Granitnyy: Expedition to the Lost Shore of the Ocean

An adventure trek (as opposed to meditation treks), a nostalgia trek, a challenge trek. This is all about Granitny. But let's take it step by step.

The program is quite intense - a boat trip along the Kola Bay past Severomorsk and the Rosatom base with the accompanying views of warships and nuclear icebreakers. And then it only gets better - steep hills, an abandoned city, kilometers on water in waders and epic river crossings, 10-hour trekking days, land and sea fauna - it's hard to list everything.

In my particular case, the polar day, which I last saw 23 years ago, and all the pleasant memories associated with it were responsible for nostalgia, and globally - the aforementioned abandoned city of Granitny, the failed brick factory near Teriberka and other artifacts of the ушедшей civilization.

As for the challenge - 10 days with one rest day (not a lazy one!), difficult terrain and surface, 135 km, 5000 m of elevation gain. Full throttle, everything we love!

The team is a dream! Dear Pavel Gennadyevich never lets us down! Ilya is great (such cooking is worth a lot). Chum is awesome!

I wish everyone to visit and experience it!

This trek became a real challenge for me and at the same time an unforgettable adventure. It was the longest I've ever done, and thanks to that, I gained a lot of valuable impressions and experience. The tundra turned out to be challenging and harsh, requiring endurance and patience, but it's in such conditions that you feel truly alive. The organization of the trek was top-notch — everything was thought out to the smallest detail: routes, food, safety. I especially want to note the excellent catering — the food was delicious and hearty, which is very important on long treks. The nature in the tundra is stunning — these views will remain in my memory for a long time. I recommend the trek to all adventure lovers with good physical preparation — the tundra is worth it!

Who is this trek with? With a person who is in love with the North and insanely meticulously preparing for everything that can be encountered along the way! From the very moment of signing up for the trek, Pasha will accompany and guide, help with packing, discuss and advise on all gear and more. On the trek itself, Pasha was maximally attentive to everything that was happening, to how the weather was changing, how the participants were feeling, and made necessary adjustments to the route and schedule depending on that. And in all this, he was helped by an equally cool Ilya! Our guide and our cook, someone who knew how to surprise even in these harsh conditions!))))) The most important thing is that I was lucky to be among people who were as interested in this trek as I was and who were just great people — apparently, Pasha filters and attracts people well :) Who is this trek for? For those who are ready to suffer a little to see the beauty and untouched places!)) And also to wander around an abandoned city, tunnels, machinery :) And also to walk a lot with a backpack, since the main part of the trek is spent loaded down with gear)) But it's all worth it — for 10 days you just disconnect from the hustle and bustle, you just walk on the moss-yagel, wander along the rivers, climb and descend the hills, endless, sometimes cascading, lakes and the sea. Also, there's an endless amount of wildlife — all kinds of birds (which sometimes sing non-stop all night))), seals and whales (if you're lucky), bears (if you're a bit luckier), and just flowers, greenery, and algae)) After 10 days, a hard and level surface of asphalt no longer delights, walking on it just doesn't work!

My spontaneous trip to the Kola Peninsula. I've been following Pavel's blog for almost a year, reading his descriptions of hikes and scrolling through photos, becoming more and more captivated by the idea of a trip to the north (even though I live in the north myself).

And lo and behold, a spot opened up in Granitny — along the lost shore of the Ocean! This was my first serious trek and required preparation and gear. I finally met Pasha, talked to him on the phone and was amazed by such professional, attentive and thorough attitude to each participant. He explained everything needed for the trek in an intelligible way, gave recommendations, answered all questions, provided the most detailed guide, links, promo codes...

I had no doubts that this was the trek I needed. I spent a month preparing on a large scale, even went to Moscow for gear) and... flew to Murmansk!

The hotel that Pasha picked is awesome. The adventure and incredible views begin already with the transfer. Behind every 'hill' new grandiose landscapes open up! The resting and overnight spots are simply fabulous! A varied and delicious three-meal diet (huge thanks to the second guide Ilya).

Pasha has thought of everything down to the smallest detail for the entire trek! And his love for the Kola was felt by each of us) I could describe and talk about our trek endlessly, but it's better to go yourself — you won't regret it! My great appreciation and gratitude to Pasha and Ilya, you are professionals in your field, sensitive, attentive, caring!

A reliable companion at the edge of the world — for a moment I wondered what or who I wanted to describe like this: the sun that didn't set for ten days above our heads, or Pasha, who came up with, thought through, explored and leads this powerful trek to the heart of the tundra, winds and sea — 'Granitny'.

It wasn't easy, but interesting — the weather, terrain, views, wind, sea, animals and birds on the horizon changed every day. Has everyone in life had the chance to walk from Murmansk to Teriberka through the tundra and coast? And if you're thinking about such a trek right now, then I recommend going, because... the tundra loves us)

Despite the diverse terrain, there are no difficult places to pass on the route. There's plenty of clean water, secluded bays, rivers, streams, and lakes. I've never seen so many lakes in a day — I think we came across 15-20 lakes a day.

The route is quite demanding on equipment, endurance and sensitive to the weight of the backpack. But Pasha's and Ilya's (he was the second guide) attention and care support, and the legs just keep going forward — a few more hills.

For the story of nature and life on the Kola, and beautiful photos from Rudenko — go ahead to Granitny!