Arkhangelsk Region: Caves of Pinega :: Places of Interest :: Travel

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Arkhangelsk Region: Caves of Pinega

May 20, 2010 01:32

The caves of Pinega are a few systems of including about 100 sinks, situated in the karst area in the Pinezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Region, in the interstream area of the Pinega and Kuloy Rivers. The caves are situated on the territory of the Pinega natural reserve. They have some special features, instead of the caves of Caucasus and others, but the most interesting one is that the changes in the configuration and plan of the caves, be observed during the human life: the Pinega caves live very active life.

The caves of Pinega lie not very deep and develop horizontally, form more tunnels, galleries and tubes than halls. The tubes form real labyrinths, crossing and making funky curves like evolutions of an arabesque pattern. They extend for kilometers. Be careful, visiting them to avoid extra adventures in the manner of Tom Sawyer and Becky.

The second thing to be taken in account by visiting the northern caves is that it wouldn’t be warmer than 0 degrees Celsius in any weather conditions. You can feel cold moving closer to the entrance to the caves. Low temperatures compose the background of the caves’ singularity. The thing always to be found there is ice and snow. They compose a considerable part of the caves’ charm as well, forming crystals, funky icicles and cover of the hoarfrost on the vaults. The caves are full of streams and even rivers, forming sometimes waterfalls, and all of it is frozen in winter. The frozen waterfalls and even splashes of water look fantastically. The most effective-looking aufeis appear next to the entrances into the caves, where the ice-melt waters are especially active.

The beauty of ice is accompanied with the stones, the rose-flavor gypsum, looking like corals. This stone is rather soft, as every cavern limestone should be, and that lets is form unbelievable patterns and relief figures in most unlikely places: the strange forms can grow from the walls horizontally, or hang over the ceiling. The caves suddenly open into the environment with vertical holes, looking like chimneys or mines.

The very special quality of these caves is that the form and direction of the tubes, the plan of the caves and the number of entrances vary constantly. The same can be told about all the karst caves in the world, but these ones do it so rapidly, that the changes can be noticed and fixed by the humans. Pinega caves demonstrate constant reconfiguration. The speleologists have such a happy possibility to observe the live of caves in real-time mode because of very high activity of water and plastic properties of the rose coral-looking gypsus.

The caves are worth to be visited for their beauty. The tour operators offer some tours including visiting the caves. If you want to do it yourself, you are to get to Pinega settlement. It is available from Arkhangelsk by vehicles, the schedule of which is to be specified by phone of local Road Agency +7 (8182) 20 66 68. Arkhangelsk in its turn is available by air and by train from Moscow and St. Petersburg. The region is rather rich in potential tourist attractions, but the travel industry develops there very slowly, so be ready to that the single tourist could face some difficulties, like lack of the English-speakers. We also glad to offer you Russian visa support and taxi in Moscow. I would recommend choosing a tour to support the tour industry in the region and to make your trip easier.