26/12/2023
Here’s a Christmas tree for the wicked times! I spent last three weeks skiing first tracks in primeval larch forests near Ridder, East Kazakhstan with teams from the UK, France and Portugal
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Here we talk about UNDER-THE-RADAR DESTINATIONS of your next trek, ski tour or climb. PRIMALSCAPES stands for primal, untouched mountain landscapes.
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We are a small and friendly team of full-time local guides – ‘Like’ us for occasional unobtrusive posts about amazing mountain areas you’ve never heard of.
12/11/2022
Craving for the big mountains while staying at Pokhara, Nepal 😁 Hopefully, will leave for some epic trekking in the Himalaya in a couple of weeks. Photos are from last year acclimatisation trekking in Bezengi, Caucasus, before attempting Elbrus via the North route, with a couple from Bavaria.
24/02/2022
The Fann mountains are the hidden gem of one of the world’s poorest countries – Tajikistan. Sunny climate, surreal colorful mountain lakes and open-hearted locals make this area a remarkable, world-class destination, still waiting to be discovered.
Our 2 weeks itinerary includes 9 days of self-contained trekking and wild camping followed by 4 days of sightseeing in neighboring Uzbekistan, at the crossroads of ancient trade routes.
– Catch a glimpse of mighty 5,000m snow-capped peaks reflecting in screaming turquoise mountain lakes. Or, maybe, take a deep breath and plunge into one?
– Camp in the wild by a mountain lake and watch myriads of stars of the Milky Way, without any light pollution from big cities.
– Observe the traditional ways of local shepherd families. Share a gift with smiling kids and thankfully accept bread freshly baked in a traditional clay oven.
– After the trek, immerse into the vibrant swirl of oriental bazaars and blue-domed mosques in Samarqand and Bukhara – the ancient cities on the Silk Road, capitals of Tamerlane’s empire and objects of UNESCO cultural heritage. Sample mouth-watering Central Asian cuisine and sweets. Then bring home authentic pottery, wood carvings, metalwork or, perhaps, a hand woven carpet.
Dates: 21 Aug-4 Sept 2022
Keen to go? Put “+” in comments for more details.
01/12/2021
My favourite wild campsites in the land of fire and ice! Which one would you camp at?
Kamchatka is a remote peninsula in the far east of Russia – much closer to Alaska than to the nearest major Russian city. The highest active volcanoes of the continent – together with glaciers, geysers, and the Pacific Ocean – forge pristine landscapes of stunning beauty and dramatic contrasts, recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Extremely low population density and minimal urban development help diverse flora and fauna remain largely undisturbed.
I’ve been visiting Kamchatka several times since 2008 as trekking, skiing and climbing guide – and apparently have gathered a collection of scenic wild spots to pitch a tent at. Enjoy!
03/02/2021
The Fann mountains are the hidden gem of one of the world’s poorest countries – Tajikistan. The sunny climate, surreal colourful mountain lakes and open-hearted locals make this area a remarkable, world-class trekking destination – ‘the next Nepal’ still waiting to be discovered.
📸 Wild camping by Dushakha lakes, at the foothills of the awe-inspiring Kulikalon mountain face towering over 2,000m above the lake. Photo by Andrey Golovachev.
You can stand here too. Consider signing up for our 9-day trek, no commitment required. It is followed by 4 days of sightseeing in neighboring Uzbekistan, at the crossroads of ancient trade routes. Please send us a message for more details.
26/01/2021
Why bother paving roads? Build bigger trucks! 🤘🤣 Ride one of these 6WD beasts, with a friend, right next to a crater of an active volcano in the legendary Kamchatka peninsula during our July 2021/2022 trekking trips.
Napoleon, the French emperor, having lost a war with Russia in 1812, allegedly said: ‘There are no roads in Russia – only directions.’ Kamchatka, being the ‘last frontier’ of Russia, is famous for its incredible nature and notorious for roads, even by Russian standards. That’s why custom-built vehicles built by local enthusiasts are ubiquitous.
Low-pressure tyres enable them to climb mushy snow slopes – so we also use them for approaches on our spring ski tours. They usually drive in packs maintaining constant radio exchange to help each other out. Safety is paramount given the severe weather of Kamchatka!
20/01/2021
Siberian champagne-like powder snow, uncorked a few days ago… 🥂❄️
The regional effervescent variety is found deep in Siberian woods where cold temperatures and dry climate result in a light and airy substance zealously guarded by local riders. In its fluffiest form, it satisfies the most discerning tastes of snow connoisseurs. 😋
Character: refreshing, exuberant and playful.
Palate: soft, with faint conifer hints on the nose. 🌲
Texture: light and sparkling.
Finish: undiluted happiness. 🎉
Goes well with steam sauna, flame-grilled local game, stewed fern, fat skis and cold-smoked happy faces. Excessive consumption may result in unexpected powder faceshots. Hangover upon return to the Alps is highly likely.
Serve reasonably chilled, either off lifts, snowcats, heli or ski tours.
Best enjoyed with a local guide and a good company of cheerful friends, in late November throughout early March.
Directions for use: whip up, gulp, sleep, repeat. ⛷⛷⛷
📸 Andrey Golovachev
Location: sidecountry of Sheregesh ski resort, Siberia, Jan 2021
To keep pace with international demand we are opening a small selection of spots usually reserved for local riders.
Please enquire about our winter 2021-2022 tours. Split-boarders welcome.
02/01/2021
Leaping straight into 2021 at Sheregesh resort, Siberia. Now that the heavy snowfalls are over, it is time for some relaxed ski-touring, avy beacon training and technique drills on groomers.
20/12/2020
Preserve that light and warmth inside you even if the world outside seems dark, cold and unwelcoming.
🎄🎄🎄 MERRY CHRISTMAS! Here is hoping to see you in 2021 on our treks, ski tours and ascends in Russia and neighbouring countries.
📸 Photo: steam sauna by the river during our freeskiing trip in Siberia. Follow us for more inspiring pictures and stories of outdoor adventures! ⛷🗻❄️
02/11/2020
Russia is opening its borders. Sort of.
We have always been a ‘proud’ state that would only consider easing off its visa policy on a bilateral basis – that is, if your country waived the visa requirements for Russians too.
All of a sudden, E-VISAS ARE BEING INTRODUCED unilaterally for the entire territory of Russia since the 1st of January 2021. The e-visa will enable stays of up to 16 days, will be issued in under 4 days and will be valid for 60 days after issuance. It will cost $40 for adults and will be free for kids aged 6 and under. NO HOTEL RESERVATIONS, NO INVITATION LETTERS or other paperwork will be required.
That, of course, does not affect any temporary COVID-related restrictions: to my knowledge, only Brits, Swiss, Turks and Tanzanians are currently allowed into Russia, provided a negative pre-departure test. NO quarantine is required.
Today, obtaining a Russian tourist visa is not too difficult but is certainly an impediment for Western tourists spoiled, in a sense, with the power of their passports. You need to get formal confirmation of your trip from a Russian tour agency and then visit your local Russian visa center, in person. After that it takes about 10 business days to get your passport back. IMO, this hassle is one of the reasons why our country remains one of the most underrated destinations, largely spared from the usual hordes of tourists.
I’m wondering if this move could be the beginning of a global softening of visa requirements in an attempt to support the tourism industry that was hit by the pandemic so badly?
📸 Volcanoes of KAMCHATKA, shot by myself during a trek that I led last summer.
Below is the list of the 52 countries which citizens will be eligible for the Russian e-visa, most notably China (omg!), Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Finland, Japan, Austria, Ireland, Poland, Switzerland, Norway, India and Turkey
Sadly, Britain – the country where I lived for 4 years and have many friends in, my second motherland – is not eligible yet; neither is the USA. Hope that will change someday.
Andorra
Austria
Bahrain
Belgium
Bulgaria
China (and Taiwan)
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Kuwait
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Mexico
Monaco
Netherlands
North Korea
North Macedonia
Norway
Oman
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
San Marino
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Vatican
20/10/2020
Namaste! I am Andrey ‘Andrew’ Golovachev, the founder & mastermind of Primalscapes. While international travel is still on ice for most of us, we all can’t wait to visit those amazing remote destinations we always have been dreaming of. At Primalscapes, we have pencilled in dates for a few 2021 trips and started to take bookings with ZERO INITIAL DEPOSITS:
- 6-14 May 2021: SAIL-TO-SKI trip in KAMCHATKA peninsula, based on a small yet comfy motorboat, perfect for your private group of 4-7 skiers/snowboarders.
https://www.primalscapes.com/ski/kamchatka-sail-to-ski/
- 11-24 Jul 2021: Our trademark TREK AROUND THE VOLCANOES OF KAMCHATKA.
https://www.primalscapes.com/trek/volcanoes-of-kamchatka/
- 8-18 Aug 2021: An easier TREK between granite spires and tranquil lakes of ERGAKI national park, the ‘SIBERIAN YOSEMITE’.
https://www.primalscapes.com/trek/ergaki/
- 22 Aug-5 Sept 2021: High-altitude trekking in the sunny FANN MOUNTAINS OF TAJIKISTAN, the land of surreal turquoise lakes and open-hearted local shepherds – followed by 4 days of sightseeing in the ancient silk road cities of Uzbekistan.
https://www.primalscapes.com/trek/fann-mountains/
BRITISH AND SWISS CITIZENS ARE ALLOWED TO ENTER RUSSIA since the 1st of August and direct flights are currently available. Furthermore, Russia is introducing easy-to-obtain e-visas for most European citizens since the 1st of Jan 2021 – alas except for the UK and the USA at the moment.
COVID-19 UPDATE
With these positive trends we are looking forward into having more bespoke trips next year. We do remain vigilant though. The pandemic brought out the importance of staying away from the crowds which you are welcome to do at any of our trips!
– We will fully refund your trip if you cannot attend due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
– ZERO initial deposit to book your place.
– 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.
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