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Bolshie Koty — Bolshoe Goloustnoe

30 km one-way
Difficulty: Moderate
Be aware of ticks, snakes and bears
About this trail
  • Length
    30 km one-way
  • Difficulty
    Moderate
  • Dangers
    Bears, ticks and snakes
  • Campsites
    Yes, many
  • Permission
    Yes, you have to get a permission. See how.
  • Water
    Springs with clean water near the campsites
Information
How to get there
You have several options for this trail: you can make a return trip, starting from Bolshoe Goloustnoe or Bolshie Koty.

How to get to the start of the trail:
- If you start from Bolshoe Goloustnoe, you can get there by bus from Irkutsk.
- If you start from Bolshie Koty, you can get there by boat from Irkutsk or Listvyanka, or by foot from Listvyanka

We advise you to buy tickets in advance - there can be no tickets available in summer.

If you start in Bolshie Koty, you will find the trail very easily: just go to the end of the village and then you will see the path. In Bolshoe Goloustnoe you should first go to the shore of Lake Baikal, turn right, and after a few kilometers a road becomes a path.
Permission
In order to hike on this trail, you have to get permission for the entrance to Pribaykalsky National Park. There are several ways to get it:

Office in Listvyanka
Listvyanka, Gorky str., 2
tel.: +7 (3952) 659-210
(a two-story building on the shore of Lake Baikal in Listvyanka)

Office in Irkutsk
Irkutsk, Baikalskaya str., 291B
Monday - Thursday 09:00-18:00
Friday - 09:00-17:00.
tel.: +7 (3952) 350-615, +7 (3952) 350-662

Office in Bolshoe Goloustnoe
pos. Bolshoye Goloustnoe, Sverdlov St., 40
tel.: +7 (914) 876-66-72

You can also get the permission without visiting the office: you'll have to provide all the information about your plans for the visit to the National Park via email and pay for the permission with a bank transfer. For more details and examples of the email, please visit https://baikal-1.ru/tourism/entrance-pass/.
Information on potable water
The water of Baikal may contain small particles of seaweed. Thus, drinking from the lake is possible only if you have a portable filter. If you don't have a filter, there are streams with potable water along the trail where you can fill your bottles. The campsites are usually located nearby.
Equipment
No equipment is needed on this trail, but it's good to have proper hiking shoes. If you have trekking poles, take them - especially if you carry a heavy backpack.

As there is no pharmacy in both Bolshie Koty and Bolshoe Goloustnoe, we advice you to take a basic medical kit with you.
Shops
There are shops in Bolshie Koty and Bolshoe Goloustnoe where you can buy food and basic personal hygiene items. The shops do not have official working hours, do not expect them to work after 9pm.
THE TRAIL
The first part of the trail from Bolshie Koty to Cape Skriper goes along the coast. After you see a 'dangerous path' sign, go down the steps built by the volunteers of 'Great Baikal Trail' to a rocky beach and walk 1-2 km until you see the trail that goes from the beach.

You can take a rest in the Sennaya gorge and then start the ascent to cape Skriper starts. The view of Lake Baikal from the top is one of the best in the area. You can also visit the cave at the beginning of the descent from the cape.

Further the trail goes along a small valley to Baikal, where you should go to the shore, as the 'higher' trail is partly damaged by hillslide waste. On cape Sobolev the path goes up and down again. On Chayachiy Cliff the trail ascends, goes above the beach and passes a relatively dangerous place called "Devil's Bridge". Later in Bolshaya Kadilnaya gorge you'll find the entrance to the Pribaykalsky National Park, where it is possible to stay for a night.

The next point of interest is Malaya Kadilnaya gorge where we recommend you to visit Chasovnya cave.
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