Lake Baikal photo tour: the poetry of the frozen lake, 16-22 January 2022, 23-29 January 2022, 30 January – 5 February 2022

1st group – 16-22 January 2022 (sold out)

2nd group – 23-29 January 2022  

3rd group – 30 January – 5 February 2022 

Baikal in winter is magnificent.  Every year I find myself returning to the lake, so I can walk over its clear ice.  I take my first few faltering steps like a child, listening to the cracking noise under my feet and the excited exclamations of the people around me, resonating within the ice – this is how good old Baikal welcomes you into its domain.  It feels especially good to inhale Baikal’s fresh and frosty air at sunrise, while watching the first rays of sun meandering through towering cliffs, encased within frozen waves, making them gleam from within. Day time walks around Baikal are positively enchanting.  One can spend an eternity under the infinite blue sky, while exploring the cosmic space of Baikal’s ice, with its mesmerizing cracks going into the dark and mysterious depths.  Only in winter do you have this unique opportunity to travel around a number of islands on Baikal, see the most incredibly shaped cliffs from up close and take a peek into some of the ice grottoes and caves that are made inaccessible from the water in summertime.  I invite you to join me on Baikal photo tour, get a little closer to and experience the local beauty in winter.

January 16/ January 23 / January 30, Day 1

Our journey to the lake will begin with your arrival to Irkutsk International Airport.  We will pick you up from the airport – or your hotel, in case you arrive a day earlier.  At 9 in the morning, we will set out to the Olkhon Island – the largest island on Lake Baikal. The journey will take us up to 6-7 hours.  Upon arrival, we will check-in to our hotel, located in the village of Khuzhir near Burkhan Cape.  The word “Burkhan” originates from the Buryat language and refers to the main deity associated with Baikal that Buddhist Buryats used to worship a few centuries ago.  Burkhan Cape – also known as Shamanka Cliff – possesses an inner cave, which was known to be the location where the Baikal deities were worshipped.  This is where we will see our first Baikal sunset.

Day 2

Right after the sunrise shooting on Shamanka, we will head out to explore islands around the Narrow Sea strait.  Every year, Baikal freezes in a different way, creating incredible patterns at the footsteps of picturesque cliffs and capes.  Each year, new caves are accessible, whilst others are barred off by the ice.   One of the first islands that we will visit during our journey is Ogoy – its western reaches resemble a tail of a gigantic reptile and its eastern borders ushers in views of beautiful ice grottoes.  There is a Buddhist stupa of enlightenment on the island – a white stone construction in the middle of the pure waters of Baikal.  On the same day, we will head off to the Izhilkhey or Elenka island – the latter resembles a huge ice breaker, drifting through Baikal.

Days 3-4

During these couple of days of our Baikal photo tour, we will continue exploring the islands of the Narrow Sea strait, while capturing sunrises and sunsets in ice grottoes amid scenic capes and cliffs, as well as finding new vantage points during the day.  On one of the days, we will set out on a slow walk around Oltrek Island, which opens up wide views of Baikal’s sandy beaches and sheer blue ice.

Day 5

Today we will head off to Cape Khoboy in the northern part of Olkhon Island, where after storms in December, impressive ice hummocks have formed, creating gigantic ice slabs up to 2 meters high.  “Khoboy” translates from the Buryat language as “tusk” – cliffs abruptly plunging into the water look like those of animal tusks.   The cape bares another name – Diva, which stands for Virgo in Russian; if you take a look at it from the lake, the main cliff has a silhouette of a female body.  According to one Buryat legend, the cliff represents a young woman who has been turned into stone because of her greedy and jealous nature – after she begged the deities for the same palace that her husband was gifted with – to which the deities responded that while there’s evil and jealousy present in this world, she would spend the rest of her days as a stone.  We will also visit cape Sagan-Khushun, also known as “Three Brothers” – three stone peaks symbolize brothers.  The lookout at the top isn’t the best place to grasp and appreciate its beauty, so we will take a look at it from the surface of the frozen lake.

Day 6

Today we will meet the last sunrise  and say our goodbyes to Baikal.  There is a long journey ahead of us back to Irkutsk.  Upon arrival, we will check in into our hotel and have dinner at one of the local restaurants.

January 22 / January 29 / February 5, Day 7

Transfer to the airport and return home.

Baikal patterns

During our Baikal photo tour we have an opportunity to take pictures of Baikal ice – variety of forms, textures and beautiful patterns.

Transportation

During our Baikal photo tour we travel on the ice by the large 8-seat 6WD off-roader “TREKOL” equipped with the low pressure tyres. This makes it possible even to float in the water, therefore the tour is completely safe. We also have a professional local driver who checks ice situation everyday.

One day on the Lake Baikal

Price per person: 2000 USD

Deposit (required to reserve your spot): 550 USD 

Single supplement:  550 USD

Full payment: 60 days before starting date

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