Putorana Plateau: The Lost World Fishing Paradise

Region: Russia, East Siberia, Evenkia, Putorana Plateau
Activities: taimen (and other species) fishing, rafting, motoboating, sightseeing, wildlife observation, hiking
Trip Category: regular. This tour is subject to book in early notice.
Team size: from 1 to 12 (for some itineraries up to 10 - to clarify). No joint helicopter tours as a rule. Waterfall Seeking tour - joint fixed dates groups are available (look at the schedule below).
Difficulty: easy, no need of special skill (kids from 14 years old are allowed).
New in season-2018: We offer 2 expansions of Putorana Waterfalls Seeking Tour: a) The short hike to biggest Russian Bolshoi Kureiskiy Watefall b) climb up Putorana Plateau. Both expansions are available within the main tour (no extra days needed)! Extra rivers are added for Genuine Taimen helicopter fishing tours: Sukhaya Tunguska (hunting is available here!), Kochumdek, Vivi, Severnaya rivers (all of Nizhnaya Tunguska, Yenisei basin)!
Dates: June-September (July-October for Waterfalls Seeking Tour), fixed departures from Krasnoyarsk (on Transsiberian railway, air connected with Moscow). Helicopter fishing tours are available upon request but need to meet airflight schedule Krasnoyarsk-Turukhansk-Krasnoyarsk (from June, 01 to September, 02 on MON, TUE, WED, FRI, SUN and from September, 03 - on TUE, WED, FRI, SUN). The Putorana Plateau Waterfalls Seeking Tour is available on the following dates:

     Putorana Plateau ("Plato Putorana") is the huge (1.887 millions ha) basalt plateau raising on the north of East Siberia to the north of the Polar Circle, to the South-East from Norilsk city and to the East from Yenisei river. It is dedicated to Evenkia National District of Krasnoyarsky Krai (region), most of the Putorana's territory is belonged to Putorana Natural Reserve established in 1998. Putorana Plateau, due to it's very remote location, is still not disturbed by civilization - it is almost unpopulated area with no industry, roads and other infrastructure. According to the geomorphology, Putorana Plateau is an classical example of trappean, or stepped, shape (Swedish "trapp" means "stairs"). It is a complex of high flat-topped mountain massifs divided by deep and wide stepped canyons - the result of an elevation of ancient (Palaeozoic and Mesozoic eras) 1500 m deep lava plateau and giant tectonic faults. Next, the glaciers expanded the canyons and formed the present-days river gorges and deep narrow lakes (Lama, Keta, Glubokoye, Khantayskoye, Ayan, etc.) creating the unique appearance of the plateau. These exotic fjord-like lakes reaching 100-150 km in length and up to 400 m deep are considered to be largest in Siberia after Baikal and Teletskoye lakes. Another adornment of the plateau are numerous waterfalls, including the 108 m high waterfall in Kanda river gorge considered among the Russia's highest (also known as Bolshoi Kureiskiy Waterfall). The highest point of Putorana Plateau is Mt. Kamen ("The Stone"), 1701 m. Most of the Putorana Plateau is covered by the Siberian larch taiga forests, Northern part- by sparse forests and mountain tundra. The flora list counts about 400 higher plants species, including several rare, relic and endemic forms. There are 34 mammal species including one of the most poorly known hoofed animal - the Putorana bighorn sheep (Ovis nivicola borealis). About 140 bird species have been noted in the reserve. Main part of them is nesting here, including rare prey birds like white-tailed eagle and merlin. The number of their nesting-places at the plateau is especially high. Numerous water reservoirs are stopover points for thousands of migrating birds. As for the fishes, due to the crystal clear water in all numerous rivers and lakes (thanks to the basalt relief!), it is real fishing paradise!  The species list includes (but not limited to!) Salvelinus alpinus, Salvelinus Drjagini, Coregonus cylindraceus, Coregonus lavaretus pidschian, Coregonus nasus, grayling, lenok, pike, perch, burbot, roach, tugun, and, of course, the most desired trophy for any fisherman- genuine taimen (Hucho taimen)! Putorana Plateau brobably is the best place for taimen fishing with the guaranted catch. The taimen trophy size is considered to be 20 kg +, with the largest trophies over 40 kg! Very important feature of Putorana Plateau is that due to it's location over Polar Circle and the polar day respectively in summer, fishing is available day round.

     We offer several variants of taimen fishing trips, most of them includes helicopter charter flights to/from the fishing site (Variants 1...4), but for those who want to combine the waterfall sighseeing with the fishing, we also offer the trip Variant 5 where the helicopter is not involved, so it is sufficiently cheaper option. For the transportation on the rivers and lakes we offer special-designed moto-trimarans with a speed-boat capability to cross shallow parts of the rivers. The difference of the variants, aside of fishing spices and the size of fish, is the general trip idea: most of the trips include rafting along the river with overnight camping in different places, but some include motoboating up-and downstream from the BC. The 1st group of variants offers the tasty of various camping sites but the permanent BC apart the good place itself, allows you to stick on fishing.

Please take into account that for the given season the set of rivers available may vary (have a look at the fixed dates tours list of above)!

We also offer the following extra excursion which may be combined with some tours of below:

• visit to the Russia Geographical Centre - the point which is equal far from the Russian borders. It is situated on the South-East shore of the giant and very remote and respectively difficult to aproach Vivi Lake. In 1992 the monument - 7 m high stella - was erected here as well as the St. Sergey Radonezhskiy Chapel. In 2015 after the Crimea re-join Russia, the monument was moved slightly South-West;
• not far from this point on the Kureika river tributary, the giant and beautiful Beldunchanskiy Waterfall - the real pearl of Putorana Plateau - is situated. It is possible to visit the Geographical Centre and the watergall in one flight;
• helicopter excursions to unique historical places: GULAG camps along abandoned Stalin's Transpolar Railroad Salekhard-Igarka (also known as "Object 503"), included visit to Kureika villge where Josef Stalin was deported by the Tzar in early 1900s. Also, you can visit the unique Permafrost Museum in Igarka.
• Turukhansk cititour (very interesting and informative museum with the artefacts and photos from Nansen expedition, Old Mangazea settlement excavations and large ethographical part describes the way of life and history of Far North native population), monastery and river port.

Variant 1. Nimde or Muisma river (10 days). Rafting and fishing.

Perfect for taimen fishing, other species - grailing (usual 1,3 kg) and lenok. Most remote and difficult river (the river-bed is filled with a lot of stones), the fishing is possible up to the canyon (canyon itself is unaccessible). Rafting is 60 km long. The camp is moving with the group. Taimen catch: over 100 we lost the count... New possibility this year is the Nimde tribute - Muisma river. Fishing here is fantastic, but you need to raft this year, which made the trip even more adventurious!

Cost: for an offer.

Included. Meeting, seeign off and transfers in Krasnoyarsk, airfare Krasnoyarsk-Turukhansk-Krasnoyarsk, charter helicopter flight Turukhansk- fishing site and return, motoboats, 2 nights hotel accommodation in Krasnoyarsk (***DBL BB), guides, interpreter and cook service, 3 times a day meals (hot breakfast and dinner, hot drinks and snacks for lunch, every boat has extra dry food stock on board) and tent (2 person tents w/inflatable matresses) accommodation on active part, dining/rest tent equipped with moskito net, tables and chairs, bania (Russian wet sauna), generator for charging the batteries, all permits and local fees.

Not included. Visa fees, airfare or railroad (Transsiberian) to/from Krasnoyarsk, meals at the cities, personal gear.

Options. Visa support, gear rental, SGL accommodation, excursions in Krasnoyarsk ("Stolby" rock climbing site is recommended).

Variant 2. Erachimo river (10 days). Motoboating and fishing.

Erachimo river is the right tributary of Nizniaya Tunguska (Down Tunguska) on the South of Putorana Plateau. It's source is situated near Polar Circle. The shape of the river gorge is very various: the upper part up to Left Holukan river contains a lot of shallows, the middle part is deep and quiet (about 40 km long), down part from Nikengdeken river is a rapid stream with shallows and rapid-shallows. The river width is 20-160 m, 0.8-2.5 m deep, current speed 0.2...1.2 m/s. The ground is mostly firm, the banks - gentle, swamped, the course is twisting, the spits on rapid parts are stony, on quit parts - sandy. The fishing is very various - usually the group catch is 20-30 taimens from 6 to 15 kg. Annually there are 5-6 trophy taimens (over 20 kg) catched. The main idea of this trip is establishing of the BC on the Erachimo bank in front of the side lake (accessible by the boats), on the quiet part (about 25 km long). There are dining/rest tent and the bania established in BC, as well as living tents. The fishing takes place down- and upstream using motocatarafts or from the banks. It is possible also to make side trips to the Erachimo tributaries.

Trophies catched on Erachimo river: taimen – 29 kg, lenok – 5,4 kg, grayling – 1,3 kg, perch – 1,3 kg, pike – 14 kg, sig – 0,8 kg.

Cost: for an offer.

Included. Meeting, seeign off and transfers in Krasnoyarsk, airfare Krasnoyarsk-Turukhansk-Krasnoyarsk, charter helicopter flight Turukhansk- fishing site and return, motoboats, 2 nights hotel accommodation in Krasnoyarsk (***DBL BB), guides, interpreter and cook service, 3 times a day meals (hot breakfast and dinner, hot drinks and snacks for lunch, every boat has extra dry food stock on board) and tent (2 person tents w/inflatable matresses) accommodation on active part, dining/rest tent equipped with moskito net, tables and chairs, bania (Russian wet sauna), generator for charging the batteries, all permits and local fees.

Not included. Visa fees, airfare or railroad (Transsiberian) to/from Krasnoyarsk, meals at the cities, personal gear.

Options. Visa support, gear rental, SGL accommodation, excursions in Krasnoyarsk ("Stolby" rock climbing site is recommended).

Variant 3. Tutonchana river (10 days). Rafting and fishing.

Tutonchana river is the right tributary of Nizniaya Tunguska (Down Tunguska) on the South of Putorana Plateau, 459 km total length (FYI: Vivi is 426 km, Erachimo- 218 km, Severnaya- 331 km, Kochumdek- 200 km, Tembenchi- 571 km). The river width en route is 30-240 m, 0.5-1.8 m deep, current speed 0.4...1.2 m/s. The ground is mostly firm, the banks - gentle, swamped, the course is twisting, the spits on rapid parts are stony, on quit parts - sandy. The river offers a variety of Siberian fishes - taimen, sig (a fish of Salmo species), grayling, lenok. The usual size of the taimen is 8...12 kg, sometimes- trophies over 20 kilo. Other spices to fish: perch, pike. The main idea of this trip is rafting along the river from one tributary mouth to another with camping on the river's bank every night at different place.

Cost: for an offer.

Included. Meeting, seeign off and transfers in Krasnoyarsk, airfare Krasnoyarsk-Turukhansk-Krasnoyarsk, charter helicopter flight Turukhansk- fishing site and return, motoboats, 2 nights hotel accommodation in Krasnoyarsk (***DBL BB), guides, interpreter and cook service, 3 times a day meals (hot breakfast and dinner, hot drinks and snacks for lunch, every boat has extra dry food stock on board) and tent (2 person tents w/inflatable matresses) accommodation on active part, dining/rest tent equipped with moskito net, tables and chairs, bania (Russian wet sauna), generator for charging the batteries, all permits and local fees.

Not included. Visa fees, airfare or railroad (Transsiberian) to/from Krasnoyarsk, meals at the cities, personal gear.

Options. Visa support, gear rental, SGL accommodation, excursions in Krasnoyarsk ("Stolby" rock climbing site is recommended).

Variant 4. Putorana Plateau World Fishing Tour (12 days). Rafting and fishing.

The idea of this trip is to cover as much rivers and lakes as it is possible at once and provide the possibility to fish almost all the spices available in the area. Thus, the Severnaya river basin was choosen for this trip. The system contains several rivers (Upper Niakshinda, Irbukon, Irbeken, Tymerokan, Delingde, Kulingda, Tanuko) which flow in deep (up to 900 m) canyons with up to 52 m high waterfalls to the chains of fjord-like lakes (Niakshinda, Upper Agata, Down Agata, Severnoye, Epekli) which are up to 200 m deep and 40...80 km long. These lakes are connected in one system by Niakshinda, Oron, Epeklisen and finally Severnaya rivers.

Cost: for an offer.

Included. Meeting, seeign off and transfers in Krasnoyarsk, airfare Krasnoyarsk-Turukhansk-Krasnoyarsk, charter helicopter flight Turukhansk- fishing site and return, motoboats, 2 nights hotel accommodation in Krasnoyarsk (***DBL BB), guides, interpreter and cook service, 3 times a day meals (hot breakfast and dinner, hot drinks and snacks for lunch, every boat has extra dry food stock on board) and tent (2 person tents w/inflatable matresses) accommodation on active part, dining/rest tent equipped with moskito net, tables and chairs, bania (Russian wet sauna), generator for charging the batteries, all permits and local fees.

Not included. Visa fees, airfare or railroad (Transsiberian) to/from Krasnoyarsk, meals at the cities, personal gear.

Options. Visa support, gear rental, SGL accommodation, excursions in Krasnoyarsk ("Stolby" rock climbing site is recommended).

Variant 5. Putorana Plateau Waterfall Seeking Tour (10 or 16 days). Motoboating, sightseeing, hiking, wildlife observation and fishing. We offer 3 subvariants: a) Putorana Plateau Waterfall Seeking tour with the primary goal to visit numerous relatively easy to reach waterfalls - easy or no hike needed, easy rafting b) more adventurious Russian Biggest Waterfall - Bolshoi Kureiskiy with the primary goal to visit Russian biggest Bolshoi Kureiskiy Waterfall (Big Kureika Waterfall, most powerfull Russian waterfall - about 300 cubic meters per second fall down, 13 m high) which involves more hike + a bit nore difficult rafting, the secondary goal here might be some other waterfalls not as difficult to approach and c) Putorana Waterfalls World tour which combines a) and b) but is 17 days long.

The primary objective of this trip is to reach several beautifull waterfalls of Putorana Plateau on Ende, Gagar'ia, Kureika, Neral, Dulismar and Yagtali rivers and Dupkun lake (Kureiskiy waterfall). It is an area of the inhabitance of the endemic mammal species- Putorana bighorn sheep (Ovis nivicola borealis). On this trip you can get general impression of Putorana Plateau appearance, it's wildlife and also take great fishing experience (species: taimen, Salvelinus alpinus, Salvelinus Drjagini, grayling, pike). Because for this trip we don't use helicopters, it is relatively cheap.

Variant 5. Putorana Plateau Waterfall Seeking Tour (10 days). Motoboating, sightseeing, hiking, wildlife observation and fishing.

Putorana Plateau Waterfalls Seeking Tour expansions (ordered separately, no extra days needed!)

a) To the Russian most powerfull Bolshoy Kureiskiy Waterfall. Using light motoboat we go upstream Kureika river to the Russian most powerfull (in terms of volume of water failed per second) - Bolshoi Kureiskiy Vodopad (Big Kureiskiy Waterfall). This part of the river is full of shallows and rolls. After junction with right tributery of Yagdaly river we enter into the pivturesque canyon of Kureiskiy Waterfall. Nice side waterfalls fall down from the canyon's walls. 4 km far from the Big Kureiskiy Waterfall, we moor left bank. After climbing up the canyon, we hike about 4 km to the waterfall. After visit the waterfall, we descend to Yagdaly mouth, embark the boat and return to our camp.

b) Climb up the Putorana Plateau. Climbing to the Table Mount. Full day easy hike.

Concerning the fishing on Putorana Plateau Waterfalls Seeking Tour. All the fish in Kureika river and Dupkun Lake is absolutely ecological pure and very delicious. All the fish you catch is using for cooking. The following species : large grayling (up to 1,2-1,4 kilo), trophy pike (up to 10-12 kilo), perch (up to 1 kilo), char (up to 4-5 kilo), whitefish (up to 1 kilo), burbot (up to 4-6 kilo). Taimen is rare guest in Kureika and Dupkun Lake - because it is not lake fish. However, one can catch taimen in side streams. We caught taimen from 3 to 12 kilo here. Concerning taimen fishing, we follow "catch-and release" rule. The most trophy species on our route we consider char and pike. The char "combat capability" is the same as taimen's one, as for the flavour - the same as salmon. The pike inhabites the cold water on Putorana Plateau and we can often meet it in the rapids, which very positive affects it's flavour - no traditional odor and the meat is marble-like.

Cost: for an offer.

Included. Meeting, seeign off and transfers in Krasnoyarsk, airfare Krasnoyarsk-Svetlogorsk-Krasnoyarsk, comfortable speedboat, 2 nights hotel accommodation in Krasnoyarsk (***DBL BB), guides (boating and fishing guides and trekking guides where applied), interpreter service, food, utensil and fuel for 3 times a day meals (hot breakfast and dinner, hot drinks and snacks for lunch, every boat has extra dry food stock on board) and tent (2 person tents w/inflatable matresses and sleeping bags) accommodation on active part, all permits incl. Putorana Natural Reserve permit and local fees.

Not included. Visa fees, airfare or railroad (Transsiberian) to/from Krasnoyarsk, meals at the cities, personal gear.

Options. Visa support, gear rental, SGL accommodation, excursions in Krasnoyarsk ("Stolby" rock climbing site is recommended).