Expedition to the Manpupuner Plateau and the Dyatlov pass

Day 1 Manpupuner Plateau and Dyatlov Pass

At 8 am, the group will gather at the helipad in Nyagan. Delays are possible due to morning fog in the mountains. You will receive a weather report at 9 am. If the weather is good, you will board a helicopter and fly to the territory of the Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve (1 hour 40 minutes, 325 km). From the helipad, you will walk 880 m along the path to the stone pillars on the Manpupuner Plateau.
 
At the top of the plateau you will spend about 2 hours: you will learn about the history of Seven Strong Men Rock Formations, take a photo of mysterious pillars, and feel the special energy of this place.
 
After lunch you will board a helicopter and depart for the Dyatlov pass. You will fly over the picturesque Mount Otorten, at the foot of which there is the purest mountain lake Lunthusaptur. 

You will land in the hollow of the Kholat-Chahl ridge, which is called "The Dead Mountain". According to popular beliefs, nine Mansi hunters died on this pass. The same fate befell a group of students and their leader Igor Dyatlov in 1959. You will visit a memorial stele erected in memory of this tragic event.
 
You can then take part in a 2-day backpacking hike that starts from the pass. After the end of the excursion to the Dead Mountain, you will go down to the forest (5 km on foot with a height difference of 400 m). In the evening, you will set up camp, have dinner and rest.
 
If you are not ready for this hiking route, a helicopter will take you to the bank of the Lozva River (15 minutes, 35 km). In the evening you will have dinner prepared by the chef and a chance to relax and enjoy a mobile bath. You will spend the night in tents.

Day 2 Continue trekking or radial walks in the area

Today the group that remained at the Dyatlov pass will continue the walking part of the route (25 km). You will walk along the banks of the Auspiya River, through the rugged taiga and mountainous terrain. After lunch you will carry on towards the base camp on the Lozva River. You will reach it in the evening, meet the second group and set up tents.
 
Members of the group, which stays at the base can go to the upper reaches of the Lozva River (25 km round trip), go fishing for grayling and collect some minerals that are found here. Those wishing to relax will stay in the camp.
 
In the evening all participants will have dinner together. You can also visit the Mansi traditional bathhouse.

Day 3 Rafting on the Lozva river

All together you will prepare the catamarans for rafting and go along the route (10-15 km) after lunch. The Lozva River is sacred for the Mansi. In some places, you can see wooden barns with images of Vogul idols on wooden piles at a height of 2-3 meters. Mansi hunters keep there the minimum of necessary food and items for survival in the taiga.
 
During the rafting you will make stops for rest and lunch, observing the beautiful rocks that rise above the river. You can also go fishing — taimen, pike, Siberian grayling, ide, tugun, burbot and dace can be found here.
 
In the evening you will set up camp, have dinner and enjoy a mobile bath.

Day 4 Mansi village Treskolye

On this day you will continue rafting down the river (8-9 hours, 15-20 km) with stops for fishing and lunch. You will arrive at the river spit near the Mansi camp, and then go on an excursion to the Mansi village of Treskolye, located at the Tump-Kapai ridge (1 km). There is still no electricity, communications, transport roads, and the main occupations of the inhabitants are hunting, fishing and gathering.
 
During a walk around the village you can get acquainted with the life of the taiga Mansi. You will see their national dwellings, special ovens for baking bread called "nyan-kur", as well as sacred barns named "yalping-sumyakhs". For their protection special totems made of bear and elk skulls hang on trees throughout the village.
 
In the evening you will return to the rever bank and set up a camp. For dinner you will taste delicacies of the northern taiga cuisine and various fish snacks. You will spend the night in tents.

Day 5 Excursion to the caves and the village of Ushma

You will continue rafting down the Lozva River (8-10 km), and stop downstream of the Treskolye settlement to inspect two caves — the Whale's Mouth and an underground ice grotto cave. In the past, they were sacred to the Mansi tribes. According to legend, in one of the caves, the Mansi kept their main idol — the legendary goddess Golden Baba (Sorni Nai, Zarni An, Sorni Ekwa, Zarni Yin), reliably protecting her from enemies.
 
After that you will have another walk to the Mansi village of Ushma. It has about a dozen residential buildings located on both banks of the Lozva River. The Mansi are not engaged in agriculture. Men hunt, while women are busy dressing skins and making clothes, shoes and various products from cedar and hazel.
 
After lunch you will see the surviving structures of the first colony-settlement in the USSR, where the re-escorted prisoners lived. In Soviet times, a sawmill, a bathhouse, a bakery, a laundry worked here, and even a park with children's swings and flower beds was laid out. In the evening you will have dinner from the chef. You will spend the night in tents on the banks of the river in the village of Ushma.

Day 6 Rafting on the Vizhay river

After an early rise and breakfast you will pack the catamarans and go by truck to the abandoned village of Tokhta, where you will start rafting down the Vizhay River. Depending on the water level in the river, you will be rafting on catamarans (in high water) or on tourist kayaks (in low water).
 
Vizhai is one of the most beautiful and mysterious rivers of the Northern Urals. It originates on the Prayer Stone ridge, which has long been considered sacred by the Mansi. Ancient Mansi sanctuaries were located along the banks of the river.
 
The main route of the rafting will pass through a rocky limestone massif. The banks of the river are decorated with beautiful rock formations of various shapes, caves with underground lakes and rivers.
 
During the rafting you will make stops for rest, lunch and fishing. In the evening, you will choose a camp site, set up tents, dine and relax.

Day 7 End of rafting in the village of Vizhai

Today you will continue rafting down the Vizhai River, making stops for fishing and sightseeing. Among them are the Golden (or Tsar's) Vizhay Gates. This is a picturesque rocky arch of karst origin, located on the banks of the river. The gate opening diameter is more than 4 m with a thickness of about 1,5 m.
 
It is believed, that the arch is of artificial origin and was built for shamanic rituals. According to the local beliefs, one cannot pass through the Golden Gate, since it is a bridge between the worlds of the living and the dead.
 
You will also visit the recently discovered caves on the Toshemka River and climb the cliff, which offers a magnificent view of the Ural ridge.
 
In the evening you will finish rafting near the village of Vizhai and stay at the tourist base. A festive dinner and a Russian banya are waiting for you.

Day 8 Departure

After breakfast you will collect your personal belongings and go to Nyagan by minibus.

Before departure, for an additional fee, you can stay in a comfortable club hotel and visit a bathhouse with a swimming pool and jacuzzi. We recommend, that you plan your flight the next day to rest before your flight.