Lost World. Tour to the Anabar plateau, rafting on the Kotuykan River

The Anabar Plateau is terra incognita for 99,9% of the Earth’s inhabitants. And only real travelers, world explorers, avid fishermen and no less avid landscape photographers know about this amazing, truly unique place on the map of Russia.

What makes it unique? There are practically no places left on Earth as untouched by human activity as the Anabar Plateau! For hundreds and somewhere even thousands of kilometers there are no roads, no settlements, no power lines - nothing but virgin and pure, as if newly created nature. And this despite the fact that Anabar is one of the oldest mountain plateaus on Earth, its age is more than 3 billion years, that is, close to the age of the oldest rocks on Earth!

The unique relief of Anabar was formed as a result of long-term geological processes associated with both the destruction of rocks and their simultaneous formation. One of the most famous geological monuments of Anabar are stromatolites - dense layered formations that appeared as a result of the activity of cyanobacteria and blue-green algae - the first living creatures that inhabited the ancient ocean about 3 billion years ago. It was cyanobacteria that gave rise to life on Earth: they produced oxygen and, over millions of years, created the Earth’s atmosphere suitable for the existence of higher forms of living beings. And stromatolite structures are nothing more than ancient prototypes of modern coral reefs.

Cutting its channel through sedimentary rocks, the Kotuykan River, and with it the wind, heat and cold, formed the most unique landscape on Earth. Along the slopes of the canyons, cut by the waterways of the mountain plateau, like stone sculptures by unknown sculptors, stretch stone remains carved from ancient sandstones and stromatolites.

Despite the almost arctic latitudes (the Anabar plateau is located north of its more famous “brother” - the Putorana plateau), the flora and fauna here amazes with its diversity and size. Far from human activity, which devastates all the natural resources around them, fish that reach enormous sizes are still found in the rivers here, herds of wild reindeer and musk oxen roam through the forest-tundra, unfrightened hares scurry about, and in the season the berries that are here shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow underfoot. more than any place you know.

The Anabar Plateau is a real paradise for landscape photographers, for fishermen and hunters, for naturalists and explorers of the world, because here we see our planet as it was long before the advent of man - rich in natural resources and pristine.

But in order to get here, you need to overcome a long and very expensive path: first by plane to Krasnoyarsk, then again by plane to the village of Khatanga - the closest settlement to the Anabar plateau, and then we will have a fairly long helicopter transfer, which makes up the bulk of the tour costs . But there is no other way to get here!

It is this remoteness and inaccessibility that is the main highlight of the tour, which, despite the high cost, attracts all those who are not accustomed to being content with standard trips to tourist places. By visiting the Anabar Plateau, you will be one of only a few hundred people who have been here in the entire history of mankind!

Duration

12 days

Comfort

Group

up to 10 people

Age

18+

Region

Taimyr, Russia

Tour organizer:

EVGEMY ANDROSOV

Professional traveler, climber, mountain guide and tour instructor with 30 years of experience. Visited all continents, in countries of the world and regions of Russia. Organizer of hundreds of original tours, expeditions, hikes, climbs...More

Tour organizer and route guide:

VITALY GORSHKOV

Guide of the travel company "Magic of the Taiga", who has made many trips to the Anabar Plateau, the Putorana Plateau, Taimyr, the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago, and has organized dozens of tours to these wild but incredibly beautiful places! More

Second guide on the route:

IGOR ZUBKOV

Professional wildlife photographer specializing in photographing wild animals. Member of the Union of Wildlife Photographers (UFDP). Finalist of the international Glanzlichter competition. Prize-winner of the Golden Turtle competition, multiple finalist and laureate of the National Geographic Wildlife of Russia competition. Repeated finalist of the “Most Beautiful Country” competition of the Russian Geographical Society. Participant of the natural photography festival “Primordial Russia”. Collaborates with the State Nature Reserve "Kaluzhskie Zaseki", as well as with the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Prioksko-Terrasny State Reserve".

Itenarary day by day:

1 day

Arrival to the village of Khatanga. Flights from Krasnoyarsk fly twice a week - on Mondays and Fridays, so our trip is tied to these days of the week. Transfer to the village, check into a hotel, get acquainted with the village.

More

2 day

Early rise, breakfast, transfer to the airport, loading into a helicopter and helicopter flight to the starting point of our route. Unloading, setting up camp, walking around the surrounding area, fishing and photo hunting, dinner by the fire.

More

3-9 days

Rafting on the Kotuykan River: stops and camps in the most beautiful places, for fishermen and hunters - exciting hunting and fishing, for photographers - photo hunting of animals, photos of stunning sunrises and sunsets, photos and videos from copters (there are no restrictions here!), for everyone - leisurely walks and exploration of the area, impressive photographs, picking berries and mushrooms, shared breakfasts, lunches and dinners, a camp sauna with diving into the icy water of the river.

You will remember this trip for the rest of your life!

More

10 day

Last morning on the plateau. We enjoy nature, pack up camp and set off on a helicopter that arrived to the village. Khatanga, where we are staying at a hotel.

11 day

Transfer to the airport and flight home. Goodbye Taimyr, goodbye Anabar plateau!

The tour price includes:

transfer by helicopter from Khatanga to the starting point of the route on the Kotuykan River, return by helicopter from the ending point of the route,
rafting on motor boats all days of the route, including fuel and all expenses for their maintenance,
hotel accommodation in Khatanga 2 nights,
three meals a day on the route,
general equipment (tents, awnings, awnings, pots, burners, gas, dishes), as well as a large first aid kit, protection against bears and mosquitoes, satellite communications for emergency calls,
issuing passes and permits to the border zone, registering a group with the Ministry of Emergency Situations,
work of guides and instructors,
group and individual photographs of each participant, taken during the entire trip using professional photographic equipment and provided electronically,

The tour price does NOT include:

?What is the difficulty of the tour? What are the restrictions?

From the point of view of physical stress, this tour is NOT of high complexity.It does not require serious physical preparation, only a moral spirit for adventure and good emotions in the northern latitudes and beautiful but harsh nature.

Our rafting will take place at a leisurely pace, without extremes, with maximum comfort for this type of travel. At your service will be spacious, high-quality tents, awnings, tables and chairs, a full set of camping utensils, fishing gear, and a camping sauna.

However, one must keep in mind that the weather can bring surprises - heavy rains, low clouds and associated delays in the departure/arrival of planes and helicopters are possible. You need to be mentally prepared for this.

More

? Recommendations for clothing and equipment

For this tour, you need to take with you a set of high-quality personal clothing and equipment for staying in northern nature: a membrane jacket, a light down jacket, warm and waterproof hiking pants, good trekking boots, a set of thermal underwear, as well as a hat, gloves, warm socks, fleece are required . In addition, you will definitely need a backpack with a capacity of 75 - 90 liters, a water-repellent cover for it, one or two waterproof bags with a capacity of 20-80 liters, a raincoat, a headlamp, a thermos, a mosquito net, a warm sleeping bag (-10 degrees comfort, no less!) , a good rug, rubber slippers like Crocs. For fishermen - high boots (marsh boots or wade boots - as they are called in different regions of the country). The full list will be provided to you by the organizer when concluding a contract for the tour. Also, the organizer will definitely advise you on what you DO NOT need to take, so as not to carry excess weight with you.

More

? Important additional information

Due to the complex logistics of the tour, as well as the need to obtain passes and permits from the border service, booking and pre-payment of a helicopter, registration for the tour is carried out strictly until April 1, 2025. If an insufficient number of participants register for this date, the tour may be canceled canceled, the prepayment will be refunded in full. Or, by agreement with the registered participants, the cost of the tour can be increased in proportion to the missing number of participants in order to recoup the cost of the helicopter.

More

? How to participate

1. If you are interested in this tour, leave a request using the form below or call the indicated numbers, we will contact you and answer all your questions.
2. To reserve a place, you must make a prepayment of 30% of the tour cost. Prepayment is refundable 60 days or more before the start of the tour and, unfortunately, non-refundable less than 60 days before the start of the tour if the refund is due to your refusal to participate (for any reason). If the tour does not take place due to our fault, due to the group not being formed or due to force majeure, the advance payment will be guaranteed to be returned to you in any case.
3. Final payment is due seven to three working days before the start of the tour.