home Documentation Pillars on the understone Tunguska. Podkamennaya Tunguska (93 photos)

Pillars on the understone Tunguska. Podkamennaya Tunguska (93 photos)

So, another third of the total distance has been covered, only one of the three remains. And as it turned out, and as expected, this is the most photogenic part of the river. Now we know our capabilities, we know that the remaining distance is not so great and will not require too much time. Therefore, you can change your tactics a little and allow yourself to linger longer in certain, most interesting places. And this part of the river is famous precisely for its pillars, that is, remnants. And if your task is simply to film beautiful scenery definitely on Podkamennaya Tunguska, and without straining yourself with a long route, then for this you need to fly on a local plane from Krasnoyarsk to Baykit and start your rafting from here.
The first complexes of outliers, or so-called pillars, worthy of serious attention, begin already 20 kilometers below the village and stretch for about five kilometers. Unlike those that were found at the very top, on Katanga, these remnants are composed of basalts and therefore have a slightly different appearance. They were still monolithic and with smooth shapes. These ones seem to be made of bricks, even slightly reminiscent of the structures in the children's game "Lego". They stand along the banks as guards, as if they were guarding a river. Or suddenly fortress walls will appear, otherwise something wonderful will be guessed. Small canyon-like gorges formed by short side streams are especially rich in remnants; they spent days there in search of favorable angles. But the weather didn’t really allow us to explore all the possibilities. At one such site, where we spent a couple of days, we were lucky enough to get to know the local inhabitants relatively closely. As soon as we landed on the shore, it immediately became clear that a bear family lived here. Everything is trampled around, heaps are piled up, eloquently telling about the diet of the owners of this gorge. Apparently, a mother with two cubs is registered here. On the second day, the weather decided to provide unlimited opportunities for work, and we scattered from the camp, each in search of his own, the best angle. Or rather, Kirill remained somewhere closer to the entrance to the gorge, but it still seemed to me that there was something better somewhere further away, and therefore gradually, with work, he began to move up the gorge. And the higher I went, the more signs of the presence of local inhabitants I found. So I almost reached the very end of the gorge, it will be no more than two kilometers. This is where they made themselves known. It seems that they saw the intruder a long time ago, but did not reveal themselves. And here, one might say, my back was against the wall. The bear family, of course, could climb the hill and calmly leave. But this arrangement probably did not seem fair to them. At some point, about a hundred meters from me, the roar of falling stones was heard across the stream, then the bear growled menacingly, and the cubs began barking displeasedly. It was not possible to see the dissatisfied people; the dense forest thickets that hid them prevented them from being seen. He did not dare to go further, after standing a little for order, he retreated. So the sovereignty of the residents was respected, but they also calmly allowed us to work in the lower part of the gorge.

As a matter of fact, the mouth of almost any tributary, both small and large, turned out to be interesting here. A long working stop turned out to be at the mouth of the Great Nirungda, a beautiful right tributary. We arrived at the site wet and frozen. The weather doesn't allow me to relax, so again today I had fun with cold rain with a headwind to boot. And the harbinger of this disgrace turned out to be an unusual silky cloudiness, which they were not even too lazy to capture. The discovered object, that is, the mouth of the Great Nirungda, left no doubt about the need to pay attention to it. Along the Tunguska itself, with a long and high wall near the very shore, right up to the mouth of the tributary, remnants are built, and along Nirungda they exist. And this entire row of sculptures is headed by one bizarre stone structure, resembling either the head of a rooster or a man in a hat. It’s amazing how this figure, made up of separate blocks and seemingly completely unstable, still holds up. It is doubtful that it will last long in this form. But a suitable parking place was not immediately found. As it turned out later, there was a hut just below the mouth, but they didn’t know about it then, and they wanted to stay higher, because this is where all the beauty is. In search of an acceptable place, we went slightly deeper into the forest and came across a path that led to a well-hidden but good-quality hut. If anything brightens up the harsh life of such travel, it is precisely surprises like these, presented at just the right time. The catamaran, along with all its belongings, was dragged up the Nirungda, closer to the hut. Now you can light the stove, calmly dry yourself, cook dinner, have dinner at the table and go to bed on the spacious bunks. In every journey there is some moment, some point on the route, the memories of which then warm the soul for a long time. On Podkamennaya Tunguska this place turned out to be here, in a wonderful hut at the mouth of the beautiful Big Nirungda. And this despite the fact that we came here on the thirteenth on Friday.

Then we walked down the river for several days without stopping, but we weren’t in a hurry, we paid attention interesting objects. Immediately after Nirungda there are two easy rapids with funny names- Grandmother and grandfather. Here on the banks, pieces of jet are scattered here and there. Next is the village with unusual name- Polygus. There they tried to get in touch with Moscow, but it turned out that there was no such opportunity, either temporarily, or always like this. Immediately after the rather fast rapids of Muchnaya, we observed a large beached river transport, barge tug. People were fussing around it, they say they settled here in the spring, and they still haven’t been able to drag it into the water, but this needs to be done before the freeze-up. That’s why this rapid is called that way, because at one time many barges with flour lost their cargo here and were sent to feed fish. Very low big island Kochenyatsky spent the night in a small company at the mouth of the left tributary of the Dyagdagli. This couple from Sverdlovsk, rafting from Baykit on a rubber boat, was met a long time ago. Periodically they caught up, then fell behind again, busy with work. And Kochenyatsky Island, from the word numb, was so named apparently because someone here was frozen to death, for some reason not having the opportunity to get to the shore.

Then came the time of the Great Threshold. The severity of this obstacle was difficult to assess from the scant descriptions from old tourist reports. But local residents They scared me a little. Indeed, the rapids turned out to be the most significant on the entire river; we had to strain a little. But in fact, this obstacle is not dangerous for rafting on a catamaran. It just turned out that there was a two-stage threshold, which they didn’t know about. The second, no less powerful stage, received us when we had already relaxed and looked ahead victoriously, but then we had to duplicate everything. However, the obstacle remained behind without causing any damage, except for a little water that washed over my right leg. The imminent end of the route became more conscious from that moment. Only a series of Velma rapids loomed ahead, and then flat water all the way to the Yenisei.

Once we spent the night, not reaching three kilometers from the mouth of a large left tributary called Velmo. We spotted a comfortable hut on the right bank. Nizhny Baikitik, a small river, flows nearby. They occupied the house like a master, and a little later the real owners arrived, a man with a big beard and a boy, his son. We sailed to motor boat They were probably going to spend the night here, but they didn’t kick out the guests. Not only were they left with us what kind of food they had, they also shared the grayling they caught right there. Here, at the mouth of Nizhny Baikitik, there is a grid of them. In general, these are residents of Burnoy. Up the Velmo River, seven kilometers from the mouth, there is a village with that name. The river of the same name flows into Velmo there. And real Old Believers live there, not bad, they say, they live. Now it’s not even bad to be Old Believers; young people are not drafted into the army.
Velmo introduced a fresh stream into the waters of the Podkamennaya Tunguska. For several kilometers they seem to flow side by side without mixing - the clear and greenish Velma water and the brown water of the Podkamennaya Tunguska. The series of Velma rapids did not surprise us at all; they passed calmly.

Behind the rapids I liked the mouth of the right tributary, under the unpronounceable name - Maigungna. The fast and rapid river flows beautifully and noisily into the Podkamennaya Tunguska. We just caught the flood, and there were heavy rains. We can say that before our eyes Maigungna was swollen with yellow water and in a frenzied stream tried to quickly dump the excess load into big river. On Tunguska itself, this flood did not have much effect; the water level almost did not rise. Not far from the mouth, of course, we found a hut for our comfortable stay. It’s so small that you literally have to crawl into the doorway. It should be noted that in this part of the river, where the Old Believers live, for some reason all the huts are so small. Is it really true that asceticism is inherent in them? The two of us somehow accommodated ourselves in the hut, but here we also had to make room; the guests arrived on a boat, carrying some cargo down the river. They left two men to go fishing, and then they went on and would pick them up on the way back. Well, in cramped conditions, but no offense. We shared with each other what we could. We spent three days on Maigungna, but the weather still did not allow us to reveal the creative potential of this place. And the wind was so strong that the standing tripod easily fell to the ground. But we still caught a few interesting moments and waited for meager glimpses of the sun.
And then, in working order, they began to slowly move towards the exit from the river. Just above the village of Sulomai, above the Black Island, the mountains, as if saying goodbye, finally squeeze the Podkamennaya Tunguska in their arms, only to then let them go for good all the way to the Yenisei. This place is called Cheeks here. The banks at last delight the eye with their stone sculptures, the river meanders beautifully in a narrow and deep passage. In Shcheki we also spent the night in a small hut. It stands on a steep bank, high from the water, about twenty to thirty meters vertically, but, apparently, in the spring the water rises right under this hut. This stone neck is so narrow, serving as a kind of gate on the way to the Yenisei.
We reached the Yenisei on August 28, safely crossed this huge river from the right to the left bank and stopped at the pier in the village of Bor. Here we had to wait a couple of days for a passing ship to Krasnoyarsk and here our long journey along the Podkamennaya Tunguska, a river worthy of dreaming about, worthy of making dreams come true.

Day 1. Thursday. 26 July

Group gathering at Yemelyanovo airport in Krasnoyarsk at 13:30. Flight to Podkamennaya Tunguska. Upon arrival, transfer to the village of Bor in the Turukhansky District of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Excursion to the estate of the Central Siberian Natural Biosphere Reserve. Preserving more than 1 million hectares of land, the reserve is one of the largest forest reserves in the world. It preserves 120 km² of the Yenisei water area, 12 km² of the Podkamennaya Tunguska water area, and the basins of the purest rivers: Stolbovaya and Varlamovka. Visit to the Museum of Nature.

After this, you will be given a safety briefing. Boarding motor boats. Departure up the river Podkamennaya Tunguska(right tributary of the Yenisei). This river originates from the Angara Ridge and flows along the Central Siberian Plateau. Stop at the Sulomai Pillars. This canyon is a monument of regional significance. Egor vertical slopes reach 150 m. Picnic in nature at the foot of the cliffs, photo and video shooting.

Continuation of the route up the river. Podkamennaya Tunguska to the mouth of the Stolbovaya River. In the Stolbovaya River basin, in the very “heart” of the reserve, Paleozoic marine deposits can be observed. Fragments of sediments are washed out annually by small rivers of the Stolbovaya basin and form large spits composed entirely of fossilized bryozoans, corals, sponges, brachiopods and other representatives of ancient fauna. Arrival at the Stolbovaya cordon, 6-bed accommodation at the Stolbovaya cordon in a guest house. Dinner, rest, bath.

Day 2. Friday. July 27

Breakfast. Departure to the hovercraft "Khivus-6" up the Stolbovaya River. Arrival at the source of the river. Stolbovaya is the right tributary of the Podkamennaya Tunguska, the total length of the river is 61 km, the drainage basin area is 350 km², a parking and rest area, 6-bed accommodation at the Birakchan cordon. Dinner. Excursion along the rocky spit of the river. Birakchan, inspection of fossilized marine sediments of the Paleozoic era, whose age is 400-500 million years. Photo and video shooting. Excursion to the rock canyon to the Krutenky waterfall. Easy climb to observation decks canyon, photo and video filming. We will admire the picturesque nature of these places, a rock canyon, waterfalls, frozen landscapes, “red cliffs”, observation of rare species of birds and animals. Over 500 vascular plants are found on the territory of the reserve. The fauna of the reserve includes 36 species of freshwater fish. The Red Book includes: 22 species of plants and animals of the reserve, including: 1 species of mammals, 3 species of plants (orchids), 12 species of birds, 3 species of bumblebees, 3 species of butterflies. Return to the “Birakchan” cordon, dinner, rest by the fire, sauna.

Day 3. Saturday. July 28th

Breakfast. Departure on an excursion to perennial larches. Relict larches (600 years old), walking tour through the taiga. Return to the Birakchan cordon, lunch, dinner.

Day 4. Sunday. July 29

Breakfast. Fees. Departure down the Stolbovaya River to the mouth of the river. Kulingna. Relaxation on the Japanese Garden Peninsula. Picnic lunch. Descent to the mouth of the river. Stolbovaya. Photography at the Stolbovsky Guards. Arrival at the Stolbovaya cordon. Rest, bath. Dinner.

Day 5. Monday. July 30

Breakfast. Departure on motor boats to the village of Kochumdek - the place of residence of the Old Believers. Acquaintance with the life and way of life of the Old Believers, meeting with the elders in the community. You can try freshly baked bread from a Russian oven and the famous Kerzhatsky “hay-making kvass”, and buy souvenirs from local craftsmen. Thematic excursion. Return to the Stolbovaya cordon, dinner.

Day 6. Tuesday. July 31

Breakfast. Departure on motor boats down the river. Podkamennaya Tunguska from the Stolbovaya cordon to the village. Bor. Stop at the Sulomai Pillars, easy rock climbing, photo and video shooting, picnic. Arrival in the village Bor. Transfer to the hotel, 3- and 4-bed accommodation. Dinner.

Day 7. Wednesday. August 1

05:30 breakfast. Transfer to the pier, 07:00 departure by high-speed boat to Yeniseisk. Stops in ancient villages of the Krasnoyarsk Territory (during the stop, going ashore is not allowed). Lunch on the ship. Arrival in Yeniseisk 17:40. Transfer to the Yeniseiskaya Hotel. Accommodation at the Yeniseiskaya Hotel - 2, 3 beds. The hotel is located in the city center, has unique 18th century architecture and an ancient interior. Facilities are located on the floor, washbasins with hot and cold water, modern showers. The rooms are equipped with handmade pine furniture (beds, bedside tables, wardrobes), the halls are covered with carpets. The hotel has a dining room, which is located on the ground floor. Free time. Dinner.

Day 8. Thursday. August 2

Breakfast. Sightseeing tour in the city of Yeniseisk. Excursion to the Yenisei Museum of Local Lore. Yeniseisk - located on the Yenisei Plain, on the left bank of the Yenisei, below the confluence of the Angara, 330 km north of Krasnoyarsk. The city of Yeniseisk is called “a museum under open air", the urban development includes 94 architectural monuments. The complex of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery and four churches are unique examples of Siberian baroque, built in the middle and second half of the 18th century; they are close to Russian churches of the previous century in terms of their spatial structure and picturesque decor. The stone civil buildings of Yeniseisk are mainly two-story houses along the main street, on the embankment and central squares. Excursion to the private museum "Photo Hut". Dinner. Excursion to the private Plane Museum. The only collection of planes that is included in the Guinness Book of Records. Excursion to Monastery Lake, located 30 km west of Yeniseisk. Here, on a holy piece of Yenisei land, prayer services and the sacraments of baptism are performed. A great place to relax and swim. Return to the hotel, dinner. Excursion to the coachman's farmstead.

Day 9. Friday. August 3rd

Breakfast. Release of rooms. Departure to the pier. Boarding the passenger cruise ship "A. Matrosov". Accommodation in first class cabins (in the cabin there are 2 soft sofas, a wardrobe, a washbasin). Departure from Yeniseisk to Krasnoyarsk. Dinner. Excursion on the ship, travel information. Dinner.

Day 10. Saturday. August 4

Breakfast. Passing the Kazachinsky threshold - the most difficult section on the Yenisei near the village of Kazachinsky (233-240 km from Krasnoyarsk). Its length is 4 km. It is formed by rocky ledges, rocky ridges of the Yenisei Ridge, crossing the channel along its entire width. Piloting vessels against the current is carried out by the only special motor ship in Russia, the Yenisei, which moves by pulling a cable laid along the river bottom. The bed of the Yenisei at the threshold narrows to 350m, and the shipping channel - to 70m. But how beautiful is the Kazachinsky threshold with all its severity! Many artists have repeatedly painted its views. The rapid originates at Kamenny Cape. The water in the Yenisei makes noise and foams near the stones. The high hills of the river banks fascinate with their beauty, visible beautiful rocks, breaking off near the water, for example, the Eagle rock on the left bank. Amazing on the right bank beautiful island with the name Ostrovki, and behind it the picturesque Zaostrovskaya channel. The ship passes by a large transshipment pier and the village of Strelka, located at the confluence of two large Siberian rivers, the Yenisei and the Angara. Dinner. Travel information. 20:00 arrival in Krasnoyarsk at the river station.

Tour booking conditions

If you have decided on the choice of tour or you have questions, you can leave us a request on the website, write by email or call the office convenient for you.

To book a tour, you must conclude an agreement and make an advance payment in the amount of 20-50% of the cost of the ordered services, the remaining amount must be paid no later than 30 days before the start of the tour, except in other cases announced by the manager.

Payment is made in cash at the company's office in Moscow or Irkutsk, or by bank transfer to the company's bank account. All documents necessary for payment will be promptly provided by the company manager.

Ending. Started in the previous three posts.

The first complexes of outliers, or so-called pillars, worthy of serious attention, begin already 20 kilometers below the village and stretch for about five kilometers. Unlike those that were found at the very top, on Katanga, these remnants are composed of basalts and therefore have a slightly different appearance. They were still monolithic and with smooth shapes. These ones seem to be made of bricks, even slightly reminiscent of the structures in the children's game "Lego". They stand along the banks as guards, as if they were guarding a river. Or suddenly fortress walls will appear, otherwise something wonderful will be guessed. Small canyon-like gorges formed by short side streams are especially rich in remnants; they spent days there in search of favorable angles. But the weather didn’t really allow us to explore all the possibilities. At one such site, where we spent a couple of days, we were lucky enough to get to know the local inhabitants relatively closely. As soon as we landed on the shore, it immediately became clear that a bear family lived here. Everything is trampled around, heaps are piled up, eloquently telling about the diet of the owners of this gorge. Apparently, a mother with two cubs is registered here. On the second day, the weather decided to provide unlimited opportunities for work, and we scattered from the camp, each in search of his own, the best angle. Or rather, Kirill remained somewhere closer to the entrance to the gorge, but it still seemed to me that there was something better somewhere further away, and therefore gradually, with work, he began to move up the gorge. And the higher I went, the more signs of the presence of local inhabitants I found. So I almost reached the very end of the gorge, it will be no more than two kilometers. This is where they made themselves known. It seems that they saw the intruder a long time ago, but did not reveal themselves. And here, one might say, my back was against the wall. The bear family, of course, could climb the hill and calmly leave. But this arrangement probably did not seem fair to them. At some point, about a hundred meters from me, the roar of falling stones was heard across the stream, then the bear growled menacingly, and the cubs began barking displeasedly. It was not possible to see the dissatisfied people; the dense forest thickets that hid them prevented them from being seen. He did not dare to go further, after standing a little for order, he retreated. So the sovereignty of the residents was respected, but they also calmly allowed us to work in the lower part of the gorge.

Podkamennaya Tunguska below Baykit.

The right bank of the Podkamennaya Tunguska at the mouth of the Bolshaya Nirungda. Here, in addition to landscape delights, you can observe an interesting geological section. The remains themselves are composed of basalts. And at the base there is a noticeable strip of white rocks. These are limestones. As you know, it is a product of marine sediments. Further, the area rose and became dry land, where volcanic eruptions subsequently occurred. As a result, basalt covers were formed.

Big Nirungda before its confluence with the Podkamennaya Tunguska.

Stone idol at the mouth of the Great Nirungda.

Silky sky is a harbinger of bad weather.

Then we walked down the river for several days without resting, but we were in no hurry and paid attention to interesting objects. Immediately after Nirungda there are two simple rapids with funny names - Grandmother and Grandfather. Here on the banks, pieces of jet are scattered here and there. Further on is a village with an unusual name - Polygus. There they tried to get in touch with Moscow, but it turned out that there was no such opportunity, either temporarily, or always like this. Immediately after the rather fast rapids of Muchnaya, we observed a large river transport, a towing barge, thrown ashore. People were fussing around it, they say they settled here in the spring, and they still haven’t been able to drag it into the water, but this needs to be done before the freeze-up. That’s why this rapid is called that way, because at one time many barges with flour lost their cargo here and were sent to feed fish. Below the very large Kochenyatsky Island we spent the night in a small company at the mouth of the left tributary of the Dyagdagli. This couple from Sverdlovsk, rafting from Baykit on a rubber boat, was met a long time ago. Periodically they caught up, then fell behind again, busy with work. And Kochenyatsky Island, from the word numb, was so named apparently because someone here was frozen to death, for some reason not having the opportunity to get to the shore.

The village of Polygus. Skyscraper - administration building. A friendly woman is the deputy head of the administration.

Disaster before the threshold of Muchnaya.

Kochenyatsky Island.

Morning somewhere beyond Kochenyatsky.

Right there.

River.

Then came the time of the Great Threshold. The severity of this obstacle was difficult to assess from the scant descriptions from old tourist reports. But the locals were a little intimidated. Indeed, the rapids turned out to be the most significant on the entire river; we had to strain a little. But in fact, this obstacle is not dangerous for rafting on a catamaran. It just turned out that there was a two-stage threshold, which they didn’t know about. The second, no less powerful stage, received us when we had already relaxed and looked ahead victoriously, but then we had to duplicate everything. However, the obstacle remained behind without causing any damage, except for a little water that washed over my right leg. The imminent end of the route became more conscious from that moment. Only a series of Velma rapids loomed ahead, and then flat water all the way to the Yenisei.

Once we spent the night, not reaching three kilometers from the mouth of a large left tributary called Velmo. We spotted a comfortable hut on the right bank. Nizhny Baikitik, a small river, flows nearby. They occupied the house like a master, and a little later the real owners arrived, a man with a big beard and a boy, his son. They arrived on a motor boat, probably planning to spend the night here, but they didn’t kick out the guests. Not only were they left with us what kind of food they had, they also shared the grayling they caught right there. Here, at the mouth of Nizhny Baikitik, there is a grid of them. In general, these are residents of Burnoy. Up the Velmo River, seven kilometers from the mouth, there is a village with that name. The river of the same name flows into Velmo there. And real Old Believers live there, not bad, they say, they live. Now it’s not even bad to be Old Believers; young people are not drafted into the army.

Velmo introduced a fresh stream into the waters of the Podkamennaya Tunguska. For several kilometers they seem to flow side by side without mixing - the clear and greenish Velma water and the brown water of the Podkamennaya Tunguska. The series of Velma rapids did not surprise us at all; they passed calmly.

Old Believers from Burnoe.

Checking networks.

Haystacks at the mouth of Velmo

Maigungna is the right tributary of the Podkamennaya Tunguska.

Flood at Maigungna.

Maigungna.

At the mouth of Maigungna.

And then, in working order, they began to slowly move towards the exit from the river. Just above the village of Sulomai, above the Black Island, the mountains, as if saying goodbye, finally squeeze the Podkamennaya Tunguska in their arms, only to then let them go for good all the way to the Yenisei. This place is called Cheeks here. The banks at last delight the eye with their stone sculptures, the river meanders beautifully in a narrow and deep passage. In Shcheki we also spent the night in a small hut. It stands on a steep bank, high from the water, about twenty to thirty meters vertically, but, apparently, in the spring the water rises right under this hut. This stone neck is so narrow, serving as a kind of gate on the way to the Yenisei.

Podstone Tunguska in "Cheeks".

In "Cheeks" the stone sculptures also indulged in their own subjects. This one is clearly an Indian in profile.

Group self-portrait. Kirill is in the foreground. Somewhere already before the exit to the Yenisei. Someone, looking at this picture, said: “Well, you’re like brothers here.” Well, yes, two months together, in taiga conditions. Slightly overgrown.

We reached the Yenisei on August 28, safely crossed this huge river from the right to the left bank and stopped at the pier in the village of Bor. Here we had to wait a couple of days for a passing steamship to Krasnoyarsk and here our long journey along the Podkamennaya Tunguska ended, a river worthy of dreaming about, worthy of making a dream come true.

Well, for a snack - berries, mushrooms.

Stone berry.

Currant - sorrel.

Karpukhin Sergey.

In the middle reaches, the third largest tributary, the Podkamennaya Tunguska, flows into the Yenisei. The rapids river is distinguished by its unique wild beauty.

Along the right bank of the Podkamennaya Tunguska stretch the high wooded cliffs of the Yenisei Ridge. The most beautiful and majestic of them, the Sulomai Pillars, approached the river itself. They got their name from the nearby village of Sulomai, where representatives of one of the smallest peoples on Earth - Keto - live compactly.

Natural Park "Sulomaiskie Pillars" is located in Evenki municipal area(north of Krasnoyarsk Territory). It is a mountain canyon with huge slopes, the height of which reaches 120 - 150 meters. Vertical pillars of various shapes, with a diameter from 6 to 10 meters, the height of which ranges from 30 to 80 meters. It occupies an area of one thousand hectares. A unique ecosystem and the shape of the pillars, which consist of basalt rocks. Their outlines resemble human figures and have their own names “Grandmother”, “Mother”, “Granddaughter”, etc.

Traveling along the Podkamennaya Tunguska and Yenisei, you can get acquainted not only with nature, but also with the ethnic world, life and traditions of the local residents.

ACTIVE TOUR PROGRAM around Podkamennaya Tunguska and Yenisei:
The first day
We will begin our journey in Krasnoyarsk - a large cultural-historical center of Siberia. Let's take some time for a tour of Krasnoyarsk. Let's admire the main symbols of the city - the Chapel of Paraskevna Pyatnitsa on Karaulnaya Hill with a beautiful view of the city. In addition to the architectural monuments of the 18th-19th centuries, we will take the chairlift up, which offers an even more magnificent view of the city, the surrounding area and, most importantly, the Stolby Nature Reserve. Let's take a walk. Next we will have an excursion to the Museum of Local Lore, which is rightfully considered one of best museums history and ethnography of Siberia.
Did you know that you see Krasnoyars every day?!

Second day
After an early breakfast, we will say goodbye to hospitable Krasnoyarsk and proceed to international Airport"Emelyanovo", from which we will fly to the Evenki village of Baykit. In just one hour and forty minutes of flight we will find ourselves on the shore of the taiga beauty, Podkamennaya Tunguska. From here we have to make a 545-kilometer journey along the marvelous river to the very mouth on a motor raft. (route II difficulty category)
Preparation. Departure, and now we are slowly cutting through the watery expanses of Podkamennaya, admiring the untouched panorama wildlife, stone placers, bizarre rocky outcroppings. Overnight in a tent.

Day three
We continue our journey along the winding and rocky river. Rocky massifs stretch either along the left or along the right bank. Solid mountains alternate with “feathers”. Stop. Climb one of them. The panorama of the Tunguska floodplain opens up to be truly reserved. Overnight in a tent.

Day four
We overcome a two-stage rapid without any special swells, but with a powerful flow along almost the entire river. The mountains around become overgrown with forest. After one of the turns, following along a fairly powerful rift, we arrive at the first village along our route, Polygus, located on the slope of a mountain. Meeting the indigenous inhabitants of the village. Overnight.

Day five
We overcome the one and a half kilometer "Flour Threshold". The river here makes a wide turn, limited on the right side by a high rocky “circus”. Across the entire width large quantities- low, but sharp multidirectional shafts, with very powerful pressure. After the Flour Threshold, the mountains part again. Overnight in a tent.

Day six
We follow the “wide” branch along the large island. In the distance you can see high misty mountains - a real Siberian landscape. Tunguska continues to meander between the mountains, whirlpools appear. Overnight in a tent.

Day seven
We overcome the seven-kilometer Great Rapids. It consists of two stages. The shafts are up to one and a half meters high, sharp and irregular. The river gradually calms down and becomes wide. We get to a forest hayfield that stretches along the right bank. We are staying in the winter quarters. Let's take a day. Let's heat the bathhouse! Let's rest.

Day eight

We arrive at the mouth of the left tributary of the Velmo River. We climb it for eight kilometers and visit the village of Burny. Place of residence of the Siberian Old Believers (“Kerzhaks”) Let’s get acquainted with the history, life and way of life of the Old Believers. Overnight.

Day nine
After the confluence of the Velmo River, Tunguska becomes like a mountain lake. A calm, kilometer-wide mirror surface. Overnight in a tent.

Day ten
We arrive in the Old Believer village of Kuzmovka. Acquaintance with the inhabitants, the history of the settlement of Siberian lands by ethnic Russians. Let's find out why fellow believers support the “old way of life”, based on reverence for elders, hard work and respect for nature. Why do they not accept modern church and secular laws? How faith helps you survive in harsh conditions climatic conditions. Eight kilometers away is the Old Believer settlement of the “other branch” of Kochumdek. Getting to know the residents, history and way of life. Complete immersion in the 17th century setting. Only some details of our century bring us back to reality. Overnight.

Day eleven
We arrive at the borders of the Yenisei Stolbovoy State Nature Reserve. Exit to the right bank is prohibited. We follow to the mouth of the Stolbovaya River. Walking tour along the river bank to the waterfall. Overnight.

Day twelve
We are approaching the culmination point of our journey - the Sulomai Pillars. Tunguska is compressed, and along the banks there are many stone pillars with terraces leading to them from the water itself. Six mountain ranges successively approach Tunguska from different banks. Climbing the poles. Only from here can you truly feel the grandeur of the mountains surrounding you, between which the Siberian river flows quickly and powerfully. Day. Overnight.

Day thirteen
We pass a wide pebble beach, still framed by tall, beautiful stone “feathers”. A few more sharp turns between the rocks and Tunguska again spreads to one and a half kilometers wide and continues its path to the Yenisei among the low mountains. We arrive in the village of Sulomai. Acquaintance with representatives of the indigenous small people of Keto, history and crafts. Let's taste Evenki dishes national cuisine. Whitefish, Chir, Muksun in lightly salted, dried and dried form. Chuken cooked over a fire. Tea made from healing herbal infusions. Overnight

Day fourteen
Completion of the active part of the trip. No matter how sad it will be, this evening is farewell. Farewell to the Understone Beauty. After two weeks of solitary stay in nature, we have already connected with the rhythms of sunrises and sunsets. Already fascinated by the beauty. The memories are still so fresh from the stories of the residents we met on the river and its banks. The adrenaline that stood out on the rapids had not yet completely dissipated, but the gray-haired Yenisei was already hospitably opening its arms. Overnight.

Day fifteen
The journey continues. Entry into the Yenisei. Crossing a three-kilometer river bed to the village of Bor. Late in the evening, loading onto the ship heading to the polar port city of Dudinka.

Next we travel along the lower Yenisei, in the first class cabin of the three-deck motor ship "Alexander Matrosov". How nice it is after “living in nature” to feel the first benefits of civilization. Take a warm shower, visit a restaurant or bar on the second or third deck, enjoy the passing landscapes of the Yenisei taiga, slowly turning into the forest-tundra.

Day sixteen
The motor ship smoothly plows the expanses of the Yenisei. A few villages are left behind. Stop in the area of the village of Bakhta, which gained worldwide popularity after the release of the documentary film “Happy People”. Strong-willed fishermen and masters of ancient Siberian crafts live in Bakhta. If you are lucky, you will be able to meet some of them.

In the evening, arrival in the village of Turukhansk, which is at the confluence of the Nizhnyaya Tunguska. Visit to the Holy Trinity monastery with its almost four hundred years of history. On this day, an acquaintance with another religion rooted in Siberia will take place - Orthodoxy. Now the worldview of the Siberian man is the most complete. This is how pagans (Samoyeds), Old Believers (Kerzhaks) and Orthodox Christians (baptized) coexist in the distant taiga wilderness.

Day seventeen
In the dead of night (at the height of the polar day) we cross the Arctic Circle. The sun, high above the horizon, reflects on the waves with its reflections. The river and the village of the same name Kureika. Where did the “father of all nations” I.V. serve his exile? Stalin
In the afternoon we arrive in the port city of Igarka. Visit to the unique, only permafrost museum in the world. We go down to a depth of 12 meters and look at the block of ice, relict trees frozen into the soil, whose age is quite a bit 65 million years.

Late in the evening we arrive in Dudinka. Sea Gate Taimyr Peninsula. Huge icebreakers and nimble tugboats, as well as bright, colorful houses on permafrost and an original national culture indigenous peoples of the Far North. Farewell to the Yenisei. Overnight at the hotel.

Day eighteen
Visit to the Local History Museum, Folk Art Center. Transfer to the city of Norilsk, the pearl of the Arctic. The northernmost city on Earth. The world's northernmost factories and mines. Those who have not seen this city want to visit it, those who have visited will never remain indifferent.
Transfer to Alykel airport. Direct flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg.
This is where our journey through Siberia ends. Behind us are thousands of kilometers already traveled along Podkamennaya Tunguska and the majestic Yenisei.

The impressions from the landscapes you saw and the stories you heard will warm you with the warmth of Siberian hospitality for many years to come. All the best, dear travelers. Welcome to Siberia!!!

We arrive at the beginning of the program on June 8 in Krasnoyarsk, fly home on June 29 from Norilsk,
We're catching tickets!

Budget for an active tour in Siberia: 53,700 rubles.
Included in the price:
Accommodation in a hotel in Krasnoyarsk – 2500 rubles
Flight Krasnoyarsk - Baykit village (7800 rubles)
Motor rafting along the Podkamennaya Tunguska, three meals a day, accommodation in prepared camping conditions – 29,300 rubles
Travel by boat in a first class cabin from Bor - Dudinka (9900 rubles)
(Meals on board the ship are paid separately at your own discretion)
Accommodation in a hotel in Dudinka – 2500 rubles
Transfer to Norilsk – 1700 rubles

Additional costs during our active walking tour:
Meals on board and in the mountains
Flight from home to Krasnoyarsk
Flight from Norilsk to home
Personal expenses

Tours with Sergei Kuznetsov:
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After Baikit, after 1-2 km, rocky outcrops begin directly to the water. Here is one of the most picturesque areas on Podkamennaya Tunguska - Stolby. If most people know about the Krasnoyarsk or Lena Pillars or, at least, have read about them, then unfortunately, and perhaps fortunately, few people know about the Pillars on Podkamennaya Tunguska, except the locals, although this is a truly unique creation of Nature . An amazingly beautiful workshop stretches for 250-300 km. Openwork stone compositions on the right and left, with a certain amount of fantasy and imagination, changes in illumination and angle of view, take on different shapes. Now a sitting eagle, now a grandmother with her granddaughter, a tent, a rearing bear - and next to him a hunter with a palm tree (Evenki hunting knife on a stick) is ready to repel the attack. Magnificent lace fascinates and evokes genuine admiration. We can safely say that here is one of the most attractive places on Podkamennaya Tunguska. The first mate of the self-propelled gun was right: “You won’t regret it!” I was lucky enough to see a lot in the vastness of our Motherland, and the Pillars on Podkamennaya Tunguska, in my opinion, deserve the right to be included in the list of “Wonders of Russia”.

Pillars of Podkamennaya Tunguska. (With a certain amount of imagination you can see a lot here)

"Looking at the Sky"

"Women's Conversation"

The wind parted the storm clouds, the sun came out - and we managed to capture this marvelous work of Nature against the background of a blue sky with cumulus clouds, which only highlighted the wild beauty and primitive power of the Pillars. However, all this beauty is protected by obstacles that arise on the river. Here there are large shivers and rapids, most of which have their own names: Stone shiver, Gorlyshko shiver, Grandfather rapids, Velminsky rapids, Cheeks.

A surprising phenomenon, in our opinion, was captured on video. Ahead, 1.0-1.5 km, a thundercloud was approaching with a downpour coming from it. There are already 80-50-20 meters left. We sail in the sun, film a thunderstorm, and the rain pouring down like a wall is less than ten meters away. A plastic bag for sealing the video camera has been prepared a long time ago. There are 5 meters left - the furious noise of large drops is heard not only by the ear, but also by the microphone built into the video camera, and now we float into the storm veil, barely having time to hide the equipment. Such are the contrasts of Siberia.

We sail in the sun, five meters before the rain. Contrasts of Siberia

Grandmother, Grandfather, Semiverstny, Overkill, in simple terms - a revolution!

We spent the night near the cheerful and noisy, gray river Gaingda. The next day we sailed in clear sunny weather and enjoyed the taiga beauties surrounding us and the amazing Pillars. The long-awaited meeting took place here. We noticed a bear on the shore wandering about its business. They started filming. He saw us too. Local hunters say that the owner of the taiga sees rather poorly, which is probably why, in order to get a better look at us, he stood on his hind legs. He stood there for a few seconds, but, apparently, he was not very interested in us - and he calmly continued on his way. How could it be otherwise: he is the “Master”, and we are only guests in his domain.

In the afternoon we entered the Grandmother threshold. Located at 443.5-442 km. For navigation, especially for ships going upstream, it is quite complicated. Narrow, 60-70 meters, winding: at 500 meters there are 3 bends, a fairway and a very strong current. The water was deep, and we flew through it in our “frivolous boat” with almost no problems. Only the powerful, explosion-like outputs of bottom water, hitting obstacles invisible at the bottom, kept me in suspense all the time. We only collected 1-1.5 buckets of water.

After about 2-2.5 km, another rapid is “Grandfather”. “Grandfather” turned out to be less affectionate. The waves are 1.0-1.5 meters high, and the bad thing is that the kayak does not climb the waves, but pierces them - we began to be flooded. One of the waves not only covered his head, but, having rolled over the boat, left 50-60 liters of water in it. We rafted without kayak aprons, and this will end badly for us, but more on that a little later. Now the additional ballast, lowering the center of gravity, only added stability to the kayak. Having passed the threshold, we landed on the shore. They unloaded the boat, pulled it ashore, turned it over and drained all the water collected during the passage of “Grandmother” and, of course, “Grandfather”. Further, the mountains parted again - and soon we saw on the right bank a rather large, according to Evenki standards, village of Polygus: approximately 200-220 inhabitants. According to the 2010 census, for the whole of Evenkia there are 23 municipalities, and the total population does not reach 20 thousand - 16.4.

Passed the threshold Grandfather

Polygus village

We have enough food and household supplies, so we sail on. The nights became quite cool; we went into the sleeping bag wearing woolen socks. At about 2-3 am, someone large was wandering noisily not far from the bivouac. I had to go out, bang cups and bowls, and whistle. The rest of the night passed quietly.

In the morning there was heavy fog, and only closer to 9 o’clock the opposite shore began to be visible. Islands began to appear in the Podkamennaya riverbed, sometimes quite large, 2-3 km long. We are waiting for the “Muchnaya” threshold, which we were warned about in Baykit - “you will have to TORTURE there.” They passed the rapids well and were even almost dry, although cutting through the shafts 2-3 times, which were up to the chest of the person sitting in the first number in the kayak, they scooped up 10-15 liters.

On the second trip - again a pleasant, exotic meeting. A mother bear was walking on the shore with two young yearlings. The friendly company was 50-60 meters away, the current was quietly carrying the kayak. We sit, motionless, holding the oars at the ready. If mom doesn’t like us and she starts fighting with us, we have time to fight. The family wandered along the shore, and the kids still started catching up with each other. We enjoyed the family idyll for 5-7 minutes, filming it on a video camera. But then the wind brought our scent to the “hostess”. She froze motionless and rather warily, peered at the structure floating along the river, giving a sign to the kids, who became quiet, immediately stopping their games, and then continued her exercise with the cubs. However, after 2-3 minutes, she still decided to take her family away from the shore, under the cover of the taiga, out of harm’s way. The family slowly disappeared into the coastal taiga.

Bear family

We reached column 325! A very important column. From stories, descriptions and directions they knew that the most powerful rapid on Podkamennaya Tunguska is Semiverstny, or, as it is more often called here, the “Big Threshold”, located at 324-317 km. The river in the area of the rapid flows in deep canyon. The riverbed is a chaotic heap of stone ridges and ridges, rocky sides and spits, has a number of rocky ledges and is the most difficult for navigation. There are three sections in the rapid with characteristic slopes and the highest flow speeds: Upper, Middle and Lower drain. We landed on the shore with a catch in front of the threshold. We need to have a snack, relax physically and mentally, and, most importantly, prepare for the passage of Semiverstny. We packed all the photo and video equipment in advance in hermetic bags with money, documents, descriptions, a diary, and sleeping clothes. Well, with God, let's go!

The first stage went well, only a few breakers splashed the water, but no more than a bucket, however, on the middle drain, Big Water and rather large, disorderly waves made themselves known. They had collected a fair amount of water, and on the lower drain they were already sitting so low that the sides were almost at the level of the river. At the exit from the threshold we were completely flooded and gently laid on our sides.

Overkill - in simple terms, a coup. They swam for 400-500 meters, holding on to the kayak and trying to press it to the shore; with the other hand they held the waterproof bags so that they would not be carried away by the river. I managed to grab the chalk. I had to take a risk, leave the kayak and swim to the shore with a jowl. Then, firmly resting your feet on the stones, use a pendulum to press the boat to the shore. Having moored her, they put her on the keel and pulled out everything that had not floated ashore. Then they began to scoop up the water with the galoshes that were still on their feet, and when the kayak became lighter, they drained some of the water and completely dried it, turning the top upside down on the shore. While we were swimming in our clothes and then engaged in rescuing the kayak, hermetic bags, and equipment, we became quite frozen. We unpacked the waterproof bags, took out photo and video equipment and changed into dry sleeping clothes. Warmed up a little. We loaded into the boat and set off in search of things carried away by the river. There were 315 km left to the Yenisei. “NZ” food consisted of half a loaf of bread and two cans of canned food. We will survive.

After Overkill - in simple terms, a coup - in the Big Threshold

They began to collect along the river what had not sunk and what they could find. We caught up and pulled out an “iron” backpack with a campfire, dishes, and in it a bag with “five days’ worth” of food, although it was half empty and the grain in it was all wet, but it’s okay, no matter the fat, we’ll eat that too. The backpack found itself afloat thanks to an almost empty canister of sugar and plastic bottles of jelly, oil, gasoline - all of them together played the role of floats. Later they even caught a bag with a snack, with three handfuls of soggy nuts, raisins and dried apricots - they ate everything at once. While we were actively rowing in the dry, we warmed up, recovered a little from the stress of the coup, and then finding the right things added to our mood. By evening the wind had completely died down. At column 295 we saw a winter hut. Since water continued to flow from our tent, and we had a lot of wet clothes, we decided to spend the night in the winter hut and dry out.

Brothers in Spirit

During the rafting we spent the night in the winter hut only 4-5 times. Sleeping in a tent is much more comfortable in terms of insects and cleanliness. Now we didn’t have to choose - and we gladly took advantage of the winter quarters. They lit the stove, cooked porridge from wet cereals, dried out their “running” things and tent, and lay down warm on animal skins. It was a difficult and very eventful day. A meeting with a family of bears, an overkill in the Big Threshold, a successful capture of things, a good winter quarters with a stove, a warm dinner - what else is needed for Happiness!? Despite all the events today, we swam “our 60 km.”

We fell asleep to the sound of rain, which turned into downpour by morning. After breakfast we lay around for a bit, and then, deciding that we would still get wet on the next rapids, we hit the road at 11.30. There is fog on the river, but visibility is 100-150 meters, you can swim. It looks like rain clouds are floating down the river. Sometimes they clung to the coastal rocks, and through the “windows” that appeared they saw: a cloud lay on the river, and the tops of the mountains rose above the bad weather.

We approached the Velmovsky rapids, formed by a pile of stones and rock ridges. At this point Tunguska turns sharply, at a right angle, to the right. The current in some places reaches 17 km/h, varies, there are maidans and catches. We passed clearly. At the first stage, a small shaft threw 5-6 liters of water, and the second and third stages passed dry, only a post on the shore showed that the Velmovskys were already behind. Below the rapids - column "245", winter quarters and near the shore - 4 catamarans. We decided to talk to our brothers in spirit. It turned out to be a group of Muscovites, 15-20 people from the Azimut club, led by the famous supporter of tourism Valentin Abramovich Lurie. Rafting from Baykit to the Yenisei. We drank tea with the “brothers,” had a snack, and shared mutual impressions. Nina, the caretaker, gave us a pack of sugar. Very useful, because they drowned theirs. While they were having tea and relaxing, a motorboat with three men approached. They said: “A little lower, near column 235 there is a winter hut,” and what made us especially happy was that “there will be no more serious obstacles and rapids on Podkamennaya.” We decided not to embarrass the “Muscovites” with our presence; the winter quarters would be cramped even without us, so we sailed on. After 1.5 hours we found the winter hut described by the men, moved our things, had dinner and went to bed.

Kuchumdek - village of Old Believers

By morning the rain had not stopped, but had subsided somewhat. Having left a note of gratitude in the “visit notebook”, we set sail. We got wet pretty quickly: “there are no jackets that don’t get wet” and began to freeze, especially our hands on the oars. I had to wear canvas gloves. Although they get wet, they keep warm. The clouds are still lying on the river, they don’t want to rise. Every 5 km post is like a small reward, but after 60 minutes. By 16 o'clock we reached the village. Kuzmovka. We bought food for the rest of the trip. Life becomes beautiful and amazing again, only it’s cold. We found out: there are 8 km left from Kuzmovka to the Old Believers settlement of Kuchumdek. There are still 3-4 hours before darkness, we will have time to deliver a note from Nikolai and Lyuda to the Gustomesov family.

It’s drizzling from the sky and the wind has become headwind, we sail right under the shore, where it’s a little quieter. At the very least, by 19-20 o’clock, we saw Kuchumdek’s hut on the high bank.

They stopped and asked how to find the Gustomesovs. “Walk a little, there will be a house with a blue roof.” We found a hut and knocked. 5-6 children, small or small, poured out. For the eldest - Lizaveta, 10 years old: “My dad is gone, he went to Krasnoyarsk. Mom went to the village." About twenty minutes later, Mom Anna came - and everything immediately started happening. We were given a place in a large workshop, where the Gustomesovs’ son, Zhenya, 12 years old, lit a stove. While we were carrying things and settling in, children's heads constantly looked at us, then a man with a thick beard, Alexander, the brother of the owner of the house, approached us. It seems that the whole Kuchumdek already knew that the Gustomesovs had guests from Big Earth. “Do you need anything to eat? - No, thank you, we bought everything in Kuzmovka. But only if it’s bread?” While we were talking and hanging out our clothes to dry, we were made an offer that was impossible to refuse - to wash ourselves in the Bathhouse. “Now the bathhouse will warm up, they’ve already lit it.” While we were warming up, steaming and washing in the bathhouse, fresh cucumbers, milk, cottage cheese, green onions, and two loaves of homemade bread miraculously appeared on the table.

Then the porridge arrived. At dinner he told and showed on video the meeting with the mother bear and cubs. I don’t know what aroused more interest, a date with a bear family, or a “little movie.” The hostess came in to ask if anything else was needed? There are nine children in total in the family - four girls and five boys, and Anna (30-35 years old) is 7 months pregnant and will have her tenth in the fall. I asked permission to take pictures. Anna herself refused, as did Alexander, but they allowed the children to be filmed. Soon the male part of the Gustomesov family appeared at home - Zhenya, 12 years old, Kolya, 8 years old, Maxim, 6 years old, and Pasha, 4 years old, dressed in festive clothes. I photographed the guys, and then not only the girls, but also Alexander’s children came up. They calmly answered questions and then watched themselves with interest - “at a small movie.” For the night, Zhenya brought us a “bed” - a huge elk skin about two meters by two. Alexander came in. The conversation, accompanied by the crackling of logs in the stove, about taiga life, about the way of life and customs of the Old Believers, about rafting, meetings and the events that took place lasted long after midnight.

Elizaveta - 10 years old

Maxim - 6 years old

Pasha - 4 years

Anyuta - 8 years old

In the morning, blue windows began to appear in the sky. While we were having breakfast, packing and loading, they had already collected sour cream, cottage cheese, and various herbs - “you’ll need it on your journey.” The entire male part of the Gustomesov family, brother Alexander and his three teenage sons, came out to see him off.

Tunguska Cheeks

The sky became cloudy again, it began to rain - Autumn! We passed the "160" column. The finishing race has begun again. Snacks and rest are cancelled. We stayed in the kayak for 3-4 hours, stopping only when necessary. Now there’s another excuse: “you have to swim to victory so as not to prolong the pleasure.” Who needs it, why?? Trying to shorten the distance, they began to walk not along the ship's passage, but straight ahead. “Maybe it’s better to go along the fairway, because the current is faster there? - No, the hypotenuse is shorter than two legs!? What is an axiom in mathematics does not always work on the river. On one of the “hypotenuses” we simply ran aground - and this was with our draft of 20-25 cm! They got out and began to pull the boat forward in a straight line. When we finally settled in - and the water level was overflowing even through our galoshes - we stopped. They turned the kayak 90 degrees and began to drag it across the river - onto the shipping lane. Soon she swam, they were able to sit down and continue the rafting. In total we sailed for about 10 hours. Electronic, “waterproof” watches could not withstand the Russian extreme - and even after the overkill on the Big Threshold they had to be thrown away. We spent the night near post "125", having walked 75 km in a day, in an abandoned winter hut, very dirty, with a dilapidated stove.

From the 110th km Podkamennaya narrows to 90-120 m. We approach the Shcheka threshold. Shcheki may be difficult for navigation due to its great tortuosity and powerful current, but we passed here calmly. On both sides, fancy stone lace-pillars again appeared along the banks. The sun finally came out - and the mesmerizing beauty of wild rocks covered with taiga was a reward for the inconvenience. We engaged in photo and video hunting, enjoying the amazing beauty of the surrounding landscape. In the Cheeks themselves we saw a post “99” - here it is, the exit to the final leg of the journey. By Siberian standards, “it’s nearby, just around the corner.”

After Shcheki, the mountains recede, the river flows widely and freely up to 1.0-1.5 km and the vast expanses and vastness of Siberia can be seen far away. Soon we saw the huts of the village. Sulomai. They didn't come in. We have everything, and there are 1-2 days left to the Yenisei. A little further down we caught up with an inflatable kayak, reinforced with wooden logs for rigidity, with three men from Krasnoyarsk. We talked. They come from the Velmo River. Our frame “Salyut-3” is clearly faster than their inflatable “Pike-3” on the move. The men went to the shore: they planned to have a snack, we swam further.

We stopped for the night near post "35". When we set up a tent and set up a bivouac, from below from the Yenisei from the village. Bor a motorboat approached. In it there is a bearded man, a guy of about 14 and two girls of 4-5 years old. It's a small world - this is Andrei Gustomesov, the owner with whom they were staying in the Old Believers settlement of Kuchumdek. Returning from Krasnoyarsk, he recognized us - and how news is transmitted along the river is incomprehensible! He pestered me to ask if we needed any help: “Can I give you a lift to Bor?” They thanked us: “We have everything - and tomorrow we plan to swim to the Yenisei.” We said goodbye, the motorboat went up, we had dinner and went to bed.

August 12th is the last day of rafting; we got up late, when the fog had already begun to lift off the river. Finally, we are in no hurry. We’ll walk 35 km anyway, but we’ll still spend the night in the village. Bor, where we will wait for an opportunity to go to Krasnoyarsk. The day turned out to be sunny, small clouds only emphasized the splendor around us. There is practically no wind, only a gentle blowing goodbye. The river overflows widely, 3-4 km, and you can feel the backwater of the Yenisei. Behind the stone spit we saw the houses of the latter on Podkamennaya or the first small village from the Yenisei, boats near the shore. The village bears the same name as the river - Podkamennaya Tunguska. We decided not to pester, but to take advantage of the fact that there was no wind and Father Yenisei was kind, quiet, majestic and calm.

We will move to the opposite - left bank, where the village is visible. Bor and the pier of regular ships of the Yenisei Shipping Company. The width of the Yenisei is approximately 2 km, and we know how changeable the weather can be here, and the wind can get serious in 10-15 minutes. And joking with Father Yenisei was not at all part of our plans. 20-25 minutes of nervous tension and active rowing. The houses of the village appeared on the high bank. Bor, a lot of motorboats, and, just below, a landing stage river boats. We landed at the shore at 17:34 - that’s it, rafting along the Podkamennaya Tunguska from its upper reaches to the Yenisei was completed on the 44th day.

To the mainland

The last of the three great Tunguska sisters, the mighty right tributaries of the Father Yenisei - the Podkamennaya Tunguska - has been passed. Farewell photos, videos, sketches - and we went to the pier to find out the prospects of getting to Krasnoyarsk. It turned out: the motor ship "Lermontov" is the most a budget option, went down to Dudinka yesterday and will return only in six days. "Krasnoyarsk" is a high-speed motor ship, it will arrive from Krasnoyarsk tomorrow and will return the next day at 7.30 am. The duty officer at the landing stage offered us a 2-berth cabin with bunk beds for 300 rubles. per person per night. We decided that these 1,200 rubles would be better. We’ll spend it on tickets and luggage, and we’ll sleep in a more familiar way. After spending almost a month and a half on a hike, spending the night in a tent and wintering, it was somehow scary to pay money for dubious benefits in order to sleep. We pitched a bivouac on the shore, ate dinner in the usual comfort and went to bed peacefully.

The next day, at the box office we bought tickets for the high-speed ship "Krasnoyarsk" = 2,545 rubles. to the city of Yeniseisk. The "Kazachinsky" threshold has become shallow - and the ship cannot pass to Krasnoyarsk. Plus bus tickets Yeniseisk - Krasnoyarsk = 398 rubles. Let's go get acquainted with the village. Near the center, on the information board there are leaflets about the purchase and sale of movable and immovable property. Our attention was drawn to two adjacent advertisements. At one, the administration of the village council asks residents to limit their access to the taiga to pick mushrooms and berries: “Be careful: there is a mother bear with a cub walking in the forest,” and just below, local fashionistas are invited to visit the “nail extension” room. Civilization!!!

Yesterday's acquaintances arrived on an inflatable kayak. They also abandoned the 2-seater cockpit and set up a tent nearby. We united at a farewell tourist banquet with Krasnoyarsk residents around a fire on the banks of the Yenisei.

In the morning at boarding there are 20-25 people. We settled on the ship and paid an additional 385 rubles for baggage overload. (15 rubles per 1 kg) - and we headed up right on schedule. Under the rhythmic roar of the engines, almost the entire cabin, more like an airplane cabin, fell asleep. Gathering passengers at bus stops for the city of Yeniseisk, people sat and even stood in the aisles. Having spent half a day in the seat of a high-speed airliner, with a delay of 1.5 hours due to bad weather and headwind, at 19.00 we arrived in Yeniseisk. There was no need to worry that the tickets we had taken for the Yeniseisk-Krasnoyarsk bus would be lost. The bus not only waited for the ship to arrive, but also drove from the bus station directly to the pier. Apparently, the Yeniseis were well aware of the vagaries of the Siberian weather, and the flight delay of 1.5 hours was not a surprise. Another five hours of half-asleep in a bus seat. At 2 o'clock in the morning we arrived at the bus station in Krasnoyarsk. Although, I remember, when in 2005 we were returning from Dudinka in a similar way, the bus first stopped at the railway station. It was very convenient; most of the passengers got off there. I had to look for a taxi at 2.30 and go to the railway station, paying the night rate.

When we arrived, we immediately took tickets. I’m going to Orenburg in 1.5 hours, and Vladimir Fedorov is going to St. Petersburg, waiting for the train for 6 hours. I bought food for the trip, said goodbye to my partner, with whom I shared joys and sorrows for 47 days. Almost a day spent on the ship, then on a bus and with waiting at different stations took its toll: I fell asleep as soon as I was given a bed. Another two days' drive - and Orenburg. Summer 2010 is over, another interesting and exciting page of travel is closed.

You can do it too!!!

Conclusion

Summing up the preliminary results of the trip in "Summer 2010", I think that rafting along the Podkamennaya Tunguska can be conditionally divided into three sections. They can be highlighted and recommended as independent travel.

First segment: along Katanga from the confluence of the Kuusman tributary to the place indicated on the maps as the village. Ugoyan (uninhabited, burnt out). ≈ 250-270 km.

More sporty and difficult to navigate in a kayak. Depending on the water level, not all rapids can be walked on water; sometimes you need to wear clothes. It is especially worth noting the rapids - Delakonsky, Chulakansky, Ugoyansky. Although there are descriptions of passing all the rapids on the water, in battle, on a kayak, rafting on a catamaran is a more optimal option.

Second segment: From the village Ugoyan (tender) to the regional center Baykit. ≈ 1,000 km.

You can get to Ugoyan from Ust-Ilim along the logging road, quite close: about 5 km. Most optimal for kayaks. There are no particularly difficult obstacles, although shivers and rapids are not so a rare event. After 140-160 km they meet settlements, where you can replenish supplies. The largest of them are Chemdalsk, the regional center of Vanavara: yes air communications with Krasnoyarsk, a local history museum, the center of the Tunguska Meteorite Reserve is located, Osharovo, Baykit - there is an air connection with Krasnoyarsk. This part of the Podkamennaya Tunguska River gives an idea of Evenkia, the breadth and expanse of Siberia, and a complete impression of the taiga belt of Russia. If you wish and have time, you can visit the site of the supposed fall of the Tunguska meteorite. It is not particularly suitable for catamarans; quite often there are stretches of 3-5, or even 7 km.

Third segment: From the village Baykit, where you can get from Krasnoyarsk by plane, to the village. Bor on the Yenisei, from where you can go to Krasnoyarsk by boat ≈ 545 km.

In this area there are settlements Polygus, Kuzmovka, Sulomai, where there are shops and you can replenish food supplies. There are shivers and rapids on the river, some of them are quite serious: the Stone Shiver, the Gorlyshko Shiver, the Babushka Shiver, the Grandfather Rapid, the Polygusovskaya Shiver, the Flour Rapid, the Bolshoi (Sevenverstny) Rapid, the Velminsky Rapid, the Shcheki Rapid. Their permeability depends on the water level. Here is a complete set of the beauty of the Siberian region, the complexity of rafting, and the exotic landscape. Not to mention the villages of Old Believers located on the river and its tributaries. The Pillars are especially remarkable and amazing, deserving, in my opinion, the right to be included in the list of “Wonders of Russia”. It is not for nothing that this part of Podkamennaya Tunguska is most popular among water tourists. It can be done both on kayaks (necessarily with aprons) and on catamarans.

See you again!!!

Nikolay Kuznetsov

Russia, Orenburg

Email: [email protected]