What is tracking and what is it eaten with? What you need to know about tracking? Types of tracking

Today, hiking or trekking is practiced by those who are tired of basking in the sun at seaside resorts and want to actively explore the world. The very concept of “tracking” is not very common in Russia. Meanwhile, there is nothing unusual in this word. What it means, what is the beauty of such a trip and which parts of our country are best suited for trekking, we will tell you in this material. Tourists who come to Sochi for active recreation often stay at the BREVIS apart-hotel, so we know everything about the most interesting routes.

How is trekking different from tourism?

Translated from English, trekking is movement or passage through mountainous or rough terrain. To put it simply, a hiking trip along a pre-planned route (track), which does not require special training or equipment from the tourist. This is a vacation in motion, the purpose of which is to contemplate nature and get to know local attractions.

The main advantage of trekking is its accessibility: absolutely everyone can do it, from small children to pensioners. In order to go trekking, you don’t need expensive equipment - it’s enough to have comfortable clothes for hiking, strong boots, a backpack and a readiness for impressions. Each traveler can create a route of any complexity and move along it at the most convenient time for him.

The purpose of trekking is not to overcome obstacles (although, of course, you cannot do without them), but to enjoy the outdoor recreation. Even if you choose, for example, the snowy trails of Everest as your route, a barely noticeable path that you can walk along is enough. There would be a desire. And even children can master the simplest routes.

Let's summarize briefly. Trekking is an absolutely democratic form of recreation, which also does not require significant material costs. Get ready, choose the route you will follow, take with you the necessary supplies of food, a tent and off you go!

Lost in translation

In English, in addition to trekking, two more concepts are used to refer to hiking: hiking and backpacking. We have already learned what tracking is. Let's get acquainted with other concepts, and at the same time find out how they differ from tracking.

Hiking is a short walk for one or two days, which you go on light. In Russia, this travel option is known as a “weekend hike.” Hiking is very popular in Europe - there are many routes along which you can walk without filling your backpack with food and hiking equipment. The difference between hiking and trekking can be illustrated with simple examples.

Example one. You decided to relax on the Oka. We reached the desired place, spent the whole day on the river, spent the night in a tent and returned home the next day. This is hiking.

Example two. You are going on a hike in the Altai Mountains. We made a route for 5 days, took our backpacks and tents and hit the road. This is tracking. As you probably already understood, trekking is a hike along more difficult routes, for example, through mountainous areas. Trekking is similar to hiking by following strictly defined routes from which you cannot evade.

Backpacking is a completely different matter. This is what we are used to calling a hike in our traditional understanding - free movement around the area without being tied to specific routes, with campfire breaks, overnight stays in the open air and other romantic attributes. Here you can’t do without heavy backpacks with provisions and equipment!

Well, to be honest, travelers often combine different elements of all three types of tourism, and these terms are used mainly by manufacturers of travel equipment. But now you also know about these terms.

Why is it best to start trekking in Sochi?

In Russia there are many places where you can enjoy the amazing beauty of the surrounding world and get a lot of positive emotions. And yet, the ideal place to start trekking is Sochi. This corner of the Caucasus is unique in its natural features: lush subtropical vegetation neighbors here with the snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus Mountains, numerous waterfalls and lakes attract connoisseurs of true beauty like a magnet. There is a lot to see and admire in Sochi, and this, as we remember, is the main goal of trekking.

Krasnaya Polyana is ideal for trekking, where there are numerous hiking trails located above sea level at an altitude of 960 meters to 2,200 meters. They are accessible to tourists thanks to specially equipped trails. You can also do exciting trekking in such areas of Sochi as Lazarevskoye, Khosta, and there is something to see in the city center. We will tell you about the best one- and multi-day trekking routes in Sochi in the following articles.

In short, trekking is a hike along a pre-prepared route - a track.

But still, a number of questions and disputes arise about the real meaning of this word, let's figure it out.

The word itself is borrowed from English and most translators upon request trekking that’s what they give out - “trekking” (already with one “k”), and in some cases you can see “hike” or “hiking” as a translation, although this will most likely come out if you enter hiking, but more on that later . Trekking should not be confused with the consonant word tracking, since its meaning in English is completely different and not related to tourism.

Most disputes arise about what type of tourism in Russian can be called trekking. Most likely, this is due to the difference in tourism culture here and in the West, and many here believe that trekking can only be in the Alps or Nepal, where there are marked routes and you can walk from shelter to shelter without using tents. That's right, this is real tracking, only the presence of signs and shelters does not define the concept itself. Trekking can also be in the absolute wilderness, overcoming untrodden passes and deserted valleys.

I repeat, trekking is an English word and foreigners do not have the concept of “hiking”, so everything that we call hiking, they will call trekking. Have you heard what they call a shopping trip these days? That's right - shopping, and good old body stretching is now generally called stretching. It's the same with hiking. Therefore, trekking is a hike.

How boring Americans are, you say, one word for all occasions. But no, in fact, we have one word - hike, and to it we add: “weekend hike (WHT)”, sports hike, hiking trip, etc. In English there are several more words that distinguish other types of tourism.

For example, hiking(hiking) - similar in meaning to our “PVD”, that is, a short walk for one or two days, during which they walk lightly. This type of travel is very popular in Europe, since there are really many routes along which you can walk without having anything that we are used to putting in a backpack before going on a hike. You simply follow good nature trails, a set route to the nearest shelter where you can eat and even spend the night.

Even in America they love the concept backpacker(backpacker), this is the name given to free travelers with backpacks (backpack is translated as backpack), who are not tied to a specific route, unlike trekking.

To make it clearer, let's look at examples:

The word trekking means walking. To be more precise, in essence, trekking is a transition from one camp site located in the mountains, through a series of passes and gorges to another camp site. The final point of the hike can also be a boarding house, a hotel, or any other place. The duration of the trek depends on the intended route, the number of passes that need to be overcome, the number of mountain rivers that need to be crossed, and the objectives of the hike.

While trekking, tourists plunge into the diversity of flora and fauna. Climbing up to the pass and going down, you can observe how the plant world changes.

Tourists spend the night in tents in sleeping bags or in wooden houses of mountain shelters. Food is cooked over a fire, which also requires some experience and knowledge of the characteristics of camp food. Sometimes people who have little idea about how to cook food at home show their talents in camp cooking. Usually, at the very end of the hike, if the conditions are right, the barbecue is marinated and prepared. The entire tourist group celebrates the successful overcoming of mountain obstacles, shares their impressions, and relaxes with a complete sense of satisfaction from the hike.

There are more and more lovers of active recreation and opponents of purely beach holidays. Swimming in the sea or lake after trekking is a completely different pleasure. Therefore, in order to get the full range of impressions and the necessary exercise, so necessary for health, people go hiking.

In order to successfully complete the entire route, you do not need any special training, but you still need good physical shape and endurance. Typically, if people jog in the mornings or evenings before going on vacation, they won't have any problems while hiking. The heart and lungs are well prepared.

Trekking routes can pass through a wide variety of landscapes: mountain passes, dense forests, snowfields, glaciers, madder and rocky ascents and descents. In order to overcome all these ups and downs, you need not only good physical shape, but also good shoes and a certain set of clothes.

You must have with you:

backpack (50 - 70 liters), rain cover, hiking shoes - sneakers or hiking boots, replacement shoes, warm tracksuit and sweater, nylon wind suit, shorts, sun hat, small flashlight, liter polyethylene water bottle , personal dishes, a seat, a personal sleeping bag and a mat. It is also advisable to have medications for your own needs.

Trekking usually involves crossing rivers. In all likelihood, someone is bound to get their feet wet. Therefore, it is imperative to have spare socks and replacement shoes with you for rest stops. Legs should rest.

Halts are made right in the gorges or on the banks of a mountain river. Rest and overnight stay on the river bank is always preferable, because tourists need water. If a group stops in a gorge, under a pass, there must still be a source of water somewhere nearby. The organizers of the trip will definitely think about this.

During trekking, radial excursions are made from time to time. What are radial outlets? This is when a group of people or the entire group leaves a parking lot or a mountain shelter to some particularly noteworthy places and returns back after a few hours.

These notable places are usually various healing springs (for example, radon), sacred places, monuments, sites of ancient people, or simply beautiful places associated with some legend. Guides love to tell these legends, as well as other mountain bikes. This gives its own special flavor to such a radial exit.

Trekking along particularly difficult mountain ridges requires more physical preparation than walking from one mountain shelter to another. This is something experienced tyrusts decide to do, who want to take more difficult routes and try their strength.

Typically, the daily trek of a tourist group is about 20 kilometers. It takes 7-8 hours. The best time to go hiking is early in the morning, when it’s not too hot and cold.

If the trek takes a full day, tourists have a hearty breakfast early in the morning, have a snack near the water during the day, and in the late afternoon, when the trekkers set up tents or settle down in huts, prepare dinner over a fire.

Any person who believes that active recreation is what he needs to recuperate can choose a route of any complexity and direction. Everything will depend on how physically prepared a person is, how interested he is in the route and the attractions included in it, and how far he is willing to walk.

What it is?

The history of trekking began in Nepal. A British citizen of Russian origin from Odessa, Boris Lisanevich, opened Nepal for mass foreign tourism. And the basis for this was trekking - a comfortable and affordable active holiday in the mountains.

Tracking - it is, first of all, pleasure and relaxation in motion, in a journey to the unknown. This is an opportunity to see the nature and people of another country as if from the inside, without the colorful wrapper of mass tourism. Tracking is democratic. Its routes are suitable for every physically healthy person, without age restrictions. Any trekking route can be completed. Only for some it will take a day, and for others - three.

Mode

During daylight hours, the group walks from 4 to 6 hours (depending on general physical fitness), taking into account stops for snacks and rest at remarkable and picturesque places. A feature of the trekking regime is a return to the natural schedule: early rise and early bedtime. The healing effect of such a regime usually manifests itself on the second or third day - people become calmer, fuss disappears, and sincere blissful smiles appear on their faces in the morning. On the route, the porters with things usually go first - they move the fastest, then the guide-leader of the group. Each trekking participant, as a rule, sets his own comfortable speed and the group stretches out along the trail. The second guide comes up behind. If the group is in approximately the same physical shape, a leader guide is sufficient. In the morning, before leaving, intermediate points for general gathering for a snack and rest are agreed upon. You can go trekking alone or as a couple. Depends on the mood. This is usually done by those who have already had tracking experience.

Porter

Porter is a porter. The most common profession in mountainous Nepal. Sherpas are a nationality; there is such a people in the northeast of the Himalayas. In Nepal they also work as porters. Hiring a foreigner for trekking is a great success for a porter. As a rule, the remuneration includes food and overnight accommodation. At overnight stays there are special rooms allocated by the owners for porters. Porters always dine separately, in their own company.

There are simple rules for relationships with porter:

You should not invite a porter to your table and, especially, offer him alcohol and cigarettes

Porter always packs the cargo himself; there is no need to help him with this.

It is not customary to feel sorry for a hired porter or show him your sympathy, although the volume and weight of a bale lifted on your back can evoke considerable respect

Payment for labor is usually made either at the end of the day, in one day, or in full at the end of the trip.

Moving along the route, the porter is obliged to wait for the owner of the cargo in each populated area and at obvious forks

A tip in the amount of a day's wages will be the best gratitude for your hard work.

You can leave old or unnecessary property to the porter: glasses, trekking poles, cap, socks, shoes

Clothing and equipment

In order to feel comfortable while trekking, you need the following minimum personal items:

Fleece suit for sleep and warmth in the evening

Sports socks - 2 pairs

T-shirt - 2 pcs

Lightweight microfiber trousers with detachable legs; during the day when it’s hot, it’s better to wear shorts

Light windbreaker jacket, it can be cool in the morning

Raincoat, with a “hump” - a recess for a backpack

Sleeping bag

Puff vest, for the evening

Fleece hat and gloves

Sneakers or “low” mountain boots with hard soles, preferably “vibram”, shoes should already be worn and fit well on the foot

Light sandals for relaxing in the parking lot

Medium terry towel. swimsuit

Lightweight trekking backpack on a rigid frame, with a ventilated back for 35-40 liters

In addition, it would be useful to:

Sunglasses with hard case

Headlamp with extra set of batteries

Telescopic trekking poles

Personal first aid kit. supply of wet sanitary napkins

200-300 grams of small candies - for treating children and for yourself

In Nepal, all this can be bought inexpensively in Pokhara, with the exception of shoes.

Meals and accommodation

To rest while trekking, people stop at inns - loggias. There is a shower, even hot up to a certain height, a toilet and rooms for overnight stays, usually for two and three people. The rooms are clean, the bed is not provided (you have a sleeping bag and a fleece suit with you), but the mattresses of the beds are covered with clean sheets, and there are fresh pillowcases on the pillows. If necessary, the owners provide cotton blankets. There is electricity. As you gain height, the decoration of the loggias becomes poorer, although the rooms are kept clean. The loggias offer a fairly varied menu. You can even order pizza. Another question is how long will it take to cook? To speed up the process, it is wise to order the same dishes for everyone. A reasonable diet for trekking is considered to be two meals a day, with a snack throughout the day. Moreover, breakfast is a fairly light, well-digestible food (porridge, boiled eggs, several types of omelettes, toast with jam, tea), and dinner is dalbat (rice, pickles, stewed vegetables and lentil soup), vegetable soup with egg, fried pasta or rice with vegetables. In mountainous Nepal, meat products are not offered. For a snack, they usually take with them dried fruits, nuts and Snickers. There is no lunch as such, since after a good table it is absolutely impossible to go anywhere else...

What else?

After a certain altitude, there is no electricity in the loggias, so it is necessary to have an additional set of power supplies for video and photographic equipment.

At night, it is better to put batteries, the main and an additional set of batteries with you in your sleeping bag - the charge will last for a long time. It's good to take a multivitamin and always have a bottle of drinking water with you. In the evening, in the loggia, it is better to walk in sandals, and unlace your main shoes and take out the insoles to dry. You should not leave shoes and things outside overnight - there may be dew in the morning.

You can dry a wet towel on the go in the sun, straighten it out and secure it on a backpack. You can hire a porter together and give him only what you need for an overnight stay in the loggia (sleeping bag, fleece, sandals...) You can go trekking with the whole family and with children from five years old - these will be the most vivid and unusual memories.

Travel fills and decorates life. And hiking is the most romantic way to travel. After an interesting and eventful trekking, a person returns to normal life with a huge reserve of physical and mental health. New impressions and a beneficial, strengthening effect on the body make people go on hiking tours again and again.

RussiaDiscovery offers interesting hikes around Russia, to the most amazing places in Russia. Do you dream of seeing the Putorana plateau? Do you want to touch the mysteries and beauty of Altai? Do you want to climb magnificent peaks and enjoy the grandeur of the mountain landscape? We offer routes that we ourselves are sincerely inspired by.

Active holidays on holiday weekends

A number of programs are designed so that the trip takes place during the holidays. Active recreation is the best way to fill your little vacation with events. A full-fledged journey and exciting impressions remain in your memory.

We propose to spend the New Year's weekend in Altai and celebrate Christmas with adventures in the Caucasus. During spring break, you can go on a trip to Crimea with your children. A variety of programs will allow you to find a trip that will match the dates of your vacation. Contact our managers, they will help you choose the best option.

Variety of routes and types of active recreation

The presented tourist trips in Russia include such territories as:

• Altai,
• Kamchatka,
• Kola Peninsula,
• Siberia,
• Caucasus,
• Crimea,
• Far East,
• Putorana plateau,
• Chukotka,
• Yakutia
• and others.

Trekking tours in Russia provide a rich program of active recreation, which may include:

• Hiking with tents;
• Boat trips on small vessels and rafting;
• Acquaintance with the culture of the peoples of the area;
• Excursions to historical monuments;
• Moving on SUVs;
• Visiting recreational areas;
• Horse trails;
• Climbing mountain peaks
• And so on.

Combined tours involve a combination of several types of active recreation within one program.

Travel conditions

Accommodation and meals are included in the tour price. Depending on the specific tour program, this could be accommodation in hotel rooms, in a cabin in the forest, in a tent camp, or even in a catamaran cabin.

The program is designed in such a way that the journey does not become just a grueling transition.

However, each walking tour presented on the site has a special mark on the level of difficulty. In our list you can find both extreme tours, such as “Primeval Kamchatka”, and tours on which you can take children from 8 years old with you.

All the basic equipment needed for hiking: cars, boats and equipment is also included in the price of the tour.