Sayan Gutara river rafting, fishing and cultural anti crisis budget trip

Region: Russia, Eastern Siberia, Eastern Sayan
Activity: rafting, fishing, trekking, cultural tour, optional rock climbing
Trip Category: special
Difficulty: easy to medium, no need of special skill, kids from 14 years old are allowed.
Dates: June to September, from/to Omsk (optional from/to Krasnoyarsk, 20 days or from Nizhneudinsk to Taishet, 19 days).

Eastern Sayan is the mountain huge massif in the south-west of Eastern Siberia which keeps the tracks of the ancient volcanic activity. This area is actually forgotten by modern civilization and keeps ecological purity. Travellers are meeting there with untouched wild nature, crystal clear rivers with a lot of fish: harius (grayling), lenok, taimen, and genuine Siberian taiga. Travels in this area bring the amazing social experience with meeting the Tofalar (Tofa) people - very small (about 1000) unique ethnic group of proto-Uigur origin who keep their national identity and very old and unusual traditions untouched so far.

Itinerary (Variant 1, from/to Omsk, here you join the team at the very beginning):

Day 1	Arrival to Omsk. Meeting at the airport or railway station. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel (**DBL BB). Meeting with your guide.
Days 2-3	Transfer to the railway station. Meeting with the team. Train to Nizhneudinsk.
Day 4	Arrival to Nizhneudinsk. 6WD transfer to the pass foothill. Camping.
Day 5	Packing the horses. Hiking over the pass to Katyshnyi stream.
Day 6	Preparing for rafting (assembling of the rafts, training of the members).
Day 7	Rafting down Katyshnyi stream to the junction of Murkhoi river.
Day 9	Rafting down Murhkoi river. Camping on the right bank.
Day 10	Rafting down Murkhoi river to Upper Gutara (Verhkniaya Gutara) village.
Day 11	Day of rest. Excursion to Upper Gutara village - the host of Tofalaria region. Visit to the museum. Excursion to the picturesque Gutara waterfall. About 20 km hiking. Camping. Fishing.
Day 12	Gutara waterfall. Camping. Fishing.
Day 13	Cnt. Gutara waterfall. Fishing. Return to Gutara.
Day 14	Rafting down Upper Gutara river. Camping on the right bank.
Day 15	Rafting down Upper Gutara river. "Lastochkin hvost" ("The Swallow's Tail") rapid.
Day 16	Day of rest. Geniune Russian bania.
Day 17	Rafting down Upper Gutara from the "Sea Hole" rapid to "Labirint" rapid.
Day 18	Rafting down Upper Gutara. "Sokol" ("The Falcon") rapid.
Day 19	Rafting down Upper Gutara.
Day 20	Rafting down to Talaya village. End of rafting and active part. Final picnic.
Day 21	Spare day.
Day 22	Transfer Talaya-Taishet, 52 km, about 1 hrs. Train to Omsk.
Day 23	Arrival to Omsk. Transfer to the hotel. Hotel accommodation (**DBL BB).
Day 24	Transfer to airport. Departure from Omsk.

Included: Meeting/seeing off in Omsk. 2 nights hotel accomodation (DBL, BB basis) in Omsk. All transfers according the programme, 2-person tents with caremats, 3 times a day hot meals during rafting, rafting and camping gear, guides.
Not included: Travel to and from Omsk (Transsiberian or by air), visa fees, alcoholic beverages and other luxuries, personal items.

Options: visa support, cititour in Omsk, SGL supplement, gear rental. The arrival and departure points may be changed as follows:

Variant 2. Arrival and departure from/to Krasnoyarsk. Here you can save 2 days if you arrive by air. The itinerary should be changed as follows:

Day 1 Arrival to Krasnoyarsk. Meeting at the airport or railway station. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel (**DBL BB).

Day 2 Transfer to Nizhneudinsk (542 km, 9 hrs). Meeting with the team. Start (at about 22:00) 6WD transfer to the beginning of the route. Tent camping.

Day 3 Packing the horses. Hiking over the pass to Katyshnyi stream.

Day 4 Preparing for rafting (assembling of the rafts, training of the members).

Day 5 Rafting down Katyshnyi stream to the junction of Murkhoi river.

Day 6 Rafting down Murhkoi river. Camping on the right bank.

Day 7 Rafting down Murkhoi river to Upper Gutara (Verhkniaya Gutara) village.

Day 8 Day of rest. Excursion to Upper Gutara village - the host of Tofalaria region. Visit to the museum. Excursion to the picturesque Gutara waterfall. About 20 km hiking. Camping. Fishing.

Day 9 Gutara waterfall. Camping. Fishing.

Day 10 Cnt. Gutara waterfall. Fishing. Return to Gutara.

Day 11 Rafting down Upper Gutara river. Camping on the right bank.

Day 12 Rafting down Upper Gutara river. "Lastochkin hvost" ("The Swallow's Tail") rapid.

Day 13 Day of rest. Geniune Russian bania.

Day 14 Rafting down Upper Gutara from the "Sea Hole" rapid to "Labirint" rapid.

Day 15 Rafting down Upper Gutara. "Sokol" ("The Falcon") rapid.

Day 16 Rafting down Upper Gutara.

Day 17 Rafting down to Talaya village. End of rafting and active part. Final picnic.

Day 18

Day 19 Transfer Talaya-Taishet-Krasnoyarsk, 428 km, about 7,5 hrs. Hotel accommodation (**DBL BB).

Day 20 Transfer to airport. Departure from Krasnoyarsk.

Cost: please for an offer!

Included: Meeting/seeing off in Krasnoyarsk. 2 nights hotel accomodation (DBL, BB basis) in Krasnoyarsk. All transfers according the programme, 2-person tents with caremats, 3 times a day hot meals during rafting, rafting and camping gear, guides.
Not included: Travel to and from Krasnoyarsk (Transsiberian or by air), visa fees, alcoholic beverages and other luxuries, personal items.

Options: visa support, 1-day rock climbing near Krasnoyarsk (famous "Krasnoyarskie Stolby" - "Krasnoyarsk Pillars" rocks), SGL supplement, gear rental. The arrival and departure points may be changed as follows:

Variant 3 (economic). Arrival to Nizhneudinsk and departure from Taishet. Here you join the team at the beginning (from Day 4 of Var. 1) of active part and leave at the end (Day 21 of Var. 1). Both Nizhneudinsk and Taishet are situated on Transsiberian railroad, so it could be part of your Transsiberian trip.

The Unknown Land of Tofalaria. Rafting. Fishing. Trekking. Cultural. 24/19 days.