Publications

It was early May when we got ourselves to Kazakhstan. Some of the rivers were flooded, some still had winter levels. Water was extremely cold everywhere and I suffered a lot with out my pogies. Everywhere, except hardest rapids, we were kayaking as two teams. One leaded by Vasilii Porsev, the other one was trusted to me.

So, the final chord of our Sayan expedition 2008 started. We had 8km of hiking up river Biluty for the start. Today we woke up earlier then usual to pack up, put boats behind our backs and hit the trail. The weather was quite nice, sunshine and warm. We planned to run this river in three days. So we stashed everything that seemed not that important in the bushes, packed boats with real minimum of food and started to hike up. There were no trail and we were bush wacking through Siberian taiga, eventually finding an animal trail, which would end before it really starts.

We had absolutely no information about this river, simply because no one has ever been here before us. We only know that right before the confluence with Kitoy there is 15 meter high waterfall.

Before the Sayan journey even started, Vasilii spent ton of time looking at map, following thin line of small tributary of Onot with his finger. He just kept saying: “I have no idea how are we gonna make it. No fucking idea how bad is it gonna be”. The line was the small “Uleta Jalga” stream. We were supposed to hike it up to get from Onot to the source of Ekhe-Gol. The hike was 30 kilometers overall and we had two passes to overcome.

Next thing was not too difficult but pretty curved 6meter waterfall, followed by a short easy flow section and 15 m high drop falling into a narrow, 4 meter wide corridor. One could scout only from 50m above. The fall looked hard but possible. The hesitation of Russian crew were eliminated by the authority of Vasilii Porsev, who said he's not gonna run that. Lucas and Simon spent some time crawling the walls of the canyon and have decided to make an attempt

Our way to Tentek river was along the China border. Departed from southern ridges of Kazakh Altay mountain range we found ourselves just 5km from China. Cross the border from us was deserted Sindzyan-Uygurskiy region of Below Heavens country. Right beside the river, which is actually the border, huge mountains rise up in the sky. They are absolutely yellow, like sand dunes. Either by some caprice of nature or painted by Chinese because of some patriotic beliefs.

Two muddy streams roar bursting towards each other. Two brothers, two Naryns merge to flow together. Red walls of deep canyon thousands times reflect loud echo. Today we are coming up there again. We have to face those feelings again!

It showed up suddenly. Like blurred out from a blue of evening sky. We were surrounded by steppe. Endless burnt yellow plain as far as you can see. A thread of a road was dividing this plain in two equal halves, going unlimited straight line to the horizon. That’s where it appeared out of nothing. Vasilii just said: "Hey, girls, look. Mountains!"

We made this journey to Siberian Sayan rivers. I am absolutely sure that tons of kayakers will come here. We have already made plans for the next summer. But for now, read what have already happened.

Idea of running Kitoy river in Easter Sayan mountains, near Baikal lake, settled down in my mind very long ago...

It's the one of the most amazing places on Earth - sea kayaking with whales, kalans and seals and white water kayaking through active volcano  areas with geysers flowing into whitewater and marks of volcanic eruption everywhere.

The final of the novel "Yellow brick road" - Part IV.

"No one took attention to hunters words. Their words were not the first precautions we've heard from locals. We already got used to be told to be dead soon..."

The continue of the novel "Yellow brick road" - Part III

"Yellow brick road" - the novel about expedition to Pamir mountains - on the biggest and highest rivers of former USSR.