OREANDA-NEWS. August 2, 2007. 10 tourists from Sosnovy Bor, together with a group of mountaineers from Leningrad and Volgodonsk NPPs, are setting off to Uzunkol, Western Caucasus

This is the first joint trip by tourists from different NPPs. For the first time this idea came up last year during the forum of nuclear power engineers “Energy of Baltia-2006.” Everybody supported the initiative as every region has what to show and where to go. In Leningrad region, we have St.Petersburg and its suburbs, the rivers and lakes of Karelia, the Khibina Mountains near Kola NPP.

The Vertical travelers’ club of Volgodonsk NPP was the first to suggest the idea of a trip to Uzunkol as Volgodonsk NPP is the closest to the Caucasus. Their colleagues from Leningrad NPP were happy to join.

“On Aug 4 our men will arrive in Nevinnomyssk, wherefrom, together with their friends from Volgodonsk, they will start off for an exciting tour of the Caucasus,” says Vladimir Yakimov, the head of the Alpine tourism group of the travelers’ club of Leningrad NPP.

One of the most experienced mountaineers of LNPP Dmitry Malichev will climb 120 km (3rd class climbing trip), his comrades Vladimir Yakimov and Sergey Dvornitsyn will make a 2nd class trip.

Not only professionals but also amateurs and even newcomers will take part in the trip. Experienced instructors will teach the latter the ABC of mountain climbing and will show them in practice how to climb rocks, moraines and ice.

Many other NPPs with strong tourism traditions have also shown interest in such trips. Perhaps, next time they will join the pioneers and this trip will pave the way for active cooperation among the travelers’ clubs of the Russian NPPs.