Siberia - Day 5

I have to say I never had a better spot to write my blog than I do right now. There is a lake behind me, a waterfall to my left, another to my right, and a glacier just in front of me. But I think I have gotten a bit ahead of myself so let's start at the beginning....

It was another slow morning but the view that greeted us in the morning was beyond beautiful. There was no sense of rush because we knew we were staying another night. The plan was always to walk to the other lake and from there get as close to the glacier as possible. We were told to pack the essentials, warm fleece, rain jacket and crockery and were asked to carry some food so we could have a nice feast at lunchtime, My cool little bag was packed to capacity but it was still 10 times lighter than the big one; it was such a lovely change.

​Just to be on the safe side Christoph, aka Dr. Wood, used his super-duper tape to secure my ankle and then I wrapped it up again with a long bandage to stop it from moving. The beginning of the walk was through the forest, almost a light easy stroll, with a stunning backdrop. I couldn't stop taking pictures, and then we got to our first river crossing. The choice was simple: walk across a 10 m log with the possibility of falling into deep water and getting soaked to the bone with your backpack, or wading through a stream a bit higher up with the possibility of getting only your boots and socks wet. Hmmm, choices, choices. Three of the boys braved the log but the fairer/smarter/prettier sex, and Cristoph :) chose door number 2. The next photoshoot scene was lovely; a stone wall and gate-like structure and hundreds of small cairns. True to form I contributed to this by building my own cute cairn and leaving a bit more than my footprints behind :).

We had a fantastic view of the glacier and the lake and then we saw what lay beyond. A full section covered with rocks of all shapes, sizes and types that required the skill and experience of a circus performer. My still tender ankle was definitely singing and would have made Pavarotti proud, but we all made it, including my trousers which were used several times as a body breaker.

Not long after that, we arrived at our lunch spot with a stunning lake as a backdrop. Every time we thought the view couldn't get better, it simply DID.

The next session covered several activities: a bit of 'mini' rock climbing, forest walking, stone hopping and river jumping and of course then we started climbing. Luckily we only had small backpacks and therefore everything felt easier and the day less gruelling.

When we finally arrived at the upper lake we all took a big sigh of relief, followed by several celebratory pictures. Before we knew it Evgeny was 50 meters ahead, heading to the other side. Let me tell you the word easy stroll was most definitely not on this trip's agenda (or his vocabulary). Imagine all kinds of stones sloping into the lake, well, that was our path. My speed limit was below a snail's but I didn't care. Safety, dry clothes, mental state and at least 1,000 pictures came first, in that order

Once on the other side of the lake, the long-awaited lunch break was announced. I hate repeating myself but the French kissing idea was a big possibility again due to my aching feet, ankles, and knees; you get my gist. The view from our spot was absolutely stunning, the glaciers and the lake were only a heartbeat away now. So, at this very perfect moment I decided to sunbathe, as you do :). What else should you do at 2250 meters high with a superb view, lovely company and amazing food. ​Cooking lunch took almost 2 hours but it was eaten within 15 minutes because of the time, 3 pm. We did wonder if it was a good idea to carry on without a head torch but we were told, YEP, so we did.

​The phrase 'My Dear GOD' was not enough to describe what followed. Massive stones, sharp and flat, secure and wobbly, some touching but some a whole meter apart. WOW, I honestly didn't know I had this in me, Ninja-style lighting reflexes, Spiderman-style jumps and a Joker-style approach to the whole thing. It was only about 150 meters long but I'm not joking it took us at least 30 minutes to cross it. ​At this point, my ankles very rudely started to show their discomfort and again I had to consider the wisdom of carrying on, but hey-ho, me being me, totally Nutella nuts, I did. ​Once we crossed the 'hard part' I was sure we were just a few minutes away, or as Evgeny likes to say ' only 50 meters away'. Well, it definitely wasn't. We must have been about 2,300m high when the group, to my utter horror, started going downhill. I was sure the 'Hoba', aka little thingy to sit on (a brilliant invention by the way!) would be my best sledging friend, but it was not to be. Mrs Pessimism, aka my alter ego, whom I am trying to trample into dust, didn't need the Hoba at the end but knowing the option was there gave me some comfort. When I looked up and saw where we were supposed to go I finally decided to stop, NOT give up :) but rest my ankle. It was one of the smartest decisions I have made. I sat there looking at the others walking towards the glacier, feeling sorry for myself, for exactly 5 minutes and 29 seconds, that's when I realised the spot I was sitting at was beyond amazing, as per the intro above...

While they were away, to my utter amazement, I saw wild goats, something Evgeny was hoping to see. After that I imagined other less friendly mountain creatures creeping up on me from every possible angle. This episode lasted until I started writing and simply started enjoying the moment.

​The others returned after an hour and talked about amazing views but very difficult terrain, my decision to skip this part was fortified. The return journey was quick, with barely any pictures and 2-minute breaks. Without much ado, we made it back to camp in less than 2 hours.

A pack of wolves starving for a week were not as hungry as us but first things first I needed to get clean. My top was absolutely soaked; the logical thing followed: undress, get a towel, get sandals and straight into the river. It was absolutely heavenly, both Christoph and Svetlana agreed with this assessment and joined me. Dinner was in the dark but we were all salivating and didn't give a damn about time. ​My attempt to finish today's blog failed due to extreme exhaustion, 11.3 miles, and I passed out just in time to hear the rain starting. It was a great night but luckily not a cold one. I found a comfortable spot to sleep on and the rain was like a lullaby to my ears.

​Overall, a very beautiful, but hard and exhausting day. My battered ankle and swollen knee were proof enough but still worth it :).