Along the Yakshinskiy Merchant Way
Along the Untrodden Paths and Impassable Tracks.
The next article in the column 'Russo Turisto' appeared thanks
to our readers' response. The unique route conducted by the group
of brave Perm citizens within 8 days was paved on the impassable
nowadays Yakshinskiy merchant way which used to connect Yaksha
(a port on the river Pechora) and the city of merchants Cherdyn.
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It was a third attempt to conquer this trace headed
by the creator of the expedition Sergey Kulpinin. It was a success
and the group with its full complement achieved the river Pechora,
those vast lands in the North which used to be part of Perm the
Great of XIV-XVII centuries.
The main difficulty and peculiarity of this action was that it
used to be conducted in winter on frozen marshes on snowmobiles
but in summer man had never set foot there for more than 50 years.
11 truly courageous men were seized with a wild desire to become
pioneers in this land; this very desire helped to push aside all
obstacles, so brightly shown in the picture taken by Andrey Korshunov
and Viktor Zykov. The story about this trip is narrated by Igor
Kulpin - the head of the Union of Afghanistan veterans of Perm
Territory.
- Igor, how did you know that such expedition was being prepared?
- The elaboration of the direction of the old Yakshinskiy track
from Perm to Pechora belongs to my brother Sergey. This route
is rare from the historical point of view. We both served in Afghanistan.
Maybe since that time there still had stayed a wish to check yourself,
try yourself again and again. Thus three years ago Sergey began
to work out a plan of this track and two years running he had
tried to subjugate this road.
The first expedition got lost, the second one could not get through
and did not manage to break a way for themselves. Only the third
attempt was a success.
11 guys made up their minds to test themselves under the hardest
conditions. We prepared for the action very carefully: two UAZ
cars which were stuffed with everything necessary and GAZ-66 for
carrying the whole supply of petrol (two 200 liter tanks) because
there would be no petrol station on the way.
For navigation we used GPS (Global Positioning System) in which
we had put the detailed 'natovskaya' map of Perm Territory. It
should be notified that the system was so exact that showed the
slightest departure (even 1 meter) from the route. Sergey set
himself a clearly defined goal to conduct the expedition from
Perm to Pechora. And this goal was achieved in time.
- What was completely unexpected in this trip for you?
- Generally we were ready for any breakages of the machinery but
we did not suppose that we would get stuck in the marsh for so
long. Before getting started the pilots assured me that everything
was provided for - winches, spare parts, nothing was left to chance.
The mater was that Sergey told us only about the route going on
rugged terrain, across a mountain ridge and a pass, but he said
nothing about bogs in great numbers on the way. This was a real
trial for us. On the way back 'shishiga' (GAZ-66) sank in the
bog up to the very 'kung'(body). It took us more than two days
to pass those 200 meters! We spared no effort to get GAZ-66 out
of the bog - we cobbled, cubed, used the lifting jack all the
time! We worked all day long, at night, we were languid with the
heat up to the waist in the mud, but mosquitoes were a real plague
for us.
- What did you feel at the end of each day in spite of so much
trouble coming your way?
- We all understood perfectly well that having determined to go
on such a trip meant to engage yourself to do an enormous job
without any rest - to cobble or to cube marshes, to chop down
wood or to pull the vehicle out of the bog. Though the expedition
was called a motor race we had to run daily literally 10-15 km
in front of the vehicle paving the path. During the whole period
on the track we built three natural big bridges which could stand
our UAZ cars and GAZ-66. In the evening when we crawled into the
tents we were carried away from the reality in no time! None of
us could even remember a single thought before falling asleep,
so much we were exhausted. The only thought was to reach the tent
and to fall in the arms of Morpheus.
- Were the hopes pinned on your colleagues justified? Were all
guys reliable?
- In connection with the fact that it was already a third attempt
of Sergey to put into practice his plan the team was picked out
thoroughly. Every participator of the expedition had his particular
goal, each was appointed a profession for the time of the trip:
someone had to be a cook, another a driver, a third a cameraman,
someone's task was to make a fire, to fetch water and so on. Though
there were problems concerning relationships or food or repairs,
but it is quite natural for people (especially under extreme conditions).
The oldest participant of our team was 57 years of age and the
youngest was 15.
I feel obliged to add that all the participators prepared for
the trip with such enthusiasm that one of them, Sergey Bezukladnikov,
even sold his summer house to make his UAZ more technically equipped.
In my opinion our team consisted of like-minded people who were
eager to push aside all possible and impossible obstacles on the
way.
I ought to tender personal thanks to the driver Arsen for his
professional skills. Like a magician he managed to repair the
winches and the brakes of the cars with improvised means. Thanks
to Arsen we learnt new terminology, for example 'lebeditsya' means
to winch, 'shishiga' means GAZ-66, 'kung' is the body of the 'shishiga'.
After coming back home none of the vehicles had brakes. Sand and
bog slush made them worthless.
- Is it true that there was a foreigner in your team of foolhardy
Russian travelers?
- One of the participators was our foreign friend who represented
the Administration of the city of Edinburgh. John decided to accompany
us so that to go hunting, fishing and just to enjoy the picturesque
scenery. John's task was to watch and to rest. Suffice it to say
that the Scot had never in his life faced the difficulties which
he was confronted by in this trip. In his native country everything
must be thought over: this is parallel and that is perpendicular.
Most of all we were astonished by John's serious attitude toward
the protection of environment, forests, beasts which came across
our way. He worried about every tree which we had to chop. As
soon as we came back John perceived civilization afresh, he just
got drunk with happiness that there were again people all around
him and everything ended all right. The other day John wrote a
letter from Scotland to me, where he told me that he had showed
his friends the film that he had made during the trip. They were
all shocked as they could not understand what for to destroy trees
and hack through cuttings. But this does not matter. What really
matters is that now John is the chief guide of theirs, with whom
they go to the forest. (he laughs).
- Do you think you will long remember the impressions acquired
in this trip?
- After coming back from the expedition many guys said so: 'Yes,
I liked it, everything was fine, but you will never drag me in
it again.' This explains all. Indeed we supped extreme up to the
neck. Though from the other side it is obvious that such lasting
impressions make our life complete and significant. No matter
how many days or months will go past after arriving home, we will
be proud to recall what we did.
Who knows maybe one day we will wish to experience something of
the kind again!
Written by Maria Simanova. The paper 'Headliner' ¹ 17, 27 October
2006.
The track of the trip received from Alexandr Ovchinnikov is in
format Garmin
MapSource
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