Hiking tour in Khibiny + 3 days in St. Petersburg
SHORT DESCRIPTION
7 days above the Polar circle + 80km hiking tour in Khibiny mounts + one day in Kirovsk town + optional 3-days program in St. Petersburg.
Get acquainted with Russia in one week combi tour. Go all the way to Kola Peninsula by 24h train. Try yourself in the real hiking tour. Get to know how small cities in Russia are living. Finish the adventure in beautiful St. Petersburg.
Overview:
- 80km hiking tour through the beautiful mountain area on Russian North
- 7 days above the Polar Circle
- Khibiny Mountains are 250 mln years old (much older and completely different than the Alps)
- Charming nature of utmost North with short 2-month summer
- Kola Peninsula is the site of Leviathan movie filming
- Visit one of 3 botanical gardens within the Polar Circle on Earth
- 1 day in a Kirovsk in a rented apartments to feel yourself a local
- 24h train ride x 2
+ 3 days in St. Petersburg after the hiking tour (highly recommended option)
Additional information:
- unpredictable weather of the north (you should be ready for possible rains and cold weather)
- 7 days in mountains with tents, no civilization (with backpacks)
- we will provide equipment partly, you need to have appropriate clothing - see. equipment list
- 8-15km hiking a day (~8 hours), you should be fit physically (average student can do this but it is strongly recommend to practice jogging for a couple of weeks before the trip) and your shoes should be weared in
Day 1
22/08/2015. Gathering in St. Petersburg (individually). In the evening - train. 24h trip allows to feel the atmosphere of Russia, through the window you can see more northern and less populated territories. Spend time in friendly talks, getting acquainted to each other.
Day 2
Arrival at station Apatity, minibus to the starting point. Dinner and the first night in tents surrounded by mountains.
Day 3
Getting up early, going through Ramzay gorge to valley of Malaya Belaya river. No sights of civilization. Clean scandinavian landscapes (about 8h hiking).
Day 4
Going through Arsenieva pass, with rapid ascent and memorizable descent over huge rocks.
Day 5
Going through Southern Chorgorr pass, camping near to rescue base.
Day 6
Radial trip to Northern Rischorr gorge without backpacks. Russian banya in the evening.
Day 7
Going up to Southern Rischorr pass and Kukisvumchorr mount to beautiful Academicheskoe lake, camping in lunar landscape.
Day 8
Crossing Kukisvumchorr plateau to memorizable precipice, “blueberry descent” to M. Boudyavr lake. Taxi to Kirovsk, a night in a usual apartment building, getting to know how local people are living.
Day 9
Visit to one of three most Northern Botanical gardens in the world and local history museum. Kola Peninsula’s beer in local pub. Return train to St. Petersburg in the evening.
Day
10-12
Arrival to St. Petersburg and optional 3 days program. We recommend to take a chance to explore cultural and student capital of Russia, visit museums and go sightseeing. We will help to organize accommodation in hotel/hostel, Guest card (for transport and museums), and plan the program according to your preferences.
Important! Foreign citizens need to have international passport with Russian visa to participate this event.
We will help you to get it quick and easy. How to get Russian visa.
REQUIREMENTS TO PARTICIPANTS:
no special requirements, person with average physical capabilities can do it.
it is recommended to practice jogging a couple of weeks before the trip.
This tour is dedicated to: young people, who is not afraid of potentially severe conditions of Utmost North (even at summer weather sometimes can be very changeable), hikes for about 8-12km a day and who wants to see Russia which is not usually shown to foreign tourists.
Hiking route: amzay pas. - Arseniev pas. - Southern Chorrgor pas - CBRT - Northern Rischorr - Akademicheckoe lake - M. Voudyavr lake
+ 1 day in Kirovsk
+ 2-3 optional personal program in St. Petersburg
(two days should be reserved for train ride)
INCLUDED
- 3-times meals
- rent of common equipmet for group (including tents)
- guide for hiking tour
- motor transport on route
- first-aid kit
- visa support
- work of tour coordinator
- sauna
- accomodation in Kirovsk
NOT INCLUDED
- train tickets (~70 EURO) and plane tickets
- insurance and consular fee
- rent of personal equipment (backpack, sleeping bag, etc.)
- taxi from/to airport
- hotel/hostel and other expenses for optional 10-12 days (~150-200 EURO)
WEATHER EXPECTATIONS
weather in August +10..20°C at day time, 0..10°C at night (your sleeping bag should be fit to temperatures below 0°C!).
You should be ready to possible rain and strong wind conditions (please refer to our Take with you section)
ACCOMODATION (days)
1, 9 - train
2-7 - tents (please be ready, see „Take with you“ section)
8- rented apartments in Kirovsk
10-12 - hotel or hostel in St.Petersburg
MOBILE NETWORK COVERAGE
Mobile network coverage in mountain areas is weak, you can receive sms or call on the top of some mountains, but not each day.
EVENT COORDINATOR - Igor Tikhomirov
Mobile number in St. Petersburg: +7 911 937-96-00
Skype: Igor.Tikhomirov
e-mail: tour@exploru.com
COST and EXPENSES
22-Aug - 31-Aug, 2015
Tour cost = 340 (hiking tour, accomodation in Kirovsk, etc.)
+ train tickets (~70 €)
+ airtickets to/from St. Petersburg Pulkovo airport
1-Sep - 3-Sep, 2015
optional program in St. Petersburg after hiking tour (highly recommended) - min. 150-200 €
Visa support is included to the tour cost.
Other expenses: consular fee, additional sauna, meals in the train, etc.
HOW TO JOIN:
1. Fill our registration form here.
2. Take care of air tickets to/from St. Petersburg Pulkovo airport and inform us about dates and time of arrival/departure. our recommendations:
arrival time: 22-Aug-2015 till 16:00 (!)
departure time: 01-Sep-2015 after 01:00am (only hiking tour)
or 03-Sep-2015 (hiking tour + St.P.)
3. Make a pre-payment and apply for Russian visa (we will offer visa support) - min 3-4 weeks before the trip (!)
4. Check our list of necessary equipment and make sure you’re have everything needed (will be sent to your e-mail)
5. We will support with hotel/hostel reservation before/after the tour (individually) and will offer an optional program in St. Petersburg according to your preferences (very recommended - lot’s of impressions with minimum expences).
6. We recommend to practice jogging for 2-3 weeks before the trip.
1. How to get to St. Petersburg
International flights are not included in our tours so you have to find a convenient flight by yourself. We recommend to use one of following services:
Your destination point should be: Pulkovo Airport, St. Petersburg, Russia.
Arrival date: 22-Aug-2015. Time: you should have at least 3-4 hours before train starts to make a connection. which means that at latest plane landing time should be 15:00 local time (MSK).
Please keep in mind that this tour starts with train departure. If you are arriving the same day, please provide tour coordinator with your flight details for us to check that your flight makes it possible to organize a connection.
Departure date: 01-Sep-2015 after 01:00am (only hiking tour) or 03-Sep-2015 (hiking tour + St.P.)
You should have at least 3-4 hours between flight arrival and train departure. We strongly recommend to have a time reserve or arrive the day before.
2. Taxi from airport
we will help to organize a transfer from airport to hotel or straight to the meeting point. Please inform tour coordinator about your flight details.
3. Accommodation
we can help you with organizing accommodation before/after the hiking tour.
4. How to get to the meeting point
MEETING POINT
1. We will organize taxi or meet you right next to the gates in St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport
or
2. You can join us at the first day of our trip (22/08/2015) at Ladozhsky Railway station in St. Petersburg 2h before train starts
- will be agreed individually with each participant by tour coordinator.
TRANSPORT INFORMATION
if you would like to join us at the railway startion, please consult with tour coordinator about best way of getting to the station and how much time should be reserved. we recommend to arrive in St. Petersburg in the morning of the day train leaves and use taxi, which tour coordinator can organize for you.
Full list of necessary personal equipment:
Clothes
- Windbreaker (membrane, Goretex, important: resistance to water and wind)
- Trousers for climbing (membrane, Goretex, Softshell, important: resistance to water and wind)
- Walking trousers (any hiking pants, important: light weight, quick drying)
- Warm thermal underwear (upper part with sleeves and lower part (underpants), important: warm, good quality)
- Moisture wicking T-shirts (thermal underwear - 2 items)
- Sweater (fleece, Polartec)
- Warm Cap (wool, Polartec)
- Trekking socks - 2 pairs (important: special trecking socks (not ordibnary ones), good quality)
- Wool socks (for sleeping)
- Gloves (fleece) - 1 pair
- Cap / Panama hat / headscarf
- Work gloves (sold in household shops)
- Underwear
- Swimsuit (elective) (for sauna)
- Cotton T-shirt - 1 item (elective, useful for sleeping and rest)
- Towel (important: small, thin, better made of microfibre)
Shoes
- Special trekking boots. Producers: Zamberlan, Scarpa, Lowa, La Sportiva. Before buying consult at the shop (~10km a day, mountain area, membrane, resistance to water). Should be weared in!
- Change shoes - light running shoes (important: fast drying! minimum weight)
- Shoes for train / sauna (rubber, minimum weight)
Special equipment:
- Backpack with rain cover (volume: women - 80 litres, men - 90 litres or more). Important: backpack is one of primary things in hiking. It should be comfortable, for your size (especially elevant for girls), should have wide belt and ability to adjust the backest height and belt`s width.
- Sleeping bag (comfort temperature from 0°C), better with compressive bag, that allows to save place in rucksack
- Compressive bag for clothes
- Irethane-foam pad (ground pad, two-layer), inflatavle touristic one is also possible.
- Ground pad for sitting
- Trekking telescopic sticks (recommended)
- Headlamp
- Empty plastic bottle - 0,5 litres
- Toilet paper
- Toilet articles (soap, little tube of shampoo, little tube of toothpaste, toothbrush, etc. Important: little weight and volume, soap may be cut with knife)
- Mug, bowl, knife (for men). Important: special touristic sets have better quality and lighter, but plastic ones are also possible.
- Individual medicine (the one you usually use, if necessary)
Important: please check carefully that your have everything according to the list!
Photos on the route
