A TRANS- SIBERIAN SKI ADVENTURE

The valley of Bolshoy Mamay, near the shores of Lake Baikal, is a remote Russian region that’s garnering a loyal following of backcountry skiers. Travel there by Trans-Siberian Railway and the adventure begins before you even clip in

- ABIGAIL BUTCHER

During the searing summer of 2019, my friend and IMFGA mountain guide Fred Buttard told me he was heading to Siberia that November on a recce trip for his company, Upguides, and was looking for intrepid, experienced skiers to join him. I didn’t need to ask twice. Siberia has a romantic if complex reputation — a mysterious place of cold, bleak beauty; one whose tragic past is entwined with a now forgotten-about generation trying to find its way in the present.

A few months later, our group convenes at Moscow Kazansky Station, cramming big ski bags and touring kit into our section of six bunks in a third-class coach of the Trans-Siberian Railway train bound for Vladivostok, 5,772 miles away. While smiles and direct eye contact are scarce, our fellow travelers survey our group with friendly amusement. Sharing no common language, communication is, as is often the case, nonetheless easy.

For four days and nights, we trundle east, ticking off stations and time zones, watching the landscape outside grow colder by the mile. Sometimes, stops provide enough time to inhale a lungful of ever-fresher air, while bigger stations offer the chance to grab a beer and some takeaway food. Seemingly oblivious to the temperatures, locals patrol the platforms peddling everything from ushanka (classic fur-lined hats with ear flaps) to salted fish and pirozhki (stuffed rolls).

Temperatures outside drop as low as -40C, but inside the train is warm, comfy, and clean. Travelers get on and off different stops, each new arrival presented with bedding and towels for their journey. A dining car offers a simple menu, which we supplement with our own tea, coffee, pot noodles, and instant porridge made with hot water from the samovar in our carriage.