Digital Wanderer

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April 3 Snowdrop Walk - Vabole and Līksna, part 1

2011-07-11

вылазки хайкинг туризм латгале латвия природа друзья подснежник фото

This  time the hiking club "Snowdrop" with a lineup of 6 participants, all fine strapping lads, set off bright and early straight to Vabole on the train, to continue through Līksna and finish via Randene in Grīva. Since there are a ton of impressions, and absolutely endless photos, I'll break the story down by settlements.

The photos that are more artistic 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 riding in a train car; one of them in a black beanie and light jacket is looking out the window, and the second one is peeking out from behind the passenger seat, looking at the camera.

Right from the morning, the main characters in the form of Visla and Edvins aren't feeling the enthusiasm yet

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

But I am already feeling it

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

But as soon as Edvins mixes up a little amphetamine*, the situation changes dramatically

(* a joke)

IMG_3732

Poor Edgars doesn't yet know what he signed up for, that's 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. 

Sensing the fresh Vabole fog, the foot soldiers liven 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 dressed in 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 full of food and drink supplies

A concrete staircase with metal railings leads to a one-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 isn't on our way - we are taking a different path

A yellow, red, and blue DR1A-2906R diesel train with red lights 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

This time the hiking club "Snowdrop" with a lineup of 6 participants, all fine strapping lads, set off bright and early straight to Vabole on the train, to continue through Līksna and finish via Randene in Grīva. Since there are a ton of impressions, and absolutely endless photos, I'll break the story down by settlements.

The photos that are more artistic 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 riding in a train car; one of them in a black beanie and light jacket is looking out the window, and the second one is peeking out from behind the passenger seat, looking at the camera.

Right from the morning, the main characters in the form of Visla and Edvins aren't feeling the enthusiasm yet

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

But I am already feeling it

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

But as soon as Edvins mixes up a little amphetamine*, the situation changes dramatically

(* a joke)

IMG_3732

Poor Edgars doesn't yet know what he signed up for, that's 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. 

Sensing the fresh Vabole fog, the foot soldiers liven 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 dressed in 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 full of food and drink supplies

A concrete staircase with metal railings leads to a one-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 isn't on our way - we are taking a different path

A yellow, red, and blue DR1A-2906R diesel train with red lights 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 him stretches a foggy gray sky that blends into the horizon.

We had barely crossed the tracks when a massive snowy desert opened up before us

If you think that the fog, snow, and overall gloominess of this picture dampened my enthusiasm - I'll tell you without hiding - it was strictly the opposite.

 A spring landscape with a vast puddle where dry grass and mounds of earth 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 thick haze.

But overall there were a lot of them

A gloomy foggy landscape with melting snow and dry grass, where a row of concrete cone-shaped pillars and the vague outlines of a large building with a latticed roof can be seen in the background. 

Mysterious pyramids for summoning aliens

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

Informed sources, however, believe that this is the locals 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, and around him are fog and bare trees.

Excellent Latgalian mud won't let you get bored

IMG_3780 

It smells simply magical there, and looks colorful, even if it is chaos

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

It's a pity, but we didn't turn there

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

Three men in hiking gear with backpacks walk one after another along a muddy dirt road in a foggy forest. Melting snow lies around, and the silhouettes of trees emerge through the haze in the background.

I'm stepping briskly too, although I keep glancing at my feet, afraid to break my leg a second time

 

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

The happiness of oneness with nature overwhelms me

A man in a black beanie, light jacket, and green pants stands with a trekking pole on 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

Just a smoke break for now, after this I somehow didn't see Edgars smoking anymore, hehe

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

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, sticky mud. Around 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 footwear, for which I can thank the LOT company, 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 that walking on this is very hard, I'm glad to confirm you are right

A foot in dark pants and a hiking boot, covered with a layer of liquid mud, steps onto the wet clay soil.

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

At this stage Edgars begins to realize what he got himself into, but is still happy about it for now

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

Who goes marching in a row?

 

IMG_3818 

Our squad of ballet dancers, bro

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

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

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

Actually, Edvins was mixing up Vitamin C on the train, which is what we observe in the photo 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 on me like on a scarecrow, but such is the fate of weight-losers

Two hikers with backpacks traverse a snow-covered patch of coniferous forest strewn with fallen trees, branches, and stumps. The ground is wet and muddy, possibly a logging site or one affected by the elements. 

They chop the forest — logs will fly

A man in a dark jacket, camouflage pants, and a beanie, with a backpack, stands on makeshift steps of branches on a tree trunk and works with a large piece of split wood with his hands against a backdrop of a winter forest.

Darwin's theory is omnipotent because it is true

A man with a backpack and trekking poles walks through a cleared forest among fallen trees, branches, and stumps. In the background, the outlines of surviving trees can be seen in thick fog. 

Apparently, industrialization has reached Latvian lumberjacks too

Two men in hiking gear cross a forest stream over a fallen tree in a snow-covered forest. One of them balances on the tree trunk with a trekking pole in his hand, while the second 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 young undergrowth. 

Snow up to our knees, and under the snow there's often nice cool water up to our ankles

A forest scene where one person stands with a camera on snow-covered ground, and another, blurred in motion, jumps over a narrow reddish stream.

We jump 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 snow-covered winter forest. 

It's fun and easy!

Two hikers cross a stream over 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.

The more serious streams we have to ford using natural crossings

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

Oleg perfectly kissed Mother Earth and Father Water

Namely: he fell knee-deep into the snow, and down there was another knee's worth of fresh water.

A man in a bright orange vest and with a red backpack stands in the middle of a winter forest covered with melting snow and puddles. Tall pines and birches recede into the distance in a light foggy haze.

But ain't it beautiful!

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. There is melting snow all around, and trees in a foggy spring forest are visible in the background. 

Crazy Sanya is always happy to walk along the poles. The water underneath is thigh-deep, by the way.

IMG_3881

Beautiful again

 Four men resting in a snow-covered 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.

First snack break. While I eat bananas and apples, the folks are going to town on the 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. 

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

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

Jumping across 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 jumps over a narrow water obstacle in a snow-covered forest where birches and firs grow. 

I'm boring for now, jumping safely

Two hikers with backpacks and trekking poles stand on the snow-covered bank of a forest stream surrounded by birches and firs.

Building a bridge is no big deal for us!

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

Although some are ready to cross even without it

The water below, by the way, is practically up to the neck.

 A man in an orange vest and yellow sweater cuts bark off a thin birch with a knife in a snow-covered forest.

Not exactly the right tool for chopping

A man in hiking clothes and with a backpack crosses a stream over a makeshift bridge made of birch logs. Around is a snow-covered forest with birches and coniferous trees, and the melted stream is partially covered with ice. 

Only the birch standing out in color inspires any trust

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 a thick haze.

Under the ice - water up to the neck, 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 clothes looks down, while two of his companions are visible behind him among the trees.

But we still gotta march!

 A foggy winter landscape with a frozen body of water covered with 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.

The 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 an ice rink

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

And you don't even need ice skates

Four men in winter hiking gear stand on an area covered with snow or ice against the backdrop of a foggy forest. The man in the foreground on the right looks at the camera; three in the back smile, one of them waving his hand. 

 

Except for the ice holes

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

Of which there's a decent amount, especially near the shores

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

Dry your Visla oars  socks

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

Siberia

 A snow-covered field with thawed patches and strips of bare earth in dense fog, through which the silhouettes of trees and village houses can be seen in the distance.

Fields

A gloomy spring landscape in the fog: in the foreground - the spill of meltwater, in the middle - brown fields with remnants of snow and power line supports, and on the right - bare trees fading into the haze.

Ice

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

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

A close-up of a smiling young man in a black beanie against 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 inscriptions are visible on the walls.

Tunnels

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

What's it 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-out clothes lies on his side among the dry grass, leaning against a small prickly bush. In the background, a blurred line of leafless trees under a gray sky can be seen.

Cultured relaxation

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

 

IMG_4010 

Footprint

A group of hikers with backpacks crosses a stream along a concrete slab amidst 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 and with a red backpack walks ahead of him.

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

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

Having lunch

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

Unshaven and stern

A picnic on dry grass with food laid out in plastic containers and glass jars, among which are slices of black bread, cheese, sausage, fresh herbs, lettuce leaves, pickles, and pesto sauce.

We even brought pickles along

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 who want - booze to suit every taste

Hop-skip again

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

 

IMG_4028

Practically flying

Two hikers with backpacks explore the snow-covered bank of a stream surrounded by bare branches. One person in a red backpack crosses the stream, the other watches him from the bank.

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

Three people in winter clothes move along a snow-covered slope, partially hidden by bare tree branches. One of them leans on trekking poles, the second carries a red backpack, and the third stands on a rise in the background.

A little rock climbing

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

Pants found in the expanses of Latgale acted as a banner

A young man in a black jacket, beanie, and camouflage pants walks on 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 an absolute ton of bottles in general

A man with a red backpack and cap wades through thickets of bare branches over the water. A snow-covered bank is visible in the background.

Although the river can be crossed on dry land 200 meters away, we aren't looking for easy paths

A person in a brown hooded jacket, standing with his back to the camera, swings a machete to chop 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 thickets of dry branches against a snow-covered landscape, extending his left hand towards the lens.

Building a bridge using a machete

A man in a dark winter jacket and beanie stands in the middle of thick interwoven branches by the water against a background of a snow-covered bank.

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

 A young man in a black cap, an orange vest, and with a red backpack smiles, wading through thick thickets of dry branches. A snow-covered area is visible in the background.

But with enough desire 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 branches of bushes with red gloves, under which dark water is visible.

Although the heavier ones ended up ankle-deep in the water

A smiling man in a black beanie and light jacket climbs a snow-covered slope, holding onto bare branches. Around him and in the foreground, thick thickets of leafless trees and bushes are visible under an overcast sky.

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

I took a dip too

A man in glasses, a black beanie, a gray sports jacket, and with a backpack wades through dense thickets of bare branches on a snow-covered slope. He is smiling and holding onto 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 crushed ice are visible under an overcast gray sky.

Daugava in ice hummocks

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

 

Got 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 nice and warm

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

This is doping for a certain subgroup

Six hikers in warm clothes 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 in an orange vest sits on a rock on a hillside with dry grass, leaning on a trekking pole with his hands.

Malvina  Edvins posing with a pole

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

Malvina Edvins posing with some rusty crap

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

Malvina Edvins posing mid-jump

Old faded wooden boards 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 at the camera. Behind him, a dark horse is running on a spring field with thawed patches, and further away trees and a body of water are visible under a blue sky.

Malvina Edvins posing with a horse

Well, you get the idea.

A black and white dog lies on top of a haystack secured on wooden supports. A dilapidated wooden shed is visible in the background, and unmelted snow lies 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, greeting with his hand. Melting snow lies on the sides, and bare trees and an old wooden house are visible in the background.

But Edvins still poses better

A dirt road goes off into the distance through a rural landscape of early spring 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 chopped tree trunks line up.

 Wooden power line supports and a transformer on a pole stand on a field with remnants of snow and puddles in early spring. In the background, trees without leaves, sparse buildings, and a blue sky with light clouds are visible.

An installation for communicating with other worlds

 

Cool dudes only drink unfiltered. But even that gets criticized.

 

What do we have here?

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

In Līksna there is civilization, 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, there are wooden swings, stumps, and old barrels, and village houses are visible in the background.

And also the famous park for the newlyweds

 Three men walk along a path in a park in early spring against a backdrop of melting snow and trees without leaves. One of them carries a bright orange backpack and holds a trekking pole in his hand.

Edgars posing with a scarf, and Edvins - with sunglasses

To conclude this part, I want to report that the weather cleared up towards Līksna. The sun was shining in full swing, the birds were singing, and the mood reached unprecedented heights.

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