€1360
excl. of flights
ON HOLD.
Easy, 60km over 7 days
4-10 participants
Daily +8-20 °C, can be wet
Flights Moscow-ABA-KJA-Moscow from €330
Discounts for couples and groups
The Ergaki is a compact mountain range lost in the woods of South-Eastern Siberia. It is a protected nature park with spectacular granite peaks, placid lakes tucked in jagged mountain cirques, crystal clear streams, waterfalls and primeval conifer forests.
Our 7-days trek makes use of base camps with pre-pitched tents so we won’t have to carry much more than our day packs. The trek is followed with sightseeing in Krasnoyarsk city, a day hike in Stolby nature reserve and a Yenisey river cruise. THIS TRIP IS CURRENTLY ON HOLD. CONSIDER JOINING AN EPIC TREKKING TRIP IN TAJIKISTAN INSTEAD.
Witness gigantic needle-shaped granite peaks soaring above tranquil lakes. Easily climb one of them, take a deep breath – and marvel at vast taiga forests at your feet.
Camp in the wild and immerse into the smells of cedar and fir forests. Ramble through alpine meadows flooded with fiery sparkles of Siberian Globeflowers. Then hear a local legend whispered by a gurgling mountain stream.
Get a chance to observe stoat, Siberian stag, bear, chipmunk, wood grouse and other wildlife.
Travel overnight along a section of the famous Transsiberian railroad. Sail along the Yenisey – the largest Siberian river flowing to the Arctic ocean. Be amazed by bizarre rock formations at Stolby nature reserve, the cradle of Russian free solo climbing. Discover historic wooden houses in the center of Krasnoyarsk – the capital of Eastern Siberia.
Get a first-hand account of life in modern Russia through meeting locals. Better yet, become a local sweating in a traditional steam sauna (‘banya’). Then stock up with traditional wooden cutlery, herbal teas, cedar nuts and honey at a local market before your flight home.
Am I fit enough?
The total distance of our 7-day trek is 60+ kilometers which does not seem much but most of the mileage is done over mountainous terrain with considerable elevation gain and sometimes without a trail.
Provided good weather, we have a long lunch break every day. We also stop for a short rest every 45-60 minutes!
Early morning arrival at Abakan airport (ABA). Private transfer to Ergaki park’s visitor center. Obtaining permits. Transfer to an eco-lodge. Shower, rest and optional day hikes.
9 km, gaining 400 m
We trek easily to our camp at Uyutnoe (‘Cosy’) lake for about five kilometers. We check in to our pre-pitched tents and take a lunch break.
Without packs, we continue hiking to a nearby Raduzhnoe (‘Rainbow’) lake with great views of the Sleeping Giant range that reminds a sleeping man with long hair.
We then continue up to the famous Hanging Stone – a huge boulder which precariously balances over the precipice defying the laws of gravity. Provided good conditions, we will enjoy outstanding sunset views and then descend back to our camp via Car (‘Cirque’) lake.
12 km, gaining and dropping 550 m
After breakfast, we hike via Tushkanchik (‘Jerboa’) col bypassing an extinct and heavily eroded volcano on the right. We then continue upstream along the Tushkanchik river, stopping near a 35m high waterfall, until we reach Mramornoe (‘Marble’) lake. It lies in a magnificent mountain cirque formed by four prominent peaks soaring to the skies. We return to our camp via Uchiteley (‘Teachers’) pass.
8 km, gaining and dropping 600 m
Today we undertake a scenic horseshoe hike high above Car (‘Cirque’) lake, traversing three cols and two peaks in the heart of the range.
7 km, gaining 500 and dropping 450 m
It is time to move to a different camp! Via two easy cols, we cross the head of the Sleeping Giant, bypassing the main range clockwise and end up in a different valley. We pitch our tents at a wild campsite by Khudozhnikov (‘Painters’) lake. It lies at the foothills of the famous Parabola peak that reminds a giant smile in the sky – two nearly perfect cones connected with a U-shaped saddle!
In the evening we undertake an optional hike to a tiny but scenic lake called ‘Malachite bath’ located about 150 meters lower in the valley.
8 km, gaining and dropping 900 m
Having started early and gained some 600m we ascend Dragon Tooth peak (2,176m) which overhangs over the valley and is favored by basejumpers!
We return to our camp via the mystical lake of the Mountain Spirits and observe the summits of Antey and Zvezdniy (‘Starry’) peaks bathing in the dusk light.
8 km, gaining 500 and dropping 550 m
Again, it is time to move to the next camp! We bypass Mountain Spirits lake and trek over Ptitsa (‘Bird’) pass to Svetloe (‘Luminous’) lake where another base camp awaits us. The lake is the warmest in Ergaki and the brave ones can take a deep breath and plunge into it!
8 km, dropping 400 m
We take a farewell look at the Ergaki range towering over the lake. Then we come down along the Tushkanchik (‘Jerboa’) river until we reach the road. Our private transfer takes us back to Abakan. We dine out in the city and board a comfortable overnight sleeper train to Krasnoyarsk, the capital of Eastern Siberia and a major hub of the Transsiberian railway.
Off the train, we check into our hotel in Krasnoyarsk and spend the day sightseeing. We walk around the historical center of Krasnoyarsk with its traditional wooden buildings, visit the local art museum and sail on a small cruise ship along the mighty Yenisey river that flows through the city.
We take a day trip to Stolby (‘Pillars’) nature reserve with its numerous giant granite rock formations of extraordinary shapes up to 100m high. This area is the cradle of Russian scrambling and climbing which started in the late 19th century, traditionally done rope-free solo.
Transfer from the hotel to Krasnoyarsk. Flight back home. If this is your first time in Russia, we recommend you to make a stop-over in Moscow. We will provide advice on accommodation and sightseeing.
Your guides
Andrew Golovachev, an IFMGA aspirant ski guide within the guides’ association of Kyrgyzstan, an avid alpine climber, and devoted adventure photographer.
Ran treks, climbs, ski tours and expeditions to Tajikistan Pamirs, Patagonia, Peru, Morocco, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Siberia, Caucasus and Kamchatka. A full member of the British Alpine Club. Professional avalanche education: equivalent of Canadian Avalanche Association Level 1 certificate.
Visited over 40 countries, lived in the UK for four years. Certified first-aider.
Booking terms
Sounds exciting? It truly is! We love the place and would be happy to share it with you. Should you have any questions, please check out our FAQ section below. Alternatively, don’t hesitate to send us your inquiry using the contact form or WhatsApp.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is difficult for travellers to commit to a trip in advance. Appreciating that, we have introduced ZERO DEPOSIT to book your place on a trip. You will only be required to make a reduced partial payment of €360 just two months before the trip via bank transfer or Paypal, so we could pre-book the logistics with the local operators. The remaining amount is paid in cash upon arrival.
Cancellation policy
If you need to cancel your trip 60 days or less before departure because you are prevented from travelling due to:
1) a government banning non-essential travel to the destination or imposing a quarantine for vaccinated upon arrival upon return from the destination country, or
2) a national or local lockdown
We will put your deposits in full towards a future trip with us, this year or the next year.
The above does not apply in the following cases:
– You or a family member is diagnosed with Covid and you are required to self-isolate, which prevents you from travelling.
– A close relative is diagnosed with Covid and you are required to care for them.
– You are denied boarding to your flight due to failing Covid checks.
– You are unable to join your trip due to not fully complying with the testing or vaccination requirements to enter the destination country.
We strongly recommend taking out a travel insurance with specific Covid-19 cancellation and curtailment provision which is now available from many reputable providers.
We also promise a 14-day risk-free booking window: you can cancel at any point within two weeks after you put down the first deposit. This buys you time to sort out vacation and flights, to bring in your friends, etc. and not have to worry about someone else taking your spot on the trip.
In case of cancellation of the trip by the participant due to any other personal circumstances any deposits made are NOT refunded. At our sole discretion we may put them towards your future trips with us.
The minimum group size for this trip is 4 participants plus the guide. Should there be less, the trip will be cancelled and all deposits made will be returned in full.
Start Your Journey
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Our COVID-19 commitment
The pandemic brought out the importance of staying away from the crowds which you are welcome to do at any of our trips! Driven by the best practices of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), we at Primalscapes commit to the following:
— If you can’t travel due to a travel ban then we put your deposits towards a future trip with us. More details in our Cancellation Policy.
— We gather together small groups of 4-8 participants. Alternatively, why not book a bespoke trip just for you and your friends?
— These days health and safety is a shared responsibility so we ask our participants to provide COVID-19 test certificates right before the trip. Our guides and trek leaders are also tested.
— We provide private transfers throughout, avoiding congested locations.
— We include pulse oximeter and thermometer into our first medical kit for better chances of accurate diagnostics in the field. Should we mention hand sanitizers?
— On the ‘sail to ski’ trip, the boat is thoroughly disinfected before the trip. High-use areas are disinfected on a daily basis. Interactions with the crew are kept to a minimum: they sleep in a separate compartment and dine at different times.
