Arctic Expeditions with Pavel Rudenko

The trek across the Kola Peninsula left incredible impressions and became a real adventure that will remain a warm memory in my heart. Each morning began with beautiful views of picturesque landscapes, and the days were filled with pleasant conversations with new friends.

The special delight is, of course, the delicious food, which we 'fueled' daily with kilograms of fresh blueberries, lingonberries, and cowberries. Berries on the Kola are an irresistible temptation.

We studied the tracks of various animals — a fascinating part of the journey. I admit, at first it was a bit scary, despite the fact that I am an avid hiker. However, interest and complete confidence in safety prevailed — sometimes I even wanted to see a bear, at least from afar.

But we got to know the unique fauna of the White Sea: we watched seals, found starfish, listened to incredible stories from Pasha — in short, we felt the full depth of this amazing world called the Kola. 

The nights were especially magical: we admired the starry sky and, of course, caught the northern lights. We even ran out of the tents in our 'pajamas' to capture this incredible atmospheric phenomenon. 

I want to thank the people with whom I spent a week almost at the edge of the Earth, and Pasha Rudenko, the guide, who created an atmosphere of coziness and friendliness throughout the route. His care, professionalism, and positivity made our trip safe and comfortable. 

It's very, very sad that everything ended so quickly — there is a huge desire to walk again in the amazing places of the Kola.

I still think about the hike to Daliye Zelentsy with Pasha Rudenko every day.

I can't say that I have a lot of hiking experience, but I have something to compare with. Objectively, Pasha is in first place in terms of organization. The person understands and, most importantly, loves what he does, is passionate about it.

The entire route has been explored in advance, we never got lost, it feels like Pasha knows every stone here)) There is a second guide in the team who is always in his place at the back of the group. At the same time, the pace of movement is very comfortable, you don't get tired of the transitions, there is no need to overcome yourself/the desire to reach the camp faster, on the contrary, there were days when I wanted to keep going and going))

The organization of the hike is at the highest level, from choosing the route to the food rations, the guys do something interesting with food every time, and there are no duties, if you want, you can help with cooking, but you can also sleep longer)) At the end of the route, we came to the semi-abandoned village of Daliye Zelentsy, in which you don't feel like you've entered any kind of civilization at all, that is, the hike ends surprisingly harmoniously.

Overall, the impressions of the hike with Pasha were only positive, there wasn't a single day when something prevented me from enjoying the beautiful northern nature, nothing distracted me.

Thanks really want to be said for everything: the route, the organization, the responsibility, the humor, the positive attitude, the work of the very responsible second guide Ilya, thanks to the team, which included wonderful people, and it couldn't be otherwise with Pasha's approach to his business.

Three reasons why you shouldn't go on a trek with Pasha to the Rybachy Peninsula:

1. Too beautiful. Incredible cosmic views await you, straight out of the movie Interstellar, stone waves, stunning rock cliffs, and you can also visit the place where the Death Star fell. There is also a high probability that a whale will swim nearby for 40 minutes, and in the morning deer will come to the camp. Not every heart can withstand such things.

2. Development of superpowers. During the trek, you can learn how to run while being driven by the wind, simultaneously shouting 'whale-whale-whale' or 'deer-deer-deer', point the direction with a stick, and with your free hand, scoop up a handful of huge cloudberries or ripe blueberries. Do you really need that?

3. Too comfortable and safe. Pasha will think of everything, advise the best gear, feed you delicious food, take care of you, hide you from the wind in a chum, and even wrap you in a rescue blanket if necessary. Just in case, a submarine is on duty in the sea. You don't need to kill yourself — that way you definitely won't die.

In general, I want all this to be mine alone, so give yourself plenty of time to think, so that the spots for the trip will definitely be taken.

I'm very glad that I went on a hike through the tundras of the White Sea.

It's a great way to end the season and the aftertaste is just amazing! The organization is top notch, confidence in everything - I had a backpack record for self-supported hikes (13.5 kg including food), while still taking everything I needed; a very balanced route - uniform load by day, my knee didn't even bother me (usually hurts by the middle of the hike).

The route is diverse - you don't have time to get used to the views, you walk through the forest / along the coast / on hills, the stops are top.
Safety is top notch - everyone understands how to act, there are flares, survival blankets. The most vivid emotions are, of course, the northern lights and watching a bear. I liked our evenings in the chum.

The food was delicious, the instructors were attentive and empathetic, and it's also good that the final day is added for rest/restaurant/shopping and a trip to the museum. The team is selected perfectly, we didn't stretch out and walked at a fairly fast pace, breaks on time (and in the right blueberry-cowberry place).

In general, there will be something to nostalgia about on winter evenings =)

The journey begins with a small climb up a hill, inhaling the most delicious and freshest cool air, taking in the incredible expanse and beauty around, smiling and feeling absolutely happy — that's it — what I've been waiting for all year.

On this trek, the tundra is beautiful with its brutal beauty, the hills and rocks are low, wide, and massive, their walls are smooth, and they seem to tell that they have been here for millions of years, carved by a glacier, adorned by winds and waves, they do not age — they become more and more beautiful.

Early summer is a special time for the tundra: there are no thickets anywhere yet — all the leaves and buds are just gaining strength and look like an incredible tender miracle surrounded by massive stones. Birds are preparing to become parents: they incubate their clutches, protect them, and drive away uninvited guests.

A special pleasure is to walk along the shore during low tide — you can meet all the little sea creatures, watch the shrimp and crabs rushing about, the snails crawling slowly, and around there are whole fields of sandworms. It's so great that in such a cold sea there is so much incredible life.

For me, the tundra has become the most beloved place in the world, a place where I feel at home. Here it is always easy to breathe, the wind is blowing, there is an abundance of tasty and clean water, and there is so much beauty that the field of vision is not enough to see everything at once, because the beauty here is in everything — even underfoot there is an incredible carpet of mosses and reindeer moss. It is always different — behind every hill there is always something new waiting for you that will not leave you indifferent.

And the tundra loves you, even when you are tired and the weather is bad, you will definitely be cheered up: the sun will appear from behind the clouds, a huge seid, a rushing herd of deer, a whale in the sea, or you will be treated to berries.

I am very grateful to Pasha for all these incredible miracles. Words have not yet been invented to describe how much.

Pasha sees all this incredible beauty and knows how to infect others with it and share it. When I go on a trip with Pasha, I don't go to overcome something, but to live my best life. I know for sure that everything will be thought out and organized, that I will be fed very deliciously, supported, sheltered from the wind in a chum, told a lot about this region and its exploration, and also that no one will get lost, because there is a rear guide and everyone can go at a comfortable pace.

And Pasha is always in touch and you can get advice from him to choose the perfect gear, and then enjoy the trip both under the local Arctic rain and in +5 degrees, which feel like -2 due to the gusts of wind, and in +25 — all this diversity can happen in one day, but you will be ready for it, because Pasha is the best, and he has already thought of everything).

The hike to the White Sea was incredible! Pavel surrounds you with care and leads you along animal trails, while Margarita inspires with her skill and calms you in difficult moments.

The North is beautiful, and with good people, it's also cozy even in bad weather.
I'm бесконечно grateful to you for this new experience!

Pasha, thank you very much for an interesting week on the White Sea!  

I especially want to note:
- excellent planning and organization of the hike. The situation with the injury of one of the participants was handled very professionally, first aid was provided, evacuation was organized, and further medical assistance. 

I was on a hike with Pasha for the first time, but the feeling that you can fully trust the guides appeared very quickly, everything is thought out, provided for, and safe. Of course, you need to listen carefully and do what you're told:))) 

- a fairly simple, calm, and at the same time eventful route — an introduction to the North: forest, sea, hills, tundra, northern lights, watching animals, and the silence of wild nature.
  
- super detailed and useful tips on choosing equipment for the hike! 

- care for each participant, thank you for finding time for everyone: to talk, take a picture, suggest something useful at the moment.

- the projector and movies on the hike about the North! That's wow!

Thanks to Rita for the delicious food and for not rushing anywhere)) Thanks to Anya for the delicious turkey))) 

You live in the city, a year passes and your brain becomes like Sméagol from The Lord of the Rings. The time comes to go on a long journey.

You step on the reindeer moss, sinking ground made of lichen, bog moss and crowberry. Under the weight of your backpack, your feet sink into the soft surface. Balancing like this every new day, you continue your journey, making your way through huge boulders covered with lichen. While the scorching sun exhausts your body, the mosquitoes arrange as many dances as possible, checking how much your nerves have been affected by the environment you chose in civilization.

The tundra is the perfect place to recover. In one day, you can experience all the weather conditions. So the sun suddenly gave way to rain and icy wind. No longer complaining about mosquitoes and midges, but you are already shaking from the cold. To cross the ford, you untie the laces of your boots, and your hands are shaking like after a withdrawal, and your teeth are chattering. Surprisingly, after the cold river, you cheer up and get warm from the excitement (I haven't overcome my fear of water yet).

Thirteen other 'hobbits', eager to reset, share this path with you. Here, you won't be able to put on a mask and pretend. Here, you are real, 'naked'. Here, everyone will see how much you are stuck in the city routine. But it is all these conditions, this entire environment that can shake you up. At the end of your journey, you begin to feel that the inner Sméagol has dissolved.

For the first time, it happened when I was a girl and I came to the sea with my first real salary.. it conquered me, and I thought, yeah, this is mine, so beautiful and warm! I said I would live by the sea! But.. Then I saw the mountains! And then I was conquered by the incredible force, height and power of these ancient giants! Of course, I screamed: I'm staying here! And now the North has happened... by chance, I ended up on the Kola Peninsula, and I think it accepted me, gave me the best warm days, the tundra embraced me with the sun, laid the softest reindeer moss, quenched my thirst with water and fed me with berries.. what else do you need? As for you.. hold the northern lights!

I couldn't imagine that everything would be so perfect! We stood at the edge of the world where there's nothing further.. the wind of the Arctic Ocean didn't wound with cold, it gave a pleasant coolness on a hot day... The most incredible feeling, of course, is that we were the only ones there.. it was as if we were the discoverers of these places!

And, of course, this wouldn't have happened without an incredible guide, the best in the North, Pavel Rudenko and Anna Migalina. With great love, they tell and show the North! They are truly awesome guides! Together with the tundra, they embraced us and gave us an unforgettable adventure!

The North is now in my heart, which means I will return.

What can I say about the beaches of the Arctic Ocean? They're Amazing.
What can I say about the Mountain Tundra? She's Magical. 

This is the fourth time I've been to these places, they respond as my place. I've been here in a storm, all the hiking week and sunny days, and for me these places are infinitely beautiful.

This trip was also wonderful by our organizers Pavel and Anya. It is very pleasant to walk with people who share a love for these places. And I will say from experience, Pavel and Anya are invaluable organizers because their experience is not based on rumors and popular rumor, they know what they are saying and what they are talking about.

 Thank you so much for a great hike!