"It's possible to flipp off in less than no time" What troubles await tourists on the Baikal trail

Ivan Zubov

As you know, the political events of recent years have drastically changed the holiday habits of Russians: instead of traditional flights abroad, they increasingly began to stay within the country, counting on domestic resorts. However, an adequate replacement is not obtained, no matter how hard the local authorities try.

Take, for example, the famous Great Baikal Trail, which consists of several equipped hiking trails on the coast of the world-famous lake. In full accordance with foreign models, they are trying to make these routes safe by constructing, for example, supporting walls or steps there, placing information stands on the trails, equipping parking lots and campfire sites. There are already more than a dozen such routes, and the most popular of them is the trail from the Baikal village of Listvyanka to the north - to Bolshoy Goloustny. It is really very beautiful and diverse, besides, it runs through the Pribaikalsky National Park, which is a specially protected natural area, so you need to apply for a paid permit to visit it.

For foreign citizens it costs 300 rubles, for Russians - 150, and for residents of the Irkutsk region even less - 75. To put up a tent, you need to pay another 100 rubles per day.

This route continues to be equipped: for example, in July of this year, 10 new decks for setting up tents and campfires appeared on the trail. They also promise benches for vacationers, bird feeders, and even a site for separate collection of waste.

But all this is still very far from normal standards, the Irkutsk depression channel reports:

“Still, they put garbage cans and toilets there. But they also need to be serviced, and for the “reserved Baikal region” this is something beyond reality.

Along the Great Baikal Trail - from Listvyanka to Bolshoy Goloustnoye - there are:

Waste bins - 0;

Equipped woodcutter - 0;

Toilets - 2 (and only at the beginning of the trail in Goloustnoye);

What do tourists pay for? To shit in an anthill?

But these are just flowers. Bloggers also inform about a serious danger awaiting tourists on this trail: from it you can easily roll down a steep slope straight into the icy waters of Lake Baikal:

“On the path, the length of which is 50 km, THREE times there is a place where the path is interrupted by a cliff. There are no warning signs, however. You either have to go back, wasting time and effort. Or bypass the cliff from above, which is extremely unsafe. You can break there in two counts. If not broken, then tore the clothes

Again, why should people risk their own lives for money?”

But that's not all: this summer, the trail was closed for several days due to the fact that a bear with cubs was seen on it. Now visitors are warned that groups of at least five people are allowed to enter the GBT. Tourists are asked to move compactly and during daylight hours.

It is noted that round-the-clock patrols will also be carried out on the route.

“This is one of the most popular roads on Baikal. What kind of tourism development can we talk about if even this road cannot be put in order?” bloggers conclude.

It is worth recalling that getting to Baikal cost a lot of money even a year ago, and now it’s even scary to imagine ...Are all these expenses worth such an unpleasant and, in addition, unsafe pleasure?