6 days on a Snowmobile in wild Northern Russia

Short description:
Discover the Northern Russian Wilderness on a Snowmobile. North of the Polar Circle you will explore areas of the Kola Peninsulas that can be reached in summer only by boat or helicopter (if at all). You will maneuver with your snowmobile through deep snow and quiet white forests, over icy mountain passes, frozen lakes, rivers and bogs. You will encounter remote villages of reindeer herders and with some luck you will be able to see the big reindeer herds and some polar lights. Warm up in the russian sauna "banya" and stay the night at friendly host families in remote villages and in comfy and warm forest cabins.

We advise you to drive on your own snowmobile. if you plan to share the skidoo with your friend or partner, this is possible but please contact us for advise. Suitable for motivated participants (beginners and experienced drivers) who enjoy snow and ice and who do not mind overnights in rustic but warm wooden huts (2-bed or 3-bed-rooms).

The route:
Kirovsk – Khibiny – Lake Umbozero – Lake Lovozero – Village of Krasnoshelye– Village of Varzuga – Village of Kuzomen – White Sea – City of Kandalaksha

The trip starts from the largest mountain massif on the peninsula, the Khibiny. We’ll spend a day to explore the paths, to climb the peaks by snowmobile, and to race in mountain valleys. After the Khibiny you can view the Lovozero tundras, a mysterious mountain massif which is said by some be the center of an ancient Hyperborean civilization. Hundreds of kilometers of forest-tundra and huge peat bogs separate the village of Krasnoshelye (“red ravine”) from civilization. Expedition participants will spend a day there getting to know the life of this unique settlement from inside. In Krasnoshelye you’ll taste local delicacies that are not served in any of the restaurants! The expedition will end in the old Pomor village of Varzuga, famous for its wooden churches that include the Church of the Assumption built in 1674 “not using a single nail”. And, of course, by the end of the expedition you’ll see the White Sea full of ice-drift.

Points of interest along the route: distinctive life of indigenous northern people, reindeer herds, mountains, tundra, forests, lakes, virgin landscapes, fishing, mountain lakes, Pomor villages, the 17th century Church of the Assumption, the White Sea, the Village of Krasnoshelye, sauna with snow rolls.
You will have a good chance of seeing wild animals (partridges, grouse, foxes, hares, reindeer) and aurora borealis.

How to get there:
You should buy a flight to Murmansk, Saint Petersburg or Moscow - the first being the nearest, the last being the furthest away from the tour. So it might be a good idea to combine the tour with a visit to one (or more) of these cities.
We will help you finding the best and cheapest flight for you and we will organise all transports in Russia for you.
The tour itself starts in Kirovsk and ends with a bus transfer to a town called Kandalaksha, both on the Kola Peninsula.
Kandalaksha has a trainstation with connections to Murmansk, Petersburg and Moscow. So does Apatity where we will pick you up at the start.
So either you come there by train (organised by us) or you fly to Murmansk and we will pick you up from the airport there for a 3 hour transfer.

Enrolment until: 6-7 weeks before departure (later enrolment not outruled)