Video: Surfing In Russia

by Adam Hodge on

Russia might be the last place you’d ever think to go surfing but surfers are nothing if not adventurous. In pursuit of the perfect wave, they are liable to go just about anywhere on the planet – from the frigid Arctic waters of Scandinavia to Pakistan’s perilous Makran Coast. So when they show up on the remote volcanic coasts of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, is anyone really that surprised?

These guys from SURFER Magazine are particularly dedicated to their favorite sport, crashing through isolated Siberian forest in a military-grade off-road truck to find unexplored shores. On the way they find enough hot springs, friendly locals, pristine rivers and wild forest to satisfy anybody’s adventure travel cravings, even if sweet shallow barrels don’t get you stoked.

Yeti Resort Being Built In Siberia

by Sean McLachlan on

The Seregesh ski resort in Siberia has a new marketing plan. The Siberian Times reports that it’s building a Yeti park.

Belief in the Yeti is common in Siberia, where it’s called the “Big Man.” Hunters often report seeing them and regional governor Aman Tuleyev has offered one million rubles ($33,000) to anyone who can bag one. No takers yet, which makes one wonder about the reliability (and aim) of those hunters.

Park developer Igor Idimeshev claims to have seen the Yeti several times. He believes the creatures are aliens who can walk on water and glow in the dark. Idimeshev says the park will have a museum about the Yeti, along with conference space so cryptozoologists can meet and discuss sightings.

Park organizers seem to be cashing in on last October’s report of Yeti hair being subjected to DNA analysis. Apparently the hair, found in a Siberian cave, wasn’t human yet closely related to us. The report was vague and was met with skepticism even from some Yeti investigators.

But who knows? Siberia is a big place …

Have you ever seen the Yeti or another monster? Tell us about your experience in the comments section!

[Image courtesy Philippe Semeria]

Woman Gives Birth Mid-Flight, Names Baby After Flight Attendant

by McLean Robbins on

No, we’re not making this up. A woman flying to Armenia from Siberia gave birth aboard an Armavaia flight, Huffington Post reported, and, after landing safely with a healthy baby in tow, named her newborn after the flight attendant who helped deliver the child. The woman claimed to be only 6 1/2 months along.

According to the Mayo Clinic, traveling at that stage of pregnancy is actually considered safe; healthy women can travel until their 36th week, generally their eighth month of pregnancy, although it is suggested that women over 28 weeks may not have a comfortable flying experience.
Still, we can’t imagine taking the long flight – at least eight hours – while pregnant, let alone well into our second trimester.

What do you think, readers? Was the woman crazy, or just eager to get home?

[Image Credit: Leonoid V. Kruzhov]

China Airshow To Feature Acrobatic Team

by Chris Owen on

Airshow China 2012 is scheduled to run from November 13 to 18 and will feature over 600 exhibitors from 39 countries. Promising to be bigger and better this year, the show hopes to become more recognized by the international aviation and aerospace community. To help make that happen, the show will feature a variety of airborne daredevil fliers.

Officially titled the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, Airshow China is the only international aerospace trade show in China that is endorsed by the Chinese government. That’s significant because China is looking for 5,400 new passenger aircraft between now to 2031. To get that many aircraft, China wants to make its own plane, the C919, which has attracted international aviation manufacturers to the show.

“We had to close for entries last month as we did not have any space for more,” said Yang Xiangang, vice general manager of Zhuhai Airshow in a South China Morning Post report.Airshow China, held in Zhuhai, features a display of aviation products, hosted trade talks, a technological exchange and a flying display of acrobatic teams from Europe.

This year, the Breitling Jet Team, Breitling Wingwalkers and Yves “Jetman” Rossy are scheduled to participate.

To get to China, they will fly through Eastern Europe, into Russia passing through Siberia, then on to Mongolia and down through China to reach their destination as we see in this video.




[Photo Credit: Flickr user doniphon]

A Unique Adventure Destination: Siberia’s Altai Mountains

by Jessica Festa on

If you’re looking for a colorful and unique adventure vacation, look no further than Siberia’s Altai region. In the Turkic and Mongolic languages, the word Altai means the “Golden Mountain.” Once you see the area up close, you’ll understand why the name is so fitting.

Along with its rare beauty, the destination also presents unique ecology and geology. Located in East-Central Asia, the Altai Mountains are a mountain range where Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and Russia come together. The natural attraction extends for about 1,200 miles from the Gobi Desert to the West Siberian Plain, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to the area’s unique geology and rare biodiversity. In fact, this region features the most complete sequence of altitudinal vegetation zones in central Siberia and offers a home to endangered animals like the snow leopard. You’ll find over 1,400 plant species, many of which an endemic, over 70 mammal species and more than 300 types of birds. Moreover, with origins dating back to Caledonian-Hercyninan times, this range has seen five glacial periods, which can be seen through the multitude of lakes and 1,499 glaciers in the region.

When visiting this region, you’ll be able to take in the beauty of this untamed land while white water rafting, horseback riding, hiking and mountain climbing. Moreover, if you’d just like to relax and clear your head, that can be found here, too. Visitors can choose to go camping or stay in one of these rustic accommodations, and also have the option to book a tour.

For a visual idea of this unusual destination, check out the gallery below.

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[all images via Big Stock]