|
For our visitors, we feel that the Russian 'Silver Dolphin' Adventurers group is of sufficient interest to warrant a bit of explanation. The story begins in 1965, in Moscow. A group of young students, engineers and scientists from the Moscow Aviation Institute, found themselves bound together by a common love of adventure, and a desire to travel together to the remote areas of Russia and the world. At that time, the logistics of such travel in Russia was difficult indeed. Almost without exception, in remote areas supplies were impossible to come by, and each expedition must therefore travel entirely self-contained. By considerable expenditure of energy, by the exchange of work schedules, and by a no means small degree of determination, this little group succeeded in its objectives. The Russian terrain was such that the most unique adventures were in kayaking, alpine activities, and cross country skiing. Of these, the sport of kayaking became a major focus, and the group settled on the name Silver Dolphin. Often with families, the group traveled with their kayaks to such places (See map below) as Lake Keret, and some of the numerous small and remote whitewater rivers in Kareliya. They took their kayaks to the Sob' river in the seldom visited Polar Urals, to the Pukshen'ga, Pokshen'ga, and Dveena rivers in the Arkhangelskaya Oblast, to the Sinya and Vishera rivers near Komi, and to many other of Russia's remote lakes and rivers. The Silver Dolphin also engaged in hiking, climbing, and cross country skiing in such alpine areas as Dombay in the central Caucasus. A traditional activity with the Silver Dolphin was the Polovod'e. This involved kayaking in the freezing meltwater floods, when even the smallest rivers and creeks were swift and treacherous, requiring considerable kayaking skills. Such activities were exciting, but at the same time dangerous, since the kayaks were rubber and there was always a danger of puncture from submerged objects. Kayaking at that time was also complicated by a complete lack of the gear taken for granted by present day white water enthusiasts. The Silver Dolphin group is still very much alive and active ,
with members recently visiting the American West and the western
deserts. Our hats are off, and best wishes to the Silver Dolphin
group, and our thanks for naming us their favorite Internet site.
|
