Digital Wanderer

We live as long as we fly

☰

The Grand Hike of Snowdrop - Part 1

2011-07-11

вылазки хайкинг туризм латгале латвия природа друзья подснежник фото

This time the hiking club "Snowdrop" with 6 members, all fine strapping lads, set off bright and early straight to Vabole by train, to continue through Līksna and finish via Randene in Grīva. Since there are so many impressions and practically an absolute infinity of photos, I will break down the story by settlements.

The more artistic photos were taken by Oleg, and he let me use them, for which many thanks to him.

Snowdrop Vabole Liksna Randene

 


EveryTrail - Find trail maps for California and beyond

Two young men ride in a train car; one in a black hat and light jacket looks out the window, while the other peeks out from behind the passenger seat, looking into the camera.

Right from the morning, our protagonists Visla and Edwin are not exactly radiating enthusiasm yet

A man in a black beanie and glasses smiles at the camera while sitting in a bus with brightly colored seats. Behind him sit two other men: one looks away, the other peeks out from behind the seat.

But I already am

A young man in an orange vest sits in a passenger vehicle, smiling and holding a white and clear bottle. The blue seats have a bright abstract pattern, and the «Pasažieru vilciens» logo is visible on the seatback. 

But once Edwin whips up a little amphetamine*, the situation drastically changes

(* just kidding)

IMG_3732

Poor Edgar doesn't yet know what he signed up for, which is why he's so happy

Two young men in hiking clothes stand against a foggy landscape with bare trees and dry grass. One, in an orange vest, looks to the right, the other, in a beige jacket and black beanie, holds trekking poles. 

Feeling the fresh Vabole fog, the infantrymen perk up

A group of people with hiking backpacks stands on a train station platform in thick fog next to a commuter train. One of the men is wearing a bright orange vest, and a large red-and-black backpack lies on the ground in front of him.

Everyone is ready, armed with huge backpacks packed with food and drink supplies

Concrete stairs with metal railings lead to a single-story brick building with a «VABOLE» sign and a green roof. Bare trees and bushes grow around the building in overcast weather.

The hospitable Vabole railway station is not on our way - we are taking a different route

A yellow-red-and-blue DR1A-2906R diesel train with its red taillights on stands on the railway tracks in thick fog. A «LOKOMOTIVES PIETURA» sign is visible on the right.

The Daugavpils-Riga train leaves us behind

A smiling person in dark hiking clothes and a beanie stands on a snow-covered plain. Behind them stretches a foggy gray sky that merges with the horizon.

No sooner did we cross the tracks than a huge snowy desert opened up before us

If you think the fog, the snow, and the overall gloominess of this scene dampened my enthusiasm — I'll tell you honestly — it was quite the opposite.

 A spring landscape with an expansive puddle where dry grass and earth mounds stick out of the muddy water. In the background, a strip of melting snow, a road, and the reflection of a walking person are visible.

A magnificent specimen of a puddle, one of the first we encountered

A foggy, dreary landscape with a muddy field covered in melting snow and puddles; on the horizon, the outlines of trees and a vague structure are visible through the dense haze.

But overall there were plenty of them

A gloomy, foggy landscape with melting snow and dry grass, with a row of concrete cone-shaped pillars and the faint outline of a large building with a latticed roof visible in the background. 

Mysterious pyramids for summoning aliens

A foggy landscape with the unfinished framework of a large building in the background. Bare bushes, brown mounds of earth with a concrete pillar, and patches of melting snow are visible in the foreground.

Informed sources, however, believe that this is local residents dismantling the remnants of Soviet power for building materials

 A man in a light jacket and black beanie walks along a very muddy trail, leaning on a trekking pole. He is smiling, surrounded by fog and bare trees.

Excellent Latgalian mud won't let you get bored

IMG_3780 

It smells absolutely magical in there, and looks colorful, too, even if it is chaos

A winding forest trail covered in melting snow and mud leads deep into a foggy spring forest with bare trees and birches.

A pity, but we didn't turn that way

Three men in hiking clothes stand on a very muddy, washed-out road. Around them is a foggy forest with bare trees and traces of snow. 

Polar hero-explorer Visla and his comrades-in-arms

Three men in hiking gear with backpacks walk one after another along a muddy dirt road in a foggy forest. There is melting snow around, and the silhouettes of trees are visible through the haze in the background.

I am also marching briskly, though I keep looking under my feet, afraid of breaking my leg a second time

 

A group of people walks along a muddy, partially snow-covered forest road in foggy weather. In the foreground, a smiling man in a dark jacket and beanie waves at the camera, while the rest of the hikers follow him.

The joy of communing with nature overwhelms me

A man in a black beanie, light jacket, and green pants stands with a trekking pole in a forest clearing covered with sawdust. A foggy forest and remnants of melting snow on the roadside are visible in the background.

Stern, but fair

IMG_3796

Still taking a smoke break for now; later on, I somehow never saw Edgar smoking anymore, hehe

A ruined dirt road in a dense forest, covered in deep mud, puddles, and dry branches. In the background among the trees, a haze of fog is visible, and on the shoulders lie remnants of melting snow.

An incredibly beautiful mud road, but we couldn't take it — it was the wrong way

A right foot in dark pants and a boot is bogged down in deep, viscous mud. Around it on the muddy ground, dry branches, grass, a silver hiking staff, and a freshly cut tree trunk are visible. 

I don't have special trekking shoes, for which I can thank LOT airlines, who lost my suitcase

 

A group of hikers walks along a heavily washed-out, muddy forest road with puddles against a backdrop of trees and remnants of melting snow.

If you think it's very difficult to walk on this, I am happy to confirm you are right

A foot in dark pants and a hiking boot covered in a layer of liquid mud steps on wet clayey ground.

A smiling bearded man in a black jacket, beanie, and striped scarf strides along a very muddy forest road, one foot plunged into deep muck. In the background, a foggy forest with bare trees and patches of melting snow is visible.

At this stage Edgar is beginning to understand what he got himself into, but for now he's still glad about it

Vertical streaks of light transitioning from green to yellow to red are projected onto a dark wall and reflected on the horizontal floor surface.

Who goes marching in a row?

 

IMG_3818 

Our ballet dancer squad

A group of hikers with backpacks walks along a muddy forest trail strewn with branches in foggy weather. One of the men turns back toward the camera, holding a compact camera in his hand.

Seriously, hiking in spring requires not only strength and stamina, but also a fair deal of agility

A clear plastic bottle with yellow-green liquid (possibly tree sap) stands next to the foot of a person in muddy olive pants and a trekking pole against the backdrop of the forest floor with fallen logs. 

Actually, on the train Edwin was whipping up vitamin C, which we can observe in the photo right next to Visla's pant leg

Three men in hiking clothes and beanies with backpacks walk along an extremely muddy, broken forest trail with puddles and fallen branches. Despite the difficulties of the path in the sparse forest, the men are smiling.

My membrane pants are already hanging off me like on a scarecrow, but such is the fate of those losing weight

Two hikers with backpacks walk through a snowy stretch of coniferous forest dotted with fallen trees, branches, and stumps. The ground is wet and muddy; it may be a clear-cut area or one damaged by a storm. 

They chop the forest — logs fly

A man in a dark jacket, camo pants, and a beanie, wearing a backpack, stands on makeshift branch steps on a tree trunk and manually works with a large piece of split wood against a winter forest backdrop.

Darwin's theory is omnipotent because it is true

A man with a backpack and trekking poles walks through a logged forest among fallen trees, branches, and stumps. In the background, the outlines of surviving trees are visible in the thick fog. 

Apparently, industrialization has finally reached Latvian lumberjacks too

Two men in hiking gear cross a forest stream on a fallen tree in a snow-covered forest. One balances on the tree trunk with a trekking pole in hand, while the other watches him from the bank.

The first stream!

Two hikers with backpacks walk through a snow-covered forest on a foggy day. The man in the foreground in a bright orange vest and black pants walks with trekking poles through the young undergrowth. 

Knee-deep snow, and under the snow there's quite often some pleasant cool ankle-deep water

A forest scene where one person stands with a camera on the snowy ground, while another, blurred in motion, leaps over a narrow reddish stream.

We leap over the streams without stopping

A man in glasses, a green jacket, a black beanie, and with a backpack jumps over a small forest stream in a snowy winter forest. 

It's fun and easy!

Two hikers cross a stream on a fallen tree in a snow-covered forest. The man on the left holds onto branches, while the man on the right with a backpack leans on a trekking pole.

More serious streams have to be forded using natural crossings

A smiling man in hiking clothes and with a backpack kneels on one knee in a snow-covered pine forest.

Oleg took a fine plunge into Mother Earth and Father Water

Namely: he fell through the snow up to his knees, and down there was another knee's worth of fresh water.

A man in a bright orange jacket and with a red backpack stands in the middle of a winter forest covered in melting snow and puddles. Tall pines and birches fade into the distance in a light fog.

But how beautiful it is!

A man in hiking clothes and with a backpack crosses a forest stream, stepping on a fallen tree trunk and leaning on a long wooden branch. Around him lies melting snow, and trees in a foggy spring forest are visible in the background. 

Crazy Sanya is always happy to walk on thin poles. The water down below is thigh-deep, by the way.

IMG_3881

Beauty again

 Four men rest in a snowy forest, having a snack. One stands by a tree, three sit on the snow or a fallen log, eating fruit and sandwiches, and drinking from mugs.

The first snack break. I'm eating bananas and apples for now, while the folks are digging into sandwiches

A foggy winter forest with tall pines and birches, where the ground is covered with a thin layer of snow, and dark puddles of water are visible among the trees. 

Beauty again (largely thanks to Oleg's retouching, of course)

In a snow-covered forest, a person in dark clothing lies on the snow, leaning toward a dark puddle or stream, while other hikers stand around with poles.

Jumping over streams is actually easy, but Oleg always wants to entertain us and doesn't take a running start

A man in glasses, a green jacket, black pants, a beanie, and with a backpack leaps across a narrow water obstacle in a snowy forest where birches and spruces grow. 

I'm still boring, I jump safely

Two hikers with backpacks and trekking poles stand on the snowy bank of a forest stream surrounded by birches and spruces.

Building a bridge is a piece of cake for us!

A person in camo pants and a jacket with a backpack crosses a forest stream on fallen birch trunks. Melting snow lies on the banks of the stream, and birches and conifers grow around.

Although some are ready to cross even without it

The water down below, by the way, is pretty much neck-deep.

 A man in an orange vest and yellow sweater cuts the bark off a thin birch with a knife in a snowy forest.

The chopping tool isn't exactly suitable

A man in hiking clothes and with a backpack crosses a stream on a makeshift bridge of birch logs. Around is a snowy forest with birches and conifers, and the thawed stream is partially covered with ice. 

The only thing inspiring trust is the birch that stands out in color

A snow-covered swamp or forest clearing on a foggy winter day, shot through the branches of pines in the foreground. In the background, sparse young trees are visible, partially hidden by thick haze.

Under the ice - it's neck-deep water, and the ice is already flimsy

 Three hikers with trekking poles and backpacks walk through a snow-covered pine forest. The man in the foreground in dark clothing looks down, while his two companions are visible behind him among the trees.

But we gotta keep marching anyway!

 A foggy winter landscape with a frozen body of water covered in snow and ice. The banks are strewn with bare bushes and young trees, and the blurred silhouette of a forest is visible in the background.

Beauties of the northern seas

Two hikers with backpacks and trekking poles walk across the frozen surface of a body of water or swamp. All around is a sparse coniferous forest in foggy weather.

Plus you don't even need a skating rink

  A smiling man in winter clothes and a beanie, leaning on two trekking poles, cheerfully balances on an icy surface. Other people and a snowy forest in foggy weather are visible in the background.

And you don't even need skates

Four men in winter hiking gear stand on snow- or ice-covered terrain against the backdrop of a foggy forest. The man in the foreground on the right looks at the camera; the three in the back are smiling, and one of them is waving. 

 

Except for the ice hole

 A man in a black beanie, light jacket, and a backpack stands with a trekking pole among sparse pines. Melting snow and a half-frozen body of water in an early spring forest are visible in the background.

Of which there are a decent amount, especially near the shores

Three young men in hiking clothes and knitted hats rest on fallen branches in a birch forest. Two of them are sitting barefoot, tending to their footwear.

Dry your Vislas oars  socks

Three hikers in warm winter clothes walk across a snow-covered field in dense fog. Two of them use trekking poles for walking.

Siberia

 A snow-covered field with thawed patches and strips of bare earth in thick fog, through which the silhouettes of trees and village houses are visible in the distance.

Fields

A gloomy spring landscape in the fog: in the foreground — floodwaters of melted snow, in the middle — brown fields with remnants of snow and power line towers, and on the right — bare trees getting lost in the haze.

Ice

 A foggy rural landscape of early spring, where plowed fields alternate with melting snow and large puddles. Power lines cross the space, and bare trees and distant buildings are visible through the dense haze on the horizon.

A field of brown grass with puddles and melting snow in thick fog. Power lines, a pile of organic material, and the blurred silhouettes of trees and buildings are visible on the horizon.

A close-up of a smiling young man in a black beanie against the background of a field with remnants of snow under an overcast sky. 

Oleg

Three people stand in a long concrete tunnel, their silhouettes visible against the bright light coming from the end. The tunnel floor is wet and reflects the light, and graffiti tags are visible on the walls.

Tunnels

The word «WELKOM» is written in brown mud on a gray concrete wall with visible seams.

What's that written with?

 IMG_3979

Irrigation ditches

A hiker in hiking clothes with a backpack and a trekking pole wades across a shallow stream with a rocky bottom among dry grass and bare trees. 

Hop

A man in worn clothes lies on his side among dry grass, leaning against a small thorny bush. A blurred line of leafless trees under a gray sky can be seen in the background.

Cultured relaxation

Two hikers in warm clothing, with backpacks and trekking poles, stand in a field of dry grass and melting snow. The man in the beige jacket points into the distance with his right hand, while his companion in the orange vest looks in the same direction with a slightly open mouth.

 

IMG_4010 

A footprint

A group of hikers with backpacks crosses a stream over a concrete slab in a field with dry grass and remnants of melting snow. One of the walkers in an orange vest smiles and leans on a trekking pole, while a person in a black jacket with a red backpack walks ahead of him.

Here Oleg gave up on his principles, we crossed via the bridge instead of the stream

A group of people in warm clothing sits on the ground, having a picnic outdoors among dry bushes and remnants of snow. Food is spread out in the foreground: sandwiches, vegetables, pickles, and drinks.

Having lunch

A close-up of a man in glasses, a black Adidas beanie, and a dark jacket against a dry grassy field under an overcast sky.

Unshaven and stern

A picnic on dry grass with food spread out in plastic containers and glass jars, including slices of dark bread, cheese, sausage, fresh herbs, lettuce leaves, pickles, and pesto sauce.

Even got cucumbers with us

A young man in an orange vest and beige sweater holds a black bottle with a «Riga Black Balsam» label against a winter landscape with bare trees and snow.

For those willing, there's booze for every taste

Hop-hop again

 A landscape of early spring with a stream or ditch, faded grass, and melting snow. Bare trees are visible on the horizon under a gray sky.

 

IMG_4028

Practically taking flight

Two hikers with backpacks explore the snowy bank of a stream surrounded by bare branches. One person in a red backpack is crossing the stream, while the other watches him from the bank.

There was no need to cross to the other side here, but my buddies really wanted to

Three people in winter clothing move across a snowy slope, partially hidden by the bare branches of trees. One of them leans on trekking poles, the second carries a red backpack, and the third stands on a rise in the background.

To climb around

A smiling young man in an orange vest holds a hiking pole with a dark cloth hanging from it. He stands in a field of dry grass and snow patches against a background of leafless trees and a body of water under a gray overcast sky.

A pair of pants found in the expanses of Latgale served as a banner

A young man in a black jacket, beanie, and camo pants walks through dry grass, holding a bottle with a yellowish liquid in his hand. Leafless trees and a partially frozen body of water are visible in the background.

And you can find literally an endless sea of bottles

A man in a red backpack and a cap wades through a dense thicket of bare branches above the water. A snow-covered bank is visible in the background.

Even though you could cross the river on dry land 200 meters away, we aren't looking for easy ways

A person in a brown hooded jacket, standing with their back to the camera, swings a machete to chop the thin branches of a bush against a background of melting snow. A man in a black beanie and brown jacket with a machete in his hand clears a thicket of dry branches against a snowy landscape, reaching his left hand out toward the lens.

Building a bridge with a machete

A man in a dark winter jacket and beanie stands amid dense tangled branches by the water, against a snow-covered bank.

It took a whole hour, and the bridge turned out a wee bit unreliable

 A young man in a black cap, orange vest, and with a red backpack smiles as he wades through a dense thicket of dry branches. A snow-covered area is visible in the background.

But if you really wanted to, you could cross it, even though the river is neck-deep

A person in a light jacket and dark beanie smiles, holding onto thick bare bush branches with red gloves, beneath which dark water is visible.

True, those on the heavier side ended up walking ankle-deep in water

A smiling man in a black beanie and a light jacket scrambles up a snowy slope, holding onto bare branches. Around him and in the foreground, dense thickets of leafless trees and bushes are visible under an overcast sky.

A person in black clothing with a backpack wades through dense thickets of dry branches above the water.

I also took a dip

A man in glasses, a black beanie, a gray sports jacket, and with a backpack wades through dense thickets of bare branches on a snowy slope. He is smiling and holding onto the tree branches with his hands.

But it doesn't get in the way of a good mood

 A spring landscape with melting snow and dry grass in the foreground, beyond which bare bushes and a river covered with broken ice are visible under an overcast gray sky.

The Daugava in ice hummocks

 A deep footprint or small hole in damp, cracked earth among melting snow, next to which the toe of an old muddy boot is visible.

 

Got a bit tired

A smiling man in a dark beanie and jacket sits barefoot on dry grass against a background of birches.

You can dry your feet, it's so warm out

A man with a beard and glasses, wearing a black knitted beanie and a striped scarf, smiles slightly against a background of blurred bare trees.

 

 A man with a mustache and a goatee, wearing a black beanie and a light jacket, fastens fingerless red-and-black sports gloves against a background of blurred trees.

A close-up portrait in profile of a smiling young man looking up. He is wearing a gray-and-black bandana with a bright multi-colored geometric pattern and a jacket with a fleece collar.

 

A close-up profile of a man with light stubble biting his thumb, looking up thoughtfully. 

A close-up of a young man with messy blonde hair and blue eyes resting his chin on a hand wearing a black glove and a watch. He is in an orange vest over a beige sweater, and trees and a red backpack are visible in the blurred background.

 

This is dope for a certain subgroup

Six hikers in warm clothing rest on a dry grassy hillside, surrounded by backpacks and trekking poles. Bare birches and several utility boxes are visible in the background. 

A hiker with a large red backpack and an orange vest sits on a rock on a hillside with dry grass, resting his hands on a trekking pole.

Malvin  Edwin poses with a stick

A young man with a red backpack and an orange vest stands on a hill with dry grass and melting snow, lifting his face to the sky with his eyes closed. In his hand, he holds a rusty metal wheel, and behind him stretches a partially frozen river with bare trees.

Malvin Edwin poses with a rusty piece of crap

A young hiker in an orange vest and backpack loses his balance, stumbling on a dry grassy slope with patches of snow.

Malvin Edwin poses mid-jump

Old faded wooden planks lying on the ground next to dry grass and a rusty metal pipe. In the lower-left corner, the toe of a shoe is visible.

A mouse lives here, I saw it

 A young hiker in an orange vest with a red backpack stands on a patch of melting snow, leaning on a trekking pole and looking into the camera. Behind him, a dark horse is running on a spring field with thawed patches, and further back, trees and a body of water under a blue sky are visible.

Malvin Edwin poses with a steed

Well, you get the point.

A black-and-white dog lies on top of a haystack secured on wooden supports. In the background, a dilapidated wooden shed is visible, and unmelted snow lies on the ground below.

The dog is acting out the proverb about the haystack

And the other one is posing

A young man in an orange vest, with a backpack and a trekking pole, walks along a dirt road, waving his hand in greeting. Melting snow lies on the shoulders, and bare trees and an old wooden house are visible in the background.

But Edwin  still poses better

A dirt road stretches into the distance through a rural early spring landscape under a blue sky with light clouds. On both sides, bare trees, patches of melting snow, and houses are visible, and on the right along the road, tall cut tree trunks line up.

 Wooden power line poles and a pole-mounted transformer stand in a field with remnants of snow and puddles in early spring. In the background, leafless trees, sparse buildings, and a blue sky with light clouds are visible.

An installation for communicating with other worlds

 

Fancy dudes drink only unfiltered. But even that they complain about.

 

What do we have here?

Entrance to a brick building with an open door and large grated windows; a sign with the working hours "9-18" is visible on the door. In front of the building are wooden benches, a street ashtray, and a wet, muddy area with melting snow.

Civilization in Līksna, a trash can with a section for cigarette butts, and a shop

 A spring clearing with melting snow and puddles, surrounded by tall bare trees under a blue sky. On the clearing are wooden swings, stumps, and old barrels, and village houses are visible in the background.

As well as the famous park for newlyweds

 Three men walk along a path in a park in early spring against a backdrop of melting snow and leafless trees. One of them carries a bright orange backpack and holds a trekking pole in his hand.

Edgar poses  with a scarf, and Edwin - with sunglasses

To conclude this part, I'd like to report that the weather cleared up towards Līksna. The sun started shining brightly, the birds started singing, and our mood reached unprecedented heights.

Ctrl + ←
Ctrl + →