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

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
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.
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.

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
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955