the "Stars of Balan-Tamur"

Project dates: August 27 – September 9, 2009

Project duration: Two weeks

Languages: Russian and English

Project location: Near the Buryat town of Maiskii and very close to Lake Balan-Tamur.  This project is in the Dzherginskii National Nature Reserve.

Setting: This nature reserve is situated in the heart of three large mountain ranges, each with its own majestic, snow-laden peaks.  There are amazing valleys among these mountains, through one of which flows the powerful Barguzin River (one of the main tributaries flowing into Lake Baikal).  The highest summits here reach upwards of 2800 meters (about 9,000 feet), with glaciated cirques carved out of their sides.  There are no longer glaciers here, but in their place you will find numerous crystal-clear rivers and alpine meadows riotous in their spring colors.  The nature reserve is home to many plants and animals listed in the Red Book of endangered wildlife for Russia.

This project will take place in the northeast corner of the Buryat Republic, in a sparsely-populated region known as Kurumkan.  The site is relatively far from the shores of Lake Baikal, but it gives volunteers a chance to see Siberia in its most pristine state. The trail where we will work is located within the Dzherginskii National Nature Reserve itself. This is an area of pure wilderness, rarely visited by any human, with lots of picturesque lakes and rivers.  These would include Lakes Balan-Tamur and Amut, as well as several rapid-running rivers, such as the Barguzin. Through the clear water here you can watch fish swimming below the surface.

This area was settled long ago by the Evenki tribes.  While on this project you will learn a lot about their religion and traditions, mostly by visiting the nearby Evenk Center and other sacred native sites, each time with locals as your guides. Local people will also show you places which they believe to be inhabited by spirits, and which were once, according to ancient beliefs, off-limits to mere mortals.

Long-term Goal: The reason this and other reserves were created here has been to protect the larger eco-systems surrounding Baikal—in this case, the as-yet unspoiled natural area of Kurumkan. We would like to make this nature reserve more accessible to eco-tourists, so that everyone can enjoy its beautiful natural scenery while exerting a minimum impact on the environment. Our goal, then, is to create a system of educational trails that will be used by both tourists and local residents alike.

The GBT is working to create and maintain a 45 – kilometer ecological trail within the Dzherginskii National Nature Reserve, to be known as the Stars of Balan-Tamur Trail. It will be used during the summer for hikers and horse-back riders, and during the winter by cross-country skiers and snow-shoers only.

Project Work: We will clean up and widen the trail where it already exists, and build new stretches of the trail as well.  We will also build bridges and walkways in swampy areas, create camping sites, and set up stone trail markers.

Work Schedule: The group will work for 5 days a week, 6 hours a day with rest breaks and a longer break for lunch. Please read the description of a typical day at the camp.  Depending upon weather conditions and the mood of the group, the crew leader has the right to change the daily working schedule.

Entertainment and Relaxation: For two weeks you will live and work together as part of an international team. What awaits you are some unforgettable evenings around the campfire, new friendships, and fascinating conversations both with other volunteers and local residents near the Nature Reserve.  During your free time and weekends you will be able to enjoy the pristine backcountry within the reserve.  If weather allows, the crew-leader will organize a one-day hike to a unique, virtually untouched corner of the Nature Reserve.  An excursion to the Allinskoye Gorge will also be organized, along with a side trip to some nearby thermal springs.

This is a land settled long ago by the Evenki people, replete with their own legends and beliefs.  The Evenki are amongst those few tribes who have ardently preserved their own culture and traditions, and do homage to their own local gods.  We will try our best not to intrude on their lives; however, during the two week project we do plan to visit the Ethno-ecological Center of the Evenk Peoples.

Meals and Accommodations:  On this project we will set up a stationary tent camp on the shores of Lake Balan-Tamur. You will live in rather primitive, wilderness conditions: in tents with a pit latrine, cooking over a campfire. There will be three hot meals a day, and volunteers will share cooking and cleaning duties during the project.  (By the way, the GBT staff will buy all necessary cooking ingredients in advance of the project. See our MENU for examples.) Most likely there will be no other groups in the area, so you will enjoy the solitude and beauty of the area without any outside distractions. Please note: you will need to carry your own personal belongings and camp gear to and from the camp site.

Contribution Fee: 10900 Rubles (approximately $US420 or 320 EUROs; please check the current exchange rate at http://www.cbr.ru/eng/currency_base/daily.asp. The contribution fee covers: a special invitation from the GBT organization, which you can use to apply for a Russian visa; a GBT staff person meeting you at the airport or train station in Irkutsk; help with arranging your accommodations in Irkutsk; visa registration with the Russian authorities;  all meals on the project; the full services of a crew leader and interpreter during the project; all administrative expenses; project entertainment costs including week-end excursions; tools and other equipment (this includes a tent for you to sleep in). 100% of the project fees goes for direct project expenses.

Please note that transportation costs to and from the project meeting point are NOT included in the contribution fee.  All volunteers pay for such transportation themselves.

Required Experience: None

Age Range:  18+ years

Additional Requirements:  Please make sure to carefully read the General Information for Volunteers and the List of Necessary Equipment.

Fitness: Trail building includes: walking 1 - 14 kilometers a day through forested areas possibly with no paths; carrying and using picks, shovels, and other tools to dig out vegetation and make a path; lifting logs and other debris; hand sawing; etc. You will need to carry your personal stuff, project gear (i.e. tents) and food all the way to the project site, so it may be somewhat physically challenging.

Transportation and Meeting Location: The project starts in the settlement of Maiskii, some 460 km. to the North of Ulan-Ude (about 7 hours of driving). The volunteers will meet in Ulan-Ude, where a minibus will be hired for the entire group up to the town of Maiskii. Transportation cost will be 1000 – 1500 rubles (US$40-$60) one way from Ulan-Ude to Maiskii. We will announce the exact time and place of the meeting place in Ulan-Ude on the GBT website at a later date, as well as notify all project participants in advance by email.   The drive onwards from the town of Maiskii to the trailhead is about 20 kilometers by car, and will be paid for by the reserve.

You can reach Ulan-Ude, the capital of Buryatia, from Moscow or from Irkutsk either by train (on the famous Trans-Siberian railroad) or by airplane.

Ulan-Ude by air:  Moscow – Irkutsk (5.5 hours) or Moscow – Ulan Ude (6 hours).  There are regular flights between Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude as well.

Ulan-Ude by train: Moscow – Irkutsk (3.5 days) or Moscow – Ulan-Ude (4 days). There are trains going between Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude as well (9 hours).

There are minibuses that go between Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude, however, the trip takes over 7 hours and is not the most comfortable way to travel. We recommend the 9-hour over-night train ride.

Volunteers travel to the project location through Russia independently.

Please note that your contribution fee does not include any expenses incurred while getting to the project gathering site, in the town of Maiskii.

Important Visa Information:

1. The Great Baikal Trail is registered with the Federal Immigration Service as an organization that can provide official invitations to foreign visitors. This process usually takes between 4 and 6 weeks. However, it may take even longer than this at times, which is why we accept visa-applications only until April the 1st.  After April 1, you will still be able to obtain an invitation for a fee through other specialized agencies, such as Red Star (go to www.waytworussia.com for more information on this service).

 2. Every foreigner traveling through Russia has to comply with the obligatory visa registration process in any location where you stay for more than three business days.  Since this takes at least two days, project participants should arrive in Irkutsk or Ulan-Ude no later than August 26th. If you arrive in Irkutsk on the 26th, you can take the overnight train to Ulan-Ude that arrives early in the morning, in time to meet the group. This is relatively convenient, because you don’t have to find a place to sleep in Irkutsk or Ulan-Ude; what is more, others from the project, including the translator, will probably be taking the train with you. You can also fly directly to Ulan-Ude if that is what you’d prefer.

You can contact us at gbt.volunteers@gmail.com –  contact person: Yuliya Misevich

If you are interested in participating, please fill out the GBT volunteer application form

Project Personnel:

Project Manager: Tsyrenzhap Zayatuyevich Dorzhiev, Director of the Dzherginski Nature Reserve. Mr. Dorzhiev holds an MS from the National Academy of Geographical Sciences, and is an honored ecological scientist within the Republic of Buryatia.

Responsibilities: The project manager is responsible for the overall planning, coordination and implementation of the project.  However, while the manager will be in frequent contact with the volunteer group throughout the duration of the project, he will not always be present at your project location.  Your crew leader will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the project.

Crew Leader: TBA. We will send you background information about your crewleader several weeks before the project starts.

Responsibilities: The main GBT staff member on the project, the crew leader coordinates the day-to-day trail work and the organization of the camp.

Translator: TBA

Responsibilities: The translator is responsible for translating for the crew leader (who may or may not speak English) and helping with communication between Russian and English speaking crew members. The translator also plans and conducts the social activities for the group.

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