A Wild Odyssey by Nicolas Vanier. Nicolas Vanier. Magical beauty and Baikal character

He is drawn not to the warm sea, but to the North. He doesn’t want to lie on the beach - and rides a dog sled through endless snow at minus fifty. French traveler Nicolas Vanier returned from an expedition to Siberia last year, recently finished working on a film about it and is getting ready to hit the road again with his dogs.

HERO
Nicolas Vanier

Traveler, writer, photographer (author of 25 books and photo albums), director (14 documentaries and feature films).
Born on May 5, 1962 in Dakar (Senegal).
Marital status: married, three children.
Expeditions:
1982 — Hiking trip through Lapland.
1983 — Canoe expedition through the Canadian North along the roads of the Montagnais Indians.
Winter 1983-1984— Crossed the north of Canada on a dog sled.
1986-1987 — 7,000 km along the roads of the great pioneers of America: through the wild areas of the Rocky Mountains and Alaska.
1990-1991 — Trans-Siberian expedition: 7000 km through the wild taiga.
1993 — Lived near Verkhoyansk in a tribe of nomadic Evens.
1994-1995 — Traveled more than 2,500 km across Canada and Alaska with my wife and one-and-a-half-year-old daughter.
1996 — Wintered in the Rocky Mountains and took part in the race Yukon Quest.
1999 — “White Odyssey” — 8600 km in the Canadian North.
2005-2006 — “Siberian Odyssey” — 8000 km from Siberia to Red Square in Moscow.
2013-2014 — “Wild Odyssey” — 6000 km across Siberia, China and Mongolia from the Pacific Ocean to Lake Baikal.

Magical beauty and Baikal character

Your two big journeys began at Lake Baikal. And you completed the “Wild Odyssey”, another major expedition, on March 15, 2014 at Lake Baikal. Why are you coming back here?

Baikal has always attracted me. The first time I crossed the lake was in 1990. I saw around me incredible beauty, vastness, true, one might say, magic. Yes, for me this is a magical place. Baikal gave me strength when I drove from the lake to Moscow in 2005 to end the trip on Red Square - a fantastic ending! And when I was planning the “Wild Odyssey” - a trip from the shores of the Pacific Ocean through China, Mongolia and Siberia, I decided to “put an end to it” at Baikal. This lake has become for me a symbol of my favorite region. Favorite also because this is the birthplace of my Ochum - the very first dog of the sled, which laid the foundation for the clan of my dogs. When I put Ochum in harness, he was only seven months old. There were doubts whether the young dog could withstand the long journey. However, Ochum only gained strength when other dogs weakened before our eyes. He soon became the leader.

Now you will say that this is a special Baikal character.

Maybe. Ochum is a husky, a dog that can withstand cold and run long distances. Initially, Ochum was not a sled dog, but he became one because it was necessary. Amazing character: the dog is strong, but able to adapt to any conditions. And his genes were passed on to my other dogs. Ochuma was crossed with the Greenland Husky, and then their children were crossed with the Malamute, an Alaskan sled dog. They turned out to be excellent dogs. My great-great-granddaughter Ochuma Burka, the current star of my team, is perfect: she understands me from the first second. Such dogs, by the way, do not become pack leaders, but the leading dog of the team should not be the leader. Leaders should be chosen as puppies - these are the ones who catch your eye from the first months of life, wanting to understand what you want from them. And Burka is incredibly beautiful. Yes, beauty is also an important Baikal trait.

What is beauty? In addition to external attractiveness.

Something that evokes a piercing feeling of “this cannot be lost.” When such an incredible landscape like Baikal is in front of me, I say to myself: “Attention! Remember this beauty." Last winter, driving by the lake, I saw many large tourist complexes, unaesthetic against the backdrop of the amazing nature of the region. Why are they here? Beauty is such a joy, its integrity must be preserved.

Two passions and a football team

You were born in Africa and grew up in France. But your passion is the North. Strange…

A little strange, yes. But I always liked the North; since childhood I was fascinated by the works of Jack London. However, I also adore my native France.

Why did you choose this method of transportation as a dog sled?

And this is the only convenient way to cross wild snowy spaces. In addition, the team does not spoil the terrain that the traveler overcomes. This way I can combine two passions: I love the North and I love dogs.

When you manage dogs, do you feel at one with them?

I rather feel like the coach of a football team. Like the coach, you don’t run with the “players”, but stay in your place - riding behind, watching the process. You must arrange the players in the most advantageous way and monitor the overall pattern of the game. It is necessary to take into account other criteria: weather conditions, quality of the track, the mood of the dogs, their current relationships - quarrels, resentments... Like a good trainer, I must make the best decision at the moment. Of course, there are nuances. Dogs are like children: they need to be constantly reminded that there are things that cannot be done (or, conversely, must be done). After all, my task is to ensure safety for everyone: both for the dogs and for myself. Relations with the pack are based on my unconditional authority, but also on trust and friendship.

How do you show them a friendly attitude?

Every morning you need to find time for a personal conversation with each dog. Although it cannot be said that they understand all the words, they are very sensitive to intonation and mood. Attitude is conveyed through speech, as well as through physical contact - every dog ​​needs to be petted, hugged, caressed.

Each? But what about the hierarchy in the pack?

Yes, you have to be careful here, don’t forget about the relationships in the team, about the place of each dog in the team. It is necessary to follow a certain order, take into account their current state: someone is sick, someone is tired, someone is upset. Everything needs to be felt intuitively, but if you know dogs well, it’s easy.

Saving fur and the frightening unknown

What brings you the most joy while traveling?

Amazing meetings with people. I love the wonderful hospitable people who live in these places. And I constantly remember how in the early 1990s I lived in the mountains of Verkhoyansk among the Even nomads. I saw how they work, raise their children, what kind of relationships they have in their families. Then he wrote the book “Wolf” and made a film based on this material (the story of a boy from a clan of nomadic reindeer herders who, for the sake of friendship with wolf cubs, betrays his father and his entire family. - Note “Around the World”).

Local residents in your films and photographs are mostly dressed in national costumes. Do they always walk like this or is it for the sake of a pretty picture?

What are you talking about, these are their usual clothes. This is because, despite technological progress, there is still nothing better than fur for living in conditions of extremely low temperatures - fur coats and hats. Minus 50-60 degrees in the mountains is easier to bear in such clothes, I tested it from my own experience. In addition, these clothes are very practical and beautiful. Much more aesthetically pleasing than what is produced today.

The cold, when you spend the whole day in the open air, is a severe test. What's the hardest thing about an expedition?

Difficulties in travel are normal, they are not as scary as the unexpected. For example, last winter, due to the lack of frost in October - November, the river did not freeze, we had to change the route - we went around the mountains. Such unpredictability makes the journey especially difficult.

And the reward for the difficulties of travel is the beautiful landscape that opens up after a tiring journey. That's what you say in the movie Wild Odyssey. What do you manage to see from the sled?

The fact of the matter is that absolutely everything. Of course, you can see something from a train, from a car, even from an airplane. But it’s a completely different matter when you are in the open air all 24 hours. And you don’t just look, but “feel” the entire region along which you are driving: you can look at it, touch it, taste it. That's why I think it's the best way to experience the world.

What do you think about when driving a team?

Oh, there are many topics. I often think about things that I don’t have time to think about in normal life. The plots of books and films come to my mind. There is time to remember the past and reflect on the future.

And what is there in the future?

Pension. In a while I will turn 60. But this is not my last trip! My dogs are from two to four, their retirement age starts in about seven years. So we still have years of active life ahead of us. Now, after an excellent 6,000-kilometer “training” in the Wild Odyssey, in February we are taking part in the Yukon Quest (Canada), and in March 2016 in the Iditarod (Alaska) - two of the world's main sled races. In short, the dogs and I have extensive plans.

Shoulder to shoulder

There are five types of dog sleds.

Who is who

Lead dog(according to international terminology lead dog) - the one who goes at the head of the team. Almost never the leader of the pack and very rarely the dominant dog. The main thing for her is to be attentive to her owner’s commands.
Guides(swing dogs ) - dogs standing directly behind the leader. Their main responsibility is to help her change direction. In this position, they learn the craft of the first dog of the team.
Helmsmen, or roots(wheel dogs ), - dogs walking directly in front of the sleigh. They must be very strong and resilient - they need to restrain the movement of the team with their own body. Sleighs are often braked right on the kidneys.
Team, or dogs of central pairs (team dogs ), - the rest are, as they say, “without rank,” but this does not mean at all that they are less loved and important.

By name

Burka. Star. 4 years. She is beautiful, smart, friendly and sociable, always calm and in a good mood. Ideally combines all the necessary qualities of a leading sled dog.

Quest. Baby. 4 years. A small dog with a strong character. Very smart and worthy of the title of the first dog of the team.

Miok. Absent-minded. 3 years. Smart and handsome, but lacks the composure to be an ideal lead dog.

Unique Serious. 2.5 years. He's too modest, but that's because he's young. Over time you will become more confident. He has all the qualities of a great dog and an excellent runner.

Happy. Joker. 2 years. Excellent: excellent performance, cheerful disposition and lively mind. His good mood is transmitted to others.

Kali. Fidget. 2 years. He and his brother Happy are the youngest dogs in the pack. He hates it when the team stops, and loudly announces it every time. With his cheerful brother they form a shocking duet!

Kazan. Coward. 3 years. He is afraid of everything and allows other dogs of the pack to dominate. But during the trip I became bolder and more confident.

Dark. Brawler. 3 years. Very powerful. He feels like a tough guy and lets everyone know it. Tireless, even after a 60-kilometer route, he doesn’t want to stop and demands more!

Wolf. Ultrastrongman. 3 years. Leader. A pronounced dominant, irreplaceable in a team. But sometimes he lacks common sense. Its power is impossible not to appreciate: an incredibly beautiful dog in motion.

Kamik. Reckless. 3 years. Young and doesn't think about anything but games. An excellent runner and strongman, he will become an excellent sled dog when he learns not to be distracted by small things.

Expeditions of Nicolas Vanier in Russia

REWARD
To be first

The Wild Odyssey expedition was supported by the Russian Geographical Society. Nicolas Vanier also won the Russian Geographical Society award for the best foreign project. This international award was first presented in 2014.

Array ( => Array ( => 248381 => 03/17/2014 16:17:48 => iblock => 576 => 720 => 52898 => image/jpeg => iblock/212 => fran1.jpg => fran1. jpg => => => [~src] => => /upload/iblock/212/fran1.jpg) => Array ( => 248382 => 03/17/2014 16:17:48 => iblock => 576 = > 720 => 53001 => image/jpeg => iblock/c16 => fran2.jpg => fran2.jpg => => => [~src] => => /upload/iblock/c16/fran2.jpg) => Array ( => 248383 => 03/17/2014 16:17:48 => iblock => 576 => 720 => 35525 => image/jpeg => iblock/caf => fran3.jpg => fran3.jpg = > => => [~src] => => /upload/iblock/caf/fran3.jpg) => Array ( => 248384 => 03/17/2014 16:17:48 => iblock => 576 => 720 => 48553 => image/jpeg => iblock/aae => fran4.jpg => fran4.jpg => => => [~src] => => /upload/iblock/aae/fran4.jpg))

Wild odyssey. Members of the French expedition visited Irkutsk. They traveled from the Pacific Ocean to Lake Baikal on dog sleds.

Bread, salt, 50 grams and pickles. Siberian hospitality confuses the French a little, despite the fact that this is not their first time in Russia.

And this man, who looks like the actor Jean Reno, admits that he constantly returns to Russia because he loves our north and our snow. Famous traveler Nicolas Vanier says: an expedition to Lake Baikal a quarter of a century ago changed his life. Then the hunter gave the Frenchman a racing dog puppy. Since then, Nicolas has not been separated from these four-legged animals even for a day.

In 2006, Nicolas Vanier finished on Red Square with his team. His “Siberian Odyssey” then ended in the very heart of Russia. 8 thousand kilometers from Baikal to Moscow.

Vanier called his third odyssey across Russia “wild.” The route is more than 6 thousand kilometers long. From the Pacific Ocean to Lake Baikal. The dogs were brought to the starting point in the village of Vanino, Khabarovsk Territory, a month before the start of the journey. So that they adapt. On December 21, 2013, the French set off.

Problems started from the very beginning. Everyone knows that this winter was not particularly harsh. And it didn’t play into our hands. At the beginning of the trip we had to drive through frozen rivers, and the rivers had not yet risen. And we had to build new routes through the mountains in a few hours,” says Nicolas Vanier.

In Manchuria they were greeted by -50 degree frosts, but there was no snow at all. The entire team then had to wear special boots to prevent the dogs from injuring their paws. In Mongolia there was no snow either, but there was ice-covered grass, and ten Alaskans - that’s what Nicolas calls the breed he bred - glided across the surface like figure skaters. In Buryatia, a French snowmobile fell through the ice. The most peaceful and magical finish of the expedition was on Lake Baikal. Here the adults were joined by Nicolas's son, ten-year-old Kom. On March 15, the French landing force arrived on Olkhon. "Wild Odyssey" has ended.

Bourque's dog charmed everyone who came to meet the French travelers. She is the leader of the team and has walked all the way from the Pacific Ocean to the Sacred Lake. Alaskans are very hardy. They are able to run more than 10 hours a day and still pull a sleigh weighing up to a hundredweight. But this is far from the main advantage.

This is an animal with which you can share joy. These dogs they love to run forward, they love to run through snowy landscapes, enjoy nature and I love the same thing. And in this we are similar to them,” says traveler Nicolas Vanier.

Now the French have already returned to their homeland. The author of a dozen books and films, Nicolas Vanier, will tell the world the story of this voyage. It will be about stunningly beautiful and fragile nature, about true friends and adventures that will take your breath away.

On March 15, 2014, the official finish of Nicolas Vanier’s “Wild Odyssey” expedition took place on Olkhon Island on Lake Baikal.

The expedition started on December 21, 2013 in the port of Vanino in the Khabarovsk Territory and from the shores of the Pacific Ocean through China and Mongolia continued to Lake Baikal.

The meeting with N. Vanier’s team was attended by officials, media representatives and city residents. Among those who are interested in dogs, besides me, there were also Galina and Valery Gordeev. I give special thanks to the Gordeevs, because together we were able to ask the French about a lot.

In order:

1. Meeting at the icebreaker

At first, as usual, there were routine formalities and stamps.

On our side - the folk ensemble "named after the next anniversary of the CIS", loaf, vodka, deputy. Kondrashova A. Almukhamedov and some pale guy presenter.

On the French side - tanned and white-toothed smiling faces of brunettes, Nicolas introduces the team, reports that Fabien likes to drink vodka with Russians, everyone is happy as usual. Son Nicolas holds the dog Burka on a leash - the first on the right in the harness in the video footage about the expedition.

The whole team, as Anna, the translator, later explained to us, was not taken because they thought that it would not be interesting to anyone. If we had known that there would be such interest in dogs, we would have taken a sled, but as it is, most of the dogs rested in K-9.

While Nicolas holds his word in return, people interested in the dog cheat and crush the dog. The dog is very flexible, much more stretched than ours. I look at the pads - the pads are very thick, it seems that the thickness of the pads on the paws is one and a half centimeters. The paws are intact, everything is clean between the toes, the claws almost reach the ground, the fur was apparently trimmed, but has now grown about one and a half centimeters above the hem. The wool is pleasant to the touch. The structure of a marathon runner. A very friendly, cheerful, active dog.

2. On the icebreaker - press conference

Journalists ask routine questions. The answers, I think, can be read in the media.

I asked one question not related to dogs: “You first visited Siberia 25 years ago. How do you think the nature and ecology of Siberia has changed during this time?”

Nicolas’ answer: “During this time, a lot has changed due to human influence on nature. Ice on the rivers rises later, and does not completely freeze them everywhere. Crossing the taiga, we saw a lot of cut down forest, fallen trees, as well as traces of forest fires. Hunters and fishermen our way they said that over the years there is less fish and game. Unfortunately, these problems concern not only Russia, but the whole world, nature is depleted."

Nicolas introduces the team:

Alain was responsible for paving the way with two snowmobiles, Fabien was responsible for the dogs, Pierre was “on the farm,” Anna was a translator and ten-year-old son Nicolas, who shared the crossing of Baikal with him.

Since the rivers had not risen at the beginning of the expedition, the route was laid out in the mountain taiga part by two snowmobiles. In Mongolia, we walked on frozen grass, there was no snow. On the day the dogs passed from 80 to 120 km.

For reference, let me tell you, it is recorded in documents, that before the revolution, the norm of travel per day for horseback or foot on routes was 20 km. This is for those who ask why dogs need snowmobiles. If there were no snowmobiles, dogs would still be roaches through deep snow at pre-revolutionary speeds.

Danler-type sleds, I can’t say more precisely. There are 10 dogs in the harness, one spare in the convoy.

The weight of the sled together with cargo and musher is approx. 180 kg. The weight of one dog is approx. 20 kg.

The purpose of the expedition, in addition to personal interest, was to introduce French schoolchildren to the nature of Siberia, all children in France watched the lessons of Nicolas from Russia, and environmental education.

3.Conversations "on the sidelines"

[ From March 16 to 23, the “French Cinema Week” festival was held in Irkutsk cinemas. The audience saw six films in French with Russian subtitles, which have not previously been shown in Russia. The festival was organized with the support of the French Embassy in Russia and the French Institute. The grand opening of the festival took place on March 16 at 17:00 at the Zvezdny cinema. It was attended by a French director and writer Nicolas Vanier, who traveled by dog ​​sled from the Pacific coast in Russia to Lake Baikal. At the event, his film “Belle and Sebastian” was shown, which was released in December 2013 on big screens in France.]

Before the screening of the film, I was able to talk with Anna, Nicolas, Pierre and Fabien in the cinema hall.

-What kind of dogs?

Alaskans.

-Where do they live most of the time?

A nursery in France run by Fabien.

-Is the nursery big?

25 dogs, several hectares of forest, “installation area”, i.e. buildings in the nursery are the size of Kirov Square.

Free range throughout the nursery.

-What do you feed?

Royal 4800. If we see that the dog is exhausted, we give raw fish.

(It is worth considering that since the dogs have free range, they “mouse” to their heart’s content.)

-Are dogs friendly?

Yes. The previous “brood” on the 2005 expedition ate one of its own and two other people’s dogs. These were mixed breeds of Siberian and Greenland Laikas. Alaskan Huskies differ for the better in this regard. No one was eaten, even when a crowd of local dogs came running to Olkhon.

-How long did you walk a day?

80 - 120km, but these dogs can walk up to 150km per day.

-How often did you rest?

A day every 7 - 10 days of work. If the route is too difficult, then a day after 5 days of work.

-Do you use slippers for dogs?

Only in extreme cases. Usually dogs run without slippers.

-Blankets?

Only for overnight stays and only if it’s too cold. Usually dogs are without slippers and without blankets.

-How do you arrange your dogs for the night?

We try to have hay or cut branches, or at least some kind of shelter, but the dogs always spend the night outside.

-How do you prepare dogs for such long distances?

From August, from 15 km, gradually increasing the distance by about 5 km each week, so approx. dogs can run 100 km a day by December.

-How did you adapt to the race in Siberia?

First of all, the dogs had to get used to low temperatures. Before the expedition, during the adaptation period in the Far East, the dogs ran approximately 30 km a day. The adaptation period lasted a month.

-How will you reduce the load?

Just as we increased it by 5 km per week, you can’t quit abruptly.

- Rest period?

One and a half months - July - first half of August.

-Age of the dogs on this expedition?

1.5 - 3.5 years.

-Until what age can a dog work on an expedition?

Until about 7 years old, then he gives rides to tourists in the nursery.

-At what age does a dog begin to prepare for expeditions?

Around the age of 1 year.

-How is a young dog brought into the harness?

At about 7 months of age. the dog is placed in the middle of the team, but without a partner. All dogs are worth two, and a young dog is alone, without a pair, it’s faster and easier.

4. Expeditions of the 90s and 2000s

You can read about the expedition of the 90s, in which Irkutsk resident Vladimir Glazunov, a geologist and mountaineer, the only one other than Nicolas Vanier, who completed the entire expedition from beginning to end, was a participant, can be read here:

Vladimir Glazunov died during the 1993 expedition in Kamchatka; the helicopter crashed.

You can read about the significance and details of the expeditions of the 90s here, in an interview with Vladimir’s father, the famous scientist Oleg Mikhailovich Glazunov:

There is quite a lot of information about the 2005-2006 expedition on the Internet.

And looking at him, I readily believe it.

6. A few words about the film "Böll and Sebastian", directed by Nicolas Vanier: look, it's worth it.

The film is a little naive, like “The Horse and His Boy.” But the most important thing that is there is modern life strategies, thanks to which our world may survive. I regret that I didn’t watch this film earlier, I would have asked a couple more questions.

March 2014

Rimma Demina