Baikal in ice. Winter Baikal (58 photos)

Ice has risen: ice has risen with hummocks and juices. Baikal ice ... For someone it is a source of endless creative inspiration, for someone it is an object of scientific research, but it is always a magical Tale. The Mountain Wind worked for three days, blew for three days, creating beautiful architectural creations in the grottoes and on the rocks, so that there was something to photograph for our guests, so that we and our guests could enjoy, wondering and admiring the uniqueness of the creations of the great artist and architect - Nature.

The ice of Lake Baikal is so transparent that the sun's rays pass through it well and even in the coldest months give life to algae living in the water. The Baikal ice presents scientists with many mysteries. One of them is unusual ice "hills", the height of which reaches 6 meters.

The hills are completely regular conical, hollow inside, hills formed from opaque porous ice. They are hollow inside and have an open "entrance" always facing away from the coast. These hills are found both singly and in small chains, and resemble a miniature mountain range. Along the Trans-Baikal coast, they are common; on the Irkutsk side there are much fewer of them.

In the spring of 2009, scientific institutes distributed satellite photographs of the ring structures on Lake Baikal with a diameter of about 4 kilometers. An analysis of the archives of space images showed that such rings have been appearing in different places since at least 1999. "They arise due to the rise of deep waters and an increase in the temperature of the surface water layer in the central part of the ring structure," says Nikolai Granin. He presented his scientific research in the article "Ringed Baikal" published in the SB RAS publication "Science First Hand". As a result of the rise of deep waters, an anticyclonic (clockwise) current is formed. “In the zone where the current reaches its maximum speed, vertical water exchange is enhanced, which leads to accelerated destruction of the ice cover.

The dark circles visible on space images are the same circular areas where the thickness of the ice cover is minimal, and the ice itself is more saturated with water, "the scientist explained. When conducting research on one of the ring structures, it was found that with an average ice thickness of about 70 centimeters , within a radius of 2 kilometers from the center of the ring, a decrease in thickness to 43 centimeters was observed. "The entire ice thickness here was penetrated by vertical microcracks," Nikolai Granin noted. Other atypical phenomena were also noted in the ring. For example, the temperature of the surface layer of water under the ice in the center the ring turned out to be 0.5 degrees higher than outside it. "The rise of deep waters may occur due to eruptions of mud volcanoes at the bottom of the lake. However, this hypothesis has yet to be proven, "the Russian hydrologist writes.

You can choose a recreation center on the coast of Lake Baikal.

The legendary Russian lake, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, is a magnet for tourists from all over the planet. We asked two experienced travelers what time of the year it is better to go to Baikal. Each insisted on his own version. Yulia talked about an extreme trip on turquoise ice. "But what about the tent camp and kayaking trip?" - Alexander was stubborn. I had to declare a draw. The time of year does not matter if the purpose of your trip is the freshwater sea of \u200b\u200bSiberia.

Photo: satorifoto.livejournal.com / Daniil Korzhonov

“When we get there, I’ll show you the place where KamAZ went to the bottom with firewood last week. If the hole is evenly frozen in that place, then through the ice you can see the cabin, it's shallow there! They say that the driver didn’t have time to get out, ”- to such“ funny ”tales of my Irkutsk friend Dima and the clatter of my teeth in a huge expeditionary jeep, we cheerfully rush from Irkutsk to Baikal. The second half of February is on the calendar. I, who caught the first "narcotic" arrival from the contemplation of the furious blue of the Baikal waters in autumn, now strive to see its legendary turquoise ice.

KamAZ, firewood and Baikal perfume

The road from Irkutsk to the village of Sakhyurta, from where a ferry goes to Olkhon Island in the warm season, and the official ice crossing in winter takes about three hours. Moreover, most of the time is spent on coaxing local spirits with a complex character. This is done at special points - burkhans, located along the entire route. “You have to drink white alcohol and leave a white metal coin. And that shish you, and not good weather and strong ice; they don't roll cognac and wine, ”Dima explains competently, wiggling his eyebrows menacingly. Shivering in the cold wind of the Ust-Horde steppes and remembering the peasant, firewood and KamAZ who have gone to the bottom, obediently I swallow vodka and look for change in my pockets.

For such conscientious check-ins on the Burkhans on the way to Olkhon, the spirits favorably muffle the instinct of self-preservation. And as a result, when you first go out onto the open ice, beyond the boundaries of the official ice crossing, you do not scream with fear, but quietly howl with horror and delight, sitting in a multi-ton car, which rushes like an uncontrollable projectile across the mirror of the Maloye Sea with practically no adhesion to the surface. Under the wheels - a dark blue abyss, streaked with white meteors of small surface cracks, dotted with galaxies of bubbles and nebulae of rare snow patches. The braking process on absolutely smooth ice is a whole special operation that requires special skills to instantly calculate the mass of the car in relation to the speed and the approximate distance to the nearest hummocks or a rock sticking out of the ice. God save us!

Penguin man

“You can't drive close to the rocks,” says Dima, blocking all the wheels and effectively starting the car skidding a hundred meters from the steep bank of Olkhon. “They get hot from the sun and the ice around them melts. But we are going there now on foot. " By this moment, the consciousness is completely resigned to the fact that for the next few days there will be 50–80 cm of completely transparent ice under you and God knows how many tens or hundreds of meters of the water column of the deepest lake on this planet. Therefore, the first steps on the ice are made with the doom of the follower to be shot: in the end, what's the difference where this abyss will swallow you - in the middle of the Small Sea or at the nearest rock. But in the following moments - after the epic fall to the fifth point with three unsuccessful attempts to ascend - the theme of the opening abyss is completely closed. From now on, your main concern is to keep your own body upright. In my case, the only working way of more or less safe movement on the mirror ice was the "penguin man" mode. At the same time, for the prevention of bruises and fractures during falls, it is necessary to provide clothes that bring you as close as possible to the shape of a ball.

The road of life

You can see the main treasures of winter Olkhon - the ice grottoes in the north - only if you leave the boundaries of the official ferry. This is a road on the ice of Lake Baikal, which the Irkutsk department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations lays every year. The road of life, as the inhabitants of Olkhon call it. It is this route that is used for trips to the mainland, along which food for the island villages, firewood for heating (on Olkhon, which is entirely a protected area, felling is prohibited) and medicines are delivered.

Baikal even under the ice is alive, it breathes, tosses and turns, forming terrible cracks and giant hummocks. Underwater currents and hurricane winds in some bays change the structure of the ice, and openings appear. Local residents, going to the open ice, are well aware of such problem areas and go around them. For newcomers, traveling outside of the landmarks set by the Ministry of Emergencies is a big risk. Every year dozens of cars go under the Baikal ice. Very often drunk drivers and guests from other regions become victims, upon arrival in Irkutsk they rent cool cars and cut them across the frozen lake. Therefore, the main life hack for those traveling to winter Baikal: forget about renting a car. Driving on ice must be driven by a sober local with knowledge of the ice conditions along your route.

Poses on ice

All those going on the open ice are left to their own devices. And everyone comes up with entertainment to their liking, featuring varying degrees of madness and extreme. Athletes make many kilometers long skating crossings with ski poles, dragging their equipment in a sleigh. In the bays you can meet fishermen: ice fishing for omul turns men into zombies. Some fanatics bring plywood houses with them and put them right above the hole, and they spend the night in them. Desperate bikers spike the tires of their enduro motorcycles and cross Baikal from south to north, jumping over hummocks and cracks that are insurmountable for cars. Kiters catch wild winds with towing kites. I am even scared to think about ice diving.

Far from extreme sports, people from tourist centers are first tamped tightly with fried omul and poses - giant Buryat dumplings. In the pose from above - a hole. “First, you suck her“ soul ”- hot meat juice from the hole on the top of her head. And then you bite the empty one on the side, ”experienced eaters advise me. The juice burns the tongue, steam comes out of the hole. Further, sweet tea with lemon, dressing with a gradual adoption of the shape of a ball and going out on a sunny frosty day.

And restless tourists are already renting "Khivus" - hovercraft boats - and are carried away on them through openings and cracks into the Small Sea. But "Khivus" is expensive for a long time, so after that people arrange rides on off-road vehicles on ideally flat ice with maximum acceleration and subsequent drift. At the same time, I recommend turning one of Strauss' waltzes at full volume in the car. For example, "Tales from the Vienna Woods". Most likely, then you will not be seasick for a long time on any vehicle. When just drifting becomes boring, inflatable sleds are tied to the cars. Entertainment, by the way, is quite dangerous: "cheesecake makers" risk being smeared on the Baikal ice in the event of an awkward turn by an inexperienced driver. Therefore, we did not risk it and tied a long cable to the car ... my friend Katerina on skates. They did everything neatly: at first Katerina resisted listlessly, and then demanded to continue.

Gala Concert

In general, of course, the slide is perfect. The wind blows snow off the ice surface and creates an ideal ice rink. Huge, deserted and free. Crazy with happiness, Katerina ran across the ice, shouting “It's all mine! My!". Before leaving for the airport, one of my most important tasks was to catch her and take off her skates.

And the supernatural transparency of the Baikal ice is also striking. God knows, due to what this shade of unearthly turquoise is formed - the chemical composition of water or the refraction of the sun's rays? By the way, the weather on Olkhon differs markedly from other places on Baikal: according to the results of many years of observations, the island has only 48 cloudy days a year. And if the day is sunny and calm, then, for example, local -15 or -20 ° С are quite comfortable for a long stay in the fresh air.

And this ice makes special sounds. He then shoots with sharp breaks of distant cracks, then like a snake hiss quietly with a network of small superficial underfoot, then loudly gurgles under the blows of the palms of local ice drummers. We initiated the final gala concert ourselves and already on the shore of Big Baikal. We simultaneously broke large pieces of ice and then listened for a long time to how sharply shards sang and tinkle, rolling across the ice field towards a pink sunset descending on the Buguldeiskiy Bay. Meanwhile, the spirits of shamans from Mishkina Mountain laughed at the ethereal attempts of the madmen to decipher the formula of love for this amazing place above the name of Baikal by the sound and color of ice.

A little about fishing. If you think that omul is fished the same way as for sorovaya (lake) fish such as perch and lane, then you are cruelly mistaken ... neighbor, periodically pulls out small fish with red fins from the hole ... this, I tell you, is not a drive at all. And drive is fishing for omul.
Omul is a noble fish, it will not go to just anyone.
Omul is a school fish. The jamb can pass under you, or it can walk about five hundred meters away, and will not lead in your direction with its "ear". Omul, as you know, is a noble and fastidious fish, anyhow it will not be caught. Professional fishermen call ice fishing for omul in short - drill fishing.
Bormash - amphipod crustacean is the main omul food and the main fishing bait and bait. This arthropod animal, similar to a cockroach and a small shrimp at the same time, is considered a noble orderly of Lake Baikal, as it destroys dead organisms.
For one fishing, a 0.5-1 liter can of bait is enough. Before you go directly to fishing, purchased or caught crustaceans are poured into a felt boot. A felt boot is needed for drill convenience and warmth. After all, for fishing, you need live bait, and in the bank the crustacean will freeze and die.
The second stage of preparation - the most secret - is fishing rods. Every ice angler has a complete set of rods. They differ from each other only in color and quality of "fly" - artificial bait. For omul, the "fly" should resemble a bormysh, its main food. The bait is made most often from a thick thread (for example, yarn). Moreover, the fishermen are trying to adhere to fashionable trends. For example, a couple of decades ago, a "fly" made of English cloth (material for greatcoats of the First World War) was considered a special chic. The owner of a swamp-colored rag became the object of envious glances.
Currently, a whole "fly industry" has been established. Craftsmen make and sell simply amazing products! To the sophisticated eye of a fisherman, it is a real work of art, incomparable in beauty. But this beauty has its own for each fish. And it is almost impossible to predict what she will see with her fishy eyes. After all, how can one explain the fact that in the early morning, at dawn, the omul bites exclusively on the "zebra"? "Zebra" is a "fly" made from black and white plastic rings on a hook. From a human point of view, this striped design is least of all similar to a bormy, but omul (at dawn!) Thinks differently. But closer to noon, brown "flies" are already in use, but they are not always attractive to this picky fish.
Often the color of the "fly" depends on the state of the weather (in this every self-respecting fisherman should be able to navigate well). This is, perhaps, the whole main secret of fishing.
How is drill fishing
Let's move on to the process of catching omul itself. First you need to drill a hole. Considering that the ice can be up to 120 cm thick, this is hard physical labor. On average, this lesson takes 5 minutes. The full preparation of the hole - expanding it with a crowbar and scooping up the ice with a slotted spoon - takes up to 10 minutes.
The process of fishing itself takes place with the participation of the already mentioned crustaceans. Near the hole, a small (non-through) recess is poked, which is connected to the hole by a canal. A drill caught the day before is sent to this depression, filled with water, which independently moves into the hole through the canal and attracts omul with its presence. At this moment, a fisherman is already waiting for the fish, chatting fake food at its nose. As soon as the omul swallows the bait, you need to be able to hook and do it quickly. Omul can easily come off as a barless ice fishing hook. That is why the main position for catching the winter omul is standing. In this position, it is more convenient to jerk the fish. To do this while sitting is already more difficult.
However, some aces often fish lying down as entertainment at the end of the fishing trip. This method is called "sly". The fisherman lies down on the ice and begins to peer into the depths of the lake. After a few minutes, when the eyes get used to the darkness, it becomes clear what is happening deep in the water. According to the fishermen, this is an unforgettable sight. From a distance, the omul looks like small sharks with open jaws. These monsters scurry in search of food. And out of nowhere, a large gaping mouth grabs a "fly" hanging in the water. Here, a fisherman, keen on the spectacle, needs to be able not to get confused and hook the fish in time ...
And although luck pleases not all anglers with a good bite, still in omul fishing there are moments when almost everyone catches fish. This is the moment when the pack or school passes. It is curious to observe this phenomenon from the outside. Several dozen fishermen suddenly start waving their arms actively, imitating a mill. And all they do is wind a long line around their hands. You can't stop - omul can break off. Yes, in general, fishermen have no time to think about fatigue. That's why they go.

Day 1 Acquaintance with Baikal

In the morning you will be met at the airport, after which you will go to Lake Baikal in comfortable minibuses. The road will take 3-4 hours, on the way you can talk with a guide or sleep after an overnight flight.

Your first lunch will take place in a Buryat cafe, where you will taste delicious dishes of Siberian cuisine: Buryat poses and bukhler.

After a hearty lunch, continue on your way. The first trip to the ice of Lake Baikal is waiting for you on the safest vehicle - TREKOL. He is able to move on water, land and ice. In addition to its driving characteristics, this transport looks very impressive, and the photos against its background are especially interesting.

In the evening you will stay at the recreation center and have dinner. You will have free time. You can walk on the ice on foot or go ice skating.

Day 2 Small sea

After breakfast you will set off to explore the ice of the Small Sea on all-terrain vehicles. You will first visit the Buddhist Stupa of Enlightenment on Ogoy Island, and then explore the grottoes, splashes and caves with ice stalactites. You will learn legends and myths about Lake Baikal.

A picnic lunch with Siberian cuisine will take place right on the ice of the lake. After that, ice entertainment awaits you: ice skating, ice golf, photo sessions and initiation into ice travelers.

Towards evening you will reach Olkhon and the main visiting card of Lake Baikal - Shamanka rock. Then you will return to the camp site, have dinner and relax.

Day 3 Tazheran steppes

Today you will explore the Tazheran steppes. After breakfast you will set off on all-terrain vehicles in a southern direction, towards the village of Buguldeika.

On the way, you will make a stop and ascend to the Tan-Khan observation peak, from where a beautiful panorama of Lake Baikal and a view of the Primorsky ridge opens. Afterwards, you will have lunch on the shore of the lake, take a walk and explore the ice grottoes and splashes.

In the evening you will arrive in the village of Buguldeika, where you will visit a marble quarry. Stay overnight in a cozy eco-center. After dinner you can order a sauna.

Day 4 Walk on khivus

After a delicious and hearty breakfast, you will reach Buguldeika by car. Here you will change to a khivus - a hovercraft that will take you to Listvyanka.

On the way, you will see several attractions of Lake Baikal: Cape Arka, Peschanaya Bay, Skriper Cliff and Devil's Bridge. These places are famous for the purest ice of a wide variety of forms, so you can arrange an excellent photo session.

You will stop for lunch on the way. In the evening you will arrive in Listvyanka and check into a hotel at the very source of the Angara. Have dinner (paid additionally) and relax.

Day 5 Rafting on an ice floe

After breakfast you will visit the observation deck "Chersky Stone". The ascent will take place on a chair lift, and an excellent view of Lake Baikal and the source of the Angara will open from above.

Then you will have an excursion to the Baikal Museum, a virtual dive to the bottom of the lake and an acquaintance with the famous Baikal seal.

After lunch at the restaurant, you will go to the source of the Angara, where you will start rafting on the ice floe. You will meet Siberian dogs - Alaskan Malamutes or Huskies - who will become your companions on this adventure. During the rafting, a picnic will be organized for you right on the ice floe.

After the rafting, a real Siberian bath with swimming in the ice-hole awaits you. You will then return to the hotel for your own dinner and rest.

Day 6 Homecoming

After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home.

If you wish, you can stay on Lake Baikal for a couple more days: ride a snowmobile, go on a helicopter tour or visit the ethnographic complex "Taltsy".

He talks about his trip to Baikal.

I visited the icy kingdom of Lake Baikal even before it became a mandatory program for photographers in Russia in March. It was quite a long time ago, I really want to go again and shoot a little differently. Looking back, you see in many ways the potential for a more interesting shot. But the past cannot be changed, we all learn something and become better.

Baikal, especially in winter, is difficult to describe in words. This is a completely different world, the world of ice and wind. The ice stretches to the horizon and is so transparent that you are afraid to step on it. When, having overcome the hummocks, you reach the rocky outcrops and enter the ice grottoes, making your way among the ice stalactites, where the many-meter ice splashes have frozen, bristling with a fan of ice needles, you cannot remain indifferent to all this. Beneath your feet are the blackening depths of space - seeming chaos, in which order is born. And in the evening, when the temperature difference begins, the lighting is dimmed and a symphony of ice begins. If you get close to the cracking crack at this moment, you can see how the ice floes are squeezed out from under the ice. All this is accompanied by a continuous rumble, like the sounds of an earthquake. Any connoisseur of beautiful or unusual winter Baikal will make an indelible impression.

Baikal is a wonderful and interesting place in our vast territory. The lake is of tectonic origin, located in a basin and surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges and hills. The deepest lake on the planet, 19% of the world's fresh water reserves. Due to low mineralization, the water and ice are so transparent that the visibility can reach up to 40 meters. 336 rivers and streams flow into Baikal (and these are only permanent ones), and one flows out - the Angara. An unusual experience when visiting such places, when dry figures of geography and history come to life before our eyes.

In March, a strong and stable ice cover is established on Lake Baikal, when you can drive a car on the ice (but you always need to be careful and careful), and the temperature is already becoming more comfortable for a long stay in the air.

View of the snow-covered steppe expanses of Olkhon.

In the southern part of the island there is a steppe with sparsely standing lonely trees. After a frosty night, they were all covered with sparkling frost.

There is a variety of landscapes on Olkhon: there are beaches with dunes, dense forests with rare larch trees, spruce forests, rocks, swamps.

View of the hummocks that formed during ice movements.

The frozen water area of \u200b\u200bLake Baikal is also a skating rink for lovers of winter sports. But often the ice is so hard that even sharpened skates won't cut it.

One of the symbols of Baikal and Olkhon Island is Shamanka Rock.

Hummocks, cracks, ice floes, drifts give the lake endless variations in pattern combinations.

Despite the ice thickness of several meters, which can withstand the weight of the car, fishermen drill holes to catch omul, a Baikal endemic.

In the depths of the frozen lake, you can find traces of strange life forms.

The colors of the ice are striking in their variety, you always want to take a closer look at all the details and features.

Ice floes create whimsical graphics of shapes and lines.

One of the beautiful classical views of the island is Shamanka Rock.

In addition to the ice of the frozen lake itself, splashes on the coastal rocks are also very interesting. They are formed as a result of the freezing of water thrown by waves onto a cold surface, when the ground is already frozen and the water has not been seized by the ice crust.

In the predawn twilight, the ice reflects the colors of the dawn, only the black streaks of cracks create the effect of a broken mirror.

Even in winter, frozen in ice, Baikal breathes. Deep explosions are heard, the creak of cracks, the crackle of breaking ice. If you listen closely, this is a full-fledged melody performed on unusual instruments. The ice tension is so high that when the temperature drops, with each step, cracks branch out from under the feet like lightning. The ice of Baikal is so similar to the earth's crust that seismologists use explosions to model and study earthquakes.

Ice hummocks are very interesting, where when cracks are pressed onto the surface, ice fragments are squeezed out. Often hummocks form whole fields, where a backfire crack usually passes - an expansion joint in the ice cover, which does not freeze due to the compression and expansion of ice and can reach up to 4 meters in width, having a huge length of 20-30 kilometers.

Live illustration for the expression "Ice and Fire".

From above, cracked ice looks very different than when you stand on it. The twists and turns of cracks, the play of color, the dynamics of lines are fascinating.

It is also interesting to consider the structure of the ice. They are very diverse. Here inclusions of air bubbles form a "molecular lattice".

Shaman among the broken ice, which was squeezed along the coast.

There are many small islands in the water area. Which you can drive up to in winter.

Application form. about the author

Web site: I can be found here, I am always open for communication and interesting proposals