The Pole of Cold. Winter expedition to Yakutia

We start our one-day winter journey at 08:00 and end at ±21:00.

Drive the road Yakutsk.

Batamai village for 3.5-4 hrs one way. The road goes along the Lena River south off Yakutsk. We pass Pokrovsk town, settlements of Bulgunnyakhtah, Elanka, and Tumul.

We’ll have stops at the Stone Pillars of Elanka, where we will have the exclusive excursion to ancient caves and rock paintings. From Batamai, we cross the Lena River toward Lena Pillars by walk or a snowmobile with a passenger sledge.

We stay at Lena Pillars for 2 hours. Temperature might be as low as minus -30C and -45C.

Though wind factor should be considered.

Drive distance: 432 km (according to our GPS track), 10 hours w/ meal & photo stops. Overnight in a private apartment-based hotel in Khandyga.

We start our journey from hotel at 09:00 am. This day’s activity:

Crossing the Lena River on the ice road. Stop for the group photo.

Stop on the opposite bank of the Lena River to overlook the river landscape with Yakutsk in background.

See many traditional Sakha villages. Stops for photo shoots.

Stop on the bank of the Aldan River.

Crossing the Aldan River.

Two stops at roadside cafes (meals are not included).

Distance ~514 km (according to our GPS track), ~10 hours w/ meal stops and photo shoots. Accommodation and dinner at family’s in Oymyakon. We start journey at 08:00 am and arrive to Oymyakon late night. We’ll do the following stops.

Time for breakfast at a café in Khandyga (not included).

Before approaching Verkhoyansk Mountains for photo shoot and a visit to GULAG history museum (if opened).

At the memorial with the big Cross on the rock, dedicated to the victims of the Gulag system.

Chernyj Prizhim (literally it means the Black Narrow Pass with the highest bridge on the ridge).

Kyubyume Fuel Station with the “Cuba” road cafe and the tube where all adventurers attach their own expedition sticks.

Tomtor village for re-fuel at a gas station.

Two stops at roadside cafes (meals are not included). Actually, we can do many stops. Dinner (included) and overnight at family’s in Oymyakon.

Accommodation at family’s in Oymyakon. Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner at family’s. Activities:

Breakfast at family’s (included).

Experiments with the cold in the family’s backyard (freeze your T-shirt, towel, etc; you might also bring fruits and vegetable to freeze and photo).

Visit to the “The Pole of Cold” Stella with meeting Chyskhaan, Keeper of the Cold, and receiving the Pole of Cold Certificate from his hands.

Walking around the village.

Swimming in the Indigirka River.

Lunch at family’s (included) – Ice fishing on the Indigirka River. You’ll see the traditional net fishing method.

Dinner at family’s (included).

Sakha Culture Evening in the House of Archy.

Late evening tea at family’s (included).

Drive distance: ~514 km (according to our GPS track). Overnight in a private apartment-based hotel in Khandyga.

On the way to Tomtor, we’ll do stop by to visit the farm of Yakutian horses, original Siberian breed (small and steady, and accustomed to live outdoor in the extremely cold conditions).

In Tomtor, we’ll go inside the ice tunnel (former food storage) with giant ice crystals on walls and ceiling and walk up on top of the hill to see the whole Oymyakon valley from above.

If we would be lucky, we visit reindeer herders’ winter camp and ride reindeer sleighs.

Visit to reindeer herders is possible if they would be based close to the Tomtor road.

When heading to Khandyga, we’ll see all the beauty of the nature landscape we missed when drove in darkness on the way to Oymyakon the other day.

Two stops at roadside cafes en route (meals not included). Arrival in Khandyga in the late evening.

This is driving day. We leave the hotel in Khandyga at 08:00 am.

Do stops at roadside cafes in the villages of Uolba and Churapcha/Tyungyulyu (meals not included).

We might have time to visit History & Architecture Outdoor Museum in the village of Cherkekh (entry tickets are not included).

We arrive back to Yakutsk by the evening. Free time in the evening.

Transfer to Yakutsk Airport. Flight from Yakutsk.