At first, I thought that 6 days of trekking was not enough, but it turned out to be the perfect amount of time for a slight sense of anticipation and the desire to return as soon as possible! I managed to recharge and disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the city, but I didn't get the feeling of 'emotional oversaturation' from the trek!
When preparing for a trek, you expect the weather to be different, and when heading to the North, you unconsciously expect it to be cold! This is the North, after all. We were lucky, and the North greeted us warmly. It was nice that warm thermal underwear and fleece pants didn't come in handy!
The North surprised me with the fact that it's beautiful not only around but also underfoot! I would even say especially underfoot! Walking barefoot on a carpet of reindeer moss and moss is a delight for a kinesthetic person! I don't know where else I can 'emotionally charge' my feet like that. And I will definitely remember the crunch of kelp underfoot and how you sink into it a little like in a swamp! And, of course, the Northern Lights.
And my personal little delight is paper maps, a guide to animal tracks, and postcards about the life of the Pomors, which complemented the trekking atmosphere, which is perfect. Not a photo from the phone, but postcards! The devil is in the details!
Thank you, Pasha, once again for such high-quality organization, from the first call to the final dinner! Special thanks for the sense of security and confidence in you, it's very valuable!
I was planning a harsh hike through the mountain tundra, but in fact I lived this week in incredible care, as if I had a chicken under my wing, and in the stunning beauty around me.
The tundra turned out to be an incredible place. It would seem that there is a basic set of plants, mosses, lichens, rocks, lakes and streams, but behind each hill a new breathtaking view was waiting for me. And also the sea.
At some point, I caught myself thinking that I was almost running with a big backpack to see what was next. For the whole time that February has been going on, for the first time I was able to exhale to the end and even got tired of smiling.
I am very grateful to the wonderful Pavel Rudenko and Anna Migalina for this fairy tale and their care, as well as for their professionalism. You guys are the best! Rumor has it that Pasha still has places for other trips this summer - guys, don't miss your chance)
I like the northern nature, I have already been on three hikes in the Kola Peninsula, but I can say that the nature in Rybachy is different.
The terrain is flatter and easier to walk. The landscapes, partly reminiscent of Sakhalin - green hills and tall grass, like in Miyazaki's cartoons, sharp rocks, layered rocks on the coast, rocks as if torn out of the ground by a giant hand and scattered everywhere, unusual black rocks. In one place there were stone waves, only on the shore. Tides changing the coastline. A rainbow after the rain, stretching into the sea. Every time my brain had something to be surprised by))
We saw foxes, deer and whales, found cool souvenirs in the form of deer antlers)
We feasted on blueberries and cloudberries) as usual, Anya and Pasha cooked delicious trekking food).
The weather was varied, which made the hike more emotional) and it was possible to test your gear )
Once again, I want to say that thanks to Pasha, everyone was dressed correctly, lived in good tents and hung out in a group tent when it was cool. That's why the hike was comfortable) Thanks everyone, great company gathered, friendly, fun, had a great time, hugging everyone )
This was my first time on the Kola Peninsula and on an autumn trek. I fell in love with and embraced the North thanks to Pasha and Anya.
The organization of all stages of the trek was professional. Full support and involvement from the moment of planning personal gear, equipment consultations to the final dinner of the trip.
A well-thought-out author's route - within a week, the landscapes, views, flora, fauna, and even weather conditions changed. Care and attention in any weather and, most importantly, the attitude - positive and friendly, even to the hundred-thousandth question. How do they manage it?! Although I didn't have plans to return to the Kola Peninsula at the start, they appeared.
With Pasha and Anya, it's interesting to embark on a new route and continue to discover the North for myself.
P.S. Pasha, we took turns and organized дежурство on your website to not miss the new season's calendar. I feel there will be a fight for the treks!
The landscapes and views are breathtaking to the core and even further!
You look in one direction, there the tundra begins to shimmer with colorful hues, look the other way — endless sea, even an ocean with its inhabitants (seal pups, cetaceans will accompany almost the entire journey).
I consider this route one of the best in terms of effort and beauty seen.
The trek itself is very conveniently organized, with accommodation on the first and last days. Comfortable transfer. Special thanks for the good varied food on the route! All stops are in very beautiful places, although it's hard to find anything ugly there.
I want to highlight that Pavel not only leads the way, but also tells about these places from a geographical, historical, and even ethnographic point of view! Great thanks for these stories, it was very interesting!
I highly recommend this trek to fall in love with the Kola Peninsula for a lifetime!
✅ Saw the northern lights right from our tent ✅ Watched a bear with cubs (from a safe distance) ✅ Watched the Smeshariki on the projector (!!!) and had a great laugh ✅ Ate enough blueberries and lingonberries for a year ahead ✅ Laid on soft reindeer moss ✅ Listened to the sound of waves from the tent
It seems to be very difficult to get so many cool impressions in a week somewhere else) So, if you're looking at this hike, I highly recommend it!
This was my 8th long autonomous hike. I've been with several large well-known and not so well-known tourist clubs, but I liked it much more with Pasha:
1. There's no race, rush, or constant stress that you need to go faster/get ready/collect water, etc. Here, if your foot starts to hurt, we stop and put on a plaster. If it gets cold/hot, we stop to change clothes. This is all within reason, of course) The group's pace is not lost, we always arrive on time, but it's somehow much calmer than usual)
2. There's time to enjoy nature and have fun! We had stops to eat berries, watch seals (Pasha, by the way, gives a monocular), look at the map, take photos.
3. Pasha is a big fan of the North and an enthusiast of his work. He tells interesting stories about the region, hiking in general, and equipment. It's very inspiring and motivating! You immediately want to walk more, return to the North, and somehow improve your life :)
4. Pasha will always help if something unpleasant happens: you get sick/it's hard to walk/there's something wrong with the equipment, etc. — it's very nice to know that you can be calm about this)
5. Great route! Very diverse: first the forest, then the sea shore, then hills with reindeer moss, then a view of the gorgeous lakes from above. The beauty is amazing and you don't have time to get used to it because the landscape changes frequently) We didn't meet other groups on the route, we walked without trails. Cool, the feeling of wild nature.
6. Excellent food! Delicious and varied. At the same time, the weight of the female module (set of food) was 4 kg. Everything is very well thought out — the meat, for example, is dried, which is lighter and tastier. A snack is given to each person right away, so you can eat when you need it, not when it's time for a general snack)
In general, it seemed that Pasha's hikes are about enjoying nature without suffering. I really like this approach, so I started choosing another Pasha's hike during the trip!
While watching another video about northern travels on one of the platforms, I learned about Pavel in the comments. I wrote to him the same evening and received an exhaustive answer, which served as a positive impetus for the decision to go on a trek.
I immediately liked Pavel's thorough, informal approach to organizing the trek, there are no small things for him. The route is perfectly planned, taking into account the places for day stops and overnight stays, sources of water, etc. On the trek, I was pleasantly surprised that the travelers were given leisure time after dinner.
Pavel turned on the projector and we watched documentaries and cartoons in our 'dining tent' and discussed the day that had passed. Far from the comforts of civilization, this was very encouraging, it seems to me, for tired tourists.
Assembling a group for the trek is another great merit of Pavel. Our group developed a very warm relationship with each other during the trek. We still continue to communicate in the common chat. And I hope to see my 'tribesmen' again on the next trek!
My first trip with Pasha: the White Sea, berry madness.
The landscape changed every day: we would either be making our way through bushes, walking on rocks, sand, kelp, or moss. It felt like five different hikes!
Amazing nature! And what a variety of autumn colors! You completely forget about the backpack on your back when there's such beauty around.
And the North does a great job of fulfilling dreams — we saw the northern lights!
It wasn't without difficulties: Pasha made us not look under our feet because the berries were everywhere. Oh, those meadows with huge delicious blueberries, lingonberries, and cowberries that a group of 13 people couldn't resist.
The hike was also very informative. Before starting, we visited the Kandalaksha Nature Reserve museum to get to know the inhabitants of the region better. Pasha also prepared maps and photos from different years. We even watched documentaries on a projector!
Special thanks to the second guide Roma. Under his strict supervision, we managed to enjoy the views, pick mushrooms, keep up with the group, and eat delicious and varied meals. It wasn't a hike, it was a sanatorium!
And big thanks to the Tundra! For the beautiful weather and for introducing us to new interesting people.
I had a great time on the hike and highly recommend it to everyone!
I really enjoyed the trek. Rybachy surprised me every day with its changing scenery; I didn't expect such a variety of landscapes and views within a week's hike. Of course, the whales, submarines, and the number of reindeer were very impressive.
It was all new to me, like picking cloudberries from the bush for the first time. And, of course, it never gets old seeing fields of blueberries and lingonberries, and this time also scattered clusters of boletus mushrooms.
I was very pleased with the absence of human footprints. We had so many events on our route: obstacles, a barracks, reindeer herds, buoys, submarines, cliffs, interesting conversations. The views, nature, company, our guides, the atmosphere, the mood - that's why I go on trips again.
Everything was there, everything happened, one of the best treks of the season. Heartfelt thanks!
It's very cool that someone is now doing the 'everyone goes with their own' format. This makes both the price better and the group composition more experienced and interesting somehow) It's very cool that everything is up-to-date and modern, without sitting around with a guitar and drinks))))
Thank you for your love for your work and professionalism in it, that's worth a lot. And of course, for long conversations about gear))) And special thanks for the motivation with your example to go further, more, stronger)
We will be waiting for more trips, especially winter ones. If you start leading them, I think it will be awesome, no one is doing this now))
We will definitely recommend you to friends who are interested in the North)
There's nothing to write about the downsides. Well, maybe subjectively, the portions of food are too big)))))
