• With 2.544m, Cherskovo is the highest mountain peak at Lake Baikal.
  • The summit is only accessible to experienced mountain climbers.
  • Climbing the top has long been popular among Russian mountaineers.
  • Long stretches of the track lead through dense coniferous forests.
  • The way up is long and hardly developed.

Developing the Cherskovo Track

With a height of 2.544m above sea level, Pik Cherskovo is the highest mountain peak at Lake Baikal. But climbing it is hard work: the trail to the top is hardly marked, and even getting to the mountain is complicated. This is why the hike has only been popular amongst Russian mountaineers so far. The actual summit may only be a match for experienced climbers, but the slightly lower neighboring summit offers an equally fantastic panorama of the Baikal mountains and the Northern part of Lake Baikal.

In 2014, Baikalplan wants to start exploring and developing the trail that leads from the little village of Baikalskoe to the actual starting point of the way up to mount Cherskovo. In doing so, we will start to explore and signpost the entire route, establish the need for development and write a route description. Building the trail up to the tree line, we will focus on clearing and cutting free the track as well as establishing the main route. So far, there are many small trails and dirt tracks that, if anything, mislead instead of lead, while unnecessarily destroying nature or contributing to erosion.

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Currently, climbing Mount Cherskovo is rather hard work.

Once the tree line is reached, the main part of the work will consist of marking the way and, where necessary, install steel ropes as anti-fall protection. We also consider building mountain shelters there at a later stage; currently, it is not at all clear (especially in the upper ranges) how to get the required building materials up there.