Ice Biking

Sakhalin Island is the largest island of Russia. Included in the Sakhalin region, along with the Kuril Islands. It is washed by the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan. Sakhalin Region is the only region in Russia completely located on the islands. About 500 thousand people live on Sakhalin. Russians are the most numerous nationality (more than 85%), then Koreans, Ukrainians and Tatars. The native inhabitants of the island, the Nivkhis, also live in the northern part.
Description
Program
Services
Feedbacks
8 day-tour
1 city
From 1 person to a group
No special physical training required
Hundreds of fabulously beautiful photos
The price includes: accommodation, professional guide, admission fees to all the museums according to the program
Come to Russia with UTA! Join us on an unforgettable journey and create memories that will last forever!
Day 1
Upon arrival to Irkutsk you will have a meeting with your guide, who will take you first to the accommodation place (guest flat at the city center of Irkutsk city, twin room) and then would take you for a walking excursion around the historical center of Irkutsk city. Today you will see all main sights of Irkutsk city – monument of the Alexander III – king of Russia, who decided to build a Trans-Sib Line, central city square decorated with a beautiful sculptures made of the transparent ice, a lot of old traditional log houses richly decorated by the wood curving, several orthodox churches and huge food market. At the end of the excursion we will have a lunch in a traditional Siberian café, where you could try some dishes of Russian cuisine including famous soup Borsh.
We will spend some time at the afternoon checking bikes and other equipment. You need to choose the one which fit you in a size and set up all the adjustments – sit heights etc. Also, your guide will take a look on your outdoor clothing to see if you have enough warm things for a trip. We will gladly provide you with a missing clothing detailed if necessary - insulated shoes and mittens, hats etc.
This evening you will have some time on your own for a city exploration and dinner.

Overnight: Guest flat. Included meals: L.

Day 2
Today morning we will pack bikes, camping and other outdoor gear in the car and depart to the Western cost of Lake Baikal, to the village Buguldeika, where we will start our biking trip on ice of Lake Baikal. While driving your guide will explain you main specialties of ice-biking and give you some practical advises about ice bike technique, turning and braking. All our bikes equipped with spike tires designed for riding ice which gives a perfect grip - so cycling on ice will not be too much different from the regular one.
Ice surface at this place of western cost of Lake Baikal usually don't have much snow because of the steady winds common here, that's why this area is great for biking. Car of the supporting team will be together with biking team in a distance of radio contact, so if you will need to warm up or change clothing you could do it in the warmth of car. Main part of the luggage will be transported by car, we will bike with a light day packs only.
Today we will see several ice grottos at the bottom of the rocky shore line covered with hundreds of icicles and shiny ice crystals. A great landscape mixture will be opened for you at this part of Lake Baikal: in one day you will see Taiga woods, opened steppes, rocky cliffs and sandy beaches. Close to the evening we will arrive to the small farm hidden at the corner of the large bay. Tonight we will get accommodated at the guest loges of the farm and have a dinner there.
Experience of Russian steam sauna – Banya will complete this day.
Overnight: Log home, hitting by the wood stove, toilet outside. Included meals: B-L-D.

Day 3
Today morning we will have a breakfast at the homestead and continue our cycling trip northwards along the cost of Lake Baikal. Not far from the starting point we will see a high vertical gorgeous looking rocky cape locally named Black cliff. Right next to it you could explore ancient rock drawings of Sagan-Zaba rock – another spectacular cape. Scratched pictures on the white rock showing figures of dancing Shamans, horse riders shooting from the bow, birds and deer – this unique place has a richest collection of Baikal's ancient pictures.
Next stopover would be taken by the ice-grottos of Hoboy-Hushun cape. Some of them are 5-8 meters deep and look like completely ice-covered caves with flat ice floor. In the deepest corners of those grottos you could find amazing ice structures and crystals remanding flowers or gems – don't miss your chance to take a memorable pictures of this rare phenomenon!
Lunch will cooked over the fire and served on the ice at the beautiful spot above the slopes of Shibite Mount. This picturesque place has some remains of the ancient civilization - stone build walls around the top of the mount. This is archeological monument of Iron Age and a sacred spot for the local Shamans. We will leave bikes for a while and do a short trek to the top of this mountain to see stone walls and enjoy the great opened panoramic view to the endless spaces of the frozen Lake Baikal.
This afternoon we will see spectacular Aya cliff and take a walk inland to see a natural wonder – an arch-shaped rock.
In the evening we will reach cape Orso with huge ice grottos and set up a tent camp in one of them right on the ice surface. This place is a natural shelter and it makes a campsite more comfortable and picturesque. If the weather will be good enough we will enjoy stunning views of the sunset across the glowing ice fields of Lake Baikal.

Overnight: Tent camp. Included meals: B-L-D.


Day 4
This morning we will fold up tents and pack all the camping gear in the car and do some more biking on ice of Baikal. Today you will see a Yak farm lonely standing in one of the bays and take a look on that rare hairy animals. Shore line here performed here by the steep high artistically shaped rocks, bottom part of which covered with frozen water splashes.
Slowly mounts of the shore line gets lower and by the midday we will reach cape Cross and southern extremity of the biggest island on Lake Baikal – Olkhon. Here, we will turn into the straight which divides island from the mainland and cycle to the biggest local settlement – Sahurte. At this place our biking trip ends and we will pack bikes in the car, get a last look at Lake Baikal and start driving back to Irkutsk along the main road. On the way back we will take a stopover for a lunch in a road café, where you could try some tasty dishes of local ethnical cuisine – Posy - meat dumplings cooked on steam.
Drive distance about 300 km, time on a road – about 4 hours.

Overnight: Guest flat. Included meals: B-L.

The program includes:
  • Accommodation with breakfast;
  • Registration fee at the hotels;
  • Admission fees to all museums according to the program;
  • English-speaking guide;
  • Transportation with A/C;
  • A permit for photo/video at the museums;
  • All local taxes;
  • Head sets;
  • Visa support letter.
The program doesn't include:

  • Tips for guides and drivers
  • Porterage fee

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