Golden Autumn at Lake Baikal

"Golden Autumn" - is the most famous work of Russian artist Levitan. But today the conversation is not about the pictures and about autumn landscape around Lake Baikal in the south of the Eastern Siberia - the deepest lake in the world.

"Golden Autumn" - a picture of Russian artist Isaak Levitan (1860-1900), written in 1895. The painting is part of the State Tretyakov Gallery collection. The picture was painted in the estate of "Hill" in the territory Vyshnevolotsk County Tver province. Painting "Golden Autumn" is one of the most famous works of the artist.

It is necessary to say that for most patients travel, Baikal for me has always been a special place, which will certainly want to visit. The year before, in October, leaving a pile of unfinished cases at the invitation I flew to Irkutsk.

From Listvyanka to Goloustnoye

The first part of the journey was only walking, a backpack. It was an easy 3-day trip, just what we need to understand that you are on the lake, to feel what a real Indian summer, to understand why the locals call Lake Baikal sea ...

Baikal is located in the center of the Asian continent, on the border of Irkutsk region and Buryatia. The lake stretches from north-east to south-west by 620 km in the form of a giant crescent.

The width of the lake varies from 25 to 79 km. The bottom of the lake is located at around 1167 meters below sea level, and its surface - at 453 meters above.

water surface area of Lake Baikal is also impressive - 31720 square meters. km. (Unless you consider the island), which is approximately equal to the area of countries such as Belgium or the Netherlands. Although the water surface area of Baikal is only the 6th place among the largest lakes in the world (1 st place at the Caspian Sea).

As mentioned, Lake Baikal - the deepest lake in the world. The current value of the maximum depth of the lake - 1642 meters - was established in 1983. The average depth of the lake is also very high - about 745 meters.

In addition to Lake Baikal in the world only two lakes have a depth of over 1000 meters: Tanganyika in Central Africa (1470 m) and the already mentioned the Caspian Sea (1025m).

The water reserves in the giant Baikal-about 19% of world reserves of fresh water lake.

Cape Incense

Incense on the Cape we had an overnight stay. We settled on the desert base, where in Soviet times, the workers lived, gasivshie lime at the nearby abandoned quarry. Hence the name of the place - Incense.

In the evening the clouds gathered. Deserted, cold and walking between houses black bull created the gloomy and anxious mood. However, with the onset of the morning, again sparkled all colors of life.

In the winter Baikal freezes over completely, except for a small area of 15-20 km in length located in the source of the Angara.

Malomore. Hurricane and sunset

The road from Irkutsk to Lake Baikal goes through the ridge of hills, decorated with golden larches. Initially, a good highway, then the airtight primer. Polustepnymi hills alternate sites. And with one of the peaks overlooking the part of the lake, called Malomorem. This picturesque coastline, rugged small coves and bays. We find accommodation in one of the empty camp sites in the off-season, so in the morning to go on.

Hurricane! This was the case when you should not spit into the wind. And who would have thought that such a gloomy and rainy day will end at sunset explosion of colors!

Early the next morning. Busting dream, crawled out of the warm house hoping to catch the sunrise. But the sky is overcast. It looks like the promised bad weather caught up with us yet. Sad. It seems all the evening you can relax. But I was wrong. See for yourself.

Farewell to the Small Sea and River delta Ang

We turned off the highway and drove on the dirt road toward the delta of the river Anga. Even on a topographical map it looked picturesque. We go past the curious welcoming calves:

Past horses!

In the picturesque steppe ...

Autumn Lake Baikal:

Delta Anga River. The contrast of yellow grass and smooth as on the patterns of the plotted curves dark blue bed, great:

In the Eastern Sayan Mountains

And then there was an unexpected offer from a good friend to take off in the direction of Mongolia, to the highest point of the Eastern Sayan, Munch-Sardyk.

just before the border with Mongolia, we found a decent cafe. Having agreed with the owner that he will look after the car, took the backpacks, and dry at this time of year, the river bed, went up:

a sudden ahead we noticed a cloud of dust. At that point I was glad that I had a telephoto lens, but was upset that the increase would be necessary to 2 times more, at least for shooting wildlife! First time in my life I saw a huge herd of Siberian mountain goats! There they are, getting ready to cross the canyon. Quite a bit of time - and they are already on the other side of the gorge, climb the steep wall nearly impossible for a person to speed!

Night falls:

"! Road by walking" - tells me the spirit of Munch-Sardyk:

That is something like I imagined Siberia for life, have not yet become acquainted with it.

One evening and one morning on Olkhon

It is an island Olkhon - the largest island of Lake Baikal. Length - 71 km long - up to 12 km, the area - 730 sq. km.

Near Olkhon outer side and the deepest place is lake (1642 m).

On the island meets the diversity of natural landscapes: there are also steppe, absolutely "Baltic", sandy beaches with dunes, hills and pine groves, and thick woods, and severe marble rocks, and even swamps, lushly overgrown with water plants.