Autumn in our family - it's time to go to Kola. The trip is always preceded by the agony of choosing the area and route. And just like that, unhurried reflections on this topic were going on, when a friend from Zapolyarny threw in an idea: “Do you have a desire to go to the Long Slit?” There was no need to arrange voting: the family liked this option. True, a couple of difficulties were expected. Firstly, the Long Slit is already a border zone, i.e. passes are required. Secondly - transfer to the starting point. Well, everything is clear with the transfer: we simply increased the budget of the trip by the cost of the ordered minibus. But I had to deal with the pass and read the reports. Who is interested in this topic: the design manual at the end of this post.
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Monday morning. Murmansk is flooded with drizzle, which discourages any desire to travel somewhere. I run for passes to the border control. From the border guards I fly to the railway station - to meet the guys. This time our trip coincided with Hella's bike tour along Rybachy. Hell is a hardened fighter here: in the 12th, he and I, together, went to the 10-day winter hike according to the average.
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I seemed to be late for the station, but in the end I arrived much earlier. Affected by the unusual scale of the city, after the Default City. Helped the guys to load up. Seryoga's partner (Hella) in this campaign is Anton. Then there was a high-speed shopping run: Hell, and this time true to tradition, forgot a windbreaker at home (in the past - pants). The choice in Murmansk is not so hot, and everything branded costs space money. But they found something. We part until the evening, because we throw ourselves with them. Only they jump off in Pechenga, and we - in Liinakhamari. Mikrik is paid in half. economy, however.
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Then everything is regular. The guys jump off the track from the road to the training ground in front of Pechenga. Mutual wishes of good luck and we go further to the other side of the bay. Almost immediately after the Pechenga checkpoint. Our car does not have a pass, so we continue on foot. The border guards, however, helped a lot, which caused our surprise. Thanks guys.
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Beginning of the hiking part. You need to walk a few kilometers along the asphalt towards Hamari, and after Trifonajärvi go to the ground. The weather has already completely improved, and it is pleasant to go ... it would be if these were not the first kilometers of the way. And there were not fifty kilos in the backpack. And lunch was not missed. But we are slowly getting into it.
On the ground we meet a couple of cars. It's getting dark and it's time to head out. This is where the difficulties begin. Some ruins stretch along the entire road, you don’t want to get up near which. It is difficult with children in such places - all kinds of garbage attracts them like a magnet. Already at dusk, we find a more or less convenient platform. True, the nearest water marked on the map is 500 meters away, but we will survive it.
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I put up a tent and drive my family there. I take boilers, GPS, a walkie-talkie and go for water. Half a kilometer on the map there is a lake. There is no unequivocal entry and you have to break into it "by bird", but it's already dark. Alas, the smooth tundra is not friendly here. Dwarf forest on kurumnik and thickets of ferns. Plus, I'm still hungry and my strength is not the same.
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I reach the lake, solder off for future use and collect water. I don’t want to be afraid to break my own traces back. I see that I can cut a dirt road, which we will follow tomorrow, and already run along it to our own people. Further, but easier and faster. In the end, this is what happens.
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Already 200 meters before the tent, I catch movement above my head out of the corner of my eye. An owl is circling about 10 meters above me. Not large, but still such attention causes slight mental discomfort. Before that, I had only seen an owl in nature in a glimpse, but never so impudently circling. After a minute or two I got tired of her.
They ate already through a dream.
We fell asleep. I crawl out of the tent - beauty. Below Trifonoyarvi. If you look closely, behind it you can see the road to Hamari, and in front of the lake - the dirt road on which we walked. Trifonojärvi is one of the few "Russian" toponyms on the Finnish maps of those places. Lake Tryphon, or rather Tryphon of Pechenga, who founded the Pechenga Monastery. By the way, the personality is interesting. I'm not a fan of historical remarks in reports, but here you can.
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In the Report on the Lopi Land, the Dutch merchant Simon van Salingen relates the story of Tryphon himself about the years of his youth, when he was the chieftain of a band of robbers, but came to repentance: “He was a formidable warrior for enemies, he robbed and ruined many people on the border and he shed a lot of blood, for which he repented and for which he bitterly regretted: therefore, he vowed not to wear canvases in his life, he decided to make himself a hoop around his belt and (away) from all people, in the desert, among wild animals, to repent before God ... "
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From his youth he was distinguished by heroic strength and good health. In his youth he served one of the local boyars. Then he ended up in military service, and after a while he became the leader of a gang of robbers. He plundered and ruined the "Kayan Germans", i.e. Finns, and in his raids reached the Gulf of Bothnia. Only one thing could destroy such a dashing warrior. Yes, there are two options here. He killed, in a rage, his beloved, after which he left in repentance for the North.
The “bump” is half a kilometer away, and to the right of it there is a lake where I went yesterday for water. Although if you look at the "satellite", you can see that this is not a lake, but rather a quarry. What was mined here is not clear, but the area has been thoroughly excavated. Tried to find information but couldn't find it.
The family is already waiting and staring with hungry eyes. I start to cook.
The swamp in the lowlands slowly turns into lakes. The trail goes sideways, higher. I can’t say that the park path, but my eldest copes without problems, although sometimes she has to give a hand.
Time for lunch and afternoon nap. As an order, we go to the lake and find a chic place.
And the lake below, and the platform is flat. But we decide to “pass a little more” and get up on the other side of the lake, in a swamp, finding the only dry bump under a rock on it. No, well, this has never happened, and here it is again!
I'm making dinner soon. "Hurry", because the lake beckons me. The family eats and crawls into the tent, and I collect my back and rush down to the water. But something clearly went wrong. Having thrown a spin a few dozen times and went around the lake almost along the entire shore, I pulled out a couple of small trout. What to do with them was absolutely not clear, and the fish children were released to grow up. No hunting luck.
We pass another lake. We go along the path in the dwarf forest, traverse along the western slope of the gorge. It is not convenient to go and the elder is not happy. Unexpectedly, we come out to an open area with a view of the Long Slit. It smells of the sea and dampness.
Another "shot" through the forest along the stream. I know from experience that it is almost impossible to pass this path in winter. You will drown in the snow. I wonder if they ride snowmobiles here in winter? Should in theory. I lick my lips here in winter to crawl, but here are not native hills east of Pechenga. There are many questions.
Already on approach to the sea, we find the remains of an ancient dwelling, which was converted into a fishing house. The missing wall was covered with polyethylene. The place is inhabited.
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The western wall of the Slit is indeed a wall. This makes me sad. A radial exit to Mount Pasaritunturi was planned, but here it is not clear how to get off the beach. The gap, it is the gap. On the "satellite" this is not very visible, but on the "general staff" it is very much so. The walls are almost sheer.
There will be a day - there will be food. For now, there are more pressing questions. Where, for example, we will put up a tent on this beach so that it is not blown away and flooded. And to fetch water without any problems to go. Despite the abundance of requests, we find a chic place. Cornice, with a small grove hiding from the wind and a personal waterfall. Climbing and descending, however, is not convenient.
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For fans of non-standard outdoor activities, the Ogni Imandra recreation center offers a unique opportunity - to try sea fishing in the Barents Sea.
Routes of multi-day tours, both fishing and diving, are formed depending on their duration and seasonality. In addition to the Varanger fiord, we can visit the Bolshaya Volokovaya, German Cape, Kekursky Cape, Zubovskaya Bay, the shores of the Western and Northern parts of the Sredny and Rybachy peninsulas.
Dive deck, compressor, cylinders, cargo, Wi-Fi, 220v, galley (cook), shower, latrine
Main engine 3D6S2
Tanks: fuel 1.5 tons, fresh water 3.0 tons.
The ship is equipped with: navigational equipment, echo sounder, communications equipment, boat with motor, life saving equipment. On board there are tackles for amateur fishing for 10 fishermen.
The duration of the exits is up to one week.
The duration of the exits is up to one week.
The ship is equipped with: navigational equipment, echo sounder, communications equipment, life-saving equipment. On board there are tackles for amateur fishing for 10 fishermen.
Vessel "Pilot" - project "Yaroslavets" year of construction 1992
Last docking 2015 Length 21m, width 3.8
Number of cabins - 3 (bow crew, central and aft - passengers)
Passenger capacity up to 10 people, crew from 2 to 4. (depending on exit conditions)
The Barents Sea is a reserved place for lovers of sea fishing. Thanks to the warm Gulf Stream, it does not freeze in winter, so you can fish here from March to October. The largest catch occurs during the migration of capelin and cod. This period lasts from the beginning of March to the end of April. It is at this time that there is a real chance to catch fish weighing up to 30 kg. Agree, a great trophy for fishermen. Even if you do not get into a bite, do not be discouraged - you will always catch some fish for your fish soup. Sea fishing in the Barents Sea is unique in the variety of fish species that can be hooked. In addition to the already mentioned cod, your catch may consist of catfish, haddock, ruff, flounder, sea bass, burbot, pollock and halibut.
Sea fishing in the Barents Sea: what to consider
However, in order for your sea fishing to succeed, you need to properly prepare for it. Things to consider:
The most convenient way to fish in the sea is by spinning. Marine fish are much larger and heavier than river and lake fish, they swim at great depths, so it is necessary to choose heavy and durable gear. We do not recommend saving on equipment: high-quality gear will save your nerves and allow you to truly enjoy fishing in the sea.
The bait can be either natural (cut from pieces of fresh fish) or artificial. It depends on what type of fish you would like to catch and how experienced you are as a fisherman. Remember: keeping a sea fish is much more difficult, it will require more skill and strength from you.
Take care of your equipment. In the sea you can not do without good thermal underwear, waterproof and windproof outerwear (preferably with a hood) and warm shoes. To protect from the sun's rays and glare, it is better to stock up on sunglasses.
In addition to fishing itself, you will have a great opportunity to enjoy the northern seascapes, and if you are lucky, get acquainted with some representatives of the fauna of the northern latitudes. These are birds, seals and even whales and killer whales. Sea fishing in the Barents Sea is an opportunity to get inexpressible emotions and impressions that you will never forget. And after sea fishing, it will be especially pleasant to relax in our cozy houses and cook the caught catch on the grill with your own hands.
Rent of cylinders and weights (belts) is included in the price of diving. Diving is carried out only upon presentation of a certificate, as well as accompanied by a dive guide (instructor). Loss of a weight belt or weights - 1000 rubles for each weight.
Once I came across information that there are several abandoned mines in the region of the Long Slit Bay, which is located in Liinakhamari. Some of them were developed in tsarist times, and some during the Great Patriotic War, by the Germans, and our prisoners of war worked in these mines. In total, I have found three mines so far, "Victoria", "Samuil" and "Sofia". But I only got to Sofia, it is located by Lake Sofianjärvi, far in the hills. It’s not realistic to get there in my Ural. I later found the road and saw enduro tracks there. It's the only way to get there. Top part the roads are quite tolerable, you can drive on it, at least on the "Zhiguli". But the ascent to the hill barely looks, most of it is overgrown with forest, and the other part simply passes through boulders and swamps. I drove to the Dolgaya Shchel lip, and leaving the motorcycle there, went further on foot. It was very difficult to drive, the road was overgrown with trees, and was an impenetrable forest. 
Every five meters, some bushes were wound around the brake pedal, and the motorcycle was slowed down. I had to go there without a stroller, as the way there was booked with a stroller. Friend Vanya and his wife Zhenya rode behind on a loaf and carried my dog and diving equipment. I wanted to try diving in Sofianjärvi lake.
The road ran into a swamp, where we immediately planted a "loaf". 
And after her and the Urals. 
I had to dig pretty hard to get the equipment out of there.
After that, we went on foot to the Long Slit. Unprecedented beauties began to open up before us. 
We began to climb the left side of the gorge. 
Cloudberries ripened all around.
The guys did not go further, they stayed in the Long Slit, and I continued on my way with my faithful friend, the bull terrier Bender. 
Whoever walked on our rocks knows how deceitful and treacherous they are. It seems that now you will climb that rock, and you will already reach the top, but no, behind that rock there will be another, higher one. And so, as it seems to infinity, but everyone knows that the end of the rope is still there.)) And now, having gathered the last efforts, you reach a plateau, from which a wonderful view opens, 
to the hills and the Barents Sea! 
Along the way, there were grottoes that could easily be mistaken from afar for the entrance to Moria. 
And now, having already passed a lot through the hills, and almost exhausted, I finally saw Lake Sofianjärvi, as well as the road leading to the mine. 
In the vicinity of the mine, there was a lot of broken equipment, winches, trolleys, compressors, tunneling steel, and much more. 
I found a vertical adit, it was flooded. 
This was probably the main rising shaft, along which they descended into the mine. Near it lay the mechanism of the lifting machine. 
I did not find horizontal workings, that is, there was one, small. 
It was amazing how all this iron could be here, it’s hard to get here. 
There I also found a piece of ore, which, as an old miner, of course, took to his garage in the collection. The ore was heavy and differed from ours in color. Our copper-nickel ore has a golden hue, and this ore contains 82% zinc and lead. And it has the color of overheated metal. 
After wandering through the ruins, I went down to the lake itself. The lake struck me with clear, blue water, which beckoned me to swim and dive. Which, of course, I didn’t do, for the reason that I was already pretty exhausted, and there was already plenty of time, and I still had to go back to the long gap, people were waiting for me there. 
Benka was also tired, and at every stop I just fell to the ground and fell asleep.)) 
I started back down that road. From the mine it was very good, but then, when it began to descend from the rocks, it began to get lost, and it was very difficult to recognize it. Sometimes it turned into piles of stones, and sometimes it simply overgrown with forest, like the one that leads to the Long Gap. But still I saw traces of enduro on it. 
On the way back I came across a very interesting plateau with a waterfall. In the spring, a lot of water flows through it. It is a smooth sloping rock, and from a distance it looks like a gigantic road. 
Cloudberries still ripened below. Benya and I got to friends, and returned home safely.
Certification requirements: minimum certification level PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, PADI Dry Suite
Liinakhamari- a settlement in the Pechenga district of the Murmansk region, a port in the Pechenga Bay.
After the Soviet-Finnish war, which ended in 1920 with a peace treaty concluded in Tartu, Liinakhamari became part of Finland along with the entire Petsamo region.
Liinakhamari was the only ocean port in Finland, it had access to the Barents Sea of the Arctic Ocean. The so-called Road to the Arctic Ocean (Fin. Jmerentie) from Rovaniemi via Sodankylä to Liinakhamari was built before 1931. This attracted tourists, as it became possible to come to the only port on the Barents Sea by car.
After the Great Patriotic War, September 19, 1944, Finland and the USSR concluded the Moscow truce, which ended the Soviet-Finnish war. Under its terms, Liinakhamari, like the entire Petsamo region, became part of the Murmansk region of the RSFSR.
In the course of the municipal reform, since January 2005, Liinakhamari entered the urban settlement of Pechenga, Pechenga district.
For divers, the Barents Sea is a pleasant, unforgettable experience of relaxation and diving. You will get the richest diving experience in the Barents Sea: sunken objects from the Second World War, diverse flora and fauna, beautiful underwater and surface landscapes, sea fishing and much more.
The displacement of warm Atlantic waters and cold, nutrient-rich Arctic waters leads to an explosion of underwater life. Barents Sea. Stunning views will open up to you underwater: thickets of multi-meter thick kelp, sea anemones and ascidians. Of the marine inhabitants, you can find different types of fish: cod, haddock, herring, sea bass, catfish, flounder, halibut and others. Also common are nudibranch mollusks, shrimps, hermit crabs, many different echinoderms, sea urchins and sea stars different types, king crabs. Kamchatka crabs deserve special attention. Meeting under water with a king crab, reaching two meters in scope, pleases any submariner - Soviet scientists brought them to the Barents Sea as an experiment and soon they adapted to new conditions and began to multiply intensively.
Dive sites in the Barents Sea :
Guba Pechenga- five main dive sites. Beautiful landscape dives, sheer cliffs, walls, anemone and scallop colonies.
Guba Ambarnaya- diving on "Pechora" and "Pillars". Diving for advanced swimmers.
Cape Romanov- places for easy diving. Of the marine inhabitants - scallop, crabs.
Peninsula German- shallow bay, good for check dive and beginners.
Cape Zemlyanoy- geological section.
Guba Polyutikha Western- the most beautiful landscapes both underwater and surface, the bird market on the island, the Lappish cross of the beginning of the last century.
Guba Bazarnaya- a bay with a sandy beach, until 1985 the first border outpost of the USSR.
Lip Long slit- excursion to the shore, waterfall, shallow diving, sea fishing.
Typical daily routine:
08.30 - 10.00 - Breakfast
11.00 - 13.00 - Diving (sea fishing)
13.30 - 15.00 - Lunch
16.00 - 18.00 - Diving (sea fishing)
18.30 - 20.00 - Dinner
Included in cost
- accommodation
- food
- transfers Murmansk - Liinakhamari - Murmansk
- sauna
- diving, cargo, cylinders
- Tackle for fishing
- Accompaniment of the tour leader from the club "Aquanaut"
Additional charge
- air flight Moscow - Murmansk - Moscow (from 8000 rubles)
- diving insurance (from 25 euros)
- equipment rent
- excursions.
Schedule and cost
Pechenga - Long Shchel Bay - Pechenga - Sputnik – Staraya Titovka - Valley of Glory - Nyal - Pyaive - Kola - Murmansk
Vlad Vasiliev
The purpose of the trip was to get to the Dolgaya Shchel bay and take a walk there. I wanted to return to Murmansk on my own, having examined several primers new to me between Pechenga and the Valley of Glory. I didn’t invite anyone to the company, because I needed a pass (and only I had one of my cycling acquaintances).
This route continued the previous routes to the area of the village. Liinahamari. The first time I got there by bike was in 2004, together with the Pilgrims cycling club. http://pilgrims.murman.ru/2004/kd3.htm Then we drove along the berths, rode a border boat around the bay and left the same day (more precisely, already night) by bus. The second trip was in 2009, with two guys from Petrozavodsk. http://vladsc.narod.ru/2009/071218.htm At that time, near the village, we had the last overnight stay in that campaign, and there was time to wander a little along the surrounding rocks. Finally, in 2011, I traveled there and looked more than thoroughly, visiting the German peninsula and 2 abandoned mines, Samuil and Sofianjärvi. I didn’t intend to make a description of that trip, but some of the photos are in the selection “Murmansk Coast” http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1586128910663.49012.1758994135&type=1 and used in a report on lead-zinc mines in the Dolgaya Shchel http://www.institute.speleoukraine.net/uisk_pages/download.php?id=11714 map is shown. So I wanted to check how it is passable.
On Friday evening, August 3 - transfer by regular bus to Pechenga, and from there without further delay I set off towards Liinakhamari. On the way to the checkpoint with a pass check, with this I'm all right. At Lake Trifonajärvi, turn left to an abandoned military unit, soon after which the road became untrafficable. A few kilometers on foot, then the road degenerates into a trail, and even that is lost in places, so I have to go almost in azimuth - and I am at the Long Slit. I put up a tent on the bank of a stream overlooking the sea and sleep. 21 km.
Cloudy weather in the morning. I wandered along the coast and the surrounding rocks, did not climb high - without the sun it is not interesting, and besides, it is dangerous on wet stones. I slipped very badly on a coastal stone, dropped the camera so that the cover of the compartment with a small “pill” battery flew out from the impact. I searched for 40 minutes - I did not find it, I got lost. The camera worked, but after the power was turned off, the clock was reset to zero, and they had to be set each time. I set hours and minutes carefully, but with a month and a year sometimes “flew by”. So we got pictures not only for August 2012, but also for September, there are also for 2011.
I didn’t “stupid” on the shore, I’m going and leaving back. The second time the trail “reads” much better, I almost do not wind. Who is going to get here, use the reverse track. On the shore of Trifonjarvi, a snack, next to the spring. I stop at the abandoned military berths. Part of the way I pass along an abandoned railway. A new road bridge is being built near Pechenga, and the section of the highway to Sputnik is being reconstructed. On the way to Titovka, several times I go to the dirt loops of the road along it, now almost all the old “loops” have been passed.
In Titovka, the border checkpoint was abandoned, even the barrier was removed (as it turned out later, not for long). Well then, no one bothers to drive along the dirt road up the right bank of the river. Along the way, the house of the border guards, no one looked out and did not stop. I calmly go around it along the fence on the right and leave for the continuation of the primer from the "rear" side of the fence. It's funny that a fence with barbed wire has been built along the road and even a control-track strip has been set up. Almost like a real border. Who needs this and why in our time, when the width of the border zone is set at 15 kilometers, is completely incomprehensible - here in a straight line to the border there are more than 30.
Particularly touched were the prickly "hedgehogs", found in such numbers that it seemed that they were multiplying. Moreover, sometimes these hedgehogs lay close to each other.
Shortly before the turn of the road from this amusing KSP to the east, a passenger car comes across with a man in tracksuit and a girl. He starts telling me that this is a border zone and I need to show documents. I answer that I am not violating anything, and I will show the documents after he shows his own. Looks like he didn’t take it, lagged behind, only asking if I had a Russian passport. After driving another 10 km, I settle down for the night. 76 km per day (+4 km on foot).
In the morning I pass the highest sections on the route - more than 260 meters above sea level. Typical tundra zone. A little lower - birch light forest. In one place I observe a fire. Who would it? It turned out that the search engines were from Polyarny. Somewhere nearby there was a group from Murmansk. On the way I overtake a passenger car, it is hard for her to go, not like me. After the road connects with another, from Mount Cat, it becomes much better. Almost at the highway, I notice a fork to the right - why not turn off? Moreover, it was finished no worse than the Parovar road through Musta-Tunturi. Surely the Germans did their best here. Aspen mushrooms frankly rush under the wheels. Could not resist, began to collect. I get out on the highway almost at Zapadnaya Litsa.
After the Valley of Glory I leave for another abandoned railway- from Nyala to Zaozersk (Western Face). It was built at the end of the Soviet era, worked for several years, and then was dismantled.
After Nyala, I don’t take out my camera anymore. But still I continue to collect mushrooms from under the wheels. There are a little less of them here - several cyclists drove up to me, cleaned up. After Pyive, it’s generally boring, an ordinary pill. Home at 1:20 am. 144 km per day. In the morning, before leaving for work, he gave the mushrooms to a neighbor so that they would not disappear. In the evening they were gone. 🙂
For 3 days 241 km by bike and 4 on foot.
no images were found
The purpose of the trip was to get to the Dolgaya Shchel bay and take a walk there. I wanted to return to Murmansk on my own, having examined several primers new to me between Pechenga and the Valley of Glory. I didn’t invite anyone to the company, because I needed a pass (and only I had one of my friends).