A boat trip along the Sob River in the Polar Urals. Polar Urals, Sob River Hiking along the Sob River
Notes of a waterman. Polar Urals. Single rafting on the Sob River
Video from the rafting - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RZGF_wJEZQ&t=1s (part 1)
Things have been collected. In addition to the main backpack, the boat will go with me in a hermetic bag. Plus a tube with a spinning rod, a tent and a bag of food for the train. In general, there will be plenty of things. I'll go in a compartment, on the top bunk. It’s very stuffy in Nizhny Novgorod, and it’s generally impossible to be in the apartment, I’m sitting all damp. Tomorrow I leave at 16.10.
Drop-off
The lower one sees me off with rain, it got a little colder to +20. My parents are accompanying me. I take the train Nizhny Novgorod - Vorkuta and go to Seyda station. The compartment is full, a woman with a child and a granny are also traveling with me, they are all going to Vorkuta. Boring. I lie down and read.
The boredom continues. I sleep, lie down, read. I ate a couple of times. At night a lot of children came in and the carriage turned into a “kindergarten”.
Wake up at 5 am. I ate puree. And he began to prepare to leave. At 6.10 I dragged all my things into the vestibule and waited for the exit. We arrived at 6.35, Seyda station. I unloaded and immediately a midge swooped in and I had to change clothes. I dragged my things to the bench and there I met Nizhny Novgorod residents. They also go to Sob, only on a different train and go to the village of Kharp. I was reading a book until 11.15. The train arrived and I loaded up. Train Moscow - Labytnangi. I'm on my way to the Polyarny Ural station. There was a mother and son in the compartment. Lena and Stas. They are from Salekhard, going to Labytnanga, and from there by ferry to Salekhard. We chatted about everything. They say the prices are much higher than ours and the temperature is harsher, it definitely reaches -40, or even more.
In the compartment I was fed buckwheat and chicken. And at 14.15 I left. Stas helped pull things out. Parking 2 minutes.
After unloading, I went to the Sob River, walking about 1.5 km to it.
It took two trips, it was impossible to carry everything. Not far from the river there is an obelisk “Europe - Asia”. I took a few photos.
The landscape is amazing, the weather is great. Mountains all around. I reached Sobi, I walked 4.5 km in total. There was some group nearby, apparently they were returning from a mountain hike. I pumped up the boat and crossed to the right bank of the river, there was mountain tundra all around, no trees at all.
I set up a tent. I cooked soup on gas. The water is clean, transparent and very tasty. Tomorrow, early in the morning, I’m thinking of climbing the mountain, weather permitting of course. In the evening a midge swooped in. It bothers me a little. At 22.00 local time I go to bed. The difference with Moscow is +2 hours.
“Overcome yourself”
It rained at night, and it did not allow me to get out of the tent. I lay around until 10 am, then I got out and saw that the mountains were in the fog.
They are not visible at all. There will be no climbing! I cooked rice - 2 servings. I ate one portion and put the other in a thermos. There are practically no midges. Cold. After lunch I began to get ready, it was time to swim out. I packed everything and started guiding the boat.
Since the river here is not raftable, it was torture. I went through several turns, guiding the boat. Many large stones lie in the river bed, blocking the path. Impossible to carry out. Once, I almost fell into the water, it’s good that I had wading boots.
In general, I decided to wander along the shore. In total I made 9 full walks, but since there was a lot of things, I had to run back and forth. That is, at the end there were 27 walkers. In total I walked about 10 km. But he advanced by about 3.3 km. Not thick. While I was wandering around, it began to rain for a few minutes. In addition, 3 seagulls tried to attack me. But they soon flew away.
The sneakers are wet. I trudged across the tundra, so everything was easy, the only problem was crossing four streams. Then, approaching Sobi, I saw that I could try to resume rafting, since the river had become slightly wider and there were no such huge stones here.
And everything worked out. Of course, we had to get out and guide the boat a couple of times, but we can already sail. There are some riffles, and they carry well there.
There is no flow in the “quiet” periods. Sailed a couple of islands, ran aground once and had to push the boat out. And after swimming about 3 kilometers, I parked on the right bank.
Trees can be seen along the river. Tomorrow the real rafting begins. In the parking lot, I made tea on the gas and ate rice with dried meat. Tundra. Beauty is all around. A beautiful river valley and mountains, that's what's next to me. If the weather permits tomorrow, I’ll try to climb the nearby hill. A lot of midges flew out, especially when there was no wind. Around 23:00, local time, I go to bed. Trains pass occasionally. A pink sunset appeared. Today I tried cloudberries, but they are already fading. The taste is reminiscent of grated apples.
“Great rafting day”
It's cool at night, I climbed into my sleeping bag with my head. Woke up at 6 am. I got out of the tent and looked at the mountains. Some of the mountains are under the clouds, then I’ll still sleep, I won’t go anywhere. At 8.15 I decided to climb out of the tent. The weather is cloudy and cool.
On the burner, I made two servings of rice. I ate one and put the other in a thermos. Then he began to get ready. From the parking lot, I took a few stones.
At 11 am we set sail. Several riffles swam by. The sun has come out, the clouds are retreating. Then a few more rapids, it carries you like on a tram. The main thing is not to hit a stone, you need to always be on guard!
A flock of ducks appeared ahead, several turns, and I swam after them. But when someone approached them, they dived into the water. Then he sailed to the village of Polyarny - station 110 km. He went ashore, looked at it from afar and swam further.
There are shallows in places. Several times I had to get out and push the boat. Then the left tributary, the Bolshaya Paipudyna River, passed. And after swimming a little further, I saw two fishermen on boats.
The views all around are amazing, the breeze blew away all the midges. The tundra is retreating, and the mountains and hills are approaching.
After swimming 35 kilometers, I decided to climb the hill that is on the right. Right there, literally two hundred meters away, is the Sob station. He left his things on the shore and took valuables with him. I tied the boat and climbed up. The height before the ascent was 122 meters. Time 16.00. I get up quickly, because I’m walking light. But the bushes prevent me from going. Having risen about 100 meters, I saw an amazing view.
And 38 minutes after the start of the climb, I was already at the top. Height 340 meters. Beauty! The traversed river valley is visible. After taking photographs and taking in the scenery, I began to descend.
Came down at 17.05. In total I walked 2 km 250 meters. While I was climbing, two fishermen I had seen earlier swam by. They turned the boats near the bridge. I asked about the catch. They said they caught it a little, there was even a big fish. I don’t know which one exactly, but I think it’s grayling. When I was loading, I dropped my navigator into the water, it’s good that I found it. You need to be more careful and close your pockets.
I pass the bridge, mountains and hills surround me on all sides. Very beautiful places! In some places it carries well. To the right is a high mountain. Most likely, this is Mount Pour-Key, its height is 876 meters. And nearby there is a hill.
At 19.00 I decided to park on the right bank. Fortunately, there is a parking lot there and a fireplace. I immediately collected wood, lit a fire and put on tea. He fired a rocket launcher into the water. About 10 minutes later a “shishiga” arrived on the “spit” next to me. How? Then she moved to the other side and disappeared.
I drank some tea, ate rice from a thermos with dried meat, and went to bed at 10:40 p.m. There is a white and yellow sunset in the sky.
“Rainy day”
At three in the morning I woke up, crawled out of the tent and saw that everything was covered in clouds. Some of the mountains are not visible. It might rain. I went to the tent to get some sleep. Slept until 10.20. It rained twice. But when I got out of my home, he was no longer there, I opened the church and started cooking two portions of buckwheat. At this time the rain began to drizzle. The buckwheat was cooked around 12 noon. The rain got heavier. I ate and set tea to be made. After drinking a mug of tea, the rain drove me into the tent around 13:00. I'm lying down, resting. At 13.50 it ended. After lying there for another 40 minutes, I began to fold up. We must swim further!
I leave at 15.45. In open areas there is a strong wind, which makes it very difficult to swim, the speed is 1-2 km/h. But the views are beautiful, although some of the mountains are hidden under the clouds. On some rolls it is possible to accelerate. Then I met a tourist on the shore, he appeared from the tent. Swims to Kharp, catches grayling. By the way, today I also assembled a spinning rod, attached a poisonous one Blue Fox No. 2 and I try to catch it, but nothing bites.
In some places the sable breaks into the arms, wherever you want, swim there. Then I see two more fishermen, there is a station at kilometer 134, they are also catching grayling. One took the bait. The man said that he saw “submariners” who told him that they were diving into a hole; the grayling was told to eat, but did not take it.
I swim further. Sob winds through the mountains, very beautiful. If only the weather were sunny. At 18.30 it started to drizzle again. Fine - fine nasty drizzle. Moving further, I saw a rubber boat on the high bank on the right. Then immediately a quick and powerful roll. The waves are quite big. It shook a little.
Then there is a left turn and a high right bank. I look, I can see open space, I need to look at the parking lot. There are two parking lots here and both are dirty, there is trash, cans, and bottles lying around. I decided to park in the far parking lot. I moved my things and the boat. There is practically no firewood here, everything has been cleaned out. I set up a tent. There are a lot of midges, especially where there is no wind. The surface for the tent is not comfortable - stones. But somehow I’ll settle down. I decided not to bother with the fire, the wood was damp. I already have food in the thermos, but instead of tea, I’ll drink water.
I had a snack in the tent and went to bed at 21.00. It's hard to believe that tomorrow the weather will be good. After 40 minutes, it began to rain with thunder and lightning. But by midnight, it was over.
“Ray mountain range - Iz. Smt. Harp”
At 9 am I get up, a strong wind is blowing. There are no midges. I'm making a fire. It burns poorly, the wood is damp. I cook buckwheat - 2 servings. Cloudy, but sometimes the sun comes out. By 11:00 I've eaten and start getting ready. Today I need to go through the village. Harp.
At 11.50 I swim out and literally after 500 meters, the Paradise-Iz mountain range appeared. It stretches for 55 kilometers. Waterfalls flow down from above. Beautiful!
I climbed onto the high bank to take a photo.
But at about 14.00 the sun came out. At one of the turns I met tourists on a catamaran, they were sailing to Kharp. Then Sob begins to approach Rai-Izu close. I climbed onto the shore and went to look around. There is a well-worn road here, probably from Kharp, but it’s still about 15 km away. This massif consists of large and small boulders, stones are scattered everywhere, I took a few of them as souvenirs. Then he swam on. I passed the 141 km station unnoticed - Red Stone. The sun is shining, the weather has improved. I decided to take a swim, the water was cold and the current was strong. It is inconvenient to walk on the stones.
I swam further and fished, but there were no bites. The dog sometimes fights on different arms. Almost reaching Kharp, the same situation, I swam along the right branch, at the exit it turned out to be shallow, I had to pull the boat through. Approaching Kharp, there was a fence on the left side. If you look straight, you can see houses. Then an observation tower and the dome of the church appeared on the left; here is a high-security zone; dangerous criminals are sitting here, including Platon Lebedev.
Then the first step of the threshold appeared, I looked at it and passed. Next are two more steps of the threshold, the second comes at the right turn, and the third at the exit. And the third one seems to be more powerful. I decided to enclose it on the right, and managed it in about 30 minutes. It's already 17.30. A two-seater kayak passed right there. I swim further, after 150 meters turn left and roll, then another. Next there is a bridge and another rapid, kayakers inspect it. I swam up to them and said hello. Maxim and Elena are sailing 110 km from the station to Katrovozh. You can go through this threshold from the left, but it’s more dangerous there, or you can go from the right. I went to the right, there is quite a powerful drain. Here I decided to lead the boat, fortunately there was a rope. Then he jumped into the boat and swam away. At the end of the rapid, there are quite good swells. We chatted a bit.
The Yengai River flows into the right. Rolls, carries very quickly. I swim and fish, but to no avail. I'm looking for a parking lot.
As a result, at 19.00 I found a parking lot on the right bank. The place is excellent, there is a fireplace and a bench. I immediately made tea, then ate buckwheat. Boatmen sailed by, two boats with a motor, and stood somewhere not far from me. Then a kayak passed, with Maxim and Lena.
At 22.00 I went fishing, nothing, just hooked a spoon. But I fished for 15 minutes. At 22.30 I went to bed. There was practically no cloud cover, there was a beautiful pink and yellow sunset. I just don’t know what weather to expect tomorrow...
August 11 (Thurs.) (5th day of travel) (Swimmed 36.2 km. Total 103 km)
“First fish. Northern nature”
I woke up around 6. It was light, but cool. For the first time in the morning the sun is shining. At 6 I get up, make a fire and start preparing soup - kharcho. Today is soup day. By 8 am I ate, ate 1.5 servings. I poured one portion into a thermos. After breakfast I start getting ready. Today my goal is to swim across the Hanmei River and set up camp near the Orehyogan tributary. From there I'm going to go to the tundra lakes. Swim about 30 km.
Started rafting at 9.50. Sunny, great weather. The current is good, there are riffles. The sob winds and sometimes breaks into several branches.
After swimming about 5 kilometers, on the left bank I met an already familiar kayak. We docked and talked a little.
Continuing their movement, they soon overtook me. I try to fish, but there is silence.
Having covered 13 kilometers, I see a kayak standing there, fishing, but not biting. Maxim and Lena, by the way, are from Moscow. After swimming about 150 meters, I saw something flowing into Sob. The grass is flattened, which means people were fishing here. Here at the junction of the Sobi and the tributary, there is a drop and a hole, the current is strong. He threw it several times - silence, moved a little lower... Yes, grayling.
Hooray! The first grayling is 400 grams. Doesn't bite anymore. I called the Muscovites, they got one, but it was smaller. And I swam further.
The next goal is the Khamney River, I’m sailing there. There are long straight lines, the banks are almost all similar. There are no parking lots in sight. Then two boats appeared, catching grayling, sailing to Labytnanga. But they are on a motor. After swimming a little more, two inflatable kayaks appeared. Two older men are pulling kayaks against the current. They say they were on the Kharamatalou River.
The parking lot is visible. I'll try to fish in the mouth, the current is strong. There is a quiet place a little higher up where the small fish are splashing around. Apparently the pike is chasing. A few casts and there is a bite, pleasant fishing - pike for 1 kg 250 grams. While I was unhooking the lure, Muscovites were swimming, inviting me to go fishing. Maxim got a bite from a small grayling. Then I try again, a few casts and there is a second pike, but this one is smaller. I let her go, I don’t need that much fish, but the “Muscovites” didn’t want to take her. Stop fishing. We chatted a bit, I had a snack and moved on.
While I was fishing, two boats overtook me again. The places are monotonous, there are not enough mountains. In some places, the landscape resembles our lowland rivers. But here, it carries faster. At some point, Sob again split into two branches, I decided to go to the right, although I saw that the main passage was to the left.
We had to wind around a bit, in some places there was no current at all, and then this channel narrowed and finally connected with the main channel. Soon there should be a tributary of Orehyogan.
Again there are two forks, I decide to swim on the left. And the Orehyogan River flows into the right channel. In general, I didn’t even see him. I'm swimming and looking for a parking lot, it's not possible on a high bank, there are bushes. But on the sandy shore, there is a problem with firewood. Still, I decided to stop on the sand.
Time 21.00. I quickly collected firewood. But there are not many of them. I lit a fire, set up a tent and made tea. Then I make fish soup, there is a lot of fish. I cook the fish in two portions. The soup is rich. Ate half a pike and grayling. Broth and the rest of the fish for tomorrow. It was an interesting day. And the sunset is absolutely amazing. I'm fiddling with my diary and maps. It was only about one o'clock in the morning when I went to bed.
“Kharamatalou River. Luppayogan River”
Woke up at 7.30. It's hot and scorching in the tent. It's sunny and warm outside. Living creatures in the form of mosquitoes and midges are not yet visible. I'm making a fire, I need to warm up the fish soup. At this time I remove the awning from the tent, everything is covered in condensation, let it dry. Then he ate. I left two pieces of pike and some broth for a snack. At 8.30 I went fishing. Yesterday a small fish was splashing around the camp. But nothing took the bait. I'll get ready and swim soon. I decided not to go to the lakes; I didn’t want to wade through the bushes. I'd rather go fishing at the mouth of the Kharamatalou River.
At 10 o'clock I swam out, swimming, fishing, but silence. There is a current as long as it carries you. It’s hot today, we’ll stop for a swim, the water is cold, but it’s still nice.
There was a calm under the right bank. I see a fish jumping out. There's a whole flock there. I throw a spoon, but they don’t take it. There is a small grayling swimming here, but there was only one bite. It is somehow difficult to swim, in some places the current is weak. Next there is a turn to the right, there is a group on two catamarans with motors. I wave to them. Next comes a long turn to the left, with a high right bank. Beautiful, but the current is weak.
Swam to the right tributary of the Sobi, the Kharamatalou River. This is a very famous river, in narrow circles. I left the spinner, nothing. He bit his ear and swam.
Then there are several turns in different directions. The river rushes here and there.
A boatman on a motorboat overtook me. Then another one. There is a current in some places, but in others it is very weak. Rifles are very rare. At about 17.00 I swam to the right tributary of the Sobi, the Luppayyogan River. There is a hut and a bathhouse here. That's it, I'm parking here.
I immediately went fishing. From the first cast “in the quiet” the little pup took it. He was released. Then another one. He was also sent to swim further. I don't need any more pike. Perhaps it was the same little puppy. Doesn't bite anymore.
Then the catamaran drivers arrived. They also fish. Just in a slightly different place. Then the fisherman arrived on a motorboat. Let's meet Victor from the village. Harp. He says that the pike is not biting, the fry has eaten too much. And so, here they catch pike weighing 6 - 8 kg. He asked about the “Muscovites” on a kayak, he said that he saw them near the river. Haramatalou. This means they will arrive soon. Victor, fishing with a large spoon. And I throw the “spinner”. And yes, I caught a 400 gram perch. Hooray! There will be a perch on the hook. Victor swam, and I started making tea.
The firewood is fresh and damp. They burn very poorly and do not prick. The tea is ready, I see Muscovites, Maxim and Lena, swimming. I call them to my camp too. I treat you to tea and talk. Tomorrow they have a day planned, there will be a bathhouse. They want to throw themselves out of the river on August 18th, and I am on August 15th. Maxim went fishing, a small pike bit on the first cast and was released. There is nothing else.
They swam further, they still need to find a parking lot. Well, I started doing perch and rice. I made a fish and began to bake the perch. And I put the rice on the gas burner. The spruce fire is burning. The perch turned out great. Very tasty! Then he ate some rice and put the second portion in a thermos. I pitched my tent and went to bed at 11:40 p.m. In the evening a midge flew out, it was very unpleasant.
"Reindeer. Fish again"
Woke up at 5.30 and went fishing. There were two bites, but I didn’t pull anything out. I fished for about 40 minutes. Then he went to eat rice, and at the same time boiled some more rice and put it in a thermos. I'm starting to get ready. Before sailing, I left the lure for about 20 minutes. A chebak pecked, a fish that looked like a roach. He let her go, or rather, she let go herself, right on the shore.
At 9.30 I swam out, the current is not strong, but there is some. Lots of long straights, tiring to swim.
Met a boat of fishermen from Kharp. After swimming 7 km, I saw “Muscovites” on the right bank. I swim towards them. They say: “Deer, deer.” And indeed, a young reindeer is grazing on the opposite bank. I took a picture of it and filmed it with a video camera.
I dock and am treated to lightly salted grayling and tea with cookies and chocolate. Thank you! Grayling is delicious, this is my first time eating such a dish. Maxim says that he caught two pikes, we weigh them, 3 and 2 kg. Not bad. The place here is good for fishing, just a small bay. I also decided to go fishing. And about seven minutes later, a pike weighed 2.2 kg. Hooray!
I wanted to release it, because I don’t want to mess with the fish, but it doesn’t swim away. I had to pick it up. Maxim cut it up for me, cleaned it and filleted it. Thank you!! Total pure meat 1.3 kg. A lot, but I'll eat nothing.
A strong side wind has arisen and is blowing me towards the left bank. A motorboat passed by and said hello. The sob here is wide, 80 - 100 meters wide, this is a large corridor for the wind. Then, the kayakers finally caught up with me. Let's sail on.
On the left bank, the already familiar catamaran operators settled down. Sob makes a sharp turn to the left, and the right bank is high. There is a roll, plus the wind is at our back, the wind is blowing well here, about 11 km/h. After swimming a little, the kayakers finally stood on the left bank. I also landed. We had a snack of rice and dried meat and chatted a bit. We said goodbye, now we definitely won’t see each other again on this trip.
Then he pitched the tent and lay down. The wind began to rise, I went to strengthen the tent and managed to cut my leg with an ax that was lying in the vestibule with the tip pointing up. The wound is not big, but it is unpleasant. One needs to be more careful. I treated the wound and went to bed at 11:30 p.m.
There is very little left to the village of Katravozh. There was a powerful wind all night.
“Good fishing”
Woke up at 8.30. I made a fire and warmed up the fish soup. I ate and put the rest in a thermos. The weather is good, sunny, but windy. It will be difficult to sail along the wide river. I'm starting to get ready. Today we need to park not far from Katravozh, and tomorrow we need to find out and agree on a drop-off in Labytnangi.
I swam out at 10.50 and immediately started fishing. I installed the “oscillator” Mepps Syclops - 2, it weighs 17 grams. I'll fish like the locals. At first it carries well, there is a current, and the wind at your back helps. There is a small roll ahead, I throw, there is a fish. This is a large perch, approximately 300 grams. I let go and catch further. After a few minutes, I throw the spoon into the “quiet” area, under the left bank. There is another perch, but a little smaller. This is some interesting fishing. I released the perch, I don’t want to mess with the fish.
Sob makes a left turn, the water is cloudy, not like in the mountains. It's probably deep here, just where the pike are. And indeed, casting is a bite, it’s a pike. Resists. It seems quite good. I pull it out and weigh 1.9 kg. Fine. She swallowed it deeply and took out the spruce spoon. I want to let go, but she doesn’t swim, she floats up on her belly, just like yesterday. I'll have to eat fish again.
I swim further, the river makes a long turn to the left. I see fishermen standing on the right bank, I think I need to go up to them and give them the pike, and at the same time ask about throwing them out of Katravozh. He said hello, we don’t need a pike, we have it ourselves. They themselves are from Salekhard. They say about Katravozh that you can negotiate with the locals there. They offered food and drink. But no, I swam on. Sob is wide, 100 meters, if not more. There are a lot of motorboats. Sunday, people are fishing and relaxing. It's warm, the sun is shining well.
Then there is a long turn to the right and after 15 minutes, a house appeared on the left bank, probably a winter hut. As I was swimming, it was as if there was no current at all. There is an island ahead, the Sob breaks into two channels, I swim along the right one. Familiar catamaran operators are standing here. After swimming a little more, I decided to stand on the right at the turn; the bank here is good for parking. In the distance there is a ship with a crane, probably a dredger.It’s only 15.20, and I’m already in the parking lot. Fine. It is about 15 km to Katravozh. And I still have to tinker with the pike. I immediately made some tea, poured it into a bottle and began working on the pike. I'll cook. In the meantime, I’ll have a bite of fish soup from a thermos.
Then I boiled the pike. I ate a few pieces, delicious! I didn’t make fish soup, but simply boiled pike with seasoning. Then I went fishing, near the camp. Bottom line, two good perches that I released. If we had a perch like this, it would be fishing. Then in the camp I finished the pike and boiled buckwheat for tomorrow. And off to fishing again. Some familiar men arrived and refused to eat pike. They offered to take me right now to Salekhard. But I refused. Thank you. Nice! I’ll make an agreement tomorrow in Katravozh.
Nothing else caught the bait and I went to camp. I tidied everything up, folded the spinning rod and went to bed at 10:30 p.m. Tomorrow there will be an early rise.
(Katravozh village, Labytnangi)
Woke up at 5.30. It's cold, but we need to get up. In the tent I ate buckwheat from a thermos. Then I unfastened the awning from the tent and let it dry. I started getting ready. That's it, the last day of rafting has arrived. I'm sailing to Katravozh.
There is no current. There is a long straight line. Next to the camp, it turns out there was a house, probably a winter hut. I swim to the dredger. On the right bank, a man pulls out a pike, but it is not big. I said hello.
Then the river makes a long turn to the right. The width is 200 meters. It’s not interesting to swim at all! Just good fishing. I swim slowly, speed 3 - 4 km/h. And there is also a breeze. Sometimes there are fishermen. I ask them about the transfer to Labytnangi. They say we can reach an agreement there.
Long monotonous straights give way to long turns. At the right turn, there is a large wooden building. It's like a glacier or a warehouse. Then I got confused. Half of the left oar floated away along with the blade, so I had to undress and swim after it. It's good that she doesn't drown. I caught up with her and moored to the shore. The bolt flew out, probably became loose on rocks and rifts in the upper reaches. Instead, I inserted a twig. It seems to be holding up, it should last until the end of the rafting.
And then there was a straight line and a long turn to the left. Antennas are visible, houses stand. That's it! I'm in the village of Katravozh. Today I swam 17.5 kilometers. And only 180.8 kilometers. In 9 running days.
I immediately asked a local how I could leave, he said that the ship left today, in the morning. He goes 3 times a week. Another boat arrived and they directed me to the men on the shore. They say they can bring it, but it’s better to wait for more people. It will be cheaper this way. In general, I fold up and dry the boat. I arrived here at about 13.30. Around 16.00 we finally went to Labytnangi. Loaded into a “cauldron” with a 40-horsepower engine Yamaha and off we go. We arrived in 1 hour and 5 minutes with a breeze.
I'm in Labytnangi. The fare cost 4,000 rubles. Then I take a taxi and go to the railway station for 200 rubles. And another group of rafters, also Nizhny Novgorod residents, is already resting there. I didn't buy a ticket because the ticket office was closed. I'll buy it tomorrow morning. Located right at the station, in the rest room. 1500 rubles per day. This is such a day. Train tomorrow. The adventure is over.
Throwaway.
I bought a ticket in the morning. First I go to Seyda station, by train Labytnangi - Vorkuta, price 1462 rubles. I'm traveling in a compartment. In Seida, transfer to the train Vorkuta - Nizhny Novgorod, price 5114 rubles, also a compartment. Left Labytnangi on 08/16/2016 at 10:45, arrived in Nizhny Novgorod on 08/18/2016 at 9:10. The hike is over.
Route thread
Sob station - Sob river ↓ - Khara-Matalou river - Malaya Khara-Matalou river - transition - Bur-Khoyla river ↓ - Tan-Yu river ↓ - Varcha-To lake - Varcha-Ty-Vis river ↓ - Voykar river ↓ - lake Voykarsky Sor - Ust-Voykar village
Route book№99-22
Trek leader - Solovyov S. V.
Duration of the active part - 21 days
Route description
Sob River (70 km down)
Sob River- the left tributary of the Ob, its length in the described area is 70 km. The rafting begins at the Sob station, where the river, having merged with the Bolshaya Paipudynya, from the tundra plateau enters a narrow mountain valley (2 km) and becomes accessible for kayaks. From the station to the river 200 meters. The width of the river is 30-50 m, there are fast rocky rifts in the shape of a zigzag with shallow waters. They should be passed along the main stream, sometimes at the end of the stream there is a small pressure and shafts. There are frequent ridges, islands, the shores are overgrown with oppressed tundra forest, the mountain slopes are practically treeless, and there are snowfields. Current - 9 km/h. The river retains this character until the village of Kharp. The rapids become more turbulent, trees hang over the water, the riverbed is winding, and the valley narrows to 1 km.
Near the village The Kharp River emerges from the mountains, skirting the Rai-Iz ridge, and then flows along a flat, slightly sloping plain to the southeast, covered with northern forest. Opposite the high cliff of the left bank near the village. Harp begins the threshold. In one of the old reports I came across its name - “Inna”. It consists of three cascades:
- 1 cascade- 150 m. There are random stones in the riverbed, standing shafts up to 1 meter. The passage is closer to the left bank or in the center of the rapids.
- 2 cascade(after 200 m) - 100 m. Oblique shafts at the end of the rapid. Walk through the center.
- 3 cascade(after 500 m) - 150 m. In the center of the threshold there is a stone-rock. Walk through the center. Large standing shafts (approx. 1.5 m).
Cascades 1 and 3 require viewing.
In the area of the Yenga-Yu River there is a stormy riffle of the same name.
After the confluence of the Hanmei River, the width of the river increases to 50 m. Further, the river is monotonous, there are no obstacles, with the exception of individual stones. Sometimes on the right there is a view of the Ural Mountains, which enliven the landscape a little.
Khara-Matalou River (21 km up)
Khara-Matalou River- one of the largest and most picturesque tributaries of the Sob River. It is formed by the confluence of the Big and Small Khara-Matalou and has a length of 21 km. The river is quite difficult to climb and has rapids.
We cannot describe the first three kilometers of the river, because... Initially, it was planned to go with packed kayaks and backpacks along the path along the river, and therefore we cut off the first kilometers along the old all-terrain road, swimming further than the mouth of the Khara (as tourists sometimes call it). There really was (as they said) a good trail along the left bank, but after 4 km it ended, and we had to collect the kayaks and lift them on a towline.
At the beginning of the journey, the banks of the river are high, sandy, rocky near the water, completely overgrown with dense forest. At times there are rocky outcrops.
At 4-5 km the river enters a narrow canyon-like valley.
7th km - a significant obstacle - Gagarin threshold. It may be necessary to carry the kayaks when lifting the line.
8th km - on the right bank there is a steep cliff. Shivers and riffles follow each other, the current is 9-10 km/h.
13th km - the Makar-Ruz stream flows into the right, which is not inferior to the river in full flow. (I must say that it originates from the same lake as the Sob River).
About a kilometer after the confluence of the stream - Titov threshold(run-out). The number of rifts and rifts is increasing, and there are frequent rocks along the banks. Kayaks have to be moved from time to time, because... water is becoming less and less. The rocky shores in some places drop into the water with sheer cliffs - “cheeks”, the forest is noticeably thinning.
Small Khara-Matalou River (9 km up)
Small Khara-Matalou River- one of the branches forming the river. Hara-Matalou. The length of the river is 40 km. Due to the low water level and many rifts, the ascent speed does not exceed 1 km/h.
The mouth is filled with stones for about a kilometer, which greatly impedes movement. The first kilometers after the mouth are relatively easy, then the depth of the river decreases significantly, “slides” appear, and the kayaks have to be dragged frequently. The width of the river is 10-15 m, the depth is 20-30 cm, the riverbed is replete with numerous riffles. The banks are mainly tundra, forest-tundra, the valley is narrow, there is snow on the banks.
At the 4th km the river goes around the heights on its left bank. At 7-8 km it breaks into branches, very small. The ascent ends at the left tributary - the Onik-Shor stream. It is better to stop behind a stream, where the river reaches a height covered with forest; there are fewer problems with firewood. The town of Pai-Er is visible ahead, against its background, on the left side, a 935m mountain looms, from where Bur-Khoyla originates.
Trek to Bur-Khoila (18 km)
During the reconnaissance of the road to Bur-Khoyla, the route was adjusted, and a new one was chosen instead of the previous route (via Lake Khoyla-Ty (on the Khulanlor map), a description can be found in the literature). This was caused by a more convenient road, with less slope and swampiness. The new path entailed some lengthening of the route (both on foot and by water).parts), but, as it seems to us, in the end it turned out to be more convenient and less labor-intensive.
The transition starts from the Onik-Shor stream and runs along a well-trodden all-terrain road along Malaya Khara-Matalou. Apart from two or three wetlands, the road is easy to travel. Soon, after 7-8 km, it comes out onto a completely treeless, tundra, slightly hilly plain with individual small lakes in sight. However, they are quite far away, and along the entire route, with the exception of the very end, there are no streams where one could get water. This makes you take it with you, especially since it is difficult to overcome the crossing in one day with a large load.
Approaching Bur Hoyle, you need to cross it, observing safety rules, because... the river is very stormy. Kayaks can be left on the shore, and a camp site can be chosen 100 meters from the river. Here you can fully enjoy the panorama of the Ural Range, stretching along the entire horizon. Takes large grayling very well. The only thing that causes inconvenience is the lack of firewood - wherever you look, only oppressed single spruce trees disturb the smooth surface of the tundra.
Bur-Khoyla River (25 km down)
Bur Hoila River It originates from the foothills of Mount Pai-Er, its sources are at an altitude of 878 m. The river is difficult to move. At the beginning of the movement, the Bur-Hoyla is shallow (depth does not exceed 0.3 m), shallow rifts and rifts follow each other. After about 1.5 km, the first drift is a “slide” of 150 m. From the 4th km, the depth of the river increases slightly, but you still often have to jump out of the kayak to protect it from damage.
Starting from the 8th km, the river turns into a continuous chain of shallow rifts - “slides”. Some of them are overcome by pushing kayaks, others are carried along the shore. (One or another method of transportation is chosen based on the possibilities of movement.) From about the same kilometer, forest-tundra appears on the banks, the problem of firewood decreases and soon disappears altogether. Between the “slides” the river rushes rapidly in the rocky and pebble bed along rifts and rifts, not allowing you to relax.
At the 13th km there is a long “slide” ending in a stormy drain. At the 15th km, the forest-tundra changes to taiga, and the water in the river goes under a stone for a kilometer. It is advisable to enclose this area along a path along the left bank. And finally, the 18th km is the last, two-kilometer “slide”. Here unloaded kayaks can be carried out without being completely carried away. At its end there is a powerful long drainage, complicated by numerous stones; it is interesting to go through it in a kayak.
Further, the river calms down somewhat, and on the remaining kilometers only simple shifts and riffles impede the group’s progress; there is enough water for normal rafting. The descent along Bur-Khoyle ends with a “slide” in “Pyatirechye”, before passing which an inspection is advisable.
Tan Yu River (75 km down)
At the 42nd km from its source, the Bur-Khoyla River in a section in500 m successively receives several rivers: Left Payer, Right Payer, Khoylu and hereinafter called the Tan-Yu River. The confluence of these rivers is called “Pyatirechye”. It can be called one of the most beautiful places on the route. It is worth climbing the rock opposite the confluence of the rivers to admire the opening panorama.
It is advisable to pass the section of the river after the “slide” before turning behind the rock after a preview, because there are several very difficult places with numerous stones. Just around the bend, on the left bank, you can organize a parking lot for grayling fishing on the rivers and streams of Pyatirechye. (There will be fewer grayling downstream, and after the confluence of the Sezym-Yugan River it will disappear completely.)
The upper reaches of the Tan-Yu River are turbulent, and although there are no pronounced rapids, its powerful riffles will bring true pleasure from the long-awaited rafting.
It is advisable to raft with an apron and life jackets (standing shafts on the rapids reach 1 m).
The most difficult obstacles are located in the area before the confluence of the Lagorta-Yu River, although even further the river does not lose its sporting qualities for a long time. There is no point in looking through the riffles; you can easily navigate from the water. 10 minutes after the confluence of Lagorty-Yu, on the right bank there is a hut with a bathhouse, the channel here is 50-60 m wide, the current is 7-8 km/h.
At the 24th km, the Tan-Yu receives the muddy taiga tributary Sezym-Yugan. At its confluence, a large island divides Sezym into two channels. Here you can catch good pike and perch. We must remember that there are no grayling in the river from Sezym-Yugan.
Soon, at a sharp turn to the left, a good parking spot appears; you should not neglect it, because... further, Tan-Yu enters the swampy taiga shores, which practically do not provide the opportunity to organize a normal camp. The rifts disappear completely, and the width of the river increases to 70-80 m, the current weakens, and soon the Tan-Yu is a slowly flowing river in the monotonous swampy banks.
The Manyuko-Musyur ridge begins to appear on the right, and open areas appear. Gradually the channel expands to 100 meters or more, and the current practically disappears. There are frequent bays, islands, and sloping shores; instead of dense taiga there are thickets of willow, alder, and birch.
In front of Lake Varcha-To, on the right bank, two fishing huts have been preserved, the third was used for firewood several years ago. (In Soviet times, on Varcha-To, a fishing team caught redfish for the government table.)
If the group does not plan to cross the lake in one day, then they can spend the night in the huts, especially since there are no other convenient places to stay.
Lake Varcha-To - river Varcha-Ty-Vis (16 km)
At the 75th km, the Tan-Yu River flows into the shallow water with virtually no current. Lake Varcha-To. You need to go through the entire lake in kayaks. The banks are low (the left bank is swampy), the depth does not exceed 1 m.
On the right, a low chain of mountains stretches quite picturesquely. It is advisable to cross the lake in calm weather, the general direction of travel is S-W-W. It is best to point kayaks at the small rocky island on the left side of the lake, located approximately halfway along the route. On the island you need to stop and decide how to move on. There are two options for further advancement:
- Walk along the left bank and look for the source of the Varcha-Ty-Vis behind the islands covered with forest. Here there is a chance of making a mistake and ending up in a channel flowing from the swamp and located 200 meters to the left of the river’s source. To prevent this from happening, you need to remember about the rather strong current of the Varcha-Ty-Vis.
- Take the direction of a mountain whose shape resembles a bell. There is a danger of missing and going to the right, then you will have to wander for a long time in search of the river.
As you can see, each option has its drawbacks; we leave the choice to tourists. In good weather, the lake can be walked in 2 hours.
Varcha-You-Vis- a short (11 km) river with a fast current and numerous riffles. The riffles are mostly clean, uncomplicated and can be climbed along the main stream. The width of the river is 25-30 m, the banks are steep, completely overgrown with taiga. At times, mountains are visible to the right. A kilometer from the source, on the right bank, there is a huntsman's hut; motor boats occasionally come here from Ust-Voykar. Before flowing into Voykar, the river begins to twist strongly, the flow accelerates and, finally, Varcha-Ty-Vis flows into Voykar at a right angle. At the confluence, on the right bank, there is a locked hut, this is a good place for parking. Here you can try to catch taimen and pike.
River Voykar - Lake Voykarsky Sor (65 km + 20 km)
look at maps,
Voykar River- a large tributary of the Ob, originates on the Eastern slope of the Ural ridge and has a length of 140 km. Our route runs along the middle and lower sections of the river. In the area of the confluence of the Varcha-Ty-Visa, the width of Voykar is 70-80 m, the current is 6 km/h. From here it is 65 km to Voykarsky Sor, the banks of the river are rocky and steep at the beginning of the rafting.
Three hundred meters after the start of movement, the island divides the river into two channels. Contrary to the recommendations of previous reports, I think that it is better to go along the left. There is more water and fewer rocks here. In the first 30 km, there are frequent riffles in the riverbed, quite powerful at first, and barely noticeable at the end. They often end with a hold-down or oblique shafts (sometimes both).
The channel gradually widens to 100 meters, the banks become lower. The current remains as strong almost until the very end of the river. At the 30th km of the rafting, after the confluence of the Lambay-Yugan, a lying drilling rig is visible on the right bank. From time to time there are hunters' huts, the rifts behind Lambay-Yugan completely disappear, only occasionally individual stones are found. 9-10 km before the village. The Yugan-Gort river widens to 150-200 meters and begins to wind through numerous islands. Excellent anchorages can be arranged on these islands. The shores here are already clayey, clayey-sandy, and sometimes there are outcrops of stones near the water.
In the village of Yugan-Gort (on the map Vershina-Voykar) 2-3 residential buildings have survived, the rest are boarded up. You cannot buy groceries, the store is only in the village. Ust-Voykar.
Lake Voykarsky Sor. You should only go through it in completely calm weather. The lake is very shallow, its depth in the middle part does not exceed 0.5 m, which causes steep, chaotic waves. From the village you need to stay on the left bank; at the entrance to Sor there is a tent and a reindeer herders’ hut. Upon entering the lake, depending on the water level, you need to either look for a fairway or move to the cape called “Leafy”. It is advisable to spend a day on the cape; it is a great place to relax. From here you can see another cape, followed by the village of Ust-Voykar. The hike ends in the village of Ust-Voykar, from where you can hitch a ride to the large village of Shurushkary and further to Salekhard.
It is possible to lengthen the active part of the route by independently rafting along the Malaya Gornaya Ob - one of the branches of the Ob River - to the village of Shurushkary.
August 1999
Cartographic material
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R. Sob 2005Report and advice to colleagues. Route participants (all Muscovites): 1. Vadim Grabovetsky(Comrade Captain, Dima) - leader, photographer. Experienced kayaker (Katun) 2 . Maria Antipyeva- 2nd navigator Experienced hiker, has also done solo hikes. 3. Vlasova Anastasia- caretaker, doctor, photographer. 26 years old, little experience in hiking (Khibiny, II) and water tourism (White Sea, kayak) 4. Alekseev Konstantin- 1st navigator, photographer. 26 years old, four non-category kayaking and seven hiking trips, incl. Khibiny (II). 5. Ulyanov Ivan- maniac. 14 years old, no experience, lots of enthusiasm. I don’t know the exact age of the first two participants in the hike; I can only say that it is over 40 years old. Duration of the hike from the station. Sob to Katravozh 120 km. 07/31/05 Sunday. We loaded at the Yaroslavsky station without any complications onto the branded train 22 Moscow - Labytnangi, leaving at 19:30. This train was launched only last year and I strongly recommend it to those who want to get to the Urals normally - everything is clean, the air conditioning works, the electronic display shows the car number, the temperature in it and whether the toilet is occupied. 01.08.05 Monday. We go, discuss the upcoming route, taste pies and boiled potatoes. 02.08.05
Tuesday.
Slipway. Transition to the mouth of the streamNyrdvomenshor(Oriental). The weather outside is cloudy. The Ural ridge appears in the distance. To our joy, a clear sky appears between its peaks on the eastern side. After the Khorota station, the train runs along the Yelets River and finally enters the mountains. In the area of the Polar Ural station there is a watershed from which the Elets flows to the west, and the Sob to the East. It is curious that the Sob is separated from the sources of the Yelets by only a few hundred meters. There is no scheduled parking at the Polyarny Ural station, but our train stopped there. On the right side of the train, immediately after the station, the Europe/Asia border pillar floated past us. After the Polar Urals, the train continues along Sobi to Kharp station. We took tickets to Sob station, since according to a number of reports found on the Internet, the river there, which shortly before received a large tributary (the Bolshaya Paipudyna River), becomes navigable for kayaks. But in the end, I would prefer to disembark at the Polyarny Ural station, since the train stops there. Only a third of the route passes through the mountains, if you count from the station. Sob to Katravozh. Meanwhile, this section is a real aesthetic feast and it is quite natural to extend it through the section from the Polar Urals to Sobi. In some places, wiring will be required, but in some places the river is quite passable for Taimen, at least that’s what it seems from the train window. There are even stretches of water. Of course, you'll have to puff a little, but damn, how beautiful! At Sob station, where we arrived at 14:50 Moscow time (16:50 local time), a small adventure awaited us. We and another group of tourists filled one of the sides of the vestibule with kayaks. It was on the littered side that the Sobi station buildings were located. On the opposite side of the station, the conductor was unable to identify her. Since the train had previously stopped where it was not supposed to according to the schedule, we wondered for some time whether this was our station. While we were thinking, our colleagues unloaded both their and our kayaks, and the 2 minutes of parking were over. They landed already on the move, and we drove on screaming. The train at the station stood with a bend, the outer side towards the unloading side, so that the driver was not able to observe the red flag of the conductor (which, however, was not activated). After some arguing, the stopcock was broken, we jumped onto the embankment, driving 800 meters from the station. Masha twisted her ankle while jumping out. Vanya with a backpack ran along the sleepers for the kayaks, I, weighed down by two backpacks, quickly hobbled after him, Comrade Captain and the ladies slowly followed us. The kayaks were found at the station, our colleagues showed us a convenient approach to the water (from the rusty water tower) and we started assembling. Regarding unloading on Sobi, I want to say this. An excellent landmark when approaching it is Post 106 kilometer and the confluence of the Bolshaya Paipudyn behind it on the left side of the train. Post 106 kilometer will not go unnoticed - there are several houses and some other buildings there. The first buildings that can be observed from the train after the 106th kilometer are Sob station. If you look out the windows to the right along the train, then soon after the mouth of Paipudyn the roofs of houses and a rusty water tower will appear ahead. This will be Sob.
At about 6 o'clock Moscow time, thank the gods, we finished getting ready, having managed to tear and seal the kopeck piece along the way. We lowered the kayaks into a blind channel with no current, connecting to the river under a pedestrian bridge. In the west it is cloudy, there are clouds with breaks above us, ahead, in the east, there is a blue sky and white clouds. With enthusiasm we rushed down the river. Our goal is the mouth of the Eastern Nyrdvomenshor stream (Northern Nyrdvomenshor flows into Sob shortly before the station). The stream is a little more than 20 kilometers away; the river flows first to the southeast, then goes south. On the right, the massif with Mount Pourkeu stretches all the time. The views are very beautiful and it’s pleasant to swim, although the constant branching of the river into branches and a large number of rivers does not allow you to relax. About three hours later, the massif on the right goes down, descending, into the forest; on the left, a small hill, all made of broken stone, pushes the railway to the very shore. The river goes around the hill on the left bank and comes out onto a straight section from which a magnificent view of the Rayiz massif opens. Here on the right the desired stream flows into the Sob. There is a good parking lot in the bushes on the shore immediately before its mouth. Finding it empty, we happily set up camp. It has already become very cold and it is becoming chilly on the water. I advise anyone who, after looking around the parking lot, to worry about the source of firewood, to take a walk a hundred or two meters up the stream. 08/03/05 Wednesday.Day. Planned day. Comrade Captain with Masha and Vanya gathered in a radial up the stream in the hope of reaching the lakes at the source of the Northern Nyrdvomenshor. They were inspired by the example of some frisky guys who, in 11 hours from the same parking lot, climbed to the Raiz plateau and descended back. Will will, if the strength is too much... While we stood up, while Comrade Captain was gluing T3, which, out of laziness, he did not glue on the stringers. They got off to a late start. As a result, the team only reached height 461, descended from it along the canyon back to the stream and turned back. The places are very picturesque - alpine meadows, interesting rocks, a road running right along the bed of a stream, snowfields. Tired but happy, our companions, after a 9-hour walk, returned to the camp, where dinner was waiting for them. Nastya and I enjoyed the views from the camp all day, running around it with cameras and a tripod. A fresh wind blew away the midge, and by evening it completely disappeared, escaping the cold. The weather became gloomy and it began to rain during the night. 08/04/05 Thursday. Passage of the Kharp threshold. A magnificent, windy morning for a photographer to say the least. Heavy clouds are trying to crawl across Rayiz, and the wind is tearing them to shreds on their crests. After rushing around with cameras, we get ready and leave around 12. This is perhaps the most beautiful part of the route. The river runs close to the reddish slopes of Rayiz. The old ridge, badly destroyed by time, looks somehow Martian. The slopes are lifeless, but what’s up there? Half an hour after leaving, we go out onto the traverse of a cascade of waterfalls formed by a stream flowing from a crater-like basin on Rayize. Shortly after leaving our parking lot and up to this point, there are many good parking spots on the right bank. Almost everyone is busy with tourists. For an excursion to the waterfalls, it is better to stop somewhere here. We sail on with regret. We hope to return here on foot someday and explore the waterfalls both above and below. Less than half an hour from Kharp, we have lunch. Rayiz moves to the side, descending. As it became clear to us later, and to a sane and sober navigator it was clear even from sleep, to climb Rayiz it is best to stand exactly in the place where it, descending, leaves the river. From the rear the massif is flat and easy to storm, and it is not far from the river. But after Kharp we expect to enter the tributary of the Sobi Yenga-Yu and climb up it a couple
kilometers. Find a parking lot there and arrange a day trip with a radial exit. Having clarified our hopes on the map, we sail further. The barbed wire begins along the left bank - Kharp went. On the territory of the zone there is a chapel, a dome, which is approximately equal in size to the rest of the building. After this there is a turn in the river with the first stage of rapids, followed shortly by the second. We passed them right away, we just passed them. At T2 we had an apron and skirts, at T3 there was no apron. And nothing happened to the three-ruble note. Soon we sailed under the road bridge and discovered that if we didn’t berth now, there would be a third stage. We conceived. Of the five of us, only Comrade Captain, as an honored river walker up to category 5, understood well what was what. Masha was a kayaker in her past life. The rest waited for our honored guru to inspect the threshold and say his weighty word. Comrade Captain came and pointed to two stones. It was necessary to walk between them and further along the stream. Their three-ruble car was the first to rush, we followed it. Out of habit, it was a little scary. It carried our kopeck piece quickly through the threshold, lightly hitting the stones a couple of times. The three ruble, again, went well without an apron. But after the threshold the most unpleasant thing happened to us. We walked past the mouth of the Yenga-Yu like zombified idiots. We slowly sailed past, devouring it with our eyes, admiring the view of the mountains upstream of the river, a good place to stop on the bank beyond the confluence. I sleepily assumed that it was Yenga-Yu. And I must say that anyone in their right mind, based on the map and what their eyes see, will become completely clear that they see Yonga-Yu and nothing else. However, the crew of the three-ruble car with unshakable confidence and condescendingly explained that this was not Yenga-Yu, but some pathetic stream. An hour and a half later, we pulled into the parking lot without finding the second Yenga-Yu. The people realized that she was behind. Nastya, who had gotten her feet wet during the day, caught a cold with a fever. Well, it’s okay, at least we came across a nice parking lot, above the pebbles about 10 kilometers below the mouth of the Yunga-Yu. Having laid out our cards, we decided to spend the second and last day of our hike at the mouth of Kharamatalou, visiting it. At the same time, three of our athletes were going to the Gagarin threshold, and Nastya and I were going to sit in the camp. With sunset the cold came and the midges left. 05.08.05
Friday. Transition to Haramatalou. The weather is clear and sunny. We left at the beginning of one. Nastya was completely unstuck and at times lay in the kayak, unable to row. Before leaving, the crew of the treshka interviewed local fishermen about our whereabouts. They showed on our map a place higher than Kharp. The titanic mind of a man. After half an hour of paddling, we saw these powerful guys in a little hole on the left along the way. The three-ruble car crew confidently stated that Hanmei was on the left. I didn’t object, but I thought that I wasn’t such a fool as to be fooled by my colleagues’ statements after yesterday. Looking first at the compass and then at the map, I continued rowing. I soon became attached to the card. Where in the depths of the right bank of the river on the map there are heights 103 and 105, the Sob has a characteristic bracket - first the channel goes to the west, then to the south, then to the east. After the brace, I voiced the assumption that Hanmei would be in 8-10 kilometers. We walked this distance with a stop for lunch and, naturally, discovered Hanmei. Then we became attached to the area at the mouth of the Orekhyogan stream, and
Around 7 pm, having passed a real crowd of tourists on both banks of the river, we approached the mouth of Kharamatalou. Here we committed another idiotic act. The parking lot on the cape at the confluence turned out to be occupied. Instead of entering Haramatalou and climbing up it at least a few hundred meters, we swam along the Sobi beyond the cape and fumbled around there for about half an hour, wondering where to stand. Finally, after swimming a few hundred meters more, we found a muddy parking lot. We stood on it, determined to enter Haramatalou in the morning and find a better place there. 06.08.05
Saturday. Up Haramatalou, half a day. We decided to go out only at one o'clock. It took about forty minutes to return to the mouth. We started climbing up the rope. We reached the first divergence of the riverbed into channels and sat down to rest. We decided to park right there, but then more than a dozen different-sized kayaks came out from behind the island to stand guard, into the expanse of the river wave. Masha, who loves hiking in the most deserted corners of our Motherland, started to feel hair. I expressed the idea of a machine gun and a sea of blood, Masha suggested cutting everyone off with one burst in the water, so that all the blood would be immediately washed away... In short, we rushed into a branch of the river free from our colleagues. Having walked around the island, we stopped in a beautiful place where the branches diverge (both up and downstream). It was so warm that Nastya and I swam.
Dima and Masha got ready for the Gagarinsky threshold, but did not leave for it right away, taking a snack with a packed lunch, and also pitched a tent and waited for lunch. This is what ruined them. They left at about five o'clock and while crossing the river into a ford, Masha once again twisted the same leg as when jumping from the train. With an iron will to move, she continued forward, but too slowly. As a result, he and his comrade Captain did not reach the threshold. It's a pity. At just after eleven they returned to camp. It was still warm and we were going crazy from the abundance of midges and midges. Therefore, we didn’t stay too long and went to bed immediately after dinner. I must add that we really enjoyed our stay at Haramatalou. All day long, groups of tourists passed up and down the river past our camp, from which we can conclude that further on is even better and it’s worth visiting Haramatalou. 07.08.05
Sunday. Haramatalou, Sob, mouth of Luppayogan,Tract Tushgort.
No midges in the morning. The wind is such that it can pose a problem for ducks too. Sunny. We leave around twelve. Nastya and I immediately discover that the kayak has holes. We managed to sag the bottom somewhere yesterday. We float, sometimes bailing out. Very soon we find ourselves back in Sob. Soon three large loops await us on the river. We anticipate them in advance - with such a strong wind, it will obviously become a problem in some areas. The wind is from the northwest and during each of the loops you have to row as hard as you can, while remembering the rule not to relieve yourself against the wind. Scolding all the gods responsible for the weather, we finally reach the end of the last, third loop. The river turns to the southeast and the wind accelerates our kayaks. We fly forward, sluggishly working with the oars. Soon, along the right bank of the river, signs “Polar Ural Sanctuary” or “Polar-Ural Sanctuary” appear.
Ural reserve", I don’t remember exactly. Before the mouth of the Lupayogan I go out to scout a place for lunch on the right bank, which is nicer than the left. I discover a hut, apparently related to the reserve. The place is inhabited, and after taking a few pictures, I return to the boat. Immediately after the mouth there is a large group of fishing enthusiasts and we move on. About 10 minutes later we get up for lunch on the coastal sand. Nastya and I seal up the kayak. Comrade Captain, looking at us, was doing the same with his three-ruble note. We hit the keelson ladder when I did. dragged the kayak over the stone on Kharamatalou. What can I say? The original skins for taimen began to look bad - they looked more like a condom than our good old skins. The tension was weak and it was very easy to cut through the skin on the keelson, the seat, etc. etc. Comrades, put foam under the keelson or use PVC skins made by Triton. Of course, this is not so necessary for owners of old skins or Salyuts. After lunch, there are very few good places to park. When we reach the confluence of two streams on the left along the way, good parking spots disappear. We, as lovers of aesthetically pleasing parking lots, sadly look around and begin to row manically forward, missing places where we can stand, hoping for something better. We approach the island where Sob makes a local bend from southeast to northeast. Before our eyes, a group of catamaran operators occupies a quite decent parking lot at the tip of the island. Completely frenzied, we rowed further. We disembark, look, move on, disembark again. Hmmm, don’t worry, Venikov, listen to your song “Valenki”... Finally, at the beginning of nine, we find a quite decent parking lot where the Tushgort tract is indicated on the map. We swim up and sit on a rock. We collide with the oars, as a result of which we cut the skin on the grille of the front seat. Cursing, we approach the shore, before our eyes a small fish jumps out of the water, followed by a pike, which grabs the victim in a jump. There are so many fish skeletons on the shore, it’s just some kind of cemetery. The fishermen clearly stood here for a long time and with taste. The wind is still fierce, but now it is also cold. It's freezing your bones. We are preparing dinner. Comrade Captain sets up a tent, to which he has a thermometer packed. We learn that the temperature is +6, but it seems colder. After dinner we sit by the fire for some time, and finally, unable to withstand the wind, we crawl into the tents. 08.08.05
Monday.
The Tushgort tract, the mouth of the Evrasoim and the Nyurapol hut. We get up at 9 o’clock, sunny, cold, still the same wind. But since yesterday there has been no smell of midges. We have breakfast, glue new holes on our two-room apartment, and sluggishly get ready. At the beginning of the second we leave. You can reach Katravozh in one walk, so this time we have to walk a little. Approximately after the Kharsoim stream flows into the river on the right, the river becomes more and more populated by local fishermen. They begin to come across motorboats, huts, and just parking lots that they use. About two hours later we pass the mouth of the Evrasoim stream; two motorboats are “parked” on the right bank. On the left on the sandy island there is a low birch forest. We look at the motorboats, at the map and understand that we need to try this birch forest, since nothing good is likely to happen to us. We examine the forest, to which you need to climb along a two-meter sandy wall. We find a flat place, look around - if this place is settled, it will be very cozy. We unload and, with some difficulty, drag the kayaks up. There are no problems with firewood - there are many dry birch trees on the beach under the wall of the forested part of the island. There are a lot of red currants on the island, and honeysuckle is also found. We indulge in gluttony, having discovered some excess of our food supplies. While drinking tea, we watched in surprise as two boats, the size of a river tug or a little larger, passed us at short intervals up the Sobi River. There is no wind on our side of the island,
so there are some midges and mosquitoes. By evening the temperature drops and they disappear. We drink tea for a long time, then go to bed. 08/09/05 Tuesday. Transition to the mouth of Lonkarjogan. In the morning, slowly, we get ready and go out. We have a short transition ahead again. We leave at about an hour, go around our island and find ourselves on a long, wide stretch of stretches with a headwind. Cursing, we row. Finally the river turns right and the wind begins to blow astern. Here we relax, from time to time we couple the kayaks
and chat, surrendering to the will of the wind. The current has not been particularly noticeable since the middle of yesterday's crossing. The shores are quite bleak. Soon ahead, above the forest, we notice a radio tower marking Katravozh. We start looking for a parking place. Horses are grazing on the left along the course, we approach the sandy beach on the right and disembark for reconnaissance. There is a forest behind the beach, but it turns out that it is separated from us by the Lonkarjögan riverbed. We sit back down and, maneuvering between the sandbanks, we enter Lonkarjogan, along which we freely climb only a few hundred meters. On the left, the bank begins to gain height, and where it, having gained height, stops stretching upward, we land for reconnaissance. We find an excellent parking spot right on the shore, among the willow bushes. A large flat area between the bushes is “equipped” with a magnificent, long and thick driftwood log in the depths. Here we make a fire pit. Among the bushes on the left and right there are decent places for tents, almost like rooms with walls made of bushes. We get to the parking lot around four and indulge in gluttony, continuing to consume the surplus. By night the temperature drops to +5 and we go to bed. This is the coldest of our nights. 08/10/05 Wednesday. Transfer to Katravozh. We get out of the tent. Partly cloudy. Some clouds look gloomy, and rain can be seen in the distance. We have breakfast and start getting ready. After parking on the sand, he ends up everywhere. About an hour later we leave for the last crossing. The wind was very strong and it started to rain several times. We came across men on a boat with a huge Honda engine. Comrade Captain talked to them and found out that today there is a scheduled ship from Katravozh to Salekhard. We leaned on the oars and an hour and a half after leaving, we landed in Katravozh. There was a boat standing there and the lewd-looking vessel Bragin was loading. Dima and I walked up to them and asked if they were going to Salekhard or Labytnangi today. On the boat they told us that they didn’t know (he soon sailed away somewhere), but on Bragin that they weren’t coming. Then some granny came out and, in response to our questions about the scheduled ship, said that the Zarya should be there today and that they called her and said that she would be there soon. We rushed to the kayaks and carried out a rapid anti-slip. While we were getting ready, a drunk man came up to us and offered to buy fish, we refused. Then he offered to take us on a boat with a Japanese engine to Labytnang for a couple of thousand. According to reports from previous years, it was a very low price and we agreed. The man swayed and said that he would go and tell his wife. We gave him half an hour and we didn't see him again. But "Zarya" never came. Local residents began to gather on the shore, obviously for the purpose of leaving. We learned from them that Zarya should arrive at 17:20 (local time). However, she did not come either at 18:20 or 19:20. We asked the locals if this was normal. They said that sometimes she is 3 hours late, and sometimes she doesn’t come at all. Frightened that we were dealing with the last option, we began to look for a motorboat. But that was not the case. Wind, gentlemen, wind. The waves on the Ob are too high for motorboats. Several men tinkering with the boat refused to take us and expressed doubt that anyone would undertake this in such weather. We went to the village. At some house we saw a man fixing a net. We asked him if he knew who could take us. He did not offer himself, but called a friend. An acquaintance said that he would not take it in such a wind. So keep in mind that you may find yourself in a situation where you cannot hire a boat. Either have some time to spare, or expect to get to Labytnang on your own (which is 50 km from Katravozh). After the failure of hiring a motorboat, I became furious. The prospect of not getting on tomorrow's train, for which tickets had already been purchased, loomed before us. Having rushed around the village and not meeting anyone, I returned to the shore and then the Zarya arrived. The ticket cost 250 rubles, and they charged us another 500 for luggage. A couple of hours later we moored at the embankment of the Salekhard ferry crossing. A gloomy mammoth on a pedestal rose above the embankment - apparently, a symbol of permafrost. The Zarya crew, looking at us, decided to make a detour to Lybytnang, and they dropped us off on the other side of the Ob, completely free of charge. At the exit from the crossing embankment, a taxi driver, the owner of the six, caught us and invited us to go in his car. But at first we arrived as a group of four and with only part of our things. Having happily agreed, we ran to get the rest of our things and the fifth crew member, so you should have seen the driver’s face. But, true to his word, he loaded everything, including us, and at third speed he carefully drove to Labytnangi, which is several kilometers from the crossing. For three hundred rubles we were taken to the station. Comrade captain and Vanya, for a modest reward, were allowed to spend the night on the train with most of their things, and Nastya, Masha and I went to the hotel recommended by the driver on Lenin Street. For 630 rubles per person we were offered a spacious and clean four-bed room. But the amenities were in the corridor, and the hot water was turned off. So we left there and in about 5 minutes we reached “Seven Larchs”. This is the face of the city and I must say, the face is almost European. Reception desk with minibar and all that. For 960 rubles from the nose, we settled there until the morning in cozy double rooms with all amenities. 08/11/05 Thursday. Departure. In the morning, yesterday's taxi driver took us to the station for 50 rubles, we boarded train 209 and set off on the way back. The conductor decided to wash in the toilet and heated the water, as a result of which the heaters worked and hot water flowed from the tap. The tropics reigned in the old carriage and the windows did not open. Thus ended our journey. PostScriptum.
Useful and not very useful.
The most important thing when planning and completing a route is maps. I found only a ten-kilometer route for the Tyumen region for sale. Every tourist knows its value. Where can I get good cards? I strongly recommend the website of the Leningrad tourist club “Moscow Outpost” http://www.ktmz.org.ru/ as a source of maps. From it there is a link to a page where maps are directly posted, the address of which is http://topmap.narod.ru/index.html. In the area of our hike there are kilometers of moss-covered times. The sheets at the beginning and end of the route are dated 1966, and the middle part is represented by a map published during the life of the Great Leader and before the railway to Labytnang was built (that is, before 1947). If anyone doesn’t know, Stalin decided to build a railway line through Labytnangi and Salekhard to the mouth of the Yenisei. Its part east of the Ob is the legendary Stalin railway, construction sites 501 and 503. Until 1953, there was an ice railway across the Ob in winter and a railway ferry in the summer, but after the death of the Leader, construction was stopped. And if from the western part of the road, which was built from Salekhard to the east, all the equipment was taken out along the crossing of the Ob, then the eastern part of the road, which was built towards them, was abandoned along with the equipment. A lot of information on this topic can be found on the Internet. Many people to this day travel along this abandoned, swamp-filled, ghost road, which, by the way, is indicated on all maps of our country as inactive. Alexander Gorodnitsky was at one time struck by the picture of IS steam locomotives growing into the taiga swamps, and under the impression of this picture he wrote a poem. To this we can add the fact that the zone in Kharp dates back to the camp in which prisoners involved in the construction of the railway were kept. It is interesting that a fairly detailed map of the Ob channels in the area between Katravozh and Labytnangi is available on the MTS website, in the section "MTS for subscribers > Service area and roaming > MTS territory > Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug - Salekhard". Page address http://www.mts.ru/coverage/mts/salekhard/Q-4213/. Yes, disks with scans of maps similar to those posted on the Leningraders’ website can be bought at the tourist club on Bolshaya Kommunisticheskaya. These maps are good for navigation, despite their considerable age. Although Kharp and the railway are not marked on the middle sheet, the area and river have undergone little change since then. You can add this option to combining rafting along Sobi with radial skiing into the mountains. In our group there were two ships and five crew members, three of whom were going to walk in the mountains, and two of whom were going to guard the camp due to health reasons. In this situation, an interesting option might be to split the group for the first two or three days of the hike with a meeting at the mouth of the Yenga-Yu. A light foot detachment, having crossed from the Sob station to the opposite bank of the river, marches about 4 kilometers to the west and reaches the mouth of the Nyrdvomenshor (northern), begins to climb up the riverbed and after 15 kilometers on the left along the way discovers a pass. Leaving the stream bed to the left, the group will pass the pass and go to the sources of the Ker-doman-shor, the left tributary of the Yenga-Yu. From the valley of this stream you can climb both right and left to the peaks of the Rayiz massif. 25-30 kilometers after the Yenga-Yu pass it flows into Sob, where it is possible to arrange a rendezvous for two groups. We all liked the route, and we liked its potential possibilities more than what we succeeded in. Our team had only 7 full days at its disposal, plus slipway and anti-slipway days. It turned out to be almost two days (if we had immediately entered Kharamatalou there would have been just two), it was possible, taking into account the tailwind on three crossings after Kharamatalou, to carve out another one, but with a headwind such a situation would have been tense. There was little time in general, and there’s no need to talk about days. I think that both fishermen and radio enthusiasts should set aside 3-4 days to satisfy their passions. The river is not at all strenuous for kayaking and can be recommended to the most inexperienced crews (like me and Nastya) and family groups. Not only we realized this - there were a lot of tourists and, according to local residents, their number continues to grow. Yes, about fishing. Of the five of us, none (!) was fond of fishing. At all. But everyone regretted that they didn’t have any gear with them. So keep that in mind. And, of course, I recommend hiking to everyone. We ourselves went to the aquatic expedition solely because of Nastya’s knee injury, followed by surgery a month before the trip. And since the Rayiz massif, due to the presence of a railway that goes around it, and indeed the mountains around it, are a wonderful place for hiking. So, comrades, download your kilometers and go ahead! Life is in motion! Konstantin Alekseev.
Perhaps the most famous and popular river among tourists in the Polar Urals is the Sob River. It flows through the territory of the Priuralsky district of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The first mention of the Sob River dates back to the 11th century. In those distant times, there was a river route to Ugra through the “Stone” (as the Ural Mountains were previously called).
The Sob River originates on the eastern slopes of the Polar Urals and flows through a wide intermountain valley. Overcoming 185 km from its source, it flows into the Ob River. The width of the river is from 30 to 60 meters, in the lower reaches it expands. The catchment area of Sobi is 5890 square kilometers. High water on this river occurs in June, when the snow melts in the mountains.
The main tributaries of the Sob River are the Khanmei, Bolshaya Paipudyna, Orehegan, and Kharamatolou rivers.
The water in the river is crystal clear, transparent and cold. The current is fast. There is good fishing here, you can catch grayling, taimen, pike, etc.
Surrounded by mountains, Sob is very beautiful. You can make radial trips from the river to the high mountains of the Polar Urals rising nearby. In the vicinity of the Sob River, tourists are most interested in such beautiful natural sites as the waterfall on the Northern Nyrdvomenshor stream and the Raiz plateau with mountain lakes and a jade waterfall. All-terrain roads lead to them from the Sob River, so getting to these tourist sites is not difficult.
You can admire the Ural mountains with snowfields that never melt on them while rafting.
A larch forest grows along the banks of the Sobi. There is enough wood for the fire. In the second half of summer there are a lot of berries (cloudberries, lingonberries, blueberries, etc.) and mushrooms.
Rafting on the Sob River starts from the stations “110 km” (Polyarny) or “Sob” on the Vorkuta – Labytnangi railway, and usually ends in the village of Kharp. The length of the route is 46 kilometers (two days of rafting). Throughout the entire route there is a railway along the left bank of the river.
If you wish, you can significantly lengthen the route and sail further - to the mouth of the river near the village of Katrovozh. There you can negotiate with local residents about a transfer by boat to Salekhard or Labytnangi.
At the beginning of the route there are many shallows on the river. It may be necessary to manually navigate the vessel through shallows. To do this, you need to have high boots (since the water in the Sob River is icy). After the confluence of the left tributary of the Sobi - the Bolshaya Paipudyna River - there is more water.
Near Kharp (near the bridge) on the river there is a relatively simple Kharp rapid, which has three steps. Due to this threshold, the Sob River has a second category of difficulty.
You can leave Kharp by train Labytnangi - Moscow or Labytnangi - Vorkuta.
When going rafting to the Polar Urals, you should take warm clothes, since the climate here is cold. In addition, due to the abundance of mosquitoes and midges in these northern places, it is recommended to take mosquito nets and insect repellent with you.
It is worth keeping in mind that the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug is not so welcoming to guests. The fact is that the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug is considered a border area (due to its proximity to the Arctic Ocean). To enter here, you must obtain passes in advance from the FSB border department. This unpleasant procedure is especially difficult for foreigners (the red tape takes about 60 days).
How to get to the Sob River?
You can get to the Sob River only by rail - on the Moscow - Labytnangi train. If this option is not very convenient for you, then you can first get to Vorkuta (trains go there from Adler, Novorossiysk, Nizhny Novgorod, Kirov), where you can change to the Vorkuta-Labytnangi train (runs once a day).
Photo credit: Laem
Photo by: mijivem
Photo by: YPLuchin
Photo by: BaranovaGalina
Photo by: BaranovaGalina
Photo by: BaranovaGalina
Photo by: mijivem
Photo by: mijivem
Photo by: mijivem
Photo by: BaranovaGalina
Photo by: BaranovaGalina
Photo by: BaranovaGalina
Photo by: mijivem
Photo by: mijivem
Photo by: mijivem
Sob- a river originating on the eastern slopes of the southern part of the Polar Urals. Sob passes through the village of Kharp.
The Sob is a left tributary of the Ob and flows into it near the village of Katrovozh.
Length 185 km, drainage area 5890 km². The river is fed predominantly by snow. High water in June - July. The average long-term annual water flow (calculated) is about 50 m³/s, the volume of annual flow is 1.5 km³. The main tributaries: on the left - Hanmei and Bolshaya Paipudyna, on the right - Orehegan and Kharamatolou.
Tourism
The river is popular among tourists; its sources are located in the mountains. The main part of the railway line runs along the river valley, which is an active section of the Transpolar Railway (currently the Northern Railway). The entire operating section of the Transpolar Railway is the Chum - Labytnangi railway line (otherwise designated Seyda - Labytnangi, since goods operations are not carried out at the Chum station). That part of the existing section, during the construction of which the advantages of the relief of the Sob River were taken advantage of, is the Yeletskaya - Kharp section. Thanks to good transport accessibility, it is popular among water tourists, who lay routes of 1-4 categories of difficulty along it.