Baikaler.com : accommodation and tours around lake Baikal.

Tour to Krestovka (short for Krestovsky, it's a name of a bay - Bay of a Cross or Cross Bay) is a wise choice for those, who likes being in touch with nature, wants to stay in a log cabin near the lake and fit enough to hike 12 km to the Shamanic site.

This tour is recommended as a main tour or Krestovka and Olkhon tour combined. Also, you can take Krestovka tour and continue to Olkhon on your own (with my assistance).

You'll be picked up at the hostel or any other place in Irkutsk at 10am. Vehicle: a 8 sit minibus. We will be driving through vast open spaces - so called Buryat Steppes - where we eventually see herds of caws and horses on green fields. In 2 hrs, we will be driving by a silver painted statue of a Horse Man - symbol of a Buryat nation and a landmark for the main Buryat town in Irkutsk region - Ust' - Oldynsky.

In 2 hr we will take the right turn. The landscape changes from being flat to hilly. After another 70km of driving good paved road, we turn one more tine to the forest dirt road.

We finally reach the farm by 2.30 - 3 am. Our outwardly restrained hosts already cooked lunch and prepared the cabin. Brutal log cabins have wonderful view to the lake. Toilet is outside.

After good lunch, cooked by the host lady, we stroll down to the lake. Then we continue to the toll hill. Walking to that hill is a test to tomorrow 12km hike. For most of people those two hikes are doable.

If you have heart problems or your knees or legs hurt or you seriously overweight or absolutely unfit - you may experience serious difficulties during this tour!

From the top of that hill we will see amazing panorama of the lake and surroundings of the farm. Also, we will be partly using a man made path, built probably between the 6th to the 12th century of our era. It is not clear why those people would need to built that path.

Accommodation in the log cabins, towels and leanings are provided. Occupation usually 2 people in 1 room, but sometimes we are given larger rooms with 4 beds.

The White Wall - a white marble cliff with ancient drawings. Those are drawing of humans (shamans or may be aliens), birds and animals.

Academic A.Okladnikov wrote:
'The White Wall petrogliphs ... is the most unique among other Siberian drawings. Pictures of the horn headed dancing shamans facing the water of Baikal are as majestic as the lake itself...'

PS. The present condition of drawings is sad - weather and graffiti ruin the marble.

As was written in my previous description:
The distance between the farm and the Wall is 6 km. Depending on the physical abilities, the hike route could go along the shore there and back (difficult), forest/steppe there and back along the shore (moderate) and forest/steppe both ways (easy).

Some people went on this hike and said: you said it would be an easy walk but this walk is not easy. They sounded like I was misrepresenting the tour parameters Yes, it is not easy easy. It is not easy to walk 6 km even on a horizontal surface. What 'easy' means that instead of hiking uphill and downhill twice (both time almost 45 degrees slope) - another way is easier. Please be reasonable! From another hand you should not exaggerate potential difficulties: this tour was taken (and enjoyed) by 70 year old people!

Hike to the White wall is not only about those drawings. It's a combination of walking though the vast beautiful area, view of the lake and moving towards the point.

We reach the White Wall in 3 hr or so. This bay is smaller and nice then the one we came from. While you observe the drawings, your guide cooks picnic style lunch.

To book a tour please contact Jack Sheremetoff

Prices include all services, pointed in the itinerary:
private car (and driver) transportation, 2 night accommodation, meals as noted (day 1: D, day 2: B-L-D, day 4: B) , local guide-interpreter services, no hidden costs.


Home / Tours / Tour to Krestovka	About \| Hostel
Tour to Krestovka (short for Krestovsky, it's a name of a bay - Bay of a Cross or Cross Bay) is a wise choice for those, who likes being in touch with nature, wants to stay in a log cabin near the lake and fit enough to hike 12 km to the Shamanic site. This tour is recommended as a main tour or Krestovka and Olkhon tour combined. Also, you can take Krestovka tour and continue to Olkhon on your own (with my assistance). Description of the 3 day / 2 night tour to Krestovka You'll be picked up at the hostel or any other place in Irkutsk at 10am. Vehicle: a 8 sit minibus. We will be driving through vast open spaces - so called Buryat Steppes - where we eventually see herds of caws and horses on green fields. In 2 hrs, we will be driving by a silver painted statue of a Horse Man - symbol of a Buryat nation and a landmark for the main Buryat town in Irkutsk region - Ust' - Oldynsky. In 2 hr we will take the right turn. The landscape changes from being flat to hilly. After another 70km of driving good paved road, we turn one more tine to the forest dirt road. We finally reach the farm by 2.30 - 3 am. Our outwardly restrained hosts already cooked lunch and prepared the cabin. Brutal log cabins have wonderful view to the lake. Toilet is outside. After good lunch, cooked by the host lady, we stroll down to the lake. Then we continue to the toll hill. Walking to that hill is a test to tomorrow 12km hike. For most of people those two hikes are doable. If you have heart problems or your knees or legs hurt or you seriously overweight or absolutely unfit - you may experience serious difficulties during this tour! From the top of that hill we will see amazing panorama of the lake and surroundings of the farm. Also, we will be partly using a man made path, built probably between the 6th to the 12th century of our era. It is not clear why those people would need to built that path. Accommodation in the log cabins, towels and leanings are provided. Occupation usually 2 people in 1 room, but sometimes we are given larger rooms with 4 beds. Day 2 Breakfast. Hiking to the White Wall. The White Wall - a white marble cliff with ancient drawings. Those are drawing of humans (shamans or may be aliens), birds and animals. Academic A.Okladnikov wrote: 'The White Wall petrogliphs ... is the most unique among other Siberian drawings. Pictures of the horn headed dancing shamans facing the water of Baikal are as majestic as the lake itself...' PS. The present condition of drawings is sad - weather and graffiti ruin the marble. As was written in my previous description: The distance between the farm and the Wall is 6 km. Depending on the physical abilities, the hike route could go along the shore there and back (difficult), forest/steppe there and back along the shore (moderate) and forest/steppe both ways (easy). Some people went on this hike and said: you said it would be an easy walk but this walk is not easy. They sounded like I was misrepresenting the tour parameters Yes, it is not easy easy. It is not easy to walk 6 km even on a horizontal surface. What 'easy' means that instead of hiking uphill and downhill twice (both time almost 45 degrees slope) - another way is easier. Please be reasonable! From another hand you should not exaggerate potential difficulties: this tour was taken (and enjoyed) by 70 year old people! Hike to the White wall is not only about those drawings. It's a combination of walking though the vast beautiful area, view of the lake and moving towards the point. We reach the White Wall in 3 hr or so. This bay is smaller and nice then the one we came from. While you observe the drawings, your guide cooks picnic style lunch. We return to the farm tired but happy. Great final accord of the day - authentic Russian Banya / Steam Sauna. What is Banya and What To Do There Dinner Accommodation in the log cabins Day 3 Breakfast Retuning by road to Irkutsk by 2-3pm. Stop for a cup of coffee (not included). Prices from 6500 R per person \|Currency converter\| To book a tour please contact Jack Sheremetoff Prices include all services, pointed in the itinerary: private car (and driver) transportation, 2 night accommodation, meals as noted (day 1: D, day 2: B-L-D, day 4: B) , local guide-interpreter services, no hidden costs.	View Larger Map Depart by road to Krestovka. Distance between Irkutsk is 225 km, from which 210 of the paved road can be covered in 3 hrs. The last 15 km of the forest road will consume as long as 1 hr of driving through the lonely fields and forests. Krestovsky Bay is one of the few places on the lake which is only 15km away from the main road to Olkhon island, but still unknown for mass tourism. There is a private cow farm there. Its owner built a couple of wooden cabins for their friends and tourists. Michael Broadbent: Hope to here from you in the future. If you want to check what we said about Baikaler, click on the link below! Take care! View more photos of Krestovka on Picasa See more photos of the ancxient art. There is a 2nd largest number of ancient drawings (the 1st one is - of course - located at Krestovka). It is on a very high vertical orange colour cliff next to magnificent Lena river, 26+ km after the village called Katchug.