Friends of the Great Baikal Trail

Introduction

The Great Baikal Trail Association (or GBT) is an international, volunteer-driven, non-profit organization that works to develop, maintain, promote, and protect Russia’s first network of hiking trails, and thereby advocates for the sustainable development of the largest lake in the world, Lake Baikal. Through affiliates at Friends of the Great Baikal Trail, the GBT has representative offices in North America and Europe, and can cater to volunteers from around the world.

Types of Projects

Trail construction, nature interpretation, and environmental education programs for the Russian public.

Locations

Both the trail building and eco-education programs are based within one of the 6 national parks or nature reserves that surround Lake Baikal. Lake Baikal itself is located in the heart of Siberia, just north of Mongolia. Most all of the projects take place within walking distance of Baikal's many beaches, and during summer months these are very sunny and warm. Some of the environmental education projects take place in one of the larger towns or cities around Baikal.

Timeline

Most projects last two weeks

Accommodations

At project sites the GBT supplies participants with 1-2 person tents free of charge. Life on the project surrounds the camp site, with a professional cook preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner over a camp fire. If participants prefer to stay extra days in the Baikal region, the GBT runs their own hostels within the larger cities (Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude), costing 500 rubles per night per person.

Prerequisites

Applicants should be at least 18 years of age, unless accompanied by adult family members or by others as part of a youth group. Trail building can be rigorous, and therefore applicants should be in good health. All programs are conducted in Russian, with experienced English and German language interpreters available for the entire length of each 2-week project, 24 hours a day.

Costs

For each 2-weeks: 13,900 rubles ($490/350 Euros). This covers all on-site costs, including food, language interpretation, camping gear, and visa-support. Applicant pays for own travel to project site.

To Apply

If you are interested in any of our trail-building or other environmental projects, you may write directly to us via e-mail, or you may fill out an application form, on-line at: http://greatbaikaltrail.org/en/volunteer/form