Waterfall of the mountain river kyngarga

Project dates: September 1st – 14th 2008

Project Duration:  Two weeks

Languages:  Russian & English

Project Location: The project will be located in the Tunkinsky National Park near the village of Arshan.

Setting:  Tunkinsky National Park, located in southwestern Buriatia, was established in 1991 and is the first Russian national park. The park, located in the Irkut River valley, includes over thirty protected natural and historical-cultural sites and contains more than one million hectares. Surrounded by the magnificent Hamar Daban and Sayan mountain ranges and situated between two great Asian lakes - Lake Baikal in Siberia and Khubsugul in Mongolia - Tunkinsky National Park is a living museum with stunning natural landscapes of snow covered peaks of extinct volcanoes, alpine meadows, glaciers, sand dunes, tundra, taiga, steppes, foothills and mineral hot springs as well as Buryat Buddhist and shamanic historical-cultural sites. The park also protects a wide range of rare plants and animals, including snow leopards and ibex. The immaculate (high elevation fur forests, mysterious gorges, whimsical canyons, transparent rivers, deep lakes, and ragging waterfalls will awe and delight you.

 Arshan, 210 kilometers southwest of Irkutsk (about 3 hours by bus), is a tourist and medical resort. This village is well known throughout Russia for its thermal waters. The region's other attractions are the Sayan Mountains, which are great for hiking, horseback riding and rafting and the Kyngarga River, with its many waterfalls.

Long-term Goal:  The trail to First Kyngyrga waterfall 2 km from Arshan is one of the most visited and heavily used locations in the park. The goal is to establish a main trail and to keep traffic off the network of smaller foot-trails that have been created by tourists. 

Project Work: The majority of the work will be at the beginning of the trail as it heads out from Arshan.  We will build two staircases for safer hiking, put borders along the trail to stabilize the slope, replace railings, and improve viewpoints.

Work Schedule: The group will work 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 desires of the group, the crew leader may change the daily working schedule.

Meals and Accommodations: Camp will be located deep in the woods 4 km from Arshan. Here, next to a beautiful, but chilly, mountain river (don’t forget your bathing suit!), you will live in primitive wilderness conditions: pit latrine, tents, cooking over a campfire. (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 distractions. Plus you will need to carry your personal belongings and camp gear to the camp site.

Entertainment and Relaxation: During your days off there are several trips planned. First the group will visit “Nilova Desert,” sacred place for Buryat (native people of the area.)  Also there will be a unique opportunity to visit solar powered radio telescopes.  There will be trips to near-by natural hot springs and to see the ancient volcanoes. Volunteers will have an opportunity to go to the town of Arshan and see the Buddhist temple and view the traditional Russian Village. 

Contribution Fee: 8900 Rubles (approximately $360 US; please check the current exchange rate at http://www.cbr.ru/eng/currency_base/daily.asp The contribution fee covers: a visa invitation from the GBT organization; meeting you at the airport or train station in Irkutsk; helping to arrange your accommodation in Irkutsk; visa registration with the Russian authorities; arranging transportation to Arshan, the project start (NOTE: cost for transportation to Arshan is not included); transportation within the project; all meals on the project; services of a crew leader and interpreter during the project; all administrative expenses; project entertainment costs including week-end excursions; tools and other equipment, including a tent. 100% of the project fee goes for direct project expenses.

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

Fitness: Trail building includes: walking 1 - 4 kilometers a day through forested areas possibly with no paths; using pick, shovels, and other tools to dig out vegetation to make a path; lifting logs and other debris; hand sawing; and carrying tools.

Transportation and Meeting Location: Volunteers travel independently to Irkutsk. Once in Irkutsk, you will travel as a group by minibus or train to Arshan. In general, it takes 4-5 hours to get from Irkutsk to Arshan and costs between 350 and 500 rubles. From Arshan, you will walk 4 km to the project site. If you have questions regarding transportation, contact our volunteer coordinator. 

Irkutsk by air: Moscow – Irkutsk (5.5 hours)

Irkutsk by train: Moscow – Irkutsk (3.5 days)

Please note that your contribution fee does not include any expenses incurred while getting to the starting point of the project, the village of Arshan.

Important Visa Information: 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. In order to get your visa registered, project participants should arrive in Irkutsk no later than August 31st.

You can contact us at gbt.volunteers@gmail.com – Tatiana Yourchenko

If you are interested in participation, please, fill in GBT volunteer application form

Project Personnel:

Project Manager: Svetlana Angaskieva, the head of recreational and tourism department of Tunkinsky National Park

Responsibilities: The project manager is responsible for the overall planning, coordination and implementation of the project. You will have the opportunity to meet and talk with the manager and she will be in frequent contact with the volunteer group throughout the duration of the project. However, because she 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 crew leader 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 of the group. 

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