Siberia Trekking - discover Russian nature

Baikal lake

Location	South of Eastern Siberia
Age	25-30 million yeats
Height above sea level	455m
Length	636 km
Maximum depth	1642m
Shoreline length	2100km

« Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, it is also the world’s largest volume of fresh water. More than 300 streams and rivers flow into Lake Baikal, but there is just one outlet, the Angara.»

We arrived to Irkutsk in early September. Met with cold and rainy weather, we proceeded to shore of Baikal lake in Slyudanka. It is quite small town with buildings of Soviet time. We spent few hours in Slyudanka waiting for circum-baikal train called Matanya. This train is small, consist of only two carriages.

Weather was cloudy but luckily without rains. Circum-Baikal railway goes along the shore through several tunnels. In the evening we arrived to Port Baikal, took a ferrry and crossed river-head of Angara. It was dark when we checked in hotel in Listvianka.

Baikal lake

Circum-Baikal railway

View to Angara river and Baikal lake from Listvianka viewpoint

Then we drove to Olkhon island 300km from Irkutsk

West shore of Baikal lake is sandy with easy access to the water. Eastern part is steep and rocky. Flowers were still in bloom in September.

Seagulls on the roof

Khuzhyr village, Olkhon island

Cape Hoboi

Baikal seals

View from the top

Stones near the water

Rocky slopes of Olkhon island

Russian van called UAZ - best vehicle on paved roads

Sunset at Khuzhyr village

Shamanka rock, close to Khuzhyr village

View to «Maloe more» from Burkhan cape