Listvyanka – Bolshie Koti

 

 

 

 

1. Name of trail: “Listvyanka – Bolshie Koti

 

2. Length of trail: 24.7 km with a middle range incline factor of 1.3

 

3. Start and end point of trail: The trail begins at Gudin Street in the village of Listvyanka and ends at the museum building in the village of Bolshie Koti.

 

4. Purpose of the trail and its grade of difficulty: average difficulty foot trail, suitable even for families.

 

5. Areas of difficulty along the trail: Sheer cliffs right up to the shore of lake Baikal, small rivers and streams through the valleys. The parts of the trail along the sheer cliffs in the valleys of Emelyanikha, Smorodovaya and Srednyaya are particularly dangerous. Hikers are advised to take the upper bypass trail for their own safety.

 

6. Trail layout: (type of structures, rest points etc that are on the trail): the trail is built to a high standard, ready for 2009, along the following route: the village of Listvyanka (Gudin Street) – pass – serpentine descent to the valley of Emelyanikha – the valley of Emelyanikha (rest point) – access to the upper bypass trail, avoiding the sheer cliffs to the valley of Smorodovaya – the valley of Smorodovaya (rest point) – the valley of Srednyaya (rest point) – the valley of Teterikha (rest point) – the valley of Solontsova (rest point) – the valley of Chernaya (rest point) – the valley of Zhilishche (rest point) – the valley of Bolshie Koti. On the upper bypass trail from the valley of Emelyanikha to the valley of Smorodovaya there are two observation platforms with views of Baikal. Rest points are marked on the map by the sign:

 

7. Provision of information along the trail (information boards and signs): the turns on the trail were signposted from 2004 – 2008. We cannot guarantee that the signs are still present in 2009. The trail has not been signposted in its entirety. Signposts are marked on the map by the sign:

 

8. How to get to and from the start and end points of the trail: the start of the trail in Listvyanka can be reached by minibus from the bus station in Irkutsk (departs outside “Bagira” supermarket) or by hydrofoil from the river station in “Solnechnyi” in Irkutsk. The start of the trail from Bolshie Koti can be reached either by hydrofoil from Irkutsk or from Listvyanka, or on foot – no less than 8 hours walk (for a well trained hiker with appropriate equipment).

 

9. Particular considerations for visiting the area (for national parks and nature reserves) and rules of behaviour on the trail: The trail runs across the Pribaikalskii national park territory, therefore it is prohibited to drop litter, cut down wood, pick plants, hunt animals, and to set up permanent camps without special permission.

 

10. People to contact for further information about the given trail: Vladimir Veniaminovich Khidekel, specialist consultant on the trail building organisation “Great Baikal Trail”: mobile no: 89086474993; email: vvhidekel@mail.ru
Natalya Mikhailovna Luzhkova, coordinator of volunteers and summer projects during the 2009 season for NGO “Great Baikal Trail”: mobile no: 89086479744; email: gbt.international@gmail.com