Baikal Snow

Arrival of participants in Irkutsk, accommodation at the hostel, meeting and orientation according to the program.
The group will gather at 9 am in the GBT hostel.
After getting to know the other participants, the volunteers will go to meet with the Great Baikal Trail staff to learn about the organization's activities.
In the afternoon - a city tour.

Today we will go to the village, Listvyanka, which is located on the Baikal shore 70 km away from Irkutsk. We will see Lake Baikal, visit the Baikal museum, walk to a viewpoint Kamen` Cherskogo (Chersky Stone) from which we can see the source of the Angara river.

At the end of the day, we will brief you on the upcoming trip to the village of Tankhoi in the Republic of Buryatia. This is where the Baikal Nature Reserve headquarters are located. Our project will take place there.

Departure from Irkutsk to Tankhoi.

At 10:00 am we will meet in the GBT hostel, take a public bus to the Irkutsk railway station, and then take a train to Tankhoi.

The village of Tankhoi is located in a picturesque place on the shore of Lake Baikal, between the cities of Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude at the foot of the Khamar-Daban Mountains. We will spend nine days participating in activities with the Baikal Nature Reserve and enjoying the natural beauty of the surrounding environment.

We will be staying at the Baikal Nature Reserve Visitor's Center. We will help plan children's events at the Visitor's Center and the local school, and we may be able to carry out some of these events if time permits. We will also remove snow from the boardwalk among other things.

More details will be shared after we communicate with the Reserve Administration.

Free time: You'll be able to walk around on the ice of Baikal, or on the boardwalk (after we remove the snow from it), snowshoe, enjoy the view of the snowy peaks of the Khamar-Daban Mountains, visit the Nature Museum. Also, on one of the days, we will be able to experience a Russian banya and local cuisine.

The last day of work in the Nature Reserve.

During the first half of the day we will continue working in the Nature Reserve. The second half of the day will be allotted for free time to gather our things and take a final walk to Baikal. In the evening we will have our final tea-party.

Departure by train from Tankhoi to Irkutsk. End of the project.

After breakfast we will board a train back to Irkutsk. We expect to arrive in the city in the afternoon.

In our group, there will be a project leader (crew-leader) that will organize the work of the group, and an interpreter that will be able to provide communication between the participants.

Physical requirements for the project: You will sometimes be asked to carry a backpack with your belongings and the group's foodstuff. You will also be hiking all day in winter conditions. All volunteers will have kitchen-duties (cook and wash dishes).

Necessary equipment: You need to bring a backpack with a volume of no less than 60L and boots with ice cleats. A small, light backpack of 20-30L will be also useful. You may wish to bring a thermos (for day trips) and a laptop (to work on different projects at the nature reserve). We advise you to bring your own plate, cup, and spoon.

Also, take time to do a little research to learn more about the climate in the Baikal region in March so that you can pack appropriate clothing and footwear. During the day the temperature could be anywhere from -5° to -25° C (depending on the year). It's therefore necessary to make sure that you have warm windproof clothing and water-resistant shoes. Really, bring warm clothes with you!

You are welcome to bring some souvenirs from your country for other volunteers in the group or new friends, prepare some presentation of your culture: some stories, traditions, legends, interesting facts, or cook a special dish (don't forget the necessary ingredients).

The participation fee includes:

● Accommodation in the hostel in Irkutsk on days 1, 2 and 10;
● Transportation from Irkutsk to Listvyanka and back;
● Lunch in Listvyanka;
● Transportation from Irkutsk to Tankhoi and back to Irkutsk (public transportation in Irkutsk is not included);
● Room and board at the Visitor's Center in Tankhoi from day 3 through day 10 of the project until returning to Irkutsk;
● Food supplies in Tankhoi.

The participation fee does not include:

• Travel around Irkutsk;
• Meals in Irkutsk;
• Additional excursions to museums, attractions, etc.

We will provide a general group first aid kit. Attention! If you have a chronic illness and need certain medications, please bring them with you.

We will provide all equipment and materials necessary for volunteer work, including equipment for preparing food.

Accommodation and meals in Irkutsk: Accommodation in Irkutsk (8-bed, mixed gender dormitory room in the hostel) on the first and last days of the project is included in the participation fee. Meals in Irkutsk are not included in the project fee, since some participants will want to eat out in a café or restaurant and other participants will want to prepare their own food in the hostel kitchen.

The participation fee is paid on the first day of the project. No prepayment is needed. The number of places on the project is limited!

In the case of unforeseen circumstances, the Great Baikal Trail maintains the right to close the project or make changes to the program, while informing all participants beforehand.