Taras Fomchenkov
for EcoToutism Expert 
EcoTourism Expert finds out how popular outdoor recreation is in Russia today, what features it has and what the right way to travel is when you decide to take a tent and go to nature.
The majority of tourists who choose their native Russian spaces as the interesting destinations for their vacations, they still settle in hotels, health centres and boarding houses, however, the number of those who choose outdoor recreation is quite large. According to the Tutu Adventures portal, almost every third tourist preferred outdoor recreation in tents. Given the current situation in the Russian tourism today, the number of outdoor tourists may grow even more in the upcoming season.
Interestingly, the study shows that despite the fact that the majority of hikers prefer to travel in summer (July accounts for about 32 percent of bookings), those who go hiking in winter make 8 percent.
The most popular places for camping and hiking in our country are, first of all, the Caucasus - the Dombay and the Elbrus regions. Then goes the Crimea, this area is chosen by 18 percent of those who prefer to spend their vacations with a backpack on their shoulders. Third place is shared by Karelia and the Russian North - 11 percent of tourists preferring outdoor recreation are fond of travelling there.
In addition, there is a demand for such regions as Lake Baikal, Altai Mountains, Siberia and Kamchatka, but in this category, travelling to these places is mainly available to fairly wealthy tourists.
As for travelling in the mountains, for example, the Russian Meadow and the Chuchkhur Waterfall are must-visit places and every tourist coming to the Dombay mountain area should go hiking along the ecological trail in the Dombay-Ulgen Gorge leading to these amazing attractions. It is about an 8-hour walking tour with a good height difference of up to 800 metres. In the Mount Elbrus region, in turn, several trails are offered to the lovers of recreation in a tent, for example, the tour from the village of Terskol to the Maiden Spit Waterfall. It is 10 kilometres long and the height difference is 700 metres; and the trekking in the Adyl-Su Gorge to the Dzhantugan alpine camp and to the Green Hotel is 14 kilometres long, and the height difference is 880 metres. Just remember that for some routes, you need to have a pass to get to the border zone.
The Black Sea coast also offers a rich choice of vacation spots to outdoor enthusiasts. In such places as Anapa, Gelendzhik, Sochi, Bolshoi and Maly Utrish, Kabardinka, Tuapse, and Abrau-Durso, there are specially equipped campsites for those who come to spend their vacations with a tent and a backpack, while the ‘recreation on the landscape’ (as in an old Soviet film “Three plus Two”) can be enjoyed in Gelendzhik, Sochi, Abrau-Dyurso, and Tuapse. There are many stunning places there! The travellers should definitely take a look at the Agur Waterfalls - there are three of them, and the largest and most beautiful of them called the “Devil’s Font” is a powerful stream of water falling from a 30-metre height. The juniper grove near the Kabardinka village, which is a natural monument with an area of about 1,000 hectares, is also very picturesque, especially in spring.
Karelia and the Russian North are also very popular among the tourists who choose spending their vacations the wild nature. True, if they would like to stay directly in the wild nature and at the same time go sightseeing, some small problems may arise. The travellers can see much in the Republic of Karelia, in the Ruskeala Park, but they should know that they can’t stay overnight in the Park, however, there are several equipped campsites around it. And they can rent a boat to explore the grottoes, ‘fly’ over the gorges using a cable or go for a walk along the stone-paved paths without disturbing the wild and vulnerable Karelian nature.
As for the Russian North, the Barents Sea coast where the temperature can rise up to +17°C in some parts of the peninsula has become popular among tourists in recent years, as well as the Lovozero tundra, Mount Ninchurt, Seydozero. Another attraction for travellers with backpacks is the Sailing Mountain. It is also called the “Open Air Rock Museum”. Amazonite ore has been mined there for many years. After shutting down the mine, the deposit was given the status of a state geological natural monument.
Another place that allures the tourists from all over Russia who want to enjoy the pristine nature is Lake Baikal. In addition to the Olkhon Island with its Shaman Cape (also called Burkhan Cape) where 13 ‘serges’ (tethering posts for sacred horses of the Holy spirits) are located, as well as with its sacred Mount Zhima and the yellow Lake Shara-Nur - water in this Lake is healing. The tourists can visit the Tazheran Caves and make a tour by the 89-km Circum-Baikal Railway - with its many tunnels - that is one of the most expensive railways in the world in terms of money spent on its construction, and at the same time, it is a historical landmark.
In a word, tourists can enjoy travelling in nature with a tent in a huge number of places in Russia, and we should also mention Lake Seliger, Altai Mountains, the Chelyabinsk Region with the Zyuratkul and Taganay National Parks, and many other places. However, it’s important to know how to organize such a trip and to properly set up a tent camp not to damage wildlife. To do this, there are a number of life hacks.
First, if you want to set up a camp in a forest area, you need to find a small clearing in the forest. It is necessary to make a bonfire far from the trees to avoid a forest fire. If you want to keep the campfire all night, there should be a person on duty to look after it. When leaving the camp, it is necessary to ‘bury’ even burnt wood. It is not advisable to put a tent near the water as there are always a lot of mosquitoes near the water, it is best to put it at least 10 metres away. Find a place to store the garbage and do not forget to remove it when leaving. At the same time, if it is not possible to take all your waste with you, it must be properly burnt or baked and ‘buried’ in a safe place - it will decompose much faster. The same applies to the toilet - it must be equipped away from the camp and be sure to take disinfectants with you.
