Siberia

The Altai Republic can be considered the spiritual heart of Siberia, as many native Altaians, and Russians, who practice Tengrism, Burkhanism and Pagan Slavic religions, believe the landscape holds a religious significance. Wherever you travel here, it’s easy to see people’s deference to the local surroundings in the form of kurgans (stone burial mounds), standing stones and prayer flags tied to sacred trees. Furthermore, it’s also home to Siberia’s highest peak, Mt. Belukha (4506m), which is at the junction point of Kazakhstan, Mongoli and Russia. It’s here that the taiga forest, steppe and deserts of these three nations collide together to form an environment that often feels magical when you travel across its landscape on foot, by horse or even car. Some of the mystique to the Altai could also be owed to the fact that Mt. Belukha is rumoured to be the location of the mythical Shambhala, Asia’s equivalent of El Dorado, inspiring countless explorers in search of its otherworldliness. Whatever you choose to do in the Altai, you’re guaranteed to return feeling enlightened and refreshed.

If you’re heading out east, Chukotka is your last stop in Russia before you fall off the edge of the Eurasian Continent and into the frigid waters of the Bering Strait. This is the least visited region in Russia, mainly because it is extraordinarily far from anywhere else in the inhabited world, and therefore not the easiest destination to reach. In fact, flying or swimming over from Alaska could be just as fast as flying from Moscow. Despite the isolation, Chukotka has a wealth of wilderness worth exploring, along with the Chukchi culture who still practice reindeer herding and walrus hunting in some areas.

Although we aren’t mind-readers at Untamed Borders, when it comes to your thoughts on Kamchatka, we’re certain that the first two things that  come to your mind about this area are bears and volcanoes.  That was an easy guess for us though as Kamchatka has both the highest concentration of active volcanoes and bears in the world. Pretty incredible, right? What’s even better about this place is that if you want to encounter these gnarly icons of the natural world, you can do so by choppering your way throughout the peninsula in a Soviet-era helicopter burly enough to withstand any volcanic eruption or bear attack.

Whilst there are plenty of regions to explore throughout Siberia, Tuva is one of the most stand-out locations within this great wilderness as it is a semi-autonomous republic that has maintained a strong appreciation for its history, traditions and nomadic culture. The capital city, Kyzyl, is home to the geographical centre of Asia, and is an ideal starting point for all trips throughout Tuva. There’s so much to see and do here, ranging from trips on horseback visiting small nomadic settlements, exploring the multitude of rivers which carve their way through the remote taiga forest, to immersing yourself in its rich music and artisanal crafts-making culture.

The 2500km Ural Mountain range is the boundary line between Europe and Asia. Despite being mostly wilderness, there is a complex human history that has evolved in the foothills of this mountain range; such as the indigenous Bashkir’s trading links with Middle Eastern merchants from the 10th Century onward and the Mongol Empire’s influence on its northern Arctic reaches, which resulted in the Khanate of Sibir, the northernmost Muslim state. History aside, this prominent geographical feature on the Eurasian Continent has numerous possibilities for trekking, climbing, skiing and cultural trips, that are little explored by non-Russians.

Yakutia, also known as the Sakha Republic, covers a vast region of Siberia, roughly the size of India. Most internationally famous for the Lena, the 11th largest river in the world, Yakutia also holds the record for the coldest recorded temperature in the Northern Hemisphere in the small village of Oymyakon. It’s also renowned for its paleontological discoveries, ranging from Yuka the woolly mammoth, to Dina and Uyan, the exceptionally well-preserved cave lion cubs discovered in 2015.