THE BASHKAUS Book of Legends

For decades, the raging river torrents that cut through Southern Siberia’s Altai region’s towering mountains have lured paddlers looking to prove themselves, for the chance to pit man against nature in a battle of skills and will. Nowhere is this truer than the Bashkaus, where, high on the cliffside, a book awaits, recording the names of those brave enough to do battle with the waters below. Though modern technology and skills have lessened the challenge of the whitewater, WW-school Russia paddler Sergey Ilin reminds us why the Bashkaus River remains a classic and why it is a privilege to put your name in the Book of Legends.

Words: Sergey Ilin

Southern Siberia is a magical place. Venture into the Altai mountains, and you'll soon find yourself in deep in the wilderness, lost (or found) in uninhabited places, surrounded by endless coniferous forests, alpine meadows, and big water rivers. The rivers of the Altai form the basis of legends for the Russian whitewater community; legends and rivers whose reputations spread beyond the Iron Curtain to inspire generations of paddlers. Nestled among the towering mountains of the Altai republic are the vertical walls of the Bashkaus River’s lower gorge. Here, through silence and wild nature, the magic of the Altai is revealed as nowhere else. BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN The world was a different place in the 1960s and 70s. The Cold War was in full force, with the majority of the…

You're reading a preview of

Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, Spring 2020

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.