Climbingthe plateau

Except for public figures, the names of people in this story have been changed for privacy.

The sixth chapter of the Putorana Plateau trip: the very day many people come here for: the climb onto the plateau. In the tour programme this route is called exactly that: “Climb onto the plateau above the Idol”: a thousand metres of ascent.

Breakfast was an hour earlier than usual and heartier: macaroni and cheese 😄 We went together with the second group and Misha. You wouldn’t envy Misha: 15–20 kilograms of equipment on his shoulders, and good light only during the climb.

The start of the climb

Ten minutes by boat, and straight up. The road began with a steep climb, so after only ten minutes we were already tired 😄

The Idol and the waterfall

On the way we came across a local idol carved from a log. According to the organisers, it has stood here for about two hundred years, on a spot where shamans performed rituals, and it’s customary to ask it for good weather. It also has to be fed with butter: the guys walking behind us did that. Taimyr and the area around Putorana were once places where shamanism flourished.

Then there was a small bog left after the rains, and a waterfall. It was hot walking, and I decided to bathe my feet: after a minute they nearly went numb 😅 Misha photographed everyone against the waterfall with a rainbow. By then I was so tired I didn’t feel like anything, but Denis cheered me up, and I still got some lovely shots in my little hat.

And then Denis said we’d covered half the way by distance. The key words: by distance. In reality the adventure was only beginning.

The boulder field and the summit

First we walked on earth, then across a big boulder field, then on moss, then over boulders again, already at a decent height and with small stones sliding underfoot. And finally we made it!!

It was hard for me. But a thousand metres were behind me, and I was very glad to be here.

There’s nothing better than a cheese sandwich and tea at a height of a thousand metres!!!!

We drank tea and ate for a long time, and then we strolled and took photos. The views are unreal, like a picture: a cascade of mountains, a majestic massif. From above you can clearly see that the valley of Lake Lama is a tectonic rift. And the mountains themselves are frozen lava: more than 200 million years ago there was a volcanic region here, hence the stepped slopes and flat summits. We also filmed a very funny video with our guide in slow motion. I’ll keep the details to myself 😄

The descent and the evening

Going down was much easier: we descended in two hours, while the climb took three and a half. My pace in the group was far from the fastest, but, happily, it suited everyone.

At the base we ate, washed and sat on the second floor in the chill-out room on bean bags, swapping stories and giggling. Then we went to watch the northern lights: we missed the most powerful part, but the shots still came out good.

Sleep is very sound here. And tomorrow, a climb up another mountain.