Digital Wanderer

We live as long as we fly

The Grand Snowdrop Hike - part 1

2011-07-11

вылазки хайкинг туризм латгале латвия природа друзья подснежник фото

This time the "Snowdrop" tourist club, consisting of 6 participants, all 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 infinite number of photos, I'll split the story by settlements.

The photos that are more artistic were taken by Olegs, and he let me use them, for which I say a big thank you 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 a light jacket is looking toward the window, while the second is peeking out from behind a 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 in a bus with bright seats. Behind him sit two more men: one looking away, the other peeking out from behind the seat.

But I already am

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

But as soon as Edvins whips up some amphetamine*, the situation changes drastically

(* joke)

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Poor Edgars doesn't know what he signed up for yet, hence 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 infantrymen perk up

A group of people with hiking backpacks stands on a railway 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 full of 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 gloomy weather.

The hospitable Vabole railway station isn't on our route - we're going a different way

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

The Daugavpils-Riga train is leaving us

A smiling person in dark hiking clothes and a beanie stands on a snowy plain. Behind him stretches a foggy gray sky merging with the horizon.

We barely crossed the tracks, and a huge snowy desert opened up before us

If you think the fog, snow, and general gloom of this picture dampened my enthusiasm - I'll tell you honestly - it was strictly the opposite.

 A spring landscape with a vast puddle, where dry grass and dirt mounds stick out of 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, bleak landscape with a muddy field covered in melting snow and puddles; on the horizon through thick haze, the outlines of trees and a vague structure are visible.

But generally, 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 dirt with a concrete pillar, and patches of melting snow are visible.

Knowledgeable sources, however, believe that locals dismantled 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

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

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

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 in single file along a soggy dirt road in a foggy forest. Melting snow lies around, and the silhouettes of trees loom through the haze in the background.

I'm also marching briskly, though I'm watching my step, afraid of breaking my leg a second time

 

A group of people walks along a muddy forest road partially covered in melting snow 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 behind him.

The happiness of becoming one 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 in sawdust. A foggy forest and remnants of melting snow on the shoulder are visible in the background.

Stern, but fair

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Still a smoke break for now, later on I didn't really see Edgars smoking anymore, hehe

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

An incredibly beautiful mud road, but we couldn't go down it - we had to go a different way

A right leg in dark pants and a boot is stuck in deep, sticky mud. Dry branches, grass, a silver hiking staff, and a freshly cut tree trunk are visible on the muddy ground around. 

I don't have special trekking shoes, for which I can thank LOT airlines for losing 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 hard to walk on this, I'm glad to confirm you're right

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

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

At this stage, Edgars starts to realize what he got himself into, but for now he's still happy about it

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

Who goes marching in a row?

 

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Our squad of male ballerinas

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, spring hiking requires not just strength and endurance, but also a fair bit of agility

A transparent plastic bottle with yellow-green liquid (possibly tree sap) stands next to a person's leg in dirty olive pants and a trekking pole against the background of the forest floor with fallen logs. 

Actually, Edvins was whipping up vitamin C in the train, which we can 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 walk through a snowy section of a coniferous forest, littered with fallen trees, branches, and stumps. The ground is wet and muddy; perhaps this is a logging site or affected by the elements. 

They chop the forest - the logs fly

A man in a dark jacket, camouflage pants, and a beanie, with a backpack, stands on makeshift steps made of branches on a tree trunk and works with his hands on 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 can be seen in thick fog. 

Judging by everything, industrialization has reached the Latvian lumberjacks too

Two men in hiking gear cross a forest stream over a fallen tree in a snowy forest. One of them balances on the tree trunk with a trekking pole in hand, while the second watches him from the bank.

First stream!

Two hikers with backpacks walk through a snowy 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. 

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

A forest scene where one person stands with a camera on the snowy 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 snowy winter forest. 

It's fun and easy!

Two hikers cross a stream over a fallen tree in a snowy 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 snowy pine forest.

Olegs takes a great tumble into mother earth, and father water

Namely: he fell through the snow up to his knee, and down there was another knee-deep layer 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 stretch into the distance in a light foggy haze.

But it's so 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. Melting snow lies around, and trees in a foggy spring forest are visible in the background. 

Crazy Sanya is always happy to walk the narrow poles. There's thigh-deep water below, by the way.

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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, drinking from mugs.

First snack break. While I'm eating bananas and apples, the folks are chowing down on sammies

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 Olegs's retouching, of course)

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

Jumping over streams is actually easy, but Olegs 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 snowy forest where birches and firs grow. 

I'm boring for now, I jump reliably

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

Building a bridge is a piece of cake for us!

A person in camouflage pants and jacket with a backpack crosses a forest stream over 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 down below, by the way, is practically neck-deep.

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

The chopping tool isn't entirely suitable

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

Only the birch that stands out in color inspires any confidence

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

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

 Three hikers with trekking poles and backpacks walk through a snowy pine forest. The man in the foreground in dark clothes looks down, while his two companions are visible behind 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 dotted 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 along the frozen surface of a body of water or swamp. Around is a sparse coniferous forest in foggy weather.

No need for an ice rink either

  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 we don't even need ice skates

Four men in winter hiking gear stand on a 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 behind him smile, one of them waves. 

 

Except for the ice holes

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

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

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

Dry your Visla oars  socks

Three hikers in warm winter clothes walk across a snowy field in thick fog conditions. Two of them use trekking poles for walking.

Siberia

 A snowy field with thawed patches and strips of bare earth in thick 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 — spilled meltwater, in the middle ground — brown fields with remnants of snow and power line towers, and on the right — bare trees getting lost in the haze.

Ices

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

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. 

Olegs

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 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 it written with?

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

 

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Track

A group of hikers with backpacks crosses a stream over 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 a red backpack walks ahead of him.

Here Olegs gave up his principles, we took 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 an 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, including slices of black bread, cheese, sausage, fresh herbs, lettuce leaves, pickles, and pesto sauce.

Even brought cucumbers 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 it - booze for any taste

Hop-skip again

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

 

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Practically flying

Two hikers with backpacks explore the snowy bank of a stream surrounded by bare branches. One person with 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 snowy 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 an elevation 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 with dry grass and patches of snow against a background of leafless trees and a body of water under a gray overcast sky.

Pants found in the expanses of Latgale served as a banner

A young man in a black jacket, a 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 endless amount of bottles overall

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

Even though the river can be crossed on land 200 meters away, we aren't looking for easy ways

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

Building a bridge using a machete

A man in a dark winter jacket and a beanie stands amidst thick intertwined branches near the water against the backdrop of 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, an orange vest, and with a red backpack smiles while wading through thick thickets of dry branches. A snowy terrain is seen in the background.

But with a strong desire, you could cross it, even though the river is neck-deep

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

True, those who were heavier crossed ankle-deep in the water

A smiling man in a black beanie and a light jacket climbs up a snowy 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 over the water.

I took a dip too

A man in glasses, a black beanie, a gray sports jacket, and with a backpack wades through thick thickets of bare branches on a snowy slope. He smiles and holds onto tree branches with his hands.

But that doesn't ruin the good mood

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

Daugava in ice hummocks

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

 

Got tired

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

You can dry your feet, it's so warm

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

 

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

A close-up profile portrait of a smiling young man 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 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 wearing a black glove and watch. He has an orange vest over a beige sweater, and trees and a red backpack are visible against the 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.

Malvin  Edvins poses 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 in the background stretches a partially frozen river with bare trees.

Malvin Edvins poses with some rusty piece of 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.

Malvin Edvins poses in mid-jump

Old faded wooden boards lying on the ground next to dry grass and a rusty metal pipe. The toe of a shoe is visible in the lower left corner.

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 on a spring field with thawed patches runs a dark horse, and further away trees and a body of water under a blue sky are visible.

Malvin Evdins poses 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 according to the saying 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 shoulders, and bare trees and an old wooden house are visible in the background.

But Edvins  still poses better

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

 Wooden power line supports and a transformer on a pole stand in a field with remnants of snow and puddles in early spring. Leafless trees, sparse buildings, and a blue sky with light clouds are visible in the background.

An installation for communicating with other worlds

 

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

 

What do we have here?

The entrance to a brick building with an open door and large windows with grates, a sign with business 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.

There's civilization in Līksna, a trash can with a compartment for cigarette butts and a shop

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

And also the famous park for newlyweds

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

Edgars poses  with a scarf, and Edvins - with sunglasses

To wrap up this part, I want to inform you that the weather cleared up by the time we reached Līksna. The sun started shining brightly, the birds started singing, and our mood reached unprecedented heights.