Travel book: Lake Baikal, an ice desert

Travel book: Lake Baikal, an ice desert

An ice desert as far as the eye can see, a frozen lake over hundreds of kilometers, an ice cream so clear that you can see its reflection.This is the baikal, pearl of Siberia and sacred sea of the shamans of the region.More than 4,000 kilometers from Moscow, not far from the Mongolian border, this lake is the oldest and deepest in the world.

Nour Rahel

The idea of exploring these distant banks in reality was blown to me by the book of Sylvain Tessondans The Forests of Siberia, discovered a few years ago on the advice of a friend.Eager to reconnect with nature, the author performs a long -term getaway in Siberia.In the deepest solitude, he will spend his days by the Baikal Lake to read, write and admire the landscapes available to him.The description of the tranquility of this little paradise hidden in the heart of the great Siberian forests fascinated me and made me want to put my veils in its direction.Several years have passed before such an occasion presents itself.In the spring of 2019, however, I took advantage of the last weeks before the melting of ice to jump on an Irkutsk towards Irkutsk, the largest city on the banks of the lake, moving away 8,000 kilometers from my native Morocco.A first.

Irkutsk: Welcome to Siberia

Nour Rahel

Upon my arrival, a snowstorm covers Irkutsk, the Siberian cold is therefore not a myth.Founded in 1661 by explorer Iakov Pokhabov, this city of 600,000 inhabitants surprises me.Unlike all the other cited in this country, it is distinguished by a mixture of imperial and rustic architectures.The center brings together sumptuous buildings, only two floors high and hosting theaters, operas and shops today.Not far from there, whole streets hide small Russian wooden houses, restored and inhabited to the present day.It is only 8:00 p.m., but the streets are deserted, the storm had to whisper to the inhabitants to take shelter at home.We return, tomorrow we will go to the lake, and it is impossible for the cold to make us change projects.

>>> Un week-end à Irkoutsk et sur le Baïkal pour tomber amoureux de la Sibérie

Listvianka: First stop by the lake

Barely mounted aboard the bus that takes us to the small village of Listvianka, we dive into the Siberian forest.The storm of the day before seems to have calmed down and a beautiful sun is sparkling the snow still fresh at the foot of the trees.After an hour, the forest landscape gives way to a large extent of ice.So that's it, Baikal, or Baïgal nour as its first inhabitants called it.

Nour Rahel

At five time zones of Moscow, the lake lives at its own pace.Indeed, thanks to his geographic location, he freezes for a long part of the year and melts until the end of spring.Navigation is therefore governed by the laws of nature, but man has managed to get around them by taking his frozen surface like a real ice road: trucks, cars and aerogle meters coexist here with the sleds of Rennes and Dogs.

Nour Rahel

We walk on the lake for hours without being able to detach our eyes from the landscapes.The sun sets and colors the sky of a thousand and one nuances.As soon as the nightfall, an icy wind blows, we are in Siberia, let's not forget."You come from afar, rest."The lake will still be there tomorrow ”, the receptionist guess our wonder.

Nour Rahel

Unusual meeting

Carnet de voyage: le lac Baïkal, un désert de glace

What cannot escape your attention when you are by the Siberian "sea" is the abundance of colored ribbons adorning the trunks of the trees.As will be explained by our new Bourriates friends, it is a ritual during which representatives of this people shared between Buddhist and Shamanic beliefs ask the divine powers to protect the lake or thank him for the fish that theyGives, fishing being an important activity for the inhabitants of the region.Even in winter, they do not hesitate to dig the ice to take out the precious Omoul.

Residing between Russia, Mongolia and China, this ethnicity militates for the protection of the lake and the neighboring nature, the Baikal being for their culture a sacred point around which spiritual rites have been organizing since the dawn of time.

>>> Vallée sibérienne de la Tounka: fascinante héritière des Mongols et observatrice des corps célestes

Nour Rahel

Like their ancestors, they dance around a fire by singing and reciting prayers recalling the sounds of nature and cries of animals.Usually preceding the hunting season, these rituals can last overnight.During this ancestral dance, the dancers stand by the hand and revolve around the flames, sending a message of peace - indeed, agreeing to dance together, the inhabitants forgive themselves all the conflicts that have occurred in the past.

Second day: the lake seen from above

"Do you want to go up to the Observatory on foot?This is the first time that I have been asked that.Climb the mountain, and you will see it at the end ”.No sooner said than done.We climb the mountain to reach the region's astrophysics center.The climb will have lasted 40 minutes and will lead us to a breathtaking point of view on the lake and the buummy mountains of the other bank.

Nour Rahel

Closer to nature, we take a moment to contemplate what surrounds us.The sun slips between the hundred -year -old trees and melts the snow over their foliage.We see the Trans -Siberian rails that run along the lake to reach Vladivostok.The Angara river is also available, its strong current preventing it from freezing and thus drawing a perfect line on its border with the lake.

You just have to turn your head to see a few meters from us the largest telescope in the region.He took up residence in 1980 at the Baikal Astrophysical Observatory, in charge of studying the single microclimate reigning here.Hidden in the middle of the forest, far from cities and light pollution, it makes it possible to observe and probe the heavens in all their splendor.

>>> Carnet de voyage: ce petit coin de paradis dans l’Arctique russe

Olkhon: the largest island in the lake

Our next destination is the island of Olkhon, more than 300 kilometers north of Listvianka.Five hours of bus to discover this giant skating rink of all the shades of blue that surrounds the island.The ice is purer and more clear than anything we had seen before.The largest island in the lake also houses several frozen caves.All in silence suggesting the cracking of the ice."Don't be afraid, the lake says hello!"», Shouts a babatchka when we see our frightened faces.

Quietness is surely what the thousands of visitors come from here every year, summer and winter.This silence is only disturbed by the grunts of the lake, the songs of birds or the 2,000 inhabitants of the island which are always delighted to welcome tourists and share warm moments.The island also houses the shaman rock, a symbol of the lake found on postcards.If we observe the marriage of marble and graphite constituting the rock, it forms a dragon seeming to monitor the vast aqueous expanses surrounding it.

Unique region, unique know-how

Nour Rahel

In the evening, we are offered to taste buummy tea, green tea with milk ... salty!Surprising but delicious.We also visit a small workshop in Joaillers.Young craftsmen polish semi-precious stones there, mainly charoists who are in abundance on the banks of the lake.Then, depending on the size of the latter, they make jewelry or small figurines: shaman, seals or birds.They are mainly inspired by the nature around them.

Young craftsmen are not all buzzes, they are also Russian, Tatars and Kazakhs, but were all born in the region.They come to the island looking for odd jobs.Some of them even offer excursions on foot or by boat in the most remote places of the lake and tell us that they like to observe seals in the north of Baikal.There are not many occupations for young people around this water reservoir, but in recent years, more and more festivals have been organized on its banks, like the Baikal music festival.

>>> Le «période blanche» de l’île d’Olkhon

This lost little paradise has fascinated by its singularity, for several centuries, many peoples have cohabited around the lake, trying not to break its fragile balance.

Nour Rahel

Info Box: Going to Baikal without breaking the bank is possible

If you are used to the trip you already know: a journey is preparing in advance.Of course, it is preferable to avoid Russian school holidays and public holidays, prices that tend to double during these periods.The lake freezes from the end of January to early April, but it is also interesting to get there in summer or at the time of the melting of the ice.

Irkutsk:

- The two large cities in the immediate vicinity of the lake are Irkutsk and Ulan-Oudé.Irkoutsk airport is better served, plane tickets are much cheaper.A taxi route costs between 200 and 300 rubles (3 to 4 euros).For very small budgets, buses serve the main city market (Baikalskaïa Street).

- Irkoutsk is at Beijing time (5 hours of lag with Moscow, 7 am with Paris).So try to shift your sleep in advance to make the most of your stay.Small 20 -minute naps also allow you to rest without wasting a lot of time.Sleepless nights, you can admire the starry sky.

- Visits to the city: a green line crosses the city and leads to the most important sites of interest, just follow it to not miss anything.In front of each monument, an explanatory sign in Russian, in English and Chinese details its history and its particularities.

>>> Chevaux sauvages et feu affamé: expédition dans le Sud de la Sibérie

On the edge of the lake :

- Going to Baikal: don't be fooled by the many taxis that will offer you their services for astronomical sums.Buses leave very regularly for the small village of Listvianka from Irkoutsk bus station or market place on rue Baikalskaïa (a bus journey will come back to you at barely 2 euros).

- Further: for a perfect immersion, you can reach the island of Olkhon 360 kilometers away.In winter, taxis offer to cross the lake (to save time), watch again for scams.A bus can take you there for 1,200 rubles (16 euros), the journey for five hours (you have to be patient).

Do you want more information to organize your stay in Irkutsk and its surroundings?Find our guide for a successful weekend here on the banks of the Baikal.

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