We have not carried out rafting on Okhta since 2016! And in 2020 we decided to return to this river again. Because it is a beautiful and interesting river.
The program will be redesigned. Description updated.
Okhta River is the right tributary of the Kemi River, which flows into the White Sea. Rafting on the Okhta is rightfully considered a classic - both beginners and experienced tourists have chosen the river for many decades.
We will truly take a break from civilization - the river bed runs through remote and uninhabited areas. Very characteristic and untouched Karelian nature. There are rocks, beaches, and forests.
An important point is fishing. Here it is wonderful - it’s hard to stay without fish :)
The shores of Okhta are shrouded in mystery. There are mysterious idol stones here, which are called seids. And it was along the shore of Okhta that the path went towards Lake Karma, which, according to legend, is a repository of information about the ancient civilization of Hyperborea.
The rafting passes on 6 and 4 seater sports catamarans. Each 6-seater catamaran has an instructor who controls the catamaran. At least 2 instructors accompany the group. We teach the team all the necessary skills during the rafting process, so you can participate in the trip even if you have no experience. The main thing is your activity and desire to learn new things.
The 4-seater catamaran is designed for more experienced participants. We will go through stretches (this is a section of a river without a current) and large lakes by motor. We will also have a 2-seater sports catamaran for riding in the rapids.
Weather in Karelia not much different from the weather in St. Petersburg and Moscow. In July and August, on average, it is dry hot weather with temperatures of 20-30 degrees, there is also rain.
Mosquitoes and midges are present, but they are usually few in number, their number depending on the weather and time of year. Ticks and poisonous snakes not on the route.
On the route it catches in places cellular telephone, Megafon fishes starting from Lake Voronye. Other operators catch worse.
Program by day
Day 1
Arriving at the station Nadvoitsy in the evening, we meet with the instructor and all go together by minibus to the river. Travel time is 4-5 hours, depending on the condition of the road.
We'll be there at night. We quickly set up a tent camp and go to bed, having a little snack.
In the morning we begin preparations for the rafting. We collect the catamarans, pack our things in hermetic bags (all personal belongings will remain dry), have breakfast, distribute ourselves among the catamarans, undergo instructions and, finally, our rafting begins!
We start on the shore of the lake Muyozero, this is a clean lake with a sandy bottom. The water in it is absolutely transparent, and forest grows along the banks. On one of the islands of Muyozer - Trinity Island - an ancient wooden church has been preserved. We will definitely visit this fabulous place.
Today is our training day. We walk along the lake, instructors teach the basics of water tourism. We learn to row smoothly, which does not interfere with periodically swimming and enjoying nature.
Today we will cross the lake and stand near its exit, on a sandy beach. We'll set up camp among the pines, cook lunch and dinner, get to know each other better, sunbathe, swim, fish, and play. Everyone will find something to their liking.
Day 2
We leave Muyozer, passing the remains of the dam at the exit. Here Okhta is a small winding and picturesque river with the purest clear water, green algae at the bottom and reeds along the banks. The water is so clear that if you look down, sometimes you get the feeling that we are flying over a mysterious underwater world.
In less than an hour we meet the influx Curuj, after which Okhta becomes twice as wide. The banks are gradually becoming swampy and becoming lower. Passing the only possible parking in this place, we enter the area of a large swamp.
It was formed as a result of flooding of the banks - after the construction of a dam, due to which the water level in Yulyaozer rose. The dams on the Okhta were built to prepare the river for timber rafting. Timber rafting in Karelia was stopped more than 40 years ago, but you can still find huge piles of old rotten logs.
Before Yulyaozera, where we will have lunch, is about two hours away. We walk to the channel in Yuzmozero, and from there to Lake Rigoreka, where we set up camp on its rocky shores, or on islands, among the pine trees.
Day 3
We leave in the morning and pass a long and narrow lake. Rigoreka. Its right bank is rocky, the left bank is low, grassy, and swampy. On the left bank there are huge thickets of cloudberries.
The lake gradually turns into the next lake - Alozero, at the beginning of which we see the remains of the uninhabited village of Rigoreka on the right bank. At the exit from the lake, there are the remains of a dam with a large difference in height and good drainage, after which the water quickly runs among the stones. This is the first noticeable rapid on the route. Let's go straight through.
After a short stretch (a section of a river without a current where you need to row with oars) let's pass Nemes threshold. This threshold was formed as a result of the construction of timber rafting structures, like the previous one.
After a series of shivers (sections of fast flow with water shafts), rifts and small reaches, the river widens and slowly meanders among the swampy fields and reeds. Only at the exit to the lake Lezhevo the banks become higher and decent parking areas appear, where we will settle down for lunch.
Lake Lezhevo is quite large, the path to the channel is not close. You need to go north past the cape, where the non-residential village of Lezhevo is located. The lake is beautiful, there are a lot of fish in it. We will stop at one of the parking lots with sandy beach on the shore of the lake.
Day 4
The channel starts from the remains of a timber rafting dam; the flow is very fast, but without levees. It carries along the channel very quickly, the banks are picturesque, the forest along the banks bends over the water, slightly covering it. We quickly go out into the lake Torosozero, which is very shallow and overgrown with algae. In its northern part the channel begins Pebozero.
This channel has two noticeable thresholds, the flow is on average fast, and the channel is quite narrow. The first threshold is artificial. Okhta in this place is narrowed to 3-4 meters and sandwiched between two ryazhe walls.
In Karelia, during timber rafting, rivers were deepened, narrowing their channels. For this purpose, rye walls were built from logs and stones. Their remains can still be found on our route. They also built wooden trays, these are chutes made of logs and stones, along which logs were floated during timber rafting. Now we raft along them on catamarans.
We flow down this chute, like down a slide in a water park. The length of the tray is 50 meters, at the end there is a significant shaft.
Next threshold Pebozersky 2 k.s.(difficulty categories, there are from 1 to 6). The threshold consists of several dilapidated rustic walls and the remains of a flume at the entrance to Pobeozero.
We pass by a large island and go out into the lake Hizijärvi. Passing it, we pass into Lake Voronye. At the exit to Voronye there are many parking lots on both banks, and there are many islands in the lake. A forester lives on one of the banks and runs a first aid kiosk :) This is the only store on the route with a very meager assortment.
Somewhere on the shores of this beautiful lake we will camp.
Day 5
Day. Relaxing on Raven Lake, we make a camp bath, and in the afternoon there is a Island of Good Spirits- a kind of open-air museum of tourist creativity. Here we will take a lot of interesting photos and have fun.
On the Island of Good Spirits there are hundreds of wooden sculptures and various jokes. There are crafts here even from the 70s.
The fishing here is excellent, you just have to go to rarely visited creeks and you are guaranteed ten kilograms of pike!
Day 6
The most interesting and dynamic section of the river begins with all the main rapids. In the morning we leave Lake Voronyogo, at the exit there is another artificial rapid. The water drop is decent, but the swells are not strong, after which there are small riffles with stones and the Oleniy rapids (1-2 k.s.)
After Olenye, along a picturesque channel we get to Kornizozero, a small elongated lake, overgrown with reeds on one side. At the exit there is a small threshold and shivers.
Soon the river divides into several branches, turns to the right are fenced off by the remains of ryazhe walls, all the water goes to the left and rushes along the long (about 1 km) rapids Pichethreshold (2 k.s.). After a small reach we pass the Kozhany rapid (2nd grade), and after a few kilometers, the Oingainge rapid (2nd grade). Near it we stand for the night in a large clearing in the forest.
Day 7
We pass the Louna rapids (2k.s.), a fairly long rapid in which you already need to be able to control a catamaran (but by this point we know how to do everything - the instructors have already taught everyone!).
After about 30 minutes we stop near the Khemeg threshold (3rd level). It consists of a rocky drain with a barrel, a small rift and a ridge of stones at the exit. Immediately after Khemeg, after a small spill, the most difficult and beautiful rapid on the route begins - Kiviristi (4-5 class).
The decision to complete Kiviristi as a whole team is made by the instructors, depending on the water level and the team’s preparation. Walking along the shore is possible. But you can usually ride on a two- and four-seater catamaran. We will stay here for half a day. There are beautiful rocks around, we walk and take pictures. Filming the passage of the threshold.
We make lunch and continue rafting in the evening. We pass the White and Dark rapids, the Pechko rapids (class 3), the Petrushka rapids, Ant Shivers and the Muraveyny rapids y. All these rapids follow each other, giving way to small reaches.
The next serious threshold is Tyuterin (3 class), the possibility of passing which is also determined by the instructors depending on the water level and the condition of the group. The threshold is quite dangerous due to the abundance of sharp stones in the stream. But you can ride a two-wheeler.
Near the Tyuterin threshold we stop at a high, windy parking lot for the night.
Day 8
We start in the morning, it’s not far to Okhtaporog, but today we still want to do a bathhouse. On the way we only encounter the Kurna rapids, an easy rapid among the rocks. We pass it and approach the last serious threshold Okhtaporog (3 class), we set up camp nearby.
Okhtaporog is a long and interesting rapid with large shafts and barrels. We'll be riding here for a long time. There is a convenient trail along the shore for carrying.
In the evening we take a bath. We continue to relax, swim, and fish.
Day 9
In the morning we are not in a hurry, we relax. But those who wish, of course, can start riding a two-man catamaran in the morning.
Late in the evening we pack up camp and go out onto the water. We need to walk (on catamarans, of course) about 5 km to Podduzhemskaya HPP, from where a minibus will pick us up (the walk to the minibus from the water is no more than 50 meters).
We pack our things and prepare a snack.
Day 10
20 minutes to the station along a good road. Leaving the station Kem on trains around 5-6 am.
Our adventure on Okhta has come to an end! We say goodbye and exchange contacts. But we will definitely meet again!
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Okhta River This is the largest of the rivers of St. Petersburg that are not part of the Neva delta. It begins outside the city limits and flows into the Neva at the Bolsheokhtinsky Bridge. The name has existed since at least the 13th century; this name is Izhorian and is explained by researchers as “a river flowing to the west” or as a “bear river”. Sometimes the river is called Bolshaya Okhta, as opposed to Malaya Okhta, as the Okkervil River was once called. It would be more correct to consider only the area below the mouth of the Okkervil River as Bolshaya Okhta. There are 14 bridges across Okhta within the city, not counting the dam of the former Gunpowder Factory; the names have 11. The first five that existed at that time were numbered upstream in the 1950s; later, between the 1st and 2nd Okhtinsky bridges, another Okhtinsky bridge No. 1a appeared. All these six bridges received new names on November 6, 1997. Chelyabinsk Bridge(formerly 5th Okhtinsky) - along Chelyabinskaya Street. Capsule bridge(formerly 4th Okhtinsky) - along Kapsulnoye Highway. Bolshoy Ilyinsky Bridge(formerly 3rd Okhtinsky) - along the Revolution Highway near Ilyinskaya Sloboda. This bridge has been Ilyinsky since 1912, but later its name was lost. Big - because in the same 1997 the neighboring bridge over the Luppa became the Maly Ilyinsky. Armashevsky Bridge(formerly 2nd Okhtinsky) - along Potapova Street. Near the intersection of this street with Irinovsky Prospekt, the Armashevskaya Sloboda Highway began, running along the southern border of site No. 2 along Potapova Street; addresses on it existed at the beginning of the 21st century. The highway led to the Armasheskaya settlement, located at the intersection of modern Irinovsky and Industrial avenues, the name of the settlement was derived from the surname of the landowner A.A. Armasheva. Bypass Bridge(former Okhtinsky Bridge No. 1a) - along Obeznoye Highway. Irinovsky Bridge(formerly 1st Okhtinsky) - along Irinovsky Avenue. Industrial Bridge– along Industrial Avenue – located between the Armashevsky and Obezdny bridges. It was built in 1977, so it was not included in the numbering. The name was assigned on May 28, 1979. Bridge of Energetics, also received its name on May 28, 1979, along the avenue of the same name, however, on the bridge for a long time it was written: “Bridge No. 6 over the Okkervil River” (!) Shahumyan Bridge- along Shahumyan Avenue - built in 1968, the name appeared after this site became part of Shahumyan Avenue in 1978. Komarovsky Bridge- new, it was built in 1960 on the future Krasnogvardeyskaya Square. Its name comes from Komarovsky Prospekt, which connected the Neva and Okhta and is now part of Krasnogvardeyskaya Square, and recalls Evgraf Fedotovich Komarovsky, adjutant general of Alexander I. His dacha and cloth factory were located nearby here. The dacha was located in the northern part of Malaya Okhta, on the banks of the Neva. Since the people of the privileged classes, especially the nobles, could be counted on one hand on Okhta, the Komarovskys were very respected and revered by the surrounding residents. General Komarovsky was a purely military man and did not have the abilities of a businessman. After the bankruptcy of the latter, Komarovsky bought the cloth factory of the banker Baron Rahl at the insistence of the Minister of Finance, Count Guryev. Alexander I personally took care of the material part of the factory; the best masters. In 1829, cloth from the Komarovsky factory was recognized as the best at an exhibition in St. Petersburg. Komarovsky received for them gold medal great dignity. But in the 1830s, factory affairs got worse, the general’s establishment went bankrupt, and General Komarovsky even had to sell his house near the Semenovsky Bridge to pay off his debts. The last bridge over Okhta - Malookhtinsky, it connects the Sverdlovskaya and Malookhtinskaya embankments and was built in 1984. The name was given not after Malokhtinskaya embankment, which did not exist yet, but after Malaya Okhta, to which the bridge leads. It is partly connected with the name of the neighboring Bolsheokhtinsky Bridge across the Neva.
Petersburg in street names. The origin of the names of streets and avenues, rivers and canals, bridges and islands. - St. Petersburg: AST, Astrel-SPb, VKT.Vladimirovich A.G., Erofeev A.D. 2009 .
The Okhta River is located in the northern part of Karelia and is a right tributary large river Kem, flowing into the White Sea. Rafting on the Okhta can hardly be called river rafting, because Okhta is essentially a lake-river system consisting of large number(about 10) small and medium-sized lakes connected by river sections.
The rafting section of the river begins from Lake Kevyatozero and ends with the Putkinskoye Reservoir, on the banks of which the city of Kem is located. Some do not finish their rafting in Kemi, but go out to the White Sea, where they move along the coast to other landing sites.
In total, on the rafting section of the river there are 4 medium-sized lakes (Muezero, Yulyaozero, Lezhevo Island, Voronye Island) and several small ones. The length of the section is about 250 kilometers, the number of rapids and rifts is 40, the height of the river drop is 123 meters, there are no impassable obstacles.
The complexity of the river is rated as the third category. The Okhta River is popular among tourists, and for many watermen Karelia is associated with it. The river is also famous for one of its main attractions - the Kiviristi rapids. But, despite its popularity, Okhta is better suited for kayaking groups. For inflatable vessels, this is a too narrow river with large lakes, which can be crossed in strong wind causes great difficulty.
Okhta passes away from populated areas. On the shores of the lakes through which the path is laid, there are several villages, but all of them are uninhabited. The river is replete with beautiful sites, most of which are located on the banks of lakes. As a rule, this river is visited by those who love kayaking on lakes and are not indifferent to the thrill of serious rapids. Beginners can also go on this river, having to navigate difficult obstacles. You can take from one to three children on a hike. Cases of rafting children's groups on the river are generally not recommended, but are possible subject to professionally implemented safety precautions and the presence of a sufficient number of experienced instructors in the group.
Okhta can be divided into three areas. The upstream section does not contain any serious obstacles, the river in this place is very shallow, and the banks are swampy. At the outlet of the lakes there are the remains of old wooden dams. Middle Okhta is an area replete with lakes, towards the end of which interesting rapids begin. The lower reaches of the Okhta are most saturated with rapids and end with an extended reservoir.
Possible routes
There are two options for routes on the river according to the type of delivery.
1. Starts from the bridge over the river immediately after Kukkomozero, 5 - 6 km from the confluence with Muezero. Transfer time from Sosnowiec is 3 hours.
2. Starts from the source of the river from Kevyatozero, 30 km higher upstream than the first option. The transfer to Kevyatozero is also called the transfer to the “Finnish Station”. The bridge over Okhta near Kevyatozero is considered the beginning of the rafting section of the river, but you can make a slipway on the lake itself, setting up a camp and making all the preparations for rafting in order to row up to the bridge the next day. The Finnish station is the name given to the old pier in the village, which in reality is not a very convenient place to collect kayaks, but is more familiar to the locals to explain the place of arrival. It will be most convenient to start the route from the bridge over the river, or to spend the night on the banks of Kevyatozero, having made preliminary reconnaissance about the parking areas.
The second route includes additional obstacles: Lake Kukkomozero, 2 destroyed dams, the 1st route begins, 4 rapids to Kukkomozero, then the 2nd dam and three more rapids before the river flows into Muezero.
Drop/Drop
The transfer to the river can be started from three settlements (Belomorsk, Sosnovets, Kochkoma), any of which can be reached by Murmansk trains departing from Petrozavodsk, Murmansk, Moscow or St. Petersburg.
But it is best to plan a transfer from the city of Belomorsk, for the reasons that it will be easier to find a car there than in the other two settlements, although this option will turn out to be the most expensive and time-consuming.
It is better to adjust the transfer to both routes from any point using the map. The two-kilometer map clearly shows the access to the river both in the village of Kevyatozero and on the Nizhnyaya Okhta section, where the bridge over the river is the only crossing between the two lakes. The road to both drop-off points is unpaved, so it is better to immediately count on a car that is able to make this route, especially during the spring flood period, when the road has the worst passability. On average, you will spend about 3 hours on the road to route 1, and about 3.5 hours to route 2.
It is more profitable to do the discharge from the Poduzhemskaya hydroelectric station across the Kem River. This place is also shown on the map as Vochazh. From here it is 20 kilometers by bus to the city of Kem. The bus runs regularly, approximately every hour. From Kemi you can get by train in the Murmansk and Petrozavodsk directions.
Preparatory work for the trip
It is necessary to take into account that there is no opportunity to purchase additional products along the route. Emergency evacuation is also not easy; this should be taken into account when stocking a first aid kit and equipment. Please note that there are lakes on the route and in bad weather, passing them may take longer than described in the directions. In this area of Karelia you can easily encounter a bear or other predator, so it is better to take flares or other predator deterrents with you.
List of river obstacles
This bridge across the river is the most convenient place to start your route if you save time. In this case, you can immediately begin assembling ships and preparing for rafting. There is parking if you do decide to stay overnight.
Obstacles 1-5
A series of easy rapids, starting from a bridge over the river in a small bay in the immediate vicinity of the village of Kevyatozero and ending with the entrance to Lake Kukkomozero. The rapids can be considered shivers, or obstacles of the 1st category of difficulty. You can walk through all of them from the water without looking through them.
IN low water It is necessary to take a look, because the river bed can be littered with logs and branches, the rapids themselves, even in deep water, are quite shallow - there is a chance of landing on a stone or puncturing the kayak. The first rapid will begin 20 minutes after the bridge, it is also called the first dam, the passage is clean and not difficult, there is a small parking lot next to it on the right bank. The remaining four rapids can be difficult to maneuver.
Kukkomozero.
It’s a narrow lake, easy to navigate, about 8 kilometers long. There is parking right at the entrance. There may be more parking lots. From the beginning of the route to the beginning of the lake is about 30 kilometers.
Bridge over the river between Kukkomozero and Lake Muezro, the beginning of route 2. Before reaching the bridge, there is a good parking lot to the right of the road (in case you decide to stay here overnight). Its inconvenience is that it is far from the water. After the bridge there is a place for a slipway and a possible overnight stay, although in less comfortable conditions.
Dam 2
The dam is separated by a small stretch, looking like a narrow lake, from the bridge. Passing the obstacle is not difficult, but viewing is necessary. The dam is a dilapidated log flume with nails and pieces of logs sticking out in some places. The width of the tray is about 3 meters. After a hundred meters the dam continues with another chute, tapering towards the end. Its length is about 50 meters.
Obstacles 8-9
Two simple shivers that can be passed without inspection. The average length of each is about one hundred meters. Shivers are small, even in high water stones sticking out. In low water it may be necessary to carry kayaks.
Muezersky Threshold, Staircase
Difficulty category one. Viewing is desirable and more convenient from the right bank. There are a lot of rocks in the riverbed; maneuvering is required at the exit from the rapids. The obstacle gradually narrows to 3 meters wide. Many kayaks crash at this rapids.
Lake Muezero
Immediately at the entrance to the lake, on the right bank there is a conveniently equipped parking lot. It is well ventilated, located on a cape, with a sandy exit - a good place for swimming.
In the center of the lake is Trinity Island, opposite the river's exit into the lake. On the island is the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, built by the Old Believers in 1602. The building is in good condition, you can go inside. Behind the church there is a chapel, a monastery and a cemetery. The length of the passage across the lake is 6 kilometers. The exit to the river is noticeable by the decline of the forest, but it is better to go to the source using a compass. In windy weather, a large wave can rise on the lake.
Dam 3
The obstacle is not very difficult; it can be passed without watching. The dam tray is short - about three, four meters. The obstacle has two passages, the right one is the cleanest and is clearly visible from the water. There is a parking space on the left bank. After the dam, the channel is narrow, fast flowing, with rare stones.
Obstacles 11-12
Obstacles can be passed without looking, these are rifts, the riverbed is shallow. Depending on the water level, obstacles may not be noticed. Before the left tributary of the river, Churush, flows into the Okhta, there are no parking lots.
This parking lot is located on the right bank, 300 meters after the confluence of the Churush tributary. It is not very comfortable, but it is the only parking lot before Lake Yulyaozero.
Shivers 13-14
They are not much different from each other; you can go through them without watching them. After these shivers, a section of the river begins, which is called “Rotten Okhta” or “Bad Channel”. The area is characterized by marshy banks covered with reeds, the river constantly winds, there are no parking areas or obstacles. Lots of mosquitoes. The length of this stretch is 15 kilometers, and the passage takes 3-4 hours.
Lake Yulyaozero
Immediately at the entrance to the lake on the right bank there is a well-equipped parking lot. Several groups can stop there, there is not much firewood. On the rocky shore there are autographs of tourist groups. As you move along the right bank of the lake, you can find several more parking lots. It is better to adjust the crossing of the lake according to the map; there are several route options. Two of them may not be suitable in low water or for large vessels. The most reliable option is to cross the lake along the south-eastern channel, staying along the right bank of the lake; this is at the same time the longest option. Rounding the island, you can find many parking lots on the mainland. In particular, there is a good parking lot on a stone cape separating lakes Rigoreka and Yuzmozero. 4 kilometers from the cape along the right bank there is an abandoned village of Rigoreka. 4-5 kilometers from the village along the right bank there is an exit from the lake.
Dam 4
An obstacle separates Lake Yulyaozero and Lake Alozero. The dam is clearly visible and audible from the water. It has two trays, both 4-5 meters wide with a strong current. Both trays are passable. View along the left bank.
Located immediately after the dam, the length of the rift is about 100 meters, viewing is advisable from the left bank. The obstacle is small and requires maneuvering (so as not to run aground). The width of the jet is 20 meters. The distance to the next rapid is about three kilometers.
Neme-threshold
Neme rapids is a cascade of 5 rifts, separated by small sections of the river where you can take a break. Threshold difficulty category is first, viewing is not required. The length of the entire cascade is about a kilometer, dangerous places No. 300 meters after the rapids there is a parking lot on the right rocky bank. After the threshold to Lake Lezhevo the shores are swampy and there are no parking areas. The distance to the lake is at least 10 kilometers. The first parking lot is on the right bank, not reaching one kilometer from the lake.
Lake Lezhevo
Exactly this large lake along the entire route, it extends from southeast to northwest for almost 30 kilometers. In windy weather, a wave may rise on the lake, making it difficult to cross the lake, and for inflatable vessels this will be completely impossible. There are two ways to cross the lake, depending on the time you have. You can choose the shortest path diagonally to Dam No. 5. The dam connects Lezhevo with Lake Torozero, which connects with Lake Pebozero, which in turn opens into Lake Voronye.
This option is chosen by most groups as it is 20 kilometers shorter than the other option. According to the second option, Lezhevo is intersected to its very northern point to the source of the Srednyaya Okhta, which, after making a large detour, flows into Lake Voronye. In any case, it is better to use a map to find the dam or the source of the Okhta. At the entrance to the lake on the right bank there are several parking lots located on a grassy cape; unfortunately, there are a lot of mosquitoes here. There are good parking lots in the western direction of the lake on the left bank, and one in the direction of travel, located on a rocky cape opposite the abandoned village of Lezhevo.
Dam 5
The dam has one clean tray, 4 meters wide and a drop height of 1.5 meters. This is an obstacle of the second difficulty category and should be reviewed. Immediately after the dam, a fast current continues with small swells. In some cases, the flow after the threshold is taken as a separate obstacle and is called the Melnichny threshold. Just below the dam there is a small and not very convenient parking lot on the left bank, but further down to Pebozer there are no parking lots. From the dam to Pebozero it is 6 kilometers.
Lake Torosozero
This lake is five kilometers long and about 300 meters wide; there are no parking areas on it.
Threshold Tergethreshold
Viewing is optional. It is an artificial tray with log walls. The width of the channel at the beginning is 5 - 6 meters, at the end 3 - 4 meters, the current is very fast. The length of the tray is about 70 meters, the difference is up to three meters. After half a kilometer fast current next obstacle.
Pebozersky threshold
Viewing is desirable and more convenient from the left bank. Difficulty category two. The rapid begins with a fast stream, in the middle of which, when turning to the left, the river divides into two branches. The left sleeve is in the form of a tray - with a strong jet, shafts and a stone at the outlet. The right wall of the tray is destroyed. The entry is complicated by logs. The right sleeve is very small. The total length of the threshold is about 70 meters. After the rapids Lake Pebozero begins. Just beyond the threshold on the right bank there is a small parking lot.
Lake Pebozero
At the exit to the lake on the left bank there are several parking lots. The lake is connected by several channels to Lake Voronii. On the right bank of the lake there is an abandoned village of the same name. From the side of the village you can see the channel to Voronye Lake, immediately at the exit to which there are good parking lots along both rocky shores.
Lake Voronye
It is considered the most beautiful lake on the route. The lake is indented with rocky shores and is replete with rocky islands with many parking lots. One of the islands is a tourist attraction - the so-called “Island of Good Spirits” - an open-air museum of tourist creativity. There are over a hundred sculptures and wood crafts collected here. You can find the island by a strongly protruding cape on the mainland side, at the end of which there is a clearly visible triangular sign. You can get to the island by taking course 300 when entering the lake. In the northernmost part of the lake there is a continuation of the river with a destroyed dam.
Dam 6
Inspection along the left bank. Difficulty category two. The bottom of the dam is wooden, possibly with nails, and the dam has two outlets. The width of the dam is about 15 meters. After the dam there is a small rift. 700 meters downstream there is a small rapid.
Threshold of Tarashekorv or Deer
Viewing is optional. The threshold is in the form of a flat inclined slab about a meter high. After the drainage, there is a section of fast current about a hundred meters. A kilometer after the rapids the lake begins.
Lake Kornizozero
This is a narrow lake, about seven kilometers long, with no parking at all. Its banks are low and overgrown with reeds.
Obstacle 26
This is a small rift right after the lake. You don't have to view it. Immediately after it you can see the island, beyond which the threshold begins. There is a parking lot on the island.
Threshold Pichethreshold
The peak threshold is a long shiver consisting of six turns. There are several snags and overhanging trees. The threshold is clearly visible from the water and can be passed without looking, but it is better to do reconnaissance for congestion and blockages along the right bank. Difficulty category one. There is a large parking lot in front of the rapids on the right bank. There is also parking outside the door, but it’s worse. After three kilometers, the next obstacle is a simple shiver.
Obstacle 28
Viewing is optional. 1 kilometer downstream the Kozhany rapid.
Leather threshold
The threshold's landmark is a blockage on the right bank. The river makes a sharp turn to the left, then to the right. The length of the rapid is about 100 meters, there are a lot of stones. Viewing recommended. Difficulty category two. When passing, maneuvering is required. Two kilometers downstream is the next obstacle.
Oinegaine Threshold
Obstacle of the second category of difficulty. View from the right bank. The threshold begins with a shallow rake and ends with a barrel. The barrel allows you to organize rides. The length of the threshold is 400 meters. On the right bank there is a clearing suitable for parking, but there is no good firewood in it. Downstream, up to the Kiviristi rapids, parking lots will be of the same type - in mixed forest, and with a small amount of firewood. The next rapid is two kilometers away.
Threshold Lounathreshold
The threshold can be clearly heard from the water, viewed from the left bank, despite the apparent advantages of the right. Before the rapids on the right bank there is a clearing where you can set up a camp. The river bed is divided into two branches by an island. The obstacle is a strong rift 400 meters long, with a bottleneck at the exit. After the rapids there is an emergency parking lot on the right bank.
Obstacles 32-34
Two small rifts, passable from the water. Almost immediately, downstream, the Hemeg rapids are located.
Khemeg threshold
This threshold is easy to recognize from the water as quite dangerous. The stream narrows and sharply goes to the right. The left bank looks into the water with rock slabs. The threshold difficulty category is second, viewing along the left bank. The length of the threshold is 200 meters. The jet first makes a sharp right turn, and then a sharp left turn of almost 90 degrees, then follows a smooth right turn, at the exit of which there is an oblique shaft. The left bank of the rapid is steep. After the first two turns, the stream passes through a narrow stone corridor with a strong current and swells, the width of the channel is 10 meters. And after a small shift, the riverbed is divided into two branches. There is a parking lot on the left bank, but there is not enough firewood. After the rapids, the river forms a flood, beyond which the Kiviristi rapids are located.
Kiviristi Threshold
Literal translation: Stone cross. It is considered the most difficult and beautiful rapid on the route. Difficulty category four. View and possible drift along the left bank. The total length of the rapid is 400 meters. The threshold consists of three parts.
The first is a simple 50-meter-long rift located in a rocky narrowing. In the rift itself there is a left catch in which you can anchor, and after the rift there is another hundred meters of calm current.
The second part is a waterfall-type drain, partially blocked by stone teeth running in a ridge from the left bank to the middle of the stream. To the right of the teeth is a helical stream bouncing off the rock. There is a foam barrel under the drain.
The third part is a high canyon with a strong current and small barrels. The width of the canyon is 10 meters. The height of the walls is from 4 to 20 meters, the length is 250 meters. The canyon makes one turn to the left, then to the right and comes out into a vast and shallow flood.
Passing the rapid is made difficult by poor insurance conditions and a long canyon where the ship will be carried away in the event of a capsize. The barrel itself is not very convenient to insure; a rower who falls into it can remain under water for a long time. Were on the threshold deaths. 50 meters after the end of the obstacle there is a good parking lot on the right bank. The next rapid is located two kilometers downstream.
Threshold White
It is a powerful beam 250 meters long. At the exit, in the middle of the riverbed, there is a large stone. Viewing is not required.
Threshold Dark or Black
Powerful rift, with a drain 0.8 meters high, with a stone at the exit on the right. Viewing is recommended. Difficulty category two. The next rapid is 1 kilometer away.
Threshold Stovethreshold
The rapid's landmark is a huge boulder on the right side of the river at the right turn. Having seen this block, you should stop 50 meters short of it and look through the threshold. Viewing and insurance from the right bank. The threshold is formed by a narrowing of the river, and a small stone island that divides the river into two branches, the left branch is rocky and shallow. The channel on the right is blocked by underwater stones, in two places between the stones there are drains up to one and a half meters high. After the discharges, the rapid continues with a powerful rift, 500 meters long.
Threshold Parsley
A simple shift with a left turn, there is a small right pressure. There are a lot of stones at the exit of the rift. Difficulty category one, viewing is not required. The threshold is followed by two more simple shivers.
Obstacles 36-41
A series of simple rifts and rifts that do not require viewing; there are many stones in the rifts and there are swells up to one meter. The last series of shivers is a destroyed bridge. There is a good parking lot at the penultimate rift on the right bank. This is the last stop before the Tyuterin threshold.
Threshold Tyuterin
The threshold's landmark is a flat clearing on the left bank. View and possible drift along the left bank. Difficulty category three. The threshold is often blocked by rocks protruding from the water, which complicates passage. The bottom is formed by transverse slabs, the drain height is 2.5 meters. At the outlet of the drain there are barrels and shafts. The threshold continues with a 50-meter rift. There is a small parking lot on the left bank, but there is not enough firewood. There are 4 kilometers of reach to the next rapids.
Kurna Threshold
A long narrow rift with a strong current. The length of the threshold is 150 meters. View from the right bank. Difficulty category two. The entrance is 4 meters wide, then a winding stream hits the stones of the left and then the right banks. After the threshold there is a kilometer-long stretch. There is a good parking lot on the right bank.
Threshold Okhtathreshold
The entrance to the threshold is marked by a clearing on the right bank; the blocked riverbed is clearly visible from the water. View and possible drift along the right bank. It is better to view the threshold completely. Difficulty category three. Entering the rapids on the left bank through a 1 meter high drain. The rapid continues as a strong stream with various swells up to 1.5 meters. There are a lot of stones in the riverbed. The length of the rapid is 450 meters. There are parking lots at the beginning and end of the rapids on the right bank. From the threshold to the confluence of the Okhta and the Kem is 4 kilometers, and from there to the discharge - 2 kilometers. This is the last rapid on the route.
). The direction of the current is from north to south, the Okhta flows into the Neva 12.5 km from its mouth. Top part, before the confluence of the left-bank tributary - the Okkervil River - is sometimes called Bolshaya Okhta.
Total catchment area the last three inflows in relation to the entire Okhta basin is 35.5%.
Rzhev hydroelectric complex
9 km from the mouth is the Rzhevsky hydroelectric complex with the Okhtinsky reservoir, formed by the Okhtinsky dam. A river-bed reservoir with a length of 5.1 km. In the upper part its width is 120 m, at the dam - 200-250 m. The maximum depth is 6.2 m. The useful volume of the reservoir is about 4 million cubic meters. For many years, the Rzhev hydroelectric complex as a hydraulic structure has been in a pre-emergency state. The control mechanisms for culverts are severely worn out. Water constantly leaks through the body of the dam, and it may not withstand the pressure in severe flood conditions. When a dam breaks on the floodplain and in the riverbed, erosion may occur, which can lead to the destruction of industrial and civil facilities located in the coastal zone. Since in the bed of the Okhtinsky reservoir and in the river a long-term accumulation of large masses of bottom sediments enriched with highly toxic substances has formed chemicals, there is a serious environmental threat in the event of a hydraulic dam failure for the downstream sections of the Okhta River and the section of the Neva near its mouth.
Ecology
In 2011, in the “Yearbook of the quality of surface waters of the Russian Federation” of the Hydrochemical Institute of Roshydromet of the Russian Federation, Okhta was named the most polluted water body in the Baltic hydrographic region; the water in the river was classified as "dirty" (4th
The Okhta River is a right tributary of the Kemi River, which flows into the White Sea. These are the lands of Karelia, and the republic is famous primarily for its remote taiga places. It is through them that the water flow makes its way. It is characterized by alternating river sections and lakes. There are as many as 15 of the latter on Okhta. But this does not mean that the river is calm and quiet. There are many rapids and rifts on it. They attract tourists from all over the vast Russia. Every year in the summer, several thousand water extreme sports enthusiasts raft down the river, which is 142 km long.
The river bed runs through remote, uninhabited areas. There are villages along the banks. But people haven’t lived in them for a long time. But there are still legends about mysterious idol stones. Once upon a time, these blocks were located in the remote taiga thicket along winding river banks and on hills. It is unclear who placed them and for what purpose. But the most amazing thing is that some of these stones “sing”.
Okhta River
Ordinary stone blocks are called seids. There are a lot of them in Karelia. These are large boulders supported by several small stones. Official science claims that these are not man-made formations at all, but the result of melting glaciers. They moved north and, as a result, left behind such unique natural structures. As for the “singing” seids, everything is more complicated here, since they have only been heard about, but not seen. The landmark is the Okhta River. Allegedly, these mysterious formations are located near it.
There is a legend that if a traveler comes to the “singing” stone, the granite block will immediately determine what thoughts are in that person’s head. If they are bright and kind, then such a person will be helped. He will be cured of illness, fatigue, and his consciousness will be illuminated by answers to many complex life questions. If the wanderer turns out to be the embodiment of evil, then mortal horror will seize him, and such a traveler will rush away from the stone block. He will run away without looking back, and may get lost in the thicket of the forest, and therefore disappear forever in the deep Karelian forests.
It cannot be said that people did not search for mysterious “singing” stones. Entire expeditions went into the taiga, but returned with nothing. But one day the researchers got lucky. They went out to a small hill, climbed to its top and saw the seid. He stood on a flat stone support. Everything would have been fine, but the stone “sang.” The wind blew and penetrated into the narrow gap between the base of the stone and the rocky support on which the “singer” rested.
At the same time, a sound was generated that resembled the sound of a pipe. It was as if a shepherd was hiding behind a stone and playing a soulful melody on his pipe. Depending on the strength of the wind, the tonality of the sound changed. This was facilitated by the unstable position of the block. She swayed under the pressure of the air. The stone seemed to be balanced on a granite stand. But slight shaking was observed not only during strong gusts of wind. It did not stop even when it became completely quiet.
The monolith was large, heavy, and no wind could make it sway. However, the movements were noticeable to the naked eye. This led eyewitnesses to believe that this composition was created by hand, and not by nature.
The “singing” stone was surrounded on all sides by bushes and trees. Only in one place nothing grew. It was a narrow passage that allowed the wind to blow freely through the structure. It was in this direction that she was oriented.
The ground around the "singer" was trampled down. It seemed that this place had been visited regularly for hundreds of years. Perhaps the people who once inhabited this land performed ritual ceremonies near the stone. But there are no legends or stories left about this monolith.
Seid stone
It is believed that a spirit lives in it, and the world of the living in this place meets the otherworldly
However, the main discovery on the banks of the Okhta River was not the “singing” stone. A group of researchers discovered a whole chain of seids that were not yet known to science. People looked at the map, checked the route with a compass and saw that all the stones were located in a perfectly straight line, and it was directed towards Lake Karma. It is located near Okhta, on geographical map there is, despite the fact that it is surrounded on all sides by impassable swamps.
This was the reason that no one explored the reservoir. But there are legends around it that claim that the lake is a repository of information about Hyperborea. This ancient civilization Many scientists inextricably associate it with Karelia. Thus, the Okhta River and its mysteries have an inextricable connection with one of the greatest secrets of our planet.
As for the perfectly even chain of stones, we can assume that they were kind of milestones marking some mysterious path. In passing, it should be noted that Okhta is translated from ancient Sami as “guiding river.” It was along its shore that the path went towards Lake Karma. For example, the same young men could be initiated into shamans here. They moved from one sacred place to another. Each of them had certain specifics and provided some secret knowledge. Those who went through the entire path received full initiation.
All of the above is not at all true in the last instance. This is just one assumption, but it is once again indicates that the Okhta River and its mysteries give rise to a wide variety of hypotheses. And they, as we know, arise when it is very difficult to explain some phenomenon from the standpoint of modern science. It seems that the secrets of past centuries should be comprehended based on a completely different way of thinking. But to modern man it is unknown, which is why there are so many mysteries in the world.
Yuri Syromyatnikov