BAA9. The Path of Shaman

Type: Adventure

Duration: 4 days

Season: June - September

Recommended Group Size: 4-12 PAX

Transportation: minibus, off-road car, on foot
 

Central and Northern Asia has been the Selected Land of Shamans from times immemorial and the island of Olkhon on Lake Baikal is traditionally considered to be one of the few strongholds of Shamanism in Siberia. The shaman rites and rituals proved their efficiency throughout the centuries and that is why the indigenous people ofLake Baikal area even nowadays refer to shamans to solve their health problems as well as major life issues. 

This automobile tour runs in the Tazheran steppe – a vast stone plateau south from Olkhon Island that is famous for its amazing landscape, numerous archeological sites and mysterious legends.

Day 1. Arrival in Irkutsk. Meeting and assistance at the airport/railway station followed by a brief city tour.  Transfer by minibus 200 km to the middle part of Lake Baikal. Lunch en route at a road café. After that we continue driving to the shore line of Baikal over a forest road. We’ll hide our cars in the bushes and walk down (less than 2 km) to a picturesque bay called Sagan Zaba. In the evening we'll set up a tent camp and celebrate your first meeting with Baikal by having a festive dinner prepared over the campfire. Overnight in tents. (LD)

Day 2. This day is devoted to exploring the area. We’ll set off with just our daypacks on. One of the main attractions is a shamanist site were centuries ago people sacrificed different animals to the local spirits. Even nowadays you can find bone fragments of those creatures. Some of them are so old that they actually turn to dust in your hands. In case of favorable weather conditions we’ll offer you a short boat ride on an inflated boat. Some of the ancient rock drawings are better seen from the water rather than from the shore. Before dinner we’ll return back to the camp site. Overnight in tents. (BLD)

Day 3. After breakfast at the camp we'll pack up our tents and hike back to the car. From there drive to the next shaman spot - the sacred Shibute mount. On top of the mount you’ll find ancient stone walls built by indigenous people centuries ago. We’ll set up a tent camp on top of a rocky cliff and hike a short way to one of the small wonders of Baikal nature – an arch shaped rock. (BLD)

Day 4. After breakfast we’ll drive to our last destination of the trip - the valley of Stone Spirits. This place is famous for mysteriously shaped rocks. According to the local legend the main Spirit of the area stopped a battle between two warlords by turning all their warriors&nbspinto stones. The warlords themselves were turned into two impressive mountains which nowadays rise above the Tazheran steppe. At this spot we finish our Baikal journey and head back to the car for
a transfer to Irkutsk (265 km) which takes about 3-4 hours with a lunch stop at the cafe. (BL)