Review of the trip to Crimea August 20 - 25, 2006
This was my first full-fledged autonomous hike lasting as much as 5 days; before that I had only experienced picnics with an overnight stay and a rich gastronomic program.
For some reason I always wanted to go hiking, especially in the mountains. Among my friends (when I was a student, i.e. about 20 years old) there were a lot of cool climbers, etc., their stories were fascinating and inviting, however, family, children and early marriage made adjustments... That is. I was involved in another, more intimate sport, but I wanted to go to the mountains...
I was convinced for myself that everything that was ever suppressed strives to manifest itself, and so it manifested itself...
On the eve of the hike with me, everything was as unoriginal as it was wonderful and exciting, because in everything beautiful in life, we are pioneers for ourselves.
Absolutely by accident (outwardly by accident), while planning a vacation, I came across sites offering active recreation in the Crimea, the Carpathians, and the Caucasus and began to compare them.
The Caucasus disappeared (there are treacherous abreks playing pranks..), the Carpathians are far from the sea (I also wanted to wallow in the sea), the Crimea remained.
The selected proposal by Kirill Yasko, among other proposals for Crimea, clearly stood out due to the friendliness of the message to the teapot, trembling on the eve of a fateful choice (like a bride option - an old bachelor) on the eve of a choice that excites the imagination.
In this message I found everything to gently eradicate the mentioned self-doubts. This is also the phrase that on a hike there are no other people’s backpacks, i.e. if anything, then my companions will convey my things (I began to calm down...) that bad, aggressive, vulgar people do not go on such trips, because... prefer other pastimes, but the people who go there are exceptionally interesting, charming, nice (I calmed down...), that the conductor will carefully monitor your condition, adjust the pace of movement, etc. Finally, alcohol is strictly not consumed during the hike, nature is preserved and not polluted (well, where are you, if you like all this, you’ll still find such an offer, huh?!)
The following is not original - the tears of loved ones: “Why are you leaving us, killer whale, there is a draft, dampness, the sun will bake the back of your head, you will get tired, evil local adversaries watch for tourists on the trails, followed by inevitable abuse, and so on in the same spirit, finally, how will you eat there (go to the dry food and without dessert) .... This must be tactfully but firmly exterminated on the vine, so as not to shake my own, still stunted, determination...
Selection of equipment - see a lot of practical advice on the Internet, including on Kirill’s website. Those. theoretically, I became pretty savvy and started choosing all sorts of wonderful equipment in special stores.
Collecting and anticipation, reading enthusiastic reviews of those who have tasted it, looking at photographs and maps with names that excite the soul, brought up by J. Verne, F. Cooper and R-L Stevenson (for example, “Demerdzhi” or even better “Ghost Valley Tract” - Va-U-U!)... Well, what could be more exciting and beautiful, so don’t deprive yourself and your loved ones of all this, don’t impoverish your life!
Then all that was left was to simply come to the gathering place - the railway station in Simferopol.
About the hike. The trip had everything. One can only be amazed at how promises can coincide 100% with reality. Beautiful views, panoramas of mountains, beech and ash forests with bizarre, fabulous shapes of trees (some of them I called “the workplace of the Nightingale the Robber”), waterfalls, streams with crystal, cool water, bottomless ravines, thunderstorms in the mountains, moderate but noticeable loads, conquering peaks, really interesting, charming associates with whom I did not want to part with, finally, conversations, jokes, tea and porridge on the fire and an incredible starry sky. Only the ultimate masochist can deliberately deprive himself of this.
Conclusion. I undoubtedly ate and absorbed the tourist bacillus, which I am very happy about, I can’t wait for the next vacation or a suitable reason to continue, which I wish for you and your loved ones with all my heart. Kirill, thank you very much, see you next summer!
Valery Pavlov, Moscow