Mountain Aino Karelia. Water kayaking trip on Ladoga. Tourist club "Sputnik". Climb to the “Roof of Ladoga”
In 2015, this route won the All-Russian Tourism Award “Route of the Year”: 1st place in the nomination “Best Sports Route in Russia” and TOP-5 Audience Choice Award! We invite you to a stunningly beautiful route along the Northern Ladoga region! Local residents call these places the “Finnish Crimea”. You will see the Ladoga skerries - amazing world rocky bays and narrow straits. During the 9-day trip, you will learn how to operate a kayak, feel the charm of exotic hiking, take a steam bath in the “tourist bathhouse”, see many interesting architectural and historical sites and simply relax!
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TOUR PROGRAM:
1. Water crossings on double kayaks on Lake Ladoga between its islands. It is possible to seat a third person - a child.
2. Visit to Mount Linnamäki, inspection of the fortress walls of the settlement - a refuge of ancient Karelians dating back to the 10-12th century;
3. Visit the remains of a Finnish school dating back to the 19th century, (masonry of walls made of cut stone, a story about the life of Finnish farms, “a school of Finnish saboteurs”
4. Visit defensive structures 30-40 years(unique structures for guns, dugouts, etc. made of stones and cut into rocks), photo session on a rocky shore with the opportunity to see “stone veins”, “dragon spine”, “road to paradise”, etc., predator plant - sundew, rare mosses and lichens.
5. Visit to the monument to the sailors of the Ladoga flotilla, which organized the evacuation of Soviet troops from Rautalahti Bay in August 1941.
8. Excursion to the cross of the Valaam Monastery- living evidence of the ownership of the lands of the monastery, purchased under Abbot Gabriel in 1899.
9. Climbing to the observation point about. Suri-Kheposari- photo session against the backdrop of the Valaam archipelago.
10. Visit to Mount Aino on the island. Karnetsari(Mount of Desires - 15 years ago a stone tour was laid, associated with the legend from “Kalevala” and the fulfillment of desires, now tourists come for the sake of desires, seismic dislocations (they were painted by N.K. Roerich - “Cliff”)
11. Excursion to Riutavuori- the view from this mountain was depicted on the 500 Finnish mark banknote
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12. Excursion to Vyakhtimaki- Dozornaya (Roof of Ladoga - 82 m above sea level), all of Ladoga at a glance, the road to the mountain leads through an old forest, reminiscent of the scenery of the films of Roma's fairy tales - the forest of Baba Yaga, goblin, lambushka with white water lilies.
13. Excursion to Tamkhanka Island - lake. HilconlampAnd- a spring lake with warm and clear water, rocks for lovers of diving, called Mermaid by tourists for the opportunity to swim without swimsuits.
14. Excursion to Valaam Island, Ruskeala Marble Canyon (for an additional fee) or other excursion program
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TOUR SCHEDULE:
1 day ( Travel time is approximately 30 hours)
6:00 Departure of the group from Perm from Lenin St. 53 (Dramater)
Day 2 (1 day in Karelia)
14-00 Approximate departure time of the group from Petrozavodsk
Transfer - Petrozavodsk - Meyeri village - 260 km
18-30 Arrival in Meyeri, accommodation in the field camp. In the rented “Finnish dacha” there is a hall for eating, a sauna, sleeping places for 10-12 people (attic).
Dinner, safety briefing, sauna, evening tea.
Dating evening, information on the route.
Overnight in 2-3 person tents in a clearing. Those interested at the “Finnish dacha” (for an additional fee).
Day 3(2 day in Karelia)
Breakfast
Collecting and stowing equipment
Transition Meieri - Palosarenselka Ave. - Vitta Ave. - hall. Rautalahti - 6 km
Dinner
Excursion program depending on weather conditions
- visit to Mount Linnamäki,
- visiting the remains of a Finnish school dating back to the 19th century
Transition from Rautalahti Bay to Hasiansalmi Ave. Sammatsari -9 km
Afternoon snack
Visiting defensive structures of the 30-40s
You can have a relaxation session at the “end of the world.”
Dinner
Fishing, recreation
4 day(3 day in Karelia)
Breakfast
Transition Sammatsari Island - Rakhkasari Island - 5 km
Lunch on a sandy beach, crystal clear, delicious spring.
Visit to the monument to the sailors of the Ladoga flotilla
Observation point for organizing a photo shoot of the Ladoga Islands.
Transition from Rakhkasari Island to Mikonsari Island - 9 km
Afternoon snack
Excursion walk to the “golden beaches” (sandy beaches about 1 km long, swimming, volleyball, relaxation)
Dinner
Evening relaxation, fishing
5 day(4 day in Karelia)
Day
Breakfast
Excursion to Putsaari Island - visit to the Sergius monastery of the Valaam Monastery 12 km
Walk along glacier-polished rocks, where you can take rare shots.
Dinner
Tourist sauna - heater (along the entire route it is possible to organize a mobile sauna at the request of the group)
Dinner
Evening relaxation, fishing,
Day 6(5th day in Karelia)
Day. Breakfast.
Preparing the bathhouse, walking through the island labyrinths, fishing, photo shoot. Dinner.
Tourist sauna - heater (along the entire route it is possible to organize a mobile sauna at the request of the group). Dinner. Evening of rest.
Day 7(6th day in Karelia)
Breakfast
Transition Mikonsari Island - Sammatsari Island - 16 km
Lunch on the way
Afternoon snack
Excursion to the cross of the Valaam Monastery
Climbing to the observation point about. Suri-Kheposari - photo shoot against the backdrop of the Valaam archipelago.
Dinner
Fishing, evening relaxation.
Day 8(7th day in Karelia)
Breakfast
Transition o. Sammatsari - Khonkasalo Island - 8 km
Dinner
Visiting viewpoints of the island, which is the most beautiful “skerry” corner Lake Ladoga, the most popular natural object Finnish excursion route 20-40 years of the 20th century.
On these shores in 1917-18, N.K. Roerich created his paintings “Sketch of Two Islands”, “Order”
Transition o. Khonkasalo - oh. Oryatsari - 4 km
Afternoon snack.
Visit to Mount Aino on the island. Karnetsari
Since 2015, the cleft in the rock, where tourists liked to take pictures, has been occupied by a beaver family.
Dinner.
Day 9(8th day in Karelia)
Breakfast
Transition o. Oryatsari - Heikurisensari Island - 8 km
Excursion:
- in Riutavuori
- in the town of Vyakhtimaki
Transition - Heikurisensari Island - Havus Island - 7 km
Dinner
10 day(9 day in Karelia)
Breakfast
Excursion to Tamkhanka Island - lake. Hilconlampi
Dinner
Transition from Havus Island to Meieri - 6 km
Accommodation in a field camp
Excursion to Valaam Island
Sauna
Dinner
Summing up, presentation of commemorative medals, farewell evening
Day 11(10 day in Karelia)
Breakfast. Departure by bus to Petrozavodsk (260 km).
At 14.00 Estimated time of departure of the group to Perm
12 day
22:00 Approximate time of the group’s return to Perm
ATTENTION! It is possible to change the route line (by weather conditions) in compliance with all declared services.
PRICE FOR EARLY BOOKING PROMOTION 30 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE IN 2017 (UP TO 7% DISCOUNT):
Adults: RUB 29,650/person.
Children and pensioners: RUB 28,650/person
TOUR COST LESS THAN 30 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE:
Adults: RUB 31,850/person.
Children and pensioners: RUB 30,850/person
PRICE INCLUDES: transport according to the tour program; 4 meals a day (except last day): tea, coffee, cheese, raw smoked sausage, fresh vegetables and fruits, herbs, soups, cereal and pasta dishes with stewed meat, confectionery, smoked fish and other delicacies; equipment rental: 2-person kayaks (can accommodate a third person - a child), life jackets, insulated packaging, sleeping bags with liners, insulating mats, 2-3-person tents, tableware; rental of equipment for general use (chainsaw, group tents, smokehouse, fire equipment, camp sauna), work of instructors, travel insurance.
ADDITIONAL EXPENSES:
1. Food on the road
2. Souvenirs
Ladoga skerries, the very “Island” of Pavel Lungin, an old Finnish estate. The reason for a trip to Karelia can be not only the popular Kizhi, Valaam or the Ruskeala marble canyon.
Do you have hundreds of stunning photographs in your photo album taken during your trip to Valaam? Have you managed to take more than one spectacular selfie against the backdrop of the rapid Kivach waterfall? Have you already taken a hike along the Ruskeala marble canyon with your whole family? We bet we can surprise you! Woman’s Day found five more places in Karelia that are worth visiting to…
Make a wish
Karelia – amazing land, covered in ancient traditions and legends. Here, wherever you step, it’s an epic place. Here, for example, is the Aino rock on the island of Kaarnesaari (Crow's Gate) in Lake Ladoga. Named in honor of the young girl with whom the old magician and the main character of the Karelian-Finnish epic “Kalevala” Väinämeinen fell in love. The young beauty did not want to marry him and threw herself off a cliff. At the same time, the cliff split, and the girl turned into goldfish. Now Aino, like Pushkin’s heroine, fulfills everyone’s wishes. True, to do this you will have to climb to the top of the cliff, taking a stone with you from the shore.
Photo Ladoga Estate
Mount Sampo, located on the shores of the picturesque Koncheozero, also fulfills your deepest dreams and desires. In fact, Sampo is a miracle mill, a source of happiness and abundance. She ground literally everything: gold, salt, bread. And in such quantities that there was enough for everyone. But the same Väinämeinen decided to steal the mill, and it was destroyed. What does the mountain have to do with it, you ask? In the late 50s, it was in these places that the Soviet-Finnish film “Sampo” based on “Kalevala” was filmed. Since then, the mountain began to be called Sampo. And since the mill fulfilled any wishes, the mountain named after it is considered a place of power. Popular rumor says: for a wish to come true, you need to tie a thread or ribbon to a pine tree growing at the top. But local residents They assure you that your wish will come true even without this ritual.
Where: Kaarnesaari island. Ladoga skerries, eastern side of the Honkasalonselkä Strait, off the southwestern tip of Oryatsaari Island; Mount Sampo. Kondopoga district of the Republic of Karelia, 2.3 km from the village of Kosalma.
How to get there: Kaarnesaari island. By car or bus No. 807 St. Petersburg - Petrozavodsk to the Sortavala stop, then by boat or speedboat; Mount Sampo. From Petrozavodsk take buses No. 128, 138 to the stop “Turbaza Sampo”, then follow the signs.
Climb to the “Roof of Ladoga”
No, of course, Lake Ladoga was not covered with a dome, as in the famous Stephen King thriller. That's just what the locals call the island Honkasalo. The point, of course, is not the impenetrable coniferous thickets, but the mountain. From the 80-meter high Vahtimäki, the most famous island object, there is a magnificent panoramic view of the skerries and open Ladoga. From its top you can even see the Valaam archipelago! It is not surprising that in ancient times the mountain served as a guard post. By the way, Khonkasalo is just one of more than six hundred rocky islands on Ladoga, the so-called Ladoga skerries.
Where: Sortavala region of the Republic of Karelia, Ladoga skerries, northern part of Lake Ladoga.
How to get there: by car or bus No. 807 St. Petersburg - Petrozavodsk to the Sortavala stop, then by boat or boat.
Stay in a 19th-century Finnish manor
Photo Ladoga Estate
In 1892, a wealthy Finnish landowner Oscar Petrus Nissinen and his Russian wife Verochka (nee Lisitsyna) founded the large Niemelyanhovi estate 16 kilometers from Sortavala. A beautiful two-story residential building with a tower, a pigsty, a modern stone barn for 70 cows and a stable for 15 horses, an elevator and creamery, training workshops - an ideal farm!
After the war, the estate slowly but surely collapsed until it fell into good hands a few years ago. And now on the site of the ancient estate there has appeared hotel premium class "Ladoga Estate". Historical buildings were restored literally stone by stone - on some of them you can still see markings painted with oil paint. In the granary building there is a museum of the history of the Nissinen family and their estate.
And the new buildings - 17 cottages and townhouses - fit perfectly into the landscape. Lodging here will certainly be appreciated by lovers of cottage holidays in Finland. Each of the houses is designed for 6 people and is equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable stay: separate rooms and bathrooms, a large hall, a full kitchen, a large terrace.
You can safely come here with children: for little ones they will provide a crib or playpen, a high chair and even a children’s bench-stand for morning procedures. If necessary, the child can be left in the children's room, where the children will be entertained by a qualified teacher. There are also slides, swings, and a trampoline on the playground. You can work out on sports equipment, or you can imagine yourself as a great artist and create your own unique work of art.
Those who value a wholesome holiday in luxurious surroundings will also enjoy bath complex with pontoons extending into the waters of Lake Ladoga, and an entertainment complex with bowling, billiards and slot machines. By the way, he was also located in historical building stables.
And from here you can go on excursions: the Valaam archipelago, Marble Canyon, Ruskeala waterfalls and even Aino rock!
Where: Republic of Karelia, 16 km from the city of Sortavala.
How to get there: by car. It is possible to order a transfer from St. Petersburg, Sortavala and Petrozavodsk.
Descend into the crater of an ancient volcano
Those who expect to see the volcano in its classic form - high mountain with a crater in the middle, disappointment awaits. Although the Girvas volcano, located 50 km from Kondopoga, is real. And one of the oldest on Earth. Scientists estimate that the last eruption of Girvas occurred more than two billion years ago!
But time and glaciers did not spare this ancient giant. It is not surprising that its existence became known only in the 60s of the last century. So, if it were not for the construction of a hydroelectric power station that began in those years, due to which the water level in the Suna River significantly decreased, we would not have seen such beauty.
It was a meditative trip around Ladoga on inflatable kayaks (three “Pikes” and one “Scout”). We walked around the perimeter of about 1/3 of the lake in the most interesting island northwestern (“Finnish”) part. Since we had no goal of going around the lake in a circle for a while, we zigzagged, visiting beautiful islands and skerries, waving their oars around 275 km. and another 20 kilometers of walking tours. We walked completely autonomously, in principle without entering any populated area, taking a break from civilization.
My most vivid impressions - delicious air. Not sea, not river, something different, your own. They wanted to breathe into all their lungs; it filled them with energy and some kind of romantic impulses. Gentle, almost sea-like, lullaby waves of open Ladoga. Wave-licked granite. Still preserved combat iron from the war. An abundance of blueberries, blueberries, lingonberries. Rare, cautious solitary seals. Noisy seagulls. Pine forests.
The hike was not sporty, but it was not a mattress hike either. With small forays to rocks, quarries, a monastery and other interesting places. Forays are half-days. There were no days. The weather was kind to us, except that sometimes it tested us with rain.
- When and for how long
Full sailing days - 14 (plus the day of arrival and slipway, plus the day of anti-slipway and departure). Departure there on July 29. Returning home on Monday, August 15 (early in the morning to be on time for work).
- Where
North-west Russia, near Finland.
Map taken from the site http://maps.yandex.ru/
- Arrival/departure
Take the train there to Lodeynoye Pole. July 29th Friday evening.
018 MOSCOW OCT - PETROZAVOD 19:55 arrival July 30th 06:30 parking 6 min.
There, two taxis with one trailer to Salmi are approximately 130 km.
Return on August 14 (Sunday) by train Priozersk - St. Petersburg.
08:25 everywhere daily
11:45 everywhere on weekends (we made it to this one!!!)
14:20 express on weekends
14:39 everywhere on weekdays
16:40 everywhere daily
18:51 everywhere daily
20:30 everywhere daily
The journey takes about 3 hours. Arrival at the Finland train station. Metro pl. Lenin. Next, take the 2nd stop to Vosstaniya Square at the Moskovsky railway station.
We managed to see (walk to the blisters) St. Petersburg. We managed to visit Dima and Dasha
More or less comfortable trains with reserved seat carriages sent to:
N 25 departure 23.00, arrival 8.13
N 63 departure 23.35, arrival 6.35
N 101 departure 01.00, arrival 10.05
Arrived in Moscow on Monday morning (15th)
And this map was taken from the site http://maps.yandex.ru/
- Route: details
The route covers the entire most rugged, island part of the lake, coinciding with the former Finnish part of Ladoga. Judging by the reviews of others, the main difficulty or even danger in our hike should be the wind. In our case, he did not become a danger. And as a “difficulty,” the wind interfered with us only occasionally, not stopping us, but only somewhat complicating our movement. As can be seen from the report, we did not stop our progress for a day because of the weather. I suspect that the wind is primarily a concern for frame kayakers. Our inflatables are buoyant even when upside down. Wearing life jackets would also make it difficult to drown in the summer. Probably because of this, and also because of our sea experience, we felt somehow calm even in bad weather.
I believe that in autumn or spring Ladoga can be more severe. However, hiking in this part of the lake, even in the off-season, will give you the opportunity to walk under the shelter of the islands.
| date | Place | Km water | Km walk |
| 30 Jul | Travel by car Lodeynoye Pole - Salmi 130 km. Slipway at the bridge. Transition Salmi - Uksalonpä Overnight at Uksalonpää Cape opposite Mantsinsaari Island |
15
| 0
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| 31 Jul | Transition from Uksalonpää - Cape Sirakko (Leppäniemi) on the island of Mantsinsaari - again from Uksalonpää - Cape Markinniemi - along the Varpasaret islands - unnamed island Overnight on an unnamed island between Varpasareti and Rukhkamosari island |
18
| 0.5
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| 01 Aug | Trekking unnamed island - Ruhkamosari Island - Pusunsaari Island (which is opposite Pitkäranta), lunch on its beach - Vuoratsu Island - Syuskyuyansari Island to the area of the Mursula granite quarry (there is even a garnet deposit nearby, but we didn’t go to it ) Overnight 200 meters from the Mursula quarry (Excursion to the quarry with elements of climbing) |
21
| 5
|
| 02 Aug | Transition of the "Mursula" quarry - Sikosari Island - Kulhonniemi Peninsula (Deaf skerry with a waterfall) - Rantasari Island (lunch in a beautiful one) - Ristisari Island (Cross) - Pellotsari Island ( sand beach in shallow water, flooded quartz microquarries). Overnight on Pellotsari on a cape far from the beaches, next to the trenches. |
26.5
| 2
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| 03 Aug | Midday. Transition Pellotsari Island - Thulolansari Island (bay). Laundry, swims to the neighboring island. Overnight on an island in the bay of Tulolansari Island. |
11
| 1-2
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| 04 Aug | Midday. Transition Tulolansari Island - Mount Aino (one of the heights of the Ladoga Skerries), which is near Oryatsari Island Overnight on a microbeach on the outskirts of Aino. Excursions to the "mountain" and around the island. |
12
| 1.5
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| 05 Aug | Trekking Mount Aino - Honkasalo Island - Suri-Kheposari Island (climbing to the featureless Leso Mountain) - Havus Island - Palosari Island - Sammatsari Island Overnight on the cape before entering the bay of Sammatsari Island |
18
| 3
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| 06 Aug | Transition Sammatsari Island - Rahkasari Island (Tvorozhny) - Putsaari Island (excursion temple/monastery, cross, mountain, ...) Overnight in a small storm on a tiny high island-rock in the south-southwest of Putsaari. |
20
| 1.5
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| 07 Aug | Crossing rock near Putsaari Island - Semengiemi Beach - Sikasari Island (Pig/White Mountain 45m) - Yukansari Island (47 m) with a beautiful, although often visited, parking lot under the mountain. Overnight between the Western Cape and the mountain of Yukansari Island |
13
| 1
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| 08 Aug | Transition from Yukansari Island - Yakkimvaara Bay to the village of Sorola - further, going around Sorolansaari Island - Sorolansalmi Strait - rock with a negative slope, 60m - Timonsari Island Overnight in the very south of Timonsari Island - on the Pöllönsari Peninsula |
22
| 1.5
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| 09 Aug | Transition - Pöllönsari - Papinniemenlahti Bay (Kuhka Island) - Cape Paksuniemi (Kuhka Island) - lunch on Kilpisaret Island - attempt to get around this island from the east (it was not possible to get around - a wall of rain and wind in the face) - going around from the west - o .Selkä-Ruskeasari (strong wind and waves) - eastern edge/cape of Kärpäsensari island (thunderstorm on the water) - Kärpäsensalmi Strait (fell into a luxurious rainbow) Overnight 3-4 kilometers from open Ladoga |
19
| 0.5
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| 10 Aug | The afternoon is “wet”. Transition o. Kärpäsensari - west along the Kärpäsensalmi and Sulasalmi straits to Kesvalahti Bay - then a little back, going around the Kalsalo Peninsula on the right to the fork between the islands of Kalkasalo, Savisalonsari and Kotatsari Overnight on a micro-island in a fork (the largest fire for drying and warming) |
13
| 0.5
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| 11 Aug | Transition - an island in the fork (see above) - further between Mykrimäksensari island and Harjusari island - past Lauvatsari island - to Koyonsari island Overnight in Tervu Bay near Koyonsari Island, where beautiful beaches. But there are a lot of people around, just like in the Moscow region. Therefore, we stood on the rocky side of the neighboring island of Haukkasari (Hawk Island). |
14
| 1.5
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| 12 Aug | Transition from Haukkasari Island - Koyonsari Island - entry into Kocherga Bay (approximately to the middle) - Kilpola Island Overnight on an unnamed island between the islands of Kilpola and Lapinsalo in the vicinity of pleasant St. Petersburg residents |
19.5
| 0
|
| 13 Aug | transition unnamed island between the islands of Kilpola and Lapinsalo - bypassing the island of Kilpola from the east - island B. Cherny - the mouth of the Tikhaya river - up the Tikhaya river to the dead-end lake Overnight in a dead-end branch (lake) of the Tikhaya river between the road and railway bridges |
16+6
| 0.5
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| 14 Aug | transition dead-end branch (lake) of the Tikhayav river - Lake Vuoksa - Priozersk Antistapel and departure by train Priozersk-Peter Walking around St. Petersburg, visiting Dima/Dasha, departure to Moscow |
8
| 10
|
| .. |
TOTAL:
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274
| 31
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I predicted an average speed of the squadron of 5 km/h with a relative absence of wind, and if with wind, then 3.5 km/h, realizing that Pike-3 with two adult rowers goes at a speed of 6 - 6.5 km/h, but Scout is unlikely more than 5 km/h. In general, this is how it was. With the exception of situations when fighting waves and headwinds, when the speed dropped to 2-3 km/h.
If we discard the day of arrival and departure, on which we also walked by water, then on average we walked in a day 18 km. Even though sometimes they arranged half-days for laundry or excursions. Essentially, this is 4 walks of 45-50 minutes each.
But on full days we had 3-4 walks before lunch and 2-3 after lunch. As a rule, the Pike walked for 30-40 minutes per trip, then landed on an island, went to be discharged or grazed (there were a lot of berries), then a Scout approached, who was also given time to walk. After which everyone started together.
Sometimes we arranged 4 meals a day, brewing tea or cooking jelly. You say it's too long and troublesome? In dry weather, 5-10 minutes after touching the shore, we already had a fire burning, a taganok standing, and a boiler on it. After another 15-20 minutes the water began to boil.
- Participants of the hike
| Person / Position | Security | 1. Nikolay - Admiral and in general | Pike-3 - |
Among the numerous lakes and dense forests of central Karelia, the mysterious Mount Vottovaara is lost. Due to its remoteness, it is not included in the list of popular tourist routes, but every year there are more and more people wanting to visit this unique place.
Many consider it one of the most mystical places Russia.
1. The most optimal way here from St. Petersburg is through Murmanka, but we are not looking for easy ways, so we drove along Sortavala - stopping at Ruskeala on the way. It's hard to count how many times I've been to the marble quarry.
Panorama of 8 vertical frames.
2. After turning to Suoyarvi, the asphalt ran out, which meant that almost half of the way we would have to drive on a dirt road. Toivola, Lahkolampi, Porosozero - the road is getting worse... After long hours of travel, and here it is - the treasured "Gimola" sign. The name of this village is probably known to all people who have visited Vottovaara..
3. This is the base camp for tourists visiting this Karelian wilderness. Further, on the way to the mountain settlements it won’t, but we still have 15 kilometers to go to the mountain, and another 20 on the way to its top.
Having driven a couple of kilometers from the village, the dirt road ends and the forest road begins. Branches shuffle around the car, stones fly out from under the wheels, and some puddles are even scary to drive into - the “real” road begins!
4. Some specimens of mushrooms could be cut without leaving the car, simply by opening the door slightly. Some stood right on the road, others on the side of the road, and entire families were hiding in the bushes.
6. I had a hard time understanding how we managed to cover the last 30 kilometers. The steep ascents and descents with huge boulders were especially impressive. I simply did not dare to climb into the last swamp. Not everyone can get there even in a prepared car. Those who traveled there traveled in pairs.
As a result, we found a small clearing where we set up a tent.
8. In such conditions, without a normal map and compass, it’s not difficult to get lost.
9. Mount Vottovaara in Karelia has a height of 417 meters and is famous for its futuristic landscapes with stones, cliffs and bizarrely shaped dead trees.
10. Many consider it one of the most mystical places in Russia, a place of power. Some even call her mysterious ancient civilization- Hyperborea.
11. At its top, on an area of approximately six square kilometers, there are about 1,600 stones (seids), laid in some mysterious order - a large number of megaliths, sanctuaries, altars, a stone pool and a staircase to heaven of 13 steps.
Vottovaara is also called the Karelian “Stonehedge” (listed World Heritage stone megalithic structure in Wiltshire, England).
12. The opinions of scientists regarding the origin of this natural monument are divided. Some suggest that this is an ancient religious complex, others believe that these are traces of glaciers and earthquakes. Superstitious people consider Mount Vottovaara in Karelia to be the seat of evil forces and a bridge to another world. According to psychics, this place has high energy.
13. Of course, I don’t know what kind of glacier can carve steps to the stones, split the rocks perfectly evenly, and what kind of earthquake can put a huge boulder (seid) on several small stones... But in any case, this place is amazing and bewitching...
14. The next day the clouds did not recede. We decided to move our camp lower, located at the foot of the mountain on the shore of a lake with crystal clear turquoise water, Lake Metsavelijärvi.
15. In the evening it was decided to try to climb to the top of Vottovaara again.
16. A miracle happened, and at some point the clouds parted. Well, how can you not believe in the magic of the mountain here? From the top there were magnificent views for tens of kilometers around. There was also an opportunity to explore stone sights.
17. This is the “Eye” lake in the center of the amphitheater.
18. Geologists drilled its bottom and took soil samples. The analysis showed the presence of a thick layer of phosphorus formed over a limited period of time. Perhaps these are traces of ancient sacrifices.
19. A pool of regular rectangular shape, behind which large stones are located on inclined slabs.
20. The altar is one of the main details of the cult complex. From somewhere it grew up in the middle of a swamp.
21. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to get to the stairs, because in a matter of moments another “fog cloud” flew onto the mountain. I had to go downstairs.
22. Mount Vottovaara in Karelia is covered in many legends and rumors. Someone here saw UFOs, ghosts, heard strange sounds. Some people's watches stopped, electronic equipment malfunctioned, and health problems arose.
24. I didn’t notice anything like that, but a visit to this place will definitely be remembered for a long time by its unique atmosphere and extraordinary landscapes. I hope I'll go back there again...
November 21, 2010. Three-day visit in late autumn, day one.
Route: Petrozavodsk - Lyaskelya village - Ladoga skerries, Pelotsaari island.
The eve of the day of my trips always comes at the wrong time, out of the blue, although usually the dates of expeditions are planned ahead of time, and the year is scheduled for winter.
Say: “What do you want, get ready and head out into nature. You live in Karelia, the forest is just a stone’s throw away!”
That’s how it is, but Petrozavodsk, just like the megacities, is covered with an insurmountable barrier - the cloak of city bustle. Just as you are about to emerge from the city swamp, you immediately catch unexpected calls and new offers in addition to yesterday’s deficiencies and, of course, long-term relationships begin (I’m talking about work).
Every time, again and again, you need to puff, strain in order to break loose, leave and on the way finally feel the euphoria of the road holiday.
At the end of November, the same favorable conditions developed - for several days it had been freezing for ten days, large lakes in southern Karelia While we were standing without ice, it was dangerous to go out into the small forest lamps, but in the forests the snow painted the graphics of early winter - beautiful.
Somehow on the coast of Ladoga?! Anything can happen - big water takes a long time to cool...
And most importantly - a feeling of freedom! - I handed over the main “tails” to the publishing houses, completed a six-month epic - filming and editing for a thick tome about the bankers of Karelia, and in October I collected a book report on the expedition of the republican branch of the Russian Geographical Society on time.
I figured it out and calculated that I had time to go to the plein air without absenteeism at the Academy of Photography; the period of the trip fit right in between the lectures that I have weekly on Fridays and Tuesdays. If only it didn’t blow before a specific storm on the way back from the Ladoga Islands. Internet forecasters of various persuasions promised from day to day clear sky in light winds from our northern directions to Russia. It’s not all about sniffing the sticky West.
I went to the bus station and bought a ticket for the minibus.
It’s not modern to crowd around the cash register window ahead of time, asking what’s wrong with the schedule, and is it true that tomorrow the minibus will go to the village of Lyaskelya? You could call and find out, or go online to the station’s website, but that’s it! - analogue relationships feel more reliable. I'm probably old-fashioned - I beat my feet behind a smile.
Of course, we got on the phone with Slavik. I have already visited him twice on the island of Pellotsari in May, I was invited for the summer, but there was no time... - and finally I got ready. It seemed like, why? - four hours by minibus to Lyaskel, they will meet you there and take you by car to the village of Khiidenselkya to the shore of Ladoga, and there will be a boat there. Half an hour and we are on the island. Such plans...
Everything came together - the ticket was purchased, and I was among the eight passengers. The “minibus” in its winter version turned out to be a full-fledged bus and started from Petrozavodsk on time, at eight in the morning, but with a peculiarity - a call at the city of Pitkyaranta - it’s a loop of about forty minutes to the direct route. In November, the days around the world are short, and I have few “free” days - I have a lot of plans... and I felt like a “cut-down vacationer”.
It was confirmed by the hour - we found ourselves in Lyaskelya, on the square near the new bridge, where regular buses are picketed by border guards in the afternoon. Checking documents is confirmation of formal adaptation in society... That's all true. I came out into the air.
A grandfather called out to me from a shabby car, said my name, and what Vyacheslav asked him to do: “He said, I need to meet a friend - that is, you. Don’t ask about the price... there’s no need to offer money - and I won’t take it, we don’t live for money. I myself am from Sortavala, but in Khiidenselkya, in Soviet terms - Lumber Factory - I have a house, the road is a little ten kilometers away." We got home in a flash.
In the village at the mouth of the Yanis River, a red PVC “Corsair” with a forty-horsepower engine was moored at a collapsed pier, and here Vyacheslav and a girl were waiting for me, dressed in snowmobile combi-sets, but without helmets, and in earflaps.
They said hello, Slavik nodded at the girl, saying, Vita - a local, meet me - asked to go on an excursion to the lake. By evening we will return it to the village, but now hold on - the water splashes and freezes as it flies.
I turned on the jeep, grumbled - there are three hours of light left, can we get somewhere in time?.. Slavik promised to immediately taxi to the “Aino rock”, but for now a few words on the banks.
They walked near the ribs of the barge’s skeleton: “It was the Valaam monks who ran the scow aground several years ago... They came for hay, but they were still sailors... Look what was left after the storms. It seems that the locals are also making a fuss here in the winter...”
On the birches rising from the water, either towards old Finnish fields, or towards modern fires, black grouse sat. Twenty-seven birds were counted. You could hear Slava clicking behind the engine: “Here they are, my dears!” I yelled: “Don’t turn off the engine!!!” - and managed to take a few shots on the go.
In some places there was already ice on the calm water between the islands. So, a centimeter foam, but we are almost on rubber... Then - a circle, another circle around its axis - the wave breaks the ice crust, then slowly...
...I would call one of the straits “Muskrat Channel.” To the right, to the left, at a distance of fifty meters one after another, their feeding huts stick out everywhere. IN bottleneck the coastal reeds almost closed their yellow sheets, and our red boat rustled along the ice floes on the stems, squeezed to the exit from the muskrat kingdom and jumped out into the wide water... The ice floes swayed on the reeds, as if seeing off - the skerries ended, two hundred kilometers to the south of us open lake.
We turned east. Again a narrow strait, the granite shores of Oryatsari... Turn, a steep cliff on the right: “Oh, neotectonics! Rock named after Aino!!!"
Yes, if the first bride of the legendary Väinemöinen was supposed to drown herself, it would only happen here. It’s immediately obvious and any bride knows that the place is wonderful: harsh, strict, beautiful. I found out and saw these cliffs in other people’s photographs - from photographer Juha Taskinen and in tourist reports from kayakers. Yeah, now let's get to know each other.
The echo multiplies the quiet sobs of the engine, and we smoothly glide along the shore. Islands made of amphibolite and gray granites, broken by veins of calcite, I know this, and have seen more than once, but now this firmament is covered with snow. The rocky cornices weep with meter-long icicles, and there are ferns in the crevices. Some kind of Woodsia, oh!
A huge piece of rock broke off and now stands next to the island massif - Rock of Love, Aino Rock, as the locals call it, and so it has become entrenched in the blogosphere. That is the north-eastern side of the island of Kornetsari, on fine long summer days the sun probably peeks here only in the mornings and at sunset. In addition to the mythological, there is also real story the life of people in the area and on the islands, especially active in the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries: there was saxifrage, fishing and rural activities of peasants, on the islands there were farms, schools... There were visits of Finnish officials and rulers, local residents met them at Kornetsaari and hats to the air...
The whitish stripe indicates how the water level has dropped this year, by almost a meter compared to May. A little higher than the flood line, tourists marked their presence and musical preferences with paint; even higher, on the main granite wall, with a fair amount of imagination, you can see anthropomorphic figures if you look from the water. But not always, only around the world and not everyone sees this. For example, the woman seemed worthy to me, with a sovereign face.
...Slippery, steep: the guys helped me climb the mountain - they dragged the trunk.
Here they are - the views! However, it’s dark: the sensitivity in the camera is raised beyond the limit of landscape decency, I don’t have a tripod with me, but I need to take pictures when I get the chance again.
A boat buzzed below - hunters appeared in the strait, maybe inspectors from the State Inspectorate of the Inspectorate, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and other security forces... They walked past the rock, but returned - they noticed an empty boat moored at the rock. We shout at them from above, from forty meters, that everything is in order - go your own way!.. They seem to understand, but they circle incredulously... they soon leave. But we have almost descended from the cliff - it’s time, our maiden Vita also needs to get to the mainland.
We make a semicircle to the northeast, half an hour of open lake and now we are moored at the barge of the Pellotsari pier. Slava Chistyakov, who in his jeeping past bore the proud name Tank, lives and governs here.
We were greeted by the kindly cat Vaska. We have known each other since May, we saw each other on the deck, and while still a small kitten, he took a liking to the mooring bay as a bed. Vaska was brought from the mainland in the spring of this year - in the docking facilities it’s like without a pet?! I'm petting him now - he's grown up, cat! And the mooring seemed to have aged six months, turned white - covered with frost.
The breeze has intensified, and ice flakes rustle between the ridges on the waves. We went under the roof... Vyacheslav started the generator, turned on the lights, and put on the kettle. It became clear how dark it was outside.
The girl Vita looked questioningly: “Slava, how can we go to the shore? On the lake - poke your eyes out! " “But we won’t go anywhere... we’ll send you away!.. It’s okay to worry - Sergeich is taxiing past us from the fields, he’ll pick you up. Get ready, we've already called. So, it’s like this - I’ll go to Sortavala tomorrow on business, and you, Igor, will stay on the island. You'll find something to do. And you, Vita, call me as soon as you get ashore!”
The cat lay down at my feet. I turned off the jeep, tomorrow's walking tracks around the island were very familiar to me.
Mouth of the Yanis River. Boathouses and berths.
Interesting shaped zoomorph, view from NE. Aino Rock on a nearby island.