Boat Trip to Ladoga Lake

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11/06-13/06

I had a terrible time, working all days. It was getting too hard on me, I felt depressed and gloomy and tired, having not enough sleep. Work is good, but health is better. So I had to force myself to have some days off, and this magic opportunity was presented by the Club Perekhod who organized a 3-day boat trip to Ladoga. I paid the money, and was happy. I’m currently staying in St. Petersburg. It’s a very good chance to explore the vicinities. When I was younger we used to have a boat and I would row it almost every day for pleasure and for other affairs like crossing the river before the bridge was built. I’ve grown up near the river so I feel a natural link with different water bodies.

11.06

The group was to meet at the Finlandsky Railway Station at 8 o’clock. I spent almost the whole night working, and came to the station in a sleepy state. I found the organizer at once and soon people started joining the group. There were about 40-50 people in total, mostly young. Our destination was the town of Priozersk. There were huge queues in front of the ticket sale offices, and the whole station hall was full up with people. It was a day off, you know. I slept in the elektrichka during the trip, lasting for about 3 hours. On May 21, I and two girl friends of mine visited the Settlement of Komarovo near St. Petersburg, and I found that I like elektrichkas quite a lot though sophisticated people will not find them enjoyable, nor comfortable.


We were met by two instructors at the boat station who organized the preparations. We had to carry the boats to the water and then to the wharf; also oars, life jackets, tents and what not. The people were split in two groups. I joined the boat with Olga, Anna and Eduard. I was a bit puzzled because it suddenly occurred to me that everyone should bring their own food products so I rushed to the shop to buy something. Later it turned out the food was included in the price and I did not need to buy anything. Though later it all was consumed, canned sprats in oil were a pleasant surprise for my fellows.


The weather was excellent, sunny and warm. All preparations made, the boats left. It was difficult at first to row synchronously, and Eduard would speak without stop advising me on the subject of rowing. We rowed on a narrow river with small rapids, trees and bushes, stones of different sizes etc. Sometimes our boat would hit on the stones and in some places the current was rather swift. Everyone enjoyed the trip. In total, there were 7 boats in our group. I also saw many people on kayaks. I think I should try kayaking.


The boats were old and worn out. In the short dangerous section under the last bridge our boat was shaken three times and hit the stones, fortunately we did not turn over, but were very close to that. One of the boats with 4 lively guys got much water inside it.


I got blisters on my palms. They did not hurt much, only causing a slight annoyance and inconvenience. I also got my hands sun burnt to a considerable extent and later they also hurt but I did not bother too much.


In some three hours, perhaps less, we stopped to have lunch at a peaceful spot on the shore with lots of big ants which annoyed the girls and they did not like them. I mean the girls. We had snacks and made quick acquaintances. Everyone told his/her name and some basic information. It’s not actually easy to get to know a person within three days.


While approaching the Ladoga Lake, we saw a beautiful house with an Espagnola ship in front of it. Generally, there were a lot of houses on the banks of the river on the whole way. It must be so wonderful to live in a house near the river. We also bathed, not all of us; I had a short swim in the cold water. Mens sana in corpore sano, as the saying goes.


Ladoga Lake is amazing. Well, one has to see it to feel it. There were some three islands within sight. Rowing was a pleasure in spite of blisters. I rarely indulge in physical labour. I am looking forward to going there back in a month or so with a couple of my friends and perhaps we shall join the same club.


Conversations on our boat were mainly conducted by the two girls between themselves and the other man, Eduard, also talked much, always adding or telling something. I was listening, like an attentive cat or a child to an evening story. The instructors were two, one for each group.


Our boat sailed majestically on the waves of the Ladoga, and the crew laboured hard to reach the shore. Our destination was the so-called Tourist’s Bay where we intended to spend the whole night and the next day. Tents were put up quickly, a fire was arranged; all the boats were carried out of the water. There were a large number of other tourists in the area


I had a short stroll along the shore on granite rocks. The same scenery I saw in Vyborg in September 2009. On the whole, I was too tired, went to sleep and slept very well and was not bothered by the noises in the night (some persons later told me there were loud songs during the late hours).

12.06

I got up rather early next morning and my body seemed to be aching all over. I felt weary and lazy. However, I got up and went to the lake for morning procedures. We had porridge for breakfast. As I have said I was not feeling quite as fit as a fiddle and so I was resting and walking along the shore, then I took my mat and lied on the beach almost falling asleep and listening to some good music. There was some game action in a group of tourists, sort of relay race – they tied up a rope to trees on which men and women would have to walk, then run to kayaks and row a small distance on the lake.


The weather was getting bad and our instructor decided to leave the camp for the river because otherwise, if there were storm on the lake, we would not be able to leave. Having gathered everything quickly and prepared the boats, the members started to sail away. Eduard, my fellow boater, disappeared somewhere and so our boat was the last to sail. In spite of that, our boat came the first to the next camp site. We outsailed all the boars one by one.


The waves were not too high and so it was quite comfortable to row, though many drops of water would frequently fall on us. It was very exciting to row.


We chose a quiet windy spot on the river bank. It got cold and I had to put all my clothes on and everyone warmed themselves by the fire. It was raining not so hard. A fire is man’s best friend during such trips. The girls cooked cheese soup (I first tasted it during the Altai trip) and rice with stewed meat and also fish soup – some of us had fishing rods and managed to catch plenty of fish.


One of the things I like most about trips is preparing firewood. I took the axe and chopped wood. The group played some funny games in the evening and had a really good time laughing. A young man drunk lots of whiskey and attracted everyone’s attention trying to amuse the audience and I should confess the audience was pleased though the drunken man’s words seemed offensive at times. As for me, I hate drunken men. I mean, if they do harm to something or someone. I spent the whole evening maintaining the fire because I just could not sit quietly doing nothing.

13.06

The next morning I was the first to take down the tent and gather my things. I wanted to go home as soon as possible, but no one seemed in a hurry. It was a bit more difficult to row against the current, but we managed to do it – both girls also rowed. Some of the boats did not overcome the current and were taken back and they had to push the boat from behind. We had several stops during the way waiting for the rest of the group. The scenery was peaceful and likable.


It was unanimously decided to take boats to the station on a truck because it would be difficult to transport them across the rapids in cold weather – nobody had the spirits to do that. Of course, we paid a small sum for the job of trucking the boats. We loaded the boats and the whole paraphernalia into the truck. While waiting for the truck, I witnessed two boats crossing the rapids: one man pushed the back of the boat, and the other one pulled it by the rope. It did not seem quite an easy process, though the rapids were small, but, well, dangerous.


While waiting, a lively man set the bushes on fire (for the sake of warming himself) and it had to be extinguished.


At the boat station we unloaded the boats and stacked them and then I left back to St. Petersburg.


Do not be puzzled by the fact that it takes me so much time to write such a short piece. It’s almost always so with me. Some other past trips are coming up.

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Photos

Boat Trip Start
this is lake and river system called Vuoksa

Protoka Tikhaya
it's the title in Russian. here we had our lunch

A Ship with House
or House with Ship

Ladoga Lake
here and next

Rapids under the Bridge
here you can get your boat upset, broken, overflown and what not, though the area is not actually difficult