Hainiok Strait Kayaking

Currently, only persons over the age of 18 and persons over the age of 14 accompanied by their parents are allowed to participate in all our tours. Under the age of 14 is not allowed.

We do not cancel scheduled events due to rain. If precipitation is forecast on the day of the event, we recommend that you bring a waterproof jacket (raincoat) and a change of clothes. However, we reserve the right to cancel and reschedule the tour if the actual weather is heavy rains with thunderstorms and going out on the water is dangerous. The cancellation decision is made ONLY by the tour guide.

If the wind speed is more than 15 m / s, as well as when the Ministry of Emergency Situations announces a storm warning in the kayaking area, the instructor guide has the right to decide on the cancellation and postponement of the tour. We try to notify participants of the postponement as early as possible, but it is important to understand that we are guided by the actual weather and current emergency reports. If the transfer to another date is not possible for the participant, we will refund the payment in full.

On a hike, even a short one, it is impossible to predict the weather. At its core, hiking is a way out of your usual comfort zone. Precipitation should not be perceived as something bad: it is a given that nature has given us to test our strength. But that doesn't mean you need to get completely soaked. Properly selected equipment and following our recommendations for its selection will make your stay in nature more pleasant and safer for your health.

On the Heinjok Strait route, we use inflatable kayaks with Viking 4.7 and Viking 3.8S frame elements. These boats have proven themselves well for training beginners and have good stability characteristics: they are difficult to turn over.

You can take your personal belongings with you to the kayak, but they can get wet there. If you don't want to take your things with you, you can leave them in the instructor's car: an escort car takes us from camp to camp, which carries things.

We use frame inflatable kayaks and polythene kayaks. If you follow the simplest safety rules, it is almost impossible to turn them over. The statistics on "overkills" at our events is 1 per 3,000 people. This means that the probability of a coup is negligible.

Wetsuits are necessary on rafting trips where the probability of contact with water is high or guaranteed, such as stormy rivers, stormy seas, or high-difficulty hikes taking place at low temperatures. Using a wetsuit outside of the above circumstances is at least hot (boil in your own sweat). In our case, if the rules of kayak management and the instructor's recommendations are followed, the probability of being in the water is minimal. Accordingly, wetsuits are not required on this route and we do not provide them.

You need to choose clothes and shoes for kayaking and kayaking depending on the weather conditions and the time of the year. Regardless of the season, make a choice in favor of sportswear and shoes that will be comfortable for rowing. Kayaking is similar in terms of physical activity intensity to cycling at a high pace or a leisurely jog: it's not cold while you're moving.

It would be wise to bring a set of replacement clothes with you if the main one gets wet (from precipitation, splashes or sweat), including shoes. Keep in mind that there are no special places for changing clothes at the launch sites.

Insurance is not included in the price of our tour. If desired, you can apply for insurance on the website of a Large Country without commission directly from insurance companies.

Our minibus picks up the participants from the Finlyandsky railway Station at 08:00 a.m. on the first day of the tour and returns the participants back on the last day. 

Getting to the starting point on your own is difficult: not many taxi drivers will want to take you to the starting point. We strongly recommend that you do not neglect our transfer and do not try to get to the starting point of the route yourself.

Citizens under the age of 14 are not allowed to participate in the tour.

Citizens between the ages of 14 and 18 are allowed to participate only if accompanied by their parents.

Drinking alcoholic beverages is prohibited on our tours. This is both a security measure and a measure of cultural recreation.

People weighing more than 120 kg and with a hip volume of more than 125 cm are not allowed to participate in the tour. These limitations are due to the design parameters of the kayaks.

Staying on our tours is not recommended for pregnant women and people with disabilities. If you have doubts about the possibility of participating in the tour for health reasons, please consult with us and your doctor.

Air and railway tickets are not included in the price of the tour. You can purchase them yourself or contact us for help.

An experienced instructor with extensive travel experience, special training and a first aid certificate.

A group first aid kit with a wide range of medicines and dressings.

Life jackets and life-saving ends.

In case of adverse weather conditions (high waves or strong winds), the instructor guide may decide to change the route.

The tour format is kayaking with an overnight stay in tents. 

Transportation of things between overnight stays is carried out by an escort car. 

Transfer from Saint Petersburg and back by minibus is included in the price.

The tour takes place in the Vyborg district of the Leningrad region. 

The route thread in the 2025 season starts from Lake Lamskoye, then through the Graduyevka River to Lake Bolshoe Graduyevskoye and then, through the channel system, passes through Lakes Sibirskoye, Gubanovskoye, Sokolinoe, Kunye, Bolshoe Lisitsinskoye and Smirnovskoye with a finish in the village of Paltsevo. 

The total length of the route is 35 km. 

The route is uncategorized, the current is calm, there are several rapids in the channels between the lakes. 

On the way, there will be two thresholds of artificial origin (the remains of the Finnish mill and bridge), which will need to be bypassed. 

Two or three blockages on the route will also require removal. The optimal time for the route is high water (late April - early May).