birch is a special pride of the garden;
• numerous thresholds of different difficulty levels (Pink Elephant, Windmill, Canyon, Khramina, Big Tolly, Kumio, Dzotovy, Bear and many others);
• Mount Huatavaara, which has earned itself the fame of the most mystical place. There are many legends about this place and this is not surprising, because it is here that the burial places of shamans are located;
• islands Mayachny, Andronin, Oleniy;
• shivers and rapids of the rivers Shuya, Suyoka, Uksa, Vitsaoy, Kolosjoki, Keret, Umba and others;
• lakes Oyarvi, Vedlozero, Pistarvi;
• ten-meter waterfall Arenga;
• museums: ancient constructions of the Saami, the Sheltozersky Veps ethnographic museum and a lot of other interesting and informative things.

This is the best way to take a break from all the blessings of civilizations and truly taste the beauty of life. With Karjala Park tours you will be able to learn how to: cope with violent rapids; install plague; drive a kayak; drive a canoe and kayak. And thanks to carefully designed programs, rafting tours can be suitable: for beginners; as well as families with children; and corporate clients; and large groups or just lovers; or just for everyone who wants to forget about stress at work.

Accommodation and meals during the tours

During the tour, participants will spend the night in the field, and cook food on the fire. Dinner consists of fish soup or fried fish, which you yourself will catch in the river, on the banks of which you will settle. Breakfast and lunch you will also have to get yourself. Fortunately, rich forests for mushrooms and berries, as well as rivers for fish, will not let you stay hungry, and the accompanying guide-instructor will not let you get poisoned by a poisonous plant. Every evening a bath awaits you. And not just a bath, but a real camping bath!

You choose the length and duration of the tour yourself, depending on your desires and possibilities. Rafting can last for several hours or several days. The cost of the tour varies depending on the duration. Included in cost:

1. insurance;
2. rental of all necessary equipment;
3. food and accommodation;
4. accompaniment of a guide-instructor;
5. excursions and master classes.

Going for rafting on the river on or, you choose the opportunity to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, enjoy the primeval nature and feel like a getter and a pioneer. Freed from the shackles of work and obligations, you find yourself in a world of peace and tranquility. Give in to the elements and dissolve in the singing of birds, the rustle of tree leaves, the murmur of rivers and the atmosphere of complete unity with nature!

Let all your problems and worries go away along the river, and a fair wind will bring happiness and good luck! When choosing Karjala Park tours, remember: Your pleasure and safety is our main goal!

Hello, friends!

With this post, I open a series of stories and photo reports about my trips, which I have been going on one way or another since the 8th grade of school. Not to say that they are particularly extreme, but not purely touristic either. I went on purely hiking trips, climbing trips, horseback riding, kayaking, etc. But the greatest pleasure has always been given to me by unhurried relaxing trips to Karelia and Kola Peninsula. Let's start with them. In this part - a short story about a quiet, partly walking hiking in Karelia. In the next - car Karelia with off-road elements.

So, Karelia.

A place where you always want to return. beautiful nature, tranquility and tranquility, thousands of pristine lakes, hills covered with reindeer moss and lingonberries, and of course pines. Being in the midst of this splendor, breathing crystal clear coniferous air, you can rest your body and soul from the stuffy, bustling metropolis. Our hike began in Kandalaksha, which can be reached by train along the Oktyabrskaya railway in about 30 hours (some of my trips to these parts started from the Khibiny, but about this place some other time). The Kandalaksha station looks quite prehistoric, and not a single detail has changed since 1998, when I was in Karelia for the first time.

The purpose of our current trip was simple to disgrace: to live in a primordially Karelian village, walk around lingonberries, visit Hit Island (a place known for its nature and remoteness from settlements, in the center in a small rock there are many beautiful stones "Garnet", similar to "Ruby" ), go to the White Sea, where to settle in a fishing village and fish with the locals. Like everything :)

We started from the village. Ever since the late 90s, I knew one former mining village a few hours by train from Kandalaksha, and we went there.

From this station 6 km walk inland and we are there. Unfortunately, I have not preserved photographs of the village, so I will describe in words. Naturally, like most mining villages, it is half dead. Houses are abandoned and useless. Why houses, whole mines. Together with change houses, in which helmets and self-rescuers lie on the shelves. They've been there for thirty years. In such places, the feeling that time has stopped does not leave. But without problems and for free, you can live in a completely normal hut, just tell the locals that you are tourists, you just came to visit and pick berries. You will certainly find an empty house with a stove)

After living in the village for a couple of days, picking blueberries and just resting from the road, we moved to Hit Island. It's about 5 hours walk from the village. Halfway along the dirt road, along which for all 3 hours you will not meet a single car and not a single person, the second halfway through the forest. The road is not easy, but then - beauty!

An island lost in the middle of the taiga, which can only be reached from the mainland by raft. On the island itself and around it - virgin nature. After a tiring 5 hours of walking with a 40-kilogram backpack, a long-awaited halt. But not for long. We need to set up camp, find firewood and cook dinner. This is a hike, baby, not Sochi)

On the way anywhere in Karelia, it is very easy to pick up a decent amount of good mushrooms that literally grow on the road. They were very useful to us as the first lunch on the Heath.

Well, after such a dinner, to which 50 grams were naturally attached, you can remember your childhood camping)

Unfortunately, due to reasons beyond our control, we were unable to go to the White Sea and were forced to return to Moscow after stopping at Khita. It was decided to go to the sea next year, in the end it turned out a year later, but by car.

The nature of Heath Island.

These guys are everywhere, right on the road.

View from Hit-island to the bay, behind the bay there is a huge lake in the middle of the taiga.

Express installation of the tent in 4 hands.

Light snack while waiting for the train.

Sometimes it is sad to leave, especially if the program is not completed. But, unfortunately, not always everything depends on us.

Now a few tips for a beginner hiker, suddenly someone will come in handy)

1. Personal equipment.

It is better not to save on equipment. In the campaign "this is your everything." I will highlight the backpack, knife, boots and jacket.

Backpack - 80-90 liters, with a rigid back (usually metal plates) and a strong lumbar belt. The belt is very important! It accounts for up to 50% of the load. Without a lumbar support with 40 kg you will not go even 300 meters. I advise you to buy once and for all a good backpack from a reputable company. For example, Tatonka, like mine.

Knife - it should be comfortable, not big and not small, not folding and not for 200 rubles. Here everyone chooses for himself, after long experiments I found my knife - the Swedish Mora 2000. Only it is difficult to find it in Chinese, but the real one.

Boots - I have had Salomon's entire hiking life. Two pairs, not one has fallen apart in 10+ years of hiking. Columbia can be, it's a matter of taste. But in our hiking company, everyone has Salomon. In general terms, boots should be light, waterproof , with a high ankle.Plus, rubber boots are a must if we go to Karelia.

Jacket - necessarily membrane, waterproof. But not like a wet windbreaker, but a real membrane waterproof jacket.

2. Route. It needs to be thought out in advance, and on the ground only to make adjustments. I won't explain why, just believe me and that's it)

3. Local - without the need to make contact, but also not to be afraid. Be polite and careful. Do not shine money, do not say too much.

4. Food - think in advance what and how you will eat. Cana - two, do not save on them. Good stainless steel, one slightly smaller than the other. All utensils are metal, thermo metal mugs. The main food on the trip is stew, pasta, rice - to go, potatoes - from the locals. Vodka - you can local Guarantor, but only in the norm. stores.

5. Mosquitoes - a lot) And a midge) Therefore, anti-mosquitoes and a mesh on the face. Pants preferably with a string or elastic at the bottom so that there are no gaps between the boots and the pants.

6. First aid kit - very important. In our group, I am responsible for the first-aid kit, I have about 100 items with me. You will be on foot, in the taiga, take this seriously!

7. Axes - one, small, but good and sharp.

8. Tents and sleeping bags - light, compact and high quality. Tent - with a good awning. Sleeping bag - designed for the desired temperature regime. No need to take a sleeping bag with a comfort temperature of -12 in August. You just can't sleep in it.

Well, that's enough for a start, probably) In the next post - a road trip, with photos and a bonus in the form of a report on the preparation of an OFF-road car, this is also interesting. I will answer questions in the comments, if any.

To everyone who read to the end, thank you!